Zoe's superstitions & perfume-making increase

Summary:
Zoe made a very accurate image of her Jesus (called the Antiphonetes) and embellished it with a bright substance. She created a likeness that all but breathed. Its tones gave an answer to questions and its colour indicated the future. Pellos saw her hugging it and reacting to it with great emotion. She was also involved in perfume-making, with her bedroom resembling a perfumier's market booth. She lit many braziers around her room and one of her attendants divided up the bulk perfumes, others blended them. In winter the work of perfume-making seemed to her advantage, since the great fires heated the cold air. But in summer others found it trying to come near, while she, as if oblivious to the heat, had a bodyguard of many fires 
Dates:
1044 (Uncertain) 
Emperor Konstantinos IX Monomachos (Konstantinos 9)
  • If Zoe 1 saw her image turn pale she went away glum, but if it turned red, shining with a clear brilliance, she immediately reported this to him and announced in advance the future (:) διήγγελλέ τε αὐτίκα τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.15-18
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • He often saw Zoe 1 at hard times now hugging the divine image and contemplating it, talking as if it were alive and running off the fairest names, now lying on the ground, watering the earth with tears, rending her breast with blows (:) ἐγὼ γοῦν ἐθεασάμην αὐτὴν πολλάκις ἐπὶ δυσχερεστέρων καιρῶν ... Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.10-15
  • While not finding much else to praise in Zoe 1, ... he continued to admire one thing, that in her love of God she surpassed all women and all males ... οὐ λίαν ἐπαινεῖν ἔχων, ἕν τοῦτο θαυμάζων διατελῶ, ὅτι δὴ φιλοθεΐᾳ πάσας μὲν γυναῖκας, πᾶσαν δὲ φύσιν ὑπερεβάλλετο ἄρρενα Psellos: Chronographia VI 65.1-5
  • He knows from reading pagan works that the vapour sent into the air from perfumes drives away evil spirits, while introducing to underlying matter the presence of better powers, just as stones, herbs and rituals call up divine apparitions οἶδα μὲν ἀναγνοὺς λόγους ἑλληνικούς, ὡς ὁ ἀναπεμπόμενος εἰς ἀέρα τῶν ἀρωμάτων ἀτμὸς ἀπελαύνει μὲν τὸ πονηρὰ πνεύματα, ἐπεισκρίνει δὲ ταῖς ὑποκειμέναις ὕλαις τὰς τῶν κρειττόνων παρουσίας ... Psellos: Chronographia VI 67.1-5
  • On reading of the powers of perfume vapour, at first he paid no attention to the account; subsequently did not trust these activities but rejected them with scorn οὔτε δὲ πρῶτον ἀναγνοὺς προσηκάμην τὸν λόγον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἔργοις πιστεύσας, ἀλλὰ βαλὼν λίθοις ἀπήλασα Psellos: Chronographia VI 67.6-7
Empress Zoe (Zoe 1)
  • She made a very accurate image of her Jesus (called the Antiphonetes) and embellished it with a bright substance, she created a likeness that all but breathed; its tones gave an answer to questions and its colour indicated the future (:) τὸν ἐκείνης ... Ἰησοῦν διαμορφώσασα ἀκριβέστερον, καὶ λαμπροτέρᾳ ὕλῃ ποικίλασα Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.1-6
  • In winter the work of perfume-making seemed to her advantage, since the great fires transformed the cold air, but in summer others found it trying to come near, but she, as if oblivious of the heat, had a bodyguard of many fires (:) ἡ δὲ ὥσπερ ἀναισθήτως τοῦ καύματος ἔχουσα ὑπὸ πολλοῖς ἐδορυφορεῖτο πυρσοῖς Psellos: Chronographia VI 64.15-20
  • She applied all her attention to changing the nature of aromatic herbs in making perfumes, creating and fashioning some, transforming others; the room allocated for her bed was no grander than the market booths where artisans and smiths work (:) τὴν πᾶσαν πραγματείαν συνέτεινεν, τὰς τῶν ἀρωμάτων φύσεις μεταβάλλειν καὶ μυρεψεῖν Psellos: Chronographia VI 64.6-12
  • She lit many braziers around her room and one of her attendants divided up the bulk perfumes, another blended them, another had another similar task (:) τῶν ἀμφιπόλων ἑκάστη ἡ μὲν τὰ μεγέθη τῶν ἀρωμάτων διῄρει, ἡ δὲ ταῦτα συνέπλαττεν, ἡ δ᾿ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον εἰργάζετο Psellos: Chronographia VI 64.12-15
  • She made many prophecies about the future through her image (of Jesus); if something pleasant happened to her or something unfortunate she at once went to the image, either giving thanks or asking for favour (:) πολλὰ γοῦν ἐκείνη ἐντεῦθεν τῶν ἐσομένων κατεμαντεύετο Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.6-10
  • Michael 61 often saw her at hard times now hugging the divine image and contemplating it, talking as if it were alive and running off the fairest names, now lying on the ground, watering the earth with tears, rending her breast with blows (:) νῦν μὲν τὴν θείαν ἀκαλιζομένην εἰκόνα καὶ καταθεωροῦσαν ταύτην Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.10-15
  • If she saw her image turn pale she went away glum, but if it turned red, shining with a clear brilliance, she immediately reported this to Konstantinos 9 and announced in advance the future (:) εἰ δὲ πυρράζοντα καὶ φανοτάτῃ αἴγλῃ καταλαμπόμενον Psellos: Chronographia VI 66.15-18
  • She rendered honour to the divinity not in the pagan way nor with concern for anything else, but showing her soul's desire and consecrating to God the most precious and venerable of those things which we regard as good (:) ἐκείνη δὲ οὔτε ἑλληνικώτερον, οὔτ’ ἄλλως περιεργότερον τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐποίει τιμήν Psellos: Chronographia VI 67.8-11