The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire . state of misery. Under the triple reign of thehouse of Ducas, the two younger brothers were reduced to thevain honours of the purple; but the eldest, the pusillanimousMichael, was incapable of sustaining the Roman sceptre; andhis surname of Parapinaces denotes the reproach which heshared with an avaricious favourite who enhanced the price,and diminished the measure, of wheat. In the school of Psellus,and after the example of his mother, the son of Eudocia madesome proficiency in philosophy and rhetoric; but his characterwas degraded, ra
The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire . state of misery. Under the triple reign of thehouse of Ducas, the two younger brothers were reduced to thevain honours of the purple; but the eldest, the pusillanimousMichael, was incapable of sustaining the Roman sceptre; andhis surname of Parapinaces denotes the reproach which heshared with an avaricious favourite who enhanced the price,and diminished the measure, of wheat. In the school of Psellus,and after the example of his mother, the son of Eudocia madesome proficiency in philosophy and rhetoric; but his characterwas degraded, rather than ennobled, by the virtues of a monkand the learning of a sophist. Strong in the contempt of theirsovereign and their own esteem, two generals at the head ofthe European and Asiatic legions assumed the purple at Hadria-nople and Nice. Their revolt was in the same month; theybore the same name of Nicephorus; but the two candidateswere distinguished by the surnames of Bryennius and Botani-ates: the former in the maturity of wisdom and courage, the. CENTRE OF AN IVORY TRIPTYCH : OUR LORD BLESSING THE EMPERORROMANUS ( 1068-1071) AND THE EMPRESS EUDOCIA ( NATIONAI-E, IARIS) Chap, xlviii] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 239 latter conspicuous only by the memory of his past Botaniates advanced with cautious and dilatory steps, hisactive competitor stood in arms before the gates of Constanti-nople. The name of Bryennius was illustrious; his cause waspopular; but his licentious troops could not be restrained fromburning and pillaging a suburb; and the people, who wouldhave hailed the rebel, rejected and repulsed the incendiary ofhis country. This change of the public opinion was favourableto Botaniates, who at length, with an army of Turks, approachedthe shores of Chalcedon. A formal invitation, in the name ofthe patriarch, the synod, and the senate, was circulated throughthe streets of Constantinople; and the general assembly, in thedome of St. Sophia, debat
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