Blinding – such a terrible fate which could fall upon those lost power in Constantinople…Can you imagine? What was the medieval Roman punishment of blinding actually like? Here are some primary source accounts of it:
The Chronographia of Michael Psellos:
Michael Psellos recorded blinding of two men, first Constantine Cabasilas:
“The Nobilissimus, his eyes gouged out, stood from the ground and leaned for support on one of his most intimate friends. He addressed those who came up to him with great courage – a man who rose superior to the trials that beset him, to whom death was as nothing.” He had faced the matter courageously – “no change of color in his face, no crying out, no groaning.”
As the blinding of Constantine had occurred, the deposed Emperor Michael V Kalaphates panicked as he saw his imminent fate demonstrated on Constantine. “The Emperor, seeing in the other’s torment the fate that was about to overtake him, too, lived through Constantine’s anguish in himself, beating his hands together, smiting his face, and bellowing in agony.” I feel like most people would feel like this if they were in his position. Of course, then his turn came…
“When the executioner saw him flinch away and and lower himself to use entreaty, he bound him securely. He held him down with considerable force, to stop the violent twisting when he was undergoing his punishment.” It was then that the Empresses Zoe and Theodora Porphyrogenita took power, “so the Empire passed into the hands of the two sisters” of the Macedonian dynasty.
The History of Michael Attaleiates – the Blinding of Romanos Diogenes:
One horrifying and tragic example is that of Emperor Romanos Diogenes, “a man whose virtue even the enemy respected…” The Seljuk Sultan captured him in battle but released him after Manzikert without harm. His own people would take care of his brutal murder, sadly.
He was put “in a small room and entrusted his blinding to a certain Jew who was inexperienced in this kind of business. They tied down his four limbs and many men held him down with shields on his chest and belly. Then they brought in the Jew who used an iron pin to destroy his eyes in an extremely painful and cruel way while he roared and bellowed like a bull, though no one took pity on him. Nor did this happen once only, putting an end to his torment; no, three times that man who belonged to the race of God-killers plunged the iron into his eyes, until the prone man swore an oath that his entire power of sight had poured out and flowed away.”
“When he arose his eyes were drenched with blood, a pitiable and pathetic sight that made everyone who saw it cry uncontrollably. He lay there half-dead…” and then was “dragged along like a rotting corpse with his eyes gouged out, his his head and face all swollen up and maggots were visibly dropping off. A few days later, he died in excruciating pain.”
This was the fate of the man who actually did his best to try to save the Romans from the Seljuks, only to be betrayed not only once at Manzikert in 1071 – but a second time to be blinded. He perished in this most horrific of manners. Michael Attaleiates described Romanos Diogenes as “a man who had done no wrong but risked his life for the welfare of the Romans and who had fought with a powerful army against the most warlike nations when he could have waited it all out in the palace without any danger…”
A heroic man cast away worse than most villains – replaced by weak men who would let Anatolia fall without much of a fight.
Niketas Choniates on Isaac II Angelos:
“At the monastery of Vera founded by Isaakios, the father of the Emperor Andronikos (1183-1185), he looked upon the sun for the last time, and his eyes were soon gouged out. As to whether retribution was requited of him at this place divine Nemesis, I leave for others to ponder.” It seems he is hinting subtly that Isaac II did not deserve such cruelty, but that is not certain.
Isaac II Angelos remarkably was the only Roman Emperor who was blinded but managed to return to the throne, briefly, as a crusader puppet in 1204 before the Fourth Crusade which his poor rule had indirectly contributed to (in terms of building weakness in the Empire). According to Choniates – “He who had been blinded was ordained to oversee all things and was led by the hand to ascend the imperial throne.” The Romans were literally blindly heading into tragedy.
Sources:
“Fourteen Byzantine Rulers” – aka the Chronographia of Michael Psellos
The History of Michael Attaleiates
O City of Byzantium, the Annals of Niketas Choniates
shadowsofconstantinople.com 