The patriarch Ioannes Xiphilinos considered, together with the empress Eudokia and her officials, what action to take against the advance of the sultan Alp Arslan. They debated whether to put the empire's interest above the dead emperor Konstantinos X's wishes for Eudokia not to remarry. Eudokia herself wanted to marry Romanos. Xiphilinos was pessimistic about the future, if Byzantium continued to be ruled by a woman and children. He attacked the oaths imposed by Konstantinos X, as based not on the common benefit but on jealousy. Psellos only heard of the plan late and indirectly, and refused to support it