the divine mystery having been celebrated purely, all the heretics under the whole sun having been subjected to deposition along with their chief priest, who was the aforementioned John. 652 4. This man, therefore, having been subjected to deposition with his, as was said, company, did not choose to live his own despicable life in peace, but still raged against the holy icons. For having been again in exile in a certain monastery, a divine icon being situated on the ceiling and staring intently at him, this man, not bearing to see its gaze coming down upon him, orders it to be taken down by a certain servant and its eyes to be gouged out, saying only this, that "I cannot look upon its form." At any rate, these things were heard by the empress, and she blinds the eyes of that very Iannes. But not even so was it pleasing to him to love peace, but he tried, with those like him, to attach some blame to Methodius, who is among the saints, and having deceived a certain woman, they bring against him a charge of secret marriage. But the most blessed patriarch, not wishing to be considered a rock of scandal, lays bare his secret parts, and they were found withered beyond what is natural. And having been asked the reason, he said that, "While I was living in Rome, since I was moved by ticklings, I approached the apostle Peter in prayer; who, appearing in the night, pressed my private parts with his right hand, exclaiming that I should no longer fear the love of pleasure. And I, being in severe pain, awoke, and from then on I remained unharmed." But indeed the woman, having been securely seized, related everything, and she showed the gold given to her, still wrapped in its bindings and marked with their seal. And 653 they wished to punish them, but at the entreaty of Saint Methodius they let them go. 5. When, therefore, during this feast, that is the Sunday called of Orthodoxy, in the palace of Karianos, which Theophilus had built for his own daughters, having been first constructed by the emperor Maurice, the empress Theodora was feasting the whole body of the church, and there was no one of the priests and confessors who was not present there; among whom was also Theophanes of Nicaea. But when the feasting had passed its peak and the desserts along with the cakes were set out, as the empress was constantly staring and observing the letters on the forehead of the holy Theophanes and sighing, it happened that he too, as a confessor, looked back at her and saw her staring at him. When he said, "What then is the reason for your intent gaze at me?" she said that she admired his endurance because of the letters and the cruelty of the one who did these things. And the blessed Theophanes, having feared nothing or thought of the previous safeguards, said very clearly, "On account of this writing, I will plead more vehemently against your husband in the incorruptible court of God." Having heard this, the empress, becoming very sad and tearful, said to the holy man, "Are these your written promises and confessions, that not only have you not forgiven but that you will 654 also bring him to trial?" "No," said the patriarch, standing up at once, and the rest of the priests, "empress, no; but our promises will certainly hold, this thoughtlessness being counted for nothing." Thus, then, these things were silenced, and the customs of the church remained untroubled. 6. And another heresy also appeared, the one so-called of the Zelikoi, with its leader, named Zelikos, who held the first rank of the a secretis. But it was cured and was brought over to piety in an imperial procession, those who claimed it being deemed worthy only of anointing with myron along with new baptismal lights and garments, and being splendidly perfected. 7. In her 2nd year, Theodora sent Theoktistos the logothete against Crete, and having treated those under his command badly, he himself embraced exile, while the army became the work of the sword for those in Crete. 8. In her 3rd year, when Amer campaigned against the Romans, Theodora again sent him out with a great force;
τῆς θείας μυσταγωγίας τελεσθείσης ἁγνῶς, πάντων τῶν αἱρεσιωτῶν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ὑφ' ἡλίῳ καθαιρέσει ὑποβληθέντων μετὰ καὶ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως αὐτῶν, ὃς ἦν ὁ προειρημένος Ἰωάννης. 652 4. Οὗτος οὖν μετὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ, ὡς εἴρηται, συμμορίας τῇ καθαιρέσει ὑποβληθεὶς οὐχ εἵλετο ἡσυχῇ διάγειν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κατάπτυστον βίον, ἀλλ' ἔτι κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων εἰκόνων ἐνεανιεύετο. καὶ γὰρ ὑπερόριος πάλιν ἔν τινι μονῇ γεγονώς, εἰκόνος θείας κατὰ τὸν ὄροφον ἱσταμένης καὶ ἀτενῶς ἀτενιζούσης αὐτῷ, μὴ φέρων οὗτος ὁρᾶν τὴν ἐκείνης πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπικατιοῦσαν θέαν, καθαιρεῖσθαι ταύτην διά τινος οἰκέτου προστάττει καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς κατορύττεσθαι, τοῦτο μόνον ἐπιλέγων ὡς τὴν αὐτῆς οὐ δύναμαι μορφὴν ἐνορᾶν. ἤκουστο γοῦν ταῦτα τῇ δεσποίνῃ, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου τοῦ Ἰαννῆ ἐκτυφλοῖ. ἀλλ' οὐδ' οὕτως ἦν ἀγαπητὸν αὐτῷ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἐρᾶν, μῶμον δέ τινα ἐπειρᾶτο μετὰ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτοῦ τῷ ἐν ἁγίοις Μεθοδίῳ προσάπτειν, καὶ γυναῖκά τινα φρεναπατήσαντες κρυψιγαμίας ἔγκλημα τούτῳ ἐπεισφέρουσιν. ὁ δὲ μακαριώτατος πατριάρχης μὴ θέλων πέτρα σκανδάλου λογίζεσθαι τὰ κρύφια αἴσχη ἀπογυμνοῖ, καὶ εὕρητο παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς μεμαρασμένα. καὶ τὸ αἴτιον ἐρωτηθεὶς εἶπεν ὅτι διάγοντός μου ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ἐπεὶ τοῖς γαργαλισμοῖς ἐκινούμην, τῷ ἀποστόλῳ Πέτρῳ προσῆλθον δεόμενος· ὃς τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπιστὰς τῇ δεξιᾷ τὰ αἰδοῖα κατεπίασεν, ἐπιφθεγξάμενος μὴ τοῦ λοιποῦ πτοεῖσθαι φιληδονίαν. ἐγὼ δὲ σφοδρῶς ἀλγήσας διυπνίσθην, καὶ ἔκτοτε ἀβλαβὴς διέμεινα. ἀλλὰ μὴν τὸ γύναιον ἀσφαλῶς κρατηθὲν πάντα ἀφηγήσατο, καὶ τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῷ χρυσίον τοῖς ἀποδέσμοις ἔτι περιειλημμένον καὶ τῇ αὐτῶν βούλλᾳ σεσημασμένον ὑπεδείκνυε. καὶ 653 αὐτοὺς μὲν τιμωρεῖν ἐβούλοντο, τῇ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου παρακλήσει τούτους εἴασαν. 5. Ὡς οὖν κατὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην, ἤγουν τὴν τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας λεγομένην κυριακήν, ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Καριανοῦ παλατίοις, ἅπερ ἕνεκεν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ θυγατέρων ὁ Θεόφιλος ἀνῳκοδόμησεν, ὑπὸ Μαυρικίου τοῦ βασιλέως ὡς τὸ πρῶτον κατασκευασθέντα, ἡ βασιλὶς Θεοδώρα ἅπαν τὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πλήρωμα εἱστία, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὅστις μὴ παρῆν ἐκεῖ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ ὁμολογητῶν· μεθ' ὧν καὶ ὁ Νικαίας Θεοφάνης ἦν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τῆς εὐωχίας παρήκμασε καὶ τὰ τραγήματα μετὰ τῶν πλακούντων παρέκειντο, συνεχῶς ἀτενιζούσης τῆς βασιλίδος καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ μετώπῳ γράμματα τοῦ ὁσίου Θεοφάνους καθορώσης καὶ στεναζούσης συνέβη καὶ τοῦτον ὡς ἐξ ὁμολόγου ἀντοφθαλμῆσαι καὶ ταύτην ἐνιδεῖν ἀτενίζουσαν αὐτῷ. φήσαντος γοῦν "τίς ἄρα ἡ αἰτία τῆς πρὸς ἐμέ σου ἀτενοῦς ὁράσεως;" ἡ δὲ ἔφη τὴν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων θαυμάζειν καρτερίαν σου καὶ τὴν τοῦ ταῦτα δράσαντος ἀπήνειαν. καὶ ὁ μακάριος Θεοφάνης μηδὲν εὐλαβηθεὶς ἢ τῶν προησφαλισμένων διανοηθεὶς "ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς γραφῆς" ἔφησεν εὖ μάλα τρανῶς "ἐν τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀδεκάστῳ δικαστηρίῳ σφοδρότερον διαδικάσομαι τῷ ἀνδρί σου." τοῦτο ἀκούσασα ἡ βασίλισσα, καὶ περίλυπος γενομένη καὶ σύνδακρυς, ἔφη πρὸς τὸν ὅσιον "αὗται αἱ δι' ἐγγράφων ὑποσχέσεις ὑμῶν καὶ ὁμολογίαι, ὡς μὴ μόνον οὐ συγκεχωρηκέναι ἀλλὰ καὶ 654 πρὸς ἀγῶνας ἄγειν αὐτόν;" "οὔ" φησιν ὁ πατριάρχης αὐθωρὸν ἀναστὰς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἱερέων, "βασίλισσα, οὔ· ἀλλ' ἕξει βεβαίως τὰ ἡμέτερα, τῆς ὀλιγωρίας τούτου λογιζομένης εἰς οὐδέν." οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐσιγάσθη ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἔθη ἀκύμαντα διέμεινεν. 6. Ἀνεφάνη δέ τις καὶ ἑτέρα αἵρεσις ἡ οὕτω τῶν Ζηλίκων λεγομένη, σὺν τῷ ἑαυτῆς ἀρχηγῷ, Ζήλικι μὲν ὀνομαζομένῳ, φέροντι δὲ τὴν τῶν σηκρῆτις ἐν πρώτοις τιμήν. ἐθεραπεύθη δὲ καὶ πρὸς θεοσέβειαν μετηνέχθη ἐν προόδῳ βασιλικῇ, τῆς τοῦ μύρου μόνου μετὰ καινῶν ἐμφωτίων τε καὶ ἐσθημάτων καταξιωθέντων χρίσεως τῶν ἀντιποιουμένων αὐτῆς, καὶ τελειωθέντων λαμπρῶς. 7. Τῷ βʹ αὐτῆς ἔτει ἀπέστειλε Θεοδώρα Θεόκτιστον τὸν λογοθέτην κατὰ τῆς Κρήτης, καὶ κακῶς τοῖς ὑπὸ χεῖρα χρησάμενος αὐτὸς μὲν τὴν φυγαδείαν ἠσπάσατο, ὁ δὲ στρατὸς μαχαίρας ἔργον τοῖς ἐν Κρήτῃ γέγονεν. 8. Τῷ γʹ αὐτῆς ἔτει Ἄμερ κατὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατεύσαντος αὐτὸν πάλιν Θεοδώρα ἀπέστειλε μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως·