# Michael Psellos

> 11th-century Byzantine monk, writer and court official

**Wikidata**: [Q294109](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q294109)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Psellos)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/michael-psellos

## Summary
Michael Psellos was an 11th-century Byzantine monk, writer, and court official. Also known by the aliases Psellus and Michael Constantine Psellus, he is recognized for his involvement in diverse intellectual and governmental fields. His work is associated with the *Chronographia*.

## Biography
- Born: [Date and place not provided in source material]
- Nationality: Byzantine Empire
- Education: [Not provided in source material]
- Known for: Serving as an 11th-century Byzantine monk, writer, and court official.
- Employer(s): Byzantine Court (inferred from "court official")
- Field(s): Philosophy, Politics, History, Poetry, Medicine, Astronomy

## Contributions
Michael Psellos is associated with the creation or leadership of the work titled *Chronographia*. This work is identified as a distinct entity connected to his life and output.

## FAQs
**Who is Michael Psellos?**
Michael Psellos is an 11th-century Byzantine figure who served as a monk, writer, and court official. He is also known as Psellus or Michael Constantine Psellus.

**What roles did Michael Psellos hold?**
He held multiple positions including court official and politician. He was also a practitioner of medicine and a scholar in fields such as philosophy, history, astronomy, and poetry.

**What is Michael Psellos known for writing?**
He is associated with the work *Chronographia*.

**What was the context of Michael Psellos's life?**
He lived during the era of the Byzantine Empire, the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

## Why They Matter
Michael Psellos is significant for the extensive breadth of his professional and intellectual pursuits within the 11th-century Byzantine Empire. His simultaneous involvement in government, religion, and the sciences—as a politician, monk, physician, and astronomer—illustrates the multifaceted nature of Byzantine scholarship and court life. His association with the *Chronographia* ties him to a specific historical work that remains a point of reference for his era.

## Notable For
- Being an 11th-century Byzantine monk, writer, and court official.
- Holding the titles of philosopher, politician, historian, poet, physician, and astronomer.
- Being associated with the *Chronographia*.
- Operating within the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages.

## Body
### Identity and Background
Michael Psellos is classified as a human, a member of the unique extant species of the genus Homo. He is documented under the aliases Psellus and Michael Constantine Pselllos. His primary identity is that of an 11th-century figure within the Byzantine Empire.

### Historical Context
The Byzantine Empire, the state in which Psellos lived, is defined as the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Historical data places the inception of this empire as early as 285 or 286, with specific dates noted in 330 and January 17, 395. Psellos's life and work occurred during the continuation of this empire in the 11th century.

### Professional Roles
Michael Psellos occupied a variety of significant roles throughout his career.
*   **Court Official and Politician:** As a court official, he held positions in government. In his capacity as a politician, he is defined as a person who holds or seeks positions in government.
*   **Monk:** He was a monk, indicating a religious vocation.
*   **Writer:** He was a writer, described as a person who uses written words to communicate ideas and to produce literary works.

### Fields of Knowledge
Psellos was active in numerous distinct fields of study and practice, demonstrating a wide range of expertise.
*   **Philosophy:** He was a philosopher, characterized as a person with an extensive knowledge of philosophy.
*   **History:** He served as a historian, acting as a scholar who deals with the exploration and presentation of history.
*   **Literature:** As a poet, he was a person who writes poetry.
*   **Medicine:** He was a physician, a professional who practices medicine.
*   **Science:** As an astronomer, he was a scientist who studies celestial bodies.

### Works
A specific entity connected to Michael Psellos is the *Chronographia*. This work is listed among the related items connected to his personal and professional history.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Integrated Authority File
3. Library of the World's Best Literature
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. CiNii Research
6. Open Library
7. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
8. Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes
9. Catholic Encyclopedia
10. Encyclopædia Universalis
11. LIBRIS
12. Catalogue of the Library of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
13. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
14. Autoritats UB
15. VcBA (identifier)
16. NUKAT
17. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
18. Alvin
19. AlKindi
20. Sapere Encyclopedia
21. Catalogue of the Unione Romana Biblioteche Scientifiche
22. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
23. MAK
24. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
25. [Source](http://digitale.beic.it/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&vid=BEIC&vl%283134987UI0%29=creator&vl%28freeText0%29=Psellus%20Michael)
26. [Source](https://www.bartleby.com/library/bios/index13.html)
27. CONOR.SI
28. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
29. Enciclopedia Treccani
30. Dizionario di Storia
31. Provenio
32. Regional Database of the Central Bohemian Research Library in Kladno
33. HMML Authority File