Editing Michael Psellos (section)

==Biography and political career==
The main sources of information about Psellos' life are his works, which contain extensive autobiographical passages. Michael Psellos was probably born in [[Constantinople]]. His family hailed from [[Nicomedia]] and, according to his own testimony, counted members of the consular and patrician elite among its ancestors. His baptismal name was '''Constantine'''; Michael was the monastic name he chose when he entered a monastery later in life. "Psellos" ('the stammerer') probably was a personal by-name referring to a speech defect.

Michael Psellos was educated in Constantinople. At around the age of ten, he was sent to work outside the capital as a secretary of a provincial judge, to help his family raise the dowry for his sister. When his sister died, he gave up that position and returned to Constantinople to resume his studies. While studying under [[John Mauropus]], he met the later Patriarchs [[Constantine III of Constantinople|Constantine Leichoudes]] and [[Patriarch John VIII of Constantinople|John Xiphilinos]], and the later emperor [[Constantine X|Constantine X Doukas]]. For some time, he worked in the provinces again, now a judge.<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Michael Psellus}}</ref> Some time before 1042 he returned again to Constantinople, where he got a junior position at court as a secretary ({{lang|grc|ὑπογραμματεύς}}) in the imperial chancellery and began a rapid ascent at court. He became an influential political advisor to emperor [[Constantine IX|Constantine IX Monomachos]] (reigned 1042–1055) and became the leading professor at the [[University of Constantinople]], bearing the honorary title of "Chief of the Philosophers" ({{lang|grc|ὕπατος τῶν φιλοσόφων}} ''hypatos tōn philosophōn''). Despite his eminence and prowess in learning, his knowledge of [[Latin (language)|Latin]] was cloudy enough for him to confuse [[Cicero]] with [[Caesar]]. This is cited as a prime example of how the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] had lost nearly all of its connections to its Roman roots by the High Middle Ages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/greatschism.aspx|title=The Great Schism: The Estrangement of Eastern and Western Christendom|website=orthodoxinfo.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-24}}</ref> {{better source needed|reason=Source does not quote any relevant examples from the text.|date=July 2021}}

Towards the end of Monomachos' reign, Psellos found himself under political pressure for some reason and decided to leave court, entering the [[Olympus (monastery)|Olympus monastery]] on [[Uludağ|Mount Olympus]] in [[Bithynia]] in 1054. After Monomachos' death he was recalled to court by his successor, Empress [[Theodora (11th century)|Theodora]] (reigned 1055–1056). Throughout the following years, he remained active in politics, serving as a high-ranking political advisor to successive emperors. He played a decisive political role in the transition of power from [[Michael VI]] to [[Isaac I Komnenos]] in 1057; then from Isaac Komnenos to [[Constantine X]] Doukas (1059), then again from [[Romanos IV]] Diogenes to [[Michael VII|Michael VII Doukas]] (1071). As Psellos had served as Michael's teacher during the reign of Michael's father Constantine, and as he had played an important role in helping Michael gain power against his adversary and stepfather Romanos, Psellos probably entertained hopes of an even more influential position as a teacher and advisor under him. Michael seems to have been less inclined towards protecting Psellos and after the mid-1070s there is no more information about any role played by Psellos at court. As his autobiographic accounts cease at this point, there is little reliable information about his later years. Some scholars believe that Psellos  had to retreat into a monastery again at some time during the 1070s.<ref name="refjoannou">Perikles P. Joannou: "Psellos et le monastère *{{lang|grc|Τὰ Ναρσοῦ}}". ''Byzantinische Zeitschrift'' 44: 283–290.</ref> Following a remark by Psellos' fellow historian [[Joannes Zonaras]], it is believed by most scholars that Psellos died soon after the fall of Michael VII in 1078, although some scholars have also proposed later dates.<ref name="refhunger">Herbert Hunger: ''Die hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner.'' 2 vols. München 1978.</ref><ref name="refpolemis">Ioannes Polemis: "When did Psellos die?" ''Byzantinische Zeitschrift'' 58: 73–76.</ref> What is known is that Theophylaktos of Bulgaria wrote a letter to Psellos's brother comforting him on the death of his brother saying that, "Your brother has not died, but has departed to [[God]] released of both a painful life and disease".<ref name="refTheophylaktos">P. Gautier, Theophylacte d'Achrida. Lettres. Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae. Series Thessalonicensis 16.2. Thessalonica: Association for Byzantine Research, 1986. Letter 132</ref>