Editing Michael IV the Paphlagonian (section)

===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>