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

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 and a mocker, whom they also called the Poor-master. Michael, having summoned him to the stable, was showing him the splendor of the constructed building for beasts, as if wanting to be praised by him, saying also this: "I will be remembered forever for the construction of this work." But he said to the emperor, "Justinian built the great church, having adorned it with gold and silver and precious marbles, and now there is no memory of him. And you, emperor, having made a dunghill and a resting-place for beasts, you say you will be remembered for this?" But he, having failed 826 to get his praise from him and becoming angry, the Poor-master was thrown out, being beaten and dragged. 20. As a rumor was spreading about Bardas Caesar that he was committing adultery with his daughter-in-law, Ignatius the patriarch, hearing this, often advised him to abstain from such a defilement and not be a stumbling block to many, he who ought to be a model of virtue and a sober life. But he was eager to show his pride. And so once, when Bardas was about to receive communion, the patriarch pushed him away as one not obedient to the canons or to admonitions; who, struck with anger in his soul, drove out his adviser as a lawless man and a corrupter of the church and subjected him to endless and savage tortures so that he would resign. When he was not persuaded, he ordained Photios as patriarch in his place, who was at that time *protasekretis* and a very learned man. 21. The emperor campaigned against the Hagarenes, leaving Oryphas, who was eparch, in the city to guard it, who, before the emperor had accomplished any of the things he was planning and had in mind, announced the arrival of the godless Rus', who had already reached the Black River. And the emperor was diverted from his intended course, and because he had abandoned it, he accomplished nothing kingly or noble. But the Rus', having reached and entered the Strait, committed a great slaughter of Christians and poured out innocent 827 blood. There were two hundred ships, which surrounded the city and caused great fear to those within. The emperor, arriving, was barely able to cross over. And so, with the patriarch Photios, they went to the church of the Mother of God in Blachernae, and there they propitiated and appeased the divine. Then, with hymnody, bringing out the holy *omophorion* of the Theotokos, they dipped its very tip into the sea, and though there was a calm, immediately gusts of wind and, though the sea was tranquil, successive risings of waves occurred, and the ships of the godless Rus' were wrecked, with few escaping the danger. 22. While Bardas the Caesar was passing in the procession in a sharp *skaramangion*, Damianos the patrician, who was also *parakoimomenos*, sitting there at the Horologion, did not rise to honor him. Seeing this, the Caesar became very angry; and when he had entered the Chrysotriklinos and sat down with the emperor and was weeping from anger and rage, the emperor asked the reason. And he said, "Damianos the *parakoimomenos*, to the disgrace of me and your majesty, did not rise for me in the presence of the senate." And the emperor, angered, immediately ordered a certain *koitonites* Maximianos to seize Damianos and take him away to the mart of Saint Mamas, and to tonsure him and make him a monk, and ordered him to be kept under guard; and on the same day Basil the *protostrator* was appointed *parakoimomenos*. 23 But the Caesar 828 was jealous when he heard this, and from then on sought to kill Basil. Michael separated Basil from his own wife Maria, having given him Eudokia Ingerina as a wife, stipulating that he should have her as his lady; for she was the emperor's concubine, and he loved her very much as she was beautiful. And to his former wife Maria, he gave gold and some other things and sent her away to her own property in Macedonia. And he joined his own sister Thekla to Basil for him to have privately. 24. From then on the Caesar and Basil eyed each other with suspicion, seeking how one might do away with the other. And in private Basil would slander the Caesar to the emperor as against

ἐπιρροαῖς κατασκευάσας ὡραιότατον πάνυ. καὶ τούτου τελεσθέντος, ἦν τις ἐν τῇ πόλει ὀνόματι Πέ τρος λόγιος καὶ σκωπτικός, ὃν καὶ πτωχομάγιστρον ἐκάλουν. τοῦ τον προσκαλεσάμενος Μιχαὴλ ἐν τῷ στάβλῳ ὑπεδείκνυεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἄλογον τοῦ κατασκευασθέντος οἴκου εὐπρέπειαν, ὡς βουλόμενος ἐπαινεθῆναι παρ' αὐτοῦ, εἰπὼν καὶ τοῦτο ὡς ἀεὶ μνημονεύεσθαι μέλλω διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἔργου τούτου κατασκευήν. ὁ δὲ ἔφη τῷ βασι λεῖ "Ἰουστινιανὸς ἔκτισε τὴν μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν, κοσμήσας χρυσῷ καὶ ἀργύρῳ καὶ μαρμάροις πολυτίμοις, καὶ μνήμη αὐτοῦ νῦν οὐκ ἔστιν. καὶ σύ, βασιλεῦ, κοπροθέσιον ποιήσας καὶ ἀλόγων ἀνά παυσιν, καὶ λέγεις μνημονεύεσθαι διὰ τοῦτο;" ὁ δὲ ἀποτυχὼν 826 τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐπαίνων καὶ ὀργισθείς, τυπτόμενος καὶ συρόμενος ἐξεβλήθη ὁ πτωχομάγιστρος. 20. Φήμης δὲ διαθεούσης περὶ Βάρδα Καίσαρος ὅτι τῇ νύμφῃ αὐτοῦ συμφθείρεται, τοῦτο ἀκούσας Ἰγνάτιος ὁ πατριάρ χης πολλάκις παρῄνεσεν αὐτὸν ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦ τοιούτου μύσους καὶ μὴ πρόσκομμα εἶναι πολλῶν τὸν ἀρετῆς ὑπόδειγμα εἶναι ὀφεί λοντα καὶ σώφρονος βίου. ὁ δὲ φρονεῖν κατεπείγετο. καὶ δή ποτε μέλλοντα κοινωνεῖν τὸν Βάρδαν ὁ πατριάρχης ἀπώσατο ὡς μὴ πειθόμενον κανόσιν ἢ παραινέσεσιν· ὃς ὀργῇ πληγεὶς τὴν ψυ χὴν τὸν παραινέτην ὡς ἄνομον καὶ φθορέα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξέωσε καὶ βασάνοις ἀπείροις καὶ ἀνημέροις ὑπέβαλεν ὡς ποιῆσαι παραί τησιν. τοῦ δὲ μὴ πεισθέντος Φώτιον πατριάρχην ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονεῖ, πρωτασηκρῆτιν ὄντα τῷ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ καὶ λογιώ τατον πάνυ. 21. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐξεστράτευσε κατὰ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν, καταλιπὼν ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτην φυλάττειν Ὠορύφαν ὕπαρχον ὄντα, ὅστις οὔπω τοῦ βασιλέως μηδὲν ἐξ ὧν ἐμελέτα καὶ κατὰ νοῦν εἶχεν ἐργασαμένου τὴν τῶν ἀθέων Ῥὼς ἐμήνυσεν ἄφιξιν, γεγενημένους ἤδη κατὰ τὸν Μαυροπόταμον. καὶ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς καὶ τῆς ἐχο μένης μετεσχέθη ὁδοῦ, καὶ δι' ἣν ταύτην ἀφῆκεν, οὐδὲν βασιλι κὸν καὶ γενναῖον εἰργάσατο. οἱ δὲ Ῥὼς φθάσαντες ἔνδον τοῦ Ἱεροῦ γενέσθαι πολὺν εἰργάσαντο φόνον Χριστιανῶν καὶ ἀθῶον 827 αἷμα ἐξέχεον. ὑπῆρχον δὲ πλοῖα διακόσια, ἃ περιεκύκλωσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ πολὺν φόβον τοῖς ἔνδοθεν ἐνεποίησαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καταλαβὼν μόλις ἴσχυσε διαπερᾶσαι. καὶ δὴ σὺν τῷ πατριάρχῃ Φωτίῳ εἰς τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις ναὸν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μητρὸς παρεγέ νοντο, κἀκεῖ τὸ θεῖον ἐξιλεοῦντο καὶ ἐξευμενίζοντο. εἶτα μεθ' ὑμνῳδίας τὸ ἅγιον τῆς θεοτόκου ἐξαγαγόντες ὠμοφόριον τῇ θα λάσσῃ ἄκρως προσέβαψαν, καὶ νηνεμίας οὔσης εὐθὺς ἀνέμων ἐπιφοραὶ καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἠρεμούσης κυμάτων ἐπαναστάσεις ἀλλεπάλληλοι ἐγένοντο, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀθέων Ῥὼς πλοῖα κατεάγησαν, ὀλίγων ἐκπεφευγότων τὸν κίνδυνον. 22. Βάρδα δὲ τοῦ Καίσαρος ἐν τῇ προελεύσει διερχομέ νου μετὰ σκαραμαγγίου ὀξέος εἰς τὸ ὡρολόγιον καθεζόμενος ∆α μιανὸς ἐκεῖσε πατρίκιος, ὁ καὶ παρακοιμώμενος, οὐκ ἐπηγέρθη τιμῆσαι αὐτόν. τοῦτο ἰδὼν ὁ Καῖσαρ ἐθυμώθη λίαν· καὶ εἰσελ θόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν Χρυσοτρίκλινον καὶ συγκαθεσθέντος τῷ βα σιλεῖ καὶ δακρύοντος ἀπὸ ὀργῆς καὶ θυμοῦ ἠρώτησε τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ βασιλεύς. ὁ δὲ ἔφη ὅτι ∆αμιανὸς δὴ ὁ παρακοιμώμενος εἰς ὄνει δος ἐμοῦ καὶ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἐπηγέρθη μοι ἐνώπιον τῆς συγ κλήτου. θυμωθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Μαξιμιανόν τινα κοιτωνίτην παρευθὺ προστάττει ἆραι ∆αμιανὸν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐμπορίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Μάμαντος ἀπαγαγεῖν, καὶ τοῦτον ἀποκεῖραι καὶ ποιῆσαι μοναχόν, καὶ προστάξαι φρουρεῖσθαι· καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ προβάλλεται Βασίλειος ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ παρακοιμώμενος. 23 ἐζηλοτύπησε 828 δὲ ὁ Καῖσαρ τοῦτο ἀκούσας, καὶ ἔκτοτε ἐζήτει ἀποκτεῖναι Βασί λειον. Ἐχώρισε Βασίλειον ὁ Μιχαὴλ τῆς ἰδίας γυναικὸς Μαρίας, δεδωκὼς αὐτῷ γυναῖκα Εὐδοκίαν τὴν Ἰγγηρῖναν, διορισάμενος αὐτῷ κυρίαν αὐτὴν ἔχειν· ἦν γὰρ αὐτὴ τοῦ βασιλέως παλλακή, καὶ πάνυ ἠγάπα αὐτὴν ὡς εὐπρεπῆ. τῇ δὲ προτέρᾳ αὐτοῦ γυναικὶ Μαρίᾳ δοὺς χρυσίον καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ ἀπέστειλεν ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ εἰς τὰ ἴδια. Θέκλαν δὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀδελφὴν προσήρμοσε Βασιλείῳ τοῦ ἔχειν ἰδίως. 24. Ἔκτοτε δὲ ὑπεβλέποντο ἀλλήλους ὅ τε Καῖσαρ καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος, ζητοῦντες πῶς ἕτερος τὸν ἕτερον ἀνελεῖ. ἰδίως δὲ ἐλοιδόρει Βασίλειος βασιλεῖ τὸν Καίσαρα ὡς κατ'