1081–1118 CEReputable sourceWell documented
Alexios I Komnenos and the First Crusade
On the timeline · around 1081–1118 CE ·
What happened
Alexios I Komnenos seized the throne in 1081 and hauled the empire back from the brink, rebuilding its finances, army, and coinage. Facing the Seljuk Turks, he appealed to the West for mercenaries — and in 1095 Pope Urban II answered by launching the First Crusade. The passing crusader armies helped Byzantium recover territory, but also sowed dangerous distrust between East and West.
Why it matters
Alexios founded the Komnenian dynasty that gave the empire a last age of strength. But his appeal for aid unleashed the Crusades — a movement that would ultimately turn against Byzantium itself.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Alexios I Komnenos · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Crusades → — The Byzantine appeal that launched the First Crusade