Tzetzes after a dream suggested that Manuel make full use of the Cumans

Summary:
Tzetzes wrote to Manuel I suggesting that he ally himself with the cavalry of the Scyths [probably Cumans rather than Pechenegs.] The advice was based on a dream, which he related. He spent a sleepless night from mosquitoes, then fell into a fitful sleep. He dreamed he met the goldsmith Basileios in the market of Leo Makellos. This almost illiterate man was reading the Skythika of Dexippos near the shop of the perfumer Stratonikos Kondos. Then Tzetzes added extra unexpected details to the dream, and by torutous arguments concluded that the message of the dream was advice to he emperor to ally himself with the Cuman cavalry [humour surely plays a part here, though the Second Crusade was imminent] 
Dates:
1147: 
Basileios, Constantinopolitan goldsmith (Basileios 253)
  • He appeared in a dream of Ioannes 459, reading an unlikely text for an uncultivated craftsman (the Skythika of Dexippos), in the market of Leo Makellos, near the shop of the parfumier Stratonikos 101; he claimed to have been given the book by a seal-maker, either Theodoros 257 or more likely Konstantinos 305 (:) Σκυθικά Tzetzes, Letters 85.20-86.6
Ioannes Tzetzes, man of letters (Ioannes 459)
  • Tzetzes wrote to Manuel 1 suggesting an alliance with the cavalry of the Scyths; the advice was based on a dream, which he related; after a sleepless night from mosquitoes, he fell asleep and dreamed he met the goldsmith Basileios 253 in the market of Leo Makellos (:) Tzetzes, Letters 84.19-85.21
  • He was surprised by three things: (1) that the uncultivated Basileios 253 read such a book, (2) that Ioannes had a wrong impression about where he lived, (3) that the book was one he wanted to read himself; he interpreted the dream as meaning that Manuel should make all possible use of the Scythian (nomad) cavalry (:) Tzetzes, Letters 86.6-29