Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle II

the honors for Joseph. The second day dawned, and while the church was open to the patriarch's followers, the sanctuary was inaccessible to the clergy. The third day came, and the same things were done. But when the fourth day arrived and they were already about to grant pardon to them, since it was not possible for them to agree on the decisions but they were of two minds for a long time, so that even the hour of the Pre-sanctified Liturgy passed, having with difficulty placed on either side a crowd otherwise and a multitude that seemed to be numbered among the zealots, in the midst of them, next to one side of the beautiful gates, they allowed those of the church who were passing through to prostrate themselves and ask for pardon, and thus to be deemed worthy of joining in worship. 48 So, having completed the evening hymns in darkness, and having omitted the liturgy—I know not whether because the time did not permit it or rather because they did not yet deem those who had been pardoned worthy to be sanctified by the holy fragment, as the following day showed—each one was dismissed to his home. But when on the holy and great Thursday the liturgy was being celebrated and they themselves were present, those others, wishing to deceptively secure the sanctification for themselves, secretly sent to the marketplace and obtained bread, and breaking it into small pieces, they gave it to those who knew nothing, as if they were fragments of the holy bread; which, when it was later discovered, they did not know what to do from extreme grief. Nevertheless, in view of what was expected for the future, even that seemed bearable, and enduring their troubles they expected greater ones, being distressed not so much by the present things because of experience as by the things they awaited because of expectation. For a present grief, having come upon men who have a nature to bear even unbearable things, naturally pains and distresses the one who has experienced the hardships, but it is naturally diminished by the consolation of the many; but when anticipated, it provides an intractable anxiety to the one who is about to suffer. 49 For these reasons, then, as they were bearing the present evils as best they could, the coming event brought a terrible expectation, and the present affliction seemed bearable compared to the expectation of future sorrow. These things were happening, and the chief of feasts arrived, on which it was necessary for those of the church, being Christians, to be bound together with the kiss of love. And so bishops were summoned and clergy were summoned, and having gathered on the first and chief second day, with holy kisses, as the day advised and necessity urged, they established love for one another.

(16) But what was done then was a mockery and irony, which indeed the star that those skilled in these matters call Kronos showed, not to mention also what appeared in a dream to one of the bishops, how as they were all sitting together in a greater synod, that long throne was suddenly shattered, and at the same time all were unseemly thrown to the ground, and thus they lay, drawing pity from many. But such was the matter of the star. For at midday, while the sun was shining, at the beginning of the month of Boedromion, when the sun, passing the vernal equinox, appears clearer than before as the winter clouds are dispersing, it shone gleaming in the middle of the sky, even if the planets are said not to gleam because they are near; but nevertheless that one, on the one hand by the height of its 50 sphere and on the other by the fact that eyes receiving the sun's rays are afflicted by a film because of them, if indeed gleaming comes from weakness, it gleamed as much as it could. Some, therefore, ranked the sign among the good things; for they said that the light of good things was about to shine upon them and that all that was dark and obscure would be driven away by the presence of the one who had been patriarch. But the learned understood the disappearance of the greatest men and the destruction of their honor, prophesying better things; for comparing the height of the star with the greatness of the men, they imparted to them its chilling and cold quality, as to men who would be frozen by the cold of their misfortunes, which indeed followed on their heels.

17. For in the second week after the Resurrection, which they also call Renewal Week, an imperial decree is set forth, the former monk Athanasius is appointed archbishop in place of Andronicus, and the bishop of Sardis is assigned and registered

τὰς τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ προσ τιμήσεις. ἐπέφωσκεν ἡ δευτέρα, καὶ τοῖς μὲν τοῦ πατριάρχου ὁ ναὸς ἀνεῖτο, τοῖς δέ γε κληρικοῖς ἄβατον τὸ τέμενος ἦν. ἐπέ στη ἡ τρίτη, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ διεπράττετο. ὡς δ' ἡ τετάρτη παρῆν καὶ ἤδη συγχωρεῖν ἔμελλον σφίσιν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν συμφωνεῖν ἐκεί νους ἐπὶ τοῖς δόξασιν ἀλλ' ἀμφεγνωμόνουν ἐπὶ πολύ, ὡς καὶ παρελθεῖν τὴν τῆς προηγιασμένης τελετῆς ὥραν, μόλις στήσαν τες ἐφ' ἑκάτερα ὄχλον ἄλλως καὶ πλῆθος δοκοῦν ἐν ζηλωταῖς ἀριθμεῖσθαι, μέσον ἐκείνων παρὰ θάτερα τῶν ὡραίων πυλώνων παρεῖχον τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας διερχομένους προσπίπτειν καὶ συγ γνώμην αἰτεῖν καὶ οὕτως ἀξίους νομίζεσθαι τῆς συνεκκλησιάσεως. 48 ἅμα γοῦν τὰ τῶν ἑσπερίων ὕμνων ὑπὸ σκότῳ τελέσαντες, παρι δόντες τὴν λειτουργίαν, οὐκ οἶδα διὰ τὸν καιρὸν μὴ ἐκχωροῦντα ἢ μᾶλλον διὰ τὸ μὴ δικαιοῦν ἔτι ἁγιασθῆναι τοὺς συγχωρηθέντας τῷ ἱερῷ κλάσματι, ὡς ἡ ὑστεραία ἔδειξεν, ἐπ' οἴκου ἀπελύετο ἕκαστος. ὡς δὲ τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ μεγάλης πέμπτης ἐτελεῖτο ἡ λει τουργία καὶ αὐτοὶ συμπαρῆσαν, ἐκεῖνοι θέλοντες σφίσι παραλο γίσασθαι τὸν ἁγιασμόν, πέμψαντες κρυφηδὸν ἐξ ἀγορᾶς λαμβά νουσιν ἄρτον, καὶ κλάσαντες εἰς λεπτὰ μηδὲν εἰδόσι μετεδίδουν ὡς ἱεροῦ ἄρτου κλασμάτων, ὃ δὴ καὶ γνωσθὲν ὕστερον οὐκ εἶχον ὅ τι ἐξ ὑπερτέρας ἀνίας καὶ γένοιντο. ὅμως δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἐσαῦθις ἐλπιζόμενα οἰστὸν κἀκεῖνο ἐδόκει, καὶ φέροντες τὰ τῶν κακῶν προσεδόκων μείζω, οὐ τόσον τοῖς παροῦσι διὰ τὴν πεῖραν ὅσον τοῖς προσδοκωμένοις διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἐξανιώμενοι. τὸ γὰρ παρὸν λυπηρόν, ἐπιστὰν ἀνθρώποις φύσιν ἔχουσι φέρειν καὶ τὰ ἀνύποι στα, λυπεῖ μὲν ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ ἀνιᾷ τὸν πειρασθέντα τῶν δυσχε ρῶν, τῇ δὲ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν παραμυθίᾳ ἐκλύεσθαι πέφυκεν· ἐλπιζόμενον δὲ δυσδιάθετον τὴν φροντίδα τῷ πεισομένῳ παρέχει. 49 ταῦτ' ἄρα κἀκείνοις τὸ παρὸν τῶν κακῶν ὡς ἐνῆν φέρουσι δεινὴν ἐλπίδα τὸ ἐπελευσόμενον ἦγε, καὶ οἰστὸν ἐδόκει τὸ ἐπιστὰν πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ μέλλοντος λυπηροῦ. Ἦν ταῦτα, καὶ ἡ κυρία ἐπέστη τῶν ἑορτῶν, καθ' ἣν ἔδει καὶ συνδεῖσθαι τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας, Χριστιανούς γε ὄντας, ἀγά πης φιλήματι. καὶ δὴ προσεκαλοῦντο μὲν ἀρχιερεῖς προσεκα λοῦντο δὲ κληρικοί, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ κυρίᾳ δευτέρας συναχθέντες ἅμα φιλήμασιν ἁγίοις, ὡς ἥ τε ἡμέρα παρῄνει καὶ τὸ χρεὼν ἤπειγε, τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνίστων ἀγάπην.

(16) ἦν δὲ ἄρα γέλως καὶ εἰρωνεία τὸ τότε πραχθέν, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἀστὴρ ὃν Κρόνον οἱ περὶ ταῦτα δεινοὶ λέγουσι παρεδείκνυ, ἵνα μὴ λέγω καὶ τὸ καθ' ὕπνους δόξαν τινὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων, ὡς ἅμα καθεζομένων ἁπάντων ἐν συνόδῳ μείζονι συντετρῖφθαι μὲν ἐξαίφνης τὸν μακρὸν θρόνον ἐκεῖνον, ἅμα δὲ πάντας κατὰ γῆς ἀσχημόνως ἐρρῖφθαι, καὶ οὕτω κεῖσθαι ἕλκοντας τὸν ἀπὸ πολ λῶν ἔλεον. ἀλλ' οἷον τὸ τοῦ ἀστέρος. μεσούσης γὰρ ἡμέρας, τοῦ ἡλίου λάμποντος, μηνὸς Βοηδρομιῶνος ἱσταμένου, ὅτε τὴν ἐαρινὴν τροπὴν παρελαύνων ἥλιος καθαρώτερος ἢ πρότερον δεί κνυται τῶν χειμερινῶν νεφῶν διαλυομένων, κατ' οὐρανὸν μέσον ἐπέφωσκε στίλβων, εἰ καὶ μὴ στίλβειν οἱ πλανῆται διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι λέγονται· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖνος, τοῦτο μὲν τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν 50 σφαίρας ὑψώματι τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τῷ τὰς τοῦ ἡλίου ἀκτῖνας δεχομέ νους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῷ κατ' αὐτὰς ἀρρωστεῖν περιχύματι, εἴ περ καὶ ἐξ ἀτονίας τὸ στίλβειν, καθ' ὅσον ἦν ἔστιλβεν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἔταττον τὸ σημεῖον· περιλάμψαι γὰρ σφίσι τὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν φῶς μέλλειν καὶ πᾶν σκοτῶδες καὶ ἀμαυρὸν ἀπελα θῆναι τῇ τοῦ πατριαρχεύσαντος παρουσίᾳ. λόγιοι δὲ ἀνδρῶν μεγίστων ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τῆς κατὰ σφᾶς τιμῆς φθορὰν ἐνενόουν, κρείττω μαντευόμενοι· τὸ γὰρ ἀστέρος ὕψωμα τῷ μεγαλείῳ τῶν ἀνδρῶν παραβάλλοντες τὸ κρονικὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν αὐτοῖς ἐνετίθουν, ὡς πηχθησομένοις τῷ κρύει τῶν συμφορῶν, ὃ δὴ κατὰ πόδας ἠκολούθει.

17. Τῆς γὰρ δευτέρας ἑβδομάδος μετὰ τὴν ἀναστάσιμον, ἣν δὴ καὶ διακινήσιμον λέγουσιν, ἐκτίθεται μὲν δόγμα βασίλειον, κατασκευάζεται δὲ ὁ τέως μοναχὸς Ἀθανάσιος εἰς ἀρχιερέα Ἀνδρόνικον, τάττεται δὲ καὶ γράφεται ὁ Σάρδεων