WI: Eudokia Makrembolitissa does not marry Romanos Diogenes?

Title says all. Romanos Diogenes had previously been imprisoned and exiled for conspiring to usurp the throne, but the Empress Eudokia, the widow of Constantine X Doukas, married him anyway.

In OTL, before marrying Romanos Diogenes, Eudokia was considering other potential suitors like Nikephoros Botaneiates (OTL Nikephoros III), a competant general who had served since Constantine IX and had helped bring Isaac I to the throne (and whose competance seems to have flown out the window once he became emperor after Manzikert). What if Eudokia had married Botaneiates or someone else from families like Bryennios, Phokas, Skleros or Argyros instead? Or, what if, say, Eudokia had married Botaneiates first, then he dies and she marries Diogenes again.

How would things have been different?
 
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It would be interesting to know, but would require a detailed knowledge about the other suitors, and I sure as hell don't have that.
 
It would be interesting to know, but would require a detailed knowledge about the other suitors, and I sure as hell don't have that.

Yeah, there's not much other information on the other suitors, so I decided to cut it down to the only other confirmed bachelor - Nikephoros Botaneiates. He seemed to be a capable general, with a few victories and defeats under his belt.

Another possible candidate for the throne (not Eudokia's hand) would be Constantine X's brother, the Caesar John Doukas - his son, Andronikos, ended up betraying Romanos IV at Manzikert, and his granddaughter, Eirene, married Alexios Komnenos. At least when compared with his brother and nephews, John Doukas appeared to be more competent as a general and statesman.
 
lets see here not much would change, unless Romanos can win at Manzikert. As for marrying Nikephoros Botnanietes and perhapsmaking him Emperor, perhaps the ERE can do better against the turks such as losing only mespopatamia to them. In that case the byzantines would not need help from the pope and so the crusades could be potentially butterflied away though I dont see how you can prevent Alexius Komnenos from taking the throne if he marries Eirene Doukaina given the fact the Doukids were at that point in time one of the most pwoerful aristocratic families and at the same time with his marriage to Eirene lexius also has the support of his brother in law Nikephoros Mellisanos the lord of Anatolia.
 
lets see here not much would change, unless Romanos can win at Manzikert. As for marrying Nikephoros Botnanietes and perhapsmaking him Emperor, perhaps the ERE can do better against the turks such as losing only mespopatamia to them. In that case the byzantines would not need help from the pope and so the crusades could be potentially butterflied away though I dont see how you can prevent Alexius Komnenos from taking the throne if he marries Eirene Doukaina given the fact the Doukids were at that point in time one of the most pwoerful aristocratic families and at the same time with his marriage to Eirene lexius also has the support of his brother in law Nikephoros Mellisanos the lord of Anatolia.

Nice to know. People have suggested that if Romanos Diogenes had taken Botaneiates with him instead of Andronikos Doukas, who ultimately betrayed him, he would have had a better chance, maybe even a victory at Manzikert. Perhaps, if a Manzikert analogue still occurs, TTL's Nikephoros III, Romanos Diogenes (a tough soldier) and Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder (said to be the best tactician in the empire) could all march out together and win. However, this all depends on whether or not the Doukai would hate Botaneiates as much as they hated Diogenes, and whether or not Botaneiates could do as well or better with rebuilding the military than Diogenes.

TTL's Nikephoros III would need an heir and soon. One of his mistakes in OTL was to associate the throne with one of his nephews from the Synadenos family, who was, apparently, 'worthless'. Eudokia Makrembolitissa had two more sons by Romanos Diogenes in OTL, so they could have children together.

Constantine X's brother, John, seemed to be the most powerful man in the empire until his nephew turned on him in 1074. I wonder why he never made a bid for the throne sooner after his brother's death.

In terms of a civil war between the Doukai and Komnenoi, Anna Dalassene hated the Doukai for usurping the throne from her brother-in-law. OTL Alexios I already had two older brothers, Manuel and Isaac, and two younger brothers, Adrian and Nikephoros, and his mother seemed to have made a few strategic alliance in her time with families like the Melissinoi, the Diogenes and the Taronites. But, of course, a civil war is not a good thing to happen, especially at a time like this.

Finally, even without a Manzikert analogue or a civil war, there's still the matter of Turkish raids and migrations. After Constantine X disbanded the 60,000 strong Armenian corps, Armenia was nearly lost and Anatolia raided as far as Iconium.
 
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