Certainty: 2 Severe illness of Theodora; choice by courtiers of Michael (VI) Bringas (stratiotikos) as successor. Theodora reigned alone for one year and eight months. Around midday on the day of her death, the empire's high officials were concerned with the succession. They included Leon Paraspondylos, Manuel, droungarios of the vigla, Niketas Xylinites, logothetes of the dromos and Theodoros, domestikos of the scholai. They were scheming to appoint a new emperor who would retain and support them in prosperity. Psellos was also present, watching them playing cynically with the future of the empire. Before Theodora died they put Michael VI, who had taken an oath never to act without consulting them, on the throne, so that real power might be in their hands. Theodora agreed at once
Certainty: 3 Accession of Michael VI. Appointed to the throne by Theodoras eunuchs and the empress herself five days before her death, Michael VI reigned for one year and 11 days. Keroularios the patriarch discovered that Michaels succession was a fait accompli, and it was her household who invited him to her deathbed. He asked the dying empress whether this was her choice and she nodded, allowing him to crown Michael. This change of ruler was the only change, for all other officials and unofficial powerbrokers remained the same. Keroularios still had no real power
Certainty: 3 Death of Theodora. After a reign of two years, having reached old age, she fell ill, despite assurances from flattering monks that she would be immortal. A few days before her death, at the behest of her eunuch government, she summoned Michael VI, whom she proclaimed emperor