And although many were killed, those who were captured were more numerous. But Theoktistos, having gone to the empress, again enjoyed the same familiarity, and entering into some dispute with Bardas, the brother of the Augusta Theodora, he attached and attributed the defeat to him, saying that the Roman army was wounded by his exhortation and counsel. 655 9. In the 7th year of the emperor Michael, when he had come of age and was devoting his time to hunting and impurities, since Theodora knew that he had become intimate with Eudokia, the daughter of Inger, who was hated for her shamelessness by the Augusta and the Logothete, she yokes him to Eudokia, the daughter of Dekapolites, and they are crowned in the church of Saint Stephen in Daphne. 10. In his 10th year the general of the Bucellarii brought to the emperor a wondrous and noble horse, but very harsh, so that no one was able to see its age even from its teeth. The emperor therefore being annoyed at this, that Theophilitzes being present, at that time being count of the Numeroi and of the Walls, said to the emperor "I have a very experienced and brave young man with horses, such as your majesty loves, his name is Basil." When the emperor commanded, he was brought immediately, and having seized the horse's bridle with one hand, and having grasped its ear with the other, he changed it to the gentleness of a sheep. At which the emperor, being pleased, handed him over to Andreas the Hetaeriarch to be in the Hetaireia and to serve the emperor's horses. 11. Now this Basil was from Macedonia, from the villages of Adrianople. And he attached himself to Tzantes, the general of Macedonia, to serve him; and he was 25 years old. And having gained nothing from him he came to the city. And having entered inside the Golden Gate, since he was weary from the journey, 656 it being the Lord's day, in the evening he lay down on the bench of Saint Diomedes, which formerly was the temple of Helios. For the church was a monastery, and under a paramonarios named Nicholas; to whom someone appeared in the night, saying "Rise and bring the emperor inside." But having risen he found no one except Basil lying like a poor man, and having turned back he lay down again on his bed. And likewise this also happened a second time. But the third time he struck his side with a sword, saying "Do you not see him lying outside the gate? He is the emperor; bring him in." So going out trembling in haste, and finding Basil with a wallet and a staff, he brought him inside. And on the next day, having washed him he changed his clothes, and having made him a sworn brother he rejoiced with him. Now Nicholas had a brother who was a doctor serving the aforementioned Theophilitzes, who, having come by chance to his brother Nicholas, saw Basil, and having marveled at both the stature of his physique and his appearance he asked his brother where he was from. And he told him everything except for the vision. So after a few days, when Theophilitzes was seeking a brave man for his horses, the doctor was present and related the things concerning Basil. So Basil was brought quickly, and when Theophilitzes saw him he was delighted. And since he was a stout young man and large-headed, he calls him Kephalas, and gave him his horses to serve. From there, 657 as has been said, he is given to the emperor Michael. But the emperor Michael, bringing Basil to his mother, said, "Come, see, mother, the man whom I have now taken." But she, coming out and seeing him, turned away, saying, "This is, my child, the one who is going to destroy our family." But the emperor was in no way persuaded or listened to his mother. 12. In his 11th year the patriarch among the saints, Methodios, died, and in his place is ordained Ignatios, the son of the Kouropalates who had been emperor. And with the Bulgarians plundering Thrace and Macedonia, Theodora, having sent a taxatio, stopped their rush. 13. In his 13th year Bardas the Caesar, being outside the city, became intimate with Damianus, the patrikios and parakoimomenos, who, having won over the emperor, persuaded him to let Bardas enter the city
καὶ πολλῶν ἀναιρεθέντων πλείους οἱ κρατηθέντες ἦσαν. Θεόκτιστος δὲ πρὸς τὴν βασίλισσαν ἐλθὼν πάλιν τῆς αὐτῆς οἰκειότητος εἴχετο, καὶ τῷ τῆς Αὐγούστης Θεοδώρας ἀδελφῷ Βάρδᾳ εἴς τινας λόγους ἐλθὼν τὴν ἧτταν τούτῳ προσῆπτε καὶ ἀνετίθετο, ὡς τῇ παραινέσει τούτου καὶ τῇ συμβουλῇ τὸ Ῥωμαϊκὸν ἐτρώθη στρατόπεδον. 655 9. Τῷ ζʹ ἔτει τοῦ βασιλέως Μιχαὴλ ἀνδρυνθέντος καὶ τοῖς κυνηγίοις καὶ ἀκαθαρσίαις σχολάζοντος, ἐπεὶ ἔγνω Θεοδώρα συμφιλιωθῆναι αὐτὸν Εὐδοκίαν τὴν τοῦ Ἴγγηρος, μισουμένην δι' ἀναίδειαν τῇ Αὐγούστῃ καὶ τῷ λογοθέτῃ, ζεύγνυσιν αὐτῷ Εὐδοκίαν τὴν τοῦ ∆εκαπολίτου, καὶ στεφανοῦνται ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ ἁγίου Στεφάνου τῷ εἰς τὴν ∆άφνην. 10. Τῷ ιʹ αὐτοῦ ἔτει ὁ τῶν βουκελλαρίων στρατηγὸς ἤγαγε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἵππον θαυμαστὸν καὶ γενναῖον, σκληρότατον δὲ πάνυ, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαί τινα ἰδεῖν κἂν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀδόντων τὸν χρόνον αὐτοῦ. ἀχθομένου οὖν ἐπὶ τούτου τοῦ βασιλέως, παρὼν Θεοφιλίτζης ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῶν νουμέρων τότε καὶ τοῦ τείχους κόμης ὢν εἶπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ "ἔχω νεώτερον ἐμπειρότατον καὶ ἀνδρεῖον εἰς τοὺς ἵππους, οἷον ἀγαπᾷ ἡ βασιλεία σου, τοὔνομα Βασίλειον." τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως κελεύσαντος παρευθὺ ἤχθη, καὶ τῇ μὲν μιᾷ χειρὶ τὸν χαλινὸν τοῦ ἵππου κρατήσας, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ τοῦ ὠτὸς δραξάμενος, εἰς ἡμερότητα προβάτου μετέβαλεν. ἐφ' ᾧ θεραπευθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς παραδέδωκεν αὐτὸν τῷ ἑταιρειάρχῃ Ἀνδρέᾳ τοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑταιρείαν εἶναι καὶ τοῖς ἵπποις τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκδουλεύειν. 11. Γέγονε δὲ οὗτος ὁ Βασίλειος ἐκ Μακεδονίας, ἐκ χωρίων τῆς Ἀδριανουπόλεως. καὶ προσεκολλήθη τῷ στρατηγῷ Μακεδονίας τῷ Τζάντζῃ ἐκδουλεύειν· ἦν δὲ ἐτῶν κεʹ. καὶ μηδὲν παρ' αὐτοῦ ὠφεληθεὶς ἦλθεν ἐν τῇ πόλει. καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἔνδον τῆς Χρυσῆς πόρτης, ἐπεὶ κεκοπωμένος ἦν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας, 656 κυριακῆς ἡμέρας οὔσης, ἑσπέρας ἀνακλιθεὶς ἐν τῷ πεζουλίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου ∆ιομήδους, ὃς τὸ πρὶν Ἠλιοὺ ναὸς ἐχρημάτισε. καθολικὴ γὰρ ἦν ἡ ἐκκλησία, καὶ ὑπὸ προσμοναρίου τοὔνομα Νικολάου· ᾧ καὶ ἐφάνη τῇ νυκτί τις φωνήσας "ἐγερθεὶς εἰσάγαγε τὸν βασιλέα ἔσω." ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς οὐδένα εὗρεν εἰ μὴ τὸν Βασίλειον κείμενον ὡς πένητα, καὶ ἐπιστραφεὶς πάλιν ἀνεκλίθη εἰς τὴν κοίτην αὐτοῦ. ὁμοίως δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκ δευτέρου ἐγένετο. εἰς δὲ τὸ τρίτον μετὰ ῥομφαίας ἔπληξε τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, εἰπών "οὐ βλέπεις ἔξωθεν τοῦ πυλῶνος κείμενον; αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεύς· εἰσάγαγε αὐτόν." ἐξελθὼν οὖν μετὰ σπουδῆς σύντρομος, καὶ εὑρὼν τὸν Βασίλειον μετὰ πήρας καὶ ῥάβδου, εἰσήγαγεν ἔσω. καὶ τῇ ἐπαύριον λούσας ἤλλαξεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀδελφοποιητὸν ποιήσας συνευφραίνετο αὐτῷ. ἦν δὲ τῷ Νικολάῳ ἀδελφὸς ἰατρὸς δουλεύων τῷ εἰρημένῳ Θεοφιλίτζῃ, ὃς καὶ κατὰ τύχην ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Νικόλαον εἶδε τὸν Βασίλειον, καὶ θαυμάσας τό τε ἀνάστημα τῆς ἡλικίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ εἶδος ἠρώτα τῷ ἀδελφῷ πόθεν ἐστίν. ὁ δὲ πάντα εἶπε πλὴν τῆς ὁράσεως. μετ' ὀλίγας οὖν ἡμέρας τοῦ Θεοφιλίτζη ζητοῦντος ἄνθρωπον ἀνδρεῖον εἰς τοὺς ἵππους αὐτοῦ, παρῆν ὁ ἰατρὸς καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Βασιλείου διηγήσατο. ἤχθη οὖν ὁ Βασίλειος συντόμως, καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτὸν Θεοφιλίτζης ἠράσθη. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπιάγουρος ἦν καὶ μεγαλοκέφαλος, καλεῖ αὐτὸν Κεφαλάν, καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτῷ δουλεύειν τοὺς ἵππους αὐτοῦ. ἐντεῦ 657 θεν, ὡς εἴρηται, δίδοται τῷ βασιλεῖ Μιχαήλ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ εἰσαγαγὼν τὸν Βασίλειον πρὸς τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ εἶπεν "δεῦρο, ἴδε, μῆτερ, ἄνθρωπον ὃν ἐπελαβόμην νῦν." ἡ δὲ ἐξελθοῦσα καὶ τοῦτον ἰδοῦσα ἀπεστράφη, εἰποῦσα "οὗτός ἐστι, τέκνον μου, ὁ μέλλων τὴν γενεὰν ἡμῶν ἀφανίσαι." ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς οὐδαμῶς ἐπείσθη ἢ ἤκουσε τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ. 12. Τῷ ιαʹ ἔτει αὐτοῦ ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ ἐν ἁγίοις πατριάρχης Μεθόδιος, καὶ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονεῖται Ἰγνάτιος ὁ υἱὸς κουροπαλάτου τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος. τῶν δὲ Βουλγάρων τὴν Θρᾴκην καὶ Μακεδονίαν ληϊζομένων, ἡ Θεοδώρα ταξατίωνα πέμψασα τούτους τῆς ῥύμης ἔστησεν. 13. Τῷ ιγʹ ἔτει αὐτοῦ Βάρδας ὁ Καῖσαρ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ὢν συνεφιλιώθη ∆αμιανῷ πατρικίῳ καὶ παρακοιμωμένῳ, ὃς τὸν βασιλέα κρατήσας ἔπεισεν εἰσελθεῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει τὸν Βάρδαν