Continuatio scylitzae

 To do or to suffer. whence also, with the festival of the archangels approaching, the patriarch departs to the <monastery established by him> outside

 For it was the 24th day of the month, on which the feast of the holy protomartyr thekla is celebrated by christianshe filled the soldiery with much ha

 To be possessed by a terrible barrenness, he said, manuel and maria, who by the grace of god have already become my children, are enough for me. for

 Having thwarted an impious plot. for it was their plan for him to be given over to the deep with his whole family, since he was about to sail across t

 In the west, during the third indiction, when the cities around the ister were governed by the *magistros* basil apokapes and the 114 *magistros* nike

 They came here and were deemed worthy of senatorial and brilliant offices. it was then the sixth year of the reign of doukas, the 3rd indiction, in th

 He had done everything for the empress, who was considered most temperate towards her husband and most exact in raising her children and most capable

 Again proved all things. for not the whole pay, but a partial and moderate amount given to them made the soldiers listless for having received what w

 By the empress, who had proceeded royally with her own children into the greatest and most famous shrine of the wisdom of god. 123 but since the empre

 To attack and utterly overthrow and destroy the roman power. but the emperor, leading an army not such as was fitting for the emperor of the romans, b

 So then, having gathered his forces, he pursued from behind through difficult paths. and approaching sebasteia, he left the military baggage and all t

 Of berroia, having joined with both the arabs and the turks and having gathered a strong force, was considering coming to grips with the emperor and f

 They were taken alive. and the emperor, having returned to the camp after the repulse of the enemy, decided to garrison the acropolis of hierapolis. a

 Having appointed senators and distributed the annual gifts, and not even waiting for the days of pascha, he sailed away to the house of the heria 134

 The war was joined. and on the next day, sitting in public, he handed over the captured enemies to the final sentence, sparing absolutely no one, not

 To accomplish something manly which would have no place to happen in the presence of the emperor, with him personally supervising what was happening

 , since the romans, having been scattered, were pursuing, making a sudden turn they reversed the victory for this reason many were captured, and more

 Of orthodoxy, having distributed on the day before it the annual donative to both the army and the senate, not all of it in gold, but having made up t

 Hurrying to reach iberia, when he also became a spectator of the bodies of those who had fallen with the curopalates manuel comnenus. and from there,

 Bryennios having ordered those around him to hold the reins, basilakios alone was in pursuit, through ignorance of what had been done. but when he app

 The arrival of ambassadors, and some of those closest to the emperor persuade him to cast off the peace, as it was false in its effect and deceptive r

 With many he lay on the ground dishonorably and in great pain, overwhelmed by countless waves of sorrows. on the next day, when the capture of the emp

 Having left him by night, he fled to constantinople, having learned beforehand of the plots being stitched together there. for john the caesar and his

 Of his having been dug out pitilessly and inhumanly. and having been brought on a lowly beast of burden as far as the propontis like a rotting corpse,

 Unbearable and tearful wailing. but while these things were happening thus, divinely sent wrath had seized the east. for since the peace agreements wi

 Being cast down. and when this domestic misfortune was also reported to the emperor and the frank’s arrival astonished everyone, a great despondency a

 Being defeated unsparingly, they do not perceive the divine nemesis. but the romans of old, not acting in this way, achieved those fearful and celebra

 And now he looked toward rebellion. for, not bearing the insatiability of nikephoros and what things he contrived against everyone, with the emperor p

 Hurrying to extinguish this great flame that had flared up. and he sent out with him a noteworthy army, composed of macedonians and romans and franks.

 They wished to remain still of the same mind, but they were considering how to defend themselves against their enemies in every way. and sending strab

 In the meantime perenus was appointed doux of italy, and nicephorus karantenos strategos of brindisi. perenus, therefore, being unable to cross over t

 Tasted, but being deceived and misled by the consul of the philosophers, corrupted the whole world, so to speak. for a severe famine occurred, which p

 Having met him, if indeed he had handled matters skillfully, he would have easily defeated him at the beginning of the revolt. and having arrived at t

 While he was staying, while the proedros alexios komnenos was in command with the soldiers in the capital, having previously given pledges with sure o

 Battle and the army retreats and all strife is driven away, and they began to enslave the romans to themselves.

 He received the man dishonorably and not as one sent from an emperor, but as from some subordinate general and yet the body of an envoy is considered

 They being of marriageable age. and he chose one of the two, either eudokia, the wife of doukas and later of diogenes, or maria of alania, the wife of

 When it was done, he was brought on a wagon, a pitiful burden and an unfortunate lodging. 184 and while the armies were occupied in the campaign again

 And he was considered burdensome to the more prominent members of the senate, who were stung by the things he pointed out to everyone. but since, as t

for it was the 24th day of the month, on which the feast of the holy protomartyr Thekla is celebrated by Christianshe filled the soldiery with much hardship and ruin; for nearly all the cavalry and the majority of those present, being naked and unprepared for the cold and rain, breathed their last. And beyond all expectation, the provisions also failed, having become a casualty of the rivers' currents and the winter.

When there was a moderate pause and the snowfalls took a truce, the emperor went out, and having lost very many in the river, he stood under the shade of a certain tree along with some of the notables. A little later, when a sound came from the oak, the emperor went forward a short distance, so as not to be caught by its height, and it, having been torn up by the roots, crashed supine to the ground. The emperor was struck dumb, considering what a painful death he was about to meet by a small margin. What happened was not a good omen, but a prelude to the fate that was about to befall him and a requital and punishment for what had already been done. And giving thanks to God for what had happened, he erected a most beautiful 108 temple in the palace of Blachernae in the name of the protomartyr Thekla. And leading the army on, he went quickly to the reigning city, having heard a rumor of a revolt in the east. But having arrived and found it all false, he entertained himself with hunts and other relaxation, going up along the strait that lies before the queen of cities. And around the hour of luncheon a lightning-like flash struck in those places—the place is known as Neapolis—and a boar, appearing from somewhere, challenged the emperor himself, which the emperor pursuing drove as far as the sea. But when the boar, plunging into the sea, disappeared, the emperor, suddenly struck by the lightning-like flash, was both thrown from his horse and rolled on the ground foaming at the mouth. And being placed in a skiff, he was brought safely to the palace, delirious and not at all aware of himself. And after struggling with illness for some days, he awaited his fate, and for this reason, to propitiate the divine, he embraced repentance and the imperial power, which he had lawlessly seized, he willingly relinquished—doing this at least well—and he embraced the monastic life, correcting his former glory and luxury with voluntary submission and moderation. But what shows more that he repented sincerely and with his whole soul for what he had done, he appoints as emperor not his blood-brother John, not his nephew Theodore Dokeianos, not a man joined to his daughter, nor any other of those related to him by blood, but the proedros Constantine, whose patronymic from of old was Doukas, as a confidant and fellow-struggler and a most abundant provider of funds for the seizure of the empire. But Komnenos, donning monastic rags, after struggling for a short while to see if he might somehow be relieved of the disease, since he knew he was utterly conquered by it, still worn out by the disease, takes to the monastery of Stoudios, with Augusta Aikaterine also contributing much 109 to his purpose and promising him the enjoyment of heaven in exchange for the loss of the earthly kingdom, having reigned for two years and three months, and having survived for less time than this in the monastic life, showing all obedience to the abbot in the monastery, so that he even deigned to become a gatekeeper and to serve in the other ministries out of great forbearance and humility. He is said to have become exceedingly prudent. For they say that when he was a stratopedarch a kidney disease afflicted him, so that he even despaired of his life because he was seized by complete paralysis and immobility. And when the doctors, after having tried all other things and been proven to be attempting the impossible, advised him to have intercourse with a woman, he did not obey. And when they said that if he did not attempt this, it would be necessary to use a cautery, and from this, childlessness

γὰρ ἦν μὴν ἡμέραν ἄγων κδʹ, καθ' ἣν ἡ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ πρωτομάρτυρος Θέκλας ἑορτὴ τελεῖται χριστιανοῖςπολλῆς κακώσεως καὶ λύμης ἐνέπλησε τὸ στρατιωτικόν· ἥ τε γὰρ ἵππος σχεδὸν ἅπασα καὶ τῶν παρόντων οἱ πλείους τῷ κρύει καὶ τῷ ὄμβρῳ, γυμνοὶ καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι τυγχάνοντες, τὸ ζῆν ἐναπέρρηξαν. Ἐπιλελοίπασι δὲ παρὰ πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ποταμίων ῥευμάτων φορᾶς καὶ χειμῶνος γενόμενα πάρεργον.

Ἀναστολῆς δὲ μετρίας γενομένης καὶ τῶν νιφετῶν ἀνακωχὴν λαβόντων ἐξῄει ὁ βασιλεύς, πλείστους δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ ἀποβαλὼν ὑπὸ σκιὰν ἔστη δένδρου τινὸς ἅμα τῶν ὑπερεχόντων τισί. Μετ' ὀλίγον δὲ ἠχῆς γενομένης ἐκ τῆς δρυὸς πρόεισι μικρὸν ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅσον μὴ τῷ μήκει ταύτης καταλαμβάνεσθαι, ῥιζόθεν δ' αὕτη ἀνασπασθεῖσα ὑπτία τῇ γῇ προσήρεισε. Γέγονε δὲ ἐνεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς λογισάμενος οἵας τελευτῆς ἐπωδύνου παρὰ μικρὸν τυχεῖν ἔμελλεν. Ἦν δὲ οὐκ ἀγαθὸς οἰωνὸς τὸ συμβάν, ἀλλὰ προοίμιον τῆς μελλούσης αὐτὸν καταλαβεῖν τύχης καὶ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων εἴσπραξις καὶ τιμωρία. Εὐχαριστῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι τῷ Θεῷ ναὸν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ τῶν Βλαχερνῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς πρωτομάρτυρος Θέκλας ἀνήγειρε 108 κάλλιστον. Προβιβάζων δὲ τὸν στρατὸν ἀπῄει ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλεύουσαν, λογοποιουμένην ἀποστασίαν ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ ἐνωτιζόμενος. Καταλαβὼν δὲ καὶ πάντα ψευδῆ εὑρηκὼς κυνηγεσίοις ἑαυτὸν ἐψυχαγώγει καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ ἀνέσει κατὰ τὸν τῇ βασιλίδι προκείμενον πορθμὸν ἀνιών. Περὶ δὲ ὥραν ἀρίστου φῶς ἀστραπηβόλον τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις ἐνέσκηψε, Νεάπολις τούτοις τὸ γνώρισμα, χοῖρός τέ ποθεν ἐπιφανεὶς ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν τὸν βασιλέα ἐξεκαλέσατο, ὃν ἐπιδιώκων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἄχρι καὶ θαλάσσης ἐξήλασεν. Ὡς δὲ ὁ χοῖρος τὴν θάλασσαν εἰσδὺς ἀφανὴς ἐγένετο, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξαίφνης πληγεὶς τῷ ἀστραπηβόλῳ φωτὶ τοῦ ἵππου τε ἀπεσφαιρίσθη καὶ πρὸς τῇ γῇ ἀφρίζων ἐκυλίετο. Ἀκατίῳ δὲ ἐμβληθεὶς πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια διασῴζεται παρακεκομμένος καὶ ἑαυτοῦ μηδόλως ἐπαισθανόμενος. Νοσημαχήσας δὲ ἐφ' ἡμέρας τινὰς τὸν μόρον ἐκαραδόκει καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς ἐξιλέωσιν τοῦ θείου ἀσπάζεται τὴν μετάνοιαν καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἧς παρανόμως ἐδράξατο, ἑκοντὶ μεθίησι, τοῦτό γε καλῶς ποιησάμενος, καὶ τὸν μοναδικὸν ἀσπάζεται βίον, τὴν πρὶν εὐδοξίαν καὶ τρυφὴν ὑποπτώσει ἑκουσίᾳ καὶ μετριότητι διορθούμενος. Ὃ δὲ μᾶλλον δείκνυσιν ὡς εἰλικρινῶς καὶ ψυχῆς ἐξ ὅλης μεταμεμέληται ἐφ' οἷς ἔπραξε, βασιλέα προχειρίζεται οὐ τὸν ὁμαίμονα αὑτοῦ Ἰωάννην, οὐ τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν ἑαυτοῦ Θεόδωρον τὸν ∆οκειανόν, οὐκ ἄνδρα προσζεύξας τῇ θυγατρὶ οὔτ' ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν πρὸς αἷμα ᾠκειωμένων αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ τὸν πρόεδρον Κωνσταντῖνον, ᾧ ∆ούκας τὸ πατρωνυμικὸν ἀνέκαθεν ἦν, ὡς συνίστορα καὶ συναγωνιστὴν καὶ χρημάτων ποριστὴν ἀφθονώτατον εἰς τὴν τῆς βασιλείας κατάσχεσιν. Ὁ δὲ Κομνηνὸς ῥάκια μοναχικὰ περιβαλλόμενος, ἐπ' ὀλίγον γνωσιμαχήσας εἴ πως ἀνεθείη τῆς νόσου, ἐπείπερ ἔγνω κατ' ἄκρας ταύτῃ ἁλούς, ἔτι τῇ νόσῳ τρυχόμενος τὴν τοῦ Στουδίου καταλαμβάνει μονήν, πολλὰ καὶ τῆς αὐγούστης Αἰκατερίνης συμβαλλομένης 109 αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον καὶ τῇ τῆς ἐπιγείου βασιλείας ἀποβολῇ τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀπόλαυσιν ἐπαγγελλομένης αὐτῷ, βασιλεύσας μὲν ἔτη δύο καὶ μῆνας τρεῖς, ἐπιζήσας δὲ τούτων ἐλάττονα τῷ μοναχικῷ, πᾶσαν ὑπακοὴν πρὸς τὸν ἐν τῇ μονῇ ἡγουμενεύοντα ἐνδεικνύμενος, ὡς καὶ θυρωρὸς γενέσθαι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ὑπηρετῆσαι διακονίαις διὰ πολλὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ μετριοφροσύνην καταδεξάμενος. Σωφρονέστατος δὲ εἰσάγαν γενέσθαι λέγεται. Στρατοπεδάρχῃ γὰρ ὄντι αὐτῷ νόσον ἐνσκῆψαι νεφριτικὴν φασίν, ὥστε καὶ ἀπογνῶναι αὐτὸν τῆς ζωῆς διὰ τὸ παρέσει παντελεῖ καὶ ἀκινησίᾳ κατασχεθῆναι. Τῶν δὲ ἰατρῶν, μετὰ τὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι χρήσασθαι καὶ ἐλεγχθῆναι ἀνηνύτοις ἐπιχειρεῖν, συμβουλευόντων μιγῆναι γυναικὶ αὐτὸς οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν. Εἰπόντων δέ, εἰ μὴ τούτῳ ἐπιχειρήσειε, πρὸς ἀνάγκης ἔχειν καυτῆρι χρήσασθαι, ἐκ τούτου δὲ ἀπαιδίᾳ