Editing Battle of Manzikert (section)

==Prelude==
Accompanying Romanos was [[Andronikos Doukas (cousin of Michael VII)|Andronikos Doukas]], son of his rival [[John Doukas (Caesar)|John Doukas]]. The army consisted of about {{formatnum:5000}} professional Byzantine troops from the western provinces and probably about the same number from the eastern provinces. These included long established regular units ({{tlit|grc|Heteria}}, {{tlit|grc|cholai}} and {{tlit|grc|Straelati}}){{sfn|Nicolle|2013|p=40}} of the central field army (''Tagmata'').<ref>{{cite book |first=Raffaele |last=d'Amato |page=13 |title=Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925–1025. The Taghmata and Imperial Guard |year=2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-84908-850-3}}</ref> Under Doukas, the rear guard at Manzikert was largely made up of the private retinues and peasant levies of the border lords ({{tlit|grc|archontes}}).{{sfn|Heath|McBride|1979|p=26}} Finally, the large and diverse host included 500 [[Franks|Frankish]] and [[Normans|Norman]] mercenaries under [[Roussel de Bailleul]], some Turkic ([[Oghuz Turks|Uz]] and [[Pecheneg]]) and [[Bulgaria]]n mercenaries, infantry under the Duke of [[Antioch]], a contingent of [[Kingdom of Georgia|Georgian]] and [[Armenia]]n troops and some (but not all) of the [[Varangian Guard]] to total around 40,000 men.{{sfn|Haldon|2001|p=180}} The quantity of the provincial troops had declined in the years before Romanos, as the government diverted funding to mercenaries who were judged less likely to be involved in politics and could be disbanded after use to save money.{{sfn|Heath|McBride|1979|pp=21–22}}

[[File:AlpArslan.PNG|thumb|left|Alp Arslan led the Seljuk Turks to victory against the Byzantine annexation of Manzikert in 1071. [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani|Rashid al-Din]], ''[[Jami' al-tawarikh]]'', 1654 Ottoman copy, [[Topkapi Museum]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yıldız |first1=Osman Fikret |title=Büyük Selçuklular Ve Nizamül-Mülk, Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, (Yüksek Lisans Tezi), Isparta 2019,(Great Seljuks and Nizamal-Mulk) |date=1 January 2019 |page=93, Fig.4 |url=https://www.academia.edu/41950842 |quote=Miniature from [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani|Reşîdüddîn]], ''[[Jami' al-tawarikh|Câmiu't-Tevârîh]]'', TSMK, Hazine, nr. 1654, vr. 202 |language=tr}}</ref>]]

The march across [[Asia Minor]] was long and difficult. Romanos brought a luxurious baggage train, which did not endear him to his troops. The local population also suffered plundering by his Frankish mercenaries, whom he was obliged to dismiss. The expedition rested at [[Sebasteia]] on the [[Halys River]], reaching [[Erzurum|Theodosiopolis]] in June 1071. Some of his generals suggested continuing the march into the Seljuk territory and catching Alp Arslan before he was ready. Others, including [[Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder|Nicephorus Bryennius]], suggested they wait and fortify their position. It was decided to continue the march.{{sfn|Hillenbrand|2007|pp=7–8}} Then they moved to [[Hınıs|Khnus]] city. The Byzantine army, which was heading towards the [[Malazgirt Plain]], chose the route of the [[Kocasu Creek (Hınıs)|Kocasu Stream]] flowing through Khnus as a route to meet its water needs, and the army manufactured the spears to be used in the war from the trees growing in Khnus and its surroundings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hınıs'ın tarihçesi |url=http://www.hinis.gov.tr/hinisin-tarihcesi |website=hinis.gov.tr/ |language=tr |access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref>

Thinking that Alp Arslan was either further away or not coming at all, Romanos marched towards [[Lake Van]], expecting to retake Manzikert quickly and the nearby fortress of [[Ahlat|Khliat]] if possible. Alp Arslan was already in the area, however, with allies and {{formatnum:30000}} cavalry from [[Aleppo]] and [[Mosul]]. Alp Arslan's scouts knew exactly where Romanos was, while Romanos was completely unaware of his opponent's movements.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Morris |first1=Rosemary |last2=Tucker |first2=Spencer |author-link2=Spencer C. Tucker |editor-last=Tucker |editor-first=Spencer |title=Middle East Conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century: An Encyclopedia and Document Collection |chapter=Manzikert, Battle of (August 26, 1071) |year=2019 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara |isbn=978-1-4408-5352-4 |page=800}}</ref>
[[File:Manzikertbattlecampaignmap21071.svg|thumbnail|Having made peace with the Byzantines, the Seljuks intended to attack Egypt until Alp Arslan learned in Aleppo of the Byzantine advance. He returned north and met the Byzantines north of [[Lake Van]].]]

Romanos ordered his general [[Joseph Tarchaneiotes|Joseph Tarchaniotes]] to take some of the regular troops and the Varangians and accompany the Pechenegs and Franks to [[Ahlat|Khliat]]. At the same time, Romanos and the rest of the army marched to Manzikert. This split the forces into halves of about 20,000 men each. It is unknown what happened to the army sent off with [[Joseph Tarchaneiotes|Tarchaniotes]]{{snd}}according to Islamic sources, [[Alp Arslan]] smashed this army, yet Byzantine sources make no mention of any such encounter, and [[Attaliates]] suggests that Tarchaniotes fled at the sight of the Seljuk Sultan{{snd}}an unlikely event considering the reputation of the Byzantine general. Either way, Romanos' army was reduced to less than half his planned 40,000 men.{{sfn|Haldon|2001|p=180}}