Final answer:
Characters in historical contexts often abandoned their allies or leaders during critical moments, resulting in capture or assassination and changing the course of history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central theme here involves characters who abandoned their comrades or allies during pivotal moments, leading to significant consequences. For instance, we have Romanos's mercenaries and aristocratic rivals who abandoned him during a retreat, resulting in his capture.
Similarly, Ali's followers abandoned him when they felt disillusioned with his decision to negotiate, which culminated in his assassination. History is replete with such incidents where abandonment significantly altered the course of events.