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