rdfs:comment
| - Petronas was Sevastokrator of Videssos for his nephew, Anthimos III. He was the true power in the palace for several years -- for instance, his bedchambers was closer to the audience room than the actual emperor's -- while his cousin, Gnatios, served as spiritual leader of the empire. He was also instrumental in helping Krispos rise to power, by first making him groom in the stable and then installing him as Anthimos' chamberlain. When Krispos tried convincing the avtokrator to not follow Petronas' advice, Petronas struck the chamberlain with sorcery. Nevertheless, Anthimos was convinced that Petronas would launch a palace coup and set himself up as avtokrator with the blessing of his cousin the patriarch. With the assistance of Krispos and Anthimos' wife, the emperor told his uncle that h
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abstract
| - Petronas was Sevastokrator of Videssos for his nephew, Anthimos III. He was the true power in the palace for several years -- for instance, his bedchambers was closer to the audience room than the actual emperor's -- while his cousin, Gnatios, served as spiritual leader of the empire. He was also instrumental in helping Krispos rise to power, by first making him groom in the stable and then installing him as Anthimos' chamberlain. When Krispos tried convincing the avtokrator to not follow Petronas' advice, Petronas struck the chamberlain with sorcery. Nevertheless, Anthimos was convinced that Petronas would launch a palace coup and set himself up as avtokrator with the blessing of his cousin the patriarch. With the assistance of Krispos and Anthimos' wife, the emperor told his uncle that he would be set up as "co-avtokrator" and fire Krispos. Petronas showed up at his coronation ceremony, but was then arrested, tonsured, and incarcerated at a monastery, much to the horror of Gnatios. During the wedding ceremony for Dara and Krispos (who had become avtokrator upon the death of Anthimos), Petronas escaped from the monastery where he was held and fled to his estates in the western part of the empire. His cousin assisted in this escape and was subsequently punished; meanwhile Petronas raised an army (he had led the army during his nephew's reign; thus many of its officers were still loyal to him) and declared himself avtokrator. A month after Krispos' reign had begun, the empire had dissolved into civil war. A year after Petronas raised the standard of revolt, Krispos' forces pushed the rebel army under Petronas into the western region, crushing them in a few major engagements, and holing up the remainder in a fortress. When it became clear that his cause was lost, Petronas hurled himself to his death rather than submit to Krispos' clemency and lose all the power he had ever enjoyed.
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