The brutality enacted against the ruling class caused the alliances built up under Manuel in the Balkans to fall apart. Béla III of Hungary invaded the empire in 1183, posing as an avenger of Maria of Antioch, but was driven away in 1184. During this conflict, Stefan Nemanja managed to secure Serbian independence from the empire. The suppression of aristocrats and rivals, some of whom were Andronikos's family members, led to many Byzantine nobles fleeing the empire in search of aid. Komnenian princelings are recorded as having approached figures such as the king of Hungary, the sultan of Rum, the marquis of Montferrat, the pope, the king of Jerusalem, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa with pleas of intervention, stirring up further trouble against the empire. In 1184, Andronikos's cousin Isaac Komnenos seized Cyprus and ruled there independently; in retaliation, Andronikos had two of Isaac's relatives stoned and impaled.
The brutality enacted against the ruling class caused the: alliances built up under Manuel in the Balkans to fall apart Béla III of Hungary invaded the empire in 1183 posing as an avenger of Maria of Antioch but was driven away in 1184 During this conflict Stefan Nemanja managed to secure Serbian independence from the empire The suppression of aristocrats and rivals some of whom were Andronikos's family members led to many Byzantine nobles fleeing the empire in search of aid Komnenian princelings are recorded as having approached figures such as the k,ing of Hungary the sultan of Rum the marquis of Montferrat the pope the king of Jerusalem and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa with pleas of intervention stirring up further trouble against the empire In 1184 Andronikos's cousin Isaac Komnenos seiz:ed Cyprus and ruled there independently; in retaliation Andronikos had two of Isaac's relatives stoned and impaled