The mid-eleventh-century empire stretched across territories in southern Italy and the Balkans, Mediterranean islands, Asia Minor, and parts of the eastern frontier. Rule from Constantinople was extensive in theory, but Alexios I faced aristocratic rebellions after taking power in 1081. His own seizure of the throne left his legitimacy open to challenge. Norman leaders Robert Guiscard and Roger I had taken Byzantine possessions in southern Italy and were extending their conquests. Following their victory over imperial troops in 1081 at Durres, the Normans pushed into the Balkans and threatened further imperial territory.
Notable Point · 1:28:03-1:30:19
Alexios I inherited disputed authority and expanding Norman enemies
Byzantine territory, aristocratic rebellions, and Norman conquests explain the pressures on Alexios I's empire.