Continuatio scylitzae

 To do or to suffer. whence also, with the festival of the archangels approaching, the patriarch departs to the <monastery established by him> outside

 For it was the 24th day of the month, on which the feast of the holy protomartyr thekla is celebrated by christianshe filled the soldiery with much ha

 To be possessed by a terrible barrenness, he said, manuel and maria, who by the grace of god have already become my children, are enough for me. for

 Having thwarted an impious plot. for it was their plan for him to be given over to the deep with his whole family, since he was about to sail across t

 In the west, during the third indiction, when the cities around the ister were governed by the *magistros* basil apokapes and the 114 *magistros* nike

 They came here and were deemed worthy of senatorial and brilliant offices. it was then the sixth year of the reign of doukas, the 3rd indiction, in th

 He had done everything for the empress, who was considered most temperate towards her husband and most exact in raising her children and most capable

 Again proved all things. for not the whole pay, but a partial and moderate amount given to them made the soldiers listless for having received what w

 By the empress, who had proceeded royally with her own children into the greatest and most famous shrine of the wisdom of god. 123 but since the empre

 To attack and utterly overthrow and destroy the roman power. but the emperor, leading an army not such as was fitting for the emperor of the romans, b

 So then, having gathered his forces, he pursued from behind through difficult paths. and approaching sebasteia, he left the military baggage and all t

 Of berroia, having joined with both the arabs and the turks and having gathered a strong force, was considering coming to grips with the emperor and f

 They were taken alive. and the emperor, having returned to the camp after the repulse of the enemy, decided to garrison the acropolis of hierapolis. a

 Having appointed senators and distributed the annual gifts, and not even waiting for the days of pascha, he sailed away to the house of the heria 134

 The war was joined. and on the next day, sitting in public, he handed over the captured enemies to the final sentence, sparing absolutely no one, not

 To accomplish something manly which would have no place to happen in the presence of the emperor, with him personally supervising what was happening

 , since the romans, having been scattered, were pursuing, making a sudden turn they reversed the victory for this reason many were captured, and more

 Of orthodoxy, having distributed on the day before it the annual donative to both the army and the senate, not all of it in gold, but having made up t

 Hurrying to reach iberia, when he also became a spectator of the bodies of those who had fallen with the curopalates manuel comnenus. and from there,

 Bryennios having ordered those around him to hold the reins, basilakios alone was in pursuit, through ignorance of what had been done. but when he app

 The arrival of ambassadors, and some of those closest to the emperor persuade him to cast off the peace, as it was false in its effect and deceptive r

 With many he lay on the ground dishonorably and in great pain, overwhelmed by countless waves of sorrows. on the next day, when the capture of the emp

 Having left him by night, he fled to constantinople, having learned beforehand of the plots being stitched together there. for john the caesar and his

 Of his having been dug out pitilessly and inhumanly. and having been brought on a lowly beast of burden as far as the propontis like a rotting corpse,

 Unbearable and tearful wailing. but while these things were happening thus, divinely sent wrath had seized the east. for since the peace agreements wi

 Being cast down. and when this domestic misfortune was also reported to the emperor and the frank’s arrival astonished everyone, a great despondency a

 Being defeated unsparingly, they do not perceive the divine nemesis. but the romans of old, not acting in this way, achieved those fearful and celebra

 And now he looked toward rebellion. for, not bearing the insatiability of nikephoros and what things he contrived against everyone, with the emperor p

 Hurrying to extinguish this great flame that had flared up. and he sent out with him a noteworthy army, composed of macedonians and romans and franks.

 They wished to remain still of the same mind, but they were considering how to defend themselves against their enemies in every way. and sending strab

 In the meantime perenus was appointed doux of italy, and nicephorus karantenos strategos of brindisi. perenus, therefore, being unable to cross over t

 Tasted, but being deceived and misled by the consul of the philosophers, corrupted the whole world, so to speak. for a severe famine occurred, which p

 Having met him, if indeed he had handled matters skillfully, he would have easily defeated him at the beginning of the revolt. and having arrived at t

 While he was staying, while the proedros alexios komnenos was in command with the soldiers in the capital, having previously given pledges with sure o

 Battle and the army retreats and all strife is driven away, and they began to enslave the romans to themselves.

 He received the man dishonorably and not as one sent from an emperor, but as from some subordinate general and yet the body of an envoy is considered

 They being of marriageable age. and he chose one of the two, either eudokia, the wife of doukas and later of diogenes, or maria of alania, the wife of

 When it was done, he was brought on a wagon, a pitiful burden and an unfortunate lodging. 184 and while the armies were occupied in the campaign again

 And he was considered burdensome to the more prominent members of the senate, who were stung by the things he pointed out to everyone. but since, as t

of his having been dug out pitilessly and inhumanly. And having been brought on a lowly beast of burden as far as the Propontis like a rotting corpse, having his eyes gouged out, and his head and face swollen, teeming with worms and stench, surviving for a few days in agony and stinking before his end, he left this life, laying his dust on the island of Prote, where he had built a new monastery, having been buried sumptuously by his consort and empress Eudocia, leaving behind a memory of trials and misfortunes beyond hearing.

But amidst so many and so great evils he uttered nothing blasphemous or ill-omened, but continued giving thanks, bearing his afflictions with ease. And it is said that what was done to him happened without the knowledge 155 of the emperor Michael, as he himself later asserted under oath, with the caesar accomplishing and ordering these things in darkness and secrecy. This emperor also raised the bishopric of Nazianzus to the dignity of a metropolis. He reigned until his capture for three years and eight months. Michael, having succeeded to the empire in this way, seemed both gentle and an old man among the young, on account of his slack, languid, and soft nature. For this reason he took on John, the metropolitan of Side, to administer public affairs, a eunuch by nature, but energetic and ambidextrous, who was *protoproedros* of the *protosynkelloi*, a man priding himself on all good things. Thus this man's character and his skill and zeal in these matters both adorned and ordered the emperor's dissolute, and so to speak, effeminate, languid, and clumsy manner in administering public affairs. But with this wheat tares were also mixed. For there was a certain eunuch named Nikephoros, whom they called by the diminutive Nikephoritzes, hailing from the Bucellarians, clever at devising confusion and weaving plots and raising tempests and bringing about instability in times of calm and order. He, having served Michael's father in the rank of a *sekretikos*, since he appeared awkward and a slanderer and a profitable sophist of evils and had whispered to the emperor an accusation of adultery against the empress out of envy for his fellow-servant, was appointed *doux* of Antioch once and a second time and became the cause of countless troubles and disturbances for Syria. Nevertheless, having been accused, he was arrested there and handed over to the guard of the palace, and he who was formerly known as very famous was imprisoned for a time. But having been rescued by the proclamation of Diogenes and exiled to a certain island, by the promise of money he was appointed judge 156 of Hellas and the Peloponnese and was administering affairs there. The emperor Michael summoned this man, to the detriment of the Roman empire, and established him in the administration of public affairs, appointing him *logothete*. Therefore the emperor became susceptible to his marvels and sorceries, as one not blessed with a manly and steadfast spirit. Therefore the metropolitan of Side was pushed out, and he himself took everything upon himself, while Michael was devoted to toys and childish games, the consul of the philosophers, Psellos, having rendered him clumsy and inactive towards every task. And he also sidelined the reigning emperor's uncle, John the caesar, and made him an object of suspicion to his nephew and emperor. And he slandered simply all the closest relatives as the most hostile enemies and alienated the emperor's affection from all of them and made the whole youth his subordinate as emperor. And that was considered by all to be an imperial order, which seemed right to this weaver of schemes. From this came accusations and demands of innocent and uncondemned men, and payments of unowed debts and judgments awarding more to the treasury, not to justice, from which came confiscations both universal and partial, frequent accusations and immediately unreasoning belief, and the pitiful lament of those who suffered and of those who were stripped bare

αὐτοῦ ἐξορυξάντων ἀνηλεῶς καὶ ἀφιλανθρώπως. Προσενεχθεὶς δὲ ἐν εὐτελεῖ τῷ ὑποζυγίῳ μέχρι τῆς Προποντίδος ὥσπερ πτῶμα σεσηπός, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχων ἐξορωρυγμένους, τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐξῳδηκός, σκωλήκων βρύον καὶ δυσωδίας, ἡμέρας ὀλίγας ἐπιβιοὺς ἐπωδύνως καὶ πρὸ τῆς τελευτῆς ὀδωδώς, ἀπολείπει τὸν βίον τῇ νήσῳ τῇ Πρώτῃ τὸν χοῦν ἀποθέμενος, ἔνθα νέον ἐκεῖνος ἐδείματο φροντιστήριον, κηδευθεὶς πολυτελῶς παρὰ τῆς ὁμευνέτιδος καὶ βασιλίδος Εὐδοκίας, μνήμην καταλιπὼν πειρασμῶν καὶ δυστυχημάτων ὑπερβαινόντων ἀκρόασιν.

Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς τοσούτοις καὶ τηλικούτοις κακοῖς οὐδὲν βλάσφημον ἢ ἀπόφημον ἐφθέγξατο, εὐχαριστῶν δὲ διετέλει, φέρων εὐμαρῶς τὰ προσπίπτοντα. Λέγεται δὲ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν πραχθέντα γνώμης 155 ἄτερ τοῦ βασιλέως γενέσθαι Μιχαήλ , ὡς ὕστερον αὐτὸς ἐνωμότως διισχυρίζετο, τοῦ καίσαρος ὑπὸ σκότῳ καὶ ἀφανείᾳ ταῦτα τελεσιουργοῦντος καὶ διαταττομένου. Οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν Ναζιανζοῦ εἰς μητροπόλεως ἀνεβίβασε δίκαιον. Ἐβασίλευσε δὲ ἄχρι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας αὐτοῦ ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ὀκτώ. Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον ὁ Μιχαὴλ τὴν βασιλείαν διαδεξάμενος ἐπιεικής τε ἐδόκει καὶ γέρων ἐν νέοις διὰ τὸ παρειμένον καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὸς καὶ ἁπαλόν. Προσελάβετο δὲ διὰ τοῦτο Ἰωάννην τὸν τῆς Σίδης μητροπολίτην εἰς τὸ τὰ κοινὰ διοικεῖν, εὐνοῦχον μὲν τὴν φύσιν, δραστήριον δὲ καὶ ἀμφιδέξιον, πρωτοπρόεδρον τῶν πρωτοσυγκέλλων τυγχάνοντα, ἄνδρα πᾶσι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σεμνυνόμενον. Ὅθεν τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἔκλυτον καὶ περὶ τὸ διοικεῖν τὰ κοινά, ὡς εἰπεῖν, θῆλυ καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὸς καὶ ἀδέξιον ὁ τούτου τρόπος καὶ ἡ περὶ ταῦτα ἐντρέχεια καὶ σπουδὴ ἐπεκόσμει τε καὶ κατήρτυε. Παρεμίγη δὲ τῷ σίτῳ τούτῳ καὶ ζιζάνιον. Ἦν γάρ τις εὐνοῦχος Νικηφόρος ὄνομα, ὃν ὑποκορίζοντες Νικηφορίτζην ὠνόμαζον, ἐκ Βουκελλαρίων ἕλκων τὸ γένος, δεινὸς ἐπινοῆσαι συγχύσεις καὶ ῥάψαι πράγματα καὶ τρικυμίας ἐγεῖραι καὶ ἀκαταστασίας ἐν γαλήνῃ καὶ καταστάσει ἐπενεγκεῖν. Ὃς εἰς τάξιν σεκρετικοῦ τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ Μιχαὴλ ὑπηρετησάμενος, ἐπεὶ σκαιὸς καὶ διαβολεὺς ἐφάνη καὶ σοφιστὴς τῶν κακῶν κερδαλέος καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ κατὰ τῆς βασιλίδος μοιχείας ἔγκλημα ὑποψιθυρίσας φθόνῳ τοῦ συνεξυπηρετουμένου, δοὺξ δὲ Ἀντιοχείας ἀναδειχθεὶς καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δεύτερον μυρίων ὀχλήσεων καὶ ταραχῶν τῇ Συρίᾳ γέγονεν αἴτιος. Ὅμως δ' οὖν κατηγορηθείς, συλληφθεὶς ἐκεῖσε τῇ τοῦ αἵματος φρουρᾷ παραδίδοται, καὶ ἦν ἔμφρουρος ἐπὶ χρόνον τινὰ ὁ πρὶν περίδοξος γνωριζόμενος. Ἀναρρυσθεὶς δὲ τῇ τοῦ ∆ιογένους ἀναγορεύσει καὶ εἰς νῆσόν τινα ἐξορισθείς, ὑποσχέσει χρημάτων δικαστὴς Ἑλλάδος καὶ Πελοποννήσου προβέβληται 156 καὶ τὰ κατ' ἐκείνην ἦν διοικῶν. Τοῦτον ἐπὶ κακῷ τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ μεταπεμψάμενος εἰς τὴν τῶν κοινῶν διοίκησιν κατεστήσατο, λογοθέτην αὐτὸν προβαλλόμενος. Γίνεται οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἁλώσιμος ταῖς αὐτοῦ τερατείαις καὶ μαγγανείαις, οἷα μὴ εὐμοιρῶν φρονήματος ἀνδρείου καὶ σταθηροῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐξωθεῖται μὲν ὁ Σίδης, πάντα δὲ αὐτὸς εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναδέχεται ἀθύρμασι τοῦ Μιχαὴλ καὶ παιδιαῖς παιδαριώδεσι προσκειμένου, τοῦ ὑπάτου τῶν φιλοσόφων, τοῦ Ψελλοῦ, πρὸς ἅπαν ἔργον ἀδέξιον καὶ ἄπρακτον αὐτὸν ἀπεργασαμένου. Παραγκωνίζεται δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ βασιλεύοντος θεῖον, Ἰωάννην τὸν καίσαρα, καὶ τῷ ἀνεψιῷ καὶ βασιλεῖ ὕποπτον ἀπεργάζεται. Καὶ πάντας ἁπλῶς τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους ὡς πολεμιωτάτους συκοφαντεῖ καὶ πάντων ἀποξενοῖ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διάθεσιν καὶ ὅλον τὸν μειρακίσκον ὑποποιεῖται ἄνακτα. Κἀκεῖνο πᾶσι βασιλικὸν ἐνομίζετο πρόσταγμα, ὃ τῷ μηχανορράφῳ τούτῳ ἐδόκει. Ἐντεῦθεν κατηγορίαι καὶ ἀπαιτήσεις ἀθῴων καὶ ἀκατακρίτων ἀνδρῶν, καὶ τίσεις ἀχρεωστήτων καὶ κρίσεις τῷ δημοσίῳ τὸ πλέον, οὐ τῷ δικαίῳ, βραβεύουσαι, ἀφ' ὧν δημεύσεις καθολικαί τε καὶ μερικαί, κατηγορίαι συχναὶ καὶ πίστις εὐθὺς ἀπαραλόγιστος, καὶ τῶν πασχόντων θρῆνος ἐλεεινὸς καὶ τῶν γυμνουμένων