Alexander died in the way we described and the imperial authority passed to Constantine, the son of Leo, now in the seventh year of his life, but it was exercised by the regents specified above. Nicholas the patriarch came to power as one of the regents and was directing the affairs of state together with the others.

Such being the state of affairs and the realm being governed by regents, as we said, Constantine Doukas, son of Andronikos, domestic of the scholai and a man invested with very great powers, was provoked by letters from friends and relations in the capital which alleged that the empire was without a head; that it was being badly administered and that it was in grave peril of falling into the gravest danger. The letters called upon him as a prudent and courageous fellow, the only one capable of adequately governing the illustrious Roman state, to return. They added that both the Senate and the people of the city were in favour of him and that he should make haste to come as soon as possible; Nicholas the patriarch was aware of, and approved of, these letters (they said); this was because the will of Alexander had not yet been published and he was as yet unaware that he was named as regent for the child in it. Artabasdos was serving in that capacity and for this he later became dean of the clergy of the Great Church. He was the father of Andreas the famous portrait painter. Now Constantine had already been dreaming of becoming emperor and was always aiming in that direction, to the exclusion of every other aspiration. When he received the letters he was readily convinced and quickly arrived at the [198] capital accompanied by a choice body of troops. He entered the city in the depth of night by way of the wicket-gate of Michael the protovestiarios which is near the Acropolis. Then he went to the house of the magister Gregoras Iberitzes, his father-in-law, and passed the night there, he and those with who were with him.