MICHAEL II  ., called PSELLUS, " the stammerer," emperor 820-829, was a native of Amorium in Phrygia, who began life as a private soldier, but rose by his talents to the rank of general . He had favoured the enthronement of his old companion in arms Leo the Armenian (813), but, detected in a conspiracy against that emperor, had been sentenced to death in December 82o; his partisans, however, succeeded in assassinating Leo and called Michael from the prison to the throne . The principal features of his reign were a struggle against his brother general, Thomas, who aimed at the throne (822—824); the conquest of Crete by the Saracens in 823; and the beginning of their attacks upon Sicily (827) . In spite of his iconoclastic sympathies, he endeavoured to conciliate the image-worshippers, but incurred the wrath of the monks by entering into a second marriage with Euphrosyne, daughter of Constantine VI., who had previously taken the veil .