Περίληψη : The eunuch John Orphanotrophos, brother of the Emperor Michael IV and uncle of the Emperor Michael V, governed the Empire for almost a decade (1034-1043), without ever receiving any important office. One of the most controversial characters of Byzantine history, he is portrayed in the sources as a capable administrator and a cunning politician, but at the same time as an exceedingly greedy and vain man. Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης Paphlagonia Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου 13 May 1043, Lesbos Κύρια Ιδιότητα Official 1. Biography John Orphanotrophos was born in a family of moneylenders. It is not known when he became a eunuch. His large family came from Paphlagonia. It is certain that John was its most capable, but at the same time its most ambitious member. 1 His family produced two emperors: his brother, Michael IV, and his nephew, Michael V. Apart from the moneylender and future emperor Michael, John had three other brothers: Niketas was also a moneylender and he had been accused of forgery. Constantine and George were eunuchs, like John, and were selling talismans and objects of magic, an occupation for which John was also known. He also had at least one sister, the mother of the future Michael V. 2. Activity The date of John s arrival to Constantinople, as well as the time and the circumstances of his appointment as an imperial official remain unknown. The name under which he became known, orphanotrophos, derived from the title he bore as the man in charge of the large orphanage of St Paul in Constantinople, which he himself renovated in 1032, during the reign of the Emperor Romanos III Argyros. John Orphanotropos appears to have been in the service of Romanos Argyros before the latter s coronation as emperor. 2 According to Michael Psellos, John had also served as an associate of Basil II. After Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034) became emperor, Orphanotrophos increased his influence in the imperial court. The emperor made him a senator and bestowed upon him the title of praepositos. From his part, John assisted Romanos III in his struggles against the rebel Constantine Diogenes in 1032. 3 At the same time, however, John seized the opportunity to approach the wife of Romanos III, the Augusta Zoe. Zoe, daughter of Constantine VIII who had died without a male heir, was a member of the Macedonian dynasty and could, therefore, guarantee imperial legitimacy to the man she married; this was indeed the case with her marriage to Romanos III Argyros. 4 John took advantage of the emperor s indifference towards the not so young Zoe and pushed his brother Michael towards her. The empress could not resist young Michael, and thus John secured his influence on her. It is probable that the three of them, with Orphanotrophos as the main instigator, systematically poisoned the Emperor Romanos III Argyros. Finally, the emperor was found dead in his bath (11 April 1034). Regardless of the circumstances of the emperor s death, immediately afterwards, Zoe, John Orphanotrophos and Michael called the Patriarch Alexios Stoudites to the palace and asked him to sanction Zoe s and Michael s marriage. In order to overcome the patriarch s objections, John and Zoe gave him 50 litrai of gold, and another 50 to the clergy; thus the marriage was officially conducted. 5 2.1. Under Michael IV Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 1/6
After Michael IV s (1034-1041) coronation, John Orphanotrophos became, in fact, in charge of the empire s political and military affairs. 6 When the two brothers rose to power, they placed the Empress Zoe under constraint in the imperial palace, while John was working towards establishing his power by placing some of his relatives in high positions and by demoting his opponents. In August 1034 he was forced to prevent the efforts for usurpation of Constantine Dalassenos, one of the most prominent members of the aristocracy in Asia Minor. The fact that the Paphlagonian brothers prevailed, also affected the other three brothers of the family in a positive way: Niketas became duke of Antioch, Constantine received the land that was confiscated from the supporters of Dalassenos in the theme of Opsikion, 7 while the youngest brother, George, became protovestiarios, a title previously owned by the eunuch Symeon, another associate of Romanos Argyros. Orphanotrophos was also carefully engaged in matters of foreign policy: the struggle with the Arabs in Sicily and Italy, and with the Pechenegs, who plundered the Balkans. However, the situation in the Balcan front became even more crucial with the rebellion of the Slavic population, who opposed the economic policy of Constantinople. In 1040 they elected Peter Deljan as tsar in Belgrade. The rebellion started spreading, but was dealt with in 1041 due to disagreements among its leaders. 8 Orphanotrophos, from his part, made significant errors, influenced by this family s ambitious members: he replaced the commander of the army in Sicily, George Maniakes, and then the governor of the army in the Balkans, Basil Synadenos with his own relatives, causing the Byzantine army to also experience some failures. In dealing with internal problems, Orphanotrophos proved very capable: during a famine, after a long period of no rain in Thrace and Macedonia, he took great care for the alimentation of Constantinople, importing grain from the Peloponnese and mainland Greece. With his activities, John had effectively aside his brother Michael. Despite the great real power that he held, he never tried to obtain higher offices. It is possible that he became kourator of the Mangana. However, he was often accused of greed, which made his economic policy insufferable. 9 2.2. His role in ecclesiastic affairs Orphanotrophos was also actively involved in ecclesiastic affairs. In 1037, he appointed the former oikonomos of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople as archbishop of Achrida, in the place of the late archbishop John, who had been appointed by Basil II after his victory over Samuel (1020). This choice possibly attributed to the rebellion in the Balkan regions in 1040. In general, John, like Romanos Argyros before him, was appointing his friends and supporters in the metropolitan sees. In 1037, John Orphanotrophos, with the help of some bishops, attempted to dethrone the Patriarch Alexios Stoudites, in order to become leader of the church of Constantinople himself. He adduced as a reason the uncanonical elevation of Alexios to the patriarchal throne, since he had not been elected by a council, as well as the fact that Basil II chose him and proclaimed him patriarch while he was on his deathbed. John s efforts, however, proved futile. The Patriarch Alexios managed to defend himself against the attacks of the Orphanotrophos and to remain on his throne. 2.3. His involvement in the matter of Michael IV s succession John s brother and Emperor Michael IV suffered from epilepsy, which was gradually getting worse. Therefore, Orphanotrophos attempted to guarantee his family s presence to the imperial throne. Once again, however, he needed the empress consent in order to legitimise such a succession. He was successful in persuading Zoe to adopt his sister s son, Michael, who had already been proclaimed caesar in 1034, and to name him as the legal heir to the throne. When Michael IV died on 10 December 1041, Michael V Kalaphates became emperor, as was arranged. The citizens of Constantinople were never given the opportunity to react, as Michael had already been crowned by Zoe, thanks to Orphanotrophos skilful handling of the situation. 10 However, the new emperor soon showed that he would not tolerate the advice and care of John Orphanotrophos. Instead he chose to rely on his uncle Constantine, John s brother. Soon after becoming emperor, he banished Orphanotrophos from Constantinople, wanting to prevent any interference of his in political affairs. With the elevation of Constantine IX Monomachos in power (1042-1055), John Orphanotrophos was accused of usurpation and was blinded, while he was in exile in Lesbos. Soon afterwards, in 13 May 1043, he died in Lesbos. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 2/6
3. Conclusion Michael Psellos, the historian closest in the time of Orphanotrophos and also a supporter of his opponents, portrayed him in a very negative way in his historical work. Psellos accused him of greed and of working for personal gain, of putting forward his relatives and blindly showering them with titles and land, and also of treating the Empress Zoe very unjustly. In addition, he attributed to Orphanotrophos all the problems that the empire was faced with during the reign of Michael IV, when John was most influential, contrasting Michael s virtues to John Orphanotrophos many faults. 11 However big his distaste of John, Psellos left us a very lively description of John s character, capably portraying how skilful but also, in Psellos opinion, how dangerous John Orphanotrophos was. Among other things, the historian narrates that John used to visit secretly the most remote quarters of Constantinople, trying to detect any dissatisfaction or hostilitity towards him (that is to say, towards the government). Psellos also points out Orphanotrophos ability to remain clear-headed after consuming a lot of alcohol, a skill that proved extremely useful in banquets, when some guests freely expressed their opinions, assuming that he was drunk; in fact, John listened very carefully and later used their own words to harm them. 12 1. J. Cl. Cheynet, Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963 1210) (Paris 1990), p. 222. 2. J. Cl. Cheynet, Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963 1210) (Paris 1990), p. 299. 3. The Oxford History of Byzantium 2, p. 1070 (s.v. John the Orphanotrophos). 4. P. Lemerle, Cinq études sur le XIe siècle byzantin (Paris 1977), p. 254. 5. Thurn, J. (επιμ.), Ioannes Scylitzes Synoposis historiarum (Berlin New York 1973), pp. 389 390. 6. Janin, R., Un ministre byzantin. Jean l Orphanotrophe, Echos d Orient 30 (1931), p. 431 ff. 7. J. Cl. Cheynet, Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963 1210) (Paris 1990), p. 224. 8. Ostrogorsky, G., Ιστορία του Βυζαντινού Κράτους Β (Athens 1997), p. 211. 9. Thurn, J. (ed.), Ioannes Scylitzes Synoposis historiarum (Berlin New York 1973), p. 402. 10. Vryonis, S., Byzantine Imperial Authority. Theory and Practice in the Eleventh Century, στο Byzantine Institutions, Society and Culture I: The Imperial Institution and Society (New York 1994), p. 29. 11. See the fourth book of Psellos Chronography, dedicated to the reign of Michael IV.; Renauld, É. (επιμ.), Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire dʹun siècle de Byzance (976 1077) I (Paris 1926), p. 53 85. 12. Ψελλός, Χρονογραφία IV. 14, Renauld, É. (επιμ.), Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire dʹun siècle de Byzance (976 1077) I (Paris 1926), pp. 60 61. See also, Jenkins, R., The Classical Background of the Scriptores Post Theophanem, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 8 (1954), p. 15. Βιβλιογραφία : Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 3/6
Ιωάννης Σκυλίτζης, Σύνοψις Ιστοριών, Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Skylitzae Synopsis Historiarum, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973 Μιχαήλ Ψελλός, Χρονογραφία, Renauld, É. (ed.), Michael Psellos, Chronographie ou histoire d un siècle de Byzance (976-1077), Ι-ΙΙ, Paris 1926-1928 (ανατ. 1967) Μιχαήλ Ατταλειάτης, Ιστορία, Bekker, I. (ed.), Michaelis Attaliotae Historia, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1853 Ιωάννης Ζωναράς, Επιτομή Ιστοριών, Büttner-Wobst, T. (ed.), Ioannis Zonarae epitomae historiarum libri XVIII 1-3, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1841-1897 Cheynet J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963-1210), Paris 1990, Byzantina Sorbonensia 9 Βραχέα Χρονικά, Schreiner P. (ed.), Die byzantinische Kleinchroniken 1-3, Wien 1975-1977 Krsmanović B., Uspon vojnog plemstva u Vizantiji XI veka, Beograd 2001 Lemerle P., Cinq études sur le XIe siècle byzantin, Paris 1977 Μιχαήλ Ψελλός, Scripta Minora, Kurtz E. Fr. Drexl (eds), Michel Psellos, Scripta Minora magnam partem adhuc inedita, I-II, Milano Ι: 1936, ΙΙ: 1942 Μιχαήλ Ψελλός, Orationes panegyricae, Dennis, G.T. (ed.), Michaelis Pselli, Orationes panegyricae, Stutgard-Lipsia 1994 Janin R., "Un ministre byzantin. Jean l'orphanotrophe", Échos d'orient, 30, 1931, 431-43 Kazhdan A., Brand C.M., Cutler A., "John the Orphanotrophos", Kazhdan, A. (ed.), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium 2, New York Oxford 1991, 1070 Δικτυογραφία : Michael Psellus (1018 - after 1078): Chronographia http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/psellus-chrono04.html Γλωσσάριo : augusta A formal title bestowed by an emperor on his wife, the empress, frequently after the birth of a son and heir. Rarely and extraordinary the title was bestowed on distinguished personages who belong to the emperor s family. caesar In the Roman Empire the title of Caesar was given to the Emperor. From the reign of Diocletian (284-305) on this title was conferred on the young coemperor. This was also the highest title on the hierarchy of the Byzantine court. In the 8th c. the title of Caesar was usually given to the successor of the throne. In the late 11th c. this office was downgraded and from the 14th c. on it was mainly conferred on foreign princes. doukas (lat. dux) Antiquity: Roman military commander who, in some provinces, combined military and civil functions. Buzantium: a higher military officer. From the second half of the 10th c. the title indicates the military comander of a larger district. After the 12th c., doukes were called the governors of small themes. kourator (lat. curator) A functionary of the Byzantine state administration or a city magistrate, he was manager of public or private foundations as well as of imperial estates. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 4/6
litra (lat. libra) A unit of weigth varying according to size. The most common was the "logarike litra", established at the time of cosntantine I in 309-310 as the basis of the monetary system. It was estimated as weighing ca. 324 or 319 g and was divides into 72 golden coins (solidi). One hundred litrai made a kentenarion. oikonomos 1. Antiquity: The oikonomos (treasurer) was responsible for the payments for inscriptions, sacrifices, xenia and construction of statues. 2. Medieval/Byzantine: Ecclesiastic official, the trustee for the property of a religious foundation. The post is attested already in 340 (Council of Gangra), but the term «oikonomos» is current from the early 5th C. Oikonomos was usually a cleric, appointed by the bishop or, after the 11th C., by the metropolitan; however, between the 9th C. and 1057, the (megas) oikonomos of the Great Church was appointed by the emperor, though this practice departed from the ecclesiastic rule. orphanotrophos A person in charge of an orphanage. The office was introduced at the time of Leo I and was originally given only to members of the clergy. In Constantinople the orphanotrophoi evolved, during the Middle and Late Byzantine period, into powerful courtiers with great influence. praepositos (from lat. praepositus sacri cubiculi) The praepositos or praipositos (πραιπόσιτος του ιερού κουβουκλίου or του ευσεβεστάτου κοιτώνος) was a grand chamberlain by the Early Byzantine period the highest official, usually Eunuch, in the imperial service. After the 6th C. his functions were assumed by the parakoimomenos. The dignity involved in palace ceremony and disappeared until the end of 11th C. protovestiarios (and protovestiarites) Honorific title given to high-ranking officials and future emperors during this period. The protovestiarios was originally responsible for the imperial wardrobe, but in the 9th-11th centuries the holders of the title could command an army or conduct negotiations with foreign states. senator, the (1. Roman, 2. Byzantine) 1. A Roman body of men that originally advised the king and then the consuls; Heredity was not the only means of joining the senate and new men or novi homines could become part of it; Augustus revised the senate and left the body with less power and bolstered hereditary claims as a means to enter the senate; it continued to make laws and conferred powers on new emperors. 2. Member of the senate. The senate, a roman institution transferred from Rome to Constantinople by Constantine I during the Byzantine period was an advisory body whose rights and responsibilities were not clearly defined. It was consisted of imperial officers coming from the upper and were ranked according to hierarchical levels: viri illustri (perfectus praetoriae and the magister), viri spectabili (proconsul, vicarius and the comes), viri clarissimi (consul praetoriae) and viri perfectissimi (praeses and duces). Since the 6th c. AD a new title was established for the upper officers (viri gloriosi). The years that followed officials were entitled to officers regardless their position as senators or if they were about to be admitted to this body. Πηγές Thurn, J. (ed.), Ioannes Scylitzes, Synoposis historiarum, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, Series Berolinensis 5 (Berlin New York 1973). Büttner Wobst, Th. (ed.), Ioannis Zonarae, Epitomis historiarum III, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae (Bonnae 1897). Bekker, I. (ed.), Michaelis Attaliotae historia, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae (Bonn 1853). Dennis, G.T. (ed.), Michaelis Pselli orationes panegyricae (Stuttgart Lipsia 1994). Renauld, É. (ed.), Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire dʹun siècle de Byzance (976 1077) I II (Paris I: 1926, II: 1928, ανατ. 1967). Kurtz, E. Fr. Drexl (ed.), Michel Psellos. Scripta Minora magnam partem adhuc inedita I II (Milano, Ι: 1936, ΙΙ: 1942). Schreiner, P., Die byzantinischen Kleinchroniken 1. Teil (Einleitung und Text) 2. Teil (Historische Kommentar) 3. Teil (Teilübersetzungen, Addenda et Corrigenda, Indices) Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, Series Vindobonensis 12 (Wien, 1:1975 2:1977 3:1979). Σάθας, Κ. (ed.), Bibliotheca Medii Aevi 4 5 (Paris Athens 4:1874, 5:1876). Παραθέματα Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 5/6
John Orphanotrophos's portrait in the Chronography of Michael Psellos (IV. 13-15) Ἃ μὲν οὖν ἄν τις αὐτοῦ ἐπαινεῖν ἔχοι τοιαῦτα, τὰ δ ἀντιθέτως ἔχοντα ποικίλος ἦν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἰδέαν τῶν ὁμιλούντων μεθαρμοζόμενος, καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ πολυειδὴς τὴν γνώμην φαινόμενος, καὶ ἑκάστου τῶν προσιόντων αὐτῷ πόρρωθεν καθαπτόμενος, ἐπεὶ δὲ πλησιάσειεν, ὡς νῦν πρώτως ἰδὼν εὐνοϊκότερον προσιέμενος κἄν τις αὐτῷ τι προσαγγείλαι νεώτερον καὶ οἷον σώζειν τὴν βασιλείαν δυνάμενον, ἵνα μηδὲν ἀνταμείψοιτο, πάλαι τοῦτο ἐγνωκέναι προσεποιεῖτο, καὶ τῆς βραδυτῆτος τὸν εἰρηκότα ἐμέμφετο [...] Ἐβούλετο μὲν οὖν μεγαλοπρεπέστερον διαζῆν καὶ βασιλικώτερον τῶν πραγμάτων ἀντέχεσθαι, ἀντεῖχε δὲ ὅμως πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ ἔμφυτον ἦθος, καὶ ἡ φύσις, ἵν οὕτως εἴπω, τὴν πρώτην οὐκ ἀπερρίπτει λιχνείαν διὰ ταῦτα ἅπαξ εἰς ποσὶν κατενεχθεὶς (ἥττητο γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος), εὐθὺς εἰς πᾶσαν ἀσχημοσύνην ἐξεκυλίετο ἐπελανθάνετο δ ὅμως τὸ βλοσυρὸν τῷ θηρὶ καὶ τὸ ἐπισκύνιον οὐδαμοῦ. Ἐγὼ γοῦν πολλάκις αὐτῷ παρεντυχὼν συμποσιάζοντι ἐθαύμαζον ὅπως τοιοῦτος ἀνήρ, μέθης ἥττων καὶ γέλωτος, τὸν Ῥωμαϊκὸν ἐπιπεφόρτισται ἄξονα διήθρει μεθύων ὁπόσα σχηματίζοιτο ἕκαστος τῶν συμπινόντων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπ αὐτοφόρῳ τούτους εἰλημμένους ἔχων εἰς εὐθύνας ὕστερον καθίστη καὶ τῶν πραχθέντων παρὰ τὸν πότον ἢ λεχθέντων ἀνέκρινεν ὅθεν μᾶλλον αὐτὸν μεθύοντα ἢ νήφοντα ἐδεδοίκεσαν. [...] ὁ δέ γε Ἰωάννης ἐκτομίας, περὶ οὗ τὸν λόγον πεποίημαι, τὰ δευτερεῖα μὲν εἶχεν τῆς πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρετῆς, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀξύμβλητος καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ὥστε, ἵνα τὸν λόγον ἐπανορθώσωμαι, τὸ ἀντίθετον τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἕξεως πρὸς τοὺς τρεῖς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐτύγχανεν ὤν συγκρινόμενος δὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὁ Ἰωάννης, τὸ μὲν ἔλαττον εἶχε παρὰ πολὺ, ὅμοιότητας δ οὖν ὅμως πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀπέφαινε καὶ οὐδ αὐτῷ μὲν ἤρεσκεν ἡ πονηρία τῶν ἀδελφῶν, φιλαδελφότατος δὲ εἴ τις ἄλλος τῶν πάντων γενόμενος, εἰς εὐθύνας μὲν ἐκείνους καθιστᾶν ὧν ἐπεπράγεισαν οὐκ ἐβούλετο, περικαλύπτων δὲ τὰς ἀδίκους αὐτῶν πράξεις... Renauld, É. (ed.), Michel Psellos. Chronographie ou histoire dʹun siècle de Byzance (976 1077) I (Paris 1926), pp. 60 1. Χρονολόγιο (?)-1025: John Orphanotrophos joins the entourage of Emperor Basil II 1028-1034: Romanos III Argyros appoints him senator and bestows upon him the title of praipositos 1032: John renovates the orphanage in Constantinople 1034: John elevates in the imperial throne his brother Michael (IV), who marries Empress Zoe. He was probably involved in the poisoning of Emperor Romanos III Argyros 1037: Unsuccessful effort of John to dethrone the patriarch of Constantinople Alexios Stoudites (1025 1043) and become patriarch himself 1041: Elevates on the imperial throne his nephew Michael V (1041 1042). Michael V, not tolerating Orphanotrophos influence, removes him from Constantinople 1042: Sent in exile in Lesbos from Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (1042 1055) 13 May 1043: John dies in Lesbos Δημιουργήθηκε στις 26/1/2017 Σελίδα 6/6