Certainty: 3 Plot disrupted festival of St Georgios at Mangana & drove Konstantinos X & his family to take ship. Konstantinos X & his family, following the custom established by Konstantinos IX, went to the shrine of Hagios Georgios at Mangana in order to present the usual offering, and spent the feastday there watching the ceremony. A plot against him was uncovered, the conspirators planning to drown him on his way back to the palace by boat. The conspirators calculated that, if a disturbance taking place in the Forum of the city were reported to him, he would at once depart by sea to the Great Palace. The participants were not only the common and anonymous but included the well-born and prominent. At a signal some would attack from the sea, others from the land
Certainty: 3 Luckily, the imperial party avoided the ship where assassins were waiting & reached the palace safely. As the revolt broke out when he was at Mangana, he proceeded with the augousta Eudokia and their children to the nearby shore and, not finding any imperial ship there, embarked on a nobleman's ship which happened providentially to be available. As he was leaving, he was urged to board another ship belonging to the rebels, which would allegedly carry him more quickly to his destination, but he refused to do so. The boat on which he was travelling was harrassed, but arrived safely at the palace
Certainty: 2 Plot against Konstantinos X was put down, with imprisonment, confiscation of property & banishment. When Konstantinos X had escaped the danger, he discovered how and by whom the plot had been organised, and punished the culprits. His brother Ioannes Doukas went through the agora preceded by armed troops, dispersed the rebels and was joined by the prefect of the city in a victory procession. The prefect had come to the palace pretending he had contributed to the crushing of the revolt, but was later himself accused and convicted of complicity in the plot. His belt and insignia were removed, he was exiled and his property was confiscated. Similar sentences befel others. So far from the emperor beheading or maiming the conspirators, he tonsured some and banished others, with confiscation of property, though some were whipped
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos X accused Amertikes of trying to murder him. Amertikes had been generously treated in Constantinople. However Konstantinos X accused him of trying to murder him with a dagger and banished him
Certainty: 2 Death of pope Nicholas II; election of Alexander II. Pope Nicholas II died. In his place, the bishop of Lucca was elected as Alexander II
Certainty: 2 Xach'ik, the Armenian katholikos, was freed from Constantinople without paying taxes. Xach'ik, the Armenian katholikos, was in Constantinople for three years, refusing to pay taxes demanded by the imperial authorities. Eventually two Byzantines, a magnate and a monk, offered to pay the tax, in exchange for rights over the church of Armania, but they were treacherously killed. Eventually Konstantinos X repented of the pressure under which Xach'ik had been placed, set him free without paying the tax demanded, and granted him a chrysobull confirming his properties in Armenia and two monasteries in Tarntay
Certainty: 2 Maroules arrived as katepano in Bari. Maroules arrived in Bari as katepano
Certainty: 2 Death of Nikolaos, Archbishop of Bari; election of Andreas to replace him. Nikolaos, archbishop of Bari died. In his place, Andreas was elected by some people (?)
Certainty: 2 Robert Guiscard sailed to Sicily. Robert Guiscard made his first concerted attempt at the invasion of Sicily
Certainty: 2 Marriage of Maria Komnene (sister of Alexios I) to Michael Taronites. Maria Komnene, sister of Alexios (I), married Michael Taronites, a well-born and wealthy man, while her father Ioannes Komnenos was still alive
Certainty: 3 Investigation of Iveron complaint concerning properties & paroikoi on Athos. Three monks of Iveron, Arsenios Episkopos, Michael Mertatos the oikonomos and Theodoros the hegoumenos, presented to Nikephoros (III) Botaneiates, doux of Thessalonike, an imperial decree of Konstantinos X, requesting him to investigate thoroughly a complaint from Iveron that some of its properties and paroikoi on Athos had been seized unlawfully. Nikephoros asked Michael spatharokandidatos to inquire. Michael insisted that Demetrios, Ioannes, Konstantinos, Petros Raptes and two Stephanoi, six paroikoi of Iviron, should be returned to the monastery. Nikephoros gave Arsenios Episkopos, Michael Mertatos the oikonomos and Theodoros the hegoumenos an act confirming the monastery's rights to the above tax-exempt paroikoi
Certainty: 3 Iveron rights over properties & paroikoi on Athos confirmed by Nikephoros Botaneiates. Nikephoros Botaneiates as doux of Thessalonike issued, signed and delivered an act to the monks of Iveron (Arsenios Episkopos, Michael Mertatos the oikonomos and Theodoros the hegoumenos) who had requested confirmation of their monastery's rights over certain paroikoi
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos X lamented the lot of exiles he had himself condemned. Konstantinos X, after the major plot on his life, invited Psellos to dine with him. At one point he stopped eating and burst into tears, remembering that those exiled for the plot would not be feasting like them. He hated indulging himself while others were in trouble
Certainty: 1 Provisional settlement of dispute between Vatopedi & Hagios Hypatios on Athos. Konstantinos X granted to Iakobos, hegoumenos of Hagios Hypatios, a sigillion obtained through fraudulent means, which the hegoumenos used to appropriate properties belonging to Vatopedi. Theodosios, hegoumenos of Vatopedi, complained to Konstantinos X about the properties of the monastery appropriated by Iakobos with his fraudulent sigillion. Konstantinos X passed the problem to the patriarch Konstantinos Leichoudes, and he in turn to Niketas, kouboukleisios and protosynkellos, chartophylax of the patriarchate, who decided the issue in favour of Vatopedi. But Iakobos of Hagios Hypatios ignored Niketas' decision, went to the civil courts and had the disputed property returned to his monastery. Theodosios of Vatopedi complained again to Konstantinos X and Konstantinos the patriarch, who asked Hilarion, protos of Athos, to settle the affair. He implemented the decision of Niketas the chartophylax, having himself examined the relevant historical documents, and returned the properties to Vatopedi
Certainty: 1 Nikolaos (Cheilas) had his possessions confiscated for rebellion, including estates of Phlorion & Galataria. Nikolaos epi ton deeseon had become a wealthy man, with money, estates, a rich wife and two step-daughters he treated as his own. Suddenly all his wealth was confiscated as he was arrested, interrogated and convicted of flagrant plotting against Konstantinos X. Nikolaos' own property (including Phlorion and Galataria) was all at the emperor's disposal - to be given to those like Epiphanios protasekretis
Certainty: 1 Emperor (Konstantinos X ?) confirmed with a chrysobull ownership of Phlorion & Galataria by Epiphanios protasekretis . Psellos wrote a chrysobull for Konstantinos X rewarding Epiphanios protasekretis for helping him rise from private citizen to imperial rank. As well as making him a close imperial advisor, he gave him and his heirs permanent title to the estates of Phlorion and Galataria. The end of the document repeats several times that none of the others involved could possibly have a claim on them - not their previous owner, Nikolaos the epi ton deeseon, nor his wife, nor her daughters from her first marriage
Certainty: 1 Trial of Konstantinos, nephew of Keroularios, for a capital offence. Konstantinos, nephew of Michael Keroularios, was on trial for a capital offence. Psellos wrote to him during the trial, afraid of losing a well-tested friend, weeping and consoling him. He had seen Konstantinos in court showing a clear conscience to the just chief judge and his colleagues. Psellos had wept to see Konstantinos' mother there, his wife and their children, who should soon get him back. The announcements and narrative of the kensor had greatly irritated him. Psellos also reported on the reactions of others: Konstantinos X was merciful and impartial, the empress Eudokia showed her pure goodness, the patriarch Leichoudes was very favourable, Ioannes Doukas the emperor's brother was too inflamed to weep (?), Nikephoros (the defendant's brother) was disturbing the nest of a viper, and Psellos himself was about to intervene in all possible ways. He sent best wishes to all Konstantinos' household, even his pastrycook and furnaceman. [The date must be after the death of Keroularios, in the reign of Konstantinos X, before the death of the patriarch Leichoudes; perhaps there is a connection with the Mangana conspiracy of 1060/1061)?]
Certainty: 1 Anastasios Lizix charmed Konstantinos X with his perfect manners; onset of his paralysing illness. Anastasios Lizix's adminstrative career took him to the far east and far west of the empire to assist different kritai, whilst in the capital he charmed Konstantinos X by his efficiency and perfect manners. But then he was struck by paralysis, which began from his feet and hands and spread more widely, caused great pain, immobilised him and kept him at home. The emperor arranged for him to be sent to an administrative post in Athens, a better climate for him than the capital, and an inspiring place for a learned man
Certainty: 1 Application made (ironically?) to Konstantinos X to transfer Psellos' property of Medikion to Anastasios Lizix. Psellos asked Konstantinos X to transfer Medikion to Anastasios Lizix. He could not bear the emperor's generosity, and asked him to spare Psellos by transferring Medikion to his beloved Anastasios, to show him that burdens laid on them by the emperor could be lucrative rather than loss-making. [Probably ironic: Psellos elsewhere is very negative about Medikion and its potential for profit, and although Lizix fell ill around this time, this hardly seems a valuable present to him]
Certainty: 1 A gift of food on a festival from Psellos to Ioannes the kaisar might be given to his children to play with. Psellos rejoiced in his friendship with Ioannes the kaisar (with images of food). There was an unwritten law that when one sacrificed or kept a festival, first-fruits were sent to a superior. By this rule he sent Ioannes first-fruits of common foods - bread, wine and fruit. To do things properly, Ioannes should eat them himself. Otherwise he should give them to his sons Andronikos and Konstantinos as playthings, and enjoy their games
Certainty: 1 The basilikos of Madytos was still in difficulties, despite support from the krites of Macedonia; he might need more in the future. Psellos told the krites of Macedonia that the basilikos of Madytos, despite his office, was attacked as if he had none. He remained basilikos as he expected aid from the krites. (His enemies insulted the krites and his help for the basilikos, but the basilikos always spoke well of him). Because of talk of an offence, the basilikos might need more aid in the future: the krites would need to act as impartially as his reputation suggested
Certainty: 1 Psellos had the military levy cancelled for a monastery he owned; Pothos, as krites, was to assure the hegoumenos of his support. Psellos told Pothos, son of the droungarios, that he no longer had to demand a military levy from Psellos as owner of a monastery (Trapeza?), as the emperor had cancelled it. Psellos asked Pothos to speak to the hegoumenos and assure him of his favour and support as krites
Certainty: 1 The name Kakoprates was accurate over fortune but not character; Pothos was asked to help him - & received advice about his job. Pothos, son of the droungarios, was asked by Psellos to help Kakoprates, who was poor, as his name suggested. Pothos had asked a philosophical question, which Psellos linked to Kakoprates, ending with conventional advice (which he admitted was probably redundant) to the krites about his job
Certainty: 1 The patriarch Konstantinos Leichoudes made the rules of the convent he had founded more & more strict. Konstantinos Leichoudes made strict rules to govern the convent he had founded. As time went on he made the rules stricter still, reducing luxury and comfort and giving money to the poor
Certainty: 1 Was Pothos wronging the Theotokos' Acheiropoietos; if so, he should read its chrysobulls & hear its owner, Psellos himself. Psellos asked Pothos, son of the droungarios, if he was guilty of violence against the Theotokos' monastery, the Acheiropoietos. If he was, he should stop it, maybe after examining its chrysobulls etc. and respecting his predecessors, or even the owner, his teacher Psellos himself
Certainty: 1 Michael (VII) & his brother Andronikos were sent to Psellos for education. Eudokia sent her two elder sons, Michael (VII) and Andronikos, to Psellos for education
Certainty: 1 Pothos was told that villagers were diverting water from the mills of the Acheiropoietos to their own; he should restore it. Pothos, son of the droungarios, was told by Psellos that the people of Mamytze were injuring the Acheiropoietos monastery by diverting water from the three mills owned in the village by its Strobilos estate to their one mill. He was asked to restore the water and punish the wrongdoers