Chronicon OF GEORGE THE MONK LIVES OF THE NEW EMPERORS.

 he summons to the palace Nikephoros the renowned patriarch and with him the leading bishops and priests in the presence of the senate, and says, Know

 a man-slaying fruit of a seed bitterly kept and sprouted in our generation, I know not whence this terrible condemnation was allotted to the Romans. w

 and the fool will speak foolish things. For being exceedingly ignorant and nonsensical, he did not know at all those Cherubim wrought of gold, which t

 we have recorded as being preserved. 21 And sight is a witness, a truthful teacher. Both the length of time and the building of the venerable churches

 This apostolic preaching they continue to uphold and never in another jurisdiction, where there are Christians, is that wicked and lawless and God-ha

 {THE REIGN OF MICHAEL THE STAMMERER.}

 Therefore, having plundered it moderately, but not as he had hoped, but as divine providence allowed on account of our sins, he accomplished nothing m

 {THE REIGN OF THEOPHILOS.}

 of impiety and insolence, and of tyranny and madness, the deluded and vain-minded one. Since therefore he was possessed by the same deceit and derange

 this? But the emperor, as if rebuked, forcefully dragged him from the sanctuary, and having inflicted no small number of blows upon him, exiled him,

 as was fitting, he received him, immediately making him magister and domestic of the scholae, and receiving his children from holy baptism. 14. Elated

 most lawless ones, or Pharaoh the Egyptian, or Nebuchadnezzar the Assyrian? Or should we bring all these together and name you one and the same, since

 he wished to take, but he received two pounds for him, the general having also been ordered to test him, and if he was brave, to make him a guardsman.

 Then, having impiously committed many shameful, terrible, and absurd acts, they were driven from there as apostates. But having fled to the imperial c

 having secretly brought out Theophobos through Boukoleon, they saved him near Narsou, in what is now called 'of Theophobias', and they placed this the

 and overturned every day. And so finally, through imperial commission and cooperation, the fathers in exile and bitter prisons were recalled and resto

 Theophilitzes said, My lord, 817 I have a young man, most experienced and most brave with horses, just as your majesty desires, by the name of Basil.

 church, having a warden named Nicholas. And on that night a divine voice called the warden, saying Arise, bring the emperor into the oratory. And ha

 to Bardas, Do not strike the logothete. But they slaughtered him and cut him limb from limb in the Scythian manner, showing the rawness and savagery

 having constructed it very beautifully with flowing water. And when this was completed, there was someone in the city named Peter, a man of letters an

 plotting against him. But he heard these things as nonsense. But Basil, hurrying to convince the emperor, befriends Symbatios, a patrician and logothe

 standing on a high rock, cried out loudly to the emperor, A fine journey you have made, O emperor, having slain your own kinsman and your paternal bl

 Peganes to cense him with an earthenware censer with sulfur. And they blind Symbatios in one eye, and they also cut off his right hand, and they set h

 the emperor. And John the Chaldos immediately with his sword striking the emperor cut off his hands. And Iakobitzes the apelates, the Persian, woundin

 and having been eaten by worms, he died. 3. And the emperor, having come forth on the day of Christ's nativity during the procession to the great chur

 before the fleet arrived, with the emperor lamenting and mourning greatly. 12. And when Niketas Xylinites, the epi tes trapezes, was accused of being

 he made Leo fashion and wear in his boot, saying to him that Often when your father is looking for a small knife for some need, why do you not give i

 of the drome and having gone up to the ambo of the church, having read the charges against the patriarch Photius, they brought him down from the thro

 to make war against Hagion. And when an engagement occurred, those with Constantine were defeated and slaughtered, with him barely escaping. 9. And th

 He having died, Symeon sought pretexts to break the peace for seeking other captives as well, he advanced against the Romans. And the emperor Leo app

 he having given his word to Basileios, he confided everything to him. But Samonas, entering in to the emperor, said to him that, my lord, I wish to te

 Of Nicholas the Patriarch, the monks were pardoned from death, Karamalos to the Pikridiou monastery, and Eustathios to the Stoudiou monastery. And the

 He was persuading, he fled to Siricha to the precious cross, pretending that he had come on account of faith in the cross. So Constantine, the son of

 Andronikos, learning this, despairing, along with his relatives and his children and his men, went away and seized the fortress of Kabala, having come

 Samonas said, Against whom is the affliction? The metropolitan said to him, Against you and if you get past the 13th of June, from then on you wil

 he dressed it and made an illumination for the animals. For this reason the hand of God was lifted from him, as one who attached the honor of God to i

 of the detachments fell, and so many that the place was flooded with blood pouring down like a river. And Gregoras the son of the Doux was also killed

 879 of Domenikos the Hetaeriarch. Zoe deposes Patriarch Nicholas along with those with him in anger, telling him to look after and care for the affair

 others in the engagement of the war, 882 both Constantine Lips and John Grapson and a sufficient number of other commanders. 17. And at some point Rom

 These things came to pass. 23 But the emperor took Nicholas the patriarch and Stephen the magister to be with him in the palace, drawing the authority

 the basileopator, having made signed golden bulls as if from the person of the emperor Constantine, containing the overthrow of such a plot, and that

 they came forth in a procession. 2. In the month of June, of the 8th indiction, on a Sunday, the union of the church took place under Romanos, with al

 and many others. Therefore, having barely been saved, he entered into the dromon. And Alexios Mouseles the droungarios also came fleeing, armed, with

 is deprived. They tonsured Bardas Boilas as a monk, since the emperor pitied him as he was a friend. 15. When the patrician nicknamed Moroleon, who wa

 of silver-shielded and silver-speared men, and of those adorned with every color of arms, all of them fenced in with 900 iron, who, having taken Symeo

 Stephen the metropolitan of Amaseia being a eunuch. 903 26. In the month of October, the mystikos John, the paradynasteuon, was accused of aspiring to

 and with Maria the daughter of Christopher and with the whole senate to the church of the most holy Theotokos of the Spring, and they blessed both Pet

 son of the emperor Romanos, whom they were about to ordain patriarch of Constantinople. 38. On the twenty-fifth of the same month an unbearable winter

 he having already reached old age and his sons being still infants. and his remains were placed in the aforementioned monastery of his father. 43. And

 Consequently, the rest of the dromons and the triremes, having sallied forth, worked a complete rout, and they sank many ships with their crews, and w

 a military force being besieged and coming into the greatest necessity, its inhabitants sent an embassy to the emperor Romanos to have the siege lifte

 a monk. 1 Constantine, his son-in-law, was therefore left as sole emperor who, having immediately honored Bardas, the son of Phokas, with the dignity

Theophilitzes said, "My lord, 817 I have a young man, most experienced and most brave with horses, just as your majesty desires, by the name of Basil." When the emperor commanded him to come at once, a chamberlain was sent to the Iron Gate, and finding Basil, he brought him with haste to the emperor. And having been ordered to hold the horse, he, holding the bridle with one hand and grasping the horse's ear with the other, changed it to the tameness of a sheep. Pleased and attended by him, the emperor handed him over to Andreas, who was the Hetaeriarch, to be in the Hetaireia and to serve with the horses. 8. I thought it necessary to narrate concerning this same Basil both his upbringing, and where he is from up to the time of this affair. This same Basil was born in Macedonia in the villages of Adrianople, during the reign of Michael Rhangabe, father of Patriarch Ignatius, and son-in-law of the Emperor Nikephoros through his daughter Procopia. During his reign Krum, the ruler of Bulgaria, went out against the Christians; and Michael having been routed, and Leo the Armenian having usurped and become emperor, Krum came up behind him and encircled the city. But having been speared by Leo the Armenian and returning to Bulgaria, he sent to Saint Mamas to take away the bronze figures there. And going also to Adrianople he took it, and resettled ten thousand men, not counting women, and settled them beyond the Danube. And in the days of Theophilos 818 the emperor, there was a general in Macedonia named Kordyles. He also had a son named Bardas, who was very brave, whom he left in his place to rule the Macedonians who were beyond the river Danube. But he himself by some device went to Theophilos, as was written before. Welcoming him gladly, and knowing what he wanted, he sent ships to take them up and bring them to the city. The ruler of Bulgaria was Baldimer, grandson of Krum, father of Symeon who ruled after this. 9 Therefore the people, with their wives and children, made a plan to go out into Romania. And having gone out from Michael the Bulgarian in Thessalonica, they began to cross over with their possessions. But the count, learning this, crossed over against them to make war on them. Therefore, the Macedonians, in despair, made Tzantzes and Kordyles their leaders, and joining battle, they killed many, and some they captured. Those who were not able to cross Bulgaria fled to the Hungarians and reported to them all the affairs of the Macedonians. And the emperor's ships also came to take them to the city. Immediately, therefore, the Huns appeared, an infinite multitude. And seeing them, they cried out with tears, saying, "O God of Saint Adrian, help us," and they drew up for the clash of battle. But the Turks said to them, "Give us all your possessions, and go wherever 819 you wish." But they did not accept this, but remained drawn up for three days. On the fourth day they began to enter their ships. But when the Turks saw this, they joined battle from the fifth hour until evening; and the nation having been routed, the Macedonians pursued them. And on the next day, as they were wishing to withdraw, the Huns appeared again to fight them. But a young Macedonian, Leo by name, of the family of the Gomostoi, who after this became Hetaeriarch, and other renowned men of the Macedonians, rose up, routed them and drove them out; and returning they went into the ships, and were saved and brought to the emperor, and having been honored by him they returned to Macedonia, to their own country. Basil was at that time about twenty-five years of age. And having been restored to his own country he attached himself to serve the strategos of Macedonia called Tzantzes. And having benefited nothing from him, he came into the city as far as the Golden Gate. Having entered, weary from the journey—for it was a Sunday, and the sun was setting—he lay down on the benches of Saint Diomedes. for it was then the universal

Θεοφιλίτζης εἶπεν ὅτι, δέσποτα, 817 ἔχω νεώτερον ἐμπειρότατον καὶ ἀνδρειότατον εἰς τοὺς ἵππους, οἷον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ βασιλεία σου, τοὔνομα Βασίλειον. τοῦ δὲ βασι λέως παρευθὺ ἐλθεῖν κελεύσαντος ἀπεστάλη κοιτωνίτης ἐν τῇ σι δηρᾷ πύλῃ, καὶ τὸν Βασίλειον εὑρὼν μετὰ σπουδῆς ἤγαγε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ κελευσθεὶς τὸν ἵππον κρατῆσαι, ὁ δὲ μιᾷ χειρὶ τὸν χαλινὸν κρατήσας, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ τοῦ ὠτὸς δραξάμενος τοῦ ἵπ που, εἰς ἡμερότητα προβάτου μετέβαλεν. ᾧ ἀρεσθεὶς καὶ θερα πευθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν Ἀνδρέᾳ ὄντι ἑταιρειάρχῃ τοῦ εἶναι εἰς τὴν ἑταιρείαν καὶ δουλεύειν ἐν τοῖς ἵπποις. 8. Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμην διηγήσασθαι περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Βασιλείου τήν τε ἀνατροφήν, καὶ ὅθεν ἔστι μέχρι τῆς τοιαύτης ὑποθέσεως. ὁ αὐτὸς Βασίλειος γεννᾶται ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις Ἀδριανουπόλεως, ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Ῥαγκαβέ, πατρὸς Ἰγνατίου πατριάρχου, γαμβροῦ δὲ Νικηφόρου τοῦ βασι λέως εἰς Προκοπίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θυγατέρα. ἐπὶ τούτου ἐξῆλθε Κροῦμος ὁ ἄρχων Βουλγαρίας κατὰ Χριστιανῶν· καὶ τραπεὶς Μιχαήλ, καὶ Λέων ὁ Ἀρμένιος τυραννήσας αὐτὸν καὶ βασιλεύσας, ἐλθὼν ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ Κροῦμος περιεκύκλωσε τὴν πόλιν. λογ χευθεὶς δὲ παρὰ Λέοντος τοῦ Ἀρμενίου καὶ ὑποστρέφων ἐν Βουλ γαρίᾳ ἔπεμψεν εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Μάμαντα ἀφελεῖν τὰ ἐκεῖσε χαλκᾶ ζώδια. ἀπελθὼν δὲ καὶ ἐν Ἀδριανουπόλει παρέλαβεν αὐτήν, καὶ μετέστησε χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν δέκα χωρὶς γυναικῶν, καὶ τούτους κατῴκισε πέραν τοῦ ∆ανουβίου. ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις Θεοφίλου 818 τοῦ βασιλέως ἦν στρατηλάτης ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ Κορδύλης προσαγο ρευόμενος. εἶχε δὲ καὶ υἱὸν Βάρδαν ὀνόματι, ἠνδρειωμένον πάνυ, ὃν κατέλιπεν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ ἄρχειν τῶν Μακεδόνων τῶν ὄντων πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ∆ανουβίου. αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ μηχανῆς τινὸς εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Θεόφιλον, καθὰ ἐκεῖσε προεγράφη. ὃν ὑποδεξάμενος χαί ρων, καὶ γνοὺς ὃ θέλει, ἀπέστειλε πλοῖα ἀναλαβέσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀναγαγεῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει. ἦν δὲ ἄρχων Βουλγαρίας ὁ Βαλδίμερ, ἔγγονος Κρούμου, πατὴρ Συμεῶνος τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα κρατήσαντος. 9 ἐποίησεν οὖν βουλὴν ὁ λαὸς σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ τέκνοις ἐξελθεῖν ἐν Ῥωμανίᾳ. ἐξελθόντες δὲ τοῦ Μιχαὴλ Βουλγάρου ἐν Θεσσα λονίκῃ, ἤρξαντο διαπερᾶν σὺν ταῖς ὑποστάσεσιν αὐτῶν. μαθὼν δὲ ὁ κόμης τοῦτο ἀντεπέρασε πολεμήσων αὐτούς. ἀπογνόντες οὖν οἱ Μακεδόνες ἐποίησαν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν τόν τε Τζάντζην καὶ τὸν Κορδύλην, καὶ συμβαλόντες πόλεμον ἀπέκτειναν πολλούς, τινὰς δὲ ἐκράτησαν. οἱ δὲ μὴ δυνηθέντες περᾶσαι Βουλγαρίαν προσερ ρύησαν τοῖς Οὔγγροις καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτοῖς πάντα τὰ τῶν Μα κεδόνων. ἦλθον δὲ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὸ ἀναλαβέ σθαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν. παρευθὺ οὖν ἀνεφάνησαν Οὖννοι πλῆθος ἄπειρον. οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες αὐτοὺς μετὰ δακρύων ἐβόων λέ γοντες "ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ἁγίου Ἀδριανοῦ βοήθει ἡμῖν," καὶ παρετάσ σοντο πρὸς συμβολὴν πολέμου. οἱ δὲ Τοῦρκοι εἶπον πρὸς αὐτοὺς "δότε ἡμῖν τὴν ὕπαρξιν ὑμῶν πᾶσαν, καὶ ἀπέλθετε ἔνθα καὶ 819 βούλεσθε." οἱ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ κατεδέξαντο, ἀλλὰ παρατεταγμένοι ὑπῆρχον ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις. τῇ δὲ τετάρτῃ ἤρξαντο εἰσέρχεσθαι εἰς τὰ πλοῖα αὐτῶν. θεασάμενοι δὲ τοῦτο οἱ Τοῦρκοι συνέβαλον πόλεμον ἀπὸ ὥρας πέμπτης μέχρις ἑσπέραν· καὶ τραπὲν τὸ ἔθνος, κατεδίωκον αὐτοὺς οἱ Μακεδόνες. καὶ τῇ ἐπιούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ βουλο μένων αὐτῶν ὑποχωρῆσαι, ἀνεφάνησαν πάλιν Οὖννοι πρὸς τὸ πολεμῆσαι αὐτούς. ἀναστὰς δὲ Μακεδόνων νεώτερος, Λέων ὀνό ματι, ἐκ γένους τῶν Γωμοστῶν, ὃς μετὰ ταῦτα γέγονεν ἑταιρειάρ χης, καὶ ἕτεροι ὀνομαστοὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων, ἔτρεψαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξήλασαν· καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὰ πλοῖα, καὶ ἀπεσώ θησαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ φιλοτιμηθέντες παρ' αὐτοῦ ὑπέ στρεψαν εἰς Μακεδονίαν, εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν αὐτῶν. ἦν δὲ τότε Βασίλειος ὡς εἶναι τὰ ἔτη αὐτοῦ κεʹ. ἀποκατασταθεὶς δὲ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ χώρᾳ προσεκολλήθη δουλεύειν στρατηγῷ Μακεδονίας τῷ λε γομένῳ Τζάντζῃ. καὶ μηδὲν παρ' αὐτοῦ ὠφεληθεὶς ἦλθεν ἐν τῇ πόλει μέχρι τῆς Χρυσῆς πόρτης. εἰσελθὼν κεκοπωμένος ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας κυριακὴ γὰρ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος πρὸς δυσμὰς ἀνεκλίθη ἐν τοῖς πεζουλίοις τοῦ ἁγίου ∆ιομήδους. καθολικὴ γὰρ ἦν τότε ἡ