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

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 him in the Lausus, and have given a vessel in his lap, so that whoever has the inclination might throw something to him. And after three days they led them away to their own houses, holding them under guard. 32. But the emperor Michael, sending the engineer called Damarios, extracts Constantine Kaballinos from the tomb, whom he found intact; and wishing to put him in a sack, and it not fitting, he wrapped him up. Likewise he also extracted John the patriarch from the tomb along with his omophorion. And these, by order of the emperor, the prefect locked up in the praetorium, and on a day of the Hippodrome, leading them out and stripping them, he flogged them with manglabia, and sending away their bones, he burned them in 835 the Amastrianon. And the sarcophagus of Kopronymos, being green and wonderful, he sawed apart and made into revetments in the church built by him at the Pharos. 33. And Leo the emperor was born to Michael and Eudokia the Ingerina while Michael was still living, in the month of September the 1st, of the 15th indiction. And the emperor also held a horse race at Saint Mamas, riding for the Blues; and Constantine of Armenia, the father of Thomas the patrician, being drungarius of the Watch, rode for the Whites; and Agallianos rode for the Greens, and Chrysas for the Reds. And when the emperor was victorious and sat down to dinner together with Basil and Eudokia, Basiliskianos the patrician praised the emperor for having driven the chariot skillfully. The emperor, having ordered him to stand up, commanded him to take off his boots and put them on himself. And as he was refusing and looking towards Basil, the emperor in anger commanded him to do this. And since Basil did not give him the nod, he put on the boots. And the emperor said with an oath to Basil that they suit him better than you; for do I not have the authority, as I made you emperor, to make another also? And he grew angry against Basil, being enraged. And Eudokia, crying, said to the emperor "The dignity of the emperorship, my lord, is great, and we were honored unworthily, and 836 it is not right that it be despised." And the emperor said, "Do not be grieved at this; for I also wish to make Basiliskianos emperor." 34. Basil was in great anger and grief. And when the emperor went out on the hunt, a certain monk met him and gave him a paper having the plot being meditated against him by Basil. And he, having read it and become angry, plotted against Basil. And when his mother Theodora invited the emperor to the Palace of Anthemios, he sent Rentakios his protovestiarios with other men of his household to hunt something and send it to his mother. And Basil conspired against Michael, and was very sullen. And when the emperor sat down to dinner, he summoned Eudokia and Basil to dine with him. And when the emperor had consumed much wine, Basil, standing up as if for some need, went away to the emperor's bedchamber, and being strong, twisted the locks so that the door could no longer be locked, and going away, he dined with the emperor. And when the emperor was again drunk, and Ingerina was rejoicing with him as was her custom, Michael rose and, held by the hand by Basil, went away to the bedchamber; whose hand Basil kissed and went out. And inside the bedchamber was Basiliskianos, by the emperor's command having fallen asleep in Rentakios's bed to guard him. And Ignatios the chamberlain, going to lock the door of the bedchamber, found it 837 twisted, and despairing, sat on the bed, tearing his hair. And while the emperor, from the wine, was sleeping a sleep like unto death, Basil, suddenly arriving with others, opened the doors; and Ignatios, coming out in fear, resisted Basil to prevent him from entering. And Peter the Bulgarian, passing under Basil's armpit towards the emperor's bed, was held back by Ignatios resisting him. the became awake

Πηγάνη θυμιατήριον ὀστράκινον μετὰ θεαφίου θυμιᾶν αὐτόν. καὶ ἀποτυφλοῦσι Συμβατίου τὸν ἕνα ὀφθαλμόν, καὶ ἐκκόπτουσι καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα, καὶ ἐκάθισαν αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ Λαύσου, καὶ δεδώκασι σκεῦος ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ὃς ἔχει προαίρεσιν ἐπιρρίπτῃ αὐτῷ τι. καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἀπήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις οἴκοις, ἔχοντες ἐν φρουρᾷ. 32. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ μηχανικὸν ἀποστείλας τὸν λεγόμενον ∆αμάριον ἐξάγει Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Καβαλλῖνον ἐκ τοῦ τάφου, ὃν εὗρεν ὑγιῆ· καὶ θέλων εἰσαγαγεῖν ἐν σάκκῳ, καὶ μὴ χωρούμενον, ἐνετύλαξεν αὐτόν. ὡσαύτως καὶ Ἰωάννην πατριάρ χην ἐξήγαγεν ἐκ τοῦ τάφου ἅμα τοῦ ὠμοφορίου αὐτοῦ. καὶ τού τους προστάξει τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέκλεισεν ὁ ὕπαρχος ἐν τῷ πραι τωρίῳ, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἱππικοῦ ἀγαγὼν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπογυμνώσας ἔτυψε μαγγλάβια, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν ἀποστείλας κατέκαυσεν ἐν 835 τοῖς Ἀμαστριανοῦ. τὴν δὲ λάρνακα τοῦ Κοπρωνύμου πράσινον οὖσαν καὶ θαυμαστὴν διαπρίσας ἐποίησε στηθέα ἐν τῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κτισθέντι ναῷ ἐν τῷ Φάρῳ. 33. Ἐγεννήθη δὲ Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ Μιχαὴλ καὶ Εὐδο κίας τῆς Ἰγγηρίνης ἔτι περιόντος αὐτοῦ Μιχαήλ, μηνὶ Σεπτεμ βρίῳ αʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ιεʹ. ἐποίησε δὲ καὶ ἱππικὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ Μάμαντι, ἱππεύσας βένετος· Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ ὁ ἐξ Ἀρ μενίων ὁ πατὴρ Θωμᾶ πατρικίου, δρουγγάριος ὢν τῆς βίγλης, ἵππευσε λευκός· πράσινος δὲ ἵππευσεν Ἀγαλιανός, ῥούσιος δὲ ὁ Κρυσᾶς. νικήσαντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον καθεσθέν τος ἅμα Βασιλείῳ καὶ Εὐδοκίᾳ, Βασιλισκιανὸς ὁ πατρίκιος ἐπῄνει τὸν βασιλέα ὡς εὐφυῶς ἐλάσαντα εἰς τὸ ἅρμα. τοῦτον ἀναστῆναι κελεύσας ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ τζαγγία αὐτοῦ προσέταξε σῦραι καὶ ὑπο δήσασθαι. τοῦ δὲ ἀνανεύοντος καὶ πρὸς Βασίλειον ἀποβλέποντος, ἐν θυμῷ προσέταττεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. τοῦ δὲ Βασι λείου μὴ ἐπινεύσαντος αὐτῷ ὑπεδήσατο τὰ τζαγγία. ἔφη δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς μεθ' ὅρκου πρὸς Βασίλειον ὡς ὑπὲρ σὲ κάλλιον αὐτῷ πρέπουσιν· μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἔχω ἐξουσίαν, ὡς σὲ βασιλέα ἐποίησα, καὶ ἄλλον ποιῆσαι; καὶ ὠργίζετο κατὰ Βασιλείου θυμούμενος. δα κρύουσα δὲ ἡ Εὐδοκία ἔφη τῷ βασιλεῖ "τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξίωμα, δέσποτά μου, μέγα ἐστί, καὶ ἀναξίως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐτιμήθημεν, καὶ 836 οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστιν καταφρονεῖσθαι αὐτό." ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἶπε "μὴ λυποῦ ἐπὶ τούτῳ· καὶ γὰρ τὸν Βασιλισκιανὸν βασιλέα θέλω ποιῆ σαι." 34. Βασίλειος ἐν θυμῷ καὶ λύπῃ μεγάλῃ γέγονεν. ἐξελ θόντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῷ κυνηγίῳ, μοναχός τις ὑπαντήσας δέδωκεν αὐτῷ χαρτίον ἔχοντα τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετωμένην ἐπιβου λὴν ὑπὸ Βασιλείου. ὁ δὲ ἀναγνοὺς καὶ θυμωθεὶς ἐμελέτα κατὰ Βασιλείου. τῆς δὲ μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Θεοδώρας καλεσάσης τὸν βα σιλέα εἰς τὰ Ἀνθεμίου, ἀπέστειλε Ῥεντάκιον τὸν πρωτοβεστιάριον αὐτοῦ μετὰ ἑτέρων ἀνθρώπων οἰκείων αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ θηρεῦσαί τι καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ Βασίλειος συνεσκευάζετο κατὰ Μιχαήλ, καὶ ἦν σκυθρωπὸς πάνυ. ἐπὶ δεῖπνον δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καθεσθέντος, προσεκαλέσατο Εὐδοκίαν καὶ Βασίλειον συνδειπνῆ σαι αὐτῷ. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως οἴνῳ πολλῷ χρησαμένου ἀναστὰς Βασίλειος ὡς διά τινα χρείαν, ἀπελθὼν ἐν τῷ κοιτῶνι τοῦ βασι λέως, διαστρέψας τὰ κλεῖθρα δυνατὸς ὢν ὡς μηκέτι κλείεσθαι τὴν θύραν, καὶ ἀπελθὼν συνεδείπνει μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως. τοῦ δὲ βα σιλέως πάλιν οἰνωθέντος, τῆς Ἰγγηρίνης ὡς ἔθος αὐτῷ συγχαι ρούσης, ἀναστὰς Μιχαὴλ χειροκρατούμενος παρὰ Βασιλείου ἀπῆλ θεν ἐν τῷ κοιτῶνι· οὗ τὴν χεῖρα φιλήσας Βασίλειος ἐξῆλθεν. ἔνδοθεν δὲ τοῦ κοιτῶνος ἦν Βασιλισκιανός, τῇ κελεύσει τοῦ βασι λέως ἐν τῇ κλίνῃ Ῥεντακίου ὑπνώσας πρὸς φυλακὴν αὐτοῦ. Ἰγνάτιος δὲ κοιτωνίτης ἀπελθὼν τοῦ κλεῖσαι τὴν θύραν τοῦ κοιτῶνος 837 διεστραμμένην, καὶ ἀπογνοὺς ἐκαθέσθη ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης τίλλων τὰς τρίχας αὐτοῦ. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ὑπὸ τοῦ οἴνου ὕπνῳ θανάτου παραπλήσιον κοιμωμένου, ἀθρόως ἐλθὼν Βασίλειος μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων τὰς θύρας ἀνέῳξεν· καὶ ἔμφοβος ἐξελθὼν Ἰγνάτιος ἀντέ πιπτε Βασιλείῳ τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν. Πέτρος δὲ ὁ Βούλγαρος διὰ τῆς τοῦ Βασιλείου μασχάλης διελθὼν πρὸς τὴν κλίνην τοῦ βασι λέως ἐκρατεῖτο παρὰ Ἰγνατίου ἀντιπίπτοντος αὐτῷ. ἔξυπνος ἐγέ νετο ὁ