Konstantinos 10 was so attached to him and loved him so much more than others, that he hung upon his tongue and soul and entrusted to him his most precious possessions
Although he had not seen him before coming to power, when he had once seen him Konstantinos 9 was so captivated by his eloquence that he seemed to hang by the ears from his tongue
He was told that even in simple utterances his tongue was adorned with flowers and without his making an effort natural sweetness dripped from it; he would not know it had not many told him in conversation and listened rapt to his words
Konstantinos 10 thought less of others than of him, perhaps because Konstantinos 10 thought his opinions more intelligent than the rest or found his character pleasing
He was a prominent orator, renowned for his eloquence rather than his family; Konstantinos 10 also loved rhetoric passionately and this was the starting-point of their friendship and intimacy
He found his father Anonymus 2134 a good companion and useful role-model, while he was always too far behind his mother Theodote 2101 in goodness to think of imitating her; his father's relation to his mother seemed similar
In the palace, though honoured, he felt like a plain stone among gems and a very black element among the very white (surely he was already a monk?)
Psellos Letters (Sathas) 37.270-271
He was rather masculine in his studies but feminine and emotional over things like childbirth - though he kissed his grandson while still bloody like a warrior
Psellos Letters (Sathas) 72.307-308
Born near the monastery of ta Narsou and brought up there, he tried to repay his debt; the monks were wrong to call him its founder, but he did support them in a significant way (as charistikarios?)
He was susceptible to natural events like childbirth, though being tough, "Scythian", in the rest of his life ... he was not a single, monotonous note, but could play a variety of different tunes
On his first visits to Philadelpheia (in the decade of the 1030s) his hair had been blondish, but by 1069 (?) on his third visit, it was silverish: yet the inhabitants recognised him
γέγονέ τις ἐν τῇ κατ᾿ ἐμὲ ἡλικία. Psellos: Chronographia VI 135.1
(After defeating the Pechenegs) something was added to Isaakios 1's natural character and he became more haughty and scornful of everyone; he knew Isaakios well and was aware of this
Michael 7's mental disposition, innate spirit, radiance on seeing him, ..., his elevation (of him) not only over wise men he had seen, but also over those he had heard of, in all this Michael 7 could not be compared with another
He had gone with Anonymus 7009 after Michael 5 with feelings by no means moderate, since he was was not without pain concerning Zoe 1 and no small anger against Michael 5 stirred even him
Hypertimos, he was leader of the senators who shared the views of Ioannes 62 and Anonymi 6049, being himself also unfavourably disposed to (Romanos 4) Diogenes
Romanos 4 agreed that he was inferior in all respects to Michael 61 in words, that is in those that concerned the sciences, but Romanos wished to be superior in the understanding of strategy