Anna Dalassene (; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. As Augusta, a title bestowed upon her by her son, Alexios I Komnenos, rather than his empress-consort, her son Alexios was easily and completely for many years under her influence, she also administered the empire as regent during his many absences from Constantinople in long military campaigns during the early part of his reign. As empress-mother, she exerted more influence and power than the empress-consort, Irene Doukaina, a woman whom she hated because of past intrigues with the Doukai. Life Early life and family Anna was the daughter of Alexios Charon, and a lady of the noble Dalassenos family. Her maternal grandfather was named Adrianos Dalassenos, evidently a son of the magistros and doux of Antioch, Theophylact Dalassenos. Very little is known about her father, who was an obscure imperial official in Italy. Her mother's family, the Dalassenoi, were a distinguished family of the Byzantine military aristocracy, beginning with Theophylact's father Damian Dalassenos in the late 990s. The date of Anna's birth is unknown, but is placed around the years 1025–1030. Likewise the date of her marriage to John Komnenos is variously placed in , or . The couple had eight children, five sons and three daughters. These were, by order of birth, Manuel Komnenos (), Maria Komnene (), Isaac Komnenos (), Eudokia Komnene (), Theodora Komnene (), Alexios I Komnenos (1057), Adrianos Komnenos (), and Nikephoros Komnenos (). In 1057, John's elder brother Isaac, at the head of a group of generals, rebelled against Michael VI and forced him off the throne. At the time of the revolt, John held the post of doux, but after his brother's victory, he was raised to the rank of kouropalates and appointed as domestikos ton scholon of the West. This event evidently whetted Anna's ambition; her seals from this time show her using the feminine form of her husband's titles, kouropalatissa and domestikissa. Isaac's reign was cut short by his clash with the powerful Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Keroularios, who had been instrumental in securing Michael VI's abdication, and the powerful civil aristocracy of the capital. Keroularios and his supporters led the opposition against Isaac's stringent economizing policies. Although Keroularios was deposed, Isaac resigned on 22 November 1059 and withdrew to