Abdication of Isaakios Komnenos

Summary:
Psellos had a disagreement with the emperor's chief doctor over the nature and likely duration of his patient's fever. However Isaakios decided to abdicate. Konstantinos Leichoudes came to see him (not before time), to counsel him on the better life and strengthen him with words of all kinds. A more violent fit seized the emperor and all now despaired of his life. All his family sat around him lamenting, and would have died with him if they could 
Dates:
1059 Nov 21-22 
chief physician to Isaakios I (Anonymus 7033)
  • Not knowing (of Isaakios 1's illness) Michael 61 went out to see him and pay his respects in the usual way; Isaakios greeted him from his bed, surrounded by a small bodyguard and with Anonymus 7033 also present (:) παρῆν δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀσκληπιαδῶν ὁ κάλλιστος Psellos: Chronographia VII 74.1-4
  • Turning to him Michael 61 asked what kind of fever it was; answering loudly, so that Isaakios 1 could hear, he said it was ephemeral, but it would not be surprising if it did not disappear within the day, as the name could be deceptive (:) πρὸς τὸν ἀσκληπιάδην ἐκεῖνον στραφείς Psellos: Chronographia VII 74.9-14
  • Michael 61 said he did not agree with him the artery movement suggested a three-day fever; but he hoped that his prediction was right and his own wrong, as was likely since he was not sufficiently practised to pronounce (:) οὐ πάνυ σου τῇ γνώμῃ ξυντίθεμαι Psellos: Chronographia VII 74.14-19
  • Before Michael 61 could take Isaakios 1's pulse, he prevented him, saying he had already tested it and it was irregular, with alternate beats weak, like the alternating teeth of a cutting saw (:) κατείληπται γάρ μοι ἤδη ἡ κίνησις, καὶ κατὰ μῆκος τοῦ συνεχοῦς διακέκοπται Psellos: Chronographia VII 77.11-18
  • Taking little notice of him, Michael 61 traced the (pulse's) movement at every interval; he did not recognise the saw pulse, but it was beating faintly, not like a palsied foot, but like one held by chains and trying to escape (:) ἐγὼ γοῦν ὀλίγα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φροντίσας Psellos: Chronographia VII 78.1-5
Emperor Isaakios I Komnenos (Isaakios 1)
  • Now I must also say how he put down the kingship, even though those who have written about him are not in agreement (:) Zonaras 18.7.1
  • He made preparations to go to the Great Palace; Konstantinos 13 came to him not before time, to counsel him on the better life and strengthen him with words of all kinds (:) ὁ μὲν οὖν συνεσκευάζετο ὡς ἐκεῖσε ἀφιξόμενος Psellos: Chronographia VII 79.13-17
  • Aikaterine 101 said she took on her shoulders all his sins; if he recovered, she had her desire; if not she would defend his sins before God; she hoped he would be found guiltless, but would gladly be eaten by worms for his sake (:) ἐμὲ δὲ ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἡδέως ἂν καὶ σκώληκες διασπάσαιντο Psellos: Chronographia VII 82.6-12
  • A more violent fit seized him and all now despaired of his life (:) σφοδοτέρα περίοδος καταλαμβάνει τὸν βασιλέα Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 11.1-2
  • All his family sat around him lamenting and would have died with him if they could (:) συνεκπνεύσαντες ἐκείνῳ εἴ γε δύναιντο Psellos: Chronographia VII 80.10-12
Konstantinos III Leichoudes, patriarch of Constantinople (Konstantinos 13)
  • As Isaakios 1 made preparations to go (to the Great Palace), Leichoudes came to him, not before time, to counsel him on the better life and strengthen him with words of all kinds (:) σύμβουλος ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω γιγνόμενος καὶ πᾶσι λόγοις τοῦτον ἐπιρωννύς Psellos: Chronographia VII 79.13-17
  • He dedicated Isaakios 1 to the Father (:) ἐκεῖνον τῷ Πατρὶ ἱερούργησεν Psellos: Chronographia VII 18.12-13
Maria Komnene, daughter of Isaakios I Komnenos (Maria 101)
  • Aikaterine 101 led the dirges and she wailed in response, weeping more mournfully in repsonse to Aikaterine 101 (:) ἡ θυγάτηρ ἀντωλοφύρετο γοερώτερον ἀντεπικλαίουσα τῇ μητρί Psellos: Chronographia VII 80.12-13
  • Aikaterine 101 asked how Isaakios 1 could he leave the palace, leaving herself a miserable widow and Maria a wretched orphan; worse would follow - they would be carried off to distant exile or worse and a pitiless man shed their blood (:) ἐγκαταλιμπάνεις ... ὀρφανίαν τε βαρυτάτην τῇ θυγατρί Psellos: Chronographia VII 82.12-20
  • Aikaterine 101 said that Isaakios 1 would live on as a monk, or perhaps die nobly, but for herself and Maria their daughter a life more bitter than death remained (:) ἡμῖν δὲ πικροτέρα τοῦ θανάτου διαμενεῖ ἡ ζωή Psellos: Chronographia VII 82.20-2
  • Isaakios 1 handed her to Konstantinos 10 as a sacred trust (:) τὰς μὲν ἀνέπαφόν σοι παρακαταθήκην πιστεύω Psellos: Chronographia VII 89.22-5
  • She stood by Isaakios 1's bed, saying words of farewell and shedding parting tears; she urged him to go to the Great Palace and make any necessary decisions, lest his family share his misfortune and lose their happy imperial life: in association with Aikaterine 101, Ioannes 63, Anonymus 7034 (:) μὴ τὸ γένος ἀφήσει συνδυστυχήσαντας ἐκείνῳ τὴν εὐδαίμονα τῆς βασιλείας ζωήν Psellos: Chronographia VII 79.2-13
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • Taking little notice of Anonymus 7033, he traced the pulse's movement at every interval; he did not recognise the "saw" pulse, but it was beating faintly, not like a palsied foot, but like one held by chains and trying to escape (:) ἐγὼ γοῦν ὀλίγα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φροντίσας Psellos: Chronographia VII 78.1-5
  • On the third day the fever had overrun its course a little, proving one of them was skilled, but he was not quite accurate; some not too solid food was prepared for Isaakios 1, but as he was about to take it his fever suddenly blazed up (:) τὸν μὲν ἀπεδείκνυ τεχνίτην, ἐμὲ δὲ διημαρτηκότα τοῦ ἀκριβοῦς Psellos: Chronographia VII 75.1-6