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 accomplish something manly; which would have no place to happen in the presence of the emperor, with him personally supervising what was happening and observing everything daily and rewarding those who laboured according to their toils. The emperor passed through both Koloneia and the Armenian themes as far as Sebasteia with the army. There, learning that the Turks, marching towards Pisidia and Lycaonia, were aiming for Iconium as their objective, he himself also set out to march at their rear as far as the town called Heraclea. In which, having also learned that they had already sacked Iconium and departed, fearing his pursuit, he sent a certain portion of the regiments to Cilicia to be united with Xatatourios, the doux of Antioch, a noble man who had displayed many proofs of his virtue, and who had previously received orders to meet them at Mopsuestia with all speed—for there the Turks were expected to pass through, and there to await them and harm them in every way. Having passed, therefore, through the mountains of Seleucia, they were rushed into the plain of Tarsus, where, having clashed with the Armenians, they lost almost all their booty. But the enemy, learning of the Romans' encampment at Mopsuestia, delaying not even a little, and having rested themselves as best they could in Valtolivadi, went away during the night, crossing the Sarbandikon mountain and riding with haste to the borders of Chalep, and barely escaped the danger. But grief seized the emperor because those in Mopsuestia had accomplished nothing; for he himself, having arrived straight at Claudiopolis in Seleucia, since he had learned about their flight, despairing, turned back, hastening towards Byzantium as autumn was already at hand, leaving another force behind because other Turks were also plundering Roman land, divided into clans and parties and raiding in the manner of robbers and thieves and destroying and plundering everything 139 they came upon. For which reason, their prevention was difficult, as they lay in ambush on all the roads, with their forces isolated on their own and not being able to stand against them, and the emperor, in turn, not being able to be divided, but being present in one place. And as he was entering the capital, the remaining army also returned home, the eighth indiction of the year 6578 being at hand, at which time the great church of the Blachernae was also burned to the ground.

When spring began to appear, the emperor considered remaining in the capital. Having chosen Manuel Comnenus, the protoproedros, and having honored him with the dignity of kouropalates, he appointed him general and leader of the army. From then on, things adverse, difficult, and painful befell the empire of the Romans. Therefore, the one appointed to this, going forth, although he happened to be young in age, was nevertheless seen to do nothing misguided or boyish, but paying great heed to what was fitting; for having gathered the forces with all his strength, he arrived at Caesarea, taking proper care not only of good order but also of the army, and oppressing the unjust among the soldiers with the payment of fines. Encountering certain wars, he appeared victorious and was already striving to broaden and magnify his good reputation. But the ruler, learning these things, seemed to be pleased, but concealed his envy within himself. Nevertheless, in order perhaps to lift the siege of Hieropolis and alleviate the grain shortage, he ordered a not inconsiderable portion of the army, having been detached, to go towards Syria, and in this way deprived the general of the strength from these men. And when he arrived at Sebasteia with the remaining forces and encamped around the city, 140 a Turkish multitude came upon them. So the kouropalates went out against them. But with the enemy, by a signal, having made a pretence of flight

ἀνδρικὸν διαπράξασθαι· ὃ παρόντος τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι χώραν γίνεσθαι, αὐτοῦ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιστατοῦντος τοῖς γινομένοις καὶ πάντα καθορῶντος ὁσημέραι καὶ τοὺς πονοῦντας ἀναλόγως ἀμειβομένου τῶν καμάτων. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διά τε Κολωνείας καὶ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν θεμάτων μέχρι Σεβαστείας σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι διελήλυθεν. Ἐκεῖσε δὲ μαθὼν ὡς οἱ Τοῦρκοι ἐπὶ Πισιδίαν καὶ Λυκαονίαν ἐλαύνοντες ὡς εἰς σκοπὸν ἀποτείνουσι τὸ Ἰκόνιον, ὥρμησε καὶ αὐτὸς κατ' οὐρὰν ἐλαύνειν αὐτῶν μέχρι τῆς λεγομένης Ἡρακλέους κωμοπόλεως. Ἐν ᾗ καὶ μαθὼν ἤδη καταστρεψαμένους αὐτοὺς τὸ Ἰκόνιον ἀπᾶραι, δεδιότας τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπιδίωξιν, ἀπόμοιραν μέν τινα τῶν ταγμάτων ἐπὶ Κιλικίαν ἐξέπεμψεν ἑνωθησομένην Χατατουρίῳ τῷ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας δουκί, ἀνδρὶ γενναίῳ καὶ πολλὰ ἐπιδειξαμένῳ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς προτερήματα πρότερον δεξαμένῳ τε εἰς Μοψουεστίαν ἀπαντῆσαι τὸ τάχος ἐκεῖσε γὰρ προσεδοκῶντο οἱ Τοῦρκοι διελθεῖν κἀκεῖ προσμένειν αὐτοὺς καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ λυμήνασθαι. ∆ιελθόντες τοίνυν διὰ τῶν τῆς Σελευκείας ὀρέων εἰς τὴν τῆς Ταρσοῦ πεδιάδα κατηκοντίσθησαν, ἔνθα παρὰ τῶν Ἀρμενίων συγκυρηθέντες πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν λείαν ἀπέβαλον. Οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι μαθόντες τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐν Μοψουεστίᾳ παρεμβολήν, μηδὲ μικρὸν χρονίσαντες, διαναπαύσαντες δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἐν τῇ Βαλτολιβάδι ὡς ἐνόν, ᾤχοντο διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ὑπερβάντες τὸ Σαρβανδικὸν ὄρος καὶ εἰς τὰ τοῦ Χάλεπ σὺν σπουδῇ ἐπελάσαντες ὅρια καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον μόλις ὑπαλύξαντες. Ἀνία δὲ κατέσχε τὸν βασιλέα ἀπρακτησάντων τῶν ἐν Μοψουεστίᾳ· καταστὰς γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς εὐθὺ τῆς ἐν Σελευκείᾳ Κλαυδιουπόλεως, ἐπεὶ περὶ τῆς τούτων ἐμεμαθήκει φυγῆς, ἀπογνοὺς ὀπισθόρμητος γέγονεν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ἐπειγόμενος ὡς ἤδη λοιπὸν καὶ τοῦ μετοπώρου ἐπιστάντος, καταλιπὼν ἕτερον λαὸν ὄπισθεν διὰ τὸ καὶ ἑτέρους Τούρκους καταληίζεσθαι τὴν ῥωμαϊκὴν γῆν κατὰ φατρίας καὶ μοίρας διαιρουμένους καὶ κατατρέχοντας λωποδυτῶν τρόπον καὶ κλεπτῶν καὶ τὸ 139 προστυχὸν ἅπαν ἀφανίζοντας καὶ ληίζοντας. ∆ι' ἃ καὶ δυσχερὴς ἦν ἡ τούτων κώλυσις πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐφεδρευόντων, τῶν στρατευμάτων αὐτῶν καθ' αὑτὰ μεμονωμένων καὶ μὴ δυναμένων ἀντιστῆναι αὐτοῖς, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως αὖθις μὴ οἵου τε ὄντος μερίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑνὶ παρόντος τόπῳ. Εἰσιόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα ἐπ' οἴκου καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν στράτευμα γέγονεν, ἰνδικτιῶνος ὀγδόης ἐνισταμένης τοῦφοηʹ ἔτους, ὅτε καὶ τὸ μέγιστον ἱερὸν ἐπυρπολήθη τῶν Βλαχερνῶν ἕως ἐδάφους.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ἔαρ ὑποφαίνεσθαι ἤρξατο, ἐσκέψατο παρεῖναι τῇ βασιλίδι ὁ βασιλεύς. Προκρίνας δὲ Μανουὴλ πρωτοπρόεδρον τὸν Κομνηνὸν καὶ τοῦτον τιμήσας τῷ τοῦ κουροπαλάτου ἀξιώματι στρατηγὸν καὶ ἀρχηγὸν τοῦ στρατεύματος ἀποδείκνυσι. Τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν τὰ προσάντη καὶ δυσχερῆ καὶ λυπηρὰ τῇ βασιλείᾳ Ῥωμαίων συνεκύρησεν. Ἐξιὼν οὖν ὁ προβεβλημένος εἰς τοῦτο, εἰ καὶ νέος τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐτύγχανεν, ἀλλά γε πεπλανημένον οὐδὲν ἢ μειρακιῶδες ἐνεργῶν κατεφαίνετο, πολὺν δὲ τῶν εἰκότων λόγον ποιούμενος· τὰς γὰρ δυνάμεις συνηθροικὼς πασίρρωμος τῇ Καισαρείᾳ ἐπεφοίτησεν, οὐ τῆς εὐνομίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ φροντίζων προσηκόντως καὶ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐκτίσεων προστίμοις κατάγχων. Πολέμοις δέ τισιν ἐντυχὼν νικητὴς ἀνεφάνη καὶ τὴν περὶ αὑτοῦ εὐδοξίαν ἤδη πλατύνειν καὶ μεγαλύνειν διηγωνίζετο. Πυνθανόμενος δὲ ταυτὶ ὁ κρατῶν εὐθυμεῖν μὲν ἐῴκει κρύψας δ' ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν φθόνον. Ὅμως δ' οὖν ἵνα τὴν τῆς Ἱεροπόλεως τάχα λύσῃ πολιορκίαν καὶ τὴν σιτοδείαν παραμυθήσηται , μοῖραν οὐκ ἐλαχίστην ἀποτεμόμενος τοῦ στρατοῦ κατὰ Συρίαν ἀπελθεῖν διωρίσατο καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐκ τούτων ἰσχύος τὸν στρατηγὸν ἀπεστέρησεν. Εἰς δὲ Σεβάστειαν παραγενομένου μετὰ τῶν ὑπολελειμμένων δυνάμεων καὶ περὶ τὸ ἄστυ στρατοπεδεύσαντος 140 ἐπῆλθέ τις πληθὺς τουρκική. Ἐξῄει γοῦν κατ' αὐτῶν ὁ κουροπαλάτης. Φαντασίαν δὲ φυγῆς παρεσχημένων τῶν πολεμίων ἐκ συνθήματος