Editing Komnenos (section)

==Origins==
The 11th-century Byzantine historian [[Michael Psellos]] reported that the Komnenos family originated from the village of Komne, near [[Philippopolis (Thrace)|Philippopolis]], in [[Thrace (theme)|Thrace]]—usually identified with the "Fields of Komnene" ({{lang|grc|Κομνηνῆς λειμῶνας}}) mentioned in the 14th century by [[John Kantakouzenos]]—a view commonly accepted by modern scholarship.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Komnenos" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 1143–1144}}{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|p=25}} The first known member of the family, [[Manuel Erotikos Komnenos]], acquired extensive estates at [[Kastamon]] in [[Paphlagonia]], which became the stronghold of the family in the 11th century.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Komnenos" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 1143–1144}}{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|pp=25–26}} The family thereby quickly became associated with the powerful and prestigious military aristocracy ({{Transliteration|grc|[[dynatoi]]}}) of [[Asia Minor]], so that despite coming from Thrace it came to be considered "eastern".{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|p=26 (note 8)}} Aside from deriving legitimacy as rulers from familial links to the prominent [[Doukas|Doukai]] (emperors [[Constantine X Doukas|Constantine X]] and [[Michael VII Doukas|Michael VII]] in particular), they also had a tradition linking them to [[Claudius Gothicus]], the supposed grandfather of [[Constantine the Great]]. Many classical monuments dedicated to Claudius stood in the vicinity of [[Kastamonu|Kastra Komnenon]], which according to historian Maximilian C. G. Lau may have increased his appeal in the eyes of the Komnenoi.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Magdalino |first1=Paul |title=After the Text: Byzantine Enquiries in Honour of Margaret Mullett |last2=Macrides |first2=Ruth |publisher=Routledge |year=2022 |editor-last=James |editor-first=Liz |location=London |pages=32–38 |chapter=Theodore Prodromos, Carmina historica, I |editor-last2=Nicholson |editor-first2=Oliver |editor-last3=Scott |editor-first3=Roger}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lau |first=Maximilian C. G. |title=Emperor John II Komnenos: Rebuilding New Rome 1118–1143 |year=2023 |location=Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press |pages=65–66}}</ref>

The 17th-century French scholar [[du Cange]] suggested that the family descended from a Roman noble family that followed Constantine the Great to [[Constantinople]], from whose cousin but although such mythical genealogies were common—and are attested for the closely related Doukas clan as well—the complete absence of any such assertion in the Byzantine sources argues against Du Cange's view.{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|p=26}} The Romanian historian [[George Murnu]] suggested in 1924 that the Komnenoi were of [[Aromanians|Aromanian]] descent, but this view too is now rejected.{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|p=26}} Modern scholars consider the family to have been entirely of [[Byzantine Greeks|Greek]] origin.{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|p=26}}{{sfn|Koytcheva|2007|p=115–122}}

Manuel Erotikos Komnenos was the father of [[Isaac I Komnenos]] ({{reign|1057|1059}}),{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|pp=39, 41}} and grandfather, through Isaac's younger brother [[John Komnenos (Domestic of the Schools)|John Komnenos]], of [[Alexios I Komnenos]] ({{reign|1081|1118}}).{{sfn|Varzos|1984a|pp=39, 49, 52}}