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

the emperor. And John the Chaldos immediately with his sword striking the emperor cut off his hands. And Iakobitzes the apelates, the Persian, wounding Basiliskianos with a sword, threw him down from above. And Marianos and Bardas the father of Basil the raiktor and Symbatios the brother of Basil and Asylaion the cousin of Basil and Constantine Toxaras stood guard outside, and no one of those with Michael knew what was happening. Those with Basil gathered and took counsel. And Asylaion said to Basil that although we have cut off his hands, we have left him alive; and if he lives, what defense will we make? And doing Basil a favor, he returned and found Michael having no hands, but lying on the bed, lamenting pitifully against Basil. And he, drawing his sword, pitilessly drove it into the emperor's heart, piercing his entrails. And turning, he boasted to Basil as if he had performed a great feat of valor. 838 35. And as there was a surge on the sea, they gathered and went down as far as the crossing, and having crossed over they came to the house of Elogius the Persian, and taking him they came to the quarters of Marina. And there was a slab enclosing the wall, and Basil, taking hold of two of those with him and kicking it, broke the slab, and they entered as far as the gate of the palace. And Elogius the Persian spoke in his own tongue to Artabasdos the hetaireiarches, that Michael had died by the sword, and, “Open for the emperor.” And Artabasdos, running in to the papas, and taking the keys from him by force, opened for the emperor. And having gotten inside, Basil took the keys of the palace into his hands, and in the morning he made Gregory, who was surnamed son of Philemon, the papas. And immediately he sends to Saint Mamas, and brought Eudokia the daughter of Inger into the palace with great glory. And he sent also John the praepositus to take the Dekapolitissa and lead her away to her own parents. And he sent also Paul the koubitonites to bury Michael. And going he found him wrapped in the saddle-cloth of the right-hand horse which he used to drive, and his entrails hanging out. And he found there wailing and lamenting over him both his mother and his sisters; and having brought him into a small boat they crossed over to the monastery of Chrysopolis, and there having performed the funeral rites they buried him.

839 {THE REIGN OF BASIL THE MACEDONIAN.} In the #22367 year of the world, and 867 of the divine incarnation, Basil the Macedonian reigned, with Michael for one year and 4 months, and alone for 19 years. And he ordered the eparch Marianos, son of Petronas, to go up to the forum and proclaim him sole emperor with all the people. 2. I have deemed it necessary to write of the vengeance from God that came upon those who had murdered Michael, and what each of them suffered at different times. So Iakobitzes, while hunting with the emperor in the Philopation, when his sword had fallen, dismounted from his horse, and picking it up, before his foot could touch the ground, but with the other one still caught in the stirrup, the horse bolted and dragged him, and passing through ravines and pits, tore him limb from limb. And John the Chaldos, having become stratelates in Chaldia, and being caught plotting against the emperor, was impaled by order of the emperor by Andreas the stratelates. And the emperor's cousin Asylaion, having been exiled by the emperor himself to his suburban estate which is called that of the Chartophylax, being harsh and cruel towards his 840 slaves, was murdered by them with knives at night; whom the emperor seized and, cutting them limb from limb, burned them in the Amastrianon. And the apelates, son of the Persian, becoming eaten by worms, was delivered from life. And Constantine Toxaras dies, being cut down by the sword among the Kibyrrhaiotai. and Marianos the emperor's brother, having his foot crushed

βασιλεύς. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Χάλδος παρευθὺ μετὰ τοῦ ξίφους δοὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀπέκοψε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ Ἰακωβίτζης ὁ ἀπελάτης ὁ Πέρσης τὸν Βασιλισκιανὸν ξίφει τρώσας ἔρριψεν αὐ τὸν ἄνωθεν κάτω. Μαριανὸς δὲ καὶ Βάρδας ὁ πατὴρ Βασιλείου τοῦ ῥαίκτορος καὶ Συμβάτιος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Βασιλείου καὶ Ἀσυλαίων ἐξάδελφος Βασιλείου καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Τοξαρᾶς ἵσταντο πρὸς φυλακὴν ἔξωθεν, καὶ οὐδεὶς τῶν μετὰ Μιχαὴλ ἔγνω τὰ γινόμενα. συναθροισθέντες οἱ μετὰ Βασιλείου συνεβουλεύοντο. Ἀσυλαίων δὲ ἔφη πρὸς Βασίλειον ὅτι εἰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐκόψαμεν, ἀλλὰ ζῶντα αὐτὸν εἰάσαμεν· καὶ ἐὰν ζῇ, τί ἀπολογησόμεθα; καὶ χα ριζόμενος Βασιλείῳ ὑποστρέψας εὗρε Μιχαὴλ χεῖρας μὲν μὴ ἔχον τα, ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης δὲ κείμενον, ἐλεεινολογούμενον κατὰ Βασιλείου. ὁ δὲ τὸ ξίφος γυμνώσας ἀνηλεῶς ἔπηξε κατὰ τῆς καρδίας τοῦ βα σιλέως, διασχίσας τὰ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ. καὶ στραφεὶς ἐνεκαυχᾶτο πρὸς Βασίλειον ὡς ἀνδραγάθημα μέγα πεποιηκώς. 838 35. Κλύδωνος δὲ ὄντος ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, συναθροισθέντες κατῆλθον μέχρι καὶ τοῦ περάματος, καὶ διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκον Εὐλογίου τοῦ Πέρσου, καὶ τοῦτον ἄραντες ἦλθον εἰς τὰ Μαρίνης. πλὰξ δὲ ἦν περιφράσουσα τὸ τεῖχος, καὶ κρατή σας Βασίλειος δύο τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ ὄντων καὶ λακτίσας κατέαξε τὴν πλάκα, καὶ εἰσῆλθον μέχρι τῆς πύλης τοῦ παλατίου. Εὐλό γιος δὲ ὁ Πέρσης ἐλάλησε τῇ αὐτοῦ γλώττῃ Ἀρταβάσδῳ ἑται ρειάρχῃ, ὡς ὁ Μιχαὴλ ξίφει ἐτελεύτησε, καὶ ἄνοιξον τῷ βασιλεῖ. καὶ ὁ Ἀρτάβασδος εἰσδραμὼν πρὸς τὸν παπίαν, καὶ ἄρας ἀπ' αὐ τοῦ τὰς κλεῖς βιαίως, διήνοιξε τῷ βασιλεῖ. καὶ γενόμενος ἔνδο θεν Βασίλειος ᾖρε τὰς κλεῖς τοῦ παλατίου ἐπὶ χεῖρας, καὶ τῇ ἕω θεν Γρηγόριον τὸν ἐπιλεγόμενον τοῦ Φιλήμονος ἐποίησε παπίαν. παρευθὺ δὲ ἀποστέλλει ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ Μάμαντι, καὶ εἰσήγαγεν Εὐ δοκίαν τὴν τοῦ Ἴγγηρος μετὰ δόξης πολλῆς ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ. ἀπέ στειλε δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννην πραιπόσιτον τοῦ ἆραι τὴν ∆εκαπολίτισσαν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους γονεῖς ἀπαγαγεῖν. ἀπέστειλε δὲ καὶ Παῦλον κοιτωνίτην τοῦ ἐνταφιάσαι Μιχαήλ. καὶ ἀπελθὼν εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἐντετυλιγμένον ἐν τῷ σαγίσματι τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἵππου οὗ ἤλαυνεν, καὶ τὰ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ ἔξωθεν ἐκκρεμάμενα. εὗρε δὲ ἐκεῖ θρηνούσας καὶ ἐλεεινολογουμένας ἐπ' αὐτῷ τήν τε μητέρα καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἰσαγαγὼν εἰς πλοιάριον διεπέρασαν ἐν τῇ μονῇ τῆς Χρυσοπόλεως, κἀκεῖ αὐτὸν ἐνταφιάσασαι ἔθαψαν.

839 {ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ ΜΑΚΕ∆ΟΝΟΣ.} Τῷ #22τξζʹ ἔτει τοῦ κόσμου, τῆς δὲ θείας σαρκώσεως ωξζʹ, ἐβα σίλευσε Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, μετὰ Μιχαὴλ ἔτος ἓν καὶ μῆνας δʹ, καὶ μόνος ἔτη ιθʹ. προσέταξε δὲ τῷ ὑπάρχῳ Μαριανῷ υἱῷ Πετρωνᾶ ἀνελθεῖν ἐν τῷ φόρῳ καὶ ἀναγορεῦσαι αὐτὸν μετὰ παν τὸς τοῦ λαοῦ μόνον βασιλέα. 2. Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμην γράψαι τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γενομένην ἐκδίκησιν εἰς τοὺς τὸν Μιχαὴλ διαχειρισαμένους, καὶ ἃ πέπονθεν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἐν διαφόροις καιροῖς. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰακω βίτζης κυνηγῶν μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῷ φιλοπατίῳ, τοῦ ξίφους αὐτῷ ἐκπεσόντος κατελθὼν τοῦ ἵππου, ἄρας αὐτὸ τοῦ ποδὸς αὐ τοῦ μὴ φθάσαντος τῇ γῇ ἐπιβῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου κρατη θέντος ἐν τῇ σκάλᾳ, θροηθεὶς ὁ ἵππος διέσυρεν αὐτὸν καὶ φάραγ γας καὶ βοθύνους διελθὼν τοῦτον μεληδὸν διέσπασεν. Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ Χάλδος στρατηλάτης γεγονὼς ἐν Χαλδίᾳ, καὶ φωραθεὶς κατὰ βασιλέως μελετᾶν, προστάξει τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνεσκολοπίσθη παρὰ Ἀνδρέου στρατηλάτου. ὁ δὲ ἐξάδελφος τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀσυλαίων ἐξωσθεὶς παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ αὐτοῦ ᾧ ἐπώνυμον τοῦ Χαρτοφύλακος, ὡς ἀπηνὴς καὶ ὠμὸς εἰς τοὺς 840 δούλους αὐτοῦ ὢν μαχαίραις παρ' αὐτῶν ἐν νυκτὶ ἀνῃρέθη· οὓς ὁ βασιλεὺς κρατήσας καὶ μεληδὸν κατακόψας κατέκαυσεν ἐν τοῖς Ἀμαστριανοῦ. ὁ δὲ ἀπελάτης ὁ τοῦ Πέρσου σκωληκόβρωτος γενό μενος τοῦ ζῆν ἀπηλλάγη. Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ ὁ Τοξαρᾶς εἰς Κιβυρ ραιώτας σπαθοκοπηθεὶς τελευτᾷ. καὶ Μαριανὸς ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν πόδα συντριβεὶς