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is your memorial among men? However, if you wish to be fully informed, go and see what, then, all the smiths are making at the king's command. And if you do not find them making the chains and the fetters, know that all the things spoken to you by me are false; but if I speak the truth, take thought for your own salvation and do good to me, the one who has advised you with good and salutary things." And the rulers, being persuaded by the Soldan's word, and seeing the chains and the fetters, received full assurance, and from then on they plotted the destruction of king Louis. But the king, being ignorant of all these things, went out to hunt. But when he returned, his rulers seized the castle, not allowing him to enter. And king Louis, seeing the opposition of the rulers, returned to his own country. And the rulers said to the Soldan: "What, then, do you wish us to do for you concerning the salvation that has come to us from you?" And he asked to be released into his own country, and when this was done, he departed in Africa to his own land. But not forgetting his ancient malice, he encamped, and came with a force to Capua and Benevento to besiege and subdue them. And those holding such castles sent ambassadors to king Louis in Francia, so that he might come and assist them against the Soldan and the Africans. But king Louis, having learned these things, and how the Soldan had persuaded the rulers that: "The king is about to exile you as prisoners in Francia," he declared in reply to them that: "And as for what I did for you before, I repent, because I saved you from your enemies, and you have repaid me evil for good, and just as I was driven out by you, now I rejoice at your destruction." Then, despairing of king Louis, they sent ambassadors to the emperor of the Romans to give them aid and to deliver them from such a danger. And the emperor promised to help them. But as the envoy was returning from the city and bringing back good news about the emperor's alliance to those who sent him, before he had made it safely into the castle, he was seized by the sentries of the Soldan. For the Soldan had known beforehand of the mission that had gone to supplicate the emperor of the Romans, and he contrived to seize their envoy, which also happened. And when he was seized, he learned of the service accomplished by him, and that in a few days the aid of the emperor of the Romans would arrive. And the Soldan said to the same envoy that: "If you do what I tell you, you will be deemed worthy of freedom and the greatest gifts; but if not, you will lose your life by a wicked death." And when he promised to carry out what was commanded him, the Soldan said to him that: "I command you to stand near the wall and call out to those who sent you and say to them: 'I, for my part, have performed the service I was obliged to do, and I have entreated the emperor of the Romans concerning you; however, know that my journey has been in vain, and the emperor has deemed your supplication utterly worthless, and do not hope for aid from the emperor'." And when he promised to fulfill these things with joy, they led him near the castle, and holding all that was said by the Soldan as nothing, neither fearing his threats, nor being persuaded by his promises, but placing the fear of God in his heart, he reasoned within himself that: "It is better for me alone to die and not to ensnare so many souls by a word and betray them to death." And so when he was near the wall and had summoned all the rulers, he said to the authorities of that castle: "I indeed, my lords, have fulfilled my service, and I will report to you the things declared by the emperor of the Romans, but I adjure you by the Son of God and by the salvation of the whole castle and

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ἀνθρώπων γίνεται τὸ μνημόσυνον ὑμῶν; Ὅμως εἰ θέλετε τελείως πληροφορηθῆναι, ἀπελθόντες θεάσασθε, τί ἄρα ἐργάζονται πάντες οἱ χαλκεῖς τῇ προστάξει τοῦ ῥηγός. Καὶ εἰ οὐχ εὕρητε αὐτοὺς ἐργαζομένους τὰς ἁλύσεις καὶ τὰ δεσμά, γινώσκετε, ὅτι πάντα τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ λαλούμενα ὑμῖν ἐστιν ψευδῆ· εἰ δὲ ἀληθεύω, φροντίσατε τὴν σωτηρίαν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐμὲ εὐεργετήσατε, τὸν τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ σωτήρια ὑμῖν βουλευσάμενον." Οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες πεισθέντες τῷ τοῦ Σολδανοῦ λόγῳ, θεασάμενοι δὲ καὶ τὰς ἁλύσεις καὶ τὰ δεσμά, τελείαν πληροφορίαν ἔλαβον, καὶ ἔκτοτε ἐμελέτων τὴν ἀπώλειαν τοῦ ῥηγὸς Λοδοΐχου. Ὁ δὲ ῥὴξ ταῦτα πάντα ἀγνοῶν ἐξῆλθε πρὸς τὸ κυνηγῆσαι. Ὑποστρέψαντος δέ, οἱ τούτου ἄρχοντες ἐκράτησαν τὸ κάστρον, μὴ ἐάσαντες αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ῥὴξ Λοδόϊχος τὴν τῶν ἀρχόντων ἔνστασιν θεασάμενος, εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν ὑπέστρεψεν. Οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες εἶπον πρὸς τὸν Σολδανόν· "Τί ἄρα θέλεις ἡμᾶς ποιῆσαί σοι περὶ τῆς γενομένης εἰς ἡμᾶς παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρίας;" Ὁ δὲ ᾐτήσατο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ χώρᾳ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτόν, καὶ τούτου γενομένου, ἀπῆλθεν ἐν Ἀφρικῇ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτοῦ χώραν. Μὴ ἐπιλαθόμενος δὲ τῆς ἀρχαίας αὐτοῦ κακίας ἐστρατοπέδευσεν, καὶ ἦλθεν μετὰ δυνάμεως ἐν Καπύῃ καὶ ἐν Βενεβενδῷ πρὸς τὸ πολιορκῆσαι καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτούς. Οἱ δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα κάστρα κρατοῦντες ἀπέστειλαν πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα Λοδόϊχον ἐν Φραγγίᾳ, ἵνα ἐλθὼν συνεπαμύνηται αὐτοῖς κατὰ τοῦ Σολδανοῦ καὶ τῶν Ἀφρικῶν. Ὁ δὲ ῥὴξ Λοδόϊχος ταῦτα μαθὼν καί, ὅνπερ ἐποίησεν τρόπον ὁ Σολδανός, πείσας καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ὅτι· "∆εσμίους μέλλει ὑμᾶς ὁ ῥὴξ ἐν Φραγγίᾳ ἐξορίσαι", ἀντεδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι· "Καὶ ἅπερ ἐποίησα πρότερον εἰς ὑμᾶς, μεταμέλημαι, ὅτι ἔσωσα ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνταπεδώκατέ μοι πονηρὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ καθὼς ἐδιώχθην παρ' ὑμῶν, ἀρτίως χαίρω ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ ὑμῶν." Τότε ἀπορήσαντες ἀπὸ τοῦ ῥηγὸς Λοδοΐχου, ἀπέστειλαν πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων τοῦ δοῦναι αὐτοῖς βοήθειαν καὶ λυτρώσασθαι τοῦ τοιούτου κινδύνου. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὑπέσχετο βοηθῆσαι αὐτοῖς. Τοῦ δὲ ἀποκρισιαρίου ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ὑποστρέψαντος καὶ ἀγαθὰς ἀγγελίας τοῖς πέμψασιν αὐτὸν ἀποκομίζοντος περὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως συμμαχίας, μήπω τούτου ἀποσωθέντος ἐν τῷ κάστρῳ, ἐκρατήθη παρὰ τῶν βιγλῶν τοῦ Σολδανοῦ. Προεγνώκει γὰρ ὁ Σολδανὸς τὴν γεγονυίαν ἀποστολὴν πρὸς ἱκεσίαν τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων, καὶ ἐπύκτευσεν τοῦ τὸν ἀποκρισιάριον αὐτῶν κρατῆσαι, ὅπερ καὶ γέγονεν. Κρατηθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἔμαθεν τὴν ἀποτελεσθεῖσαν παρ' αὐτοῦ δουλείαν, καὶ ὅτι δι' ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν καταλαμβάνει ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων βοήθεια. Ὁ δὲ Σολδανὸς εἶπεν τῷ αὐτῷ ἀποκρισιαρίῳ, ὅτι· "Εἰ ποιήσεις, ὅπερ σοι εἴπω, ἐλευθερίας καὶ δωρεῶν μεγίστων ἀξιωθήσῃ· εἰ δὲ μή, πονηρῷ θανάτῳ τὴν ζωὴν ἀπολέσεις." Τοῦ δὲ ὑποσχομένου ἐκπληρῶσαι τὰ κελευόμενα αὐτῷ, εἶπεν ὁ Σολδανὸς πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅτι· "Κελεύω στῆναί σε πλησίον τοῦ τείχους καὶ προσκαλέσασθαι τοὺς ἀποστείλαντάς σε καὶ εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτούς· "Ἐγὼ μὲν τὴν δουλείαν, ἣν ὤφειλον ποιῆσαι, πεποίηκα, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων περὶ ὑμῶν ἐδυσώπησα· πλὴν οὖν γινώσκετε, ὅτι εἰς κενὸν ἐγένετο ἡ ὁδός μου, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς πάμφαυλον ἔθετο τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν γεγονυίαν ἱκεσίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως μὴ ἐλπίζετε βοήθειαν"." Τοῦ δὲ ὑποσχομένου ταῦτα μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐκπληρῶσαι, ἤγαγον αὐτὸν πλησίον τοῦ κάστρου, καὶ ἐν οὐδενὶ θέμενος τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Σολδανοῦ ῥηθέντα πάντα, μήτε τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτοῦ φοβηθείς, μήτε ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν αὐτοῦ πεισθείς, ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ θέμενος, διελογίσατο ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι· "Συμφέρον ἐστὶν ἐμὲ μόνον ἀποθανεῖν καὶ μὴ τοσαύτας ψυχὰς διὰ λόγου παγιδεῦσαι καὶ προδοῦναι εἰς θάνατον." Καὶ δὴ πλησίον τοῦ τείχους αὐτοῦ γενομένου καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας προσκαλεσαμένου, εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς ἐξουσιάζοντας τοῦ τοιούτου κάστρου· "Ἐγὼ μέν, κύριοί μου, τὴν διακονίαν μου ἐξεπλήρωσα, καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων δηλωθέντα ὑμῖν ἀπαγγελῶ, πλὴν ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν παντὸς τοῦ κάστρου καὶ