Michael VII's relationship to his brothers, & to Psellos

Summary:
Michael VII did not think his brothers Andronikos and Konstantios should be kept in subjection or reined in, but he shared with them his imperial duties and and gave them freedom and independent power. But he did not have so much confidence in them, or men of noble birth, or priests and holy men, as he had in Michael Psellos. He gave Psellos many benefits, constantly augmenting them, chose him as his teacher and gave him much credit. When he heard that Psellos planned to write about him, he told him not to do so before he himself had set out the main points of his character. When his secretary read to Psellos the resultant autobiographical text, he expected to hear something rather grand; but he so abased himself, ranked himself so humbly, so denounced his soul as to make it impossible not to admire his deep humility 
Dates:
1075: 
Andronikos Doukas, brother of Michael VII (Andronikos 62)
  • Michael 7 had greater confidence in Michael 61 than in him and his brothers, or men of noble birth, or priests and holy men (:) οὔτε γάρ τῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὕτω τεθάρρηκεν, ..., ὡς ἐμοί Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.1-5
  • Michael 7 did not think that he should be kept in subjection and constantly reined in, but he shared with him and Konstantios 61 his imperial occupations and and gave them freedom of power (:) μερίζει ἐκατέρῳ τὰς βασιλείους διατριβὰς καὶ ἐς αὐτεξούσιον ἡγεμονίαν καθίστησιν Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 10.1-5
secretary to Michael VII (Anonymus 7044)
  • He read to Michael 61 what Michael 7 had written (about himself) (:) εἶτα δή μοι ὁ ὑπογραφεὺς ἀνεγνώκει τὰ γεγραμμένα Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 11.4-5
Konstantios Doukas, brother of Michael VII (Konstantios 61)
  • Michael 7 did not have greater confidence in him, nor Andronikos 62, nor men of noble birth, nor priests and holy men than he did in Michael 61 (:) οὔτε γάρ τῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὕτω τεθάρρηκεν, ..., ὡς ἐμοί Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 8.1-5
  • Michael 7 did not think that he and Andronikos 62 should be kept in subjection and constantly reined in, but he shared with each his imperial occupations and and gave them independent power (:) μερίζει ἐκατέρῳ τὰς βασιλείους διατριβὰς καὶ ἐς αὐτεξούσιον ἡγεμονίαν καθίστησιν Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 10.1-5
Emperor Michael VII Doukas (Michael 7)
  • His attitude towards Michael 61 can sustain neither rivalry nor comparison with others: he did not have greater confidence in Andronikos 62 and Konstantios 61, nor men of noble birth, nor priests and holy men than he did in Psellos (:) οὔτε γάρ τῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὕτω τεθάρρηκεν ... ὡς ἐμοί Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.1-5
  • The benefits he gave to Michael 61, always giving, adding and increasing, heaping one good thing upon another and augmenting the store, are comparable with those bestowed on Michael 61 by others (:) ἃ μὲν οὖν εὐηργέτηκέ με διδοὺς ἀεί τι ... δέξαιτ’ ἄν τινα πρὸς ἄλλον παραβολήν Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.5-9
  • Michael 61 prays that neither jealousy nor malice damage their friendship (:) βασκανίας δὲ μὴ βάλλοι βέλος ἡμᾶς μηδὲ νεμέσεως Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.14
  • He did not think that Andronikos 62 and Konstantios 61 should be kept in subjection and constantly reined in, but he shared with each his imperial occupations and and gave them freedom of power (:) μερίζει ἐκατέρῳ τὰς βασιλείους διατριβὰς καὶ ἐς αὐτεξούσιον ἡγεμονίαν καθίστησιν Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 10.1-5
  • He knew Michael 61 was about to write about him and told him not to write until he himself had set out the main points of his character; then Anonymus 7044 read to Psellos what he had written (:) ἐπιτάξας μὴ γράφειν μέχρις ἂν αὐτὸς ἐκδοίη τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπων κεφάλαια Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 11.1-5
  • Michael 61 expected to hear in his autobiographical sketch something too intimate and too grand, but he so abased himself, ranked himself so humbly, so denounced his soul as to move even an adamantine nature to admire his deep humility (:) τοσοῦτον κατήνεγκεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ οὕτως παρὰ φαῦλον ἔθετο, καὶ τοσαῦτα κατεῖπε τῆς ψυχῆς Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 11.5-10
  • He chose Michael 61 as his teacher before all and publicised his name over all (:) ὃν δὴ καὶ καθηγητὴν πρὸ πάντων εἵλετο καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἐδημοσίευσε τοὔνομα Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 4.21-2
  • Michael 61 will embrace Konstantinos 62 again frequently and hope to benefit from him when he grows up and takes power from Michael 7 (:) ὀναίμην αὐτοῦ ὁπότε εἰς ἡλικίαν ἔλθοι καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι λάβοι παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 13.3-6
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • Michael 7 did not have greater confidence in Andronikos 62 and Konstantios 61, nor men of noble birth, nor priests and holy men than he did in Psellos (:) οὔτε γάρ τῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὕτω τεθάρρηκεν ... ὡς ἐμοί Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.1-5
  • The benefits Michael 7 gave to him, always giving, adding and increasing, heaping one good thing upon another and augmenting the store, are comparable with those bestowed on Michael himself by others (:) ἃ μὲν οὖν εὐηργέτηκέ με διδοὺς ἀεί τι ... δέξαιτ’ ἄν τινα πρὸς ἄλλον παραβολήν Psellos: Chronographia VIIc 8.5-9