He wished to live more magnificently and to attend to government more imperially, but his innate character contended against this and his nature did not, as it were, cast off its initial greed
Michael 61 often wondered, when the two sat together at banquets, how such a man who was under the power of drink and laughter shouldered the axle of Roman power
He was more skilled in observing than Michael 5 in dissimulating; suspecting everything he did not think fit to change his policy towards Michael 5, but reserved the task for an opportune moment; Michael 5 was not unaware of this
Zoe 1 had little choice but to accept (Michael 5 as emperor), since she was helpless and bewitched by their sorcery, or rather tricked and captivated by their wiles and trickery and converted to their wishes
Konstantinos 64 had long been jealous of him because he alone among the brothers (Anonymi 6020) managed affairs and was like their master not their brother
Was one of the servants of the emperor Romanos 3 before his reign; he was a eunuch of base and contemptible fortune, but a most skilled operator in matters of intellect [unnamed]
Basileios 2 treated him with great familiarity and shared secrets with him; while the emperor did not elevate him to magnificent offices he had a most genuine regard for him [unnamed]
τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν ᾽Ιωάννου. Psellos: Chronographia IV 11.18-22
He had great experience in all things, and was specially acute and shrewd in public taxation; he wished neither to bring bad luck on any nor to be scorned; he did evil to none but feigned a keen look for the masses, thus terrifying them
One would praise the above qualities, but others were the contrary: his spirit was changeable, he adapted to every manner in his associates and at the same moment appeared manifold in purpose
If any brought news which could save the state, so as to avoid repayment he pretended to have known long ago and blamed the speaker for slowness: the man left shamed, while by acting on the matter he checked and cut out the potential ill
He behaved in this strange way to others, but for his brother the emperor (Michael 4) he kept one and the same disposition, not varying or changing but preserving for him sameness in character
To speak more precisely, his attitude towards the three brothers (Anonymi 6008) was the opposite to Michael 4's: compared to Michael 4 he was greatly inferior, but nevertheless showed similarities to him
Now that he had accomplished everything (in getting Michael 5 appointed kaisar) and brought the power into his family, he was unable to deal with the enormity of his joy
Michael 5 lay in ambush and secretly plotted even more against him, but constructed a more skilful pretence, behaving as an inferior, calling him master and placing his hopes of life and safety in him
He and Michael 5 each lay in wait for one another, each with a secret plot but feigning mutual goodwill; each thought he had escaped the other but neither was ignorant of the other's plans
He was caught for not having fully used his cleverness to the end: by deferring the moment for changing and deposing Michael 5, he paid off the sum of his family's misfortunes himself
He combined the following qualities: he had a ready intellect and was shrewd if anyone ever was - the grim look of his eye itself proved this; he handled affairs carefully and in this respect was disposed to great industry
He was indeed bulwark as well as brother to Michael 4, for neither by day nor night did he relax from cares, but even at times when sated with delights, at drinking-parties, ceremonies and festivals, he did not neglect his due commitment
Once he sank to drinking (and he was dominated in this respect) he immediately plunged into every indecency; but even so he did not forget his cares for the empire and did not relax at all his bestial grimness and scowl
He was an odd mixture: he had long ago donned a monk's robe, but cared not even in his dreams for the decorum of it; yet he acted out anything befitting the robe which was laid down from above and wholly despised men who lived intemperately
Should a man choose a decorous life, or with freedom but virtuously, or adorn his soul with secular learning, he was opposed to all alike and did something to disparage each man's endeavour
In the past Konstantinos 64 had been unable to bring his hatred of him into the open since Michael 4 loved and cherished him because he was the oldest and a man most intelligent and thoroughly proved in the care of public affairs
πέντε δὲ ὄντων ἀδελφῶν τῶν ξυμπάντων. Psellos: Chronographia IV 15.10-13
Michael 4 was the antithesis to his brothers (Anonymi 6008 and Ioannes 68) in inclination, while Ioannes took second place in virtue to the emperor, he was not himself comparable with the others
The wickedness of Anonymi 6008 did not please him, but since he of all men was most full of brotherly love, he was unwilling to bring Anonymi 6008 to account for their actions
He was a villainous, mischievous and sordid man, who was entrusted with the care of the elderly, but also administered everything else (up and down) and appeared as the emperor's lion tamer