21

So the Mouzalons went with their whole household, showing a special affection for the deceased beyond the others, then the military element, and especially the Italian and foreign contingent, seizing the opportunity, some desiring to take vengeance on those who had caused grief, others gloating over the outrages that would be committed, if they should be able—for men always rejoice in innovations, and one might more easily gloat, seeing a new evil accomplished, over those who suffer than rejoice in a good thing with those who enjoy it, having mixed with the crowd, they were uttering terrible shouts from below upwards to the emperor who was not visible and they were making accusations against the supposedly disloyal ones, alluding to the Mouzalons, appearing to show fervent zeal for him and his family. And so that they might not act first, acting before suffering, pretending to be afraid, they hastened to get the emperor's permission against them and at the same time they were making it clear that if the emperor would allow it; but if not, they still would attack and carry it out. While they were saying these things and making a disturbance at the same time, those entrusted with the imperial guard, since the daring plot was revealed to them also, either by someone beforehand or certainly at the same time as they were making a disturbance, pretending to be afraid, they immediately bring out the boy in the hope that he might shame them, as showing the ruler in person would make them reveal themselves. But when the youth appeared, the shouting grew even louder and they clamored more 83 disorderly, those around him instructed him to signal with his hand; and this served a double purpose at the same time, both that he was stopping the tumult and that he was yielding and giving permission. And for those around the young ruler, the gesture of the hand was left as sufficient for an apology afterwards to the authorities, that they were supposedly contriving to stop the tumult, but to the others it was considered more than enough for permission. Therefore, a shout was immediately raised, as if the emperor were giving permission, and at the same time they poured out in a great mass, and each one ran together as an avenger of the imperial safety, as if he would also face danger for him, if it were necessary; and urging each other on with the uproar, they hurried to the monastery of Sosandra, intending to inflict the ultimate evils upon those who were, as they themselves were saying, disloyal to the imperial power. But there were some who also remained, not going with them, acting more providently than boldly and at the same time, if they should learn that those against whom they were running together were out of the way, intending to act more audaciously upon the tents in order to carry off the treasures; for there would be no one to stop them, with their owners having perished thus. So when some, together with some of the officials, as the hymn-singing was being performed, were standing inside the church, and others were running together as a whole crowd, making a disturbance beyond what was usual, and they were already visible to those inside, going straight to the monastery, some of the servants who were outside, having suspected their tumult, lest they might do something forbidden, being almost autonomous, and at the same time suspecting a revolution, report it with pale face to those inside. And they with haste report what had been revealed to their masters and very ardently suggest that it is advantageous to bar the gates of the monastery against those who are coming. But they, upon hearing, were negligent—for they could not even guess from where the crowd running together was coming for their own harm, and they supposed that they too were coming to those common rites. But when those men, having gone out again, as they approached even more suspected the tumultuous and disorderly nature, they feared even more and with haste announced what was happening, and after them others running quickly, and again others; for there was no one at that time seeing it who did not suspect that their arrival was for the greatest evil. From which many indeed, fearing for themselves 85 from those not good suspicions, hid themselves one here, another there; but those who cared for the Mouzalons more than the others, approaching again with a distraught expression of face, reminded them of the men’s invasion; and they said their speed must be checked by anticipating their rush by shutting the gates, lest they get inside first; for such a great tumult was not for any good purpose, but would end in some evil. But they paid no attention at all to those speaking of fears; for fate, I think, was leading them, and the saying is true, that it takes away the senses of him whom it wishes to destroy

21

γοῦν πανοικὶ καὶ οἱ Μουζάλωνες ᾔεσαν, ἰδίαν παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους στοργὴν πρὸς τὸν θανόντα ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, τότε τὸ στρατιωτικόν, διαφερόντως δὲ τὸ Ἰταλικόν τε καὶ ξενικόν, ἁρπάσαντες τὸν καιρόν, οἱ μὲν ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς λυπήσαντας ὀρεγόμενοι, οἱ δ' ἐφηδόμενοι τοῖς, εἰ δυνηθεῖεν ἐκεῖνοι, τολμηθησομένοιςταῖς γὰρ καινοτομίαις ἀεί ποτε χαίρουσιν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ῥᾷόν τις, ἰδὼν καινὸν κακὸν τελεσθέν, ἐφησθείη παθοῦσιν ἢ ἀγαθὸν συνησθείη τοῖς ἀπολαύσασιν, συμμιγεῖς τῷ πλήθει γενόμενοι, φωνὰς ἠφίουν δεινὰς κάτωθεν ἄνω καὶ μὴ φαινομένῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἐπενεκάλουν κατὰ τῶν δῆθεν ἀπίστων, τοὺς Μουζάλωνας αἰνιττόμενοι, ζῆλον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ γένους ἐνδεικνυμένοις ἐοικότες θερμόν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ φθάσειαν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸ τοῦ παθεῖν δράσαντες, δεδιότες δῆθεν, ἐπέσπευδον τὴν ἐπ' ἐκείνους τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγχώρησιν καὶ ἅμ' ἐδήλουν ὡς εἴπερ ὁ βασιλεύων ἐφήσει· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι καὶ οὕτως ἐπιδραμοῦνται καὶ καταπράξονται. Ταῦτα λεγόντων ἅμα καὶ θορυβούντων, οἱ τὴν βασιλικὴν φυλακὴν ἐπιτε τραμμένοι, δηλωθὲν κἀκείνοις τὸ τόλμημα ἢ καὶ παρά του τὸ πρότερον ἢ μὴν ἅμα τῷ θορυβεῖν ἐκείνους, δείσαντες δῆθεν, ἐξάγουσιν εὐθὺς τὸ παιδίον κατὰ δυσωπίαν ἐλπιζομένην, ὡς ἐκείνους ἐμφαίνειν ποιοῦντας ἐμφανῆ τὸν κρατοῦντα. Ὡς δὲ φανέντος τοῦ νέου, καὶ μείζων ᾔρετο ἡ φωνὴ καὶ ἀτακτό 83 τερον ἐθορύβουν, χειρὶ κατανεύειν οἱ ἀμφ' ἐκεῖνον ἐκεῖνον διδάσκουσι· τὸ δ' ἦν ἅμα κροῦον καὶ πρὸς ἀμφότερα, ὅτι τε ἀναστέλλοι τὸν θόρυβον καὶ ὅτι ἐκχωροίη διδούς. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν περὶ τὸν νέον ἄρχοντα ἱκανὸν εἰς ἀπολογίαν ἐσύστερον πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἡ τῆς χειρὸς κατάνευσις ὑπολέ λειπτο, ὡς δῆθεν ἐπισχεῖν οἰκονομοῦσι τὸν θόρυβον, τοῖς δὲ καὶ λίαν ἀρκοῦν ἐνομίζετο πρὸς ἐκχώρησιν. Εὐθὺς οὖν βοὴ ἤρθη, ὡς ἐκχωροῦντος τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἅμ' ἐχέοντο παμπληθεί, καὶ ὡς τιμωρὸς τῆς βασιλικῆς σωτηρίας συνέθεεν ἕκαστος, ὡς καὶ προκινδυνεύσειν, εἰ δέοι· καὶ ἀλλήλους τῷ θορύβῳ παρακροτοῦντες, ἐπὶ τῆς μονῆς ἠπείγοντο τῶν Σωσάνδρων, τὰ ἔσχατα κακὰ τούς, ὡς αὐτοὶ ἔλεγον, δύσνους τῷ βασιλείῳ κράτει πραξείοντες. Εἰσὶ δ' οἳ καὶ ἔμενον μὴ συναπιόντες, προμηθέστερον ποιοῦντες ἢ τολμη ρότερον καὶ ἅμα, εἰ ἐκποδὼν γενομένους τοὺς καθ' ὧν συνέθεον μάθοιεν, αὐθαδέστερον δρασείοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς σκηναῖς πρὸς τὸ ἐκφορεῖν τὰ κειμήλια· μὴ γὰρ εἶναι τὸν κωλύσοντα, οὕτω τῶν κεκτημένων ἀπολωλότων. Ὡς γοῦν οἱ μὲν συνάμα καί τισι τῶν ἐν τέλει, τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τελουμένης, ἐντὸς εἱστήκεισαν τοῦ ναοῦ, οἱ δὲ συνέθεον πανδημεί, θορυβοῦντες παρὰ τὸ σύνηθες, καὶ ἤδη τοῖς ἐντὸς ἐμφανεῖς ἦσαν εὐθὺ τῆς μονῆς ἰόντες, τινὲς τῶν ἐκτὸς ὄντων ὑπηρετῶν, τὸν ἐκείνων ὑποτοπάσαντες θόρυβον, μή τί που καὶ τῶν ἀπειρημένων δράσαιεν, σχεδὸν αὐτόνομοι ὄντες, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὸν νεωτερισμὸν ὑποπτεύοντες, δηλοῦσι σὺν ὠχρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ τοῖς ἔνδον. Οἱ δὲ σπουδῇ τοῖς κυρίοις τὸ δηλωθὲν ἀπαγγέλλουσι καὶ ὡς ἐπιζυγῶσαι τὰς τῆς μονῆς πύλας τοῖς ἐρχομένοις συμφέρει, μάλα θερμῶς εἰσηγοῦνται. Οἱ δ' ἠμέλουν ἀκούοντεςμηδὲ γὰρ ἔχειν συμβαλεῖν ὁπόθεν ἐπὶ σφετέρῳ κακῷ ἴοιεν οἱ συνθέοντες, ἔρχεσθαι δὲ κἀκείνους εἰς τὰς κοινὰς ἐκείνας τελετὰς ὑπελάμβανον. Ὡς δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἐξελθόντες ἐκεῖνοι πλησιασάντων καὶ μᾶλλον τὸ θορυβῶδες καὶ ἄτακτον ὑπενόουν, ἔτι μᾶλλον κατωρρώδουν καὶ μετὰ σπουδῆς εἰσήγγελλον τὰ γιγνόμενα, καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνοις ἄλλοι ταχυ δρομοῦντες, καὶ αὖθις ἄλλοι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ὅστις τότε βλέπων μὴ ἐπὶ κακῷ μεγίστῳ τὴν ἐκείνων ἄφιξιν ὑπενόει. Ὅθεν καὶ πολλοὶ μέν, περὶ ἑαυτοῖς 85 δεδιότες ἐκ τῶν οὐ καλῶν ἐκείνων ὑποψιῶν, ἄλλος ἀλλαχοῦ κατεδύοντο· οἷς δ' ἔμελε τῶν Μουζαλώνων πλέον τῶν ἄλλων, προσιόντες καὶ αὖθις ἀτάκτῳ ἤθει προσώπου, τὴν εἰσβολὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὑπεμίμνῃσκον· καὶ ἐφεκτέον τὸ τάχος ἔλεγον προκαταλαβοῦσι τὴν ἐκείνων ὁρμὴν διὰ τῆς τῶν πυλῶν ἐπιθέσεως, μήπως καὶ φθάσωσιν εἰσελθόντες· μηδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ καλῷ τινι τὸν τοσοῦτον θόρυβον εἶναι, ἀλλ' εἴς τι λήξειν κακόν. Οἱ δὲ τῶν φόβους λεγόντων οὐκ ἦσαν ὅλως· ἦγε γάρ, οἶμαι, τούτους τὸ μόρσιμον, καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ἀληθές, ὡς ἀφαιρεῖται τὰς φρένας ὃν ἀπολέσαι