[2] Komnena was the daughter of Stefan the First-Crowned and grand-daughter of Alexios III Angelos, the last Byzantine Emperor before the Fourth Crusade.

[2] This particular aspect of her origin would become important in later political developments as she was the niece of Irene Laskarina, Empress of Nicaea and thus related to the Nicaean Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes.

In his time, Arbanon had moved from independence under Dhimitër Progoni to semi-independence under the high suzerainty of Theodore Komnenos Doukas of the Despotate of Epirus until 1230 when Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria expanded westwards.

The exact details of the agreement are not known but contemporary historian George Pachymeres writes that Golem (Goulielmos) was "honored with Roman dignities" by the Nicaean Emperor.

[9] In Albanian historiography, those scholars who have favored the second hypothesis have proposed a possible connection to the Arianiti family, some members of which also used Golem in their names (Moisi Golemi).