Owing to my oratorical skill, I was introduced at court and became secretary to the reigning emperor, none other than Constantine, head of the Monomachi, a position which was in very truth his by right.**240 I was then twenty-five years old. Of course, I had to adopt a more distinguished mode of living and a finer house had to be found to live in. Even in this matter the emperor provided for me.
He allowed me to take over my friend’s**241 house, giving him a mansion in exchange, and thereby united us more firmly still in the bonds of friendship. I trusted him (my friend) implicitly on all occasions and painted a glowing picture of his virtues to the emperor. I was even able to gain for him certain advantages. Then, of course, this emperor died and his place on the throne was taken by Michael the Aged (I will not recall again the many events that occurred between the two reigns).
There was a crisis in the state, when the military felt it incumbent on them to enter the struggle for power prepared to risk their lives in order that they might rule the Empire Chief responsibility for this state of affairs rested on the senate because of its choice of magistrates in the government and because it failed to see the dangers involved. No doubt, too, the emperor gave them a pretext for disloyalty and added fuel to the flames. Well, the soldiers decided to revolt on their own initiative, holding a council of war in Byzantium and immediately afterwards setting out for their chosen rendezvous. I have told the whole story in detail in the section devoted to Comnenus.
The people were unanimous in their support of Constantine and wished him to become emperor. They urged him to seize power himself, but he refused, nobly withdrawing his own claims and making way for Isaac Comnenus. So God, long before his accession, guided his actions, wishing him to come to the throne by legitimate means.
Comnenus became master of the Empire
I prefer not to repeat the history of the subsequent happenings, but briefly Comnenus became master of the Empire, and forgot most of the promises he had made to Constantine. The latter contented himself, once more, with a minor rôle. He was careful to avoid giving any offence to the ruling monarch. However, when Comnenus fell ill and nearly died, he remembered the agreements previously made with his lieutenant. He sought my advice on the situation {none of the emperors in any life-time had a higher opinion of me, or admired me more than he did). The result of this conversation was that he set aside the claims of his own family and turned wholeheartedly to Constantine.
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