Michael iii. Dark times and secrets of the Byzantine Empire Michael 3 studied together with
The campaign of Rus against Byzantium in 860 - the attack of the Rus on the outskirts of the Byzantine capital of Constantinople in June 860. The military campaign is known from Byzantine, European and Old Russian sources. The description of the campaign to Constantinople in the earliest Old Russian "Tale of Bygone Years" is borrowed from the Byzantine chronicle of the Continent of Amartol. The Tale of Bygone Years, and after it, historians have long dated the attack on Constantinople to 866, although the historian of the Russian Church EE Golubinsky back in the 1880s, according to Byzantine evidence, pointed to 860-861. In 1894, the Belgian scientist Franz Cumont published the chronicle of the reign of the Byzantine emperors, the so-called. The Brussels Chronicle, which contained a mention of the Rus campaign and named the exact date - June 18, 860. “Michael, the son of Theophilus [ruled] with his mother Theodora for four years and one - ten years, and with Vasily - one year and four months. During his reign on June 18, in the 8th indict, in the summer of 6368, in the 5th year of his reign, the Dews came on two hundred ships, which, through the intercession of the most glorious Mother of God, were defeated by Christians, completely defeated and destroyed. " At sunset on June 18, 860 about 200 Russian ships docked on the shores of the Bosphorus. John the Deacon, ambassador of the Venetian Doge Pietro II Orseolo and author of the Venetian Chronicle, reports 360 ships. In addition to the number of ships of the Rus, the Italian chronicler at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries differs from the Byzantine chronicle in assessing the results of the raid. “At this time the people of the Normans on three hundred and sixty ships dared to approach Constantinople. But since they could in no way damage the impregnable city, they boldly devastated the surroundings, killing a large number of people there, and so they returned home in triumph. " Presumably, these ships were quite large, capable of accommodating 30-40 people, like typical Viking ships. According to the Tale of Bygone Years, Prophetic Oleg, demanding tribute from Constantinople, said that he had 40 people on the ship, and if he could exaggerate, then in no way underestimate. Bigger size the ships of the Rus simply could not be carried through the Dnieper rapids or the lower reaches of the Don, controlled by the Khazars. Thus, the total number of the Rus who participated in the raid was up to 8000. The appearance of the ships was completely unexpected for the inhabitants. It is known that the Byzantines used advanced warning methods for that time, such as a chain of light beacons, but they did not expect an attack from the Black Sea. The landed soldiers began to plunder the suburbs of Constantinople in the evening and all night long, to seize the people fleeing in panic. The situation was complicated by the fact that Michael III took even part of the garrison to the war with the Arabs. The Byzantine fleet, which also did not offer noticeable resistance to the Russians, fought with the Arabs and Normans in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas... The Byzantines were dimly aware who had attacked them. Already in the days of the siege, Photius called the Rus "a people from the north", "a people from the ends of the earth." In his sermon, Patriarch Photius colorfully described the ritual sacrifices of the Rus, which he considered the Lord's punishment for the sins of the inhabitants. “One could see babies being cut off by them from nipples and milk, and at the same time from life, and their ingenuous coffin - oh woe! - the rocks they crashed against; mothers sobbing with grief and being stabbed next to newborns, frantically letting out their last breath ... not only human nature was overtaken by their atrocity, but all the dumb animals, bulls, horses, birds and others that got in the way were pierced by their ferocity; the bull lay next to the man, and the child and the horse had a grave under the same roof, and the women and birds were stained with each other's blood. " The campaign of the Rus affected not only the capital of Byzantium, but also the surrounding places, in particular the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara. Disgraced Patriarch of Constantinople Ignatius, being in exile on one of the islands, narrowly escaped death, as Nikita Paphlogonyanin informs about this in the Life of Patriarch Ignatius, a work of the beginning of the 10th century. “At this time, stained with murder more than any of the Scythians, the people called Ros, according to the Euxine Pontus, having come to Stenon and ravaged all villages, all monasteries, now raided the islands near Byzantium [Constantinople], plundering everything [ precious] vessels and treasures, and having captured people, he killed all of them. In addition, in a barbaric impulse, having launched raids on the patriarchal monasteries, in anger they seized everything they could find, and seizing there twenty-two noblest inhabitants, on one stern of the ship they cut them all with axes. " Michael III (January 19, 840 - September 24, 867) - Byzantine emperor since 842, the last ruler of the Amorite dynasty. Michael was the son of the emperor Theophilus and ascended the throne almost as a baby, never becoming an independent ruler. Until 856, the regency was held by his mother Theodora and her close logoet drom Theoktist, after whose murder power was concentrated in the hands of Theodora's brother, Varda. After a new conspiracy, Vasily the Macedonian was declared co-ruler of Mikhail. under Michael III in 843, the veneration of monasticism was restored, Rus attacked Byzantium (860-861) and the so-called "First (Fotiev) Baptism of Rus" that followed, the baptism of the Bulgarians, whose khan Boris I took the name Mikhail in honor of the Byzantine ruler (863 -865), the mission of Cyril and Methodius to the Slavs and the reopening of the University of Constantinople between 860 and 866. The chroniclers do not mention Michael's active participation in the strife between Patriarch Photius and Pope Nicholas I (who was anathematized in 867 in Constantinople). On September 24, 867, at three o'clock in the morning, the conspirators broke into Mikhail's bedroom and stabbed him to death. Patriarch Photius I (ancient Greek Πατριάρχης Φώτιος about 820-896) - Byzantine theologian, Patriarch of Constantinople (858-867 and 877-886). After Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, this is the third of the Church Fathers to occupy the Constantinople See. He accused the popes of lust for power; first accused them of heresy for adding to the Creed the words "and from the Son" (filioque), although at that time this adposition, made in Spain, was not adopted in Rome; but the Filioque spread in Bulgaria through the Frankish missionary priests blessed and sent from Rome. Anathematized in 863 by Pope Nicholas I; holy Eastern Church. Among the works of Photius, three works have survived, which are the first reliably dated Greek texts mentioning Russia: two homilies (sermons, conversations) pronounced by Photius from the pulpit of the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in front of the townspeople during the attack of the Rus fleet on the capital of Byzantium in the summer of 860: the first - at the moment of mortal danger during the invasion of the "northern barbarians", the second - during the general joy at their retreat. The special significance of these homilies as a source is that they are eyewitness accounts and are addressed to direct witnesses of what happened. The third document is Patriarch Photius's "Circular Epistle" to the Eastern Patriarchal Thrones, dedicated to the convening of a Council in Constantinople (867), where Photius mentions the voluntary baptism of the "dews" that have recently caused so much disaster for Christians. It is quite possible, however, that none of the texts concerns Rus: thus, in the texts of the homilies themselves, the name of the people is never mentioned, appearing only in their titles (lemmas), possibly having a later origin; it is possible that the "dew" of the "District Epistle" should be identified with others ethnic groups(for example, with swearing). Rurik (Swede. Rurik, d. 879) - the chronicle founder of the Novgorod principality in Russia, a Varangian from the people of Russia, a prince of Novgorod from 862 and the founder of the princely, which later became the royal dynasty of Rurikovich. Often seen as a founder Old Russian state... Some researchers identify Rurik with King Hrørek of Jutland Hedeby (Denmark) (d. Before 882). In the anti-Normanist interpretation, Rurik is a representative of the princely family of cheers, and his name is a Slavic generic nickname associated with a falcon, which in Slavic languages was also called rarog.
Πηγή: https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking_Russia_to_Tsargrad_(860)
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_III
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fotius_I
https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik
| Glossary: Order of Michael - Moscow Telegraph. Source: v. XIXa (1896): Order of Michael - Moscow Telegraph, p. 479-482 () |
Michael.- the name of several Byzantine emperors. When in 811 the Bulgar Khan Krum utterly defeated the Byzantines and the emperor Nicephorus I perished on the battlefield, and his son, Stavratius, was weakening from the incurable wound he received, the enemies of the last, hated by all debauchery and incapable tyrant, were elected to the throne M. I of Rangavis, the husband of Princess Procopia Nikiforovna, an honest and direct man, but weak in character, as much as his wife was distinguished by her energy and desire to participate in the government. M. had no influence at all on the army; between the political parties, he hesitated, patronized the clergy, canceled all financial measures directed against him, was extremely generous to the clergy, monasteries and charitable institutions, gave the opportunity to St. Theodore the Studite returned and, under his influence, opened a persecution of the iconoclasts and began to persecute the Paulikians in Asia and Thrace. In 812, Krum invaded Thrace and Macedonia with his hordes; after his victory at Versinikia (near Adrianople) over M. (813), the army revolted and elected the Armenian Leo emperor (see Leo V). For M. stood the church, the senate and the people, but he did not want bloodshed and went to the monastery, where, divorced from his wife, he lived for more than 32 years. M. II tongue-tied was enthroned (820) directly from prison, in which he was held for a conspiracy against his predecessor, Leo V. A man of low birth and poorly educated, he remained on the throne until his death, although he had no luck in external affairs. A serious danger threatened him from his old comrade-in-arms, Thomas, a Slav by origin, who, with the help of the Arabs and other eastern peoples, raised a mutiny in 822, took possession of most of Asia Minor, took the crown from the hands of the patriarch in Antioch, drew the one who stood at Lesvos imp. fleet and laid siege to the capital. M. managed, however, to burn his fleet at the walls of Constantinople; Thomas, defeated by the Bulgar khan Morthogon, was taken prisoner by M. and executed (824). At the same time, the Dalmatian cities declared themselves independent from Byzantium; their example was followed by neighboring Slavic zhupans. In 825, the Arabs conquered Crete and became a true scourge for the coasts of the Archipelago. It was with difficulty that the first Greek sailor of this time, Orif, managed to defend the rest of the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea. In 827, the Arabs occupied part of Sicily. In domestic politics, M. tried to act in the spirit of Leo V, maintaining justice and discipline in the army and administration. In religious matters, he was indifferent; he returned from exile St. Theodore the Studite and another Orthodox leader, Nicephorus, but confirmed the previous laws against the veneration of icons and stood for complete equality before the law of both warring parties. He died in 829. His grandson M. III on the death of his father, imp. Theophilus (842), remained at the age of 4, and control passed to his mother, Theodora, who had a council of three (including the Empress's brother, Varda). Despite Theodora's worries about raising her son, whose leadership was entrusted to Varda, M. turned out to be an incapable, weak-willed and depraved person; in the circus, he himself often acted as a charioteer. He almost did not take personal part in management affairs. The administration of Theodora was marked first of all by the restoration of the veneration of icons at the Cathedral of Constantinople, at which the holiday of "the triumph of Orthodoxy" was established. The Saracens spread their power more and more in Sicily; the Greeks retained in their hands only the eastern part of the island with Taormina and Syracuse. The fight against the Arabs on the eastern border and the campaign against the Arab corsairs who occupied Crete(844) were unsuccessful. The war with Boris of Sulgar ended in 852 with a peace treaty. After the overthrow of Theodora (856), management passed entirely into the hands of Barda (from 862 - "Caesar"). The deposition of Patriarch Ignatius by Vardoy (see) and the erection of Photius in his place (at the end of December 857) led to a strife with Pope Nicholas I, which had enormous consequences (see Separation of Churches). In 864, after a new war, peace was concluded with the Bulgarians for the second time; Tsar Boris was baptized, following the example of Rostislav of Moravia, who (in 862) asked M. to send him capable teachers of faith, in response to which St. Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius. In the east, the struggle against the Arabs continued. The allies of the Muslims here were the Paulikians, persecuted by the Byzantine government. The Byzantine commander Leo successfully fought the Arabs, but the campaigns of M. himself ended unsuccessfully. The victory won by Barda's brother over the emir Omar of Melitensky (863) provided the Greeks with peace for a long time in the east. By 865, the famous attack on Constantinople by Russians, who devastated the outskirts of the capital, but were soon forced to leave, dates back to 865. The merit of Varda was his concern for the dissemination of education. Thus, he established a new secular academy in Constantinople, headed by the learned Leo (former archbishop of Thessalonica). In April 866 Varda died at the hands of M.'s new favorite - Vasily the Macedonian, whom M. in May 866 made Caesar and his co-ruler. 23 Sep 867 M. was killed in a drunken state by Vasily's minions (see). - M. IV Paphlagonian(so called by origin) was the younger brother of the eunuch John Orphanotrof, influential under Roman III Argir, who brought his brother a place in the palace. Empress Zoya (see) was carried away by M., who became her lover. Upon the death of Emperor Roman III (probably poisoned with the knowledge of Zoe and M.), Zoe married M., who was proclaimed emperor (1034). The sickly M. was an intelligent and benevolent man, but did not intervene in the affairs of state administration, which passed entirely into the hands of John Orphanotrof. The latter tried to nominate his relatives and friends, who allowed themselves all kinds of abuse. In addition to the nobility, dissatisfied with the rise of the artistic "Paphlagonians", the reign of John caused great displeasure among the people who suffered from the rise of taxes: uprisings arose in Serbia and Bulgaria. During the reign of M. IV, the Greeks had to fight in the east with the Arabs, in the west with the Arabs in Sicily, and with the Normans in southern Italy. In Sicily, George Maniak fought happily, but almost all of his conquests were lost by Stephen, who succeeded him. The struggle against the Normans in southern Italy was unsuccessful: by the end of the reign of M. IV, the Greeks owned only 4 significant cities in Apulia. Toann Orphanotroph, who sought to consolidate the throne in his house, achieved that Zoya adopted Mikhailov's nephew, Mikhail Kalafat, who was named "Caesar" at the end of 1034 or at the beginning of 1035 and succeeded M. IV, who died in 1041 - M. V Calafat, despised by the aristocracy, like an ignorant upstart, he began to seek the disposition of the masses in order, relying on them, to consolidate his power. To do this, he had to sacrifice his relatives, hated by the people. John Orphanotroph was retired and exiled; many other relatives of M. were also exiled or emasculated. Having removed Zoya at first actually from management, M. decided to remove her formally; she was accused of magic and the preparation of poisons with which she allegedly wanted to poison the emperor, was exiled to Prince's Island and tonsured. M.'s ingratitude, who dared to violate the rights of the legitimate empress, who came from a Macedonian house respected by the people, caused a popular revolt. An angry mob broke into the treasury and destroyed the hated scribal books. To calm the population of Constantinople, M. returned Zoya from exile, but it was too late. The party of Zoe and her sister Theodora prevailed. The emperor, declared deposed, fled to the Studite monastery, where he tonsured his tonsure (1042), but was blinded and sent into exile. M. VI Stratiotik, in his youth, distinguished himself as a warrior (hence his nickname), was already an old man, when, during the lifetime of Empress Theodora, he was declared her successor and proclaimed emperor (1056). Things went under him in the same direction as under Theodore. Dissatisfied with the emperor, the generals conspired to elevate Isaac Comnenus to the throne. June 8, 1057 Isaac Comnenus (see) was proclaimed emperor in Asia Minor. The army of Stratiotius, sent against the rebels, was defeated near Nicaea. M. VI entered into negotiations with the winner, offering him adoption, the title of Caesar, and even accession to the imperial power. Comnenus was ready to accept these proposals, but an uprising took place in Constantinople: M. was overthrown, tonsured and soon died. M. VII Duka, nicknamed "Parapinak", the son of imp. Constantine X Duca, was raised by the scientist Michael Psel and since the death of his father (1067) bore the title of emperor along with the brothers Andronicus and Constantine. When imp. Roman Diogenes (2nd husband of M.'s mother, Evdokia) was taken prisoner by the Turks, management was given to Mikhail, first together with his mother; but soon Evdokia was tonsured and M. was proclaimed emperor (1071), who was then about 20 years old. Released from captivity and trying to regain the throne, Roman Diogenes was forced to renounce the throne and promised to cut his hair, for which he received a guarantee of personal safety; nevertheless he was blinded and so ineptly that he soon died. M. VII devoted his time to studying rhetoric and writing poetry, while management was in the hands of his advisers, to whose influence he was completely subordinate. In Asia, the empire was doing worse and worse; the Seljuks helped the emperor against the pretender to the throne, John Duca, but received part of Mal. Asia. A new revolt was raised by Nicephorus Briennius, who was proclaimed emperor and in 1077 entered Adrianople, and his brother John approached Constantinople itself, but had to retreat. The affairs of Nicephorus Briennius took an unfavorable turn for him, but at the same time M. VII had to reckon with another rebellion that arose in V .; there Nicephorus Wotaniates was proclaimed emperor. For him there was a strong party in the capital, which consisted of clergy dissatisfied with the seizure of church property and many noble secular persons. Apparently, even part of M.'s relatives sympathized with Nicephorus. In March 1078 Nicephorus Votaniates approached Nicea, and on the 25th of this month many clergy and senators proclaimed him emperor in Constantinople. On March 31, the rebels occupied the palace; Michael was tonsured and sent to the Studite monastery. See N. Skabalanovic, "The Byzantine State and the Church in the XI Century." (SPb. 1884). M. VIII Palaeologus, from a famous family, starting with Alexy III, who was related to the royal house, after the death of Theodore Laskaris (1259), he attracted the upper classes, the army and the clergy to his side, and at the general request in the rank of despot was called into the guardian of the young John IV; on coins M. was depicted with the baby John in his arms. He managed to achieve a solemn wedding with the imperial crown, but in advance he promised Patriarch Arseny on oath that, when he came of age, John would give him the crown. First of all, M. turned against the main representative of Greek particularism, the despot Michael II of the Angel of Epirus, who made an alliance with Manfred, king of Sicily, and with Vilgardouen, prince of Achaia. Skillfully taking advantage of the strife between the allies, M., with the help of his light cavalry from the Seljuks, Slavs, Cumans and Bithynian riflemen, inflicted a terrible defeat on the Epiroth militia at Pelagonia. The defeat of M.'s chief commander, Stratigopulus, at Tricorith (1260) gave the despot the opportunity to defend Epirus itself, but the eastern parts of his state fell into the hands of M.; Vilgarduen was taken prisoner and ceded to M. part of his possessions. In 1260, Mr .. M. personally undertook a campaign across the Hellespont, took the last Frankish fortresses and threatened Galata. In 1261 he concluded a treaty at Nympheon with the Genoese, who from 1255 had fought against the Venetians in Syrian waters. Genoa pledged to help the Greeks with its fleet, and M. gave her for this free trade throughout the empire, almost all of Smyrna and lynching in many areas; the Venetians were expelled from all the markets of the empire. In 1261 M.'s troops succeeded in capturing Constantinople; the Latin emperor Baldwin II fled, the brave resistance of a few Franks and Venetians was broken by the burning of their homes. The people rejoiced, contemporaries talked about the resurrection of the empire. The empire's misfortunes, however, did not pass. In 1262, the news that M. ordered to blind John IV, led to an uprising in Bithynia. The same reason caused disagreement between M. and Patriarch Arseny, which ended with the exile of the latter and a number of confusion among the clergy. M.'s very character has changed; he became a stern, suspicious despot. At the same time, it was necessary to resort to fiscal measures hated by the people to replenish the state treasury, exhausted by the costs of restoring the plundered capital, for the army, etc. The extortions became heavy and cruel; the emperor minted a bad coin, in which 15 parts of gold accounted for 9 parts of a different alloy. In 1265 Michael II of Epirus recognized the supremacy of M. When the Genoese made an attempt to betray him, he expelled all Italians from the capital in 1264 and since then, using the services of the Genoese and Venetians temporarily, did not give excessive advantages to either one or the other. When the blind John Laskaris fled to Charles of Anjou, who took possession of part of Albania, and Venice was preparing, together with the Pope, for a war with M., the emperor decided to postpone the danger of submission to the Pope. On July 6, 1274, M.'s ambassadors at a council in Lyon pronounced the creed according to the Western text and vowed on behalf of the emperor to recognize the supremacy of the Pope. This "union" aroused terrible displeasure among the people, which increased even more when Patriarch Joseph was deposed and replaced by Vekk for resisting the union. The successes of a skilful foreign policy only partially atoned for domestic failures. The Italians managed to take away part of Euboea; in 1275, John Palaeologus won a naval victory over the Euboean patina; Greek corsairs inflicted severe harm on the Franks on the islands; in 1281 the Greeks won a brilliant victory over the Franco-Albanian army of Charles in Epirus. The new Pope, Martin IV, turned out to be an enemy of M. and again tried to create a powerful league against Byzantium; M.'s diplomacy managed to ward off this danger by concluding an alliance with Aragon. The Sicilian Vespers of 1282 completed the weakening of Byzantium's worst enemy - Charles of Anjou. Within the state, riots grew. The church policy of M. and the severity of taxes hardened the population against him; from the arbitrariness and oppression of officials, many even fled to the Turkish region; the population looked indifferently at how the Turkish nomads moved to the area of the sources of the Rindak, Makesta and Meander. M. died in 1282 - M. IX Paleologue, son of Andronicus II, during the life of his father received the title of emperor (1295) and wore it until his death (1320); unsuccessfully fought with the Turks; having cunningly killed the leader of the Catalans who had come to help Andronicus, he caused a devastating war between them and the empire.
Pavel Bezobrazov
Michael - Emperor of Byzantium
In the bay of the Golden Horn, in a dilapidated house, which stood alone on the seashore, two brothers were sitting. By the appearance of the elder, by the lack of vegetation, by the earthy complexion, one could guess that he was a eunuch. His impassive face was given some animation only by small, narrow eyes, their expression was unpleasant, roguish. The younger brother looked little like the older one: he was a tall, red-cheeked youth, athletic build.
- Listen, Mikhail, - said the elder, - what a miserable situation you have, you don't even have anything to lie on ...
- What to do, John! - objected the younger. - After all, you grew up here ...
- Yes, but I have lost the habit of such simplicity since I live in the palace ... But that is not the point; I don’t understand why you don’t want to get a better job? Why do you refuse to enter the court?
- When did I refuse? I only told you that I will hardly be given any position; I have not received any education, I can only read, but if you give me something ancient, for example, Homer, I will not understand it.
- Eh, brother, how do you reason! Who needs your education? Have I studied philosophers or church fathers? And, despite this, I am the royal sleeping bag and one of these days I will be entrusted with the supervision of the royal gynoeca.
- You are a clever person, you know how to speak ... - drawled the younger.
- And you have another advantage, much more valuable - beauty, and beauty is everything at the moment, it is most valuable in the palace. I have come to offer you something. One of these days you will be given the rank of protospafari, and on this occasion you must introduce yourself to the king and queen. You know that the autocrat Romam honors me with his gracious attention; I told him about you, and he has already ordered the preparation of hrisovul, with which you are approved in the rank of protospafari. Prepare to come with me to the palace next week.
- Can't we do without it, John? I am at a loss in the presence of the emperor and empress.
- No, it is required by etiquette. You freak, really! Do you seem to want to give up your well-being? Haven't you heard of Empress Zoya? Here, I hope no one can hear us?
John opened the door and, making sure that no one was around, continued:
“You know, of course, that although Queen Zoya is fifty years old, she is overwhelmed by passions; until she was 48 years old, she kept her virginity, and then only her father, the blessed memory of the autocrat Constantine, gave her away to the now happily reigning Roman. But the emperor is old and, moreover, has an antipathy for Zoya. And now, as wise philosophers say, her striving has turned to non-being, and now you could make a passionately desired being out of this non-being ...
- Well, what are you, John! I won't be able to, and it's scary ...
- Completely, brother, everything will be settled by itself. Here's some money for you, sew yourself a dress, which is proper to wear a protospafari, and hope for the help of the Almighty. Hear also what I have to tell you. This night a certain husband in light clothes appeared to me and said: "Everything will belong to your brother Michael" and disappeared.
“I don’t understand, John.
- You do not understand? - asked John and, screwing up his eyes, looked at his brother with such a roguish look that Mikhail shivered through his body. - You do not understand? "Everything" means the universe - the universe will belong to you.
- The universe belongs to the God-given Byzantine king.
- You probably know, Mikhail, that every baby, leaving the womb, has a special expression and that from this expression you can predict his fate. When you were just born, there was a special shine in your eyes and a shine was seen around your head.
Mikhail's right eye and cheek began to twitch nervously; this was always done to him when he was in great excitement. Noticing the impression he made, John continued:
- If you want to know the future, I can show you two surest ways, or turn to the miraculous icon of Blakherna, or to the prophetess Dosithea, the one who walks with the Chios monks. Well, that's enough, I have to go, show me.
The brothers left the house and walked towards the Grand Palace. They walked in silence. Parting, John pointed to St. Sofia and whispered to his brother: "Look, what a majestic dome, reaching almost to the sky. All this will be yours." Mikhail returned home puzzled, his thoughts were confused, his brother's words seemed strange and, at the same time, the young man felt that, perhaps, in fact, he had a brilliant future ahead of him. "Did not the now reigning emperor Roman," he thought, "did not come to the throne by chance, because only Zoya was married to him? Zoya is the last offspring of the Macedonian house, the fate of the empire is in her hands."
When it began to get dark, he went to the temple of Blachernae Mother of God; at the entrance he was met by a familiar monk. Michael explained to him that at the end of Vespers he was going to pray to the miraculous icon and learn from her the future. The icon, well known to all residents of Constantinople, was placed to the right of the royal gates and was covered with a veil, so that it was impossible to see the face of the Virgin. But once a week, on Fridays, after the all-night vigil, a miracle happened: the curtain opened by itself and the divine face appeared to those praying. This was considered a good omen; a miracle could appear at an unusual time through prayer.
As soon as the service ended, Michael stood in front of the icon and fervently prayed to the Mother of God to perform a miracle if something extraordinary should really happen to him. A few minutes later he noticed that the curtain was shaking, as if the wind had blown on it, and Michael saw before him the merciful face of the Mother of God.
Michael left the church in the most joyous mood. Now he had no doubt that he would take a high position. Thank God, he will finally come out of poverty. Pictures appeared before him, one more fantastic than the other. It seemed to him that he was standing in the middle of the crowd and this whole crowd of thousands was falling on its knees in front of him. He can hear it! "... for many, many years." He rests on a velvet bed and is embraced and caressed by a beauty in a diadem and porphyry ...
He walked home, but somehow, unnoticed by himself, he found himself at a tavern called "Sweet Food". "Should I come in? - thought Mikhail. - Perhaps it is indecent, - I will soon be a dignitary. Well, for the last time, I want to look at her." He lifted the curtain that served as the outer door and entered. He was greeted with a friendly smile by the innkeeper Alexander.
- Good evening, brother Alexander, how are you? Your belly keeps growing and growing.
- And all from worries, brother Mikhail.
- Well, yes, from worries ... What worries do you have? There is only one thing - to mix more water into the wine.
- This is how you reason, ungrateful people! I fight all day, feed you and sing, and you answer this with what? Say: an innkeeper! .. There is no more despicable word; the innkeeper is like a thief, a rogue. He is not allowed anywhere, the court does not recognize his testimony, well, is that fair?
- Completely, brother Alexander, I have heard this many times. Better pour some Maron wine, and tell me something funny.
- You must have got some money that you are drinking Maroon.
- Here, get it! - Mikhail answered cheerfully and took out a gold coin from his pocket.
Mikhail drank half of the cup served to him in one gulp.
- Tell me, brother Alexander, how is the health of your daughter, the beautiful Anastaso?
- But what is she doing? .. Well, she is healthy, but there is no sense from her.
- What's the use to you?
- It is known what, - a girl of 16 years old, it would be high time to get married. But who will take it?
- You are joking, dear Alexander; if they don’t take them, who should they marry?
- Well, what are you pretending? As if you do not know that only a notorious swindler would agree to become the husband of the innkeeper's daughter. I don’t dream about it, I’m not so stupid, I’m not asking that ...
- Listen, Alexander, Anastaso ... - Mikhail suddenly hesitated.
- What Anastaso?
“I mean, she’s beautiful.”
- Yes, you already said that.
- No, I wanted to ask if she is healthy?
- You already asked that.
- I'm not talking about that. Has she gone somewhere from Constantinople?
- Freak, where can she go? Hey Anastaso, come here!
Mikhail praised Anastaso's beauty for a reason. No one could resist the burning gaze of her black eyes. It was impossible to look indifferently at her thick black braid. Her figure, as if sculpted, resembled the statues of ancient masters that adorned the squares of Constantinople. Only her hands - too large - betrayed her far from aristocratic origin.
- Hello, Anastaso, - said Mikhail, got up and bowed.
- Welcome, - answered the girl and, slightly nodding her head, stood in the corner and lowered her eyes.
Mikhail finished his wine, looked at Anastaso, blushed, looked at Alexander, who was counting the money, again looked at Anastaso, who did not raise her eyes, and could not start a conversation. He wanted to tell a lot, but he did not know where to start, and, most importantly, he was embarrassed by the presence of the innkeeper.
Staying on the throne for almost the entire short life, Michael III had power only nominally. Upon the death of his father on January 20, 842, his mother, Tsarina Theodora, became regent under Michael, and civil administration was concentrated in the logoofet drom Theoktist. Using the trust of the empress-mother, Theoktist received broad powers and pushed other members of the board of trustees “into the shadows” - uncles Michael III Barda and Petrona and great-uncles of Vasilevs (uncle Theodora) masters Sergius Nikitiata and Manuel.
Having entered the affairs of government, Theodora took a course to curtail the exhausted iconoclasm (see Theophilus), and on March 11, 843, at the cathedral in Constantinople, the veneration of icons was officially restored, and the metropolitan patriarchal see was replaced by the iconoclast John Grammaticus by the zealous iconodulus Methodius I.
The administration of Theoktist was accompanied by both triumphs and failures. In 843, the army under his leadership succeeded in short term liberate Crete from the Arabs, which in 844 was again lost. In the same 844 the Romans suffered a heavy defeat from the Saracens on the river. Mavropotamon, but another round of civil strife forced Caliph al-Wasik to conclude a mutually beneficial peace with Byzantium and arrange an exchange of prisoners (845/46). In 853, for the first time in two hundred years, an imperial fleet penetrated the Muslim-controlled Eastern Mediterranean and landed in the Nile Delta, captured and plundered the Egyptian fortress of Damietta, and returned home unharmed.
The supremacy of the logopet Theoktist could not but irritate those who also claimed political leadership, and gradually a conspiracy arose in the ruling circles against Theoktist, the soul of which was Theodora's elder brother, the domestic schol Varda. Unbeknownst to his sister, but with the support of the grown-up Michael III, Warda organized the arrest and murder of Theoktist on November 22, 855.
On March 15, 856, Michael was declared an adult, but Varda, who was awarded the rank of kuropalate (859) and the highest (after the imperial) title of Caesar, on April 26, 862, seized de facto power. The coup, which resulted in a change of government, did not remain without negative consequences for Barda. ... In opposition to the new regime was the zealous moralist Patriarch Ignatius, the creature of Theodora and the late Theoktistus, who took over the throne of Constantinople with the death of Methodius I in 847. uncle from the sacrament. An open confrontation with Varda led to the dismissal of Ignatius, in whose successor one of the most educated people of the era, the imperial official and diplomat Photius, was appointed. Being a purely secular person, he accepted monasticism, overcame the necessary levels of the church hierarchy in 4 days, and on Christmas 858 he ascended the patriarchal throne.
Exiled in November 858 to about. Terevinf in the Sea of Marmara, and then to Mytilene on the island. Lesvos, Ignatius did not give up hopes for the return of dignity, which caused the so-called. "Photian schism" - the split between the supporters of Ignatius and Photius. Moreover, the “affair” of the former patriarch, which had a local significance, quickly acquired a “universal” character. Ignatius appealed to Rome, where Pope Nicholas I, raising a purely personnel issue to a level of principle, entered the role of the supreme arbiter. Under the pretext of non-canonical election, he denied recognition to Photius and unequivocally spoke in favor of Ignatius, demanding a revision of his detronization. In May 861, the local council of Constantinople, in the presence of papal ambassadors, confirmed the legality of the election of Photius I, which categorically did not suit the pope, who, despite the opinion of his legates, in 863 at the synod in Lateran deposed and anathematized Photius. Photius I, at the new council in Constantinople in 867, focused attention on dogmatic differences with the papacy, in particular, on the problem of filioque (the procession of the Holy Spirit) and, accusing Rome of heresy, excommunicated and cursed Nicholas I (Western Christians, in contrast from the East they believe that the Holy Spirit comes not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son).
Along with the "Photian schism", another international issue closely intertwined with domestic politics was the heretical Pauline movement. Having originated in the Western Euphrates in the middle of the 7th century, it then spread to Asia Minor and the Balkans, not least thanks to the Vasilevs of the 8th - early 9th centuries, who actively moved the "heretical" population within the empire and settled it on depopulated lands. For their devotion to their heresy, the Paulikians were often subjected to government persecution, which became especially cruel during the period of Theodora's regency. Those of the Pavlikians who lived in the east of Anatolia and abroad by Byzantium surrendered to the protectorate of the Emir Melitina (Malatya) and founded a kind of "republic" in the upper reaches of the Euphrates, making the Tefrika fortress a stronghold (843). Being one of the dualistic heresies (belief in the eternal opposition of earthly and heavenly, bodily and spiritual, good and evil), the Paulikians completely rejected official Christianity and declared the true teaching of the sermons of the Apostle Paul, from whose name, obviously, the name of the movement came. Having proclaimed the goal of a return to early apostolic times, it acquired a mass of adherents due to its acute social coloring: heretics opposed social order Byzantium, the dominant church and the orthodox Christian faith. The Pavlikians, among whom there were many stratiots, broke with the empire and, relying on the traditions of communal peasant self-government, expelled tsarist officials from their land, organized themselves for self-defense, and sought to establish life without Constantinople. Encouraging the influx of all the disaffected from the border regions of Asia Minor into their camp, the Paulikians, with the participation of the Arabs, carried out regular attacks on the empire.
The Pavlikian Constantinople responded to the armed force with the armed force of the imperial army: in 856 Caesar Barda's brother, the strategist Thrace Petron, invaded the Pavlikian region and, advancing from Samosata (Samsat) to Amida (Diyarbakir), inflicted impressive economic damage. In 859, Michael III, under the leadership of Petrona, laid siege to Samosata, but in 860 the leader of the Pavlikian Karvey, with the help of the Saracens, made a daring raid on the Roman territory. However, on September 3, 863, the combined army of the Pavlikians and Muslims, which went deep into the Byzantine rear, was utterly defeated by the troops of Petrona at the river. Lalakaon at the junction of the Paflagonia and Armeniak fems, and Karvey and the emir of Melitina Omar fell in battle. This was a major military and political success, which testified to the growing preponderance of the Romans over the Arabs in Asia. At the same time, in Sicily, the energy of the empire melted away from year to year: after the loss of the strategically important fortress of Enna in 859, the Byzantines had only Syracuse and Taormina.
Having achieved certain results in the East, Constantinople in the 860s. implemented a large-scale missionary "program": in 863, the educational activities of Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius began in Moravia, c. In 865, according to the Byzantine rite, the Khan of Bulgaria Boris I was baptized, who was named in honor of Vasileus by the Christian name Michael, and approx. 867 “the first baptism of Rus” took place (see the Byzantine community).
Young Michael III, apparently, insignificantly influenced the political course of Byzantium and, nevertheless, became involved in the struggle of various court cliques, mortally at odds with each other. Wiped out from the throne by Caesar Warda and his clientele, the Constantinople bureaucracy sought to eliminate the all-powerful temporary worker - an ally of the provincial military aristocracy. As a result, under pressure from one of the close associates - Basil the Macedonian - Michael agreed to the elimination of his uncle: on April 21, 866, during a campaign against the Cretan Arabs, Varda was stabbed to death at the feet of the emperor by Basil and his accomplices. A month later, Mikhail III bestowed on Vasily the Macedonian the rank of co-ruler, which, however, was not a guarantee against potential disgrace: the fickle Vasileus soon liked the patrician Vasilikin, who now became a new favorite. The unpredictability and capriciousness of the young tsar provoked a coup d'etat: on the night of September 24, 867, another palace drinking party ended in the brutal murder of Mikhail Group III conspirators, led by Basil the Macedonian, immediately proclaimed emperor.
Since 855, Mikhail III was married to Evdokia Decapolita, he had no children.
It must be assumed that the image of Michael III is seriously distorted by the historiographers of the Macedonian dynasty, which came to power after the death of the Basileus. Tsar Michael, who has earned the nickname "The Drunkard," appears as a worthless and ignorant reveler and lecher, whose life is a series of shameful and stupid acts that have led to a natural ending.
Historical sources:
Successor of Theophanes. Biographies of the Byzantine kings / Ed. prep. Ya.N. Lyubarsky. 2nd ed. SPb., 2009;
John Skylitzes. A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811-1057 / Transl. by J. Wortley with Introductions by J.-C. Cheynet and B. Flusin and Notes by J.-C. Cheynet. Cambridge, 2010.
Illustrations:
Emperor Michael III (solid, 856-67);
Imperial coronation of Michael III in 842 (Review of History by John Skilitsa, the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
Restoration of the veneration of icons by the Empress Mother Theodora (Review of History by John Skilitsa, the turn of the 12th - 13th centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
Repressions against Paulikians in 843-4 ("Review of history" by John Skylitsa, the turn of the XII - XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
Byzantine siege of Samosata in 859 ("Review of history" by John Skilitsa, the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
The defeat of the Arab-Pavlikian troops in 863 and the death of Emir Melitina Omar ("Review of history" by John Skilitsa, the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
The assassination of Caesar Barda (Review of History by John Skilitsa, the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
Michael III (center) proclamation of Patrick Vasilikin (left) as his co-regent (Review of History by John Skylitsa, the turn of the 12th - 13th centuries. Royal Library. Madrid);
The assassination of Emperor Michael III (Review of History by John Skilitsa, the turn of the XII-XIII centuries. Royal Library. Madrid).
f The novel by Russian writer Pavel Bezobrazov is dedicated to the personality of the legendary Byzantine emperor Michael IV Paphlagon. This monarch, who ruled shortly after the year 1000, was marked with a special gift of fate - he rose from the lower classes to the imperial chambers, won over the all-powerful Empress Zoya and, after marrying her profitably, made a brilliant career for himself. However, his reign was overshadowed by numerous wars and uprisings.
* * *
The given introductory fragment of the book Michael - Emperor of Byzantium (P.V. Bezobrazov, 1892) provided by our book partner - the company Liters.
Having woken up, Mikhail still could not calm down. He remembered visions and could not understand them. There must be some sense in them. So, without a reason, nothing happens. This is a prediction. Yesterday's incident worried him even more. It is a sin, a grave sin, whatever you say. It cannot be corrected; we must pray for it, we must repent. Michael decided to go to confession and thus relieve his soul.
Around noon, a courtier sent by his brother John came to see him. He said that the decree on granting him, Michael, the rank of protospafari, had already been written in the imperial chancellery. Today the dignitary, in charge of the royal inkwell, will present the document to the emperor for signing, and he will stamp his name on it. Sleeper John asks Michael to be ready, since at any moment he can be called to the palace. Mikhail was very happy with this news, but he cannot appear at the palace in this tunic in which he walks at home. He immediately went to the merchants of Asia Minor to find a suitable material for himself. But since he was little knowledgeable in these matters, he went to fetch his friend Constantine Psellus. He was a 17-year-old boy, the son of very poor parents, but despite this, he received a good education. Psellus took Mikhail to a merchant he knew, chose fabric for him and even asked his mother Theodotus to sew a dress for Mikhail, since she was an excellent craftswoman and perfectly cut and sewn.
Three days later, new news came from the palace. The emperor agreed to enroll Michael in the imperial chancellery, so that he would immediately receive both rank and place. This was on Tuesday, on Thursday he was ordered to appear at the palace, where he was to receive the rank of protospafari from the hands of the king.
On Thursday, at three o'clock, Mikhail was in the palace. Then John met him and explained to him everything that needs to be done. Mikhail was so shy that he would be ready to give up his place and rank, if only he did not introduce himself to the king.
- What nonsense! - said John. “I spoke a lot about you to the emperor. If you do something awkward and make a mistake in something, the autocrat will forgive you, as you are not used to the ceremony. Come on, the ceremony is about to begin.
John brought his brother into a small hall and said to him: "Stay here until they come for you, and I have to take my place in the royal retinue." Mikhail was left alone in an empty hall; several minutes of painful waiting passed, finally, they disappeared silver doors leading from the room where Mikhail stood to the ceremonial hall, called chrysotriklin.
Mikhail entered and was amazed at the brilliance of the hall. The entire floor was covered with a mosaic of multi-colored stone, flowers and trees were depicted on it. In the middle of the room, on a golden throne, sat the Emperor Roman in a purple robe strewn with stones, in purple shoes, with a scepter in his hand. Behind him stood him honor guard, with axes on his shoulder. To the right and to the left of the throne, the courtiers and dignitaries were placed in a semicircle.
As soon as they took a few steps in the hall, Michael knelt down and bowed to the king. Then he was brought almost to the throne itself. "With the fear of God, justly and impartially," the emperor said to him, "correct the position entrusted to you. Never and in nothing deviate from the law, remember that for any injustice you have done here, you will be rewarded a hundredfold in the next world. be attentive and kind to colleagues, be respectful to the leaders. Do not take illegal bribes, remember the commandments of God, keep them, and it will be good for you. "
To this Michael replied, as his brother had taught him: "God-crowned, most powerful, divine king and autocrat! As the sun shines in the sky, you illuminate and warm with your rays the entire universe under your control. You are an example of ineffable kindness, you are an example of the highest justice; we will imitate this lofty model, although it is unattainable for us mortals, we will try to become like you, the most humane king, the most just king, the king above all, who surpasses the great Constantine in virtue. "
After that, the king again said to him, having risen from the throne: "In the name of the Lord, my God-given kingship bestows upon you asikrit". The tsar sat down, and Michael fell on his face, bowed again, and, going up to the throne, knelt again and kissed the emperor's leg.
Logofet loudly announced: "Our holy king, guided by God, granted Michael to the asikrit!" All the courtiers in chorus recited many years to the emperor, and then "many years asikrit Michael."
Logofet presented the king on a silver platter with a gold chain decorated with precious stones... The Emperor personally laid the chain on Mikhail. Logofet proclaimed that the tsar would grant Michael the rank of protospafari, and again they sang the many years. The king stepped down from the throne and, accompanied by his retinue, went into the bedroom adjacent to the chrysotriclip.
- Well, are you satisfied? - asked John, leaving with his brother after the ceremony.
- Now I am glad that everything was over, but it was not at ease. What a beautiful chain! - Mikhail, like a child, could not tear himself away from the gold glittering on his chest. - Can I wear this jewelry all the time?
- Yes, you have the right. After all, this chain is the sign assigned to the rank of protospapharius. But no one wears it at home, it is worn only in the palace and in general on special occasions. Well, now follow me, you must report to the Empress.
At this time one of the sleeping eunuchs came and reported:
- The sovereign queen is waiting for the asikrit and protospaphari Michael.
John led his brother to the ginekey, to the female half of the palace, he led him into the hall where the empress was sitting, and, bowing low, left. Tsarina Zoya was sitting on an armchair with an elongated high back; it was the throne on which she sat when she received guests.
Michael bowed to the belt and said a learned phrase: "I greet you, the most powerful queen, you, the faithful companion of the great king, the moon of our sun, casting its soft light on both him and us. I marvel at your beauty, not only bodily, but mental and If Homer or Hesiod were present here, even they would not have been able to sing of your virtues; there are no words to express your kindness, the purity of your thoughts, the sublimity of your soul, all your moral and physical charm. mortals, I fall silent, wishing you, the most powerful, wisest, most humane queen, to reign and good health for many, many years. "
“You speak beautifully, protospafarian Michael,” Zoya replied to this greeting. - I am glad that the autocrat honored you with the rank. We have known your brother for a long time - worthy, good man... And knowing him, we also feel good about you.
“Thank you, sovereign queen,” Mikhail said, bowing. He was afraid to look intently at Zoya, but he wanted to get a better look at her, because it seemed to him that she looked like the woman he had seen in his dream.
“Tell me, protospapharius Michael,” the queen continued, “the tsar granted you an asikrit, as I was told, what will be your duties?
Mikhail blushed with embarrassment. He did not know at all what duties the asikrit had, but he found himself and said:
- My service is not easy, but, in any case, honorable, for it was entrusted to me by the autocrat. The main duty of an official is to carry out the will of the king; I will take care of this first of all and hope to earn the royal favor.
- Try and you can be sure that we will not leave you. The autocrat is philanthropic and he lavishes his favors on the worthy. In such a beautiful body, as you have, there must be a beautiful soul. Are you satisfied with your fate, Mikhail?
- To approach the kings is bliss, how can you not thank my fate?
“You’ll see something else, protospafarian Michael. - At the same time, Zoya threw a gentle look at the young man. “Know,” she continued, “that we are always ready to accept you and contribute to your happiness. When you have any need for us, warn your brother John about it and he will report to us. Now go in peace, remembering our words.
Mikhail bowed and left. Zoya wanted to talk to him a little longer - she really liked the ruddy cheeks and stately growth of Mikhail, but etiquette did not allow this. She clapped her hands three times and her confidant Patricia Eustratius entered the room.
- Are the braziers ready? She asked the newcomer.
- Everything is ready, sovereign queen.
- Have you brought amber, aloe and other aromas from the East?
- No, they didn't, but there is still a remnant of ambergris and aloe.
- This is awful, this is again some kind of intrigue of the king. He finds that I spend too much money on fragrances. He forgets that I am the daughter of the great Constantine, that he came to the throne and can dispose of the state treasury only because I agreed to marry him.
- The autocrat is old and cannot understand the queen's desires and aspirations.
- Yes, you are right, Eustratia, but this is irreparable.
- Queen, there is nothing irreparable in the world; what happened may be destroyed.
- It is better not to think about the unpleasant. I had now Michael, the brother of our John.
- I've heard of him. What, what is he?
- Handsome, very handsome; it looks like the statue of Achilles, which stands in the emperor's bedroom. Do you know Konstantin Monomakh? Everyone considers him handsome, and Mikhail is no worse than him. Only he is very young.
- Well, well, this is an advantage. Will he be twenty?
- Twenty? - yes, but no more. Well, let's go, Eustratia, it's time to get down to business.
Braziers were placed in the next room, and the empress, surrounded by the ladies of the court, began to prepare aromas.
