The Byzantine World War by Nick Holmes

Author:Nick Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Matador
Published: 2019-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

The Doukai Seize Power

Back in the capital, no one actually knew what had happened to Romanus after the disaster at Manzikert. The most prevalent view was that he was dead. Or that if he had been captured, he was as good as dead. Even his great supporter, the senator Michael Attaleiates, had given up hope. He fled to Trebizond on the Black Sea coast where he, and a large part of the most senior non-combatants, including many senators, took a ship back to Constantinople.

It is at this point that Michael Psellus’ account of events is more comprehensive than Attaleiates’, since not only was he resident in Constantinople at the time but he also witnessed the palace coup that happened. He says that within a few days of the battle, news of the defeat was brought by the first survivors. Then more arrived. But they all had different versions of the battle. Some thought Romanus was dead; others that he’d been taken prisoner.

The Senate wondered what to do in this situation? It was assumed that Romanus would not return. Power was still in the hands of the Empress Eudocia but Psellus describes the growing tension between her and the senators as to whether she should rule alone or jointly with her son, Michael. Psellus is at pains to paint a picture of Michael as being the epitome of modesty and respect for his mother. But the truth is that Psellus’ description is carefully contrived propaganda (discussed more fully in Chapter 14) to conceal the brutal palace coup that the Doukai were planning. To achieve this, Caesar John, previously exiled to his estates in Bithynia by Romanus, rushed back to Constantinople.

The crucial moment came when news that Romanus was still alive reached the capital. According to Psellus, Eudocia received a letter from Romanus himself “telling her of his adventures”.114 What could Eudocia do? The sources are confusing on this point. Both Psellus and Attaleiates record that she was initially reluctant to support Romanus. This is particularly surprising coming from Attaleiates given that he said she still loved him when he left Constantinople for the Manzikert campaign. So, how should we read this?

The most plausible interpretation seems to be that she was concealing her support for Romanus since she knew that Caesar John was poised to seize power. By showing reservations about Romanus, she hoped to appease Caesar John while she worked out a way to restore him to the imperial throne. But the Doukai acted too fast and ruthlessly for her. It was exactly this kind of cut-throat Machiavellian politics that Caesar John excelled at. He immediately despatched his two sons, Andronicus and Constantine, to bribe the Varangian guard, the main body of troops remaining in the city, to proclaim Michael Emperor.

Suitably paid off, the Varangians did just that: “…the guards [the Varangians] banged on their shields all together, bawled their heads off as they shouted their war cry, clashed sword on sword…”115

Seeing the bearded Vikings taking over the palace, Eudocia thought

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