Editing John II Komnenos (section)

===Final campaigns (1142)===
In early 1142 John campaigned against the Seljuqs of Iconium to secure his lines of communication through Attalia ([[Antalya]]). During this campaign his eldest son and co-emperor [[Alexios Komnenos (co-emperor)|Alexios]] died of a fever. Having secured his route, John embarked on a new expedition into Syria determined to reduce Antioch to direct imperial rule.<ref>Choniates p. 22</ref> This expedition included a planned pilgrimage to Jerusalem on which he intended to take his army. King [[Fulk of Jerusalem]], fearing that the emperor's presence with overwhelming military force would constrain him to make an act of homage and formally recognise Byzantine suzerainty over his kingdom, begged the emperor to bring only a modest escort. Fulk cited the inability of his largely barren kingdom to support the passage of a substantial army.<ref name="Runciman, pp. 212-213, 222-224"/><ref name="pilgrimage">J. Harris, ''Byzantium and The Crusades'', p. 86</ref> This lukewarm response resulted in John&nbsp;II deciding to postpone his pilgrimage. John descended rapidly on northern Syria, forcing Joscelin II of Edessa to render hostages, including his daughter,  as a guarantee of his good behaviour. He then advanced on Antioch demanding that the city and its citadel be surrendered to him. Raymond of Poitiers played for time, putting the proposal to the vote of the Antiochene general assembly. With the season well advanced John decided to take his army into winter quarters in Cilicia, proposing to renew his attack on Antioch the following year.<ref name="Angold 1984, p. 157"/>