Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/669

ROMANUS. and clemency gained him the hearts of his new bunjects at the very beginning of his reign, but did not prevent some court conspiracies. At the same time his arms met with disgrace in Sicily and Syria, nor did he retrieve his fortune when he took, the field in person. The Arabs worsted him near Azar in Syria, and he only escaped captivity by shutting himself up in Antioch (1030), whence he hastened to Constantinople. His lieutenants Nicetas and Simeon, and especially Theoctistes, however, soon restored the honour of the Greek armies. Their success so mortified Argyrus that he became the prey of a deep melancholy, and only occupied himself with building churches and convents, his wife Zoe seizing the reins of the empire. Meanwhile the war with the Arabs was carried on with varying success, till at last the Greeks obtained great advantages in a decisive naval engagement, and by the conquest of Edessa, which was obliged to surrender in 1033. But the plague ravaged the provinces, and in the North the Patzinegues and other barbarians made de- structive inroads. These disasters roused Romanus from his indolence. But it was too late : he had made himself unpopular for ever, and his own family had become strangers to him. The more his generals were successful against the Arabs, the more the nation became convinced that without hira still greater advantages might be obtained. Hence arose a criminal intrigue betweeen Zoe, an ambitious and voluptuous wife, though past fifty, and the general Michael, surnamed Paphlago. Zoe administered a slow poison to her husband, in consequence of which he died a lingering death (1034), which was accelerated by the cruel deed of Zoe's assistants, who held the enfeebled em- peror, who was taking a bath, under water till life ■was nearly gone. Half dead, he was taken out and placed on a bed, when his wife despatched him by a dose of active poison. Romanus died at the age of sixty-six, and was succeeded by Mi- chael IV. the Paphlagonian, who married Zoe. It is certain that Romanus left no issue by Zoe, and it is doubtful whether he had any by Helena ; but his family contuiued to flourish in Constanti- nople down to its capture by the Turks, and more than 1,50 years afterwards. (Cedren. p. 7*22, &c. ; Zonar. vol. ii. p. 229, &c. ; Manass. p. 123 ; Glyc. p. 311.&C.) [W. P.] ROMA'NUS IV. DIO'GENES ('Vu^iJiauds 6 Aioyfp-ns), Bj'zantine emperor from A. d. 1067 — 1071, was the son of one Constantine Diogenes, a rather extravagant character, who conspired against the emperor Romanus Argyrus, but escaped pursuit by leaping out of a high window. Romanus Dio- genes was the grand-nephew of Romanus Argyrus, through his mother ; and enjoying the patronage of the court notwithstanding his father's conduct, soon rose to the dignities of patrician and duke of Sardica or Triaditza. In the reign of Constantine X. Dncas, he solicited the place of Magnus Ves- tiarius, and having received the answer : " Deserve it through your merits," forthwith returned to Sar- dica, sallied out with the garrison, and routed a party of Patzinegue marauders, of whose heads he sent a collection to Constantinople. The em- peror returned the compliment by granting him the desired appointment, adding : ** You owe your pre- ferment not to me, but to your sword." This piqued Romanus ; and from that time he enter- tained schemes of rebellion and of raising himself to VOL. m. ROMANUS. 657 the throne. After the death of Constantine, and during the reign of his widow Eudoxia, he became bolder ; but his manoeuvres were seen through, and he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. Previous to execution he was presented to the em- press ; and as he had obtained great military re- nown, and Avas besides a remarkably handsome man, he made such a visible impression upon Eu- doxia, that his judges thought it convenient to annul their sentence, in consequence of which he was sent into nominal exile in his native country Cappadocia. Two days after his departure he was joined by some messengers of the empress, who or- dered him to return to Constantinople. At his arrival there he was immediately appointed com- mander-in-chief of the army. The end of this farce was his marriage with the empress, and his proclamation as emperor three days after their marriage. Constantine X., however, had left three sons, who considered themselves prejudiced through the accession of Romanus, and entered into a dan- gerous plot against his life ; but their mother suc- ceeded in pacifying them, and submitting them to her authority. There remained, however, a strong party of malcontents at the court, composed of eminent and high-born men. Romanus, active and energetic, not only counteracted their plans, but in- troduced measures of radical reform into the cor- rupted administration, and freed himself from the authority of his wife, by leaving Constantinople and keeping his court on the Asiatic side of the Bosporus. To these domestic quarrels the Turks put a sud- den end. Their sultan, Alp-Arslan, approached by rapid marches from the shores of the Caspian and the highlands of northern Persia, while one of his lieutenants attacked Syria. Romanus took the field against them with his usual energy and promptitude. His intention was to cover Syria, and he was already on its frontiers when he was informed of the progress of the Turkish arms in the North. He consequently left Syria to his generals, and marched to Pontus with such rapidity, that he surprised and routed several Turkish bodies sta- tioned on its frontier. This was sufficient to keep the main body of the Turks within Persia. Ro- manus therefore hastened back to Syria. He made a successful campaign down to Antioch and up again along the Euphrates, and wherever he carried his arms the enemy was worsted. One of his ge- nerals, less fortunate, or less skilful, was surprised by the Turks, and lost the day and half of liis army. Romanus flew to his support ; and in a nocturnal engagement, took the camp of the Turks and routed them with great slaughter (20th of November, 1068). He then marched again up the Euphrates as far as Ara, constantly annoyed by the light troops of the enemy ; but he placed his troops in good and safe winter-quarters, and returned to the capital. Eudoxia, reconciled to her husband, had meanwhile governed the state with wisdom ; and, in acknowledgment of the vic- tories of the emperor, presented him with a sort of miscellaneous work, entitled **• Ionia," which she had just finished. The campaign was renewed ux 1069, and the imperial arms were again successful, though not uniformly so, as the Turks succeeded in taking and pillaging Iconium. The third cam!< paign, in 1070, was carried on under the command- in-chief of Manuel Comnenus, the emperor requir- ing repose after so many &itigues. Eve long, news u u