itions ▁in ▁T ian jin ▁Category : May ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁sports ▁events ▁in ▁China ▁Category : 2 1 st ▁century ▁in ▁T ian jin <0x0A> </s> ▁John ▁Gab al as ▁() ▁was ▁a ▁By z antine ▁Greek ▁magn ate ▁and ▁her edit ary ▁r uler ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Rh odes ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 4 0 s . ▁He ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁to ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Gen oa ▁in ▁ 1 2 4 8 , ▁and ▁called ▁for ▁aid ▁from ▁his ▁su zer ain , ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁N ica ea . ▁N ica e an ▁troops ▁re to ok ▁the ▁island , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁restored ▁to ▁John ' s ▁control , ▁becoming ▁a ▁N ica e an ▁province . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Gab al as ▁belonged ▁to ▁an ▁old ▁arist ocr atic ▁family , ▁d ating ▁at ▁least ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁when ▁Anna ▁Gab ala ▁married ▁Emperor ▁Roman os ▁Le kap en os ' s ▁son ▁and ▁co - r uler ▁Stephen . ▁The ▁family ▁was ▁of ▁relatively ▁low ▁importance ▁there after , ▁but ▁produced ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁senior ▁civil ▁and ▁ecc les i astic ▁officials ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁and ▁ 1 2 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Gab al as ▁family ▁rule ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁Rh odes ▁circa ▁ 1 2 0 3 , ▁when ▁By z antine ▁central ▁imperial ▁authority ▁had ▁become ▁weak ened , ▁either ▁by ▁John ' s ▁elder ▁brother ▁Leo