as he was passing by in a procession, the patrician Damianos, the *parakoimomenos*, who was sitting in the Horologion, did not rise to honor him. And he, having become angry, reported this to the emperor, weeping, and said that "to the shame of your majesty, he did not rise for me." And the emperor at that very hour exiled the *parakoimomenos* Damianos to Saint Mamas, and appointed Basil, his *protostrator*, as *parakoimomenos*. The Caesar, seeing this, was greatly grieved, and sought to kill Basil. 40. In his 11th year, the emperor Michael separated Basil from his wife Maria, and gave him as wife Eudokia Ingerina, arranging for him to have her as his legal wife; for she was the emperor's mistress, and he loved her very much, as she was beautiful. And his former wife Maria, having given her gold and much wealth, he sent away to her own property. And he joined his own sister Thekla to Basil for him to have her privately. However, the Caesar and Basil eyed each other with suspicion, seeking how one might do away with the other. Therefore Basil also slandered the Caesar to the emperor as one who was plotting against him. But he 676 heard these things as nonsense. Therefore, hurrying to convince the emperor, he made friends with Symbatios, patrician and logothete of the drome, the Caesar's son-in-law; and by oaths they confirmed to each other their concord. And Basil assured Symbatios with dreadful oaths that "since the emperor loves you greatly, he wishes to promote you to Caesar, but because of your father-in-law he is unable to do this." Deceived by these things, Symbatios turned against the Caesar Bardas, his own father-in-law, and going in to the emperor, he swore an oath, informing him how "the Caesar wishes," he said, "to kill you," revealing also the details of the plot. And the emperor, convinced by the oaths of Symbatios and confirmed by the words of Basil, plotted inwardly against the Caesar. And Basil, having prepared everything against the Caesar, but being unable to do anything in the city, persuaded the emperor to move the fleet against Crete. And as this was happening, Leo the Philosopher advised Bardas Caesar to hold back and protect himself from Basil. But the Caesar called upon the emperor to spare Basil. And when the procession of the Annunciation was being held in the Chalkoprateia, after the Gospel had been read, both the patriarch Photios and the emperor went up with the Caesar and Basil the *parakoimomenos* into the Katechoumena; and with the patriarch holding in his hands the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, both 677 the emperor and Basil, having dipped (their pens), signed the precious crosses, having assured the Caesar by an oath to come with them on the campaign without fear. But Leo the Philosopher openly advised Bardas not to go out with them, and as he was going out, he told him he would not return. (41) And signs had accompanied his death. For when an earthquake occurred, the statue which stood on a column, the second one near Saint Anna, had fallen down; which, when reported by the Caesar to Leo the Philosopher, was clearly interpreted, that the second from the first ruler would fall by death. But also a garment sent to him by Theodora his sister was lacking its proper length, on which a partridge sprinkled with gold was depicted; having received it, he asked her, "Why has it been cut short?" "As I think," he said, "it has prefigured the outcome for both of us, hinting through the partridge at the treachery against him, and through the shortness at the short number of his own days." And he also saw such a dream. It seemed that on a feast day the Caesar, with the emperor, had gone to the Holy Wisdom of God with the usual splendor. And as they were at the holy altar, brightly-clad angels appeared to them, and within, an old man was seen enthroned above, and this was Peter the apostle, to whom Ignatios, kneeling with tears, was reminding him of the things he had suffered, having been mutilated. And he, being moved with sympathy for his suffering, said that he would bring vengeance from the hand of the Lord. And immediately to one of the standing 678
προελεύσει διερχομένου, καθεζόμενος ὁ πατρίκιος ∆αμιανὸς ἐν τῷ ὡρολογίῳ, ὁ καὶ παρακοιμώμενος, οὐκ ἐπηγέρθη τιμῆσαι αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ θυμωθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ κλαίων τοῦτο ἀπήγγειλεν, καὶ ὅτι εἰς ὄνειδος τῆς σῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἐπηγέρθη μοι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐξορίζει τὸν παρακοιμώμενον ∆αμιανὸν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ Μάμαντι, καὶ προβάλλεται Βασίλειον τὸν πρωτοστράτορα αὐτοῦ παρακοιμώμενον. τοῦτο ὁ Καῖσαρ ἰδὼν ἐλυπήθη λίαν, καὶ ἐζήτει ἀποκτεῖναι Βασίλειον. 40. Τῷ ιαʹ αὐτοῦ ἔτει ἐχώρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ τὸν Βασίλειον τῆς αὐτοῦ γυναικὸς Μαρίας, καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτῷ γυναῖκα Εὐδοκίαν τὴν Ἰγγηρίναν, διορισάμενος αὐτῷ κυρίως αὐτὴν ἔχειν· ἦν γὰρ αὐτὴ τοῦ βασιλέως παλλακή, καὶ πάνυ ἠγάπα αὐτὴν ὡς εὐπρεπῆ. τὴν δὲ προτέραν αὐτοῦ γυναῖκα Μαρίαν, δοὺς χρυσίον καὶ πλοῦτον πολύν, ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὰ ἴδια. Θέκλαν δὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀδελφὴν προσήρμοσε Βασιλείῳ τοῦ ἔχειν αὐτὴν ἰδίως. ὁ μέντοι Καῖσαρ καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος ὑπεβλέποντο ἀλλήλους, ζητοῦντες πῶς ἕτερος τὸν ἕτερον ἀνέλῃ. διὸ καὶ ἐλοιδόρει τὸν Καίσαρα Βασίλειος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ὡς κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετῶντα. ὁ δὲ 676 ταῦτα ὡς λῆρον ἤκουεν. διὸ καὶ σπεύδων πληροφορῆσαι τὸν βασιλέα συμφιλιοῦται Συμβατίῳ πατρικίῳ καὶ λογοθέτῃ τοῦ δρόμου, γαμβρῷ τοῦ Καίσαρος· καὶ δι' ὅρκων βεβαιοῦσιν ἀλλήλους τὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὁμόνοιαν. ἐπληροφόρει δὲ Συμβάτιον Βασίλειος δι' ὅρκων φρικτῶν ὅτι τοῦ βασιλέως πολλά σε ἀγαπῶντος βούλεται Καίσαρα προβάλλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν πενθερόν σου τοῦτο ποιῆσαι ἀδυνατεῖ. ἐν τούτοις ἀπατηθεὶς ὁ Συμβάτιος γέγονε κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος Βάρδα τοῦ ἰδίου πενθεροῦ, καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ἐξωμόσατο πληροφορήσας αὐτὸν πῶς ὁ Καῖσαρ βούλεταί σε, φησίν, ἀνελεῖν, ἐξειπὼν καὶ τὰ τῆς βουλῆς. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ὅρκοις Συμβατίου πεισθεὶς καὶ τοῖς λόγοις Βασιλείου βεβαιωθεὶς ἐνδομύχει κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος. ὁ δὲ Βασίλειος πάντα σκευασάμενος κατὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος, ἐν δὲ τῇ πόλει μηδὲν ποιῆσαι δυνάμενος, πείθει τὸν βασιλέα κινῆσαι στόλον κατὰ τῆς Κρήτης. καὶ τούτου γινομένου Λέων ὁ φιλόσοφος Βάρδα Καίσαρα παρῄνει ὑποστέλλεσθαι καὶ συντηρεῖν ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ Βασιλείου. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ τὸν βασιλέα ἐπεφωνεῖτο φείδεσθαι τοῦ Βασιλείου. ἐπεὶ δὲ προέλευσις τοῦ εὐαγγελισμοῦ ἐν τοῖς Χαλκοπρατείοις ἐτελεῖτο, εὐαγγελίου τελεσθέντος ἀνῆλθεν ὅ τε πατριάρχης Φώτιος καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς σὺν τῷ Καίσαρι καὶ Βασιλείῳ παρακοιμωμένῳ ἐν τοῖς Κατηχουμένοις· καὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχοντος τὸ τίμιον σῶμα καὶ αἷμα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, βάψαντες ὅ τε 677 βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος τοὺς τιμίους ὑπέγραψαν σταυρούς, ὅκῳ βεβαιώσαντες τὸν Καίσαρα ἀφόβως συνελθεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ ταξειδίῳ. ὁ δὲ φιλόσοφος Λέων φανερῶς παρηγγύα τῷ Βάρδᾳ μὴ ἐξελθεῖν σὺν αὐτοῖς, ἐξερχομένῳ δὲ ἔλεγεν μὴ ὑποστρέφειν. (41) καὶ σημεῖα τῷ τούτου θανάτῳ παρηκολουθήκεσαν. σεισμοῦ γὰρ γεγονότος ἐπεπτώκει τὸ ἄγαλμα ὃ κατὰ τὴν ἁγίαν Ἄνναν τὸ δεύτερον ἐπὶ κίονος ἵστατο· ὅπερ διαγγελθὲν παρὰ Καίσαρος Λέοντι τῷ φιλοσόφῳ σαφῶς διηρμήνευτο, τὸν ἐκ πρώτου ἄνακτος δεύτερον ἐκπεσεῖσθαι διὰ θανάτου. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσθὴς αὐτῷ ἐξαποσταλεῖσα παρὰ Θεοδώρας τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀδελφῆς τοῦ προσήκοντος μήκους ἐλλείπουσα, ᾗ τινὶ πέρδιξ χρυσόπαστος καθιστόρητο· ἣν προσδεξάμενος ἐπυνθάνετο αὐτῇ τί κεκολόβωται; ὡς οἶμαι, φησίν, ἀμφοτέροις τὴν λύσιν προεζωγράφησε, διὰ μὲν τῆς πέρδικος τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν δολερόν, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἐλλιποῦς τὸ ἐλλιπὲς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἡμερῶν αἰνιττόμενος. καὶ ὄναρ δὲ ἐθεάσατο τοιοῦτον. ἐδόκει ἑορτασίμου ἡμέρας ὁ Καῖσαρ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίᾳ προσπεφοιτηκέναι καὶ συνήθους λαμπρότητος. ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἅγιον θυσιαστήριον ἦσαν, λαμπροφόροι τούτοις ἀνεφάνησαν ἄγγελοι, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἔσω διώπτετό τις ὑπεράνω γηραιὸς θρονιζόμενος, καὶ οὗτος Πέτρος ὁ ἀπόστολος, ᾧ Ἰγνάτιος γονυπετῶν δάκρυσιν ὑπῆν ὑπομιμνήσκων ὑπὲρ ὧν λωβηθεὶς ὑπομεμενήκει. ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ πάθος συνδιατεθεὶς αὐτῷ ἔφη τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἐκ χειρὸς κυρίου ἀποίσεσθαι. καὶ εὐθὺς ἑνὶ τῶν ἱστα 678