On behalf of the Emperor Nikiforos Botaneiates, Simeon successfully intervened with the rebel Vassilakis in Thessaloniki, resulting in the reward of a number of imperial benefits, including the donation of important manuscripts and artifacts. The two large portable mosaics of St Georgios and St Demetrios, the largest in the world today, are believed to have come from this donation. After his forced removal from Mount Athos in 1081, Simeon returned in 1089 and continued his founding work, leading the monastery to a period of significant flourishing, as evidenced by the large number of fifty-five monks residing there at that time.
