The owner of a ruin (Psellos told the local krites) spoke of a novel problem in rebuilding it: a neighbour stopped him, not complaining of the design, but blocking any rebuilding at all. Psellos had smiled, thinking the problem lay elsewhere, but the man insisted. It was a novel offence, and the offender, being poor, could not be censured for abuse of power, but his rashness might be tamed by the right penalty. If the facts were wrong, the krites should not blame Psellos, who was only the messenger