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He inaugurated his reign by a decisive victory over the Normans in Sicily, but elsewhere his policy was less successful. He failed in an attempt to recover Cyprus from the rebellious noble Isaac Comnenos thanks to Norman interference and by the oppressiveness of his taxes drove the Bulgarians and Vlachs to revolt ( 1186). In 1187 Alexis Branas , the general sent against the rebels, treacherously turned his arms against his master, and attempted to seize Constantinople, but was defeated and slain. The emperor's attention was next demanded in the east, where several claimants to the throne successively rose and fell. In 1189Events January 21 Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. This year was fixed as the start of time immemorial in English law in 1276. Frederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Hohenstaufen ( 1122 June 10 1190), also known as Frederick Barbarossa ("Frederick Redbeard") was elected king of Germany on March 4, 1152 and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on June 18 1155. He was also Duke of Swabia (1147-1152, as Frederick I sought and obtained leave to lead his troops on the Third CrusadeThe Third Crusade began in 1189 as an attempt to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. Egypt after 1169 was ruled by Saladin, who made it the object of his life to drive the Christian power from Palestine. Control of both Egypt and Syria allowed Saladin t through the Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire was the eastern section of the Roman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople (modern Istanbul), which remained in existence after the fall of Rome in the 5th century. The Byzantine period is usually consider; but he had no sooner crossed the border than Isaac, who had meanwhile sought an alliance with SaladinSaladin ( 1137 1193) Salah al Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub founded the ethnically Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt and Syria. He was also renowned in both the Christian and Muslim worlds for his leadership and military prowess tempered by his chivalry and merciful, threw every impediment in his way, and was only compelled by force of arms to fulfil his engagements.

The next five years were disturbed by fresh rebellions of the Vlachs, against whom Isaac led several expeditions in person. During one of these, in 1195, Alexius, the emperor's brother, taking advantage of the latter's absence from camp on a hunting expedition, proclaimed himself emperor, and was readily recognised by the soldiers. Isaac was blinded and imprisoned in Constantinople. After eight years he was raised for six months from his dungeon to his throne once more after the arrival of the knightFor the chess piece, see knight (chess). In former times, a knight was a warrior or nobleman; today a knight is a person who has been given a royal recognition. In the United Kingdom the knight is styled Sir''. The female styling is usually Dame''. Rootss of the Fourth CrusadeThe Fourth Crusade ( 1202- 1204), originally designed to conquer Egypt, instead, in 1204, conquered the Orthodox Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Background After the failure of the Third Crusade, there was little interes. But both mind and body had been enfeebled by captivity, and his son Alexius IV was the actual monarch. Isaac died in 1204, shortly after the usurpation of his general, Mourzouphles. He was one of the weakest and most vicious princes that occupied the Byzantine throne. Surrounded by a crowd of slaves, mistresses and flatterers, he permitted his empire to be administered by unworthy favourites, while he squandered the money wrung from his provinces on costly buildings and expensive gifts to the churches of his metropolis.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica