With the accession of Michael IV, John was able to pursue his goal of furthering his family's interest with vigour. The chronicler John Skylitzes goes so far as to say that 'with John's help all of his brothers became members of the emperor's household'. John ensured that his sister Maria's husband, Stephen, was made admiral, his brother Niketas named Duke of Antioch (succeeded by his brother Constantine), and his brother George named "protovestiarios" in succession to Symeon, who resigned from his position in protest at John's behaviour and retired to Mount Olympus. Anthony the Fat, a member of John's extended family, was named Bishop of Nicomedia. Although John himself ultimately remained only an "orphanotrophos", he effectively ran the state as a sort of prime minister. In 1037, John attempted to have himself made Patriarch of Constantinople by trying unsuccessfully to have Alexius Studites dismissed from the patriarchate.