he seizes. But having learned this, those around the emperor and the Caesar were considering whom they might set up as an opponent to him. It seemed best, therefore, to entrust the Roman army to the younger of the Caesar's sons, a man noble in hand and sharp and marvelous in intelligence. And he, having taken the forces, proceeded against Diogenes, and having come near Amaseia, he first held the army together and used skirmishes and contrived every way either to capture Diogenes or to drive him out of the city. But he, as his affairs were in dire straits, was forced to lead out his forces and draw up for battle against the Doukas. Both armies therefore joined battle and very many of the soldiers fell on both sides, as both fought nobly. But nevertheless those with Diogenes fled, as the Doukas Constantine attacked more nobly those standing in the front line and pushed back their phalanx. Therefore many of those with Diogenes fell, but he himself escaped and with a few of those around him was shut up in a certain fortress. This became the first cause of courage for those around the emperor Michael, and from this point Diogenes received the beginning of his downfall and would have been captured immediately, if something else had not happened to intervene. For a certain man drawing his lineage from Armenia, deep in thought, noble in hand—it was Chatatourios—having received one of the greatest offices from Diogenes when that man was emperor of the Romans, repaying him with favors in his misfortune, approached him, bringing along numerous soldiers, and having urged him to be courageous and having promised the greatest things, he no longer allowed him to stand against the armies of the Doukas Constantine, but leading him away into the country of the Cilicians and putting the passes of Cilicia before him, he both equipped an army for him and gave him money and first armed it, then he kept the army in reserve to fight against the opponent at the right time. 1.22 Therefore, in councils again the affairs concerning the emperor Michael and the Caesar were discussed, and the chosen men of the senate were gathered, and to some it seemed best to make a truce with Diogenes and to have conceded to him a part of the rule, but to others it was still resolved to make war and to provide him no opportunity for entry into the imperial rule. Therefore, matters of peace were first undertaken, and letters were sent from the emperor Michael to him with ambassadors, promising him amnesty for his evils. But he, as was likely, felt insulted that some sympathy was being announced to him who had committed none of the evils at all, and making his replies, he neither refrained from the imperial power and insisted he was being wronged in the greatest matters. But the affairs concerning Diogenes were being conducted in this way. But he, ever casting an evil eye on the good, stirred up a certain persecution against the Komnenoi, and who it was must be told. Having found a certain insolent-mouthed man and having sharpened his tongue like a serpent's, he armed him against their noble mother; having stitched together a certain slander, an offspring of falsehood, and having forged letters from her to Diogenes, he brings these to the emperor; and it immediately happened that the emperor, neither considering who the accuser was, nor indeed waiting for the face of the accused, grew angry. From this, courts were assembled and the noble, brave, and prudent woman was summoned to the palace. And she went, but the emperor was ashamed to become a partner in the plot, and those of the courts were assembled, with the lady being present and the herald calling for the trial. Therefore the noble and great-souled woman enters with a cheerful face and, hiding the icon of the Judge of all under her cloak, she brings it out suddenly and with a solemn posture and gaze, looking intently at the judges, she said, "This man is appointed judge of both me and you today; looking at him, cast your votes not unworthy of the judge who knows secret things." At any rate, hearing the firmness of her speech, they became full of astonishment and some began to refuse the case, abhorring the slander; for already

καταλαμβάνει. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα τε καὶ τὸν καίσαρα ἐσκόπουν τίνα τούτῳ ἀντίπαλον καταστήσειαν. Ἔδοξεν οὖν τῶν τοῦ καίσαρος υἱέων τῷ νεωτέρῳ τὸ Ῥωμαϊκὸν πιστεύειν στρα τόπεδον, ἀνδρὶ καὶ τὴν χεῖρα γενναίῳ καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν ὀξεῖ τε καὶ θαυμασίῳ. Ὁ δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις λαβὼν ἐχώρει κατὰ τοῦ ∆ιογένους καὶ ἀγχοῦ κατὰ τῆς Ἀμασείας γενόμενος πρῶτα μὲν συνεῖχε τὸ στράτευμα καὶ ἀκροβολισμοῖς ἐχρῆτο καὶ πάντα τρόπον ἐμηχανᾶτο ἢ αἱρήσειν τὸν ∆ιογένην ἢ ἐξελάσειν τῆς πόλεως. Ὁ δέ, στενοχωρούντων τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῷ, ἠναγκάσθη τὰς δυνάμεις ἐξαγαγεῖν καὶ παρατάττεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ∆ούκα. Μίγνυνται οὖν ἀμφότερα τὰ στρατόπεδα καὶ πίπτουσιν ἑκατέρωθεν πλεῖστοι τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἑκατέρων γενναίως ἀγωνιζομένων. Φεύγουσι δ' ὅμως οἱ περὶ τὸν ∆ιογένην, τοῦ ∆ούκα Κωνσταντίνου γενναιότερον προσβαλόντος τοῖς κατὰ μέτωπον ἱσταμένοις καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων ὠθήσαντος φάλαγγα. Πίπτουσιν οὖν πολλοὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν ∆ιογένην, αὐτὸς δὲ διαφεύγει καὶ σὺν ὀλίγοις τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν εἴς τι κλείεται φρούριον. Τοῦτο πρῶτον θάρσους αἴτιον τοῖς περὶ τὸν βασιλέα Μιχαὴλ γίνεται καὶ ∆ιογένης ἐντεῦθεν ἀρχὴν λαμβάνει τῆς καταλύσεως καὶ ἑάλω ἂν αὐτίκα, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο συνεμπεπτώκει. Ἀνὴρ γάρ τις ἐξ Ἀρμενίας τὸ γένος ἀνέλκων, τὴν γνώμην βαθύς, τὴν χεῖρα γενναῖοςὁ Χατατούριος ἦν, ἀρχήν τινα παρὰ τοῦ ∆ιογένους τῶν μεγίστων λαβών, ὁπηνίκα ἐκεῖνος βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίων ἐχρημάτιζε, χάριτας αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ δυστυχήματος ἀνθομολογούμενος, στρατιώτας συχνοὺς ἐπαγόμενος πρόσεισι τούτῳ, καὶ θαρρεῖν παρακελευσάμενος καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ὑποσχόμενος, ἀντικαθίστασθαι μὲν τοῖς περὶ τὸν ∆ούκα Κωνσταντῖνον στρατεύμασιν οὐκ ἔτι ἐᾷ, εἰς δὲ τὴν τῶν Κιλίκων χώραν ἀπαγαγὼν καὶ τὰ τέμπη τῆς Κιλικίας αὐτοῦ προβαλόμενος, στρατόν τε αὐτῷ ἐξαρτύει καὶ χρήματα δίδωσι καὶ ὁπλίζει μὲν πρότερον, εἶτ' ἐν καιρῷ μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον στράτευμα ταμιεύεται. 1.22 Ἐν βουλεύμασι τοίνυν καὶ αὖθις τὰ κατὰ τὸν βασιλέα Μιχαὴλ καὶ τὸν καίσαρα καὶ οἱ τῆς συγκλήτου λογάδες ἠθροίζοντο καὶ τοῖς μὲν σπείσασθαι πρὸς τὸν ∆ιογένην ἐδόκει καὶ μέρους αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς παρακεχωρηκέναι, τοῖς δὲ πολεμεῖν καὶ ἔτι ἐδέδοκτο καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν αὐτῷ τῆς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσαγωγῆς παρασχεῖν. Ἐπράττετο μὲν οὖν πρῶτον τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ γράμματα παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Μιχαὴλ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μετὰ πρεσβέων ἐξαπεστέλλοντο, κακῶν ἀμνηστίαν τούτῳ ἐπαγγελλόμενα. Ὁ δὲ εἰκότως ὥσπερ ὑβριοπαθεῖ ὅτι συμπάθειά τις αὐτῷ ἀπηγγέλλετο μηδὲν ὅλως τῶν κακῶν πλημμελήσαντι, εἰς ἀποκρίσεις δὲ καθιστάμενος, οὔτε τῆς βασιλείας ἀπείχετο καὶ τὰ μέγιστα διετείνετο ἀδικεῖσθαι. Ἀλλὰ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ∆ιογένην ἐπράττετο τῇδε. Ὁ δὲ τοῖς καλοῖς βασκαίνων ἀεὶ διωγμόν τινα ἐξήγειρε κατὰ τῶν Κομνηνῶν καὶ ὅστις λεκτέον. Ἄνδρα τινὰ θρασύστομον εὑρηκὼς καὶ ἠκονηκὼς τὴν γλῶτταν αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ὄφεως κατὰ τῆς γενναίας τούτων μητρὸς καθοπλίζει· συκοφαντίαν συρράψας τινὰ ψεύδους ἔκγονον καὶ γράμματα συμπλασάμενος ἐξ ἐκείνης πρὸς τὸν ∆ιογένην κομίζει ταῦτα τῷ βασιλεῖ· τῷ δὲ μήθ' ὅστις εἴη ὁ κατήγορος σκοποῦντι, μήτε δὴ μένοντι τοῦ κατηγορουμένου τὸ πρόσωπον εὐθὺς ξυμβέβηκε μηνιᾶν. Ἐντεῦθεν δικαστήριά τε συνεκροτεῖτο καὶ μετάπεμπτος ἡ εὐγενὴς καὶ γενναία καὶ σώφρων ἦν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀνάκτορα. Ἡ δὲ ἐφοίτα, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ᾐδέσθη κοινωνὸς γενέσθαι τοῦ σκέμματος, συνήγοντο δὲ οἱ περὶ τὰ δικαστήρια, τῆς κυρίας παρούσης καὶ τοῦ κήρυκος πρὸς τὴν δίκην καλοῦντος. Εἴσεισι γοῦν ἡ γενναία καὶ μεγαλόψυχος φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα δὲ κρύπτουσα ὑπὸ τὴν χλαμύδα τοῦ πάντων ∆ικαστοῦ ἐξάγει ταύτην ἀθρόον καὶ σεμνῷ τῷ σχήματι καὶ τῷ βλέμματι πρὸς τοὺς δικαστὰς ἀτενίσασα, "οὗτος", ἔφη, "δικαστὴς ἐμοῦ τε καὶ ὑμῶν καθίσταται σήμερον, πρὸς ὃν ἀτενίζοντες ψήφους ἐκφέρετε μὴ ἀναξίας τοῦ δικαστοῦ τοῦ εἰδότος τὰ κρύφια". Τὸ γοῦν στερρὸν τοῦ λόγου ἐκεῖνοι ἐνωτισάμενοι θάμβους γεγόνασι μεστοὶ καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν δίκην ἔνιοι ἤρχοντο βδελυττόμενοι τὴν συκοφαντίαν· ἤδη γὰρ