Constantine Opos (Megas Doux)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Constantine Opos (Greek: ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿) was a notable Byzantine general and aristocrat in the first half of the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118). He participated in the wars against the Normans and the Seljuk Turks, eventually reaching the rank of megas doux (commander-in-chief of the Byzantine navy).He first appears in the Alexiad in 1081, during Alexios' campaign against the Normans of Robert Guiscard, leading the tagma of the Exkoubitoi. The campaign ended in the Byzantine defeat at the Battle of Dyrrhachium on 18 October 1081, which effectively shattered the last remains of the old-established regiments of the middle Byzantine army. The Exkoubitoi are never heard from again; their remnants were probably disbanded, marking the end of this historic unit, which had been founded as an elite imperial bodyguard by Emperor Leo I the Thracian (r. 457-474).