Certainty: 1 Psellos told Aristenos his son spent too long at the spoonfeeders, afraid of his demanding teaching Certainty: 1
1066
Certainty: 1 Psellos told Aristenos in exile that lack of access to the emperor made it hard to help him Certainty: 1
1067
Certainty: 2 Psellos wrote three letters to Aristenos, with thanks, comparison of two grammatikoi & advice on rhetoric
In the first letter, Psellos made no requests, but thanked Aristenos for help he had given a man over tax relief. He seemed to have received at least ten times more than he had asked, and reacted as if forgiven sins, not tax. Aristenos was fertile ground for sowing the word, giving crops all year round. In the second he spoke of two different grammatikoi he had sent Aristenos. One preferred closer thrones on earth to those of heaven, aimed to be crowned (a solemn ceremony might be needed - greenstuff was available) and paraded like a peacock, The other wanted the kingdom of heaven, was passing through rituals to complete initiation in Mithraism (as a monk?), and in the interim might be a good grammatikos (?). The third letter made hypotheses based on various exchange rates between his letters and those of his ex-pupil Aristenos, settling on 1:1. Aristenos, remembering his lessons, should embellish his letters, maybe outdoing his master, who enjoyed defeat by his children. His eloquence developed as Psellos' waned. He should take a branch from Psellos (or one of the ancients) and graft it on his trunk. Psellos had many garlands ready, and would give him a crown he would not win in war
1068
Certainty: 2 Psellos wrote to five friends in central Anatolia to reconcile the bishop of Gordiason with the bishop of Matiane
Psellos wrote to five friends in central Anatolia, most of them with with the army of Romanos IV, asking them to reconcile his friend the bishop of Gordiason with the bishop of Matiane. The first, a krites, was responsible for introducing Psellos to the bishop. Neither the latter nor Psellos blamed the krites for the dispute. Both sought a compromise, which Psellos would arbitrate. Psellos welcomed the krites' gift, though no lover of food. The second was Aristenos, whose claims of friendship (Psellos said) brought no letters, though Psellos asked travellers for messages from him. Yet if Aristenos freed the bishop of Gordiason from his problems and then wrote, Psellos' frowns would disappear. The third was the epi ton deeseon, who was going where Psellos could not trap him, just chase him with letters. He was asked for aid for Psellos' friend the bishop, who needed it. The letter ended with a verbal game over willingness and ability to help. The fourth was Basileios, the epi tou kanikleiou, who (Psellos feared) might change, living brilliantly near Romanos IV. He did not write, and Psellos had no access to Romanos till disfavour ceased. To win Psellos' undying affection, Basileios was to reconcile the two bishops. The fifth was Eustratios Choirosphaktes, who would (Psellos knew) lamely excuse his failure to write by claiming to prefer speech. He should write simply to Psellos, who loved simple letters. Psellos' friend the bishop of Gordiason was under attack by the bishop of Matiane; Eustratios should reconcile them
1069
Certainty: 2 Psellos wrote from Caesarea to 3 friends who continued with Romanos: he could not keep up Certainty: 2