Certainty: 3 Imperial document on Nea Mone entered in sekreton tou eidikou (details unknown).
Certainty: 2 Death of Romanos, son of Eustathios Boilas; entry of Anna, Eustathios' wife, into a monastery. The homeland of Eustathios Boilas was Cappadocia, where his mother founded a church. Later, with his wife Anna, two daughters Eirene and Maria, son Romanos and all his possessions, he left Cappadocia, engulfed in troubles and violence, and travelled a week and a half to a new land, where he settled among foreign nations of a different faith and tongue (perhaps near Edessa?). When he first arrived the land he was given was wooded and uncultivated, full of snakes, scorpions and wild beasts, so that the Armenians living opposite were never left in peace. He built a house and shrine, created meadows and gardens, vineyards, aqueducts, gedia, water-mills, brought in all necessaries, and did the same at great expense for his estates of Bouzina, Isaiou, Ouzike, Chouspakrate, Kopteriou, Ophidobouni and Kousneria. He gave dowries for his daughters and land for a servant (Laskaris) and a freed slave (Kyriakos). His relationship to his lords, Michael Apokapes and his sons Basileios and Pharasmanes, was ambiguous: he served them loyally, but they made him loan them money they did not repay and cede them lands for which he received no compensation. They listened to slander against him and repeated it. Eustathios founded a church dedicated to the Theotokos (at Tantzouten/Salem), to which he gave sacred vessels worth 300 nomismata, liturgical vestments, icons, and some 90 books (listed). His son Romanos died at the age of three and was buried in the church of St Barbara, thn his wife Anna became a nun
Certainty: 2 Taxation suddenly enforced on rich, & grants to religious foundations cut off by Konstantinos IX. Two years before his death, Konstantinos IX changed completely the way he ruled, becoming one of the most terrible tax-collectors commonly called sekretikoi. He caused damage to all and appropriated the property of the rich, instigating unjust trials and filling the prisons with those accused. He sent edicts to holy shrines and monasteries in all provinces, ordering assessment of their grants and interrogation of the servants of the temples. He was to cut off grants allegedly given without good reason, but he died before the investigation was started
Certainty: 3 Chrysobull of Konstantinos IX entrusting the epi tou kanikleiou Ioannes with the protection of Lavra. Ioannes, the hegoumenos of Lavra, informed Konstantinos IX of problems his monastery had faced since the death of Nikephoros Ouranos (half a century before), to whose protection it had been entrusted by St Athanasios, the founder. Konstantinos issued a chrysobull entrusting Lavra to the care of Ioannes, praipositos, epi tou koitonos and epi tou kanikleiou, and exempting it in perpetuity from any demands made by local office-holders of any kind. The monks were later to ask Michael VII to confirm the chrysobull
Certainty: 2 Famine on Mount Galesion alleviated by miracles of feeding. During a famine on the mountain, there was a dispute over the eucharistic loaves between Germanos the ekklesiarches and Gregorios the cellarer. When it threatened to become acute, two monks appeared with two mules laden with oil, wine and bread sent from Limnai by its hegoumenos and Pachomios, the ekklesiarches. Later, miracles occurred on Mt Galesion reminiscent of the miracles of Christ. Small quantities of cheese and pulses expanded to feed all the monasteries and the xenodocheion, with many scraps left over. Rather than use communion wine, a shortage was solved by mixing the little wine remaining with water. A whole basket of leftovers was returned mysteriously from the trapeza. Gregorios the cellarer, author of Lazaros' vita, was direct or indirect witness of the miracles, together with Iakobos the monk and cook, Nikolaos the monk and coppersmith, and the trapezopoios
Certainty: 2 Guaimar prince of Salerno was killed. Guaimar IV, prince of Salerno, was killed
Certainty: 2 Robert Guiscard siezed Petros of Bisignano by a trick. Robert Guiscard became a local ruler in Southern Italy. Later he increased the area he controlled by luring his neighbour, Petros of Bisignano (Teras), to meet him for an important discussion. Petros came with an escort, but Guiscard pretended to be frightened of them, so Petros sent them back. When the two were alone, three of Guiscard's men galloped up and carried Petros off to slavery and torture
Certainty: 2 Petros III, appointed patriarch of Antioch, reviewed his career to that date.
Petros, patriarch of Antioch, wrote to the Antiochenes. After warmly greeting them and their clergy, he explained how he chose to be a monk [at a date which can hardly even be guessed], then rose through the hierarchy before being nominated by the emperor as patriarch, approved by his fellows and God, elevated to the see through chrism and the laying on of hands by Michael Keroularios. He was delighted that his elevation was said to be the Antiochenes' own wish. He urged them to be positive that a real Antiochene was becoming their patriarch - the choice of Konstantinos IX, for whom they should give thanks. There is a little more information at the beginning of the synodical letters he sent to the patriarchs of Alexandria and Jerusalem: he was from pious Antiochene families on both sides, educated first in Antioch, where he attracted the attention of the patriarch Ioannes III (before 1021), then sent for secondary education to Constantinople. This education fitted him for a secular career an imperial secretary of Romanos III (before 1034), then as a krites in more than one theme in turn, finally in a position of reponsibility over other kritai. When he was allowed to retire and join the church, he was appointed to care for the Church of the Holy Apostles, then became skeuophylax of Hagia Sophia
Certainty: 2 Petros III appointed patriarch of Antioch by Konstantinos IX. Petros also wrote to pope Leo IX and other patriarchs, reviving the old custom of the synodical letter. He regretted that Rome was no longer in step with the other patriarchates, a situation which church leaders should remedy. He wrote a profession of faith, asking Leo to reciprocate, stressing differences between the churches. If these proved small, and did not affect orthodoxy, all practical measures should be taken to restore church unity. But if differences were fundamental, they must be addressed by both sides via the bible, and a decision reached to stop any dispute. He began with a list of Trinitarian and Christological beliefs, the metaphysical relationships within the Trinity as a background to key events of salvation history. He claimed adherence to the 7 ecumenical councils and reverence for icons, he anathematised all heretics, their writings and followers, and accepted everything taught by the apostles and fathers and confirmed by the whole church. He told Leo that, on receiving Leo's explanations, he would either accept them and set the problems right, or reject them and require the pope to correct his own side; church unity was the goal. Unfortunately he received no reply. He wrote similar letters to the patriarchs of Alexandria and Jerusalem, with similar professions of faith, but with more on his pious family, education and lay and ecclesiatical careers, and less on likely disagreements
Certainty: 1 Psellos addressed criticism & praise to Ioannes Italos. Psellos wrote a speech and an encomium for Ioannes Italos, not long after his arrival in Constantinople. He criticised him and praised him at the same time: the criticism was of his attempts to progress too fast in his lessons, as a recent migrant from Italy, and preferring speculation to truth. The praise, before all Psellos' students, was because he made up for his lack of linguistic grace in Greek by powerful use of argumentation - a good example of how barbarians had overtaken Greeks in the study of philosophy
Certainty: 1 Psellos told Aristenos his son spent too long at the spoonfeeders, afraid of his demanding teaching. Psellos wrote to Aristenos about his son. His fathers letters were not the only reason why Psellos looked after the hard-working boy, but he should continue writing, by his concern keeping up Psellos' interest. The young Aristenos, nervous of Psellos' teaching, went off to spoonfeeders, where he (like many others) spent most of his time at simple levels, not knowing what proficiency meant
Certainty: 1 His pupil Kyritzes said that in criticising Psellos he roused a wasp; Psellos waspishly denied this. Kyritzes, a pupil of Psellos, said he would provoke a wasp by criticising him. Despite attacks by Psellos, he felt he was emerging from his master's shadow, particularly in his speciality of law. Psellos, furious at Kyritzes' letter, attacked it for plagiarism, imprecise wording and inappropriate images; he told Kyritzes to return as his pupil, but claimed to have taken his words seriously and given a model reply. In another letter, he first compared his own art with painting - e.g. under-drawing in his logoi. Then he criticised Kyritzes' antilogia: in philosophy, why oppose Psellos? Law was Kyritzes' best subject. In rhetoric he followed Demosthenes, whom Psellos disliked. In a third letter, after speaking of antilogia, a long complaint (not without bitterness) that Kyritzes called him a wasp; links between pupil, teacher and wasps were explored, concluding that Kyritzes had roused against himself not a wasp but a lion
Certainty: 1 Death of Ioannes Mauropous' brother; Psellos wrote a letter of consolation. Psellos wrote to Ioannes Mauropous about his waning creativity and the death of Mauropous' brother. Psellos ascribed his failing powers to Ioannes' brief letters coming at unpredictable moments, as times grew less propitious. Why was Ioannes so inconsistent? Why did he change his mind so often? Events like the death of Mavropous' brother refined the soul, the holiness of the departed marking the survivors. Psellos knew little of the brother, but he seemed a straightforward man whose virtues were visible in Ioannes himself
Certainty: 1 Psellos wrote to console his old friend, Leon Paraspondylos, who had recently lost power & wealth. Psellos fulfilled an old philosophical friendship by telling Leon Paraspondylos, in a letter over a recent dramatic loss of power and wealth, that his new life was better than the old. He proposed at the same time to praise Leon to Konstantinos IX
Certainty: 1 Konstantinos IX after dismissing Konstantinos Leichoudes, completed his reign in sickness & failure. In a eulogy of Konstantinos Leichoudes, Psellos was very critical of Konstantinos IX for dismissing him. He said that the rest of the emperor's reign after the dismissal was a story of sickness and failure. Leichoudes succeded in keeping his independence, in spite of pressures to return
Certainty: 1 Romanos Boilas probably published a dreadful libel on Konstantinos IX; but he was pardoned. Romanos Boilas (or an anonymous person?) composed a totally false libel against Konstantinos IX, and by publishing it gained a degree of notoriety. The case came to court, and even the patriarch Keroularios did not intervene to save him. But Konstantinos IX found a way, by carefully-crafted argument, to pardon him
Certainty: 1 Psellos, at times of crisis, liked to visit beautiful memorials, like the Mangana wih the tomb of Zoe. Psellos praised Konstantinos IX for widening the boundaries of Byzantium, and for his wonderful constructions, especially buildings devoted to martyrs. He himself had been helped, at times of crisis, by visiting beautiful memorials, like the Mangana wih the tomb of Zoe
Certainty: 1 Psellos sarirised Iakovos, a monk who was over-fond of wine, using canon form. Psellos wrote a parody of a canon satirising the monk Iakobos of the monastery of Synkellos for his consumption of wine [in one ms. it is connected to the 4-line version of the Sabbaites poem, which seems wrong]
Certainty: 1 Death of Ioannes metropolitan of Melitene: Psellos composed a monody. Psellos wrote a monody for the death of Ioannes, metropolitan of Melitene, largely a genre exercise showing little knowledge of the deceased. He had defended Orthodoxy with passion, taught the faithful right doctrines and was a fervent opponent of the Jacobites, some of whom he was responsible for driving out after they had shown themselves disloyal to the emperors. He died at a great age, probably in Constantinople, without having previously suffered illness
Certainty: 0 A young Nikephoros (Nikephoritzes) taken into the palace by Konstantinos IX. A young man called Nikephoros was taken into the palace by Konstantinos IX and affectionately called Nikephoritzes on account of his youth