lected Romanus IV.,--Diogenes,--the most brilliant general of the
Empire, to share with her the throne and to act as guardian to her sons.

Her choice was the occasion of much satisfaction to the army and the
people, but caused jealousy and dissension in the imperial household.
John Ducas, the late emperor's brother, held the rank of Caesar and was
the natural guardian of his nephews; he at once began to conspire for
the overthrow of Romanus and the retirement of Eudocia.

The new emperor at once assumed his duties of warding off the enemies of
the Empire, and engaged in a deadly conflict with the Seljukian Turks.
Though at first successful, his army was finally routed and almost
annihilated, and Romanus himself was taken captive, on the fatal field
of Manzikert, 1071,--a decisive battle that marked the beginning of the
end of Byzantine history and presaged the final conquest of
Constantinople by the Turks. Romanus's capture produced a revolution at
court. John Ducas seized the reins of government, ostensibly in the
interests of Michael VII., son of Constantine; and when Romanus, having
been released by his gallant foe, returned to Constantinople, Ducas had
him seized and blinded and left to die through neglect. Eudocia was
forced to retire to a monastery and take the veil; there she devoted
herself to literary labors. She is reputed to be the author of a learned
work, still extant, entitled Ionia, a species of historical and
mythological dictionary. The last public appearance of the hapless
Eudocia was on the occasion of the funeral of the valiant Romanus, which
she was permitted to celebrate in an imposing manner.

A period of anarchy followed the cruel death of Romanus, and there were
at one time no less than six pretenders to the throne. Throughout this
trying period John Ducas maintained his power as regent, relinquishing
his regency only when his ward, Michael VII., became of age and asserted
his rights. Michael was fortunate in the choice of his empress, Princess
Maria, daughter of the King of Iberia, whose beauty and grace are
celebrated by the historian Anna Comnena. When her husband was
overthrown and slain by the rebel Nicephorus Botaniates, Maria married
the latter, with the hope of securing the throne for her child and the
regency for herself. And from this time on her story is closely
interwoven with that of the Comneni princesses, to whom we now return.

John Comnenus died soon after Constantine Ducas,