DYRRHACHIUM NORMANS VS BYZANTINES
When Alexius Comnenus ascended the throne on 4 April 1081 at 24 years old he was already a proven general – since his first battle at 14 he had not yet seen defeat. But the capable young military commander inherited an empire that was a shadow of its former self. The defeat at Manzikert a decade before had dealt a savage blow that the Byzantines would never truly recover from.
