Mikhail psell works. Psell, Mikhail

Michael Psellos (1018 - after 1096/1097) is one of the most prominent Byzantine historians, philosophers, and authors of rhetorical works. His creative legacy surpasses in volume everything written in this genre in Byzantium in the 10th-11th centuries. As a compiler of natural science treatises and philological essays, he proved himself to be a brilliant polemicist and active politician. A contemporary of fourteen emperors, for many of them he was a close adviser. His most interesting epistolary heritage, numbering about five hundred letters, is also great.

Born in Constantinople into the family of an official, Psellus began attending school at the age of five, completing the necessary course of science, including studying rhetoric with the famous Byzantine rhetorician and teacher John Mavropod. Then Psella began his independent activities, scientific and literary, and his successful career advancement through the stages of public service. Under Emperor Michael V (1041-1042) he found himself at court as an imperial secretary, and under Constantine IX Monomakh (1042-1055) he was already a close adviser to the basileus, the ruler's favorite. Soon, Michael Psellus becomes the head of philosophers - the head of the philosophical school of the Constantinople "university", thereby receiving the highest scientific title in Byzantium. Academic and government activities are successfully combined in the life of a historiographer, philosopher and politician.

Although Psellus himself assessed his history studies as something secondary and secondary, giving preference to rhetoric, philosophy, teaching, political theory and practice, it was “Chronography” that became one of the pinnacles of Byzantine historiography and literature.

The work covers a hundred-year period of Byzantine history (976-1075), as if continuing the “History” of Leo the Deacon and ending with a description of the reign of Michael VII. Compositionally, the “Chronography” is divided into two parts, the first of which, which in turn is divided into seven sections - “volumes”, ends with the history of Isaac Komnenos (1057-1059); the second, without such internal division, begins with Constantine Duca (1059-1067). Psellus apparently began writing the first part in the fall of 1057, completing c. 1059-1063, and worked on the final one in 1071-1075. The account of the reigns of Basil II (976-1025) and Constantine VIII (1025-1028) is based on written sources, possibly common to Scilitia; What follows is a narration of events of which Psellus himself was a direct participant and witness. It is no coincidence that the image of the author occupies a central place in “Chronography”. Psellus creates a kind of autobiography woven into the narrative of historical events.

Information about Russians and Rus' appears repeatedly during the narrative. Talking about the uprising of Bardas Phokas in 988, Psellus reports that shortly before the events described, a combat-ready detachment of “Scythians of Taurus” arrived to help the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II, which is usually understood as a six-thousand-strong army sent by the Kyiv prince Vladimir, married to Vasily’s sister and Konstantin Anna. Thus, this evidence is chronologically the first mention of the Russian auxiliary military corps in Byzantium, the direction of which was a direct result of agreements between Vladimir, who converted to Christianity, and the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II.

Below Psellus, summing up the policy, including foreign, of this emperor, speaks of the “acquisitions” of the latter: “Everything that the Iberians and Arabs owned, that was kept in the treasuries of the Celts, that the Scythian land had, in a word, all the surrounding barbarians, he collected it and put it in the imperial treasury.” Here, in a generalized rhetorical manner, all the peoples of the “ecumene” are listed, including the “Scythians,” by which they often meant the “peoples of the north,” including Rus'.

The report about the Constantinople uprising in April 1042 and about the exile of Empress Zoe, which caused general indignation against Emperor Michael V Calafat, says that “even the foreign auxiliary army that the basileus usually have with them - I’m talking about the Scythians at Taurus - did not could restrain anger, but everyone wanted to sacrifice their lives for the empress.”

The participation of the Varangian-Russian squad in the enthronement ceremony of the sisters Zoya and Theodora in April 1042 is reported by Psellus, speaking about the “axe-bearers” standing next to the throne of the queens.

A special chapter in the book about the reign of Constantine IX Monomakh is dedicated to the invasion of the Ros - the last Russian-Byzantine war in 1043. Having reported on the approach of the Ros courts to the capital, Psellus writes that this barbarian tribe always challenges the Roman hegemony and every time strives to find a reason for war. And then the eyewitness described in detail the course of the Russian-Byzantine conflict, also known from Russian chronicles as the campaign of Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich with the leader Vyshata.

Psellus reports on the participation of the “Tavro-Scythians” from the imperial guard of Michael VI in the battle of Polemon near Nicaea on August 20, 1057 against the rebellious forces of Isaac Comnenus, naming the number of “Scythians at Taurus” - no more than four hundred. But, as is clear from the further story, foreign forces, including the “Italians” (i.e., the Sicilian Normans) and the “Tauros-Scythians,” were also in the army of Isaac Komnenos, who won the victory and became the first emperor of the future new dynasty. case, they stood in honorary formation under Isaac during his negotiations with the embassy of Psellus in the camp near Nicomedia at the end of August 1057.

  Edition: Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire d'un siècle de Byzance (976-1077) / Ed. E. Renauld. Paris, 1926-1928. T. 1-2.

  Translation: Mikhail Psell. Chronography / Transl. Ya.N. Lyubarsky Brief chronicle / Trans. YES. Chernoglazova, D.R. Abdrakhmanova. St. Petersburg.. 2003.

  Literature: Bezobrazov 1890; Vasilievsky 1909. P. 3-55; Hussey 1935. pp. 81-90; Waldenberg 1945. pp. 249-255; Vernadsky 1953. Bd. 12. Gadolin 1970; Tinnefeld 1971; Weifi 1972. S. 9-52; Salyamon 1972. T. 33: Weifi 1973; Tinnefeld 1973. Bd. 22; Wolska-Conus 1976. T. 6. P. 223-243: Litavrin 1977; Beck 1977. S. 539-541; Lyubarsky 1978; Hunger 1978. Bd. I. S. 372-382; Shepard 1978. Bd. 22. P. 147-212; Moravcsik VT I. S. 437-441; Litavrin 2000. P. 214-276.

CHRONOGRAPHY

Vasily II

Rise of Barda Phocas

  XIII. Tsar Vasily condemned the ungrateful Romans, and since shortly before that a detachment of selected Tauro-Scythian warriors had come to him, he detained them, added other foreigners to them and sent them against the enemy army. They caught the enemies by surprise, who were preparing not to beat the enemy, but to drink wine, killed many, and scattered the rest, and a revolt arose among the rebels against Phocas himself.

Michael V

  XV. Having taken upon himself the burden of autocratic power, this strange man [Mikhail Kalafat] did not come up with any reasonable measures for the state, but immediately began to arbitrarily rearrange and shuffle everything: he did not bestow any of the noble people with affection in his eyes or soul, but only frightened everyone with menacing speeches. He wanted to make his subjects unquestioningly obedient, deprive most nobles of the power that belonged to them, and give freedom to the people, so that their guard would not be a small number of chosen ones, but a large crowd. He handed over the security of his person to the Scythian youths he had purchased earlier - all of these were eunuchs who knew what he needed from them and were suitable for the service that he demanded of them; he could safely rely on their loyalty, especially after he awarded them high titles. Some of them guarded him, others carried out other orders.

  XXV. The emperor indulged in pleasures and was full of arrogance, and the whole city - I mean people of every kind, condition and age - as if the harmony of his body had disintegrated, was already beginning to ferment in parts, was worried, and there was no one left in it who would not At first he expressed dissatisfaction through clenched teeth, but, harboring much more dangerous plans in his soul, he would not, in the end, give free rein to his tongue. When rumors of the empress's new troubles spread everywhere, the city presented a spectacle of general sorrow; just as in days of great and general upheavals everyone is in sadness and, unable to come to their senses, remembers the troubles they have experienced and expects new ones, so then terrible despair and inconsolable grief settled into all souls, and the next day no one could hold their tongue - not noble people, not altar servers, not even relatives and household members of the emperor. The artisan people were imbued with great courage, and even the allies and foreigners - I mean the Tauro-Scythians and some others whom kings usually keep with them - could not then curb their anger; everyone was ready to sacrifice their lives for the queen.

Constantine IX

  HS. No sooner had the rebellion been suppressed than the war with the barbarians began. An incalculable, so to speak, number of Russian ships broke through by force or eluded the ships repelling them on the distant approaches to the capital and entered the Propontis.

  A cloud that suddenly rose from the sea shrouded the royal city in darkness. Having reached this place, I want to tell you why, without any reason from the autocrat, they set sail and marched towards us.

  XCI. This barbarian tribe is constantly seething with anger and hatred towards the Roman power and, constantly inventing one thing or another, is looking for a pretext for war with us. When the autocrat Vasily, who instilled horror in them, died, and then his brother Constantine and his brother Constantine ended their allotted life and the noble reign ended, they again remembered their old enmity towards us and began to little by little prepare for future wars. But they also considered Roman’s reign to be very brilliant and glorious, and besides, they did not have time to make preparations; when, after a short reign, he died and power passed to the unknown Michael 10, the barbarians equipped an army against him; Having chosen the sea route, they cut down a forest somewhere in the depths of their country, hewed out canoes, small and larger, and gradually, having done everything in secret, they assembled a large fleet and were ready to move against Michael.

  While all this was happening and the war was only threatening us, without waiting for the appearance of the Russians, this king, after him, died with his life, not having had time to properly establish himself in the palace, the next 11, power went to Constantine 12, and the barbarians, although they could not to reproach the new king for anything, they went to war against him without any reason, so that their preparations would not be in vain. This was the unreasonable reason for their campaign against the autocrat.

  XCII. Secretly penetrating the Propontis, they first of all offered us peace if we agreed to pay a large ransom for it, and also named the price: one thousand staters 13 per ship, with the condition that this money should be counted in no other way than on one of their ships. They came up with this, either believing that we had some gold-bearing springs flowing, or because in any case they intended to fight and deliberately set unrealistic conditions, looking for a plausible pretext for war. Therefore, when the ambassadors received no answer, the barbarians rallied and prepared for battle; They relied so much on their own strength that they hoped to capture the city with all its inhabitants.

  XCIII. The naval forces of the Romans at that time were small, and fire-carrying ships 14 scattered along the coastal waters guarded our borders in different places. The autocrat pulled the remnants of the former fleet into one place, united them together, assembled cargo ships, equipped several triremes, placed experienced warriors on them, supplied the ships with liquid fire in abundance, lined them up in the opposite harbor opposite the barbarian canoes, and himself, together with a group of selected synclitists, at the beginning of the night he arrived by ship in the same harbor; he solemnly announced to the barbarians about the naval battle and at dawn he placed the ships in battle order. For their part, the barbarians, as if leaving the anchorage and camp, left the harbor opposite us, moved a considerable distance from the shore, lined up all the ships in one line, blocked the sea from one harbor to another and, thus, could already attack us, and repel our attack.

  And there was not a person among us who looked at what was happening without severe mental anxiety. I myself, standing next to the autocrat (he was sitting on a hill that sloped down to the sea), watched the events from afar.

  XCIV. So the opponents lined up, but neither one nor the other began the battle, and both sides stood motionless in close formation. Most of the day had already passed when the king, giving a signal, ordered our two large ships to slowly advance towards the barbarian canoes; They floated forward easily and orderly, the spearmen and stone throwers raised a battle cry on their decks, the fire throwers took their places and prepared to act. But at this time, many barbarian boats, separated from the rest of the fleet, quickly rushed towards our ships.

  Then the barbarians split up, surrounded each of the triremes on all sides and began to poke holes in the Roman ships from below with pikes; At this time, ours were throwing stones and spears at them from above. When the fire that burned their eyes flew towards the enemy, some barbarians rushed into the sea to swim to their own, others completely despaired and could not figure out how to escape.

  XCV. At that moment a second signal came, and many triremes went out to sea, and with them other boats, some behind, others nearby. At this point, ours had already cheered up, and the enemies froze in horror in place. When the triremes crossed the sea and found themselves right next to the canoes, the barbarian formation crumbled, the chain broke, some ships dared to remain in place, but most of them fled. Then suddenly the sun attracted the fog from below and, when the horizon cleared, it moved the air, which excited a strong east wind, furrowed the sea with waves and drove waves of water towards the barbarians. Some ships were immediately covered by the rising waves, while others were dragged along the sea for a long time and then thrown onto the rocks and onto the steep shore; Our triremes set off in pursuit of some of them, they sent some canoes under the water along with the crew, while other warriors from the triremes made holes and were half-submerged and brought to the nearest shore. And then they arranged a true bloodletting for the barbarians, it seemed as if a stream of blood flowing from the rivers had colored the sea.

  XCVI. Having defeated the barbarians in this way, the king left the shore and returned to the palace victoriously. Everyone around was talking - I delved into these conversations and did not find anything serious in them and no basis for prophecies - so, they said that many misfortunes awaited the king, both external - from the barbarians, and from his own, previously obedient subjects, but that all they will bypass it, for good fate will come to the aid of the autocrat and easily destroy all the intrigues. And the king himself proudly spoke about prophecies and fortune-telling concerning his reign, and recalled visions and unusual dreams, some of which he saw himself. I learned about others from other people’s words and interpretations, and said amazing things about this. Therefore, even when trouble was already approaching and everyone else was afraid and expected the future with horror, he hoped for a happy outcome, tempered the fears of those around him and remained carefree, as if nothing bad had happened.

Russian prince. Miniature of the Radziwill Chronicle

Michael VI

Sending troops against Isaac 15

   (Description of the victorious battle of the imperial troops with the rebellious Isaac Comnenos.) 16

  XIII. ...So, the enemy’s right flank also fled, and complete victory remained with us 17 . In the very thick of the crowd, towering above the fleeing and pursuing, rooted to the spot, stood the usurper. Several of our warriors (these were Tauro-Scythians, no more than four in number) noticed him and pointed their spears at Komnenos from both sides. The blows, however, fell on Isaac's armor, and the iron did not touch his body. The Tauro-Scythians could not even move this man from his place, because from opposite sides they propped him up with the same force with spears and all the time returned his body to its previous position, not allowing him to lose his balance and deviate from the center. Isaac took what happened as a good sign that he would remain motionless, no matter how many blows rained down on him from both sides, and immediately ordered his army to attack us with redoubled force, start a battle, put the enemy to flight and pursue him as far as possible further.

Embassy to Isaac Comnenus

  XXIV. The noise gradually died down, and we were able to see what was happening inside the tent (when the door opened, we did not immediately enter, but stood at a distance, waiting for a special invitation). The following picture appeared to us. The king himself sat on a double-headed chair 18, high and trimmed with gold, resting his feet on a bench, and luxurious clothes sparkled on him. He raised his head proudly, stuck out his chest, the crimson of battle flushed his cheeks, his eyes were concentrated and motionless and testified to the intense work of his thoughts; then he looked up and, as if leaving the abyss, landed in a calm harbor. The soldiers surrounded Isaac in several circles. The inner and smallest of them was composed of the first people, valiant scions of the noblest families, whose bearing was not inferior to the ancient heroes. These selected warriors served as a living example to everyone behind them. They were surrounded by the second circle, the squires of the first, the fighters of the front line (some filled out the following detachments), also the best of the commanders of the semi-detachments, they stood on the left flank. They were surrounded by a ring of simple warriors and freemen. And further away were the allied forces that had arrived to join the rebels from other lands, the Italians 19 and the Tauro-Scythians 20, whose very appearance and image inspired horror. The eyes of both of them sparkled brightly. If the former tint their eyes and pluck out their eyelashes, the latter preserve their natural color. If the first are impetuous, fast and unstoppable, then the second are furious and ferocious. The first onslaught of the Italians is irresistible, but they quickly become overwhelmed with anger: the Tauro-Scythians are not so ardent, but do not spare their blood and do not pay any attention to their wounds. They filled the circle with a shield and were armed with long spears and double-edged axes; They placed the axes on their shoulders, and put the spear shafts in both directions and, as it were, formed a canopy between the rows.

Election of Constantine (Likhud) as Patriarch

  LXVII. Having honored the memory of the deceased [Patriarch Michael Kerularius] by appointing a worthy husband, the king first pacified the eastern barbarians (this matter did not cause him much trouble), and then with his entire army he marched against the western ones, who in the old days were called mises, and received their current name later 21 . They lived in the lands that are separated from the Roman Empire by Istrome, but suddenly they left their places and moved to our shore. The reason for this was the people of the Getae 22, who bordered them, ravaged and plundered their country and forced them to resettle. Therefore, as if on land, they crossed the frozen Istra to our shore, the whole people piled on our borders, and from then on they could not bring themselves to live in peace and leave their neighbors alone 23.

  LXVIII. Although the Misa are not strong in body or courageous in spirit, it is more difficult to fight and fight with them than with any other people. They do not wear armor, do not put on greaves, do not protect their heads with a helmet, do not hold a shield in their hands, neither the oblong one, which, according to stories, the Argives 24 had, nor the round one, and are not even armed with swords, they only carry spears, and this their only weapon. They do not divide the army into detachments, do not follow any military science in battles, do not recognize either the front, the left or the right flanks, do not set up camps, do not surround them with ditches, but, huddled together, strong in their contempt for death, with a loud They rush at the enemy with a battle cry. If the enemy retreats, they fall on him like towers, pursue and mercilessly destroy, but if the enemy formation withstands the pressure and does not crumble under the barbaric onslaught, they immediately turn back and flee. At the same time, they retreat in disarray and scatter here and there: some throw themselves into the river, swim out or drown in whirlpools, others hide from their pursuers and disappear into the thick of the forest, others come up with something else. Having dispersed at once, they then again imperceptibly converge from everywhere into one place, some from the mountains, some from the gorges, some from the river. If they are thirsty and find a river or spring, then they pounce on the water and greedily drink it in large sips, but if there is no water, then they dismount from their horses, open their veins with swords, release the blood from the animals, drink it instead of water and thus quench their thirst . Then they cut into pieces the body of the most well-fed horse, having collected some kind of fuel, light a fire, lightly heat up pieces of horse meat on it, devour them along with blood and dirt and, having thus refreshed themselves, rush to the first shelter they come across and sit there like snakes in burrows, and instead of walls they serve as steep cliffs and deep abysses.

  LXIX. All the people of this tribe are dangerous and treacherous. Treaties of friendship mean nothing to them, and even having sworn over the victims, they do not keep their word, for they do not honor any deity, let alone God: everything, in their opinion, happens on its own, and death for them the end of all existence. Therefore, they easily make peace, but when they want to fight, they immediately refuse agreements. If you gain the upper hand, they again seek your friendship, but if in battle they gain the upper hand, then some prisoners are killed, others are taken to a ceremonial sale, a high price is asked for the rich, and if they are not given it, they are put to death too.

  LXX. Such people set themselves the goal of expelling King Isaac from the Roman borders and moved against the enemy with great forces. The Mises had internal disagreements, and their mood changed, but the king, not trusting them too much, led his army against their strongest tribe, invincible and invincible, and, approaching, struck terror into the enemy. The enemies were afraid of Isaac himself and his army; they did not even dare to look up at the king, as at the Thunderer, and when they saw the tightly closed ranks of his army, they fled. Only in separate groups did they attack us and, with a loud howl, rush towards our unwavering warriors. But they could neither defeat us with the help of ambushes, nor meet us in open battle, and therefore they appointed a battle for the third day, and before the evening, they themselves, abandoning their tents and the elderly and children unable to escape, scattered to hard-to-reach places. According to the agreement, the king set out at the head of the army drawn up in battle formations, but not a single barbarian was visible anywhere, and the king refused to pursue, firstly, out of fear of hidden ambushes, and secondly, because the enemies had already left three the day before. Isaac destroyed their tents, took all the spoils he found there, and, like a winner, moved back 25. But luck was not with him on the way back; a terrible storm hit his army, and Isaac was missing many of his soldiers 26; nevertheless, he entered the capital, decorated with victorious wreaths.

Constantin X Duca

  XXIII. When the Western Mises 27 and the Tribals, having entered into an agreement, entered into an alliance and a wave of disasters struck the Roman Empire, the king first acted against them and returned to the palace only because I did not grab him with both hands. Nevertheless, he gathered a small army and sent it against the barbarians, and God then showed a miracle, no less amazing than to Moses: the barbarians, as if seeing a huge army in front of them, trembled in their souls, began to run and scattered in all directions, and many of them fell a victim of the swords of his pursuers. The dead delivered food to the birds, and the fugitives scattered throughout the country. And then at once these warriors struck the shields, screamed at the top of their voices, clanging their axes and howling, they came to the king to protect him from danger: they surrounded him with a ring and, without touching him with a finger, took him to the upper floors of the palace.

(Translation by Y.N. Lyubarsky. S. 12, 60, 64, 98-100,
145, 148-149, 165-167, 179, 189)

Michael Psellos (1018 - after 1096/1097) is one of the most prominent Byzantine historians, philosophers, and authors of rhetorical works. His creative legacy surpasses in volume everything written in this genre in Byzantium in the 10th-11th centuries. As a compiler of natural science treatises and philological essays, he proved himself to be a brilliant polemicist and active politician. A contemporary of fourteen emperors, for many of them he was a close adviser. His most interesting epistolary heritage, numbering about five hundred letters, is also great.
Born in Constantinople into the family of an official, Psellus began attending school at the age of five, completing the necessary course of science, including studying rhetoric with the famous Byzantine rhetorician and teacher John Mavropod. Then Psella began his independent activities, scientific and literary, and his successful career advancement through the stages of public service. Under Emperor Michael V (1041-1042) he found himself at court as an imperial secretary, and under Constantine IX Monomakh (1042-1055) he was already a close adviser to the basileus, the ruler's favorite. Soon Michael Psellus becomes the head of philosophers - the head of the philosophical school of the Constantinople "university", thereby receiving the highest scientific title in Byzantium. Academic and government activities are successfully combined in the life of a historiographer, philosopher and politician.
Although Psellus himself assessed his history studies as something secondary and secondary, giving preference to rhetoric, philosophy, teaching, political theory and practice, it was “Chronography” that became one of the pinnacles of Byzantine historiography and literature.
The work covers a hundred-year period of Byzantine history (976-1075), as if continuing the “History” of Leo the Deacon and ending with a description of the reign of Michael VII. Compositionally, the “Chronography” is divided into two parts, the first of which, which in turn is divided into seven sections - “volumes”, ends with the history of Isaac Komnenos (1057-1059); the second, without such internal division, begins with Constantine Duca (1059-1067). Psellus apparently began writing the first part in the fall of 1057, completing c. 1059-1063, and worked on the final one in 1071-1075. The account of the reigns of Basil II (976-1025) and Constantine VIII (1025-1028) is based on written sources, possibly common to Scilitia; What follows is a narration of events of which Psellus himself was a direct participant and witness. It is no coincidence that the image of the author occupies a central place in “Chronography”. Psellus creates a kind of autobiography woven into the narrative of historical events.
Information about Russians and Rus' appears repeatedly during the narrative. Talking about the uprising of Bardas Phocas in 988, Psellus reports that shortly before the events described, a combat-ready detachment of the “Scythians of Taurus” arrived to help the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II, which is usually understood as a six-thousand-strong army sent by the Kyiv prince Vladimir, married to Vasily’s sister and Konstantin Anna. Thus, this evidence is chronologically the first mention of the Russian auxiliary military corps in Byzantium, the direction of which was a direct result of agreements between Vladimir, who converted to Christianity, and the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II.
Below Psellus, summing up the policy, including foreign, of this emperor, speaks of the latter’s “acquisitions”: “Everything that the Iberians and Arabs owned, that was kept in the treasuries of the Celts, that the Scythian land had, in a word, all the surrounding barbarians, He collected it and put it in the imperial treasury." Here, in a generalized rhetorical manner, all the peoples of the “ecumene” are listed, including the “Scythians,” by which they often meant the “peoples of the north,” including Rus'.
The report on the Constantinople uprising in April 1042 and the exile of Empress Zoe, which caused general indignation against Emperor Michael V Calafat, says that “even the foreign auxiliary army that the basileus usually have with them,” I’m talking about the Scythians at Taurus, “not could restrain his anger, but everyone wanted to sacrifice their lives for the empress.”
The participation of the Varangian-Russian squad in the enthronement ceremony of the sisters Zoya and Theodora in April 1042 is reported by Psellus, speaking about the “axe-bearers” standing next to the throne of the queens.
A special chapter in the book about the reign of Constantine IX Monomakh is dedicated to the invasion of the Ros - the last Russian-Byzantine war in 1043. Having reported on the approach of the Ros courts to the capital, Psellus writes that this barbarian tribe always challenges the Roman hegemony and every time strives to find a reason for war. And then the eyewitness described in detail the course of the Russian-Byzantine conflict, also known from Russian chronicles as the campaign of Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich with the leader Vyshata.
Psellus reports on the participation of the “Tavro-Scythians” from the imperial guard of Michael VI in the battle of Polemon near Nicaea on August 20, 1057 against the rebellious forces of Isaac Comnenus, calling the number of “Scythians at Taurus” - no more than four hundred. But, as is clear from the further story, foreign forces, including the “Italians” (i.e., the Sicilian Normans) and the “Tauros-Scythians,” were also in the army of Isaac Comnenus, who won the victory and became the first emperor of the future new dynasty. case, they stood in honorary formation under Isaac during his negotiations with the embassy of Psellus in the camp near Nicomedia at the end of August 1057.
Edition: Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire d "un siecle de Byzance (976-1077) / Ed. E. Renauld. Paris, 1926-1928. T. 1-2.
Translation: Mikhail Psell. Chronography / Transl. Ya.N. Lyubarsky Brief chronicle / Trans. YES. Chernoglazova, D.R. Abdrakhmanova. St. Petersburg.. 2003.
Literature: Bezobrazov 1890; Vasilievsky 1909. P. 3-55; Hussey 1935. pp. 81-90; Waldenberg 1945. pp. 249-255; Vernadsky 1953. Bd. 12. Gadolin 1970; Tinnefeld 1971; Weifi 1972. S. 9-52; Salyamon 1972. T. 33: Weifi 1973; Tinnefeld 1973. Bd. 22; Wolska-Conus 1976. T. 6. P. 223-243: Litavrin 1977; Beck 1977. S. 539-541; Lyubarsky 1978; Hunger 1978. Bd. I. S. 372-382; Shepard 1978. Bd. 22. P. 147-212; Moravcsik VT I. S. 437-441; Litavrin 2000. P. 214-276.

CHRONOGRAPHY

Vasily II

Rise of Barda Phocas

XIII. Tsar Vasily condemned the ungrateful Romans, and since shortly before that a detachment of selected Tauro-Scythian warriors had come to him, he detained them, added other foreigners to them and sent them against the enemy army. They caught the enemies by surprise, who were preparing not to beat the enemy, but to drink wine, killed many, and scattered the rest, and a revolt arose among the rebels against Phocas himself.

Michael V

XV. Having taken upon himself the burden of autocratic power, this strange man [Mikhail Kalafat] did not come up with any reasonable measures for the state, but immediately began to arbitrarily rearrange and shuffle everything: he did not bestow any of the noble people with affection in his eyes or soul, but only frightened everyone with menacing speeches. He wanted to make his subjects unquestioningly obedient, deprive most nobles of the power that belonged to them, and give freedom to the people, so that their guard would not be a small number of chosen ones, but a large crowd. He handed over the security of his person to the Scythian youths he had purchased earlier - all of these were eunuchs who knew what he needed from them and were suitable for the service that he demanded of them; he could safely rely on their loyalty, especially after he awarded them high titles. Some of them guarded him, others carried out other orders.
XXV. The emperor indulged in pleasures and was full of arrogance, and the whole city - I mean people of every kind, condition and age - as if the harmony of his body had disintegrated, was already beginning to ferment in parts, was worried, and there was no one left in it who would not At first he expressed dissatisfaction through clenched teeth, but, harboring much more dangerous plans in his soul, he would not, in the end, give free rein to his tongue. When rumors of the empress's new troubles spread everywhere, the city presented a spectacle of general sorrow; just as in days of great and general upheavals everyone is in sadness and, unable to come to their senses, remembers the troubles they have experienced and expects new ones, so then terrible despair and inconsolable grief settled into all souls, and the next day no one could hold their tongue - not noble people, not altar servers, not even relatives and household members of the emperor. The artisan people were imbued with great courage, and even the allies and foreigners - I mean the Tauro-Scythians and some others whom kings usually keep with them - could not then curb their anger; everyone was ready to sacrifice their lives for the queen.

Constantine IX

HS. No sooner had the rebellion been suppressed than the war with the barbarians began. An incalculable, so to speak, number of Russian ships broke through by force or eluded the ships repelling them on the distant approaches to the capital and entered the Propontis.
A cloud that suddenly rose from the sea shrouded the royal city in darkness. Having reached this place, I want to tell you why, without any reason from the autocrat, they set sail and marched towards us.
XCI. This barbarian tribe is constantly seething with anger and hatred towards the Roman power and, constantly inventing one thing or another, is looking for a pretext for war with us. When the autocrat Vasily, who instilled horror in them, died, and then his brother Constantine and his brother Constantine ended their allotted life and the noble reign ended, they again remembered their old enmity towards us and began to little by little prepare for future wars. But they also considered Roman’s reign to be very brilliant and glorious, and besides, they did not have time to make preparations; when, after a short reign, he died and power passed to the unknown Michael, the barbarians equipped an army against him; Having chosen the sea route, they cut down a forest somewhere in the depths of their country, hewed out canoes, small and larger, and gradually, having done everything in secret, they assembled a large fleet and were ready to move against Michael.
While all this was happening and the war was only threatening us, without waiting for the Russians to appear, this king, after him, died with his life, without having time to properly establish himself in the palace, the next one, power went to Constantine, and the barbarians, although they could not In order to reproach the new king, they went to war against him without any reason, so that their preparations would not be in vain. This was the unreasonable reason for their campaign against the autocrat.
XCII. Secretly penetrating the Propontis, they first of all offered us peace if we agreed to pay a large ransom for it, and also named the price: a thousand staters per ship, with the condition that this money should be counted in no other way than on one of their ships. They came up with this, either believing that we had some gold-bearing springs flowing, or because in any case they intended to fight and deliberately set unrealistic conditions, looking for a plausible pretext for war. Therefore, when the ambassadors received no answer, the barbarians rallied and prepared for battle; They relied so much on their own strength that they hoped to capture the city with all its inhabitants.
XCIII. The naval forces of the Romans at that time were small, and fire-carrying ships scattered along the coastal waters guarded our borders in different places. The autocrat pulled the remnants of the former fleet into one place, united them together, assembled cargo ships, equipped several triremes, placed experienced warriors on them, supplied the ships with liquid fire in abundance, lined them up in the opposite harbor opposite the barbarian canoes, and himself, together with a group of selected synclitists, at the beginning of the night he arrived by ship in the same harbor; he solemnly announced to the barbarians about the naval battle and at dawn he placed the ships in battle order. For their part, the barbarians, as if leaving the anchorage and camp, left the harbor opposite us, moved a considerable distance from the shore, lined up all the ships in one line, blocked the sea from one harbor to another and, thus, could already attack us, and repel our attack.
And there was not a person among us who looked at what was happening without severe mental anxiety. I myself, standing next to the autocrat (he was sitting on a hill that sloped down to the sea), watched the events from afar.
XCIV. So the opponents lined up, but neither one nor the other began the battle, and both sides stood motionless in close formation. Most of the day had already passed when the king, giving a signal, ordered our two large ships to slowly advance towards the barbarian canoes; They floated forward easily and orderly, the spearmen and stone throwers raised a battle cry on their decks, the fire throwers took their places and prepared to act. But at this time, many barbarian boats, separated from the rest of the fleet, quickly rushed towards our ships.
Then the barbarians split up, surrounded each of the triremes on all sides and began to poke holes in the Roman ships from below with pikes; At this time, ours were throwing stones and spears at them from above. When the fire that burned their eyes flew towards the enemy, some barbarians rushed into the sea to swim to their own, others completely despaired and could not figure out how to escape.
XCV. At that moment a second signal came, and many triremes went out to sea, and with them other boats, some behind, others nearby. At this point, ours had already cheered up, and the enemies froze in horror in place. When the triremes crossed the sea and found themselves right next to the canoes, the barbarian formation crumbled, the chain broke, some ships dared to remain in place, but most of them fled. Then suddenly the sun attracted the fog from below and, when the horizon cleared, it moved the air, which excited a strong east wind, furrowed the sea with waves and drove waves of water towards the barbarians. Some ships were immediately covered by the rising waves, while others were dragged along the sea for a long time and then thrown onto the rocks and onto the steep shore; Our triremes set off in pursuit of some of them, they sent some canoes under the water along with the crew, while other warriors from the triremes made holes and were half-submerged and brought to the nearest shore. And then they arranged a true bloodletting for the barbarians, it seemed as if a stream of blood flowing from the rivers had colored the sea.
XCVI. Having defeated the barbarians in this way, the king left the shore and returned to the palace victoriously. Everyone around was talking - I delved into these conversations and did not find anything serious in them and no basis for prophecies - so, they said that many misfortunes awaited the king, both external - from the barbarians, and from his own, previously obedient subjects, but that all they will bypass it, for good fate will come to the aid of the autocrat and easily destroy all the intrigues. And the king himself proudly spoke about prophecies and fortune-telling concerning his reign, and recalled visions and unusual dreams, some of which he saw himself. I learned about others from other people’s words and interpretations, and said amazing things about this. Therefore, even when trouble was already approaching and everyone else was afraid and expected the future with horror, he hoped for a happy outcome, tempered the fears of those around him and remained carefree, as if nothing bad had happened.

Russian prince. Miniature of the Radziwill Chronicle

Michael VI

Sending troops against Isaac

(Description of the victorious battle of the imperial troops with the rebellious Isaac Comnenos.)
XIII. ...So, the enemy’s right flank also fled, and complete victory remained with us. In the very thick of the crowd, towering above the fleeing and pursuing, rooted to the spot, stood the usurper. Several of our warriors (these were Tauro-Scythians, no more than four in number) noticed him and pointed their spears at Komnenos from both sides. The blows, however, fell on Isaac's armor, and the iron did not touch his body. The Tauro-Scythians could not even move this man from his place, because from opposite sides they propped him up with the same force with spears and all the time returned his body to its previous position, not allowing him to lose his balance and deviate from the center. Isaac took what happened as a good sign that he would remain motionless, no matter how many blows rained down on him from both sides, and immediately ordered his army to attack us with redoubled force, start a battle, put the enemy to flight and pursue him as far as possible further.

Embassy to Isaac Comnenus

XXIV. The noise gradually died down, and we were able to see what was happening inside the tent (when the door opened, we did not immediately enter, but stood at a distance, waiting for a special invitation). The following picture appeared to us. The king himself sat on a double-headed chair, high and trimmed with gold, resting his feet on a bench, and luxurious clothes sparkled on him. He raised his head proudly, stuck out his chest, the crimson of battle flushed his cheeks, his eyes were concentrated and motionless and testified to the intense work of his thoughts; then he looked up and, as if leaving the abyss, landed in a calm harbor. The soldiers surrounded Isaac in several circles. The inner and smallest of them was composed of the first people, valiant scions of the noblest families, whose bearing was not inferior to the ancient heroes. These selected warriors served as a living example to everyone behind them. They were surrounded by the second circle, the squires of the first, the fighters of the front line (some filled out the following detachments), also the best of the commanders of the semi-detachments, they stood on the left flank. They were surrounded by a ring of simple warriors and freemen. And further away were the allied forces that had arrived to join the rebels from other lands, the Italians and Tauro-Scythians, whose very appearance and image inspired horror. The eyes of both of them sparkled brightly. If the former tint their eyes and pluck out their eyelashes, the latter preserve their natural color. If the first are impetuous, fast and unstoppable, then the second are furious and ferocious. The first onslaught of the Italians is irresistible, but they quickly become overwhelmed with anger: the Tauro-Scythians are not so ardent, but do not spare their blood and do not pay any attention to their wounds. They filled the circle with a shield and were armed with long spears and double-edged axes; They placed the axes on their shoulders, and put the spear shafts in both directions and, as it were, formed a canopy between the rows.

Election of Constantine (Likhud) as Patriarch

LXVII. Having honored the memory of the deceased [Patriarch Michael Kerularius] by appointing a worthy husband, the king first pacified the eastern barbarians (this matter did not cause him much trouble), and then with his entire army he marched against the western ones, who in the old days were called mises, and received their current name later. They lived in the lands that are separated from the Roman Empire by Istrome, but suddenly they left their places and moved to our shore. The reason for this was the people of the Getae, who bordered them, ravaged and plundered their country and forced them to relocate. Therefore, as if on land, they crossed the frozen Istra to our shore, the whole people piled on our borders, and from then on they could not bring themselves to live in peace and leave their neighbors alone.
LXVIII. Although the Misa are not strong in body or courageous in spirit, it is more difficult to fight and fight with them than with any other people. They do not wear armor, do not put on greaves, do not protect their heads with a helmet, do not hold a shield in their hands, neither oblong, which, according to stories, the Argives had, nor round, and are not even armed with swords, they only have spears with them, and this is the only thing their weapons. They do not divide the army into detachments, do not follow any military science in battles, do not recognize either the front, the left or the right flanks, do not set up camps, do not surround them with ditches, but, huddled together, strong in their contempt for death, with a loud They rush at the enemy with a battle cry. If the enemy retreats, they fall on him like towers, pursue and mercilessly destroy, but if the enemy formation withstands the pressure and does not crumble under the barbaric onslaught, they immediately turn back and flee. At the same time, they retreat in disarray and scatter here and there: some throw themselves into the river, swim out or drown in whirlpools, others hide from their pursuers and disappear into the thick of the forest, others come up with something else. Having dispersed at once, they then again imperceptibly converge from everywhere into one place, some from the mountains, some from the gorges, some from the river. If they are thirsty and find a river or spring, then they pounce on the water and greedily drink it in large sips, but if there is no water, then they dismount from their horses, open their veins with swords, release the blood from the animals, drink it instead of water and thus quench their thirst . Then they cut into pieces the body of the most well-fed horse, having collected some kind of fuel, light a fire, lightly heat up pieces of horse meat on it, devour them along with blood and dirt and, having thus refreshed themselves, rush to the first shelter they come across and sit there like snakes in burrows, and instead of walls they serve as steep cliffs and deep abysses.
LXIX. All the people of this tribe are dangerous and treacherous. Treaties of friendship mean nothing to them, and even having sworn over the victims, they do not keep their word, for they do not honor any deity, let alone God: everything, in their opinion, happens on its own, and death for them the end of all existence. Therefore, they easily make peace, but when they want to fight, they immediately refuse agreements. If you gain the upper hand, they again seek your friendship, but if in battle they gain the upper hand, then some prisoners are killed, others are taken to a ceremonial sale, a high price is asked for the rich, and if they are not given it, they are put to death too.
LXX. Such people set themselves the goal of expelling King Isaac from the Roman borders and moved against the enemy with great forces. The Mises had internal disagreements, and their mood changed, but the king, not trusting them too much, led his army against their strongest tribe, invincible and invincible, and, approaching, struck terror into the enemy. The enemies were afraid of Isaac himself and his army; they did not even dare to look up at the king, as at the Thunderer, and when they saw the tightly closed ranks of his army, they fled. Only in separate groups did they attack us and, with a loud howl, rush towards our unwavering warriors. But they could neither defeat us with the help of ambushes, nor meet us in open battle, and therefore they appointed a battle for the third day, and before the evening, they themselves, abandoning their tents and the elderly and children unable to escape, scattered to hard-to-reach places. According to the agreement, the king set out at the head of the army drawn up in battle formations, but not a single barbarian was visible anywhere, and the king refused to pursue, firstly, out of fear of hidden ambushes, and secondly, because the enemies had already left three the day before. Isaac destroyed their tents, took all the spoils he found there, and moved back like a winner. But luck was not with him on the way back; a terrible storm struck his army, and Isaac was then missing many of his warriors; nevertheless, he entered the capital, decorated with victorious wreaths.

Constantin X Duca

XXIII. When the Western Mises and Tribals, having entered into an agreement, entered into an alliance and a wave of disasters struck the Roman Empire, the king first acted against them and returned to the palace only because I did not grab him with both hands. Nevertheless, he gathered a small army and sent it against the barbarians, and God then showed a miracle, no less amazing than to Moses: the barbarians, as if seeing a huge army in front of them, trembled in their souls, began to run and scattered in all directions, and many of them fell a victim of the swords of his pursuers. The dead delivered food to the birds, and the fugitives scattered throughout the country

Michael Psellus (Greek Μιχαήλ Ψελλός, 1018, Constantinople - around 1078 or later) - a learned Byzantine monk close to many emperors; author of historical and philosophical works, mathematician. He was one of the first to put forward the teachings of Plato as a counterbalance to the medieval passion for Aristotle, which prepared the flowering of Platonism during the Renaissance.

The son of poor parents, who, as a result of visions he had in a dream, destined him for an academic career, from the age of 10 he entered school, where he studied grammar and literature; at the age of 16 he switched to higher education and studied rhetoric, philosophy and jurisprudence; in 1037 he entered the service in the Mesopotamia theme, where, thanks to his connections, he received the position of judge. Before his tonsure, he bore the name Konstantin. Under Michael V, Psellus was an asicritus (an official in the imperial chancellery). At this time, he zealously studied the sciences, especially philosophy, and studied Aristotle, Plato and Proclus.

In 1043, Psellus wrote a panegyric to Constantine Monomachus and in the same year he was among those closest to the emperor; he became a protosyncrit, and then a West and a Westarch, that is, he reached the 7th rank according to the Byzantine table. During the reign of Monomakh, he composed 4 more panegyrics for the emperor, very flattering and not worthy of faith; His reward for this was the basilicate of Madita, that is, the right to collect taxes from this city, and the transfer of several monasteries to him for management (charisticia). When, at the end of the reign of Monomakh, the position of Psellus was shaken, he took monastic vows and took the name Michael, and when the emperor died, he retired to Olympus Minor in Asia to a monastery.

Summoned from here by Theodora, he was again brought closer to the court and awarded the title of impertim. In 1057, Psellus was sent by the emperor to the rebel Isaac Comnenus to persuade him to peace; Comnenus really liked Psellus, and upon his accession to the throne, he was made a prohedron and later, as can be seen from his correspondence, he was very close to the entire house of the emperor. At the request of Komnenos, Psellus wrote an indictment against his former friend, the deposed patriarch Michael Cyrullarius. In 1059, Psellus intrigued in favor of enthroning Constantine Ducas, succeeded in this, was close to this emperor and received from him the rank of protoproeder. For the emperor's son, Michael Ducas, Psellus wrote several textbooks.

The accession of Romanus Diogenes in 1068 reduced the importance of Psellus at court, but after the capture of Romanus, Psellus gave Michael Duca advice to send out decrees throughout the empire, declaring that Romanus Diogenes was deprived of the throne; however, when the latter was blinded, Psellus considered it necessary to contact him with a letter of comfort. Under Michael VII, Psellus played a very prominent role: he wrote letters on behalf of the emperor, drafted chrisovuli, handled litigation, etc.

The exact date of Psellus's death is unknown. Some scholars date it to 1078 (or around 1076-1077), others believe that in 1096 he was still alive.

(before becoming a monk - Constantine) (1018-1096) - Byzantine. historian, philosopher, writer, polemicist, politician; contemporary of 14 emperors and advisor to many of them. He survived disgrace and temporary removal to a monastery, then returned to political activity. M.P. - a new type of scientist, encyclopedist, expert on ant. philosophy: was fond of Plato and the Neoplatonists. One of the first among the Byzantines. philosophers began to defend the ideas of rationalism, to defend the human right to science. knowledge of the world. Ant commented a lot. philosophers, created by philosopher. treatise “Logic”, in which he outlined the foundations of this science in a concise form.

Literary and scientific legacy of M.P. huge. His works on theology, history, law, medicine, music, astronomy, and natural science have been preserved. and philological treatises; he tried to prove himself poetically. field. He created “Chronography,” which became the pinnacle of not only Byzantium, but also of all medieval historiography. These political memoirs tell about the events of a hundred-year period in the history of Byzantium (976-1077) - from the death of Emperor John Tzimisces to the reign of Michael VII Ducas (1071-1077). They give vivid characteristics of some of M.P.’s contemporaries. In addition, he left a large and interesting epistolary legacy (approximately 500 letters), containing some data on the history of the empire, as well as approx. 80 oratorical works that have come down to us.

Lit.: Mikhail Psell. Chronography. M., 1978; Lyubarsky Ya.N. Mikhail Psell. Personality and creativity. M., 1978; Lyubarsky YAN. Psellus in relation to his contemporaries // Byzantine. temporary T. 37.

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Mikhail Zhvanetsky and Mikhail Zadornov

Mikhail Zhvanetsky and Mikhail Zadornov The story described above is clearly made up. By whom - I don’t know, it’s possible that it was me. Michal Mikhalych and Michal Nikolaich are far from Chekhov’s characters, they have no reason to quarrel, but they each puff up envy towards each other

Mikhail Psell