Psellos said that a kinsman of his, a protothronos, was under attack from slanderous kouratores, so that his only salvation was the krites of Thrakesion, whose puppy Psellos would save from harm. Could the krites not save his relation? One sign of his interest would stop the evil men. He later repeated the request: his relative's enemies were working fraudulently to have him dismissed from office, and the krites should help him by fixing a suitable penalty to deter evil men