Alexioses Komnenoses

Monastery of St. Panteleimon

In the village of Gorno Nerezi overlooking Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia or as the United Nations insists on calling it, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, there is the monastery of St. Panteleimon. It was built by prince Alexios Komnenos who was not Alexios Komnenos the emperor but his grandson. There were many Alexioses Komnenoses, for in those days there was ludicrous prophesy in the land. It foretold that the first initials of each of the emperors, in turn, would in Greek spell blood. Hence historians call it the AIMA prophesy for alpha, iota, mu and alpha. Alexios, the emperor, not the grandson, had been followed by John spelled with iota in Greek and then Manuel. If you had any chance of becoming emperor after Manual, your name had to begin with Alpha. Manual went so far as to rename his daughter’s fiancé, two illegitimate sons and his first legitimate son, Alexios.