Editing Michael IV the Paphlagonian (section)

==Reign==

===Domestic policies===
[[File:The Christian widow of the caliph of Egypt sends a letter to Michael IV.jpg|thumb|The Christian widow of the caliph of Egypt sends a letter to Michael IV.]]
[[File:The_wedding_of_Zoe_and_Michael_the_Paphlagonian.jpg|thumb|The wedding of Michael and Zoë, as depicted in the ''[[Madrid Skylitzes]]''|left]]Michael IV was handsome, clever and generous, but [[epilepsy]] and a lack of education prevented him from assuming many of his imperial duties. He was initially reliant on others to direct the government in his name, and afforded significant responsibilities to his brother John, who had already become an influential minister under Constantine&nbsp;VIII and Romanos&nbsp;III.<ref>Finlay, pg. 480</ref><ref name="Norwich, pg. 287">Norwich, pg. 287</ref> Zoë was disappointed in her hopes that Michael would prove a more devoted husband than Romanos. Fearing that the empress might turn on him as she had turned on his predecessor, Michael excluded her from politics and confined her to the palace ''[[gynaeceum]]'' (women's quarters). There a watch was kept on Zoë’s activities, and Michael seldom visited her.

John's reforms of the army and financial system revived the strength of the Empire against its foreign enemies but increased taxes, which caused discontent among the nobility and the commons. John's monopoly of the government and the introduction of such taxes as the ''[[Aerikon]]'' led to several conspiracies against him and Michael.<ref name="Kazhdan, pg. 1365">Kazhdan, pg. 1365</ref> Poor harvests and famine caused by bad weather and by a locust plague in 1035 exacerbated discontent. When Michael tried to exercise a measure of control over [[Aleppo]], the local citizens drove off the imperial governor.<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 586">Treadgold, pg. 586</ref><ref name="Treadgold, pg. 587">Treadgold, pg. 587</ref> There were revolts at [[Antioch]], [[Nicopolis]] and in [[Bulgaria]].<ref>Finlay, pg. 481–82, 485</ref>
[[File:John the Orphanotrophos exiles Constantine Dalassenos.jpg|thumb|[[John the Orphanotrophos]] exiles Constantine Dalassenos.]]
In 1034 Michael ordered the arrest of [[Constantine Dalassenos (duke of Antioch)|Constantine Dalassenos]] on suspicion of treason, accused of fomenting insurrection at Antioch. In 1037 Zoë conspired to have John the Eunuch poisoned.<ref name="Garland, Zoë Porphyrogenita" /> In 1038 Michael's brother, Constantine, suppressed an uprising of the armies in [[Anatolia]]. In 1040 a conspiracy involved the priest [[Michael Cerularius|Michael Keroularios]], who became a monk to save his life and was elected Patriarch of Constantinople under Michael's successor. During the Bulgarian uprising of 1040, John the Eunuch arrested suspected plotters in Anatolia and Constantinople who were hoping to take advantage of the turmoil but was unable to capture the [[Strategos]] (military governor) of [[Apros|Theodosiopolis]], who joined the rebellion and attempted to capture [[Thessalonica]].<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 588">Treadgold, pg. 588</ref><ref name="Finlay, pg. 485">Finlay, pg. 485</ref>

===Foreign and military affairs===
[[File:Histamenon of Michael IV.png|thumb|right|''[[Histamenon]]'' of Michael IV.]]
In terms of military affairs, Michael's reign began poorly. The Arabs sacked [[Myra]], the [[Serbs]] threw off Byzantine authority and the [[Pechenegs]] raided almost at will up to the gates of Thessalonica. The situation was soon stabilised: on the eastern frontier, Arab pirates were either captured or killed; the Byzantines captured the [[Muslim]] fortress of [[Muradiye|Perkri]], on the eastern shore of [[Lake Van]]; [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]] was relieved after a long siege and eventually ceded to the empire in 1037.<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 586–7">Treadgold, pg. 586–87</ref><ref>Finlay, pg. 486</ref>
[[File:The Byzantines under Georgios Maniakes land at Sicily and defeat the Arabs.jpg|thumb|The Byzantine army under George Maniakes lands in Sicily and defeats the Arabs.]]
On the western front, Michael and John ordered the general [[George Maniakes]] to conquer the [[Emirate of Sicily]]. In 1038 Maniakes landed in southern Italy and soon captured [[Messina]]. He then defeated the scattered Arab forces and captured towns in the west and south of the island. By 1040 he had stormed and taken [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]]. He almost succeeded in driving the Arabs from the island, but Maniakes then fell out with his [[Lombards|Lombard]] allies, while his [[Italo-Normans|Norman]] mercenaries, unhappy with their pay, abandoned the Byzantine general and raised a revolt on the Italian mainland, resulting in the temporary loss of [[Bari]]. Maniakes was about to strike against them when he was recalled by John the Eunuch on suspicion of conspiracy.<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 588">Treadgold, pg. 588</ref> After Maniakes's recall, most of the Sicilian conquests were lost and an expedition against the Normans suffered several defeats, although Bari was eventually recaptured.<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 587–89">Treadgold, pg. 587–89</ref><ref>Norwich, pg. 285–86</ref>
[[File:PetarDelyanIsProclaimedTsarOfBulgaria.jpg|thumb|Peter Delyan is proclaimed [[List of Bulgarian monarchs|Emperor of Bulgaria]].]]
In the north, Pecheneg pressure had initially forced the Serbs to seek the protection of the Byzantine Empire and acknowledge Byzantine authority. In 1040 the Serbs again revolted, as did the [[Bulgarians]]. [[Uprising of Petar Delyan|This uprising]] was partly caused by the heavy taxation in coin (and not, as before, in kind) imposed on Bulgaria by John's policies. It also aimed at the restoration of the Bulgarian state under the leadership of [[Peter Delyan]]. The rebels seized [[Belgrade]], proclaimed Delyan Emperor of Bulgaria and then quickly took [[Scupi]]. Michael&nbsp;IV made things worse by removing from command the ''[[dux|doux]]'' of [[Dyrrhachium]], who had been marching against Peter Delyan, accusing him of a conspiracy. His troops, largely Bulgarian, joined the revolt and Delyan laid siege to Thessalonica. Dyrrhachium had been lost and Delyan defeated the ''Strategos'' of [[Hellas (theme)|Hellas]]. Most of the [[Theme (Byzantine district)|theme]] of [[Nicopolis (theme)|Nicopolis]] had risen up against Michael, disgusted with the greed of John the Eunuch.<ref name="Treadgold, pg. 587–89">Treadgold, pg. 587–89</ref><ref>Finlay, pg. 490–91</ref><ref name="Norwich, pg. 287" />
[[File:The Thessalonians pursue the Bulgarian besiegers under Alusian, 1040.jpg|thumb|The Bulgarian rebels under [[Alusian of Bulgaria|Alusian]] are defeated at the [[Battle of Thessalonica (2nd 1040)|2nd battle of Thessalonica]].]]
At this point, Michael's epilepsy left him half paralysed and he developed a severe case of [[dropsy]], which caused his legs to become [[gangrene|gangrenous]]. When he announced that he intended to lead the imperial army against the Bulgarians, his advisors were aghast. In 1041 Michael set off towards Macedonia with an army of 40,000 men, assisted by Norse mercenaries, including the future King [[Harald III of Norway]]. Gathering his forces at [[Mosynopolis]] the Emperor waited for the Bulgarian army. The military position of the Byzantines was aided by internal dissension among the Bulgarians. Michael advanced, relieving Thessalonica then bringing the Bulgarians to battle, defeating them and capturing Delyan. Michael pushed his army aggressively into Bulgaria. The largest remaining Bulgarian contingent was at [[Prilep|Prilapon]] in a fortified camp commanded by Manuel Ivats. The Byzantines stormed the camp, scattered the Bulgarians and captured Ivats. The rigours of the campaign brought Michael close to death, but he was able to return to Constantinople in triumph.<ref name="Norwich, pg. 286, 289">Norwich, pg. 286, 289</ref><ref name="Treadgold, pg. 587">Treadgold, pg. 587</ref>
[[File:Alusian has Delyan blinded at a banquet.jpg|thumb|Alusian invites Peter Delyan to a banquet only to betray and blind him.]]

===Final illness and death===
[[File:Tonsure and death of Michael IV.jpg|thumb|Tonsure and death of Michael IV, as depicted in the ''[[Madrid Skylitzes]].'' He is depicted wearing a monastic ''koukoulion''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tsamakda|first=Vasiliki|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51900961|title=The illustrated chronicle of Ioannes Skylitzes in Madrid|date=2002|publisher=Alexandros|isbn=90-806476-2-4|location=Leiden|pages=243|oclc=51900961}}</ref>]]

Despite his triumphant campaign, it was now clear to all that Michael was dying. He sought heavenly aid by visiting the shrine of [[Demetrius of Thessaloniki|Saint Demetrius]] at Thessalonica and by building or rebuilding churches. In 1039 he gave monetary gifts to every monk and priest in the empire and also to any parents who made him a godfather to their children. John the Eunuch, eager to ensure that power remained in his hands, forced Zoë to adopt Michael's and his nephew, their sister's son, also named Michael. After taking Holy Orders, on 10 December 1041 Michael IV died, refusing to the last to see his wife, who begged that she be allowed to visit him one more time. His nephew was crowned emperor as [[Michael V Kalaphates|Michael V]].<ref>Norwich, pg. 289, 292</ref><ref>Kazhdan, pg. 1365, 2228</ref><ref name="Treadgold, pg. 587–89"/>