▁the ▁training ▁and ▁financial ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁armed ▁forces , ▁Const antine   X ▁fat ally ▁weak ened ▁By z antine ▁def ences ▁by ▁dis band ing ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁local ▁milit ia ▁of ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁at ▁a ▁cru cial ▁point ▁of ▁time , ▁coinc iding ▁with ▁the ▁west ward ▁advance ▁of ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁their ▁Tur com an ▁al lies . ▁Und o ing ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁necessary ▁re forms ▁of ▁Isaac ▁I ▁Kom nen os , ▁he ▁blo ated ▁the ▁military ▁b ureau c racy ▁with ▁highly ▁paid ▁court ▁officials ▁and ▁crow ded ▁the ▁Senate ▁with ▁his ▁supp or ters . ▁ ▁His ▁dec isions ▁to ▁replace ▁standing ▁soldiers ▁with ▁mer cen aries ▁and ▁leaving ▁the ▁front ier ▁fort ifications ▁un re pa ired ▁led ▁Const antine ▁to ▁become ▁naturally ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁the ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁Isaac ▁within ▁the ▁military ▁arist ocracy , ▁who ▁attempted ▁to ▁assass inate ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 0 6 1 . ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁the ▁general ▁population ▁after ▁he ▁raised ▁tax es ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁army . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁very ▁start ▁of ▁his ▁reign , ▁the ▁Norm ans ▁under ▁Robert ▁Gu is card ▁completed ▁the ▁con quest ▁of ▁By z antine ▁Cal ab ria , ▁but ▁Const antine ▁showed ▁a ▁res urg ent ▁interest ▁in ▁retain ing ▁Ap ul ia . ▁He ▁appointed ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁c ate p ans ▁of ▁Italy ▁( Mar ules ▁and