Constantine, or Konstantinos (Κωνσταντῖνος) IX Monomachos (Μονομάχος) was a Byzantine and Eastern Roman emperor of the 11th century. Like many others, he rose to the throne by marriage to Zoe Porphyrogenniti. His reign was marked by his campaigns against the Kievan Rus with Yaroslav the Wise, Pechenegs, and Seljuq Turks. He proved surprisingly capable by expanding the borders Basil II established to include Ani of Armenia. Unfortunately, His reign was the one in which the Great Schism occurred in 1054, in which Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Keroularios mutually excommunicated each other. He was said to rival Achilles in beauty and was described by Michael Psellos to "Shine like the sun." More so, "a marvel of beauty that Nature brought into being in the person of this man, so justly proportioned, so harmoniously fashioned, that there was no one in our time to compare to him... the symmetry of the emperor's body, his perfect analogies, his ruddy hair which shone like rays of sunlight, and his white body which appeared like clear and translucent crystal." He was also known for his personable and good-natured personality and loved to be amused. He would even send luxurious gifts to his friends. He valued justice, wisdom, and Ancient Greek Philosophy to the point that he founded a department of philosophy at the University of Constantinople. Truly an emperor one would want to be friends with.