Ominous dark-coloured dove landed on Romanos IV; he sent it to Eudokia

Summary:
As Romanos IV set out on he campaign of 1071, he had disagreed with his wife Eudokia, so that she renained in the palace and did not follow him to Hieria as usual. As he crossed the Bosporos a dove of predominantly black colour flew down and landed on his hand. He sent it to Eudokia. Some sources regard this as a peace-offering, and say that the empress then joined him for some days before his departure. It is sometimes made explicit that this was a bad omen 
Dates:
1071 
Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa (Eudokia 1)
  • Did not follow her husband to Hieria as customary, but remained in the palace at Constantinople and was sent by the emperor (Romanos 4) a dove of black rather than white colour which flew in his hand while crossing the straits of Chalcedon (Bosporos) (:) περὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ἀνάκτορα τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐπιμεινάσῃ Attaleiates: History 143.12-14 / 107.15-16
  • Although she had had an argument with the emperor (Romanos 4) before his departure (to Hieria), after he sent her a dove her love for him prevailed and she joined him the next day, spent a few days and bid him farewell on his campaign to the East (:) καὶ οἷον ἀμφήριστος ἐκ τινῶν τοῖς συνοικοῦσιν ἐπισυμβαινουσῶν θρύψεων Attaleiates: History 143.17-24 / 107.19-24
  • Contrary to custom she remained in the palace because of some dispute and did not accompany to Hieria the emperor (Romanos 4) who sent her a black dove that flew over his trireme, but then changed her mind and joined him to bid him farewell (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 142.11-16
  • Did not accompany the emperor (Romanos 4) who left on campaign but was sent a predominantly black dove which flew over his trireme and landed on his hand (:) οὐ χρηστῆς ἀποβάσεως ἔδοξεν αὕτη Glykas 609.13-14
  • Romanos 4 dispatched the pigeon he had caught to her, but the business of the pigeon was not judged to be a good omen either for the one who caught it or indeed for she to whom it was sent (:) Zonaras 18.13.2
  • She received from Romanos 4 a peace-offering, a dove which fluttered round him and landed on his knees without noise - a bad omen; the emperor sent her the dove, thinking it would be better to have his enemies on his side (:) Manasses, Chronicle 6428-6450
Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (Romanos 4)
  • Sent to the empress (Eudokia 1 Makrembolitissa), who remained in the palace, a dove of black rather than white colour which approached the ship carrying him to Hieria and flew in his hand while crossing the straits of Chalcedon (Bosporos) (:) τῇ βασιλίδι ἀνέπεμψε Attaleiates: History 143.8-14 / 107.12-16
  • Sent to the empress (Eudokia 1) in the palace a black dove that flew over the trireme carrying him across to Hieria before landing on his hand, prompting her to come out and meet him to bid farewell, and sailed on to Helenopolis rather than Neakome (on the day (Sunday) of Orthodoxy:τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας) Skylitzes Continuatus 142.8-20
  • Left on campaign and while crossing to the palace of Hieria a predominantly black dove flying over his trireme landed on his hand and he sent it to the empress (Eudokia 1) who was not accompanying him, before advancing to Helepolis (:) Glykas 609.8-16
  • Dispatched the pigeon to the empress (Eudokia 1), but the business of the pigeon was not judged to be a good omen either for the one who caught it or indeed for she to whom it was sent (:) Zonaras 18.13.2
  • As he was just starting to cross, a pigeon, not completely black in colour but which tended towards blackness, flew around his trireme and did not stop fluttering round him until he grasped it in his hands (:) Zonaras 18.13.1
  • A dove fluttering round him landed on his knees without noise and it was a bad omen; the emperor sent the dove to Eudokia 1 as a peace-offering, thinking it would be better to have his enemies on his side (:) Manasses, Chronicle 6428-6450