Constantine’s wife, Helena, daughter of the patrician8 Alypius, is a mere9 cipher10 in the imperial records, and seems to have died much earlier, leaving three daughters—Eudocia, Zoe and Theodora—to grow up as they might in the palace of her voluptuous11 husband. Eudocia, the eldest12, lost during an attack of smallpox13 whatever comeliness14 she may have had, and retired15 to hide her disfigured countenance16 under the veil of a nun17. There remained Zoe and Theodora, and Constantine determined18 to marry one of the two to some important noble and leave the crown to him. The elder of the two was nearly fifty years old, and Theodora cannot have been much159 younger. It is not very clear why they had not married earlier. Their father, who could hardly be induced to take the least interest in his Empire, had wholly neglected his daughters until he held the sceptre in his hands, and felt that the time was at hand when he must relinquish19 it to another. He was a very large and robust20 man, absorbed in hunting, gambling21 and other less reputable pleasures, and, even when he was sole Emperor, he left the cares of state to his eunuchs and retained his imperial attention for the theatre, the banquet and the dance. In his home the sisters had, says the chronicler, “lived as they listed,” and the further course of the story will make it probable that Zoe had not failed to enjoy her liberty. Theodora was less sensual, but we shall have to include both sisters in the list of Empresses who were little embarrassed by moral scruples22.
In approaching their careers we have the rare advantage of an excellent guide. Michael Psellus, one of the leading philosophers and literary men of Byzantine history, not only lived at their Court, and knew them intimately, but he had a genial24 taste for the tattle and scandal of a court and not the least reluctance25 to entrust26 it to his graceful27 pen. He has been called the Voltaire of Byzantine letters on account of his brilliant, caustic28 and very candid29 way of writing the story of his times. We shall find his “Chronography” of inestimable value, provided we make due allowance for the prejudices of the politician and the amiable30 unscrupulousness of the anecdotist.
Zoe and Theodora were very different types of women. Zoe, who will interest us most, was a woman of fine complexion32, very graceful figure and ardent33 passions. She had large sensuous34 eyes under heavy eyebrows35, a mass of blonde hair, and a skin of remarkable36 whiteness. She was of middle height, and preferred to dress in simple robes, which exhibited her figure, rather than in the heavy and gorgeous draperies and massive jewellery160 of an Empress; though this simplicity37 of taste was limited, on one side, by a passion for perfumes and cosmetics38, of which she gathered the material from all parts of the world and compounded, either with her own hands or by her maids, so industriously39 that her room “looked like a workshop.” She took such care of her smooth and clear skin and blonde hair that even in her seventieth year she had no wrinkle or other mark of age. She retained youth also in her blood, and we shall find her remarkably40 amorous41 in her sixth decade of life. Such a woman we shall hardly expect to find richly endowed with intellect or greatly restrained by moral sentiments, yet I think that M. Diehl follows too literally43 the facile witticism44 of Psellus when he speaks of Zoe as “childish” and “silly,” and I will prefer to let the story of her life tell us the limitations of her intelligence and character.
Theodora will interest us much less than Zoe, and it will suffice to say that she was in all respects different from her sister. Her tall and graceless figure and her very plain features were compensated45 by a stronger intelligence and greater force of character. She could be coldly stern, even cruel, on occasions, while cruelty only came to Zoe in the impulsive46 anger of her thwarted47 passions. We shall see that, when the occasion came to her, she cherished a very high ideal of public duty and used her power with an intelligence and beneficence that Psellus greatly underrates.
Such were the two daughters who, in middle age, were warned by their father that one of them must marry and inherit the Empire. The choice of Constantine first fell upon a distinguished noble named Constantine Delassenus, and a eunuch was sent to bring him from Armenia, where duty had taken him, to the Court. Much tragedy might have been prevented if that eunuch had reached his destination in time, but he was recalled by a second courier and told that the Emperor had changed his mind. It appears that the commander of the palace guards had161 felt that he would not have much influence on a noble like Delassenus, and he had brought to the notice of the Emperor a less young and less vigorous candidate, Romanus Argyrus, who was related to Constantine. Romanus was sixty years old, and had little to recommend him except his incompetency48, which would suit the designs of the officers of the Court. He had, however, a wife living in Constantinople at the time, and it seems to have been supposed that he might not be willing to abandon her. The petty schemers of the Court were accordingly directed to bring about a separation, and, as Polyeuctes was dead, and a more accommodating patriarch held the see, no opposition49 was expected from the Church.
A file of soldiers entered the mansion50 of Romanus and told him that he had incurred51 the anger of the Emperor. They were, they said, to lead him to the palace for execution, and his wife was to enter a monastery52. Many eyes had been put out, on slight grounds, during the three years’ licentious53 reign of Constantine, and the threat was serious. The wife fled at once to a monastery, and Romanus was brought, in some trepidation54, to the royal presence—to learn that, since his wife was now a nun, he was free to marry the Emperor’s daughter and thus secure the purple. Instead of retiring to thrust a dagger55 in his heart, as an older Roman would probably have done, the sixty-year-old noble graciously submitted his person to the princesses. Theodora, the favourite of her father, had the first choice, but she turned away in disgust. Possibly Romanus did not regret that this gave him the hand of the more charming Zoe, who, in her forty-ninth year, fully56 preserved the fresh and brilliant complexion and the warm passions of a young woman. He had set out from home prepared for death, and must have been bewildered by his fortune. The clergy57 obligingly disentangled the somewhat complicated relation in which they stood to each other, in the eyes of the Church; they were married and crowned on 19th162 November 1028; and, as Constantine died three or four days afterwards, the duty, or pleasure, of governing the Empire fell on them during the first week of their singular honeymoon58.
After this inauspicious beginning we shall hardly expect the reign of Romanus III. and Zoe to be one of brilliant and inspiring deeds; indeed, we may say briefly59 that it was merely an inglorious effort to retain the crowns they had obtained. They adopted the easy device of emptying the treasury60 on the common folk, the clergy and the monks62. The private debts of citizens were paid by them, more churches were built or richly decorated, the clergy were relieved from taxation63, and the monks—it was the very culmination64 of their golden age—were lodged65 in luxurious67 mansions68 which made their calling one of the most attractive in the Empire. The graver nobles frowned, plotted and were savagely69 punished, but we are interested in these conspiracies70 only in so far as they involve the imperial sisters.
Theodora, a spirited and intelligent woman, naturally despised the marriage which she had refused, and was regarded with suspicion and hatred71 by her sister. By some means Zoe put at the head of Theodora’s household a Paphlagonian eunuch in her own pay, a very crafty72 and unscrupulous man named John, who was enjoined73 to watch Theodora’s conduct. This very interesting person will be better known to us presently, as he was destined74 to be the most powerful man in Zoe’s Court. For the moment it is enough to say that, about a year after the coronation, Theodora was discovered to have some share in a conspiracy75 which was set afoot by Constantine, a relative of the Emperor. It is curious that John also was found guilty, though whether this was merely a trick to conceal76 his spying, or he had really been gained by Theodora, it would be difficult to say. Theodora was expelled from the palace and confined in a building at Petrion, on the Golden Horn, which seems to have had the mixed characters of a monastery, a state163 prison and a fort. It was the building to which Nicephorus had consigned77 Theophano for a few weeks before their marriage, and would have comfortable apartments. A year later Romanus was ignominiously79 beaten by the Saracens and the conspiracy revived. There is no proof that Theodora took part in it, but its aim would be, no doubt, to place her on the throne. In one of those moments of energy which passion occasionally gave her, Zoe went to Petrion, and forced her royal sister to take the vows80 and adopt the dress of a nun.
As a number of other malcontents lost their eyes or their liberty at the same time, the throne of Zoe and Romanus seemed to be firmly established. Unfortunately, a very grave breach81 now took place between the imperial pair, and, as a handsome official entered the service of the palace, there happened what so commonly happens in Byzantine history under the circumstances: Zoe fell in love with the handsome servant, and Romanus died, of a mysterious complaint.
Delicacy82 compels me to refer the inquisitive83 reader to the Greek text of Psellus, or to the chronicle of the monk61 Zonaras, for a full explanation of the rift84 in the sacred palace. Briefly, Romanus had been assured by one of those soothsayers who were in such high repute at Constantinople that he would have a son, and he zealously85 studied and employed the whole known range of aphrodisiacs and other contrivances that might help to ensure the fulfilment of the prophecy. After two or three years of this peculiar87 activity he retired in despair from the struggle, leaving Zoe untouched and indignant. As she had now certainly entered her sixth decade of life, the modern reader will have but a slender sympathy with her, and will recognize a very low quality of character in her conduct. Her husband became ill, and his favourite chamberlain, Michael, was often summoned to attend him, even when Zoe shared his bed. This chamberlain was a tall, handsome, fresh-faced young man, whose form pleased the Empress, but there was a deeper intrigue89 in the affair; the164 chamberlain was a brother of the Paphlagonian eunuch John, whom we saw in charge of Theodora’s mansion, and it is now necessary to present him more intelligibly90.
John was a very shrewd, ambitious, vulpine provincial91 of mean family; he had been converted into a eunuch in early years, had held office in the employment of the Emperor Basil, and had then retired to a monastery. His character is so far removed from religious ideals that one is disposed to imagine him as having been compelled to take the black robe for some indiscretion, but it is quite possible that he adopted it voluntarily, as at this time many of the monasteries92 were merely luxurious colonies of bachelors living on a swollen93 stream of legacies94. Romanus, who knew his ability, brought him from his monastery to supervise Theodora and her affairs. In spite of the curious statement that he was himself involved in the conspiracy, he was soon back at Court, and in great favour. He had five brothers and a sister, and the general character of the family may be deduced from the fact that three of the six brothers were moneylenders, two (John and Simeon) were monks, while the sister, Maria, had married a ship-caulker95 at the quays97. John used his influence to introduce these brothers into the very lucrative98 service of the State. Within a few years the beau of the family became Emperor, the son of the ship-caulker also became Emperor, the ship-caulker himself became High Admiral of the Fleet, two other brothers had the rank of generals, and John became the virtual ruler of the Empire.
It was chiefly through his young and attractive-looking brother that John pushed their fortunes. Michael was a young man of large and well-proportioned figure, with that freshness of complexion which we often find in nerve-diseased or epileptic subjects. He became a favourite chamberlain of Romanus, and John presently noticed that Zoe was interested in him. Romanus was visibly failing, and Michael was at times called in to chafe99 his feet as he lay in bed with Zoe. “Who will165 believe,” the monk Zonaras asks, “that he did not take the opportunity to rub Zoe’s feet also?” Zoe expressed to John a lively interest in his brother, and John took care that their movements should not be hampered100 by any of the restrictions101 that normally curtailed102 the liberty of a Byzantine Empress. The pale Paphlagonian, in the black dress of a monk, was already the supreme103 master of the palace, but the most piquant104 feature of his position is to find him chiding105 the nervous hesitation106 of his brother and feeding the improper107 admiration108 of the Empress.
Psellus dilates109, almost gloats, for pages over the development of this singular love story, in a way that hardly becomes a great exponent110 of Plato and Aristotle. Before long the relation of the two was known to the whole Court. Michael was loaded with jewels and other presents, and not infrequently courtiers would find him sitting, still rather nervously111, on the same couch with the infatuated Empress. One day a servant entered the throne-room for some purpose, and almost fell to the ground in astonishment112. Zoe had made Michael sit on the throne, had put the crown on his head and the sceptre in his hand, and was admiringly murmuring: “My darling, my flower of beauty, joy of my eyes, consoler of my soul,” etc. Instead of bursting into passion at the entrance of the official, she bade him do homage113 to the man who would one day be his Emperor. So says, at least, the philosophic114 Psellus, whom many believe. It is quite certain that Zoe made flagrant love to the chamberlain, and that the Emperor knew it. His sister, Pulcheria, angrily spoke115 to him of the notorious scandal, but he professed116 to be ignorant of it and was content to exact from Michael an oath that there was no truth in the rumour117. Other writers say that he overlooked the liaison118 because it preserved his middle-aged119 spouse120 from promiscuous121 irregularity.
Romanus forgot that such love affairs were apt to entail122 tragic123 consequences for the superfluous124 man. As Zoe’s passion increased, he found himself suffering from166 an alarming and mysterious illness. His hair fell out in patches, his breathing was laboured, his face—a more significant symptom in an old man like Romanus—became livid and puffy. Whether this illness was really due to a slow poison, and whether the poison was administered by John or Zoe, are points which we must leave as we find them in the chronicles—uncertain. Since there is very little doubt that Romanus was murdered in the end, the theory of poison is not reckless; but Romanus was aged and worn, and the illness may have been natural. However that may be, Romanus lingered in a frightful125 condition until Holy Thursday of the year 1041. On that sacred day Romanus distributed to the Senators the ceremonious gifts prescribed in the ritual, and retired to the bath. From the bath he was presently removed in a dying condition to his bed. However possible it may be that he had had a serious attack of his illness in the bath, we cannot easily ignore the persistent126 statement that men entered the bathroom, and either strangled the Emperor or held his head under the water. Psellus gives this as a rumour, but even he seems to believe it. Both Michael and John are accused of the murder, and it is left uncertain whether Zoe was privy127 to the plot. Her immediate128 conduct will not dispose us to be eager to clear her memory of the suspicion, but we may be sure that the monk John was the soul of the plot.
Zoe came, with ostentatious (the chronicler says feigned) tears, to see that her husband was really dead or dying, though she did not await the end, which occurred soon afterwards. When we learn that she announced her intention of marrying Michael the same evening we are disposed to see in her an element of cold-blooded calculation which does not very well assort with the character we have given her. It would probably be much more correct to conceive her as nervous and confused, and simply yielding to the dictation of the monk John. Her father’s eunuchs, who had remained in her service, begged her to wait some time,167 but John bullied129 and threatened, and Michael was forthwith decked in the dead man’s robes and placed beside Zoe in the gold-roofed hall. The patriarch was summoned to the palace and curtly130 ordered to crown Michael and marry him at once to the very recent widow, in the presence of the assembled Senators. The whole scene is so repulsive131 that we need not hesitate to accept the last touch given to it in the chronicles. The archbishop hesitated, but a present of a hundred pounds in gold from John removed his scruples, and he invoked132 the blessing133 of God on the new imperial marriage.
THE EMPRESS Z?E
FROM ‘CONSTANTINOPLE’ BY E. A. GROSVENOR
After this authentic134 episode it is superfluous to seek to determine the share of Zoe in the illness and death of her first husband. The monk-eunuch was capable of any crime, and it is, perhaps, not likely that he would take others into his confidence in perpetrating them. His brother Michael was a feeble-minded man, of no criminal instincts, whom we shall presently find smitten135 with the deepest remorse136 for the part he had played. Zoe also was little more than a tool in the hands of John. Had he communicated his criminal design to them, they would probably have consented, but there is no evidence that he did so. The marriage, however, is a sordid137 fact that no casuistry can excuse. It would, no doubt, be represented to Zoe that delay would give an opportunity for a revolution, and there were always at Constantinople nobles who were ready to aspire138 to the throne when so excellent a pretext139 was afforded. These considerations may explain, but cannot excuse, Zoe’s action. She was almost, if not quite, devoid140 of moral feeling. The utmost we can say for her is that it was not merely her passion for Michael that gave such indecent precipitancy to a woman of fifty-four years. But she had no children to protect, and she lent herself to this disgraceful procedure merely in order to retain her royal position.
We read, therefore, without the least sympathy that, while the change made the fortune of the astute141 John and his brethren, it brought great disappointment and168 chagrin142 to Zoe. She had, the chronicler says, imagined that the lowly chamberlain, grateful for his elevation143 to the throne, would be her slave, and she at once gathered about her the former servants of her father and began to rule. But the monk had no intention of handing to her the power he had purchased so heavily. His official position was merely that of “orphanotrophos,” or director of charitable institutions; his real position was that of Emperor. Most of the brothers were able men, but Michael was, as John probably took into account from the first, epileptic and incapable144 of self-assertion. John, therefore, took the reins145 in his own hands. He summarily dismissed Zoe’s eunuchs and maids and put about her an army of servants in his own employment, so that she could not even go to the bath without the permission and knowledge of the eunuch. To the Empire and its affairs, it may be said, he devoted146 the most careful and intelligent attention. Even in the midst of a solitary147 carouse—for the monk was fond of wine—he would turn with alacrity148 to any pressing business. It was only in the dishonest enrichment of himself and his brothers, whom he at once promoted to the highest commands, that he overreached himself.
One noble only, the Constantine Delassenus who had so narrowly missed the Empire and the hand of Zoe, rebelled against this division of the Empire among a family of low-born eunuchs and money-changers, and the punishment of Delassenus so well illustrates149 the world in which Zoe now found herself that it may be briefly recounted. John secured the loyalty150 of the Senators by a generous distribution of money, and then sent a eunuch to assure Delassenus, who was in Armenia, that his conduct would be overlooked if he disarmed152 at once. Delassenus required some tremendous security of such a promise on the part of John, and it was left to the clergy to devise a new and particularly ponderous153 oath. The evolution of the oath in Byzantine life is one of the many ways in which we may trace the169 degradation154 of its character; no one had any longer the faintest confidence in oaths on the true cross or the Sacrament. A group of clerics were therefore sent with the most sacred objects in the reliquaries of Constantinople, and they marshalled before the eyes of Delassenus the cross, the napkin bearing a miraculous155 image of Christ, the original letter of Christ to King Abgar, and the portrait of Mary painted by St Luke. On these portentous156 relics157 an oath was taken that no punishment would be inflicted158 on him. He submitted; and a few months later, when the people of Antioch rose against their oppressive tax-gatherers, the revolt was subtly traced to the distant noble, and he was exiled and ruined.
Zoe tolerated the domination of the odious159 monk for a few years impatiently, and at length made an attempt on his life. She won one of the eunuchs whom John had placed about her, and directed him to offer John’s medical attendant a vast sum of money if he would poison his master. But, by one of those convenient accidents which commonly happen in novels and in Byzantine history, the doctor’s boy discovered the plot and denounced it to John. Her eunuch was drastically punished, and Zoe was treated worse than ever.
At the same time her condition became more unpleasant, because Michael’s illness became worse. The popular belief in Constantinople was that a devil had invaded the Emperor, to punish him for his mendacious160 denial, to Romanus, of intimacy161 with Zoe. Men told of the suddenness with which the quiet, rosy-cheeked Emperor would be, at any moment, converted into a frothing maniac162, and it was noticed that, on the rare occasions on which he appeared on the throne, purple curtains were looped in readiness about it, and servants stood to draw them round the throne if the devil should choose that moment to indulge his frolics. Even the Byzantine writers take this theory seriously; though some of them offer the alternative theory of insanity163. We recognize the symptoms of epilepsy, and see that170 Zoe’s choice had failed. Between the attacks Michael, who seems to have believed in the devil, was gloomy and penitent164. He and his brothers walked barefoot through the city, at the head of processions, bearing the swaddling-clothes of the infant Christ and all the other priceless relics I have mentioned; but the only answer of the heavens was a storm of such hail that the stones crashed through the tiled roofs. He visited shrines165, built churches and monasteries, showered gold on the clergy, and even gave a baptism-fee to every new-born babe; and famine, pestilence166 and earthquake vexed167 the over-burdened Empire, and men cursed Michael and his brothers.
At length dropsy was added to epilepsy, and Michael determined to resign and enter a monastery. Zoe seems by this time to have been completely cowed by the arrogant168 monk, and she made little opposition when he went on to provide a new and strange aspirant169 to the throne. His sister Maria was, as I said, married to a ship-caulker named Stephen, who had been put in command of the fleet. They had a boy named Michael, a vicious youth, but young enough to submit to his uncle’s rule if he obtained the crown, and the Emperor and Zoe were persuaded or coerced170 to adopt this child and clothe him with the dignity of C?sar. One of the chroniclers tells that they deceived Zoe by representing the boy as the son of a noble matron. Some such fiction may have been served to the populace, but Zoe could hardly be deceived on the point; and even the people were not long deceived, if at all, since he has passed into history as Michael the Caulker. In the chapel171 at Blachern? the boy was accepted into the imperial family, after swearing the customary ponderous oaths to respect Zoe as his mother and mistress. It is not impossible that Zoe felt that this adoption172 of a son who was to wear the crown made her own position more secure.
Some time afterwards Michael IV. retired to a monastery, and Michael V. began to look forward to his171 imperial opportunities of indulgence. The next course of events is not quite clear, but it seems that the retiring Emperor felt some scruple23 about his action and had relegated173 the boy to a house without the walls. He died, refusing to see Zoe, soon afterwards (10th December 1041), and John forged a letter in his name, bidding the guards deliver the young C?sar, and brought him to the palace. We are then told that Zoe asserted her power, bestowed174 the crown on the youth only on the strictest promise of obedience175 to her, and expelled the three brothers—John, George and Constantine—from the palace. It seems more likely that the brothers quarrelled with each other. John, promising176 the most absolute power to Zoe, had his younger brothers exiled, and then Constantine intrigued177 with the young Emperor and displaced his brother.
These details are of little moment for our purpose. By the spring of 1042, three months after the death of her husband, we find Zoe sharing the power with her adopted son and his uncle Constantine, and a fresh chapter of romance opens in her story.
Constantine, apparently178, urged the youth to get rid of Zoe and rule alone. A vicious and conceited179 youth, he was little troubled by the oaths he had taken a few months before, but he felt it necessary to proceed cautiously. He began to slight Zoe, then to treat her with disdain180 and harshness. He confined her to her palace, and refused to let her control the treasury. One day he announced one of those imperial processions through the city which the people regarded as opportunities to express their feelings, and rode out alone. To his delight he was received with the liveliest rejoicing. The citizens hung their choicest silks and tapestries181 before their houses, and displayed their silver and other treasures on their balconies, as they were wont182 to do on the most festive183 occasions. Elated with his apparent popularity, Michael consulted his unofficial council of fast-living young sportsmen, as soon as he returned to172 the palace, and they decided184 to dismiss Zoe at once. It is said that Michael himself brutally186 told her of his decision, and even slapped the fair face of his adopted mother. The charge he put forward was that she was preparing a poison for him. It would not be difficult to believe, if there were any serious evidence, but it was probably only a pretext to get rid of her. That night she was put on ship at the quay96, rowed to the islands and consecrated187 a nun.
On the following day, however, the laments188 of Zoe were cut short in a very unexpected manner. A boat came at its highest speed from the palace, and a royal official bade her at once return to her dignity. The people had resented the flagrant conduct of her adopted son, and he had hastily summoned her to her palace. A herald189 had been sent into the public square to announce that the most pious190 Emperor had deposed191 his mother and the patriarch for conspiring192 against his throne and would himself care for their interests in the future. From the sullen193 crowd a voice protested angrily that they “wanted their mother Zoe, not the son of the caulker”; it was repeated fervently194 on every side, and the prefect had to fly under a shower of stones. Then the crowd poured into the cathedral, from which the patriarch had not yet departed, and a noisy debate took place. A council of the clergy and Senators was then held in the church, the singular resolution was taken to bring Theodora from her convent and clothe her with the purple.
The younger sister of Zoe had, it will be recalled, been compelled by her to take the monastic vows at Petrion eleven years before, and this sudden recall to life—a recall without precedent195, since she was not summoned for the purpose of marrying—gave a remarkable turn to her career. She had passed from the luxury and dissipation of her father’s palace, with a brief interval196 of independent life, to the shade of the monastery, and now she was to spend the last fifteen years of her life173 on the imperial throne. She was of sterner stuff than Zoe, and the Senators must have concluded that she alone could check the audacity197 of the low-born Paphlagonians. This does not in itself argue any great strength of character in Theodora. We must remember that there was always a party of ambitious eunuchs or statesmen behind each of the names that is put forward by the historian.
When the news of this decision reached Michael, and the crowd stormed angrily at the gates of the palace, he sent an officer on a swift vessel198 to the Princes’ Islands for Zoe. In the palace she was quickly stripped of her nun’s robe, and clothed in her former garments. It is clear that Michael’s uncle, Constantine, who was not without ability, directed the campaign in the palace. Michael was advised to take Zoe with him into the imperial lodge66 overlooking the Hippodrome and show the citizens, who had gathered in the enclosure, that all was well. The only reply he got was a shower of stones, arrows and epithets199, and, as the chroniclers remark, the young lion became at once a timid hare, and proposed to run for shelter to the monastery at Studion, on the Asiatic side. His uncle prevented him, however, and marshalled the guards in the fore78 part of the palace. The battle which followed ended in a complete victory for the people. Constantine and Michael fled across the water to Studion, in the early morning of Wednesday in Holy Week, and the new Empress Theodora was conducted into the palace over the corpses200 of some three thousand of the combatants.
The royal sisters, it will be understood, did not fly into each other’s arms. Theodora had to thank Zoe for eleven years’ confinement201, and Zoe herself was very reluctant to share her power with her younger sister. However, a formal reconciliation202 was arranged by the Senators, and the two Empresses sat side by side to receive the homage of the leading citizens and decide what was to be done with the late Emperor and his uncle.174 If there were any who wondered in what spirit Theodora would wield203 her power after a decade of religious life, they were not left long in doubt. Zoe asked what the will of her advisers204 was in regard to the fugitives205, and such cries as “Out with their eyes!” and “Crucify them!” rang furiously through the chamber88. Zoe recoiled206 and pleaded for leniency207, but Theodora, a much better speaker than her sister, sternly ordered the prefect to see that their eyes were put out. A great crowd crossed the sea with the officers, and saw Michael, who had hidden under the altar, and his more stoical uncle dragged from the chapel. The same crowd had applauded Michael in his procession hardly a week before; now they stood by with wild delight to see the brutal185 sentence carried out. It was 21st April: Michael the Caulker had reigned208 for four months.
For a few weeks the imperial sisters ruled their kingdom in complete harmony and with exemplary zeal86. M. Diehl, too lightly following the censorious Psellus, rates the intelligence and character of both at a very low level, but that estimate is hardly supported by the facts. Few Emperors had dared to attack the administrative209 corruption211 of the Empire as Zoe and Theodora attacked it in the first freshness of their power, and as we have every reason to believe that they would have continued to attack it. For centuries the State had been the easy prey212 of ambitious eunuchs at Court and corrupt210 officials in the provinces. Zoe and Theodora issued decrees to the effect that all injustice213 must cease and that the law must be administered with equity214. They themselves sat on the highest tribunal of the city to hear cases, and the sale of offices was strictly215 prohibited. The accounts of the late chief minister were examined, and Constantine, eyeless and shaven, was brought from his monastery to explain the enormous deficiency. The power of his family was broken for ever, and the miserable216 man disclosed that 5300 pounds of gold (nearly a quarter of a million sterling) was hidden in a cistern217 in his house.175 Legates and petitions were heard with dignity by the royal sisters, and it must have seemed to many that the Empire had, by this singular adventure, obtained juster and finer rulers than it had known for many a century. We cannot discriminate218 in the joint219 public action of the sisters, but it is clear that the strong will and intelligence of Theodora were the chief power of the administration. How drastically the Empire needed such a purification may be gathered from the fact that, when the patriarch Alexis died in the following year, a secret and dishonest hoard220 of gold, amounting to more than ￡100,000, was discovered in his palace.
This brilliant example of feminine rule might have been expected to disarm151 the old Byzantine prejudice against women, but prejudices of that nature are too deeply rooted to be displaced by facts. The cry was raised that an Emperor was needed, and Zoe once more expressed her willingness to marry. The careful chronicler tells us that her conduct was not necessarily inspired by a carnal feeling—she was now sixty-two years old—but that she may have feared that Theodora and her ministers wished to dislodge her. Her age, no less than the remarkable conditions of her third and last marriage, will easily persuade us that the motive221 was political. There were those who said that, as Theodora had been the chief agent in expelling Michael, the throne belonged to her alone, and Zoe sought an ally. The first noble chosen by her was Constantine Delassenus, who had almost obtained her hand and the throne fourteen years before. But Constantine, when he was invited to the Court for inspection222, proved so brusque and independent that he was again dismissed. Her next choice was Constantine Catepano, a handsome officer of the palace, with whom, in spite of her age, the gossips of the Court already connected Zoe somewhat too intimately. Constantine, however, had a wife living, and this lady is said to have poisoned him as soon as she heard of the proposal to divorce her.
176 If we may believe the gossipy chronicles, Zoe met the disappointment with tranquillity223, as she had another lover among the officials of the palace. Constantine Monomachos, a very handsome and distinguished and dissolute noble, had been exiled from Court to Mitylene by Michael IV. on the suspicion of intimacy with Zoe, and had for some years gilded224 the hours of his distant exile with the enjoyment of letters, the pleasures of the table and the affection of a pretty and devoted cousin. When his second wife had died, he had obeyed the injunction of the Church to refrain from a third marriage and had been content with the free companionship of the beautiful Sclerena, a sister of the distinguished noble Romanus Sclerus—a member, that is to say, of one of the proudest Byzantine families. She had followed her lover to Lesbos, used her fortune to mitigate225 the harshness of his exile, and was living with him at the time when Zoe recalled him to Court. “Handsome as Achilles,” uniting a prodigious226 strength with a singular delicacy and elegance227 of appearance, equally devoted to the robust pleasures of the chase and the enervating228 delights of love, Constantine Monomachos at once returned to his place in the heart of the ageing Empress, and was invited to wed42 her. He is said to have stipulated229 beforehand that the fair Sclerena should be allowed to come to Constantinople, and Zoe genially230 consented. They were married, and Zoe entered upon the last and strangest part of her strange career.
While the sexless Theodora continued to rule the Empire and put out the eyes of her enemies, while Constantine revelled231 in the new and more exquisite232 luxuries of his position, Zoe seems quietly to have enjoyed the secure and restful days which her marriage obtained for her. She still, with her maids, compounded and distilled233 the perfumes which were almost her one luxury, but she now paid a scrupulous31 attention to her devotions and burned much incense234 before the icons235. Sclerena at first dwelt apart, and Constantine set about177 building a magnificent palace for her, thinly veiling his liaison with the pretence236 of going daily to see the progress of the works. As the citizens smiled at the connexion, and Zoe seemed to be piously237 indifferent to it, he became bolder and asked Zoe to allow him to bring Sclerena to live in the palace. Again Zoe consented, and the ménage à trois was maintained in the most pleasant harmony. She gave Sclerena the title of Empress, embraced her, when they met, with entire goodwill238, and showed her such consideration that she never visited her husband without first ascertaining239 if he was disengaged. Constantine occupied the central part of the palace, and his wife and mistress had apartments on each side.
Although Zoe now approached her seventieth year, she still retained the freshness of her complexion and had no wrinkles. Psellus says that a stranger would have been sure that she was still a young woman. She shared the pleasures of the gay Court, and made no protest against the frivolous240 Constantine emptying the treasury on his mistress. If we may believe implicitly241 all the details given by Psellus, there was little delicacy in the fun which enlivened the gardens or halls—for Zoe disliked the open air—of the sacred domain242. Music and skilful243 dancing were too fine for his appreciation244. He liked the broader merriment of mimes245, and took especial pleasure in imitations of stammering246. His chief entertainers would go so far as to represent, pantomimically, the chaste247 Theodora lying abed in child-birth, and Theodora herself joined in the loud laughter of Constantine as the man imitated the shrieks248 which befitted such an occasion. The months passed very merrily, and the treasury emptied.
And as the treasury emptied, and the citizens saw their funds passing into the marvellous palace which Constantine was building for Sclerena, clouds began to gather over the life of the epicure249. One day, in the year 1044, as he rode with his guards at the head of a178 religious procession, a cry broke from the crowd: “We don’t want Sclerena as Empress, nor to see our lawful250 mistresses, Zoe and Theodora, perish on her account.” The cry was a spark to the spreading discontent, and the small troop of guards were surrounded by a threatening mob. Fortunately for the Emperor, the Empresses were watching the procession from the balcony, and they sent troops to rescue him. Later, a discontented noble led some Macedonian troops against the city, and encamped opposite the Blachern? gate. Constantine disdainfully ordered a chair to be placed for him outside the gate, in order that he might see, and be seen by, the rebels. For a time they were content to sing comic songs about him—of which there must have been a good supply in the city—then they made a dash and scattered251 his guards, and could have penetrated252 into the city, possibly taken it, if they had not foolishly retired. On such slender threads did crowns hang in that singular Empire.
Sclerena relieved the growing discontent by a premature253 death, apparently about the year 1045, and the superb palace which had been intended for Constantine’s mistress was turned into a monastery. Five years later Zoe closed her long and romantic career, at the age of seventy. Constantine mourned for her as if she had been a beloved child, and even pressed the Church to put her on the list of the canonized; he may have read how St Theodora had won the aureole largely by her freedom from jealousy254. When it was found, after a time, that some curious fungi255 had grown about her monument, he insisted that they were heaven-sent assurances that Zoe had been admitted at once into the company of the saints. The Greek Church, however, was not persuaded to add Zoe to its quaint256 list of the blessed, and few will reflect on the many events which reveal her personality to us without admitting that, whether or no she was guilty of the positive crimes attributed to her, she had little or no moral feeling.
Constantine found consolation257 in the charms of a179 young Alan princess who was detained as a hostage at Constantinople. The milk-white skin and fine eyes of the unknown so fascinated him that he gave her the imperial title and emptied the remainder of the treasury upon her and the relatives who flocked to share her fortune. He was by this time a miserable wreck258 of his former magnificent person, and could not sit unaided on a horse, but the Court still rang with laughter and buffoonery. His favourite, a man who had been raised from the position of street buffoon259 to that of Court jester, became so infatuated with his wealth and privileges that he dreamed of possessing the pretty Alan princess and the purple. He was caught in Constantine’s bedroom with a drawn260 sword. The Emperor asked why he had attempted assassination261, and, when the man said that he had an irresistible262 passion to see himself in the crown and imperial robes, burst into laughter and ordered the attendants to put them on him. He returned to his position, and, to the amusement of Constantine, made more open love than before to the fair Circassian mistress. But the Emperor died in 1054, and his mistress returned to her previous obscurity.
When it was seen that Constantine was failing, a number of the nobles and officials conspired263 to put on the throne Nicephorus Bryennius, but Theodora’s supporters forestalled264 the plot. They sent a swift vessel for her and lodged her in the sacred palace before their opponents could bring Bryennius from Bulgaria, which he governed. She seems to have been forced out of affairs during the later years of Constantine, and the sending of a boat implies, apparently, that she had retired to the suburbs. She was still, in her seventh decade of life, erect265 of form and clear in mind, and drastic punishment was inflicted on the conspirators266. She then began again to control the affairs of the Empire as she had done in conjunction with Zoe. She personally received ambassadors and heard trials, and resumed her war on corrupt officials. Psellus is disdainful of her180 rule, and unjust to her. The only grave defect we can recognize is that she put the higher offices and commands at the disposal of men who were less distinguished for ability than for devotion to her. A very strong provincial aristocracy had by this time arisen in the Empire, and from their vast estates a number of able nobles and officers kept a discontented eye on the hierarchy267 of eunuchs at Constantinople.
Theodora, conscious of her vigour268, and sustained by the prophetical assurance of a monk that she would wear the crown for a long time, maintained her power for three further years, and then became seriously ill. It is said that she chose an aged and feeble noble of the city, Michael Stratioticus, to don the purple, but one is rather disposed to see in the choice of Stratioticus the action of the Court party, whose influence was threatened by the provincial nobles. Theodora still confided269 in the monk’s prophecy; she had the aged soldier brought to her sickbed and bound him by the direst oaths to promise obedience to herself. She died a few days later, however, on 30th August 1057, leaving the crown to the frail270 charge of Michael VI. The historian must regret that Theodora had not a larger opportunity to prove her value as a ruler and exhibit her personality. She was a woman of great vigour and generally high political ideals, and she incurs271 the reproach only of stooping at times to the common Byzantine level in securing her power. It was not she, but the contemptible272 Constantine, who emptied the treasury for frivolous purposes, and, in spite of the light disdain of Psellus, her rule compares most favourably273 with that of most of the Emperors.
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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cipher
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| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
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voluptuous
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| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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caustic
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| adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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sensuous
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| adj.激发美感的；感官的，感觉上的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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cosmetics
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| n.化妆品 | |
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industriously
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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42
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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witticism
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| n.谐语，妙语 | |
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45
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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47
thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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incompetency
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| n.无能力，不适当 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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50
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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51
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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52
monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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53
licentious
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| adj.放纵的，淫乱的 | |
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54
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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56
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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58
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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taxation
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| n.征税，税收，税金 | |
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culmination
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| n.顶点；最高潮 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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85
zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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86
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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87
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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89
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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90
intelligibly
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| adv.可理解地，明了地，清晰地 | |
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91
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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92
monasteries
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| 修道院( monastery的名词复数 ) | |
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93
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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94
legacies
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| n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症 | |
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95
caulker
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| n.填塞船缝的人或器具 | |
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96
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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97
quays
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| 码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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98
lucrative
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| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
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99
chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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100
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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101
restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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102
curtailed
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| v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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104
piquant
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| adj.辛辣的，开胃的，令人兴奋的 | |
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105
chiding
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| v.责骂，责备( chide的现在分词 ) | |
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106
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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107
improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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108
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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109
dilates
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| v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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110
exponent
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| n.倡导者，拥护者；代表人物；指数，幂 | |
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111
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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112
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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113
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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114
philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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115
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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116
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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117
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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118
liaison
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| n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通 | |
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119
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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120
spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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121
promiscuous
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| adj.杂乱的，随便的 | |
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122
entail
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| vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要 | |
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123
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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124
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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125
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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126
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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127
privy
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| adj.私用的；隐密的 | |
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128
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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129
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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131
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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132
invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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133
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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134
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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135
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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136
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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137
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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138
aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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139
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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140
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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141
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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142
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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143
elevation
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|
| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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144
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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145
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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146
devoted
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|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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147
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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148
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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149
illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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150
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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151
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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152
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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153
ponderous
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|
| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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154
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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155
miraculous
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|
| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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156
portentous
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|
| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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157
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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158
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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159
odious
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|
| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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160
mendacious
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|
| adj.不真的，撒谎的 | |
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161
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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162
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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163
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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164
penitent
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|
| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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165
shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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166
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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167
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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168
arrogant
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|
| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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169
aspirant
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| n.热望者；adj.渴望的 | |
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170
coerced
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| v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配 | |
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171
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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172
adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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173
relegated
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| v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
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174
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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175
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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176
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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177
intrigued
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|
| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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178
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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179
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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180
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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181
tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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182
wont
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|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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183
festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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184
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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185
brutal
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|
| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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186
brutally
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|
| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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187
consecrated
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|
| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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188
laments
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| n.悲恸，哀歌，挽歌( lament的名词复数 )v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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189
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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190
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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191
deposed
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| v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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192
conspiring
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| 密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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193
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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194
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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195
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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196
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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197
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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198
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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199
epithets
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| n.（表示性质、特征等的）词语( epithet的名词复数 ) | |
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200
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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201
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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202
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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203
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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204
advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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205
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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206
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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207
leniency
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| n.宽大（不严厉） | |
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208
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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209
administrative
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| adj.行政的，管理的 | |
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210
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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211
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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212
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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213
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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214
equity
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| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
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215
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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216
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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discriminate
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| v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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hoard
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| n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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223
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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mitigate
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| vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和 | |
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226
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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228
enervating
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| v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的现在分词 ) | |
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stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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234
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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235
icons
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| n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像 | |
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236
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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piously
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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239
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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240
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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245
mimes
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| n.指手画脚( mime的名词复数 )；做手势；哑剧；哑剧演员v.指手画脚地表演，用哑剧的形式表演( mime的第三人称单数 ) | |
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246
stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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247
chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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249
epicure
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| n.行家，美食家 | |
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250
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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fungi
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| n.真菌，霉菌 | |
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256
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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257
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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258
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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buffoon
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| n.演出时的丑角 | |
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260
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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261
assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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262
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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conspired
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| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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264
forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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266
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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267
hierarchy
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| n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层 | |
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268
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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269
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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270
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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271
incurs
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的第三人称单数 ) | |
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272
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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273
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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