Psellos received the first beautiful letters of Aimilianos, patriarch of Antioch

Summary:
Psellos wrote to Aimilianos, patriarch of Antioch, thanking him for his impressive first letter. He had thought Aimilianos would for ever be silent, wasting his talent and forgetting that closeness to God involved duty ro inferiors. But this deafening letter confirmed his well-known virtues and left Psellos blushing. Aimilianos accepted success modestly, communing with God and the great of the earth yet remembering Psellos. Psellos admitted defeat in the contest of mutual encomia with Aimilianos, thanking him for his gift and asking (unnecessarily) for a reward for Joseph. The eloquent Joseph too praised Aimilianos for his recent progress in virtue. Psellos' second letter added further praise for Aimilianos' first. It amazed everyone, adding to Psellos' prestige as an educator in the East and spreading Aimilianos' fame for virtue. He must write more to confirm his status 
Dates:
1065 (Uncertain) 
Aimilianos, patriarch of Antioch (Aimilianos 61)
  • After a silence, he wrote to Michael 61, confirming his virtues and leaving Psellos blushing; he communed with God and the great of the earth yet modestly praised Psellos; he was commended by Joseph 2101, and asked to be generous to him (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.1-73
  • He may before have been too proud to write, but his first letter amazed everyone, adding to Michael 61's prestige as educator of the East and spreading his own fame for virtue, seconded by Joseph 2101; he must write more to confirm his status (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.1-63
Joseph, friend of Michael Psellos (Joseph 2101)
  • He praised Aimilianos 61 for recent exploits, adding to the encomium of Michael 61, who asked Aimilianos (unnecessarily) to be generous to him (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.47-73
  • His eloquence, devoted to Aimilianos 61, added to the fame of the patriarch's virtue which resulted from his first letter, and should again be rewarded (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.48-59
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • He wrote to Aimilianos 61, thanking him for his impressive first letter Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.1-73
  • He thought Aimilianos 61 would for ever be silent, but his deafening letter confirmed his well-known virtues and left Psellos blushing; Aimilianos showed success modestly, communing with God and the great of the earth yet remembering Psellos (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.1-38
  • He lost in the contest of mutual encomia with Aimilianos 61, and Joseph 2101 praised Aimilianos for recent advances; Psellos thanked him for his gift, asking (unnecessarily) for kindness to Joseph (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 14.38-73
  • He wrote to Aimilianos 61 with further praise for his first letter Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.1-63
  • Aimilianos 61's letter amazed everyone, adding to Psellos' prestige as an educator in the East and spreading Aimilianos' fame for virtue, seconded by the eloquent Joseph 2101; Aimilianos must write more to confirm his status (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.26-63
  • Aimilianos 61 by not writing had wasted talent, maybe feeling above mankind in rising to be patriarch, forgetting that closeness to God involved duty ro inferiors; his letter showed balance between divine and human, accepting promotion modestly (:) Psellos Letters (Gautier) 15.1-26