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

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, but such as the occasion provided from Macedonians and Bulgarians and Cappadocians and Uz and other foreign contingents who happened to be present, and in addition Franks and Varangians, eagerly set out on the road. And all were gathered by imperial command in Phrygia, that is, in the Anatolic theme. There it was possible to see something strange: the renowned champions of the Romans, who had subjugated the entire west and east, and their army composed of a few men, these men bent by poverty and hardship and deprived of full armor, bearing instead of swords and other instruments of war—to use a phrase from Scripture—hunting-spears and sickles not in a time of peace, and lacking war horses and other equipment, since no emperor had campaigned for a long time, and for this reason, as they were useless and non-contributing, their pay and their long-standing grain ration had been overlooked. For they appeared cowardly and weak and useful for no noble purpose, so that even the standards themselves silently proclaimed this, being seen to be squalid, as if darkened by sooty smoke, and having few and wretched attendants. These things, seen by those present, brought and instilled great despondency, as they considered from what a state to what a state the Roman armies had fallen, and again, in what way and from what resources and in how much time they would return to their former state, since the older and more experienced men were without horses and lightly armed, while the new army was inexperienced in war and not accustomed to the contests of war, and then [they considered] the extreme love of danger of the enemy 126 and their persistence, experience and skill in war. The emperor, therefore, being at a loss on all sides and not wishing to remain inactive for the common good, judged it best, as far as was possible, to draw up against the enemy and somehow check and restrain them from their great charge. For his sudden rush and attack rather astonished the enemy, who were unaware of the things at home that were pressing and afflicting the emperor, as they thought, as we later learned, that this man took no account of dangers, but, being a disciple of Ares, would innovate and rejuvenate the affairs of the Romans and would raise up against the enemy their just deserts. <For> these reasons, then, the sultan turned back, but having detached a certain large contingent and having divided this in two, he sends the one into the more southern part of upper Asia, and orders the other to be in the more northern part. But the emperor, having, as far as was possible, strengthened those with him with full generosity and having made them take courage with ranks and gifts, and having carefully appointed excellent captains and commanders to each regiment, in a short time formed a respectable army and with it marched more eagerly against the Persians. And when the more northern army of the Persians, having previously feigned a certain sortie, gave the impression of a withdrawal because of the emperor's advance, Diogenes then decided to fall upon the southern forces, who were plundering the regions around Coele-Syria and Cilicia and Antioch itself. And abandoning the direct route to Koloneia and Sebasteia, he entered the theme of Lykandos during the summer season; for in the autumn he was planning to approach the Syrian parts, so that the army, distressed by the heat, would not fare ill and be ruined. Meanwhile, the Turks, attacking Neocaesarea unexpectedly, overwhelm it and became masters of much money and many bodies, carrying off a weight of booty 127 by no means small. And this, when it came to the emperor's ears, instilled in him great distress, because, although he had marched out, the enemy were nonetheless devouring his country before his very eyes.

προσβαλεῖν καὶ ἄρδην ἀνατρέψαι τὴν Ῥωμαίων καὶ καθελεῖν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς στρατὸν ἐπαγόμενος οὐχ οἷον εἰκὸς ἦν τὸν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλ' οἷον παρεῖχεν ὁ καιρὸς ἔκ τε Μακεδόνων καὶ Βουλγάρων καὶ Καππαδοκῶν καὶ Οὔζων καὶ τῶν ἄλλως παρατυχόντων ἐθνικῶν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ Φράγκων καὶ Βαράγγων, τῆς ὁδοῦ σπουδαίως ἐφήψατο. Συνήχθησαν δὲ οἱ πάντες κελεύσματι βασιλικῷ ἐν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ , ἤτοι τῷ θέματι τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν. Ἔνθα καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν τι παράδοξον, τοὺς διαβοήτους προμάχους τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τῶν πᾶσαν τὴν ἑσπέραν καὶ τὴν ἀνατολὴν καταδουλωσαμένων, καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν στρατιὰν ἐξ ὀλίγων συγκειμένην ἀνδρῶν καὶ τούτων συγκεκυφότων τῇ πενίᾳ καὶ κακουχίᾳ καὶ πανοπλίας ἐστερημένων, ἀντὶ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ἄλλων ὀργάνων πολεμικῶν, τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἐρεῖν, ζιβύνας καὶ δρέπανα οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ εἰρήνης ἐπαγομένους, ἵππου τε πολεμικῆς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παρασκευῆς ἐνδεῶς ἔχοντας, ἅτε μὴ στρατευσαμένου βασιλέως ἐκ πολλοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἀχρήστων καὶ ἀσυντελῶν καὶ τὸν ὀψωνιασμὸν αὐτῶν παρεικότος καὶ τὸ ἀνέκαθεν σιτηρέσιον. ∆ειλοὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀνάλκιδες καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν γενναῖον χρησιμεύοντες κατεφαίνοντο, ὡς καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς σημαίας τοῦτο σιωπηρῶς ἀποφθέγγεσθαι πιναρὰς ὁρωμένας ὥσπερ ἀπὸ λιγνύος ἐζοφωμένας καπνοῦ, καὶ ὀπαδοὺς ἐχούσας εὐαριθμήτους καὶ πενιχρούς. Ταῦτα τοῖς παροῦσιν ὁρώμενα πολλὴν ἀθυμίαν προσῆγον καὶ ἐνεποίουν, ἀναλογιζομένοις ἐξ οἵων ποῖ κατηντήκασι τὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατόπεδα καὶ αὖθις τίνα τρόπον κἀκ ποίων χρημάτων καὶ διὰ πόσου τοῦ χρόνου εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐπανελεύσονται, τῶν μὲν γηραιοτέρων καὶ πεπειραμένων ἀφίππων ὄντων καὶ ψιλῶν, τῆς δὲ νεαλοῦς στρατιᾶς ἀπειροπολέμου καθεστηκυίας καὶ τῶν πολεμικῶν οὐκ ἐθάδος ἀγώνων, καὶ αὖθις τὸ τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων φιλοκινδυνότατον 126 καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἐπίμονον καὶ ἔμπειρον καὶ ἐπιτήδειον. Πάντοθεν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξαπορούμενος καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν διὰ τὴν κοινὴν λυσιτέλειαν ἔκρινεν, ὡς ἐνῆν, τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι καὶ τῆς πολλῆς αὐτοὺς ποσῶς ἀναχαιτίσαι καὶ ἀναστεῖλαι ὁρμῆς. Τοὺς γὰρ ἐναντίους, ἀγνοοῦντας τὰ οἴκοι τὸν βασιλέα πιέζοντά τε καὶ θλίβοντα, ἡ ἀθρόα τούτου ὁρμή τε καὶ ἔφοδος μᾶλλον ἐξέπληξεν, οἰηθέντας, ὥσπερ ὕστερον μεμαθήκαμεν, ὅτι κινδύνων οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐδένα λόγον πεποίηται, ἀλλ' Ἄρεως ὢν φοιτητὴς καινοποιήσει καὶ ἀνηβήσει τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα καὶ ἀντισηκώσει τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τὰ ἐπίχειρα. <∆ιὰ> ταῦτά τοι ὁ μὲν σουλτάνος ὀπισθόρμητος γέγονε, μοῖραν δέ τινα μεγάλην ἀποτεμόμενος καὶ ταύτην διχῇ διελών, τὴν μὲν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν τὴν ἄνω νοτιωτέραν ἐκπέμπει, τὴν δὲ βορειοτέραν παραγγέλλει γενέσθαι. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ὡς ἐνῆν, τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπιρρώσας ὅλῃ χειρὶ καὶ ἀξιώμασι καὶ δώροις ἀναθαρρῆσαι πεποιηκώς, καὶ λοχαγοὺς καὶ ταξιάρχας ἀρίστους ἑκάστῳ τάγματι ἐπιμελῶς προστησάμενος ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ στρατιὰν ἀξιόλογον κατεστήσατο καὶ μετ' αὐτῆς ἐπὶ Πέρσας προθυμότερον ἤλαυνεν. Ὡς δὲ τὸ βορειότερον στρατόπεδον τῶν Περσῶν ἐκδρομήν τινα πρότερον φαντάσαν δόξαν ὑποχωρήσεως ἐκ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως προόδου παρέσχετο, ἔγνω λοιπὸν ὁ ∆ιογένης τοῖς νοτίοις ἐπεισπεσεῖν, οἳ τὰ περὶ Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν καὶ αὐτὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καταληίζοντες ἦσαν. Καὶ καταλιπὼν τὸ εὐθὺ Κολωνείας καὶ Σεβαστείας φέρεσθαι τῷ τοῦ Λυκανδοῦ ἐπεχωρίασε θέματι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ θέρους· ἐν γὰρ τῷ φθινοπώρῳ τοῖς συριακοῖς παραβαλεῖν ἐμελέτα μέρεσιν, ὡς ἂν μὴ τῷ καύσωνι κακουχηθὲν τὸ στρατόπεδον δυσπραγήσῃ καὶ διαλωβηθῇ. Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ οἱ Τοῦρκοι τὴν Νεοκαισάρειαν ἐξ ἀπροόπτου ἐπελθόντες καταστρέφουσι καὶ πολλῶν χρημάτων καὶ σωμάτων ἐγένοντο κύριοι, βάρος ἐπαγόμενοι λαφυραγωγίας 127 οὐκ ἐλάχιστον. Ὃ καὶ εἰς ὦτα τοῦ βασιλέως πεσὸν πολλὴν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀνίαν ἐνέσταξεν, ὅτι, καίτοι ἐκστρατευσαμένου, οὐδὲν ἧττον οἱ πολέμιοι τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ κατεσθίουσιν.