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and manly and youthful, having with him every age group of those able to wield a spear. For Michael happened to be hated by all for other reasons too, since indeed he had partaken of the evil heresy of the Athinganoi, as has been said, and because, having a stammering tongue, he was decried for unmanliness and effeminacy, and much more because he bore a soul no less crippled 53 than his tongue, and he was loathed and considered a burden by the many. But Thomas, even if he was maimed in the leg and a barbarian by race, was nevertheless venerable for his grey hair, and happened to be more loved, because affability and charm, such as the soldierly crowd loves, had somehow been part of his nature from childhood, and in bodily nobility he appeared second to none. This man, therefore, having won over to himself those who collected the public taxes, and striving to bring the masses under his control through magnanimous giving, became numerous from small and great from a very small band; for he led some by persuasion and a certain friendship, those in whom there was a love for new affairs and for acquiring wealth, and others by force and against their will, those who had already experienced the evils of civil strife. From this, therefore, the civil wars breaking out, and opening up like cataracts of the Nile, drenched the earth not with water but with blood. From this, slaves against masters and soldier against comrade-in-arms and company commander against general armed the murdering hand, and all of Asia, for a time being submerged, groaned aloud. For some of the cities were taken over by Thomas with all their men, persuaded by fear; but others, often resisting, keeping faith with the ruler, were subjected afterwards with much slaughter and enslavement. Nevertheless, all Asia came to be behind him, except for Katakylas, who was general of the Opsikion 54, and Olbianos of the Armeniacs; for these alone among so many generals appeared keeping faith with Michael. To them, bestowing a favor, as to those who had not betrayed him, the public hearth-tax, so called, which was paid into the imperial treasury, was granted as one miliaresion; for while all others had from of old paid two miliaresia, and even these men themselves, then one was remitted on account of their loyalty. 12 And to the Hagarenes who learned of it, it appeared desirable and altogether a delight; for, seizing the opportunity, they overran every land and island without fear, with no one standing in their way. Therefore, to Thomas, who had heard these things, since he thought there would be some disturbance and revolt from his own men, if he should take no care for their homes and the rest of the East, but should allow their children and wives to be plundered and taken captive, he judged it expedient for the time being to check their attack by his appearance and to astound them with the multitude of his forces and to cunningly invite them to peace. o καὶ συνέβη· for when, by invading their territory in turn, he appeared unbearable to the Saracens themselves, coming forward for barbarian talks, he made peaceful treaties and summoned them to an alliance, agreeing and promising α καὶ πρότερον ει ρηται, both to betray the Roman borders and to place their rule under their hands. Wherefore, he did not fail in his own 55 plan, but also obtained a crown and was proclaimed emperor by Jacob, who at that time held the throne in Antioch, and he gathered a large force, or rather received one for his own strengthening; for not only of those Hagarenes neighboring and bordering us, but also of those living further inland, Egyptians, Indians, Persians, Assyrians, Armenians, Chaldaeans, Iberians, Zichs, Kabeiroi and of all those who adhered to the doctrines and decrees of Manes. Therefore, having been fortified, as it were, by these and himself from all sides

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δὲ καὶ ἀνδρώδη καὶ νεανικήν, πᾶσαν ἡλικίαν τῶν δόρυ δυ- ναμένων κινεῖν εχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ. ἐτύγχανε γάρ πως καὶ αλλως ὁ Μιχαὴλ ὑπὸ πάντων μισούμενος, ατε δὴ κακῆς μὲν αἱρέσεως μετεσχηκὼς τῆς τῶν ̓Αθιγγάνων, ὡς ειρηται, καὶ οτι γλῶσσαν χωλεύουσαν εχων εἰς ἀνανδρίαν καὶ μαλακίαν διεβεβόητο, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον, οτι τὴν ψυχὴν τῆς γλώττης οὐχ ηττον χωλεύουσαν 53 εφερεν, ἐβδελύσσετό τε καὶ εἰς φόρτον λελόγιστο τοῖς πολλοῖς. ὁ Θωμᾶς δέ, εἰ καὶ τὸ σκέλος πεπηρωμένος καὶ τῷ γένει βάρβαρος ην, ἀλλ' ουν τῇ γε πολιᾷ αἰδέσιμος, καὶ μᾶλλον φιλούμενος ἐτύγ- χανεν, οτι τὸ εὐπροσήγορον καὶ ἀστεῖον, οια δὴ φιλεῖ ὁ στρατιώ- της οχλος, αὐτῷ που συνουσίωτο ἐκ παιδός, καὶ τῶν κατὰ γεν- ναιότητα σώματος οὐ δή τινος ἐφαίνετο δεύτερος. ουτος ουν τοὺς τοὺς δημοσίους φόρους εἰσπράττοντας εἰς ἑαυτὸν εἰσποιησάμενος, καὶ ἐκ μεγαλόφρονος ἐπιδόσεως σπουδάζων ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖν τοὺς πολλούς, πολὺς γέγονεν ἐκ μικροῦ καὶ μέγας ἐξ ἐλαχίστης χειρός· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ηγε πειθοῖ καί τινι φιλίᾳ, οσοις δὴ ὁ τῶν καινῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τὸ φιλοπλουτεῖν ερως ἐνῆν, τοὺς δὲ βίᾳ καὶ γνώμῃ ἀβουλήτῳ, οσοις δὴ τὰ τῶν ἐμφυλίων στάσεων κακὰ ἐν πείρᾳ ηδη γεγένηντο. ἐντεῦθεν ουν οἱ ἐμφύλιοι ἀναρρηγνύμενοι πόλε- μοι, καὶ οιόν τινες Νειλῷοι καταρράκται ἀνοιγόμενοι, οὐχ υδατι ἀλλ' αιματι τὴν γῆν κατεπότιζον. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ δοῦλοι κατὰ δε- σποτῶν καὶ στρατιώτης κατὰ ταξεώτου καὶ λοχαγὸς κατὰ στρατη- γέτου τὴν χεῖρα φονῶσαν καθώπλιζεν, καὶ πᾶσα τέως ἡ ̓Ασία βυ- θιζομένη κατέστενεν. αἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτάνδρως τῶν πόλεων ἀνῄρηντο τῷ Θωμᾷ, τῷ φόβῳ πεισθεῖσαι· αἱ δὲ πολλάκις ἀντιπίπτουσαι, τὰ πιστὰ τῷ γε κρατοῦντι τηροῦσαι, μετὰ πολλῶν φόνων καὶ ἀν- δραποδισμῶν ὑπήγοντο δεύτεραι. πλὴν ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ̓Ασία ὀπίσω τούτου ἐγένετο, ἐκτὸς τοῦ τὸ ̓Οψίκιον Κατάκυλα στρατηγοῦντος 54 καὶ ̓Ολβιανοῦ τοῦ τῶν ̓Αρμενιακῶν· ουτοι γὰρ δὴ ἐν τοσούτοις μόνοι στρατηγέταις τὰ πιστὰ τηροῦντες πρὸς Μιχαὴλ ἀνεφάνησαν. οις καὶ τὴν χάριν ἀπονέμων, ὡς μὴ προδεδωκόσιν αὐτόν, τὸ εἰς τὸ βασιλικὸν τελούμενον ταμιεῖον δημόσιον καπνικὸν ουτω λεγόμε- νον μιλιαρίσιον εν συγκεχώρηται· τῶν γὰρ αλλων πάντων ἀνὰ δύο τελούντων ἀνέκαθεν μιλιαρισίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τούτων, τότε τὸ εν ἀφείθη διὰ τὴν ευνοιαν. 12Α καὶ μαθοῦσι τοῖς ̓Αγαρηνοῖς ἀγαπητὸν κατεφαίνετο καὶ ολως ἐντρύφημα· καιροῦ γὰρ λαβόμενοι πᾶσαν χώραν καὶ νῆσον κατέτρεχον ἀδεῶς, μή τινος ἐμποδὼν ἱσταμένου αὐτοῖς. διὸ καὶ ταῦτα τῷ Θωμᾷ διακηκοότι, ἐπεί τινα κίνησιν ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ῳετο καὶ νεωτερισμόν, ει γέ τινα φροντίδα μὴ τῶν ἐπ' οι- κου ποιήσοιτο καὶ τῆς αλλης ̓Ανατολῆς, ἀλλὰ συγχωρήσοι τούς τε παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας καταληϊσθῆναι καὶ αἰχμαλωτισθῆναι αὐτῶν, συμφέρον κέκρικε τέως μὲν ἐπικρατῆσαι τὴν αὐτῶν ὁρμὴν δι' ἐπι- φανείας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν δυνάμεων ἐκπλῆξαί τε καὶ πρὸς εἰρήνην πανούργως ἐκκαλέσασθαι. ο  καὶ συνέβη· ὡς γὰρ αὐτοῖς αρτι δὴ τοῖς Σαρακηνοῖς εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν εἰσβάλλων ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς ἀνύποιστος κατεφαίνετο, εἰς λόγους δὴ προελθὼν βαρβαρικοὺς σπονδάς τε ἐποιεῖτο εἰρηνικὰς καὶ πρὸς συμμαχίαν ἐξεκαλεῖτο αὐ- τούς, συντιθέμενός τε καὶ ὑπισχνούμενος α  καὶ πρότερον ειρηται, τὰ ̔Ρωμαίων τε προδοῦναι ορια καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ χεῖρας ποιῆσαι ἀρχήν. οθεν τοῦ μὲν βουλεύματος οὐ διήμαρτεν τοῦ οἰ- 55 κείου, ἀλλὰ καὶ στέφους μεταλαγχάνει καὶ αὐτοκράτωρ ἀναγο- ρεύεται παρὰ τοῦ τὸν ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ θρόνον τηνικαῦτα μεταποιου- μένου ̓Ιακώβ, καὶ χεῖρα συλλέγει πολλήν, μᾶλλον δὲ λαμβάνει πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ κραταίωσιν· οὐ γὰρ ̓Αγαρηνῶν μόνον τούτων δὴ τῶν ἡμῖν γειτονούντων καὶ ὁμορούντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐν- δότερον οἰκούντων, Αἰγυπτίων ̓Ινδῶν Περσῶν ̓Ασσυρίων ̓Αρμενίων Χάλδων ̓Ιβήρων Ζηχῶν Καβείρων καὶ πάντων τῶν δὴ Μά- νεντος συστοιχούντων δόγμασι καὶ θεσπίσμασι. τούτοις ουν οιον κατοχυρωθεὶς καὶ πάντοθεν ἑαυτὸν