I've been following some of the awesome Rhomanian tls (Eagle of the Bosphorus and Issac's Empire included) and was wondering if it would be possible pre 1204 to have a more religiously tolerant Eastern Empire. Especially considering Basil II's use of Monophysite populations and rule over a Muslim population in Syria, would it have been possible at all for the Rhomanians to have become "better" at ruling over non-orthodox populations (perhaps similar to the real life Ottomans)? This may be completely ridiculous, but it would have been interesting to see the Komnenoi stepping in for the house of Osman historically by retaking the Levant and perhaps Egypt in the long run (ie: a century or two down the road).