Certainty: 1 Illness & death of Skleraina Certainty: 1
1046
Certainty: 1 Second trial of Lazaros of Philippopolis sought to overturn the verdict of the first Certainty: 1
1047
Certainty: 2 Siege of Constantinople by Leon Tornikios, who won several skirmishes Certainty: 2
Certainty: 2 Tornikios had the city at his mercy, but did not take it; fortune turned against him Certainty: 2
Certainty: 0 Donations to Hagios Michael of Sosthenion by Konstantinos IX & Zoe Certainty: 0
Certainty: 0 Donation to Mangana by Konstantinos IX & Zoe Certainty: 0
1048
Certainty: 1 Psellos wrote Oratio Panegyrica 5 for Konstantinos IX Certainty: 1
1049
Certainty: 1 Success of Romanos Boilas as a court buffoon Certainty: 1
1050
Certainty: 2 Zoe was buried in a most beautiful tomb Certainty: 2
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos IX was deeply moved by Zoe's death Certainty: 2
Certainty: 2 Konstantinos openly recognised his mistress (an Alan princess), naming her sebaste Certainty: 2
1053
Certainty: 1 Psellos wrote to Ioannes Mauropous on behalf of an old man, & mocked Ioannes for wanting to return to the capital Certainty: 1
1054
Certainty: 2 Psellos' return to court after tonsure, & its uncomfortable results
Psellos tried to return to court after tonsure, fearing for his reception because of his private and monastic status. As the mystikos to whom he wrote a wheedling letter assured him of a warm welcome, he sent a letter (Sathas 115) to Konstantinos IX and awaited a response. The letter to Konstantinos humbly elevated him close to divinity, referring to the memory of the deceased empress Zoe. He apologised that as soon as he had recovered from headaches, for all his promises, he had returned to his beloved books. He was eager to see the emperor again immediately. In a separate letter to Ioannes Xiphilinos he described life as a monk at court, like a plain, black stone among gems. Though honoured by Konstantinos IX he was unhappy in the palace, feeling far from God, taking refuge in books. He had not cut the strongest threads binding him to the world, nor blocked his ears against the Sirens' song
Unassigned Activities
The dignity of power was enhanced, most people acquired greater brilliance and the magnitude of the empresses' gifts was unparelleled, since Zoe especially unstopped the springs of the imperial treasuries and if she found any hidden stone, poured it out