Psellos playfully wrote of Christ's disciples among Scythian nomads; Konstantinos, nephew of Keroularios, misunderstood

Summary:
Psellos said that Konstantinos, nephew of Keroularios, misunderstood his letter, not reading it as playful, while he had almost danced as he wrote it. Was this not how they spoke to each other? Psellos would never deliberately offend. He asked in the letter what Christ’s disciples would say if put among Scythian nomads. This was funny and clever, like Plato or Attic comedy, where exaggeration caused laughter. He ended with humour about the empress Eudokia 
Dates:
1071 
Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa (Eudokia 1)
  • She was not to be told about Michael 61's letter complaining that Konstantinos 120 misunderstood his jokes; the relationship between Eudokia and Konstantinos was itself described in a joking way (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.469
Konstantinos, nephew of patriarch Michael I Keroularios (Konstantinos 120)
  • He had a letter from Michael 61 claiming he had misunderstood a playful letter of his, which was like Plato or Attic comedy, placing Christ's disciples among Pecheneg nomads; the new letter ended with humorous links to Eudokia 1 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.467-469
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • He wrote to Konstantinos 120 that he had missed the playfulness of his letter Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.469
  • He said that Konstantinos 120 misunderstood his letter, not reading it as playful, while he had almost danced as he wrote it: was this not how they spoke to each other? he would never knowingly offend (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.467-468
  • What (he asked Konstantinos 120) would Christ's disciples say if put among Pecheneg nomads (cf. the letter)? this was funny and clever, like Plato or Attic comedy, where exaggeration causes laughter; he ended with humour about Eudokia 1 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 184.468-469