*suddenly the Byzantines aren't pansies anymore*

>>2575510
*navigates around your post
*uses Greek fire on its rear

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>>2575521
goddamnit anatolian landed families, always interfering with imperial succession

>>2575510
Is that a KANG on the right (his left)?

>>2575510
>not pansies
>with those shoes and stockings

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>>2576150
get some fashion sense anon

>>2575531
Anatolia's geography unfortunately favours rebellions

t. anatolian ;_;

>>2575531
Anatolian magnates partly caused the Turkification of Asia Minor. Manzikert wasn't that damaging of a battle. The Byzantines only lost something like 20-30% of their troops; remember the traitor Andronikos Doukas falsely claimed that Romanus Diogenes was killed in battle and retreated, causing the other troops to flee the battle. The emperor was forced to fend off against Alp Arslan's army with only a fraction of his troops and the Varangian Guard.

Even worse, a civil war broke out after Romanus Diogenes was freed by Arslan. The Seljuks and Turkomans didn't settle en masse into Anatolia until 1073, 2 years AFTER Manzikert. Anatolian rebels even handed over cities to the Turkic marauders because they were hired as mercenaries and the Greeks thought they would only be a temporary nuisance.

Not to mention the greed and rapacity of the magnates undermined the theme system. The core strength of the themes was that the peasant-soldiers would have enough land to sustain themselves and equip for campaign. After Basil II's death, the Anatolian nobility acquired more and more soldier estates, thus the bulk of the land was in the hands of elite families. They also replaced farming with livestock which was more profitable. This is why the Seljuks and other Turkics settled the plateau so easily because it was literally populated with nothing but country houses and vast herds of cattle, sheep, and horses; ideal for steppe-based nomads.

>>2576609
Ironically one of my favorite dynasties, the Komnenos originated from Anatolia. The family originated as an officer who served under Basil II against the rebel Bardas Skleros, a major Anatolian magnate. As a reward for his loyal and good service, the Komnenian founder was given lands in western Asia Minor. His descendant Alexios won the Byzantine civil war in 1081 and became emperor though at the cost of losing almost all of Anatolia including the Komnenian estates.