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

plotting against him. But he heard these things as nonsense. But Basil, hurrying to convince the emperor, befriends Symbatios, a patrician and logothete of the dromos, and son-in-law of the Caesar; and by oaths they confirmed to each other to be in concord and perpetual love. And Basil convinced Symbatios with dreadful oaths that the emperor has great love for you, and I am zealous for your interests, he plans to promote you to Caesar, but is unable to do this because of your father-in-law. And he, deceived by the oaths of Basil, turned against Caesar Bardas, his own father-in-law; and going in to the emperor, he swore to convince 829 him that the Caesar wishes to kill you, revealing also the details of the plot. 25 The emperor, persuaded by the oaths of Symbatios and confirmed by the words of Basil, harbored ill will against the Caesar. And Basil, knowing that everything had been well contrived against the Caesar, being unable to do this in the city, persuades the emperor to move the fleet and the army against Crete. When this happened, Leo the Philosopher advised Bardas the Caesar to be on his guard and to watch himself from Basil. But the Caesar again urged the emperor to spare Basil. 26. When the procession to the Chalkoprateia for the Annunciation took place, and after the entrance and the completion of the gospel, the patriarch Photios and the emperor went up with the Caesar and the parakoimomenos into the catechumena, the patriarch holding in his hands the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And both the emperor and Basil, having dipped, signed the precious crosses, assuring the Caesar by an oath to go out with them on the campaign without fear. For Leo the Philosopher had openly warned Bardas not to go out with them; for he said that if he went out, he would not return. 27. Departing after the feast of Pascha, the emperor with a large army arrived in the theme of the Thrakesians. 830 When they had encamped at Kepoi, Basil the parakoimomenos made a plan to kill the Caesar. In on the plot were Marianos and Symbatios and Asylaion his cousin, and Peter the Bulgarian and John the Chaldos and Constantine the Toxaras. But John the Neatokometes found this out; and going down to the Caesar's tent at sunset, and meeting Procopius, the Caesar's protovestiarios, he swore that "Tomorrow your master the Caesar will be cut limb from limb." But the Caesar, hearing this, said to Procopius, "Go and tell the Neatokometes that you are talking nonsense. You know that you are young, and the rank of patrician does not suit you; for it is for this reason that you are stirring up these tares." But remaining sleepless, at deep dawn he summoned all his men and related what had been told to him, seeking their counsel. And Philotheos, a protospatharios and genikos, being his friend, said to the Caesar, "Tomorrow, O master, put on your golden Persian tunic and appear before your enemies, and they will flee from your presence." 28 At sunrise, mounting a horse, he arrived at the emperor's court in splendid attire, with many surrounding him, having the brave Argyros as his protostrator. Constantine the Toxaras, by Basil's .... went out to meet him. After doing obeisance to him and turning back, he announced the Caesar's arrival to Basil. Basil 831 went out and did obeisance to him, and taking him by the hand, brought him to the emperor. And the Caesar, sitting down with the emperor, said, "Since all the people are assembled, O master, order them to cross over to Crete." But Basil, standing behind him, threatened the Caesar with his hand. And when the Caesar suddenly turned and saw him being threatened, Basil immediately struck him with the sword, and the rest who were with him cut him limb from limb, while the emperor watched and kept silent. 29 It was the third hour of the day. Immediately the emperor and Basil returned to the city. As they were coming along the road, at the market of Akrites, a large crowd having gathered to see the emperor, a certain one dressed in a monk's habit, upon

αὐτοῦ μελε τῶντα. ὁ δὲ ταῦτα ὡς λῆρον ἤκουεν. ὁ δὲ Βασίλειος σπεύδων πληροφορῆσαι τὸν βασιλέα συμφιλιοῦται Συμβατίῳ πατρικίῳ καὶ λογοθέτῃ τοῦ δρόμου, γαμβρῷ δὲ τοῦ Καίσαρος· καὶ δι' ὅρκων ἐβεβαιώσαντο ἀλλήλους ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ διηνεκεῖ ἀγάπῃ εἶναι. ἐπληροφόρησε δὲ καὶ Συμβάτιον ὁ Βασίλειος δι' ὅρκων φρικτῶν ὡς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀγάπην πολλὴν ἔχοντος πρὸς σέ, κἀμοῦ σπου δάζοντος τὰ ὑπὲρ σοῦ, μελετᾷ μὲν προβαλέσθαι Καίσαρα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν πενθερόν σου τοῦτο ἀδυνατεῖ ποιῆσαι. ὁ δὲ ἀπατηθεὶς τοῖς ὅρκοις τοῦ Βασιλείου γέγονε κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος Βάρδα τοῦ ἰδίου πενθεροῦ· καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ἐξωμόσατο πληρο 829 φορῆσαι αὐτὸν ὅτι ὁ Καῖσαρ βούλεταί σε ἀνελεῖν, ἐξειπὼν καὶ τὰ τῆς βουλῆς. 25 ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ὅρκοις τοῦ Συμβατίου πεισθεὶς καὶ τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ Βασιλείου βεβαιωθεὶς ἐνδομύχει κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος. εἰδὼς δὲ Βασίλειος ὅτι πάντα καλῶς κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος συνεσκεύασται, ἐν τῇ πόλει μὴ δυνάμενος τοῦτο ποιῆ σαι, πείθει τὸν βασιλέα κινῆσαι στόλον καὶ στρατὸν κατὰ τῆς Κρήτης. τούτου δὲ γενομένου Λέων ὁ φιλόσοφος Βάρδα τὸν Καίσαρα παρῄνει ὑποστέλλεσθαι καὶ τηρεῖν ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ Βασι λείου. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ τὸν βασιλέα πάλιν ἐπεφώνει τοῦ φείδεσθαι Βασιλείου. 26. Γενομένης δὲ τῆς προελεύσεως εἰς τὰ Χαλκοπρατεῖα τῷ εὐαγγελισμῷ, καὶ τῆς εἰσόδου γενομένης καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τελεσθέντος, ἀνῆλθεν ὁ πατριάρχης Φώτιος καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς σὺν τῷ Καίσαρι καὶ τῷ παρακοιμωμένῳ ἐν τοῖς κατηχουμένοις, τοῦ πατριάρχου ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχοντος τὸ τίμιον αἷμα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. καὶ βάψαντες ὅ τε βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος τοὺς τιμίους ὑπέγραψαν σταυρούς, ὅρκῳ βεβαιοῦντες τὸν Καί σαρα ἀφόβως συνεξελθεῖν μετ' αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ταξειδίῳ. φανερῶς γὰρ Λέων ὁ φιλόσοφος παρεγγυᾶτο τῷ Βάρδᾳ μὴ ἐξελθεῖν σὺν αὐτοῖς· ἐξερχόμενον γὰρ ἔλεγε μὴ ὑποστραφῆναι. 27. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα ἀπάρας ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ πολλοῦ στρατοῦ κατέλαβεν ἐν τῷ θέματι τῶν Θρακησίων. 830 ἀπληκευσάντων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς Κήπους Βασίλειος ὁ παρακοιμώμενος βουλὴν ἐποιεῖτο ἀνελεῖν τὸν Καίσαρα. ὑπῆρχε δὲ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ Μαυριανὸς καὶ Συμβάτιος καὶ Ἀσυλαίων ὁ ἐξάδελφος αὐτοῦ καὶ Πέτρος ὁ Βούλγαρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ Χάλδος καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τοξαρᾶς. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Νεατοκωμήτης διέγνω ταῦτα· καὶ κατελθὼν εἰς τοῦ Καίσαρος τένταν τοῦ ἡλίου δύνοντος, καὶ συντυ χὼν Προκοπίῳ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ τοῦ Καίσαρος, διεβεβαιοῦτο ὅτι αὔριον μεληδὸν κατακόπτεται ὁ δεσπότης ὑμῶν ὁ Καῖσαρ. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ ταῦτα ἀκούσας εἶπε Προκοπίῳ "ἀπελθὼν εἶπε τῷ Νεατο κωμήτῃ ὅτι ληρεῖς. οἶδας ὅτι νέος εἶ, καὶ οὐ πρέπει σοι ἡ τοῦ πατρικίου ἀξία· σὺ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ ζιζάνια αὐτὰ ἐγείρεις." ἄϋπνος δὲ διατελέσας, ὄρθρου βαθέος τοὺς αὐτοῦ πάντας προσ καλεσάμενος διεσάφησε τὰ λαληθέντα αὐτῷ, βουλὴν ἐπιζητῶν παρ' αὐτῶν. Φιλόθεος δὲ πρωτοσπαθάριος καὶ γενικός, προσ φιλὴς αὐτοῦ ὤν, εἶπε τῷ Καίσαρι "αὔριον, ὦ δέσποτα, περιβα λοῦ τὸν χρυσοπέρσικόν σου χιτῶνα καὶ ὄφθητι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου σου φεύξονται." 28 τοῦ ἡλίου δὲ ἀνατεί λαντος ἵππῳ ἐπιβὰς παρεγένετο πρὸς τὴν κόρτην τοῦ βασιλέως μετὰ στολῆς λαμπρᾶς, πολλῶν περικυκλούντων αὐτόν, ἔχων πρωτοστράτορα γενναῖον τὸν Ἀργυρόν. Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τοξαρᾶς τῇ Βασιλείου .... προϋπήντησε. προσκυνήσας αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπο στραφεὶς ἐμήνυσε Βασιλείῳ τὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος ἄφιξιν. Βασίλειος 831 δὲ ἐξελθὼν προσεκύνησεν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ χειρὶ κρατήσας προσή γαγε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ συγκαθεσθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἔφη "τοῦ λαοῦ παντός, ὦ δέσποτα, συνηγμένου πρόσταξον δια περᾶσαι ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ." ὄπισθεν δὲ ἐπιστὰς ἑστὼς ὁ Βασίλειος τῇ χειρὶ διηπείλει τὸν Καίσαρα. αἴφνης δὲ ἐπιστραφέντος τοῦ Καίσαρος καὶ ἰδόντος αὐτὸν ἀπειλούμενον, παρευθὺ Βασίλειος δέδωκεν αὐτῷ μετὰ τοῦ ξίφους, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ μελη δὸν κατέκοψαν αὐτόν, τοῦ βασιλέως βλέποντος καὶ σιωπῶντος. 29 ὥρα δὲ ἦν τρίτη τῆς ἡμέρας. εὐθέως δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ὑπέστρεψαν. ἐρχομένων δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, κατὰ τὸ ἐμπόριον τοῦ Ἀκρίτου, λαοῦ πολλοῦ συνηγμένου ἰδεῖν τὸν βασιλέα, εἷς τις μοναχικὸν σχῆμα περιβεβλημένος, ἐφ'