A 1081 coup saw an emperor's own troops spend three days looting Constantinople
The coronation of Alexios I Komnenos in 1081 followed a brutal three-day siege of Constantinople, where the new emperor's own soldiers plundered the very city they were meant to protect.
General Alexios I Komnenos seized the Byzantine throne in 1081 after a successful coup against Nikephoros III. However, the victory was marred by chaos when his mercenary troops spent three days systematically looting the capital city of Constantinople. Even churches and monasteries were not spared from the violence and theft.
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