▁Tur ks . ▁Either ▁at ▁that ▁point ▁or ▁a ▁little ▁later , ▁Isaac ▁was ▁ban ished ▁as ▁a ▁pre ca ution ▁to ▁Her acle a ▁Pont ica . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁before ▁John ▁II ▁died ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 1 4 3 , ▁he ▁had ▁designated ▁his ▁fourth ▁and ▁young est ▁son ▁Manuel ▁as ▁his ▁he ir ▁over ▁his ▁third ▁( and ▁oldest ▁surv iving ) ▁son , ▁the ▁se bas to kr ator ▁Isaac . ▁Con sequently , ▁Manuel ' s ▁succession ▁was ▁not ▁immediately ▁secure . ▁In ▁this ▁struggle ▁for ▁the ▁throne , ▁the ▁elder ▁Isaac ▁threw ▁his ▁support ▁behind ▁his ▁nep hew . ▁However , ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁John ▁Ax ouch , ▁the ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁army , ▁was ▁decis ive ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁throne ▁for ▁Manuel . ▁Isaac , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁living ▁in ▁relative ▁comfort ▁in ▁Her acle a , ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁on ▁Ax ouch ' s ▁orders . ▁Manuel ▁never theless ▁quickly ▁felt ▁his ▁position ▁strong ▁enough ▁to ▁release ▁his ▁uncle ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁his ▁older ▁brother , ▁and ▁both ▁attended ▁Manuel ' s ▁coron ation ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁November ▁ 1 1 4 3 . ▁Even ▁then , ▁Isaac ▁did ▁not ▁abandon ▁his ▁amb itions ; ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁contemporary ▁John ▁K inn amos , ▁during ▁one ▁of ▁Manuel ' s ▁first ▁campaign s ▁against ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁in ▁ 1 1 4 6 , ▁when ▁news ▁spread ▁in ▁the ▁camp ▁that ▁the ▁em peror ,