Certainty: 3 Doux of Thessalonike Theodoros Dalassenos confirmed Melissourgeion to Iveron. Theodoros Dalassenos, doux of Thessalonike, issued a document to Iveron confirming that Konstantinos X had decided in favour of Iveron in the dispute with the rebellious monks of the metochion of Melissourgeion; he signed the document with his own hand
Certainty: 2 Psellos reported to Konstantinos X that Konstantinos Leichoudes was dying; he disbelieved at first, then visited him just before death. Psellos, when visiting the patriarch Leichoudes, realised that his appearance and behaviour suggested that death was imminent. He grieved greatly and reported the fact to Konstantinos X. The emperor at first refused to believe it, then he wept bitterly and visited the patriarch just before his death
Certainty: 2 Arnolfo, archbishop & vicar of pope Alexander II, held a synod at Bari. Arnolfo, archbishop & vicar of pope Alexander II, held a synod outside Bari
Certainty: 2 Count Geoffrey (of Taranto) captured Taranto. Count Geoffrey (of Taranto) captured Taranto with Norman troops
Certainty: 3 Death of Konstantinos Leichoudes caused an outpouring of grief throughout the capital; then an interregnum. The death of Konstantinos Leichoudes affected the whole city. His funeral was the cause of an enormous outpouring of grief and admiration as people spoke of him in the most positive way and sought to benefit from proximity to his holy corpse. Psellos produced an encomium, blaming himself that he had not yet performed a similar duty for Ioannes Mauropous. There was a considerable interregnum till the search widened to include Olympos, then Ioannes Xiphilinos was appointed
Certainty: 3 Destructive earthquake in Thrace followed by smaller tremors for 2 years. Michael Psellos wrote a monody on the terrible earthquake of 23 September. He gives little detail on the event, but much more discussion of its reasons: divine anger and human sin
Certainty: 2 Destruction by earthquake of the beautiful pagan temple of Kyzikos. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 2 Bagrat IV corrresponded with Alp Arslan over poll-tax (jizya). Bagrat IV, king of Georgia, sent letters to the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan on the subject of poll tax (jizya). Alp Arslan responded favorably to them
Certainty: 1 Nikephoritzes was made doux of Antioch for slandering empress Eudokia: he provoked barbarian attacks. Nikephoritzes served in the administration of Konstantinos X Doukas but was dismissed when he proved to be so malicious, slanderous and expert in evil deeds as to accuse the empress Eudokia to the emperor of adultery, out of hatred for Michael of Nikomedeia, the logothetes of the dromos. He was dismissed from the central administration as a result of this conduct, and appointed doux of Antioch, but there too he caused trouble by erecting forts and providing excuses for war, provoking the Saracens to retaliate and attack the borders. Unable to fight the Saracens he roused them to fight the Romans, and did not leave in peace even the Antiochenes, confiscating their properties or imposing unreasonable demands, until he was dismissed there too
Certainty: 1 The improvement in Lizix proved temporary, & a severe fever affected his breathing, bringing him near death. The temporary improvement which had appeared in the condition of Anastasios Lizix did not last long, and a severe fever set in, which affected his breathing and brought him near death. His last thoughts were for his mother's grief
Certainty: 1 Death of Anastasios Lizix in Athens: monodies & other mourning reactions. Psellos wrote a monody, stating that Lizix's death was the second and less shocking stage in his removal from his friends: the first had been the onset of his paralysis. In letters of Psellos to Nikolaos Xeros and Nikolaos Skleros, he pictures himself dealing with petitioners, continuing life as an old man whilst being unable to mourn properly one who had shared many of his interests who would now never grow old. The letter from Xeros to which he was replying had been delivered by the carrier it as he left, not as he arrived, thus not leaving enough time to read the whole letter and understand Nikolaos' issue before replying. Basileios Kekaumenos wrote another monody in verse
Certainty: 1 Devotion of empress Aikaterine to memory of Isaakios I, & her death. The ex-empress Aikaterine, after the abdication of Isaakios I, led an ascetic life at the monastery of Mylaion (Myrelaion). After his death she too was tonsured and changed her name to Xene. She organised the annual commemoration of the deceased emperor, to which she invited many monks including the entire community of Stoudios. She ordered the customary gift given at the commemoration to be doubled. Asked by the hegoumenos of Stoudios about the reason for this she replied that she did not know if she would still be alive the following year. She died within the year
Certainty: 1 Psellos sent festal gifts to the families of Konstantinos X, Ioannes kaisar & the patriarch; letters often explore symbolism. Psellos sent festal gifts (undatable) to Konstantinos X, Eudokia, Michael (VII) and Ioannes kaisar. The gifts are natural products: fruit, bread, wine, and fish and nuts of several kinds. There is often an apology for the simplicity of the gift (appropriate to a philosopher). The letters add a wide variety of symbolic meanings
Certainty: 1 Ioannes the kaisar gave Psellos a horse, & made a speech in full armour for a brave crane he killed while hunting. Ioannes the kaisar gave Psellos a horse, which he compared favourably to mythological horses. Ioannes was a famed horseman, while Psellos often fell off horses, especially since his recent illness. But he would not fall off this horse, because it was from Ioannes. Ioannes' sons, Andronikos and Konstantinos, had recently entertained Psellos, and told of a heroic crane-hunt, after which Ioannes buried a crane which had died bravely, speaking a funerary oration in full armour
Certainty: 1 The bishop of Parnassos was praised to Ioannes the kaisar as simple & grateful; he sent Psellos produce in return for letters & help. Psellos wrote twice to the bishop of Parnassos, a good friend who rarely wrote - but he and Psellos thought of each other, a more important link. Original and copy of the desired letter to Ioannes kaisar were already sent. He thanked the bishop for remembering his friends and sending gifts (cheese, fish, butter, or all at once). Letters confirmed this affection, but were not essential. They should continue the exchange, praise from Psellos and food from the bishop. The letter to Ioannes spoke of the bishop, who as Psellos' friend and the kaisar's servant had excellent double support. He was no orator or thinker, but showed gratitude, and after a few gifts would be loud in their praise
Certainty: 1 Psellos recommended to Ioannes the kaisar the victim of a disaster which left his family starving; why should he not be a krites?. Psellos addressed Ioannes kaisar, asking for imperial favour for a man who, after early promise as a kourator, met an unlucky disaster that left his wife and children starving. As he was as good as any of his peers, why not make him krites of a theme? All would benefit in that case: the theme (he would be just), Konstantinos X (he would enrich the treasury), and Psellos, on whom he had battened, like the frog he resembled (?)
Certainty: 1 Psellos had tried in every way to have Kalokyros recalled from exile: signs were now favourable for a speedy solution. Psellos wrote to Kalokyros, a petitioner who was in exile, saying that he had begged Konstantinos X for his return from exile in every way, even approaching him after the liturgy. The emperor seemed set to show mercy, but did not say so at once. He had Kalokyros' letter read, and was moved, so exile would soon end
Certainty: 1 Psellos told a kourator of Cyprus that Konstantinos X knew he had made peace after troubles & governed well - good for his career. He hailed a kourator of Cyprus, after often praising him to Konstantinos X, who thus knew his name and admired him, realising he had made peace in Cyprus after troubles and governed it well. The kourator also had the support of Ioannes kaisar: all this would slowly work in favour of his career
Certainty: 1 Psellos sent a hegoumenos to a krites, to protect the monastery's estates & win credit with its martyrs (& Psellos). Psellos wrote a letter for the hegoumenos of Ta Narsou to take to (Nikolaos Skleros), the krites of Aegean Sea, asking him to help his monastery. Some monks had gone out to care for the estates, which were many but poor, and subject to varied attacks, so he should make his help as effective as possible. The hegoumenos, who liked repeating requests, had Psellos renew his appeal to Nikolaos to welcome him and aid the monastery's estates then and in the future. He would not just be helping Psellos [presumably the charistikarios] but the Theotokos and martyrs revered at Ta Narsou, potentially Nikolaos' fervent supporters
Certainty: 1 Psellos asked Nikolaos Skleros for help over the Acheirpoietos for the Theotokos (not just Psellos), & Medikion. The best way to virtue and a good life (Psellos told Nikolaos Skleros) was devotion to the Theotokos, her icons and mysterious images like those of the Acheiropoietos monastery outside the capital. He should also use his office to help his friends, supporting the church there, beautifying it or caring for its lands (not just because it belonged to Psellos). He also wrote to Nikolaos about his monastery of Medikion. It had no place in a list of earthly delights, lying amid a crown of hills, with views blocked to land and sea, like a ship's hold; the worst is that the sea is very close, but invisible behind the hills
Certainty: 1 Euphemia was barely alive as Psellos wrote to Ioannes kaisar on truffles; she revived a little at Ioannes' gift. Truffles (Psellos told Ioannes kaisar) are harvested by a kind of Caesarian section. Psellos had a family disaster: Euphemia, his adoptive daughter, was dying, revived a little by Ioannes' gift, but lying half-conscious, like the anxious Psellos. Truffles (he continued) had no flowers, and were like Aesop's fox, not spotted like a leopard but with secret virtues. Psellos asked Ioannes if he was from Paphlagonia, where dried pork comes from
Certainty: 1 Psellos' confidence in his writing skills was now based on the fact that they had managed to conquer Ioannes kaisar. Psellos asked why Ioannes kaisar deprived his own to help him. Psellos knew he was wise, because he had entrapped Ioannes, and this explained his new assurance, though he remained conscious of inferiority. The owl was ugly depite the eagle's approval, and bees made honey from thyme as well as roses. Ioannes (eagle and bee) might admire, but Psellos (owl and thyme) was inferior. Ioannes should avoid tonsure, which Psellos had tried in his youth. In another letter Psellos prided himself on the fact that Ioannes collected his work in volumes and praised him like some expert in the hippodrome crowd rousing narcissistic feelings in a charioteer who had no theoretical grasp of driving skills. Ioannes was thanked for cheese and butter, and told to expect a visit. In another he said that he once feared to show his poor letters, but since Ioannes kaisar liked them, he started strutting like a peacock, continually displaying them, ignoring Solomon's advice. He tried to vary his writing to keep Ioannes' interest, like a kithara-player changing keys, or a bride changing clothes and makeup. His work had many outfits and jewels. In a fourth letter he claimed that Ioannes who praised him was greater than many past rulers, while Psellos his philosopher was inferior to philosophers of the past. Yet ancient rulers came to despise their philosophers, but Ioannes will continue to esteem Psellos for his fine encomia
Certainty: 1 Psellos replied to an (unspecified) request from Ioannes kaisar by saying that he felt too old. To a request Ioannes kaisar had made [lacuna], Psellos replied that he was too old: he was like Daidalos, no longer cutting his own stone. Ioannes was a lion and honey-eater, living in Jericho, while Psellos was a honeyless ape - but with the trumpet of rhetoric
Certainty: 1 Ioannes the kaisar with the kaisarissa conspired to entrap Psellos with foods he liked & other gifts. Ioannes the kaisar dug two channels to empty his springs (they flowed even faster), and wanted his prize pearl for his diadem (it was beyond theft); Ioannes the sun must stop his moon Eirene from hunting him with cheese and butter as bait, like a fish or bird. The capture would be delightful, food for Psellos and only words for them. In another letter Psellos was encouraged to write by Ioannes' approval of his works, but left encircled by gifts: butter showed Ioannes' allies on land, fish those at sea; Psellos must take to the air by the end of Lent, for till then he was safe from gifts of birds
Certainty: 1 Psellos now had only occasional visits from Ioannes kaisar: he kept a picture in his heart, but needed letters. Psellos once saw Ioannes kaisar daily, but now he seldom visited, constant pleasure replaced by a rarity factor. Psellos had him in his heart and could enjoy him at will. The truffles he would eat with pleasure as a link to Ioannes' table. In another letter he wondered whether he was a lone flautist playing for Ioannes, or were they competitors? Psellos felt the rhythm of Ioannes' verbal lyre, but Ioannes pressured him without giving help. What did Ioannes charge for music given free by Pan or Orpheus? Psellos wanted to hear Ioannes' song, afraid he might ration it, like the Sirens, Apollo, Marsyas or the music of the spheres. The Assyrians embalmed their family dead with a picture, while Psellos recalled Ioannes deep in his soul: yet he needed letters
Certainty: 1 Psellos wrote a bold encomium to Konstantinos X, praising practical wisdom & humility, sailing on the Euphrates & Danube. Psellos confronted Konstantinos X boldly in writing his encomium, showing how he combined the height of practical wisdom with the depth of humility, sailing at the same time along the Euphrates and the Danube, East and West
Certainty: 1 Psellos complained that Nikolaos Skleros twice rejected Psellos' good candidate as notarios: maybe the end of their friendship?. Psellos said he twice sent a candidate for notarios to Nikolaos Skleros, but he was rejected and another chosen. He spoke of Nikolaos' debt to himself and the qualities of his man. He agreed that times were hard, but then why appoint a notarios at all? He wondered if Nikolaos had rejected their friendship, while affirming his own commitment to it, though in mourning when forced to defend his case. Nikolaos must mention Psellos to his unsuccessful candidate to keep hopes of friendship alive