Konstantinos X worked hard to raise revenues, loved private litigation & neglected the army

Summary:
Konstantinos X was concerned mostly with the increase of state revenues and attendance at trials, and wasted his energy on these. He maximised revenue from the farming of government business. He was informed in civil law and most acute, and could twist the law to bring the outcome he wanted. Without studying philosophy or rhetoric he equalled the experts when he made a speech or improvised a letter. He sometimes made mistakes in relying only on his own counsel. He neglected other matters such as the army and the glory gained from military exploits, trying to settle barbarian wars by sending gifts and other favours, thus causing confusion in the empire 
Dates:
1060 
Emperor Konstantinos X Doukas (Konstantinos 10)
  • Was concerned more with the increase of state revenues and the attendance of trials, and wasted all his energy on these, neglecting other matters such as the army and the glory gained from military exploits, thus causing confusion in the empire (:) τοῖς εἰρημένοις πολιτικοῖς εὐδοκιμεῖν προαιρούμενος Attaleiates: History 76.1-12 / 57.24-58.7
  • He also applied himself to taxes; he sometimes went wrong in relying only on his own counsel; he wished to settle barbarian wars by sending gifts and by other favours, so as not to spend money on the army and himself to lead a quiet life (:) ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ συμβούλῳ ... χρώμενος , ἔστιν οὗ καὶ ἡμάρτανε τοῦ ἀκριβεστέρου σκοποῦ Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 17.1-7
  • In judging lawsuits, he was informed in civil law and most acute; without studying philosophy and rhetoric he equalled the experts when he engaged in discourse, made a speech or improvised a letter; and he was first-rate at military affairs (:) διαιτῶν δίκαις, οὐκ ἀσύνετος ἧν τῶν πολιτικῶν ὑποθέσεων, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν εὐθυβολώτατος Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 2.6-12
  • Finding all the empire's revenues spent, he was a moderate money-gatherer, not spending rashly nor reaping where he had not sown; he laid down the starting-points and reaped the fruit of his own labours; so he left the treasuries half full (:) χρηματιστὴς ταύτῃ μέσος ἐγένετο Psellos: Chronographia VIIa 3.1-8
  • Being exceedingly keen on attending trials he would rather train the troops in lawcourt pleading, and thus caused the Turks to march against the Romans and pillage (:) οὐδενὸς ἄλλου ἐφρόντιζεν ἢ λόγων σεκρετικῶν δικανικῶν συκοφαντικῶν Glykas 604.18-605.3
  • In passing judgement he was not entirely concerned with correctitude, but sometimes he would exert his authority and secretly change the statutes, imposing the sentences according to the personalities (:) Zonaras 18.8.17
  • Even put on sale to bidders the magistracies for the auditing of taxgatherers and the collection of taxes he entrusted to tax-collectors on contract (:) τὰ ἀρχεῖα τὰ τοὺς φορολόγους λογοπραγοῦντα ὠνητὰ παρεῖχε τοῖς βουλομένοις καὶ τελώναις τὴν συλλογὴν τῶν φόρων ἐπὶ συνθήκαις ἐπίστευε Zonaras 18.8.16
  • Exerted his energy on these two things above all, the increase of public taxation and the hearing of lawsuits (:) Zonaras 18.8.16