MICHAEL PSELLUS
223
MICHAEL PAL^OLOGUS
Michael Monachus, a theologian of the Church of the East, tiimrished as presbyter at Constantinople probably towards the close of the 9th century. He is noted as the author of Encomium Ir/natii Fatriai-chce (who died in 877), edited, Greek and Latin, in a very mutilated form, by Kaderus in his Acta Cvncilu(\ng(A- stadt, 1604, 4to), also in the eighth vol. of the Concilia :
Encomium in Anffelicorum Ordinum Ductores, Mi-
cho'h in it Ciitiridem: — Encomium in gloriosum Christi Apostiihiiii rhiltppum: — Perhaps Vita et Miracula S'ti Nicolai: — Vitit Theodori Studitce, of which Baronius gives some fragments in his A nnales ad an. 795 and 826. The complete text, with a Latin translation, was pub- lished by Jacobus de la Baune, in the fifth vol. of OjMra Sirmondi (Paris, 1696, foL). The life of Theodore Stu- dita, as well as one or two of the other productions, was perhaps written by another Michael Monachus, a con- temporary and survivor of Studita, who died as early as 826. The author of this life was a very incomjietent writer. Cave, Hist. Lit. ad an. 876 ; Fabricius, Biblioth. Grcec. ix, 50o.
Michael Psellus, Jr., a noted Greek philosopher and teacher, flourished at Constantinople from 1020 to 1105, as teacher of theology and philosophy. He is no- ted as the writer of AiSafficaXia iravToSanr] in Fabri- cius, Biblioth. Grceca (vol. x) : — Yltpl Svvd^e(i)V r/jf '/'"X'/Ci edited by Tarin (Par. 1618 sq.) :— a Paraphrase of Aristotle's Hepi ipixeviiag (Ven. 1503) : — Synopsis of Aristotle's Oi-ganon, edited by Ehlinger (Augsb. 1597) : — Commentary on Aristotle's Nuturcd Philosophy, in Lat. by Camotius (Ven. 1554) : — Iltpi rm' Trsvre dxoviSJv of Porphyrins (Basle, 1542) : — Yifpi tvepyiiag Saii.i6vwv, edited by Gaulinenus (Paris, 1615). See Leo Allatius, De Psellis eorumque scriptis (Rome, 1634) ; Ueberweg, Hist. Philos. i, 404 ; Enfield, Hist. Philos. p. 474.
Michael Scotus, a learned author of the 13th century, was born at Durham, England ; or, as some as- sert, at Balweary, Scotland. He attended lectures at Oxford, and afterwards at Paris, and devoted himself to the study of mathematics and Oriental languages. Em- peror Frederick II, who reigned at that time in Germany, was the most prominent protector of art and sciences, and INIichael went to his court, studying medicine and chemistry. After a stay of several years in Germany, he returned to England, where he became a great fa- vorite of king Edward II. He died in 1291, at a very advanced age. Michael Scotus was celebrated on ac- count of his knowledge in secret arts and magic (corap. Dante, Inferno, xx, 115-118). It is said that his books on magic were buried with him. He was also actively engaged in the translation of Aristotle, which was made by command of emperor Frederick 11, and was afterwards printed at Venice in 1496 : A ristotelis opera Latine versa, piuiim e Grceco,2)artim e Aixibico, per viros lectos et in iitni/sqiie lingiue prolatione j)eritos, jussu imperatori Eridirici II. He probably translated the natural phi' losophy of Aristotle from the Arabic version of Avicen- na. Michael is the author of De secretis naturce, sire de jirocreatione hominis et pihysiognomia, and of the Quwstio curiosa de natura solis et lume," i. e. of gold and silver. He has also been considered the author of Mensapkilosophica sen enchiridion, in quo de qucestionibns mensalibus et variis ac jucundis homimim congressihvs agitur, which has been printed several times. This latter work, however, has been attributed, by some at least, to Theobald Anguilbertus, a learned Irishman who lived about the year 1600 as doctor of medicine and ]ihilosophy at Paris. See Tennemann, Manual Hist. Philos. p. 223 ; Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lexikon, s. V.
Michael VIII, surnamed Pal^ologus (o Ha- XaiuXoyof), emperor of Nictea, and afterwards of Con- stantinople, from A.D. 1260 to 1282, the restorer of the Greek empire, and the laborer for the " unity of the Church," was born of noble parentage in 1234. At an early age he rose to eminence, which he owed more to
his uncommon talents than to his illustrious birth. He was in great favor with the emperor Theodore (II) Las- caris. This sovereign died in August, 1259, leaving a son, John HI, who was only nine years old, and over whom he had placed the patriarch Arsenius, and the magnus domesticus Muzalon, as guardians. jMichael, the friend of the soldiers, was determined to secure for himself the place of Muzalon, who was despatched by the imperial guard, and Jlichael Palieologus, whom Theodore shortly before his decease had appointed mag- nus dux, was chosen as guardian instead, and soon after- wards received or gave himself the title and power of despot. Next he made himself master of the imperial treasury, bribed or gained the Varangian guard and the clergy, and secured his proclamation as emperor at INIagnesia. Michael and the boy John were crowned together at Nicaja, on the 1st of January, 1260. While the event was hailed with satisfaction at home, it failed to secure friends abroad. The Latins, especially, were dissatisfied ; assumed a haughty tone towards Michael, and demanded the cession of those parts of Thrace and Macedonia which belonged to Nicsea, as a condition of acknowledging him as emperor. But Michael treated the Latin ambassadors with ridicule, and, in answer, took prompt measures for driving the Latins out of Constan- tinople ; and, before the end of the year 1260, Baldwin II was shut up within his capital. Michael, however, was not strong enough to reduce the city, and was obliged to convert the siege into a blockade ; until one day, one Curtrizacus, the commander of a body of volun- teer auxiliaries, was informed of the existence of a sub- terranean passage leading from a place outside the walls into the cellar of a house within them, and which seemed not to be generally known. Upon the strength of this information, a plan was formed for the surprise of the garrison by means of the passage, and, after concerting measures with the commander-in-chief, he ventured with fifty men through the passage into the city. His plan succeeded completely. No sooner was he within than he took possession of the nearest gate, disarmed the post, opened it, and the main body of the Greeks rushed in. The stratagem was executed in the dead of night. The inhabitants, roused from their slumber, soon learned the cause of the noise, and kept quiet within their houses, or joined their daring countrymen. The Latins, dispersed in various quarters, were seized with a panic, and fled in all directions, while the emperor Bald- win had scarcely time to leave his palace and escape on board of a Venetian galley, which carried him immedi- ately to Italy, On the morning of the 25th of July, 1261, Constantinople was in the undisputed possession of the Greeks, after it had borne the yoke of the Latins during fifty-seven years, three months, and thirteen days.