Certainty: 3 Synodal decision concerning running of bishoprics in matters of finance, litigation & properties. The patriarch, Alexios Stoudites, called a synod which examined issues related to the running of bishoprics in matters of finance, litigation and properties, issuing a decision. As well as the convenor, 31 metropolitans are recorded as attending
Certainty: 2 Michael Psellos (aged 10) learned all orthography & the whole Iliad in one year. Michael Psellos (aged ten) in one year learned all of orthography and the whole Iliad - not just the poem, but several kinds of analytical details. He dreamed of catching talking birds and defeating them. He went on to even higher studies, including music
Certainty: 2 Campaign of parakoimomenos Symeon (Nikolaos) in Iberia led to submission of Bagrat & his mother. Nikolaos, domestikos of the scholai and parakoimomenos (or Symeon), when sent to Abchasia by Konstantinos VIII, in the third year of the latter's reign he ravaged and burned the country, causing many casualties and taking many prisoners. He was soon brought a letter from Bagrat IV and his mother Mariam, apologizing for having occupied the fortresses, and offering submission and allegiance to the emperor. Having settled things in this way, he returned to the capital
Certainty: 1 Hassan ibn al-Mufarrij continued to ravage Syria & sow discord. Hassan ibn al-Mufarrij continued to raid parts of Syria against the representatives of the sultan. He raided the countryside at harvest time but returned to the desert in winter, rousing concerted opposition against him
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios returned & punished Himerios Solomon justly with a civil punishment. When Eustathios Romaios returned from service as an anagrapheus, he made Himerios Solomon's prosecution a case of civil insult by Himerios to Teichiotes, the girl's father, thus imposing a heavy fine and nothing more. His reasoning was brilliant
Certainty: 2 Arrival in Italy of Andronikos proxim. (?). Andronikos proximos arrived in Southern Italy
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios insisted that a woman had the right to go to law over her husband's murder. The epi tou kanikleiou and Malakenos protospatharios declared that no woman could go to law over the murder of her husband, but Malakenos, when invited to submit a report, did not. Sergios protospatharios declared that women could only go to law over the murder of their husbands if registered, but when invited, wrote a lazy and unworthy report. All three joined the more positive consensus which formed over the excellent submission of Eustathios Romaios
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios wrote a study on a case on property rental concerning a metropolitan of Nicaea.
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios decided that a dowry provided by Theophano despoina should revert to her or the fisc at the wife's death. Theophano the despoina, daughter of Romanos III, provided a dowry (as external to the family) for the wife of Kamateros (Kakateros ?), the manglabites. The wife died, leaving a will; the dowry became the subject of a court case before Eustathios Romaios (as vestes), who decided that it should return to Theophano or the treasury
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios wrote a memo on deadlines for the provision & return of dowries. In the case of Chaldos the patrikios Eustathios Romaios, as vestes, began to add interest to a dowry when not provided two years after the marriage. In this connection he wrote a memo listing different periods for provision and return of dowries in different cases, for land and moveable goods
Certainty: 0 Eustathios Romaios sharply reduced the penalty set for unlawful blinding. Euphyes (as judge?) had set a penalty for blinding at a hundred nomismata; Eustathios Romaios (as vestes) cancelled this, making the sum thirty nomismata where there were witnesses to prove premeditiation, or only 24 for a poor plaintiff with witnesses
Certainty: 1 Eustathios Romaios showed oikonomia for non-Byzantines over the inheritance of David the Iberian. David the Iberian at his death left a son, and wrote that if the boy died without children or will, the inheritance should return to his uncles. The son did so die and the uncles took charge of the inheritance, but it was contested. Eustathios Romaios determined that a third of it should come to the boy's mother, since her son was twenty at death and had some testamentary rights, which he should have been allowed to exercise. This was a compromise by oikonomia for non-Byzantines between the wishes of the boy and his father's will
Certainty: 1 When law & justice conflicted Eustathios Romaios relied on the emperor - as in the case of Michael primikerios. When Eustathios Romaios was faced with a conflict between law and justice, he could only find a solution in the emperor - as in the case he tried as vestes between a protospatharios and Michael primikerios. The former prosecuted Michael with false, self-contradictory and corrupt witnesses, and forced him, as a last resort, to rely on oaths. This led to a conflict between law and justice, and recourse to the emperor
Certainty: 3 Death of emir of Kalb Arabs, succeeded by nephew Rafi' ibn Abi al-Layl ibn 'Ulyan. After the death of the emir of the Kalb Arabs, his nephew Rafi' ibn Abi al-Layl ibn 'Ulyan became emir in his place, with the aid of the Fatimid Caliph al-Zahir
Certainty: 1 Arrival in Italy of Eustathios (?) with imperial orders offering the position of katepano to Christophoros. Eustathios (?) arrived in S Italy with imperial instructions giving the office of katepano of Italy to Christophoros (Bourgaris), while previous generals returned to Constantinople
Certainty: 1 Nasr ibn Musharraf al-Rawadifi pressured by Michael Spondyles to support Byzantines. Nasr ibn Musharraf al-Rawadifi became the head of all Muslims in the Jabal al-Rawadif and nearby regions, which used to be ruled by the Romans. He was put under severe pressure by Michael Spondyles to support the Romans. He was arrested, imprisoned for a time in Antioch, set free on condition that he would submit to Michael's authority, then arrested again when he did not
Certainty: 1 Basileios Boioannes & Orestes left Italy. Basileios Boioannes left Italy, having served as katepano. Orestes koitonites went with him
Certainty: 3 Romanos (III) married Zoe. Zoe was married to Romanos III by the patriarch Alexios I. In this way Konstantinos made Romanos his heir
Certainty: 3 Konstantinos VIII, suddenly ill, chose Konstantinos Dalassenos as son-in-law & successor. The Emperor Konstantinos VIII fell suddenly ill and at last pondered on the succession. He sent the eunuch Ergodotes to summon Konstantinos Dalassenos, the eparchos and prominent senator, from his residence in Armeniakon, in order to marry one of his daughters (probably Zoe) and be proclaimed emperor. However, Dalassenos had already married while still a boy, and this meant that he was not entirely suitable for Konstantinos' scheme. Symeon the droungarios had other ideas
Certainty: 3 Konstantinos VIII turned to Romanos Argyros as successor: his wife became a nun. Symeon the droungarios, ignoring the dying emperor Konstantinos VIII's wishes, arranged to have a messenger sent supposedly on the emperor's behalf to ask Konstantinos Dalassenos to wait in Armeniakon, and had Romanos III brought to the palace instead. He was of noble blood and had risen to the office of eparchos. The emperor's mind was changed, and he planned how to deal with the fact that Romanos too already had a wife. He gained the agreement of the patriarch Alexios for his plan to compel a divorce. Konstantinos summoned Helena, Romanos' wife, feigned violent anger, and announced that he would have her husband blinded unless she took the monastic habit in a nunnery whose annual revenue he would grant her. She agreed to this, and he ordered it to be carried out. She was tonsured and withdrew to a nunnery, thus saving her husband's eyes and procuring him the throne.
Certainty: 2 Theodora (I) refused to marry Romanos (III), because he was related to her or because he already had a wife. Theodora, Konstantinos VIII's youngest daughter, was said to have refused to marry Romanos Argyros to give him the succession, either because they were related or because his wife Helena was still alive, divorced and tonsured against her will
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos VIII as he died handed to Kyriakos a document for Bagratids on heritability of their rule. As he fell sick from the illness which would kill him, Konstantinos VIII asked for an envoy from Armenia to be brought to him. Kyriakos came when the emperor was on his death-bed. He was given a letter to take to the king of Armenia, together with a message. This diplomatic initiative was to play a major role in the Byzantine conquest of Armenia, by limiting the heritability of Bagratid rule
Certainty: 3 Death of Konstantinos VIII; promotion to kaisar & accession of Romanos III. As Konstantinos VIII was dying, Romanos III was taken to the palace for promotion to kaisar and an imperial marriage-alliance. Some sources date the succession to November 11-12
Certainty: 3 Romanos (III) married Zoe. Romanos (III) was married to Zoe (I) just before the death of her father Konstantinos VIII, once ecclesiastical objections had been overcome. In this way, Konstantinos made Romanos the heir to his throne. The marriage has usually been dated to November 12
Certainty: 1 Romanos III before accession was promoted eparchos of the city & oikonomos of Hagia Sophia.
Certainty: 3 Konstantinos VIII buried in the tomb in the Church of the Holy Apostles made for Basileios II.
Certainty: 3 Death of Konstantinos VIII; accession of Romanos III. Konstantinos VIII died, and his son-in-law Romanos III became emperor in his place. Romanos and Zoe reigned for five years and six months. The succession is usually dated to the period November 14-15
Certainty: 2 Romanos III increased church revenues & abolished allelengyon. Romanos III, who had been oikonomos of Hagia Sophia and knew its income was deficient, established an annual grant of 80 pounds of gold from the treasury. He also annulled the allelengyon tax, following plans made by Konstantinos VIII. He further released prisoners and waived debts
Certainty: 2 Romanos III released those imprisoned for debt & ransomed others from Pechenegs. He freed those imprisoned for debt in Byzantium, paying off private debts and remitting public obligations. He also ransomed prisoners held by the Pechenegs
Certainty: 2 Romanos III promoted some churchmen & freed others from poverty. He honoured three metropolitans with the title of synkellos: Kyriakos of Ephesos, a brother of the patriarch Alexios I, Demetrios of Kyzikos, a close friend, and Michael of Euchaita, a relative; he also bestowed the title of synkellos on Ioannes, the ex-protonotarios, now tonsured, and made him guardian of his wife's sister Theodora. He gave assistance to members of the clergy impoverished by the allelengyon and others with financial problems
Certainty: 2 Romanos spent lavishly for the soul of the late Konstantinos VIII & helped his victims. Romanos provided money for the salvation of the soul of his father-in-law Konstantinos VIII, rehabilitating those whom the latter had wronged, by mutilation or in other ways. He granted them dignities, properties and money. He made his brother-in-law Romanos Skleros a magistros and recalled Nikephoros Xiphias, who became a monk at Stoudios
Certainty: 1 Nasr ibn Musharraf suggested a fort to control local Muslims, giving his son as hostage. He suggested the construction of a fort, al-Maniqa, to control the local Muslims. As an earnest of good faith, he took an oath of loyalty to to Michael Spondyles, the doux of Antioch, and handed over his son as a hostage. Michael authorised the man to build al-Maniqa
Certainty: 1 Romanos replied (content unknown) to letter from Konrad II of Germany, proposing a marriage alliance.
Certainty: 2 Synod to support metropolitan Ioannes of Melitene against Yuhanna, Jacobite archbishop of Antioch. Ioannes, metropolitan of Melitene, wished to bring peace to his Church which was troubled by heresy. He sought the help not only of the patriarch Alexios I but of Konstantinos VIII and Romanos III too. Eventually Romanos summoned the heretic leaders to Constantinople. The patriarch Alexios presided over a synodal tribunal convened in the Sekreton by order of Romanos to investigate the activities and beliefs of the heretics. Alexios was assisted by Demetrios, metropolitan of Kyzikos, Eustathios, the logothetes of the dromos and Michael, the metropolitan of Euchaita
Certainty: 2 Patriarch Yuhanna exiled to Mount Ganos; even supporters who recanted were punished. Yuhanna VIII bar Abdun, Jacobite patriarch of Antioch, resided in the city of Mar'ash and ordained metropolitans and bishops. He was summoned to the capital with heretic leaders from Melitene, accused of heresy and found to have ordained himself patriarch. He was twice given the opportunity to repent and failed to comply, so he was excommunicated by synodal decision under the presidency of Alexios I, and banished to Mt Ganos by imperial order. This was called a mild punishment for his madness: he was anathematized and would only be readmitted within the ranks of the Church if he repented, although he would never be allowed to perform episcopal or priestly duties. Three other heretical leaders summoned with Yuhanna, Ignatios, a bishop from near Melitene, Zachakios, bishop of Arke and Moyses, a bishop from Mesopotamia, repented of their heresy. They were readmitted within the ranks of the Church by synodal decision with the title of chorepiskopos. They were allowed to appoint anagnostai, subdeacons and exorcists, but in order to ordain priests and deacons they would have to obtain permission from the local bishop. If proven worthy they could eventually be ordained bishops themselves
Certainty: 0 Maria, daughter of Michael, sued to recover Vivarion from Pikrides, who had to pay her money. Maria, daughter of Michael, after her husband's death, tried to recover Vivarion by suing Pikrides. There was a hearing in which he had to make her a cash payment