 Despite his personal involvement in these military disasters , Theoktistos was able to use them to sideline his competitors : Bardas was blamed for the desertions that plagued the Byzantines at Mauropotamos and exiled from Constantinople , while the magistros Manuel was slandered and forced to retire . With Niketiates dead , Theoktistos was now the undisputed head of the regency , a position described by the Byzantine chroniclers , like Symeon Logothetes and Georgios Monachos , as " <unk> of the Augusta " . 
