Dioegenes who prepared for a battle again in 1070 was detained from the expedition under the influence of his opponents in the palace. Manuel Komnenos, the chief commander of the eastern armies who replaced him set off for the expedition and he was defeated by Er-Sigun near Sivas and taken as prisoner together with Nikepheros who attended him. This Turkish commander that was the leader of the Oguz Yiva tribe was from Seljuk family and Alp Arslan's sister's husband. Since he attempted to claim right for sultanate, he was pursued by Afsin upon the order of the sultan. The prisoner Manuel persuaded this renegade to go to the Byzantine upon his perception of his susceptible position and took him to Istanbul. On this occasion, Afsin penetrated into the region of Phrykia, and destroyed the city of Honas (Khonae) near Denizli. Pursuant to this despoil, he expanded his raids towards the coastal regions of the Sea of Marmara. Despite the activities and long circulations of the Emperor Diogenes, the Turkish raids to Anatolia gradually increased and they expanded towards the farther regions. The most important issue was that the initiatives and efforts were always managed by the Turks. Diogenes who organised expeditions in order to annihilate the Turks or to repulse them could not apply his program and he had to change direction due to the raiders that appeared in unexpected regions all of a sudden. Sultan Alp Arslan who followed the policy of the wear and tear of Anatolia approached to his target day by day. It is beyond doubt that Romanos Diogenes decided to resolve and eradicate this problem totally through the most difficult method. Therefore, he set off as the leader of a crowded army with the determination to repulse the Turks from Anatolia and to advance towards Iran in the pursuit of them and to capture the capital city of Seljuk State (13th March 1071).

Meanwhile, Alp Arslan had gone to his expedition towards Syria. As it can be observed, the struggles with the Fatimi State that constituted one of the fundamental policies followed affected the region. While the Seljuk State gained much power gradually, the Abbasi prayers were substituted in various Islam countries like in the past and the domination of Seljuk sultan was recognised thereof. In the year of 1070, the Mecca emir delivered the prayers in the name of el-Kaaim in Mecca and Medina that were two big centres of the religion of Islam. In the same year, Nasr'ud-devle from Hamdani people who was involved in the struggles for power in Egypt asked help from Alp Arslan against his rivals, Emir'ul-cuyus Berd'ul-cemali and the other commanders and he encouraged him to capture Syria. Sultan set in motion immediately according to its policies.

While he was coming down to the south from Azerbaijan, he attacked and captured Manzikert that was the fortified castle of the Byzantine defended by the Armenians in the eastern Anatolia; then, he subdued the Meyolarikin (Silvan), Amid (Diyarbakir) and its environs to its submissiom. He besieged Urfa that was under the dominion of the Byzantine for a long period, tehn, he advanced on his way to Aleppo in order to gain time. The first Byzantine envoy came there to his presence. According to the rumours of Barhebraeus, the Syrian Christian historian, the emperor that was advancing in the Anatolia promised to give Menbic to Seljuk State in return for Manzikert and Ahlat. Nevertheless, Manzikert and Ahlat that were on the ways of Turkish invasion were the important strategic places in respect of the Anatolian conquest. Sultan did not provide a positive answer to this proposal. He was reinforced with the report of Afsin who came from the western Anatolia stating that there was not any serious element of resistance in any regions of the Byzantine lands. He invited Mahmud from Mirdasi people who was the ruler of Aleppo and then advanced towards the Damascus. When he heard of the advance of the Byzantine army under the command of the emperor towards the eastern Anatolia, he immediately returned to the region (7th May 1071). Having waited for the for the most appropriate time in respect of the conquest of Anatolia till that time, Sultan believed that it was the correct time to settle old scores with the last and the most crowded forces of the Byzantine.

After long preparations, the Emperor Diogenes came with an army composed of over one thousands of people to the banks of Sakarya that were the place of concentration for the Anatolian detachments. He made a reduction of staff in the army that was reorganised and arranged by him. Meanwhile, he returned some of the soldiers together with valuable commanders such as Nikephoros Botaniaetes and so forth tht he did not rely on. The weight and burdens of the imperial army was carried by 3.000 vehicles. According to the detailed descriptions within the Islam resources, there was a giant catapult that could be used by 1.2000 people among various siege materials that followed the vehicles. All the indicators showed that the emperor aimed to have a firm result and planned to advance towards Iran as much as possible.

Diogenes who came to Sivas heard of the departure of Alp Arslan from Syria. Then, he convened a military council of war and negotiated the activities to be fulfilled. Those who hoped to get benefit through praising him proposed to advance towards the centre of the Seljuk State. However, the experienced and cautious commanders such as Nikepheros Btyennios and Ioseph Trakhaniotes alleged that it would be dangerous to get far away of their own country, and it could only be possible to advance up to Erzurum. They asserted that it would be much appropriate to attract and pull sultan to that place after the provision of all requisite precautions and to destroy the environs and to make it difficult for the Turkish army to provide victuals.

The Emperor did not paid attention to these recommendations and he came to Erzurum with the purpose of penetration into Iran. Due to his self-conceited character, he started to cut the army into parts. He dispatched nearly 10.000 of Franks and Uz people to Ahlat under the command of Urselus, one of the chiefs of Trakhaniotes and Norman in order to provide the security of the passage ways. He sent some of the army to the north on the pretext of help to Abhaz people but actually with the purpose of the supply of provisions for his army. He advanced towards Manzikert with the rest of his army. On his way, Basilakes Magistros who was the commander of forces of Armenia and Elcezire joined the imperial forces with his attendants. Leon Debatanes that was one of the Byzantine commanders in that region wrote a letter to the empire. He stated within this letter that sultan was afraid of them and retreated to Baghdad and Basilakes confirmed the accuracy of this news. In fact, Alp Arslan had advanced towards Mosul; but this was not a retreat due to his fear from the Byzantine. He aimed to make the proper preparations and he considered that way the more suitable in respect of the arrival to Manzikert over Bitlis.

Diogenes forced Manzikert to surrender that was defended by a weak force and gave quarter. Nevertheless, he killed the defenders. Proud of the victory, he sent another group that he had divided from his army under the command of Basilakes to help the other detachments that suffered from an attack within the environs of Ahlat. The first fight occurred between the forces of Basilakes and the pioneer vanguards of the sultan (24th August).

to be continued