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had been taken up. In addition to these things, the woman said to the dying Theophilos that his son, in turn, with his mother, would receive the empire, and that the veneration of the icons, which had been debased by him, would attain magnificent glory, and that the patriarch himself would be insulted with deposition. The emperor therefore, being convinced by the aforesaid and also by this, bound by oath both his wife and the logothete Theoktistos to dare to alter in any way at all after his death the things decreed by him, and not to expel John from the patriarchal see. 3.16 But the emperor had decided not to rest, being grievously distressed at the destruction of Amorion; for which reason he also sends to the king of Francia the patrician Theodosios, who was descended from the Baboutzikoi and his kinsman, to arrange with him for an auxiliary army of many men, and for some of his subordinate generals to plunder some of the Saracen lands and cities between Libya and Asia. 3.17 Previously, while staying in Syria, Manuel, being very experienced in the understanding of both words and deeds, was greatly desired by both the ruler of the Hagarenes and those in power with him, and he performed very many acts of bravery, during the time he spent there, against their adversaries, both neighbors and those settled far away, the greater part of which was with Roman prisoners of war whom he had requested to campaign with him; so that he even seized Khorasan and subjected it to the amermoumnes. But indeed, he also proved his valor against wild beasts that were ravaging the country there and harming the inhabitants, so that he was considered admirable in both respects by the Ishmaelites. For these reasons they loved him exceedingly and were more and more attached to him, since they recognized that he had deserted for practical reasons, even if in the guise of our piety, and they entrusted to him the enemy forces to lead on campaign, as much as he had the will and the power. In the course of time, after performing many deeds of valor, he was compelled by the amermoumnes to go out against the Romans with his son, or he pretended to do so. And so he sent noble shield-bearers with sufficient money to a small city, which was called Geron, having secretly signaled to the inhabitants of the city to apply the necessary fortification on account of the impending Saracen attack. So when both sides had encamped, he goes out like a daring champion, and having pointed his spear backwards, he was wholly aligned with the Christians, taking refuge in the aforementioned small city, and he sent thank-offerings to the son of the amermoumnes, who was favorably disposed toward him on account of him, and he joyfully entered the city, and he entered the church of the Theotokos in Blachernae, as he knew Theophilos paid more reverent worship in this one; by whom he was received with assurance of sympathy and was most generously honored, being dignified with the rank of *magistros*. 3.18 The emperor having arranged for the Frankish expedition against the Ishmaelites, because Theodosios, the one sent to them, had departed this life in the meantime, everyone was disheartened, especially as the emperor was already inclining toward death, since he had fallen into a wasting disease and a dysenteric flux of the stomach. And as he was consumed by this illness and approached the extremities of death, being carried on a litter he went to the Magnaura, and having assembled everyone there, he utters a pitiful speech, as was fitting, as the account might shape it thus: Let all my people mourn for me, let the senate bewail me and let the entire household staff in service cry out loud, because, though I am glorying in my youth with such great good fortune, I shall now be deprived of these things, and much more so of a young wife and a beardless boy, the loss of whom I surely weep for even before my death, and no less their desolation after my own demise. For these reasons remember me, I beg you, for these last words and of the

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ἀνειλῆφθαι. πρὸς τούτοις ἐπειπεῖν τὸ γύναιον τῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἀποβιοῦντι τὴν βασιλείαν τὸν αὐτοῦ υἱὸν κατὰ διαμοιβὴν σὺν τῇ τεκούσῃ προσδέξασθαι, τά τε παρ' αὐτοῦ χυδαιούμενα τῶν εἰκόνων σεβάσματα δόξης μεγαλοπρεποῦς εὐτυχῆσαι, αὐτόν τε τὸν πατριάρχην καθαιρέσει διϋβρισθῆναι. ὁ οὖν βασιλεὺς τοῖς προλεχθεῖσι καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πιστούμενος κατηγγυάσατο διορκώσει τήν τε αὐτοῦ γαμετὴν καὶ τὸν λογοθέτην Θεόκτιστον τοῦ μηδὲν ἑτεροιῶσαι τετολμηκέναι μετὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τελευτὴν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐκτεθεσπισμένων τὸ σύνολον, καὶ μήτε τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ πατριαρχικοῦ ἐξωθῆσαι ἱδρύματος. 3.16 Οὐκ ἠρεμεῖν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεκρίκει ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Ἀμορίου καταστροφῇ χαλεπῶς ἀνιώμενος· διὸ καὶ στέλλει πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα Φραγγίας τὸν πατρίκιον Θεοδόσιον τὸν ἐκ Βαβουτζίκων φυέντα καὶ αὐτοῦ ἀγχιστέα, τοῦ κατ' ἐπικουρίαν συνθέσθαι αὐτῷ πολυάνθρωπον στράτευμα, καί τινας ὑποστρατήγων αὐτοῦ χωρῶν τε καὶ πόλεών τινας Σαρακηνικῶν τῶν μεταξὺ Λιβύης καὶ Ἀσίας καταληΐσασθαι. 3.17 Τῇ δὲ προτεραίᾳ κατὰ Συρίαν διατρίβων ὁ Μανουὴλ ἔν τε λόγων πολυπείρων συνέσει καὶ πράξεων περὶ πολλοῦ ἐπεπόθητο τῷ τε ἀρχηγῷ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν καὶ τοῖς αὐτῷ παραδυναστεύουσιν, καὶ πλείστας ἀνδραγαθίας, καθ' ὅσον χρόνον ἐκεῖσε διῆγεν, κατὰ τῶν ἀντιμαχούντων αὐτοῖς πλησιοχώρων τε καὶ τῶν πόρρω διῳκισμένων εἰργάσατο, ὧν τὰ πλείω μετὰ τῶν κατὰ φυλακὴν αἰχμαλώτων Ῥωμαίων δι' ἑαυτοῦ συστρατεῦσαι αὐτῷ ἐξαιτηθέντων· ὥστε καὶ τὸ Χωρῶσαν κατασχεῖν καὶ ὑπὸ χεῖρα τῷ ἀμεραμνουνῆ καταπράξασθαι. ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ κατὰ θηρῶν ἀτιθάσσων τὴν ἐκεῖσε χώραν αὐτούς τε τοὺς κατοικοῦντας διαλυμαινομένων ἠρίστευσεν, ὥστε θαυμαστὸν κατ' ἄμφω τοῖς Ἰσμαηλίταις νομίζεσθαι. διὰ ταῦτα φιλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἐξαιρέτως καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτῷ προσῳκείωνται, ἐπειδὰν αὐτὸν οἰκονομικῶς ἀποστάντα, κἂν ἐν σχήματι τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς εὐσεβείας, διέγνωσαν, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐγχειρίζουσι τὰ τῶν πολεμίων συστήματα ἐκστρατεύειν καθ' ὅσον ἔχει βουλήσεως καὶ δυνάμεως. ἐν μέσῳ δὲ χρόνων πολλὰς ἀριστείας καταπραξάμενος ἐξιέναι κατὰ Ῥωμαίων σὺν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ παρὰ τοῦ ἀμεραμνουνῆ κατηνάγκαστο, ἢ τοῦτο προσεπεποίητο. καὶ δὴ γεννάδας ὑπασπιστὰς σὺν χρήμασιν αὐτοῦ ἱκανοῖς ἐπεπόμφει πρὸς πολίχνην, ἣ Γέρων ἐκέκλητο, προσημηνάμενος λάθρα καὶ τοῖς ναέταις τῆς πόλεως τὴν δέουσαν ἐπιθεῖναι ὀχύρωσιν διὰ τὴν τῶν Σαρακηνῶν ἐσομένην ἔφοδον. τῶν οὖν ἑκατέρων μερῶν στρατοπεδευσάντων ἔξεισιν ὥσπερ ἀγωνιστὴς τολμητίας, καὶ τὸ δόρυ εἰς τοὐπίσω προτείνας τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς ὅλως συντέτακτο πρὸς τὴν ῥηθεῖσαν πολίχνην καταφυγών, τῷ τε υἱῷ τοῦ ἀμεραμνουνῆ χαριστήρια διεπέμπετο, οὗ πρὸς αὐτὸν χάριν εὐμενῶς διετέθησαν, καὶ τῇ πόλει χαρμονικῶς ἐπεδήμησεν, καὶ τῷ ἐν Βλαχέρναις τῆς Θεοτόκου εἰσῄει ναῷ, ὡς ἐν τούτῳ πλέον εἰδὼς τὸν Θεόφιλον ἀπονέμειν σέβας αἰδέσιμον· ὑφ' οὗ καὶ πληροφορίαν συμπαθείας ἐδέδεκτο καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον πεφιλοτίμητο, σεβασμιωθεὶς μαγιστρότητι. 3.18 Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως διαπρακτήσαντος ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ Ἰσμαηλιτῶν Φραγγικῇ ἐκστρατείᾳ, διὰ τὸ τὸν ἐσταλμένον πρὸς αὐτοὺς Θεοδόσιον μεταξὺ ἀπαλλάξαι τὸν βίον, πᾶς τις ἠθύμει, μάλιστά τε πρὸς τελευτὴν ἤδη τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπονεύοντος, ἅτε φθινάδι νόσῳ καὶ γαστρὸς δυσεντερικῇ διαρροίᾳ περιπεσόντος. ὡς δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ ἀρρωστίᾳ συντέτηκτο καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τοῦ θανάτου προσέκυπτεν, ἐπὶ κλίνης αἰρόμενος πρὸς τὴν Μαγναύραν ἀπῄει, κἀκεῖσε πάντας ἐκκλησιάσας δημηγορίαν οἰκτρὰν κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἀποφθέγγεται, καθὼς ὁ λόγος ταύτην ὧδε μορφώσειεν· ἐμὲ θρηνησάτω ὁ ἐμὸς ἅπας λαός, ἐπολοφυρέτω με σύγκλητος καὶ σύμπαν τὸ πρὸς θεραπείαν οἰκεῖον ἄθροισμα διολολυξάτω, ὅτι περ κομῶν τῇ νεότητι σὺν εὐδαιμονίᾳ τοσαύτῃ ἄρτι τούτων ἐκτυχισθήσομαι, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον γυναικὸς νεαζούσης καὶ παιδὸς ἀνήβου, ὧν τὴν στέρησιν πάντως καὶ πρὸ τελευτῆς ἀποκλαίομαι, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ τὴν αὐτῶν ἐρημίαν μετά γε τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἀποβίωσιν. διά τοι ταῦτα μέμνησθέ μου, παρακαλῶ, τῶν τοιούτων τελευταίων ῥημάτων καὶ τῆς