Revolt of Basilakes

1079: Another revolt, by another man called Nicephorus.

This one was called Nicephorus Basilakes and he had been a general in the army of Bryennius.

Even though his 'emperor' Bryennius had been captured the rebellion was taken over by this man, Basilakes.

He based himself at Thessalonika.

However the emperor, Nicephorus III, sent an army under the command of Alexius, to defeat Basilakes.

Alexius pitched camp near Thessalonika.

That evening he ordered his army to equip themselves and march out of camp to the nearby hills, whilst camp attendants were ordered to light bonfires.

The idea was that Basilakes would see the camp, with the bonfires, thinking that Alexius' army was settling for the night and would be unprepared for an attack, which Basilakes swiftly launched upon the camp.

However Alexius and his army were safely away, but on hearing Basilakes and his army within the camp, soon descended upon them and routed them.

Basilakes managed to escape back to Thessalonika but the citizens were soon enduced to surrender him, to a Turkish officer by the name of Gules, for Alexius.

Whilst this was going on, the Turks in Anatolia had made further inroads, by this date Amasya was occupied and the ancestral seat of the Comneni, Kastra Komnenos (Comnenus) had also been over-run.