ently ▁associated ▁with ▁him ▁throughout ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁uncle , ▁N ike ph or os ▁Mel issen os , ▁in ▁ 1 1 0 4 , ▁Isaac ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Ca esar ▁by ▁his ▁father . ▁During ▁the ▁succession ▁struggle ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁in ▁ 1 1 1 8 , ▁Isaac ▁supported ▁his ▁elder ▁brother ▁John ▁II ▁Kom nen os ▁() ▁against ▁the ▁intr ig ues ▁of ▁Em press - d ow ager ▁I rene ▁and ▁their ▁sister ▁Anna ▁Kom n ene , ▁who ▁fav oured ▁the ▁candid acy ▁of ▁Anna ' s ▁husband , ▁N ike ph or os ▁Bry en ni os ▁the ▁Young er . ▁In ▁return , ▁John ▁II ▁raised ▁Isaac ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁se bas to kr ator ▁( al ready ▁bor ne ▁by ▁their ▁middle ▁brother , ▁And ron ik os ). ▁The ▁confer ral ▁of ▁this ▁highest ▁court ▁rank , ▁created ▁by ▁Alex ios ▁I ▁to ▁honour ▁his ▁elder ▁brother ▁Isaac , ▁marked ▁its ▁bear er ▁as ▁almost ▁equal ▁to ▁the ▁em peror . ▁Nevertheless , ▁throughout ▁his ▁life , ▁in ▁almost ▁all ▁surv iving ▁texts ▁or ▁artifact s ▁author ed ▁or ▁fund ed ▁by ▁Isaac , ▁he ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁by ▁his ▁rank , ▁but ▁rather ▁by ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁por phy ro gen net os , ▁which ▁is ▁often ▁accompanied ▁by ▁an ▁explicit ▁reference ▁to ▁his ▁father , ▁Alex ios ▁I , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁reign ing ▁em peror , ▁as