He thought that he knew much more than he did but, wishing to model his reign on the ancient Antonines, the great philosopher Marcus and Augustus, he clung to these two things, study of literature and attention to weapons
He was not at all a philosopher of earthly things, nor did he discuss them with philosophers, except those who violated that name from Aristotle's porch, but he examined deeper matters which could be apprehended by mind alone
His main concern was the solution of problems in interpreting scripture, finding the hidden sense of cryptic passages; he would show more interest in talking to philosophers and rhetoricians on this than in the business of government
Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 216-221
Reared in letters, he had partaken of Hellenic education, and was not ignorant of the laws of the state, but he thought and boasted that he knew more than he really did know