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forcing him to remain but not to leap out and plunder our territory, and although Michael often challenged him to battle, he did not act arrogantly but recognized his own weakness and did not dare to raise his hand against the emperor, it seemed best to Michael to be content with having shut up that man's rashness and audacity in the territories he controlled, and not to join in battle, as the future was uncertain; for he said, "since we are not able to challenge him from our battle line to war, but we force him to fight shy and remain by himself, what would we accomplish by using force?" Therefore, as he wished to return slowly and little by little to his own kingdom, it seemed unbecoming to Leo and not worthy of an emperor of the Romans to show his back to the enemy, so he called that excellent counsel, because his thoughts were not upright or sound but rotten and treacherous, and because he was plotting to make the entire leadership of the Romans his own. "But we must go," he said, 15 "against them, O emperor, and you will see me today cleanly taking up power against the enemies and showing myself victorious, taking courage in and fighting for your confidence and prayer." Michael, diverted and shaken by these words, ordered the war to be joined. But as soon as the engagement occurred, Leo gave his back and embraced flight, always seeking the empire in some way. And this for a time was unclear both to Michael himself and to his opponents; for since nothing had yet happened, such as is usual in war, no deed of valor for either side, but the battle was still in its beginnings and it was unknown why it was even joined, it seemed to the Bulgarians themselves and to all that the matter was a stratagem, as if they were about to break them apart and again fight them upon turning back. But when both sides recognized that the flight was not a stratagem but indeed real, then the enemy, falling upon them, vigorously wrought a great slaughter of those fleeing, while Michael, being with a few men, tried to save himself but not to resist. And so some have handed down to us in writing that this battle happened in this way; but there are some who rather credit Leo with saving the forces and fighting steadfastly, with the imperial tagmata having played the coward and betrayed their own battle line, but not the contingent under Leo. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian side prevailed beyond hope, while the Roman side, seized by a heavy and 16 fearful defeat, sent the emperor away in anguish for his life. But he was escorted to the imperial courts, leaving Leo behind like some bulwark to lie in wait outside lest any further plundering by the enemy should occur. But he, seizing a suitable opportunity, both stirred up the crowd of soldiers and compelled them to hurl certain blasphemies against the emperor, and said it was not good for a stag, that famous one from the fable, to lead lions, having now embraced flight and fled to the bosom of his wife, leaving us, his own people, to be consumed by the enemy. The speech had not yet reached its end for its listeners when one could see it turning into action, sown by the chatter and conspiracy of flatterers. And finally, an immediate proclamation, and for the briefest part of a day, it held the same man as both a private citizen and an emperor. 7 Indeed, he had just been proclaimed by the army and fears and terrors crept over him, whether he was truly acting a part on stage, so that he might have a defense for later, or was in truth considering the contrary things that follow such great deeds, since even for those eager to snatch what belongs to others, their daring against terrible things is wont to become softer, and the greatest thing, how he might gain a share of the imperial courts themselves, while dwelling out of doors and somewhere far off. But in any case he himself was also about to take up his quarters in the imperial palace, and 17 for this reason they stirred up a most wicked spirit

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ἐμμένειν καταναγκάζοντος ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκπηδᾶν καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ληΐζεσθαι, καὶ πολλάκις ἐκ παρατάξεως προσκα- λουμένου μὲν τοῦ Μιχαήλ, ἐκείνου δὲ μὴ ἀπαυθαδιαζομένου ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιγινώσκοντος ἀσθένειαν καὶ μὴ πρὸς βασιλέα χεῖρα ἀντᾶραι κατατολμῶντος, ἐδόκει μὲν τῷ Μιχαὴλ ἀρκεῖσθαι τὸ προ- πετὲς ἐκείνου καὶ αυθαδες ἐν τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κατακλείσαντα, μὴ καὶ μάχην ἐπισυνάψαι, ὡς ἀδήλου οντος τοῦ μέλλοντος· "ἐπεὶ" γὰρ ελεγεν "ἐκ παρατάξεως ἡμῶν οὐκ εἰς πόλεμον οιοί τέ ἐσμεν ἐκκαλέσασθαι, ἀλλὰ φυγομαχεῖν καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ μένειν ἀναγκάζομεν, τί καὶ δράσαιμεν βιαζόμενοι;" διὰ τοῦτο ουν παλινδρομεῖν ἠρέμα πως καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν βασιλείαν βουλομένου, ἀπρεπὲς ἐφάνη τῷ Λέοντι καὶ οὐ κατὰ βασιλέα ̔Ρωμαίων νῶτα διδόναι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ουτω καλοῦντι ἐκείνην τὴν καλλίστην βουλὴν τῷ μὴ ὀρθὰ μηδ' ὑγιᾶ φρο- νεῖν σεσαθρωμένα δὲ καὶ δόλια, καὶ ολην ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ποιῆσαι τὴν τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων μελετῶντι ἡγεμονίαν. "ἀλλ' ἰτητέον" εφη 15 "πρὸς αὐτούς, ω βασιλεῦ, καὶ οψει με σήμερον τὸ κράτος καθα- ρῶς ἀναδούμενον κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ νικηφόρον δεικνύμενον, τῇ σῇ καταθαρροῦντα καὶ προπολεμοῦντα πεποιθήσει τε καὶ εὐχῇ." τούτοις ὁ Μιχαὴλ τοῖς λόγοις ἐκτραπείς τε καὶ παρασαλευθεὶς συρρῆξαι παρεκελεύσατο τὸν πόλεμον. ὡς δὲ μόνον ἐγένετο συμ- βολή, νῶτα δοὺς ὁ Λέων τὴν φυγαδείαν ἠσπάσατο, τὴν βασιλείαν ἀεί πως ἐπιζητῶν. καὶ τοῦτο τέως αδηλον ην αὐτῷ τε τῷ Μιχαὴλ καὶ τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις· μήπω γάρ τινος γεγονότος, οια φιλεῖ κατὰ πόλεμον, μηδετέρῳ ἀνδραγαθήματος, ἀλλ' ετι κατ' ἀρχὰς ουσης τῆς μάχης καὶ μικροῦ οτι καὶ συνερράγησαν ἀγνώστου, αὐτοῖς τε τοῖς Βουλγάροις καὶ πᾶσιν ἐφάνη τρόπος ειναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὡς μέλλουσιν αὐτοὺς διασπᾶν καὶ αυθις ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς καταπολεμεῖν. ὡς δ' ἀμφότεροι οὐ κατὰ τρόπον ἀλλ' ἀληθῆ δὴ εγνωσαν ειναι τὴν φυγήν, τότε προσπεσόντες οἱ μὲν ἐναντίοι φόνον πολὺν ἐνειργά- ζοντο τῶν φευγόντων νεανικῶς, ὁ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἑαυτὸν σώζειν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀντιπίπτειν μετ' ὀλίγων ων διεπείραζε. καὶ ουτω μὲν ταύτην γενέσθαι τὴν μάχην τινὲς ἡμῖν ἐγγράφως παραδεδώκασιν· εἰσὶ δ' οι  καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις μᾶλλον τῷ Λέοντι διδόασι διασῶσαι καὶ καρτερῶς ἀγωνίσασθαι, τῶν βασιλικῶν ταγμάτων ἐθελοκα- κησάντων καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν προδεδωκότων παράταξιν, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Λέοντα μέρους. πλὴν καθυπερτερεῖ μὲν τὰ Βουλγάρων δυσελπίστως, τὰ δὲ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ηττῃ συνεχόμενα βαρείᾳ καὶ 16 φοβερᾷ τὸν βασιλέα επεμπον ἀγωνιῶντα περὶ ψυχῆς. ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ- νος μὲν πρὸς τὰς βασιλείους αὐλὰς παρεπέμπετο, τὸν Λέοντα οιόν τινα πρόβολον καταλιπὼν εξωθεν ἐφεδρεύειν τοῦ μή τινα γενέσθαι λαφυραγωγίαν πλείονα παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν. ὁ δὲ καιροῦ λαβόμενος ἐπιτηδείου τὸν στρατιώτην οχλον ἠρέθιζέ τε καὶ βλάσφημά τινα ῥιπτεῖν κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἠνάγκαζε, καὶ μὴ αν ελαφον, ἐκεῖνο δὴ τοῦ μύθου, ἡγεῖσθαι λεόντων καλὸν ελεγεν ειναι, τὴν φυγὴν ἀσπασάμενον νῦν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κόλπους φυγόντα τῆς γυναικός, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἡμᾶς καταλιπόντα λαὸν παρανάλωμα τῶν ἐχθρῶν. ουπω πέρας πρὸς τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῶν λόγων ὁ λόγος ἐλάμβανε, καὶ εἰς εργον ην τοῦτον ἀπεκβάντα ἰδεῖν, τῇ τῶν κολάκων κατα- σπαρέντα στωμυλίᾳ καὶ συνδρομῇ. καὶ τέλος ἀνάρρησις αὐθω- ρόν, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ειχε τὸ βραχύτατον μόριον τῆς ἡμέρας ἰδιώτην αμα καὶ αὐτοκράτορα. 7Αρτι γοῦν ἀνηγορεύετο παρὰ τοῦ στρατοῦ καὶ φόβοι τοῦτον καὶ δέη ὑφεῖρπον, ειτε σκηνὴν οντως ὑποκρινόμενον, ιν' ἀπολογίαν σχοίη εἰς υστερον, ειτε καὶ ἀληθείᾳ τὰ ταῖς τηλικαύ- ταις πράξεσιν ἀκολουθοῦντα ἀντίπαλα διαλογιζόμενον, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῖς ἁρπάσαι τὰ ἀλλότρια προθυμουμένοις μαλακώτεραι πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ τόλμαι φιλοῦσι γίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, οπως τῶν βασι- λείων μετάσχῃ αὐλῶν, θυραυλῶν τε καὶ πόρρω που αὐλιζόμενος. ἀλλ' εμελλε πάντως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνσκηνῶσαι τοῖς βασιλείοις, καὶ 17 διὰ τοῦτο πνεῦμα πονηρότατον διεγεῖραν