Balkan

He had already in former times been a frequent visitor to the mother of the Comneni and had predicted her son’s rise to the throne. She was in any case fond of monks, and...

By use of the above-mentioned arguments the Caesar soothed and appeased the Emperor’s mind, although many advised him to marry Eudocia. Of her it was whispered that in her desire to become “Empress” for...

And the Caesar, John Ducas, was anxious to get rid of Queen Maria, and – drive her out of the palace as quickly as possible, and thus allay people’s unjust suspicions, so first he...

II And now, as I said above, many people were suspicious of the Queen’s staying in the palace, and began to whisper that the present holder of the sceptre would take her in marriage....

He was fair-haired with a milk-white complexion, suffused in the right places with a delicate pink, like that of a rose just bursting its sheath ; his eyes were not light, but gleamed from...

The Accession of Alexius and Interfamily Power StrugglesI directly the Comneni had taken possession of the palace they dispatched to the Emperor their niece’s husband, Michael, who later became Logothete of the private treasure....

On this same day he ordered me to be his guest. But as he did not think me worthy to be placed above any of his nobles, I sat fifteenth from him and without...

And when, after twenty days, I did go away, from there, that man to whom I had given the carpet ordered the ship’s master, after passing a certain promontory, to put me ashore and...

Already last year I wished to do this, but hearing that your master intended to invade the territory of our empire, letting the Assyrians go, we turned our reins against him. His envoy, the...

Bardas, although a prisoner in our hands, is not exposed, as Your captives are, to mutilation; his presence in the capital is the best thing for us, for we have not made a captive...