Образът на детето и императора Михаил VII Дука в Хронография на Михаил Псел
The Image of the Child and the Emperor Michael VII Doukas in Michael Psellos’ Chronographia

Summary/Abstract: Emperor Michael VII Doukas (1071-1078) began his reign in the troublesome period after the battle of Manzikert. However he was co-emperor of his father Constantine X (1059-1067) from the beginning of his reign when Michael was about the age of ten. The paper follows the text of Michael Psellos. It presents the description of Michael Doukas in Psellos’ Chronographia in both his earlier days and at the time of his reign. Some of the ascribed features of the emperor include his legitimacy, some personal qualities (intellect, ruling abilities and understanding of the matters of power, justice and philanthropy), his handsomeness, etc. Besides that, the major historic events in Michael VII’s live and reign are briefly dealt with. Each effort to identify the image of Michael Doukas in Psellos’ Chronographia with the real Byzantine emperor is doomed to failure, despite the author’s attempts to justify his writings. What is obvious is that the image drawn by the Byzantine intellectual is of very hyperbolic nature, but nevertheless it can serve as a great example of а ruler’s panegyric.

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