The
Komnenian Restoration is the term used by historians to describe the military, financial, and territorial recovery of the
Byzantine Empire under the
Komnenian dynasty, from the accession of
Alexios I Komnenos in 1081 to the death of
Andronikos I Komnenos in 1185. At the onset of the reign of Alexios I, the empire was reeling from its defeat by the
Seljuk Turks at the
Battle of Manzikert in 1071. The empire was also being threatened by the Normans of
Robert Guiscard, who were invading the Balkans from their base in southern Italy. All this occurred as the empire's military institution was in disarray and had grown increasingly reliant on mercenaries. Previous emperors had also squandered the large gold deposits of Constantinople, so the defense of the empire had broken down, and there were few troops to fill the gaps.