to do or to suffer. Whence also, with the festival of the Archangels approaching, the patriarch departs to the <monastery established by him> outside the city, taking care to celebrate the rites of the feast lavishly. But the emperor, seizing the opportunity as a godsend, and fearing that there might be a tumult and disturbance, sent a company of soldiers—the common dialect calls them Varangians—who shamefully seize him from his throne, and seating him on a mule, they drove him and his nephews as far as the shore at Blachernae, and from there, putting them on a boat, they confine them to the island of Proconnesus. And having conferred with some of the metropolitans and consulted about his own deposition, he selected the most eloquent of them and declared through them that he would lay aside the high priesthood, before he should be shamefully deprived of it by a synod and an assembly of those publicly accusing him. But as he appeared unconquered by them and unhumbled in his resolve, his deposition was despaired of. But while the emperor was continually concerned about this, in the midst of it all the patriarch peacefully departed this life. And the emperor, struck with repentance, brings in his body with honor and lays it in his monastery, being astounded at the miracle which had occurred, both he and those with him. For the right hand of the patriarch, formed in the shape of a cross, with which it is customary 106 to bless the people proclaiming peace to them, had remained unchanged, not altered along with the death of the body. And in his place is appointed patriarch Constantine Leichoudes, proedros and protovestiarios, after a vote had first been cast for him by the metropolitans and the clergy and all the people, a man who had shone most brightly in imperial and civil affairs from the proclamation of Monomachos until that time, and had borne away great glory for his mediation in the administration of all things, and who had been left by the aforesaid emperor as guardian of the Mangana charitable institution and its rights. Although he had indeed been promoted and held the high priesthood and patriarchate without doubt and dispute, yet the emperor, caring how he might become master of such rights, and thinking this to be a suitable time, having been ordained a presbyter, he suspended his full consecration to the high priesthood, until, he says, the things being whispered against you are examined synodically and canonically. But Constantine, not ignorant of the way these things were being contrived against him, and considering the unforeseen disgrace, brings what was sought and gives it to the emperor. And from then on, without hesitation and without any pretext, all the rites customary for those being ordained were performed for him. And he became generous and provident not only for the affairs of the Church, but for all things simply, so that no one was left without a share in his providence, who had not enjoyed the bounty of his hand. But when the Hungarians had broken the peace with the Romans and the Patzinaks had crept out of the lairs in which they were hidden and were ravaging the neighboring country, the emperor, having prepared for the campaign, went out in full force to Triaditza. And there, having received ambassadors from the Hungarians, and having ratified and confirmed the peace with them 107 as best he could, he set out against the Patzinaks. And since they were divided into tribes and clans, the other leaders submitted to the emperor and held peaceful and friendly dispositions, but Seltes alone was unwilling to give his hands to the emperor, relying on the marshes of the Ister where he had taken refuge and on the precipitous rock there, emboldened by which he also went out into the plain, eager to engage the emperor. And not long after did he reap the rewards of his own folly; for when a small part of the imperial forces was arrayed against him, he took to flight, and his refuge, being captured, was razed to its very foundations. And the emperor, after routing and utterly destroying this man, broke camp and pitched his tent in Lovitzos at its foothills. But a torrential rain burst upon the camp and an unseasonable snow in September
δρᾶσαι ἢ παθεῖν. Ὅθεν καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀρχαγγέλων ἐφισταμένης ἑορτῆς ἄπεισι μὲν ὁ πατριάρχης εἰς τὸ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως <παρ' αὐτοῦ συστὰν φροντιστήριον>, φιλοτίμως τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐκτελέσαι φροντίζων. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὸν καιρὸν ὡς ἕρμαιον ἁρπάσας, ἵνα μὴ θόρυβος καὶ τάραχος γένηται ὑπειδόμενος, στῖφος στρατιωτικὸν ἀποστείλας Βαράγγους αὐτοὺς ἡ κοινὴ ὀνομάζει διάλεκτος ἀνάρπαστον ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου ἀτίμως ἐπαίρουσι, καὶ ἡμιόνῳ καθίσαντες συνήλαυνον ἄχρι τῆς ἐν Βλαχέρναις ἀκτῆς αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἀνεψιοὺς αὐτοῦ, ἐκεῖθέν τε λέμβῳ ἐμβληθέντας εἰς τὴν νῆσον Προικόννησον περιορίζουσι. Κοινολογησάμενος δέ τισι τῶν μητροπολιτῶν καὶ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ καθαιρέσεως συνδιασκεψάμενος, τοὺς λογιωτέρους αὐτῶν ἐπιλεξάμενος δηλοῖ δι' αὐτῶν ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην, πρὶν ἂν ἀτίμως αὐτὴν ἀποβάληται συνόδῳ καὶ συλλόγῳ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν δημοσιευθέντων. Ἀνάλωτος δὲ τούτοις ὀφθεὶς καὶ ἀταπείνωτος τά γε ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ἀπέγνωστο αὐτῷ ἡ καθαίρεσις. Φροντίζοντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως περὶ ταύτης διηνεκῶς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ μεταλλάττει τὸν βίον ὁ πατριάρχης εἰρηνικῶς. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς μετανοίᾳ βληθεὶς τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ εἰσάγει ἐντίμως καὶ τῇ μονῇ αὐτοῦ ἀποτίθεται, ἐκπλαγεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ συμβάντι θαύματι αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ. Ἡ γὰρ χεὶρ ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ πατριάρχου σταυροειδῶς σχηματισθεῖσα, ᾗ ἔθος 106 εὐλογεῖν ἐπιφωνοῦντας τῷ λαῷ τὴν εἰρήνην, μεμένηκεν ἄτρεπτος μὴ συναλλοιωθεῖσα τῇ νεκρώσει τοῦ σώματος. Προχειρίζεται δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ πατριάρχης Κωνσταντῖνος πρόεδρος καὶ πρωτοβεστιάριος ὁ Λειχούδης, πρότερον ψήφου προβάσης ἐπ' αὐτῷ παρὰ τῶν μητροπολιτῶν καὶ τοῦ κλήρου καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντός , ἀνὴρ μέγιστον διαλάμψας τοῖς βασιλικοῖς καὶ πολιτικοῖς πράγμασιν ἀπό τε τῆς τοῦ Μονομάχου ἀναρρήσεως καὶ μέχρι τοῦ τηνικάδε καιροῦ, καὶ μέγα κλέος ἐπὶ τῷ μεσασμῷ τῆς τῶν ὅλων διοικήσεως ἀπενεγκάμενος καὶ τῆς τῶν Μαγγάνων προνοίας καὶ τῶν δικαιωμάτων φύλαξ παρὰ τοῦ εἰρημένου βασιλέως καταλειφθείς. Εἰ καὶ προβέβλητο γοῦν καὶ οὐκ ἐνδοιάσιμον τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην καὶ πατριαρχίαν ἐκέκτητο καὶ ἀναμφήριστον, ἀλλ' ὁ βασιλεὺς φροντίζων ὅπως τῶν τοιούτων δικαιωμάτων ἐγκρατὴς γένηται, τοῦτον εἶναι καιρὸν ἐπιτήδειον οἰηθείς, πρεσβυτέρῳ χειροτονηθέντι ἐπέσχε τὴν ἐντελῆ χρῖσιν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης, ἄχρις ἂν φησὶ τὰ ὑποτονθορυζόμενα κατὰ σοῦ σκοπηθῇ συνοδικῶς τε καὶ κανονικῶς. Ὁ δὲ Κωνσταντῖνος μὴ ἀγνοήσας δι' ὃν ταῦτα τρόπον τυρεύεται κατ' αὐτοῦ, τὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης ἀδόκητον λογιζόμενος, φέρων τὰ ζητούμενα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπιδίδωσι. Καὶ ἔκτοτε ἀδιστάκτως καὶ δίχα τινὸς προφάσεως πάντα τελεῖται ἐπ' αὐτῷ ὅσα ἔθος τελεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς χειροτονουμένοις. Γέγονε δὲ δωρηματικὸς καὶ προνοητικὸς οὐ τῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων ἁπλῶς, ὡς μηδένα ὑπολειφθῆναι τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας ἀμέτοχον, τὸν μὴ τῆς αὐτοῦ χειρὸς ἀπολαύσαντα. Τῶν Οὔγγρων δὲ τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους εἰρήνην διαλυσάντων καὶ τῶν Πατζινάκων δὲ ἐξερπυσάντων τῶν φωλεῶν οἷς ἐνεκρύβησαν καὶ τὴν παρακειμένην χώραν σινόντων, τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐκστρατείαν ἐξαρτύσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔξεισι πασίρρωμος εἰς Τριάδιτζαν. Ἐκεῖσέ τε πρέσβεις πρὸς τῶν Οὔγγρων δεξάμενος, τὴν μετ' αὐτῶν εἰρήνην κυρώσας καὶ ἐμπεδώσας 107 ὡς ἐνῆν, ἐπὶ τοὺς Πατζινάκους ἐξώρμησε. ∆ιῃρημένων δὲ αὐτῶν κατὰ γενεὰς καὶ φατρίας, οἱ μὲν λοιποὶ ἡγεμόνες τῷ βασιλεῖ ὑποκλιθέντες εἰρηνικά τε καὶ φίλια ἐφρόνησαν, μόνος δὲ ὁ Σελτὲ χεῖρας δοῦναι τῷ βασιλεῖ οὐκ ἠθέλησε, τοῖς ἕλεσι τοῦ Ἴστρου οἷς συνέφυγε καὶ τῇ ἐκεῖσε ἀποκρήμνῳ πέτρᾳ ἐπερειδόμενος , οἷς καὶ θαρρήσας εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἐξῆλθε συρράξαι τῷ βασιλεῖ προθυμούμενος. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ τῆς οἰκείας ἀπονοίας ἀποίσατο τὰ ἐπίχειρα· βραχείας γὰρ μερίδος τῶν βασιλικῶν ἀντιταχθείσης αὐτῷ φυγὰς ᾤχετο, καὶ τὸ κρησφύγετον αὐτοῦ ληφθὲν κατηρειπώθη ἐκ βάθρων αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς μετὰ τὸ τοῦτον τροπώσασθαι καὶ ἀφανίσαι ἄρδην, ἀναζεύξας ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν τῷ Λοβιτζῷ περὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ πρόποδας. Ῥαγδαῖος δὲ ὄμβρος τῇ παρεμβολῇ ἐπικαταρραγεὶς καὶ νιφετὸς ἔξωρος Σεπτέμβριος