Marianos 4 was brother of Basilios 7 (the future emperor Basil I): Leo Gramm. 244, 254, Georg. Mon. Cont. 840, Ps.-Symeon 678, 688. Brother of Basilios 7 and Symbatios 2, and son or stepson of Pankalo 1; uncle of Anastasia, Anna and Helene (see PBE II): Const. Porph., De Cer. II 42 (Reiske, 648-649).

He took part in the expedition against Crete in 866 and was involved in the conspiracy to murder the Caesar Bardas (Bardas 5) at Kepoi: Leo Gramm. 244, Georg. Mon. Cont. 830 (Maurianos), Ps.-Symeon 678. The date of the murder was 21 April 866 (indiction 14): Theoph. Cont. V 17, p. 238. He conspired with Basilios 7 to murder the emperor Michael III (Michael 11), on 23 September 867; he was one of those who kept watch outside the imperial bedchamber while the murder took place: Leo Gramm. 251, Georg. Mon. Cont. 837, cf. Ps.-Symeon 685 (not named). Later he died after injuring his foot in a fall from his horse, when the wound became infected: Leo Gramm. 254, Georg. Mon. Cont. 840, Ps.-Symeon 688.

Anthypatos, patrikios, logothetes of the Agelai and domestikos of the Scholai; owner of a seal dateable to c. 866/c. 868: Seibt, Bleisiegel 34 (= Mordtmann, "Byz. Molybdoboullon" I, p. 74, no. 19 with p. 297, no. 23 (d) and Schlumberger, Sig., p. 324, no. 2, p. 360, no. 5 and p. 621, no. 4)(obv.: κ(ύρι)ε βοή[θη τ]ῷ σῷ δούλωι; rev.: Μ<α>ριανῷ ἀνθυπ(άτῳ) πατρ(ικίῳ) λ[ο]γοθ(έτῃ) τ(ῶν) ἀγέλ(ων) (καὶ) δομεσ(τίκῳ) τῶ(ν) θεοφυλ(άκτων) σχολ(ῶν)).

He became domestikos of the Scholai some time after the death of Antigonos 1 (21 April 866) and had ceased to hold the post in 872 when a successor Christophoros (see PBE II) is attested; the seal is dated by Seibt to 868 or 869 at latest, on the grounds that soon after the accession of the emperor Basilios 7 his brother became magistros.

This title is confirmed by another seal, cited by Seibt in a footnote, giving Marianos 4 the following titles:- magistros, anthypatos, patrikios, basilikos protospatharios, megas domestikos and logothetes of the Agelai: Seibt, Bleisiegel, p. 124, n. 9a (obv.: invocative inscription; rev.: Μαρια(νῷ) μαγ(ίστρῳ) ἀνθ(υπάτῳ) πατρ(ικίῳ) β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπ(αθαρίῳ) μεγ(άλῳ) δομ(εστίκῳ) λογοθ(έτῃ) τ(ῶν) ἀγέλ(ων)). For the seal Schlumberger, Sig., p. 360, no. 3, see Petronas 5.

Marianos 4 was patrikios and domestikos of the Scholai in summer 866 when the patriarch Photius (Photios 1) addressed two letters to him: Photius, Ep. 189 (II 88f. Laourdas-Westerink), Ep. 190 (II 89 Laourdas-Westerink) (both addressed Μαριανῷ πατρικίῳ καὶ δομεστίκῳ τῶν σχολῶν). In both letters he is styled κριτής, and in Ep. 190 he is addressed as ἡ σὴ τελειότης. Cf. Anonymus 606 and Anonymus 607.

Marianos 4 and Symbatios 2 were buried in one sarcophagus in the monastery of St Euphemia, known as Eumorphos (the Beautiful), in Constantinople, where Basilios 7's mother Pankalo 1 and his daughters Anastasia, Anna and Helene (see PBE II) were also buried, and where Zoe (mother of the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (see further PBE II)) was later buried also: Const. Porph., De Cer. II 42 (Reiske, 648-649). Cf. Janin, Eglises, pp. 127-129.

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