At the beginning and end of his basilikos logos for Ioannes 2, he claimed to have produced a much fuller programme of oral and written encomia for Ioannes, in prose and in verse, than has survived
Italikos 246.12-247.12, 257.4-9, 267.17-268.4
He asked Anonymus 25038 about Anonyma 25011, who was treated for her illness by Anonymus 25039; Michael did not believe in magic, and had only agreed to the experiment to quieten the women: he would be interested to learn the results
Τῷ Τζικνόγλῳ. Italikos 201.1-203.7
He described to Ioannes 293 the golden age of Ioannes 2 and the renaissance of Rome, with constant movement and victory; Michael's praises charted this, yet calumny of Michael blocked his career; Ioannes must pass a letter to the emperor to remedy this
Τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ. Italikos 229.1-230.17
He envied Nikephoros 17003 his polished teaching and inveighed against him from his high church position, though his own work, a commentary on the Pauline epistles for Eirene 61, was of low quality
He improvised an encomium on request for Eirene 61 at her distinguished theatron; she was praised for her origins, her possession of imperial virtues and her easy adaptation to the monastery after the court; he ended by mentioning other members of the audience
He prepared a didaskalia shortly after being consecrated as didaskalos of the Gospels; it is largely an encomium of Leon 11, combined with expressions of joy from Michael, who felt that he had remained didaskalos of the Epistles for too long
He told Anonymus 25031 that, without seeing him, he recalled him well, especially when chatting happily to their common friend Theodoros 25001; but he would be surprised if Lizix, who was busy and ambitious, remembered them
Πρὸς τὸν Λίζικα. Italikos 178.1-17
He wrote a basilikos logos for Ioannes 2, describing his achievements during the campaign of 1137-1138 in Cilicia and Syria
He wrote a basilikos logos for Manuel 1 soon after accession, emphasising his youth and beauty, early predestination for the throne, his fine training by Ioannes 2, his feat at Neokaisareia and the panic at the death of Ioannes which he allayed
He wrote a monody for Michael 135 the aktouarios, performed for the medical establishment; before medical training Pantechnes studied the whole universe of learning, gaining the confidence of the emperor (probably Alexios 1)
He wrote a monody for Andronikos 109, who died on the ship bringing Alexios 103's corpse from Attaleia; Andronikos was praised for aristocratic virtues, the brothers' deaths lamented and Ioannes 2 congratulated for steadfast continuance
He wrote a monody for the death of Andronikos 108, whose greatest military feats had been against the Turks in 1116 and the Pechenegs in 1122; his body was brought across from Asia by boat for the funeral
Italikos 82.1-88.8
He wrote a monody on the death of a partridge which died while his students were playing
He wrote a speech for the patriarch Michael 12, an epithalamion for his mystic marriage to the church, a symbolic bride; choice by lot of the patriarch-groom, confirmation by the Theotokos, his installation and the coronation of Manuel 1
He wrote a very friendly letter to Theodoros 25001, suggesting that singularity expressed their relationship better than duality, despite the geographical distance between them; Michael 25001, who remembered all Theodoros' work, would convey the real news
Πρὸς τὸν Πρόδρομον. Italikos 59.1-65.19
He wrote an encomium of Nikephoros 117, praising his broad learning as well as his military skills, before both of which Michael predicted his own certain defeat
No title. Italikos 142.1-144.18
He wrote an ethopoiia in the name of St Stephen, complaining that a relic of his had been sold to Venice
He wrote that Ioannes 2's great feats were magnified by reports written in the emperor's name, plainly by Stephanos 25001; Michael, as didaskalos, spread them further; in return, would Stephanos please ensure that Ioannes read an enclosed letter?
He wrote the prologue of a will in the persona of Anna 62, stressing her devotion to Alexios 1, Eirene 61, Nikephoros 117, and her children; [the will itself has been lost]
He wrote to Eirene 61, complaining that she, as wiser than other women, should realise his value as a philosopher, as in his work at the Kosmidion; he refused her nomination as professor of medicine - he was already the best medical educator in the city
He wrote to Theodoros 25001, listing geographical and ethnic names in Southern Anatolia and Syria [useful for reporting Ioannes 2's campaigns around Antioch?]
Θεοδώρῳ τῷ Προδρόμῳ. Italikos 99.1-101.8
He wrote to Gregorios 105, affecting nervousness about the style of his letter and asking for the favour of Ioannes 2
no title. Italikos 136.1-138.23
He wrote to Anonymus 25027 at an unknown date, arguing the superiority of rhetoric over philosophy
no title or addressee. Italikos 139.1-140.33
He wrote to Theophanes 25001, welcoming Anonymus 25028 to his classes, as a guest to a sumptuous feast, though asking for the completion of arrangements with Eirene 61
Italikos 156.1-159.15
He wrote to Stephanos 25001, thanking him at length for a gift of fish, asking for more, and complaining briefly that he had not been promoted while Nikephoros 17003 had been favoured
No title. Italikos 161.1-163.7
He wrote to Anonymus 25033, complaining that he had written to Anonymus 25034, but not to Michael himself; now he knew the reason - all the army was despondent because of the death of Alexios 103
He wrote to Anonymus 25040, praising him for combining excellence as a doctor with great knowledge of grammar, whilst showing off his own knowledge in the encomium; it is unclear what he asks for at the end of the letter
Τῷ ἰατρῷ Λειψιώτῃ. Italikos 204.1-207.12
He wrote to Adrianos 25001, congratulating the Bulgarians on having him as their new archbishop, but regretting that he could no longer use Adrianos in the capital as solace against the unfriendly environment there
No title. Italikos 211.1-212.23
He wrote to Alexios 25008, who asked about the meaning of the word "homaimon", in dispute with Anonymus 25041; he said it meant "brother", but other things besides (with examples); he would have more texts, but for busy work at Philippopolis
He wrote to Anonymus 25042, returning a commentary on the Gospels by an ex-patriarch of Constantinople; the chartophylax asked for it back after a few days, but he had studied it well; it quoted all the church fathers who wrote on the Gospels
Πρὸς τὸν χαρτοφύλακα. Italikos 219.1-221.23
He wrote to Ioannes 293, thanking him for aid which had greatly improved his situation [over promotion?]; he wondered when Ioannes and Ioannes 2 would return, no doubt in triumph
Πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον. Italikos 222.1-224.12
He wrote to Anonymus 25043, using various strategies to demand payment of the salaries of the didaskaloi, which were late; he threatened to appeal to the megas oikonomos
He wrote to his brother Anonymus 25026, introducing the letter-carrier Anonymus 25032 as a friend, who would describe the difficulties of Michael's situation and the opposition he faced
no title. Italikos 179.1-180.3
He wrote to his ex-student Michael 25002, who was going on campaign in Galatia, comparing his time as a student of philosophy with harsh military reality
He wrote to the aktouarios (probably Michael 135), announcing that he had joined his medical establishment as didaskalos of the doctors; he sent him a coin of Constantine the Great, which once was mounted with pearls and could be mounted so again (?)
Τῷ ἀκτουαρίῳ. Italikos 209.1-210.22
He wrote to the emperor Ioannes 2, who had asked him to go as an envoy to Rome; he accepted, with an encomium of Ioannes' fortitude in shouldering Byzantium's burdens, promising enthusiastically to go to the ends of the earth if necessary
no title. Italikos 173.1-175.9
He wrote two further letters to Stephanos 25001, complaining that Stephanos had been too busy in military affairs to take up his case with the emperor or think of his promotion; the honey implied by Meles' surname was in short supply
He wrote two letters to the absent Nikephoros 117, praising [lost] letters he received from Nikephoros; in the second, he pictured himself reading a letter received from Nikephoros to an admiring audience at a theatron
no titles. Italikos 152.1-154.14
When Anonymus 25036 asked him for verses of Empedocles on various subjects, he sent them in a letter, asking his correspondent to have his pupils declaim them tragically