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

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 was given, they were scattered to their own homes, and again the barbarians were ravaging the land and overrunning it without fear. And having gathered a certain small band of young men, who had just sprung forth from the houses in which they were raised, with small and minimal expenses, they entrusted them to the governor of Antioch 121. Who were eager to do something, led by the recklessness of youthful audacity, but being inexperienced in war and without horses and almost without arms and naked and not even having their daily bread, having suffered many irreparable things, they returned ingloriously to their own land, as the doux Botaneiates with his own shield-bearers and some foreign forces was moderately able to drive them off. And when he was removed from his command, the affairs of the barbarians grew even more bold, with a shortage of grain pressing the cities and a lack of other provisions. But since affairs of necessity required an emperor capable of somehow settling and stabilizing them in such contrary times, the most worthy Botaneiates was voted for and many others, but nevertheless the divine will prevails; for which reason the vestarches Romanos, the son of Constantine Diogenes, is elevated to this. And in what manner he was elevated, I shall now relate. Diogenes had been appointed doux of Sardica, and being a patrikios, he asked the emperor Constantine Doukas to be honored as a vestarches. But the emperor, remarking to him: "Showing deeds, demand wages," sent him away empty and unsuccessful, not having heeded his request. So Diogenes, going out and reaching Sardica, encountering Pechenegs who had come out and were plundering the country, set up a very great trophy against them, and having sent many of the captives alive and the heads of the slain to the emperor, he was honored as vestarches, with the emperor writing to him that, "This is not my gift, O Diogenes, but of your own virtue and valor." And while staying there he wanted to rise up against the emperor, but he held back what was planned, fearing to bring it to light. However, since the emperor was away and the affairs of the empire were without a head, he communicates the matter to one of his most trusted men and through him, having spoken about the same matter with the neighboring nations 122, who were friendly disposed toward him ever since he ruled parts of their lands and who had ample experience of his nobility. He is denounced by someone of Armenian descent, and indeed, having been arrested, he is led as a prisoner to the empress. And being convicted and having confessed, and for this reason condemned to death as a conspirator, he is exiled and cast out of the city, causing grief to all who had experienced his nobility and courage. And those who did not know, learning this from those who did, were admirers by hearsay. And for this reason it was the prayer of all that the man be spared punishment and be granted to the rule of the Romans. And since the purpose was of divine zeal and not of self-love, as he was grieving for the multitude of Christians suffering badly and being ravaged daily by the Hagarenes, the object of their prayer was finally brought about for those who prayed. For when he again stood before the imperial tribunal, unrestrainable pity seized the Augusta Eudokia; for the man was, among other things, also good to look upon, being tall in stature and well-seen in his chest and back, and handsome of eye, if any other, and by his suffering immediately calling forth compassion, preserving neither the exact white nor the black, but as if both were mixed in equal measure. So as the senate present also felt compassion, sympathy immediately followed. And being saved from the danger against all hope and expectation, he obtained imperial dignity. For which reason, also being released, he was greeted by all. Therefore, going out to the land of the Cappadocians, from where he also had his birth, being summoned again, he has entered the reigning city, and on the birthday of the Savior Christ he is honored as magistros and has been appointed stratelates

πάλιν τὰ πάντα ἀπέδειξεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁλόκληρον τὸ ὀψώνιον, ἀλλὰ μερικὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ μέτριον δοθὲν ναρκῆσαι τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐποίησε· λαβόντες γὰρ τὸ δοθὲν εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα διεσκεδάσθησαν, καὶ πάλιν ἦσαν οἱ βάρβαροι τὴν χώραν δῃούμενοι καὶ ἀδεῶς κατατρέχοντες. Νεολαίαν δέ τινα βραχεῖαν, ἄρτι τῶν οἰκημάτων οἷς ἐνετρέφοντο ἐκπεπηδηκυῖαν, μικροῖς καὶ ἐλαχίστοις ἀθροίσαντες ἀναλώμασι τῷ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας 121 ἡγεμόνι ἐνεχείρισαν. Οἳ δρᾶσαι μέν τι προεθυμοῦντο ἀπονοίᾳ νεωτερικῆς θρασύτητος στρατηγούμενοι, ἀπειροπόλεμοι δὲ ὄντες καὶ ἄφιπποι καὶ σχεδὸν ἄοπλοι καὶ γυμνοὶ καὶ μηδὲ τὸν ἡμερήσιον ἄρτον ἔχοντες, πολλὰ παθόντες ἀνήκεστα εἰς τὴν σφῶν δυσκλεῶς ἐπανέστρεψαν γῆν, τοῦ δουκὸς Βοτανειάτου μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων ὑπασπιστῶν καί τινων ξενικῶν δυνάμεων μετρίως αὐτοὺς ἀποσοβῆσαι ἰσχύσαντος. Παραλυθέντος δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκείνου τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπὶ πλέον ἐθρασύνθη, σιτοδείας πιεζούσης τὰς πόλεις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων ἐνδείας. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ ἐξ ἀνάγκης βασιλέως ἐδεήθη τὰ πράγματα δυναμένου αὐτὰ ποσῶς καταστῆσαί τε καὶ ὁμαλίσαι ἐν οὕτως ἐναντίοις καιροῖς, ἐψηφίζετο μὲν ἀξιολογώτατος ὁ Βοτανειάτης καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοί, νικᾷ δὲ ὅμως ἡ θεία βουλή· διὸ καὶ ἀνάγεται ἐπὶ ταύτην ὁ βεστάρχης Ῥωμανὸς ὁ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ ∆ιογένους υἱός. Ὃν δὲ τρόπον ἀνήχθη, ἔνθεν ἐρῶ. Ἦν μὲν προβεβλημένος δοὺξ Σαρδικῆς ὁ ∆ιογένης, πατρίκιος δὲ τυγχάνων ἐζήτησε τὸν βασιλέα Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν ∆ούκαν τιμηθῆναι βεστάρχης. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὑπειπὼν αὐτῷ: δεικνύων ἔργα ἀπαίτει μισθούς, κενὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἄπρακτον ἀπεπέμψατο μὴ προσσχὼν τῇ αἰτήσει αὐτοῦ. Ἐξελθὼν οὖν ὁ ∆ιογένης καὶ τὴν Σαρδικὴν καταλαβών, περιτυχὼν Πατζινάκοις ἐξελθοῦσι καὶ λεηλατοῦσι τὴν χώραν τρόπαιον μέγιστον ἐστήσατο κατ' αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἑαλωκότων ζῶντας μὲν πολλούς, κεφαλὰς δὲ τῶν ἀνῃρημένων τῷ βασιλεῖ πεπομφὼς ἐτιμήθη βεστάρχης, γράψαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ὡς οὐκ ἐμὸν δῶρον, ὦ ∆ιόγενες, τοῦτο ἀλλὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀνδραγαθίας. ∆ιατρίβων δὲ ἐκεῖσε ἠβουλήθη μὲν ἀντᾶραι τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐπέσχε δὲ τὸ μελετώμενον δεδιὼς εἰς φῶς ἀγαγεῖν. Ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπῆν καὶ τὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἐχήρευον, κοινολογεῖταί τινι τῶν πιστικωτάτων τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῖς παρακειμένοις ἔθνεσιν 122 ὁμιλήσας περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος, φιλίως αὐτῷ διακειμένοις ἐξ ὅτου τῶν παρ' ἐκείνοις ἦρξε μερῶν καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενναιότητος πεῖραν ἔχουσι δαψιλῆ. Καταμηνύεται παρά του Ἀρμενίου τὸ γένος, καὶ δὴ συλληφθεὶς δεσμώτης πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα ἀπάγεται. Ἐλεγχθεὶς δὲ καὶ καταθέμενος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κατακριθεὶς θάνατον ὡς ἐπίβουλος ὑπερορίζεται καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐκβάλλεται, πᾶσιν ἀνίαν ἐνθέμενος ὅσοι τῆς αὐτοῦ γενναιότητος καὶ ἀνδρείας ἐν πείρᾳ καθίσταντο. Οἱ δ' ἀγνοοῦντες ἐκ τῶν εἰδότων ταύτην παραλαμβάνοντες ὑπῆρχον ἐξ ἀκοῆς ἐρασταί. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δι' εὐχῆς ἦν τοῖς ὅλοις ἀνώτερον τὸν ἄνδρα γενέσθαι κολαστηρίων καὶ χαρισθῆναι τῇ Ῥωμαίων τοῦτον ἀρχῇ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ σκοπὸς ζήλου θείου ἦν καὶ οὐ φιλαυτίας, περιαλγοῦντος τῆς τῶν χριστιανῶν πληθύος πασχούσης κακῶς καὶ κεραϊζομένης ὁσημέραι πρὸς τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν, ἐνηργήθη λοιπὸν τοῖς εὐχομένοις τὰ τῆς εὐχῆς. Παραστάντος γὰρ αὖθις αὐτοῦ τῷ βασιλικῷ βήματι περιέσχεν ἔλεος ἄσχετος τὴν αὐγοῦσταν Εὐδοκίαν· ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ θεαθῆναι ἀγαθός, ἐπιμήκης τε τὴν ἡλικίαν ὢν καὶ στέρνων καὶ νώτων ἐν καλῷ καθορώμενος, εὐόφθαλμός τε, εἴπερ τις ἄλλος, καὶ τοῦ πάθους αὐτόθεν παράκλησιν ἐκκαλούμενος, μήτ' ἀκριβὲς τὸ λευκὸν μήτε τὸ μέλαν ἀποσῴζων, ἀλλ' οἷον συγκεκραμένα κατ' ἴσον ἀμφότερα. Ὡς οὖν καὶ ἡ παρεστῶσα γερουσία συνέπαθεν, εὐθὺς ἐπηκολούθησεν ἡ συμπάθεια. Καὶ περισωθεὶς τοῦ κινδύνου παρὰ πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα καὶ προσδοκίαν βασιλικῆς ἀξιώσεως ἔτυχε. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀπολυθεὶς παρὰ πάντων ἠσπάζετο. Ἐξιὼν οὖν εἰς τὴν Καππαδοκῶν, ἐξ ἧς καὶ τὴν γέννησιν ἔσχηκε, πάλιν μεταπεμφθεὶς εἰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν εἰσελήλυθε, κἀν τοῖς γενεθλίοις τοῦ σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ μάγιστρος τιμᾶται καὶ στρατηλάτης προβέβληται