William Jackson Brodribb and Walter Besant

“ He repaired secretly to Constantinople, where the revolt had been already prepared: he was immediately proclaimed emperor, and with such troops as his friends could raise, he hastened to the palace of Chalke, intending to seize on the young emperor. But the faithful English guards were true to their duty, and the rebels were repulsed after a sanguinary fight, in which 3,000 were slain, including Constantine Ducas himself. Then the Bulgarians gave trouble, their king marching up even to the very gates of Constantinople [1] without opposition. ”

“ Zoe and Theodora reigned together. But Zoe was jealous of the superior abilities of her sister. She chose another husband in order to destroy her influence. Constantine Monomachus, of whom very little is known, except that he was openly and shamelessly profligate, had a beautiful mistress whom he brought with him to Constantinople, and with whom he appeared in public—a Christian emperor with two empresses. ”

“ Zoe, now fifty-four years of age, but still anxious for an heir, lost no time in placing a new emperor on the throne. Michael IV. was married to Zoe, and proclaimed emperor on the day of Romanus's death. Still there were no children, and the unhappy emperor, who had been a money-changer and a menial, suffered from epileptic fits. There were more seditions in this reign, though the military powder of the empire was maintained. Michael IV., who possessed many noble qualities, died after a reign of seven years. ”

“ Basil in the camp. Constantine succeeded to the throne after a tolerably long life spent entirely in amusements. He could not expect to live long. Who was to succeed him, and who would govern for him while he lived?
He had three daughters; one was already in a convent, two were unmarried. Of these two Theodora refused absolutely to marry; Zoe, already forty-eight years of age, consented to espouse Romanus Argyrus, whose own wife kindly retreated to a convent, and her husband was crowned emperor as Romanus III. two days before her father died. ”

“ For, to stimulate the military ardour of the soldiers, he asked the patriarch to declare that all Christians who perished in fighting Saracens were holy martyrs. The unpatriotic Churchman replied that all war was unholy, and that he who slew an enemy in battle ought to be deprived of the sacraments for at least three years. ”

“ The campaigns of this soldier prince were fought far from his capital. They were successful and honourable. He was murdered after a reign of six years by his nephew, John Zimiskes, instigated by the Empress Theophano, the widow of Romanus II., who had been suspected of poisoning her father-in-law and her husband. ”