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

ROMANUS. ROMANUS. 657
and clemency gained him the hearts of his new the throne. After the death of Constantine, and
subjects at the very beginning of his reign, but during the reign of his widow Eudoxia, he became
did not prevent some court conspiracies. At the bolder; but his manoeuvres were seen through,
same time his arms met with disgrace in Sicily and he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death.
and Syria, nor did he retrieve his fortune when he Previous to execution he was presented to the emtook the field in person. The Arabs worsted him press; and as he had obtained great military renear Azar in Syria, and he only escaped captivity nown, and was besides a remarkably handsome
by shutting himself up in Antioch (1030), whence man, he made such a visible impression upon Euhe hastened to Constantinople. His lieutenants doxia, that his judges thought it convenient to
Nicetas and Simeon, and especially Theoctistes, annul their sentence, in consequence of which he
however, soon restored the honour of the Greek was sent into nominal exile in his native country
armies. Their success so mortified Argyrus that Cappadocia. Two days after his departure he was
he became the prey of a deep melancholy, and joined by some messengers of the empress, who oronly occupied himself with building churches and dered him to return to Constantinople. At his
convents, his wife ZoU seizing the reins of the arrival there he was immediately appointed cornempire. Meanwhile the war with the Arabs was mander-in-chief of the army. The end of this
carried on with varying success, till at last the farce was his marriage with the empress, and his
Greeks obtained great advantages in a decisive proclamation as emperor three days after their
naval engagement, and by the conquest of Edessa, marriage. Constantine X., however, had left three
which was obliged to surrender in 1033. But the sons, who considered themselves prejudiced through
plague ravaged the provinces, and in the North the accession of Romanus, and entered into a danthe Patzinegues and other barbarians made de- gerous plot- against his life; but their mother sucstructive inroads. These disasters roused Romanus ceeded in pacifying them, and submitting them to
from his indolence. But it was too late: he had her authority. There remained, however, a strong
made himself unpopular for ever, and his own party of malcontents at the court, composed of
family had become strangers to him. The more eminent and high-born men. Romanus, active and
his generals were successful against the Arabs, the energetic, not only counteracted their plans, but inmore the nation became convinced that without troduced measures-4 radical reform into the corhim still greater advantages might be obtained. rupted administration, and freed himself from the
Hence arose a criminal intrigue betweeen Zoe, an authority of his wife, by leaving Constantinople
ambitious and voluptuous wife, though past fifty, and keeping his court on the Asiatic side of the
and the general Michael, surnamed Paphlago. ZoU Bosporus.
administered a slow poison to her husband, in To these domestic quarrels the Turks put a sudconsequence of which he died a lingering death den end. Their sultan, Alp-ArslAn, approached
(1034), which was accelerated by the cruel deed by rapid marches from the shores of the Caspian
of Zoi's assistants, who held the enfeebled em- and the highlands of northern Persia, while one of
peror, who was taking a bath, under water till life his lieutenants attacked Syria. Romanus took the
was nearly gone. Half dead, he was taken out field against them with his usual energy and
and placed on a bed, when his wife despatched promptitude. His intention was to cover Syria,
him by a dose of active poison. Romanus died at and he was already on its frontiers when he was
the age of sixty-six, and was succeeded by Mi- informed of the progress of the Turkish arms in the
chael IV. the Paphlagonian, who married ZoO. North. He consequently left Syria to his generals,
It is certain that Romanus left no issue by Zoi, and marched to Pontus with such rapidity, that he
and it is doubtful whether he had any by Helena; surprised and routed several Turkish bodies stabut his family continued to flourish in Constanti- tioned on its frontier. This was sufficient to keep
nople down to its capture by the Turks, and more the main body of the Turks within Persia. Rothan 150 years afterwards. (Cedren. p. 722, &c.; manus therefore hastened back to Syria. He made
Zonar. vol. ii. p. 229, &c.; Manass. p. 123; Glyc. a successful campaign down to Antioch and up
p. 311, &c.) [W. P.] again along the Euphrates, and wherever he carried
ROMA'NUS IV. DIO'GENES ('Pw(avos d his arms the enemy was worsted. One of his geA.oeye'i7s), Byzantine emperor from A.D. 1067- nerals, less fortunate, or less skilful, was surprised
1071, was the son of one Constantine Diogenes, a by the Turks, and lost the day and half of his
rather extravagant character, who conspired against army. Romanus flew to his support; and in a
the emperor Romanus Argyrus, but escaped pursuit nocturnal engagement, took the camp of the Tulks
by leaping out of a high window. Romanus Dio- and routed them with great slaughter (20th of
genes was the grand-nephew of Romanus Argyrus, November, 1068). He then marched again up
through his mother; and enjoying the patronage the Euphrates as far as Ara, constantly annoyed
of the court notwithstanding his father's conduct, by the light troops of the enemy; but he placed
soon rose to the dignities of patrician and duke of his troops in good and safe winter-quarters, and
Sardica or Triaditza. In the reign of Constantine returned to the capital. Eudoxia, reconciled to
X. Ducas, he solicited the place of Magnus Ves- her husband, had meanwhile governed the state
tiarius, and having received the answer: "Deserve with wisdom; and, in acknowledgment of the vicit through your merits," forthwith returned to Sar- tories of the emperor, presented him with a sort of
dica, sallied out with the garrison, and routed a miscellaneous work, entitled "lIonia," which she
party of Patzinegue marauders, of whose heads had just finished. The campaign was renewed in
he sent a collection to Constantinople. The em- 1069, and the imperial arms were again successful,
peror returned the compliment by granting him the though not uniformly so, as the Turks succeeded
desired appointment, adding: " You owe your pre- in taking and pillaging Iconium. The third camferment not to me, but to your sword." This paign, in 1070, was carried on under the command
piqued Romanus; and from that time he enter- in-chief of Manuel Comnenus, the emperor requni
tained schemes of rebellion and of raising himself to ing repose after so many fatigues. Ere long, news
VOL. III. U U