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VI 
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE 
IN THE 
ELEVENTH CENTURY 
 ith the death of Basil II in 1025 there came to an end the most brilliant
period in the history of Byzantium. During this period of roughly one and
a half centuries, beginning with 867 when Basil I ascended the throne and
ending with 1025 when Basil II died, the Byzantine empire had reestablished
itself as the great power of the Christian and Moslem worlds. Its armies
had humbled the Saracens, subjugated the Bulgars, virtually cleared 
 The following are the principal Greek narrative sources: Michael Psellus,
Chronographie (ed. and tr. E. Renauld, 2 vols., Paris, 1926, 1928); English
translation by E. R. A. Sewter, The Chronographia of Michael Pseltus (London,
1953); Michael Attaliates, Historia (Bonn, 1853); cedrenus-Skylitzes, Historiarum
compendium, vol. II (Bonn, 1839); John Zonaras, Epitomae historiarum, vol.
III (Bonn, 1897); Nicephorus Bryennius, Commentarii (Bonn, 1836); Anna comnena,
Alexiad, 2 vols. (Bonn, 1839, 1872); a new edition with a French translation
by B. Leib, 3 vols. (Paris, 1937, 1943, 1945); also an English translation
by. E. Dawes (London, 1928); The Strategikon of Cecaumenus (ed. V. G. Vasilievsky
and V. Jernstedt, Cecaumeni strategicon et incerti scriptoris de o/flciis
regiis libellus: Zapiski istorikofilologicheskago Fakulteta Imp. S. Peterburgskago
Universiteta, XXXVIII, St. Petersburg, 1896). A new edition with an English
translation prepared by the late Georgina Buckler is expected to come out
soon. Significant also are the discourses and letters of Psellus, on which
see c. N. Sathas, Bibliotheca graeca medii aevi, vol. IV (Paris, 1874), 3o3ff.,
and vol. V (Paris, 1876); L. Bréhier, "Un Discours inédit de
Psellus," Recue des etudes grecques, XVI (i~o~), 
375—416, and XVII (1904), 35—75; E. Kurtz and F. Drexl, Michaelis
Pselli scripta minora, vol. I (Milan, 1936). Less important than the chronicles
already cited are the following: 
Michael Glycas, Chronicon (Bonn, 1836); constantine Manasses, Synopsis chroniki
(Bonn, 1836); Joel, Chronographia (Bonn, 1836); and a chronicle in verse
with no definite title by Ephraem (Bonn, 1840). 
 Among the oriental sources mention should be made of Michael the Syrian,
Chronique 
(ed. and tr. J. B. chabot, 4 vols., Paris, 1899—1910); Bar Hebraeus,
Chronography (tr. E. A. 
W. Budge, London, 1932). More important is the work of Matthew of Edessa,
for which see 
E. Dulaurier, Chronique de Matthieu d' Edesse (Bibliothèque historique
arménienne, Paris, 
i8~8). See also Arisdaguès de Lasdiverd, Histoire d'Arménie
(tr. M. S. Prud'homme, Paris, 
1864). 
 Documents, which for this period are fairly numerous, will be cited elsewhere
in the course of this chapter. Important guides to these are: F. Dolger,
Regesten der Kaiser~rkunden des oströmischen Reiches; part I, Regesten
von 565—1025 (Munich, 1924), and part II, Regesten ~Ofl 1025—1204
(Munich, 1925); G. Moravcsik, Byzantinoturcica, vols. I and II (Budapest,
1942—1943); and V. Grumel, Les Actes des patriarches, I, fascs. 1—3
(1932—1947). 
 The most detailed secondary account for the period from 1025 to 1057 is
still G. Schlumherger, L'Epopée byzantine a la fin du dixilme sticle:
part 3, Les Porphyroginites Zoi et 
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