Editing Alexios I Komnenos (section)

==Pretenders and rebels==
Apart from all of his external enemies, a host of rebels also sought to overthrow Alexios from the imperial throne, thereby posing another major threat to his reign.<ref name="Kazhdan 1991, p. 1479" /> Due to the troubled times the empire was enduring, he faced more rebellions than any other Byzantine emperor.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 71">Finlay 1854, p. 71</ref> These included: 

===Pre First Crusade===
* [[Raictor]], a Byzantine monk who claimed to be the emperor [[Michael&nbsp;VII]]. He presented himself to [[Robert Guiscard]] who used him as a pretext to launch his invasion of the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 71" />
* A conspiracy in 1084 involving several senators and officers of the army. This was uncovered before too many followers were enlisted. In order to conceal the importance of the conspiracy, Alexios merely banished the wealthiest plotters and confiscated their estates.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 71" />
* [[Tzachas]], a [[Seljuq Turks|Seljuq Turkic]] emir who assumed the title of emperor in 1092.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72">Finlay 1854, p. 72</ref>
* [[Constantine Humbertopoulos]], who had assisted Alexios in gaining the throne in 1081 conspired against him in 1091 with an [[Armenians|Armenian]] called Ariebes.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[John Komnenos (governor of Dyrrhachium)|John Komnenos]], Alexios' nephew, governor of [[Dyrrachium]], accused of a conspiracy by [[Theophylact of Bulgaria]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[Theodore Gabras]], the quasi-independent governor of [[Trabzon|Trebizond]] and his son [[Gregory Gabras|Gregory]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[Michael Taronites]], the [[brother-in-law]] of Alexios.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[Nikephoros Diogenes]], the son of emperor [[Romanos&nbsp;IV]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[Constantine Diogenes (pretender)|Pseudo-Leo Diogenes]], an impostor who assumed the identity of another of Romanos' sons, Leo Diogenes.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 73">Finlay 1854, p. 73</ref>
* [[Karykes]], the leader of a revolt in [[Crete]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />
* [[Rhapsomates]], who tried to create an independent kingdom in [[Cyprus]].<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 72" />

===Post First Crusade===
* [[Salomon (senator)|Salomon]], a [[Byzantine Senate|senator]] of great wealth who in 1106 engaged in a plot with four brothers of the [[Anemas]] family.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 74">Finlay 1854, p. 74</ref>
* [[Gregory Taronites (governor of Chaldia)|Gregory Taronites]], another governor of Trebizond.<ref name="Finlay 1854, p. 74" />
* The illegitimate descendant of a [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]] prince named Aron formed a plot in 1107 to murder Alexios as he was encamped near [[Thessalonica]]. The presence of the empress Irene and her attendants, however, made the execution of the plot difficult. In an attempt to have her return to [[Constantinople]], the conspirators produced pamphlets that mocked and slandered the empress, and left them in her tent. A search for the author of the publications uncovered the whole plot, yet Aron was only banished due to his connection to the royal line of Bulgaria, whose blood also flowed in the veins of the empress Irene.<ref>Finlay 1854, p. 75</ref>