Certainty: 3 Earthquake in Syria. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 2 Locust plague in Anatolia made population flee to Thrace: imperial payment for those who returned. After long-lasting locust plagues, the population of the eastern themes sold their children and fled to Thrace: Romanos rewarded those who returned home with three nomismata each. The locusts were blown by a strong wind to the Hellespont and drowned, and their bodies washed up on the shore
Certainty: 3 Sale of land by Theotokos Katadaimonon on Athos to Esphigmenou. Germanos and Petros, hegoumenoi of Theotokos Katadaimonon on Athos, sold land to Theoktistos, hegoumenos of Esphigmenou and protos of Athos. The act of sale was drafted by Dionysios, monk and scribe at Berroiotou on Athos. Eighteen hegoumenoi and other prominent monks from Athos signed the act, qualified variously as being present and/or witnessing it
Certainty: 2 Tax-collector Salibas killed at Antioch. The tax-collector Salibas, responsible for Antioch, inflicted burdensome taxation on the Antiochenes but was eventually murdered by them
Certainty: 2 Georgios asekretis became Theodoros, patriarch of Antioch. Georgios asekretis became the patriarch of Antioch under the name of Theodoros
Certainty: 2 Romanos III repaired water supply & hospices in Constantinople. Romanos III repaired the aqueducts that brought water to the city and the cisterns which contained it. His other good works included reconstruction of the leper hospital and the other hospices which had suffered earthquake damage
Certainty: 2 Romanos III very ill, perhaps poisoned by Ioannes (orphanotrophos) or Zoe. Romanos III was attacked by a chronic illness which entailed facial swelling, rapid breathing and serious loss of hair and beard. He ate and slept little, but remained assiduous in the performance of his ceremonial role, though it greatly tired him. It was said that he was poisoned by Ioannes orphanotrophos, who had been his servant since before his accession, and had great influence over him. The empress Zoe, who felt an intense passion for Ioannes' brother Michael (IV), may also have used slow poisons against the emperor, and Michael (IV) himself is also suspected. Romanos was forced to take to his bed in constant pain. Ioannes was said to have visited Zoe secretly and warned her that further delay would lead to the death of both of them. However a contemporary panegyric praises the care with which Zoe organised his nursing
Certainty: 3 Romanos III died of tuberculosis. Romanos III, after spending the morning distributing pay to senators, died of tuberculosis in the bath
Certainty: 3 Romanos III, after distributing pay to senators, was murdered in the bath at Blachernai. Romanos III, after distributing roga to senators (or before work began, according to Psellos) took a bath at Blachernai (or the Great Palace), with no unusual sign of sickness. He then swam in the plunge bath, and was met by some of his attendants. It is said that these were agents of Michael (IV), who held his head under water long enough to kill him, but sources do not agree and some express uncertainty. Romanos cried out for help, and was taken from the bath nearly dead. At this point the empress Zoe arrived, unattended and feigning grief, but soon left. Later, when informed of his death, she took control of affairs
Certainty: 2 Zoe, Romanos' nurse, knowing how ill he was, did not grieve for him unduly but got on with her duty. [A version current while Zoe was still in power:] The empress Zoe reacted in a manly way to Romanos' death. She grieved only as custom demands, and for the stability of the empire enthroned Michael IV, most beloved of Romanos, in case others chose a successor he had not approved
Certainty: 3 The patriarch Alexios I was induced by surprise & donations to marry Zoe to Michael. The patriarch Alexios I was summoned to the palace on the night of the death of Romanos III, thinking that the call came from Romanos. When he arrived, he found Romanos dead and Zoe sitting in the Chrysotriklinos, which was decorated for a festival (the funeral baked meats coldly furnishing forth the marriage tables). He was asked to marry Zoe to Michael (IV). When he was reluctant, Ioannes orphanotrophos and Zoe offered him fifty pounds of gold with another fifty for the rest of the clergy; this removed his objections and he married them
Certainty: 2 Zoe ignored her advisers' warnings against Michael (IV) & made him emperor. The ministers of Zoe, who had been in the service of her father (Konstantinos VIII), proposed caution and delay with respect to Michael (IV). They advised her to choose an emperor who would treat her well. But blinded by passion, she immediately had Michael crowned emperor. [A contemporary eulogy by Psellos claimed that she hid Romanos' death till she was able to choose Michael, his favourite]. She dressed him in in the robe woven with gold, then fitted the imperial crown on his head and seated him on a costly throne with her at his side. The city prefect and the senate were ordered to attend at dawn: entering one by one they bowed their heads to the ground before the seated emperors. For the empress they had this devotion only, but they also kissed the right hand of the new emperor Michael. When the people heard the news, the reaction was positive, and they cast off Romanos III in favour of his successor. The pair reigned for seven years and nine months
Certainty: 2 Conventional hexameter epitaph for Romanos, with grieving wife: he distributed gold & died in bath. Christopher of Mytilene wrote a conventional epitaph in hexameters: Romanos was dead, losing his imperial symbols. After distributing gold, he went to the baths and there breathed his last. A man went to Zoe and, grieving, told her the dreadful news. She wept, then closed the palace, taking all the keys. Later, Romanos was given a splendid funeral, and buried in the Peribleptos. They went on to the new emperor, and forgot Romanos
Certainty: 3 Romanos III buried in the Peribleptos. Romanos III was given a solemn and proper funeral, organised and led by Ioannes the orphanotrophos, on Good Friday in the Peribleptos church, which he had built himself, and where he now occupied a small corner. The mood of the people showed indifference towards the dead emperor. Psellos was present as a beardless adolescent. In recent processions he had barely recongnised the corpse-like emperor but now he could not recognise him at all. This was the beginning of Psellos' first-hand narrative
Certainty: 2 Zoe brought her father's eunuchs to the palace & prepared to rule. Zoe expected that her husband the emperor Michael IV would be her servant and assistant. She brought her eunuchs (who had also been her father's) to the palace and prepared to rule
Certainty: 2 Michael IV for a time was respectful of Zoe, but he soon changed his ways. For a time he gave the appearance of retaining his respect towards the empress Zoe, of gratifying her and doing the things which were pleasing to her. But his attitude quickly changed. He began to suspect her - and he had good reasons for his suspicions - to neglect her and remove the appearance of liberty. As for Theodora, he despised her completely
Certainty: 2 Ioannes the orphanotrophos removed Zoe's eunuchs & maidservants, & shut her in her quarters. Ioannes the orphanotrophos feared that his brother Michael IV would share the fate of Romanos III. He therefore restricted his walks and baths; at the same time he removed Zoe's eunuchs and faithful maidservants, whom he replaced with women from his own family. He and Michael shut her in her quarters, forbidding her to go out or do anything without the consent of her guard. She was bitter, but adapted herself to the new situation: she did not (indeed could not) challenge these decisions
Certainty: 2 Division of duties among brothers of Michael IV. Aristakes makes the Paphlagonian brothers meet soon after Michael became emperor, to divide up their new imperial responsibilities, largely in a geographical way. [The identities of the brothers allocated to the different regions are not always clear, and the whole story reads as rather suspect]
Certainty: 2 Ioannes (orphanotrophos) took control of finance, giving out money & favours. While most sources imply that Ioannes took full control as soon as his brother was crowned, Psellos does not: he gives Michael IV responsibility for everything but finance, and declares that he was impressed by Michael's serious commitment to his office. Ioannes won over the Senate by giving many promotions and the common people by distributions of money and other favours, successfully achieving dominance. Most sources praise Ioannes' energy and intelligence, as does Psellos, but he was amazed at the effectiveness of a man who (as Psellos himself saw) was often drunk and overcome with laughter
Certainty: 2 Kiwrakos sold to Michael IV the letter on the future of the Armenian kingdom. The Armenian priest Kiwrakos, who had been given a letter by Konstantinos VIII asking the king of Armenia to bequeath his kingdom to Konstantinos' heirs, kept it secret till the accession of Michael IV. He then sold the letter to Michael at a high price
Certainty: 2 Only Konstantinos Dalassenos disputed the change of ruler: an attempt made to silence him. Konstantinos Dalassenos regarded Michael IV as vulgar and worthless, and was the only declared opponent of his accession. Ioannes the Orphanotrophos was concerned over him, and therefore sent the eunuch Ergodotes to Dalassenos in Armeniakon to have him swear to take no harmful action, and to persuade him to visit the emperor in the capital. Dalassenos was unwilling to do this
Certainty: 3 Divine displeasure shown by violent hailstorm, which destroyed both harvest & buildings. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 3 Brilliant shooting star, mistaken for the rising sun. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 1 Death of Michael Psellos' elder sister sent their mother into a convent. Psellos' elder sister, while her brother was absent, was attacked by an internal disease, which damaged her liver and caused it to swell. She developed a high fever, and soon wasted from well-nourished good health to death. She died in her mother's arms. Her mother, Theodote, seized the chance to devote herself to God in a convent, got the consent of her husband, and cut off her hair, which was carried on the edges of the funeral bier. Her daughter was buried near her mother's chosen convent. The parents realised what a shock this would be for Psellos, a devoted brother, and arranged the funeral quickly
Certainty: 1 Michael Psellos (aged 16) came home just as his sister was buried. Psellos at the age of 16 he had just (precociously) left the study of poetry and was, with pleasure, beginning that of rhetoric, while acting as assistant to a krites, with responsibilities near the capital to the west. He was thus absent when his eldest sister suddenly fell ill and died. His parents, fearful of his reactions, wrote to him, complaining of lack of letters from him, asking him to come straight back, and adding a false note from his dead sister, hoping to save him pain by this deception: they failed. He happened to enter the capital just where the mourning was taking place one week after his sister's death. He asked a relative what was happening, and was bluntly told the truth. He was dumbfounded, fainted and fell off his horse, causing more commotion, so that his parents broke off the ceremony and rushed to him. They revived him: in the encomium he wrote to his mother much later the emotions which followed became formal laments
Certainty: 1 Michael IV badly stricken with epilepsy. Michael IV was stricken with frequent attacks of epilepsy which would continue to the end of his life. The illness grew painfully worse, restrained neither by medical treatment, by visits to churches and the tombs of saints, nor by sorcery. Was this divine vengeance for the murder of Romanos III? Though at first he was able to restrain his brothers, as he grew sick, their crimes became more open. They feared for his (and their) future, and came to dominate the whole empire
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos Dalassenos lured to Constantinople by promises & false (?) oaths. Dalassenos sent a trusted servant asking for sworn assurances that he would be safe: the response was to send to him the Paphlagonian Konstantinos Phagitzes with a piece of the True Cross, the Mandylion, Christ's letter to Abgar and an icon of the Virgin, and with these he willingly went back to Constantinople. The emperor (Michael IV) honoured him with the dignity of anthypatos, offered him great gifts and assured him he could live in comfort and without fear in his dwelling at ta Kyrou
Certainty: 2 Woman in Thrakesion compensated for attempted rape by Varangian (whom she killed). A Varangian, wintering in the theme of Thrakesion, attempted to rape a local woman at a deserted spot. But she drew his sword and struck him in the heart, killing him instantly. His fellow Varangians heard of the event and crowned her, offering her the dead man's possessions. They threw out the guilty man's body, as happens to violent criminals
Certainty: 2 Locust plague in Thrakesion, revealed (in a vision) as punishment for murder of Romanos. A locust plague in Thrakesion was revealed (in a waking vision to a servant of the bishop of Pergamon) as punishment for the murder of Romanos III and the defilement of his marriage. In the dream a eunuch clad in white opened three sacks releasing snakes and scorpions from the first, venomous animals from the second, and animals with a sting on the tail from the third. After this the locusts ravaging Pergamon disappeared
Certainty: 2 Michael IV's brother Niketas, doux of Antioch, behaved cruelly at Antioch. When Michael IV and Ioannes the orphanotrophos appointed their brother Niketas to be doux of Antioch, the gates of the city were barred against him by the inhabitants, who feared punishment for their killing of Salibas the tax-collector. Niketas gave them an oath of amnesty and was let in. Having taken over Antioch he showed little or no respect for his oath, killing around 100 men by beheading or impalement. Niketas denounced eleven rich Antiochenes, including the patrikios Elpidios (Brachamios?)
Certainty: 2 Niketas doux of Antioch accused Konstantinos Dalassenos of sedition there. Ioannes the Orphanotrophos' strong suspicions of Konstantinos Dalassenos were confirmed by a letter from his brother, Niketas doux of Antioch. Niketas reported that he had been denied entry by the Antiochenes because of their support for Dalassenos [whereas other reports suggest the reason was their killing of a tax-collector]
Certainty: 2 Archbishop Bisantius of Bari began to build a new cathedral. Archbishop Bisantius of Bari destroyed the city's old episcopal church, and began work on a new cathedral to replace it
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos Dalassenos exiled & his supporters also punished. Konstantinos Dalassenos, who had popular support in the capital, was exiled to the island of Plate. Several of his noble supporters from Asia Minor also suffered: Konstantinos (X) Doukas, his son-in-law, protested and was imprisoned; Goudeles, Baianos and Probatas had their possessions confiscated and given to Michael IV's brother Konstantinos; while Symeon the protovestiarios protested at the breaking of the emperor's oaths but was driven to Olympos and tonsured in the monastery he had restored
Certainty: 2 Earthquake in Jerusalem lasted 40 days with heavy casualties. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 2 Confirmation of a considerable number of estates of Iveron monastery.
Certainty: 3 Column of fire appeared in East. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 3 African pirates captured Myra. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 1 Massacre of Byzantines occupying fort of Berkri. After Aleim betrayed Berkri (near Van) to the Byzantines, his son went to Constantinople to claim his reward, but was ignored. He returned furious to Berkri and persuaded his father to take the fort back. The attack was made easier by the fact that the Byzantine commander, Nikolaos Chryselios the Bulgarian, neglected the defences. Aleim came to an agreement with neighbouring Turks, and recaptured the fort by a night attack, killing 6,000 Byzantine troops. Aleim was reinstated in his position. [This Byzantine-Arab narrative is paralleled by a rather less convincing Byzantine-Armenian story in Aristakes:] Aleim's role is played by Xtrik, but he lost control of the fort when it was captured by Kabasilas the governor of Vaspurakan. Xtric was held captive in the fort, but he conspired with the Turks to recapture the place, helped by the replacement of Kabasilas by another Byzantine who neglected the defences. Xtric massacred 24,000 (!) Byzantines, and arranged to bathe in their blood
Certainty: 1 People of Aleppo drove out their Byzantine governor (harmostes). Romanos IV had sent a Byzantine governor to take charge of Aleppo. The governor was now driven out by the people of Aleppo
Certainty: 2 Bagrat IV recaptured forts surrendered earlier, as if to avenge his wife's uncle Romanos III. Bagrat IV's wife was the niece of Romanos III. As if to avenge Romanos' murder, he broke the peace and began to take back the forts and strongholds he had earlier handed over to the Byzantines
Certainty: 2 Pechenegs crossed Danube & ravaged Mysia up to Thessalonike. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 2 Arab pirates from Africa raided Cyclades. No persons mentioned
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos Dalassenos moved to new gaol for greater safety. Konstantinos Dalassenos remained an obsession of Ioannes the Orphanotrophos, who moved him from Plate to a secure tower on suspicion of plotting against him. Ioannes neglected more pressing problems like the conquests of Bagrat, the Pechneg raids and naval attacks in the Aegean
Certainty: 2 Death of Argyros of Bari the elder. Argyros of Bari the elder died in Constantinople
Certainty: 2 Military commanders (Georgios Maniakes & Leon Lependrenos) sent to new posts. Georgios Maniakes was summoned from Edessa by Ioannes the orphanotrophos and sent to govern Upper Media (Vaspurakan). Around this time, Georgios had a fierce quarrel with Romanos Skleros. Leon Lependrenos was sent as doux of Edessa to replace Maniakes
Certainty: 2 Ioannes orphanotrophos went to Myra to have mouth-ulcer healed; strong walls built & church repaired. Ioannes orphanotrophos suffered from an incurable ulcer in his mouth, and he was urged by St Nicholas in a vision to visit Myra. He went there and offered perfumes and other costly gifts to the shrine, built very strong walls around the city, was cured and returned in good health
Certainty: 1 Developments in careers of Michael IV's brothers.
Certainty: 1 Michael IV freed Antiochenes from their long imprisonment. Michael IV freed Antiochenes from their long imprisonment (presumably those imprisoned by his brother Niketas)
Certainty: 1 Michael IV tried to atone for his crime against Romanos by good works using public money. Feeling a bad conscience over the murder of Romanos III, he began good works which would last the rest of his life, particularly building monasteries and helping monks. As works of atonement however, his deeds were of dubious value, as he retained the throne and Romanos' queen, and the money he spent was not his own
Certainty: 1 Embassy to Nasr ad-Dawla ibn Marwan of Miepherkeim over Byzantine takeover of Edessa.
Certainty: 1 Konstantinos (IX) Monomachos fell under suspicion of aiming at the throne. Konstantinos (IX) Monomachos was a most handsome and charming man who frequented the palace because of his family link to Romanos III. However the latter (like Basileios II and Konstantinos VIII before him) had shown Monomachos no particular preference, maybe because of his family tradition of revolt. He captivated Zoe and tried to please her, while she gave him gifts and enjoyed his company. This caused intense public gossip and raised the suspicions of Michael IV that Konstantinos might be aiming at the throne. Michael IV naturally treated him with jealous mistrust
Certainty: 1 Konstantinos Monomachos exiled to Mitylene: Maria Skleraina followed him & supported him. Konstantinos Monomachos was exiled to Mitylene (Lesbos). Maria Skleraina accompanied him out of affection and ambition, supporting him financially to overcome much of the hardship of exile
Certainty: 1 Sale of property on Athos by Christodoulos of Katzare to Euthymios of Hagios Tryphon. The hegoumenos of Katzare Christodoulos and his disciple Ioannes sold to the hegoumenos of Hagios Tryphon Euthymios an abandoned property for 20 nomismata, provided that the geron Petros who occupied part of the property would be allowed to remain there until his death. Similarly, Ephraim who also occupied a part called Zelianou would also be allowed to stay. Euthymios offered an additional 2 nomismata for the purchase and the sale document was signed by 6 witnesses
Certainty: 1 Ioannes Mauropous wrote a dedicatory epigram for Georgios protovestiarios, brother of Michael IV.
Certainty: 0 Eustathios Romaios reassessed a case because of difference in wealth between the parties & indirect harm to others. Symbatikios the krites judged a dispute over the price of some farms used to settle a debt, by himself seizing the plaintiff and the farms, and paying cash to those on whose behalf the prosecution was made. The settlement was later changed by Eustathios Romaios, who made a new judgement on the case. He said that Symbatikios had not taken into account the difference in wealth of the two sides, nor the indirect harm done to others involved
Certainty: 0 Eustathios Romaios wrote a decision cancelling an agreement between Konstantinos krites of Mesopotamia & a local bishop. Konstantinos krites of Mesopotamia made a settlement with a local bishop Gregorios, brother of the patrikios Chaldos. But the arrangement did not please judges in the capital, who overturned it, with Eustathios Romaios' report banning such actions by provincial kritai like Konstantinos and cancelling what he did before and after the settlement
Certainty: 0 Eustathios Romaios insisted that the son of Komnenos pay a fine for breach of promise. The successor of the emperor involved in his trial also called his action a serious wrong and doubted his claim to be under age. He was 20 years of age when he wished to annul his engagement. For issues of marriage he was not regarded as under age - 14 (or 18?) was enough. He put (through his lawyer) a number of objections to paying the fines, which were all answered by Eustathios Romaios. Eventually he paid the second fine only, giving rise to legal argumentation on several subjects by Eustathios. The redactor of the Peira asked Eustathios to whom the son of Komnenos should pay his fine for breaking his engagement. Eustathios said that he should pay the father, Elias, not his daughter, since at this stage the risk was the father's