women in the ninth
century, and shows how vast was the wealth of the few on Greek soil, and
what an important part a wealthy widow could play in the affairs of
state; the story is as follows:

"The lady Danielis set off from Patras in a litter or covered couch,
carried on the shoulders of ten slaves; and the train which followed
her, destined to relieve these litter bearers, amounted to three hundred
persons. When she reached Constantinople, she was lodged in the palace
of Magnaura, appropriated for the reception of princely guests. The rich
presents she had prepared for the emperor astonished the inhabitants of
the capital, for no foreign monarch had ever offered gifts of equal
value to a Byzantine sovereign.

"The slaves that bore the gifts were themselves a part of the present,
and were all distinguished for their youth, beauty, and accomplishments.
Four hundred young men, one hundred eunuchs and one hundred maidens,
formed the living portion of this magnificent offering; while there were
in addition, a hundred pieces of the richest colored drapery, one
hundred pieces of soft woollen cloth, two hundred pieces of linen, and
one hundred of cambric, so fine that each piece could be enclosed in the
joint of a reed. To all this, a service of cups, dishes, and plates of
gold and silver was added. When Danielis reached Constantinople, she
found that the emperor had constructed a magnificent church as an
expiation for the murder of his benefactor, Michael III. She sent orders
to the Peloponnesus to manufacture carpets of unusual size, in order to
cover the whole floor, that they might protect the rich mosaic pavement,
in which a peacock with outspread tail astonished, by the extreme
brilliancy of its coloring, every one who beheld it. Before the widow
quitted Constantinople, she settled a considerable portion of her estate
in Greece on her son, the protospatharios, and on her adopted child, the
emperor, in joint property.

"After Basil's death, she again visited Constantinople; her own son was
dead, so she constituted the Emperor Leo VI. her sole heir. On quitting
the capital for the last time, she desired that the protospatharios,
Zenobius, might be dispatched to the Peloponnesus, for the purpose of
preparing a register of her extensive estate and immense property. She
died shortly after her return; and even the imperial officers were
amazed at the amount of her wealth; the quantity of gold coin, gold and
silver plate,