Second marriage of Konstantinos, nephew of Keroularios: Psellos was not shocked by the ceremony

Summary:
Konstantinos, nephew of Keroularios, invited Psellos to his (second) wedding, saying it would be solemn and appropriate for a monk. A wedding, Psellos replied, was a wedding, and rules forbad his attendance at some stages. He also reminded Konstantinos that another monk, Ioannes of Side, would have similar problems. Psellos wrote to Konstantinos again, regretting he could not attend all the wedding, fearing gossip. As a monk, he could speak at the beginning, but for feasting and music (despite his musical expertise) he could only be a distant spectator. He congratulated Konstantinos that his new wife seemed to him the prettiest woman in the palace (apart from Konstantinos' incomparable mother): he wished the splendid couple health and prosperity. Psellos attended the wedding and in a third letter admitted it had been a much more "philosophical" ceremony than he had feared (some details given). The wedding had brought Psellos and Konstantinos closer together, via Konstantinos' mother and brother Nikephoros 
Dates:
1074 
wife of brother of Michael Keroularios (Anonyma 2103)
  • She was a personification of virtue and a link between Michael 61 and Konstantinos 120 (was she at the latter’s wedding?) ἀπεικόνισμα [...] ἀρετῆς Psellos Letters (Sathas) 84.323
Ioannes, metropolitan of Side [1079, 1082, 1094] (Ioannes 102)
  • As a monk, he would have similar problems to Michael 61 in attending the wedding of Konstantinos 120 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 83.321
Konstantinos, nephew of patriarch Michael I Keroularios (Konstantinos 120)
  • His wedding had been a much more “philosophical” ceremony than Michael 61 had feared (some details given); his link to Psellos was via Nikephoros 111 and Anonyma 2103; the wedding had brought them closer together (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 84.321-324
  • He invited Michael 61 to his wedding, saying it would be solemn and appropriate for a monk: a wedding, Psellos replied, was a wedding, and rules forbad his attendance at some stages; he also reminded him of Ioannes 102 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 83.318-321
  • He had invited Michael 61 to his (second) wedding; Michael replied that his participation, as a monk, would be limited, but congratulated Konstantinos on his wife (Anonyma 2120)’s beauty, second only to that of his mother Anonyma 2103 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219-222
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • With his reputation for philosophy (justified or not), he had to be careful of gossip about his actions καί με ἀξιοῦσιν οἱ πλείους μηδὲ τῆς γῆς ἅπτεσθαι τοῖν ποδοῖν Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219
  • He congratulated Konstantinos 120 that his new wife Anonyma 2120 seemed to him the prettiest woman in the palace (apart from Konstantinos’ incomparable mother Anonyma 2103): he wished the splendid couple health and prosperity (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.221
  • He wrote to Konstantinos 120 regretting he could not fully attend his (second) wedding, fearing gossip; as a monk he could speak at the beginning, but for feasting and music (despite musical expertise) he could only be a distant spectator (:) Τοῦ Ψελλοῦ ἐπιστολὴ πρώτη πρὸς τὸν πρωτοπρόεδρον κῦρ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν δρουγγάριον Psellos Letters (Sathas) 1.219-222
  • He replied to the invitation of Konstantinos 120, who said his wedding would be solemn and appropriate for a monk: a wedding, he said, was a wedding, and rules forbad his attendance at some stages; he also reminded him of Ioannes 102 (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 83.318-321
  • He wrote to Konstantinos 120, comparing the boistrous wedding he feared with the much more “philosophical” ceremony he attended; his link to Konstantinos was via Nikephoros 111 and Anonyma 2103; the wedding had brought them closer together (:) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 84.321-324
Nikephoros, nephew of patriarch Michael I Keroularios (Nikephoros 111)
  • He was a link between Michael 61 and Konstantinos 120 (he was probably at the latter’s wedding) Psellos Letters (Sathas) 84.323