Joel Chronographus, Compendious Chronography

Nicephorus the general logothete reigned after Irene for 8 years, and he also crowned his son Stauracius. In his reign, when Tarasius died, the most holy Nicephorus was ordained. But the emperor Nicephorus, having campaigned against the Bulgarians, is killed by them. And after Nicephorus, Stauracius his son reigned for 1 year and 2 months. And after Stauracius, the most pious Michael, his brother-in-law, whose surname was Rhangabe, reigned for 1 year and 9 months, having been crowned by Patriarch Nicephorus. And after Michael reigned Leo the Armenian, who later also became a transgressor, for 7 years and 5 months, having been crowned by Pa 54 triarch Nicephorus, having first confirmed in writing his own orthodoxy, which he later rejected, and raging against the holy icons, the all-profane one exiled the most holy Nicephorus and subjected many others of the champions of piety to countless terrible things. whom divine justice pursued on the feast of the nativity of our savior, being cut down limb from limb inside the church and thus giving up his unholy and wretched soul. And after these things, Michael the Amorian reigned for 8 years and 9 months, and he also crowned his son Theophilus; who later was wretchedly delivered from life by dysuria and pain of the kidneys. And Theophilus his son held the rule in his place with his mother Euphrosyne. Therefore, after Michael, Theophilus his son reigned, the new Belshazzar, an insulter and destroyer and profaner of holy things, for 12 years and 3 months, and he died of dysentery. And his mother Euphrosyne, voluntarily leaving the palace, lived in quiet in her convent, which was named Gastria. And he crowns his son Michael in the great church, and when he, as has been said, wretchedly and miserably gave up his soul to a dysenteric disease, his miserable body was carried away to the church of the holy apostles. And after Theophilus, Michael his son, called the Drunkard, reigned with his mother Theodora for 14 years, alone 55 for 10 years, and with Basil for 1 year and 4 months; who, having succeeded to his father's empire, shaking off his God-hated heresy, proclaimed the ancient God-beloved and orthodox faith and appointed Methodius, one of the saints, as patriarch. And when he had departed to the Lord, Ignatius, son of Michael the curopalates, was ordained in his place, whom Caesar Bardas, since he was being reproached by him for some abomination being practiced by him, forcibly expelled from the church, and in his place he ordains Photius as patriarch. And Michael is killed by the counsel of Basil. Basil the Macedonian, called Kephalas, reigned with Michael for 1 year and 4 months, and alone for 19 years. This man, having expelled Photius from the throne since he was reproached by him for the murder of Michael, appointed Ignatius, one of the saints, as patriarch for the second time. And when he died, Photius is again appointed. This emperor, having gone out to hunt and pursuing a very large stag that appeared from somewhere, it turned and lifted him by his belt with its horn from his horse; but someone, arriving and cutting the belt with a sword, rescued him. Therefore, from such a tearing by the stag, being nursed he dies, leaving Leo as emperor and his brother Alexander. And Leo reigned for 25 years and 8 months. And Stephen his brother was a cleric and syncellus with Patriarch Photius, being brought up and educated by him. Therefore 56 the emperor, having removed Photius from the throne for certain reasons, appoints Stephen his own brother as patriarch. And when he passed from this life, Antony, surnamed Cauleas, is ordained in his place. And the Augusta Theophano dies, having reigned for 12 years; and in her place the emperor crowns Zoe, the daughter of Tzaoutzes, and is blessed with her. And when Patriarch Antony died, Nicholas is ordained patriarch, having served as mystikos to the emperor. who, because he did not consent to the emperor's multiple marriages, was forcibly removed from the throne,

Εἰρήνην ἐβασίλευσε Νικηφόρος ὁ ἀπὸ γενικῶν ἔτη ηʹ, ἔστεψε δὲ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ Σταυράκιον. ἐφ' οὗ Ταρασίου τελευτήσαντος Νικηφόρος ὁ ἁγιώτατος χειροτονεῖται. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Νικηφόρος κατὰ Βουλγάρων ἐκστρατεύσας ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀναιρεῖται. Μετὰ δὲ Νικηφόρον ἐβασίλευσε Σταυράκιος υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἔτος αʹ καὶ μῆνας βʹ. Μετὰ δὲ Σταυράκιον ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ εὐσεβέστατος Μιχαὴλ καὶ γαμβρὸς αὐτοῦ, ᾧ Ῥαγγαβὲ ἦν ἡ προσηγορία, ἔτος αʹ καὶ μῆνας θʹ, στεφθεὶς ὑπὸ Νικηφόρου πατριάρχου. Μετὰ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἐβασίλευσε Λέων ὁ Ἀρμένιος, ὁ καὶ παραβάτης γεγονὼς ὕστερον, ἔτη ζʹ καὶ μῆνας εʹ, στεφθεὶς ὑπὸ Νι 54 κηφόρου πατριάρχου, βεβαιώσας πρότερον ἐγγράφως περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ὀρθοδοξίας, ἣν ὕστερον ἀθετήσας καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων εἰκόνων λυττήσας ὁ παμβέβηλος τόν τε ἁγιώτατον Νικηφόρον ἐξώρισεν καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας προμάχων μυρίοις δεινοῖς περιέβαλεν. ὃν ἡ θεία δίκη μετῆλθεν κατὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν γενεθλίων τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἔνδον τοῦ ναοῦ μεληδὸν κατακοπέντα καὶ οὕτω τὴν ἀνόσιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀθλίαν ψυχὴν ἀπορρήξαντα. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐβασίλευσε Μιχαὴλ ὁ Ἀμορραῖος ἔτη ηʹ καὶ μῆνας θʹ, ἔστεψε δὲ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ Θεόφιλον· ὃς ὕστερον ἐκ δυσουρίας καὶ τῆς τῶν νεφρῶν ἀλγηδόνος κακῶς ἀπηλλάγη τοῦ ζῆν. ἔσχε δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Θεόφιλος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Εὐφροσύνης. Μετὰ οὖν Μιχαὴλ ἐβασίλευσε Θεόφιλος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ νέος Βαλτάσαρ, τῶν ἁγίων ὑβριστὴς καὶ καθαιρέτης καὶ βέβηλος, ἔτη ιβʹ καὶ μῆνας γʹ, καὶ ἀπέθανε δυσεντερικῶς. ἡ δὲ τούτου μήτηρ Εὐφροσύνη ἑκουσίως κατελθοῦσα τοῦ παλατίου ἐν τῇ μονῇ αὐτῆς, ᾗ ἐπώνυμον τὰ Γάστρια, ἡσύχαζεν. αὐτὸς δὲ στέφει τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ Μιχαὴλ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ, οὗ δυσεντερικῇ νόσῳ, ὡς εἴρηται, κακῶς καὶ ἀθλίως τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπορρήξαντος ἀπεκομίσθη τὸ δύστηνον αὐτοῦ σῶμα εἰς τὸν ναὸν τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων. Μετὰ δὲ Θεόφιλον ἐβασίλευσε Μιχαὴλ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ λεγόμενος Μεθυστής, σὺν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ Θεοδώρᾳ ἔτη ιδʹ, μόνος 55 δὲ ἔτη ιʹ, σὺν τῷ Βασιλείῳ δὲ ἔτος αʹ καὶ μῆνας δʹ· ὃς τὴν πατρῴαν βασιλείαν διαδεξάμενος, τὴν θεοστυγῆ αὐτοῦ αἵρεσιν ἀποσεισάμενος τὴν ἔκπαλαι θεοφιλῆ καὶ ὀρθὴν πίστιν ἀνεκήρυξε καὶ τὸν ἐν ἁγίοις Μεθόδιον πατριάρχην προεβάλετο. τούτου δὲ πρὸς κύριον ἐκδημήσαντος χειροτονεῖται ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Ἰγνάτιος υἱὸς Μιχαὴλ τοῦ κουροπαλάτου, ὃν ὁ Καῖσαρ Βάρδας, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος ἐπί τινι μύσει παρ' αὐτοῦ πραττομένῳ, βίᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξέωσεν, ἀντ' αὐτοῦ δὲ χειροτονεῖ πατριάρχην τὸν Φώτιον. ὁ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἀναιρεῖται βουλῇ Βασιλείου. Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, ὁ λεγόμενος Κεφαλᾶς, ἐβασίλευσε μετὰ Μιχαὴλ μὲν ἔτος αʹ καὶ μῆνας δʹ, μόνος δὲ ἔτη ιθʹ. οὗτος Φώτιον τοῦ θρόνου ἐξεώσας ὡς ἐλεγχθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Μιχαὴλ φόνον, προεχειρίσατο τὸν ἐν ἁγίοις Ἰγνάτιον πατριάρχην τὸ δεύτερον. τούτου δὲ τελευτήσαντος πάλιν Φώτιος προχειρίζεται. τοῦτον τὸν βασιλέα ἐξελθόντα πρὸς τὸ κυνηγῆσαι καὶ ἔλαφον παμμεγέθη ἀναφανεῖσάν ποθεν καταδιώκοντα, ἐπιστραφεῖσα ᾖρε τοῦτον μετὰ τοῦ κέρατος αὐτῆς τοῦ ἵππου ἐκ τῆς ζώνης· φθάσας δέ τις καὶ σπάθῃ τὴν ζώνην ἐκκόψας ἐρρύσατο αὐτόν. ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου οὖν τῆς ἐλάφου σπαράγματος νοσηλευθεὶς τελευτᾷ, Λέοντα καταλιπὼν αὐτοκράτορα καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸν Ἀλέξανδρον. Ὁ δὲ Λέων ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη κεʹ καὶ μῆνας ηʹ. Στέφανος δὲ ὁ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸς κληρικὸς ὢν καὶ σύγκελλος ἦν μετὰ Φωτίου πατριάρχου, ἀνατρεφόμενος παρ' αὐτῷ καὶ παιδευόμενος. τὸν 56 οὖν Φώτιον διά τινας αἰτίας ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ θρόνου καταγαγὼν Στέφανον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφὸν πατριάρχην προβάλλεται. τούτου δὲ τῶν τῇδε μεταστάντος ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονεῖται Ἀντώνιος ὁ ἐπιλεγόμενος Καυλέας. ἡ δὲ Αὐγούστα Θεοφανὼ τελευτᾷ βασιλεύσασα ἔτη ιβʹ· ἀντ' αὐτῆς δὲ στέφει ὁ βασιλεὺς Ζωὴν τὴν θυγατέρα Τζαούτζα, καὶ εὐλογεῖται μετ' αὐτῆς. Ἀντωνίου δὲ τοῦ πατριάρχου τελευτήσαντος χειροτονεῖται Νικόλαος πατριάρχης, μυστικὸς χρηματίσας τοῦ βασιλέως. οὗ διὰ τὸ μὴ συνθέσθαι τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως πολυγαμίᾳ βίᾳ τοῦ θρόνου καταβιβασθέντος,