A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1076 MICHAEL. MICHAEL.
main army of the Arabs, commanded by'Omar. p. 37, &c.; Joel, p. 179, &c.; Const. Manass.
The Greeks obtained a splendid. victory;'Omar p. 100.) [W. P.]
was slain; and his head was carried to Constan- MICHAEL IV. PA'PHLAGO (MXa)A O'
tinople by Petronas, to whom his brother allowed nacqAayv), emperor of Constantinople from a. D.
the honour of a triumphal entrance. In order to 1034 to 1041, was one of the younger brothers of
commemorate the glory of his armies, and with a John the Eunuch, first minister under Romanus
view of handing his name down to posterity, IIIL and his predecessor, Constantine IX. Among
Michael ordered a hippodrome to be built, which the four brothers of John, who had once been a
surpassed everything of the kind in magnificence. monk, Michael and Nicetas were originally moneyJealous of Petronas, the emperor set out in 864 for changers, Constantine and George eunuchs and
the purpose of taking the command. He had mountebanks by profession; Stephanus, their
scarcely arrived in Asia when he was recalled, brother-in-law, whose name will appear hereafter,
because a Russian fleet of 200 large barges had was a ship's calker. When John rose to eminence
suddenly made its appearance in the Bosporus, and he promoted Michael to the office of chamberlain
was attacking the Golden Horn. Michael hardly to Romanus III., a post for which he was well fit,
escaped being taken prisoner whilst crossing the for he was stupid and handsome. Having further
Hellespont, but he was soon released from his fear, the advantage of being young, he pleased the emin consequence of the Russian fleet being destroyed press Zoe so much, that she admitted him to her
by storm. This was the first blockade of Constan- bed. The fact was reported to Romanus, who
tinople by the Russians, or, more correctly speak- would not believe it, because he knew that Michael
ing, by the Norman nobles, who had just made was subject to epileptic fits; but Zoe and her lover
themselves masters of Western Russia. By this were afraid that he would believe it one day or
time Michael had grown tired of the ascendancy other, and consequently contrived the assassination
of Bardas, and felt deeply offended at being ex- of Romanus. The day after his murder Zoe anhorted- by him to lead a better life. Whether nounced to the senate that she had chosen Michael
Bardas meant this in reality or not is a matter of for her husband, and wished him to be acknowdoubt, for he certainly wished to establish his own ledged as emperor. John the Eunuch being the
elevation on the ruin of Michael. Bardas was thus secret promoter of these transactions, the wishes
gradually superseded in the favour of his master of the empress were complied with, and Michael
by Basil the Macedonian, afterwards emperor, who and Zoe were proclaimed on the lth of April,
married Michael's mistress, Eudoxia, in exchange 1034. No sooner was this done than John refor whom he surrendered his sister, Thecla, who moved Zoe from the administration of the state, by
became the emperor's mistress. Michael formed a keeping hera prisoner in her palace; and as Michael
plot with Basil to assassinate Bardas; and soon was unfit to reign, he seized the supreme power
afterwards the Caesar was treacherously killed by without aspiring to the name. The beginning of
Michael, Basil, and a band of assassins hired for Michael's reign was signalised by a general famine
the purpose (866t. Thereupon Basil rose to emi- and a terrible earthquake at Jerusalem, which
nence, and was proclaimed Caesar. In the same lasted forty days with scarcely any interruption.
year (866) the patriarch Photius proclaimed the Upon this the barbarians,invaded the territory of
deposition of pope Nicholas I. The conduct of the empire on all sides, while the fleets of the
Michael continued to be so disgusting, that Basil,' Arabs in Sicily and Africa covered the Archipelago,
in his turn, remonstrated with him, and soon in- and plundered the islands. John, however, succurred the hatred of his master, who began to look ceeded in making peace with them on tolerable
out for some daring men who would help him in conditions. He also brought the Servians to subdespatching the Macedonian. Of this Basil became mission, made peace with the Arabs in Egypt, and
informed, and very naturally resolved to anticipate had the satisfaction of seeing the Arabs of Baghdad
the emperor's designs.' He persuaded him to accept defeated under the walls of Edessa, which they
a supper in the house of his mother, Theodora, had invested in 1037. About this time a civil
who, utterly unacquainted with the intention of war among the Arabs in Sicily afforded a good
Basil, had consented to invite her son, as a means opportunity of bringing back that island to the imof restoring a good understanding between the perial sway; and Leon Opus, the governor of the
rulers. As the supper degenerated into an orgy, Greek dominions in Southern Italy, was conseTheodora and her daughter retired, leaving her quently sent over into Sicily. Ile defeated the
son alone with Basil and a few more guests, who Arabs several times, and returned with many
soon made the emperor so drunk, that he was captives, besides 15,000 Christian prisoners of war,
obliged to lie down on a bed. In this helpless which he had taken from the Mohammedans. In
state he was murdered by a band of assassins who 1039 John equipped a powerful fleet and an approhad been secretly introduced into Theodora's priate army, the fleet being commanded by Stedwelling. (24th of September, 867.) Basil fol- phanus, the brother-in-law of John and the emlowed him on the throne. The reign of Michael peror; and the whole expedition by Maniaces,
SII., however disgusting the part which he played, who was the best general in the Greek army. The
is one of the most interesting in Byzantine history:'Greeks were joined by a small, but gallant body of
it is rich in events worthy of the attention of the Norman auxiliaries, commanded by three sons of
scholar, the philosopher, the historian, the soldier, the chivalrous Tancred. Messina and Syracuse
and the divine; and whoever feels more than were taken by the Greeks, and the Arabs sustained
superficial sympathy for the fate of the later Greeks such losses that their brethren'in Africa were in
will be amply rewarded by turning from this im- great alarm. They consequently came to their reperfect sketch to the sources from which it is taken. lief with 50,000 men; but'few of these'ever re(Cedren. p. 533, &c.; Zonar, vol. ii, p. 152, &c.; turned to-their native country, and thirteen towns
Leo Gram., p. 457, &c.; Symeon Metaphrast., and cities surrendered to the victorious Greeks. In
p.-428, &c.;. Theophan. Contin. p. 92, &c.; Genes. 1040 a fresh army arrived from Africa, which was