Compendium chronicum
Gold-bearing, glistening with robes studded with pearls. the fragrant violet shone, the rose shone back. every kind of violet's color smiled from ever
The fine-spun ones. the large-winged, large-hooked-beaked, hooked-clawed, boasting their claws like javelins, having a beak sharper than daggers, for
Having made him a composite of soul and body, and having bestowed the grace of a will moved by itself, and having formed him according to his likeness
Of yours, and you will be called gods, and you will know all things. the woman heard these things, she heeded the flattery, she was conquered by the
Land-born, winged, walking but god, opening the floodgates of heaven, brought down from there whole seas of rain, covered the peaks of the deep-cliff
They stole, they committed adultery, and finally they looked toward idolatry. seruch was the first to begin to use carved images and pillars, being th
Javelin-bowmen, armor-bearers, spearmen, men furious in battle, and having taken an allied force from the nation of the huns, and having made allies o
Chaldeans, and the plaything of fortune and the dice of affairs, having sufficiently mocked others, passed over to others. and when these things were
Mandane, and that the liquid poured forth was so great as to be able to cover the face of the land of asia. this was the first dream, and a second one
Not even among the most famous, like that of the medes and persians, or that of the assyrians. candaules was king of lydia and phrygia, tracing his li
To be contrived by such devices. he, having learned and discerned which mare the horse of darius loved more than all the others, after the two of them
Having heard that joseph, the one born of rachel, was governing the land of egypt for pharaoh, and also contriving to find a release from his sufferin
Was sung. and a light of gladness rose for the hebrews, but the darkness of calamities overshadowed the egyptians. the israelites who fled egypt then
He exposes him in a place called parion after paris himself. he was therefore cast aside carelessly. shepherds found him, pitied him, took him up. the
Because helen had been seized by someone, all fought on her behalf with their own bodies. so after much entreating and importuning, they persuade the
While strong-handed achilles was present, the counsels of the son of laertes were ineffective, and every plot devised and scheme stitched together aga
The swarm of trojans mingled with each other, daring to do nothing. and there was a temple before the walls of beautifully-towered troy, where achille
To proteus, he also finds his consort there in memphis, and having been hosted and honored he receives helen, and after considerable toils he reaches
Flapping its wings, a great-winged bird, fanned the fire into flame with its wings. but a certain cunning fox, vying with these and contending against
To be called, remaining faithful, keepers of the house and guardians of what is within. then taking a clod of earth in his hand from outside, he throw
The most unjust slaughter of his father, and perceiving as a man of sense that he would share the danger with his father and brother and would die wit
Caesar wished to take into the fellowship of marriage a woman who was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and he urged nero to betroth his wife to hi
And his whole character was lecherous, and worse than others, lusting after women joined to men, and commanding their spouses to serve his abomination
You will cause me pain for those who are sated on my rotten limbs will vex me for a short time, but if others fall upon me, they will cling more viol
Bringing with them a chariot-driver mime, they came upon him to kill him. and nero, knowing this, killed himself, saying this at the end: what an art
Extinguishes it, and dogs, running up and eating the bonds, release the stargazer who was invoking the gods many times. and these things indeed were a
Ravaging and plundering, being in want of money, pressed by need and having no army from anywhere to arm against them, set forth in the marketplace th
Of great things, what terror was not present, what was not dared! slaughters and toils everywhere, and pools of blood. and the gloom of the prison hel
Their names were constans and constantine) manages the western parts and rome and the gauls. but these were extinguished rather quickly and before the
But when that woman again added that her husband was plotting against gratian himself, he replied again, what is that to you, woman? and they say th
Orestes, and after orestes the son of romulus was the last to take hold of the rule. and the great-named city, the city of the romans, having had romu
They set aside the young woman. athenais the maiden, exceedingly distressed at these things and wounded in her soul, goes to her maternal aunt, she sh
Learning of the emperor, she arrives in the city of jerusalem as quickly as possible, and there, having completed the remainder of her life, she pays
When a fierce battle had broken out and he was leading the romans against the arrogant persians, marcian, seized by a death-threatening illness, remai
A man, a treasure of wisdom, was slandered as a hellene, isocasius by name, a quaestor by rank and from there, stripped of both honor and money, he i
Having reigned over the romans for eighteen years. but this one, having tasted power for a short time, departed from the earth rather quickly, leaving
The poison with the trisagion hymn, and when he saw the whole crowd immediately run wild and drive the eparch from the temple with stones and burn dow
Justin, but being inflamed with zeal for the pious religion, kindled an implacable war against the manichaeans and a persecution more severe than thos
Manly minds for with this man he joined mighty battles, and so terrified chosroes that he wished to exchange peace for man-slaying wars. and rome the
With graces and bear torches for creation, and appear as bright stars to those on earth but the sun leaped up from a most beautiful lake, and the tor
Such power, and being filled with greater zeal, he held to what must be done. and it happened that not long after something like this occurred, worthy
Into the judgments of the judge shook the hearts of all. from there a calm of justice-doing was spread everywhere, instead of a winter and a gloomy te
And by the things that will be said and the khagan, having attacked the garrisons of the romans (the khagan was king of the northern scythians) and h
Of dregs. therefore, he is caught fleeing together with the empress and the purple-born branches sprung from him. but the most god-hated, man-slaying
With golden helmets, delicate, all quiver-bearing, on snorting, gold-phalerad horses. so when the emperor saw it was impossible to engage with the arm
Having embarked in boats, they came on, covering the back of the sea with their dense light boats, with their single-log vessels. thus there were many
But nevertheless he did not long enjoy his fortune, but it quickly grew cold, but appearing he was hidden, just as a rose might spring up and immediat
Him, only one thing troubled, lest the scepter reach justinian again, and he who was formerly deprived of it, and of his nose along with it, might aga
Infancy was subjected to murderous hands for slaughter but here, boys of fifteen, girls in their early bloom, young men, soft-skinned women, little g
You will see a dreadful thing, and he bespattered the ground, flowing away like water. thus it was said well and wisely by the ancients, nothing beyo
But the emperor theodosios, shrinking from the audacity and the beast-like heart of leo, yielded the throne and the crown to his enemy, willingly or u
From the kandys and the torc i will know, and the croaking raven from its blackness. near the precinct of the wisdom of god a splendid house had been
He plundered beauty, he cut out the sacred images from the churches, and in their place with the same colors and mosaics he engraved his beloved hunti
From there he is rolled towards lawless deeds, and he shaves the head of his most temperate consort, and introduces the union with another woman into
They drive him from the throne and the city as a fugitive. and he, having indicated these things in writing to the empress and having besought to rece
They were supplicating, even employing force. but he, not knowing the turn of the balancing scale of fortune, and fearing its wavering will, approache
And again the tail of the dragon was moved. the abomination, i mean, of iconoclasm, like a great dragon, crept, dreadful and gaping, it rushed to devo
And from there what was being built was overturned from its roots, and having stained his own war-loving hands with murders and having made every spea
The king, on account of the bruises and the numerous wounds, or rather cases of paralysis, was shaken in his soul at what had happened, and wishing to
Finding their catch, they write to the just man while he is fishing with nets a short writing in iambic meter, which, since i have deemed it not right
Having been persuaded and having received complete assurance that theophilos was delivered from the torments there, she became a fellow-diner with the
Of the ancient kings, both the golden trees, and the chattering sparrows, and lions made of hammered gold, and simply every royal thing gleaming in th
By his hand, but the contriver of evils paid the penalty, and the preparer of terrible things drank a cup of wrath. bardas, therefore, while digging a
Scarcely the temple-keeper he immediately makes basil a member of his household, and deems him worthy of fitting care. and basil was handsome, noble,
To earth-born men, and certain innate dooms accompany men. for this one, great in understanding among emperors, having been persuaded by certain serpe
By the transgression of tetragamy. but leo, the most philosophical among emperors, having fallen into the natural necessities of the body and being af
He arms himself on behalf of the one who had been out-generaled with an army drawn from many places, from the lycaonians, from the thracians, from the
Raising him from a lowly state to the summit, he makes him father and guardian of the empire. and drawing romanos further into his affection, he gives
Of unstained rule, and being about to be released from the bonds of nature, he appointed his son romanos as sole ruler. but he, entrusting all strengt
He conveys everything, and says, alas, o general, for the fortune of the romans! until when will woman-souled eunuchs steer the ship of state, resour
Medimni of grain to be sold for a nomisma. thus phocas managed the matter meanly, and this though he was rich in thousand-bushel granaries, laden with
Near the ister cutting down the phalanxes, breaking the scytharchs, killing, pursuing, routing the champions, as if some lion falling upon broad-flank
Slumber to his eyelids, nor sleep to his eyes, until he drove out the wolves, the devourers of sheep. the mighty ones of the bulgars recognized his st
And having been taught by certain people that after him the rule would pass to romanos, one of the senate, surnamed argyropoulos, he compels the man t
Having the care of those in the home for the aged, he managed all other matters of state up and down and was seen openly as the keeper of the ruler. t
Rushing into the inner sanctuary, from there they seize the wretched man, crying out with groans from the heart, with hot tears, and they gouge out hi
Bloody streams, but murderous outpourings. he seized the fortresses, he seized the cities. he went on, roaring in his anger, breathing fire more than
Of the power to comnenus. but those who were allotted to steer the ship of state, wishing not to save it but to sink it and swamp the most wretched th
But suddenly the tempests of the flesh, having grown wild, stirred up a hard-to-calm, wave-tossed wind, they brought on nausea, vomiting, dizziness, t
To sheep-guarded folds. but a winged dove, flying up from somewhere, alighted on his knees with a silent flutter, not like the one before that flew to
Promising down on his temples, using caesar his uncle as a rival and the most powerful men and those in high military command, he at once seats himsel
Shining with purple dye and gold, and using in turn overlapping garments, he sat upon high, silver-studded thrones, adorning with dignities all who ca
ravaging and plundering, being in want of money, pressed by need and having no army from anywhere to arm against them, set forth in the marketplace the royal adornment, all furniture woven with gold, purple cloaks and pearl-studded crowns and couches inlaid with stone and all the splendid regalia of the kingdom, and to publicly proclaim that anyone who wished could buy the items set forth without any fear. Those who wished, bought, and money was collected; and the emperor, having distributed the gold to the army, went out against the enemies, and having joined battle with great ease, he prevailed over the foes, and having put them all to flight and having killed and despoiled them, he acquired from there whole treasures of money, and again setting forth money in the middle of the marketplace he proclaimed that whoever wished could take the gold and give back what he had bought, if he so desired. This man also sends Lucius, his son-in-law who ruled with him, to make war on the war-loving Parthians, Vologeses then being ruler of the Parthians. And Lucius was handsome in body and mind, tall, fair to see, pleasant, blond-haired, rosy-complexioned; who, having engaged the enemies who were arrogant in their numbers and army and quivers, finally defeated the bow-bearing nation. But having come to this point in my course and my account, I marvel at the contrariness of the human race, and how sons are not like their own fathers. A lion always begets a lion-hearted cub, and a leopard one of the same spirit, and a tiger a tiger cub; but among men, sons are unlike their parents. And it is clear that choice is the cause of this. To what end have these things been said by me, and what is the purpose of the account? Marcus indeed submitted to the laws of nature and gave back the clay to the nature which had lent it, having ruled for ten years plus the remaining nine; but his son Commodus came to power, a youth resembling his father in nothing, nor bearing any likeness to Marcus who had begotten and educated him. For he always delighted in mimes and gladiatorial shows and women and evil-doing men and drunkards, and he had an active sword, carving up and sacrificing the powerful and prominent and the more wealthy. Whence also he found an end worthy of his life; for with poisons he broke off his blood-stained soul and ended his life unseasonably and before his time, having held the imperial power for twice six years. After him, Pertinax the very old ruled the Romans, who was lawlessly slain before he even managed to bring his children or his wife into the imperial palace. And there was a certain Julianus called Didius; this man, as the story goes, acquired the crown by purchase, having corrupted the commanders of the army with money. But he did not enjoy the imperial fortune, for when Severus the Libyan rose up against him, he became the work of a sword and died most wretchedly, having scarcely tasted the honey of power, having met with only two months of rule. But much-envied fortune, having abandoned him, smiled upon Severus and looked upon him with a glad eye. I hear that this man built the bath of Zeuxippus, the great and renowned wonder of Byzantium, and also this theater of entertainment, which is able to shelter whole cities and peoples, in which competing horses run for pleasure. And Severus, having survived his reign for a sufficient time, and having lasted in it for ten whole years plus another six and one, falls into a terrible illness, and being about to die, he leaves the scepters to his sons, of whom the first was allotted the name Antoninus, whom they called Caracalla, and the one after him was from the beginning named Geta by his parents. But these men, having ruled the empire for six years and two months, are deprived of their rule and their life. The draught-piece of the scepters, therefore, often changing hands, bestowed the imperial power, along with others, also upon Diocletian the most lawless, who, having taken as a partner the like-minded Maximian Herculius, the son of Satan, had him as a sharer of the power. O your forbearance, Word! And with two evils running together to the same point
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πορθούντων καὶ κειρόντων, χρημάτων ἀπορούμενον, σφιγγόμενον ἐνδείᾳ καὶ μηδαμόθεν ἔχοντα στρατὸν ἀντεφοπλίσαι, τὸν κόσμον τὸν
βασίλειον ἐν ἀγορᾷ προθεῖναι, ἔπιπλον πᾶν χρυσοϋφές, περιπορφύρους κάνδυς καὶ στέφη καταμάργαρα καὶ κλίνας λιθοστρώτους αὐτήν
τε πᾶσαν τὴν λαμπρὰν στολὴν τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ πάντα τὸν βουλόμενον κηρῦξαι δημοσίᾳ ὠνεῖσθαι τὰ προκείμενα μηδέν τι δειλιῶντα.
ὠνοῦντο μὲν οἱ θέλοντες, καὶ χρήματα συνῆκτο· ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ τῷ στρατῷ σκορπίσας τὸ χρυσίον ἀντεπεξῆλθε τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ μάχην
συγκροτήσας κατὰ πολλὴν εὐχέρειαν τῶν δυσμενῶν ἐκράτει, καὶ τρέψας πάντας εἰς φυγὴν καὶ κτείνας καὶ σκυλεύσας ὅλους ἐκεῖθεν
θησαυροὺς ἐκτήσατο χρημάτων, καὶ πάλιν χρήματα προθεὶς τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐν μέσῳ ἐκήρυσσε τὸν θέλοντα λαμβάνειν τὸ χρυσίον καὶ τὸ
κτηθέν, εἰ βούλοιτο, πάλιν ἀποδιδόναι. οὗτος καὶ Λεύκιον γαμβρὸν τὸν σὺν αὐτῷ κρατοῦντα ἐκπέμπει πολεμήσοντα Πάρθοις τοῖς
φιλομάχοις, τῶν Παρθυαίων ἄρχοντος τότε τοῦ Βολογέσου. ἦν δὲ καλὸς ὁ Λεύκιος τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν γνώμην, εὐμήκης, εὔοπτος, ἡδύς,
ξανθόκομος, ῥοδόχρους· ὃς καὶ συμμίξας τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὑπερωφρυωμένοις ἐπί τε πλήθει καὶ στρατῷ καὶ φαρετροφορίᾳ, τέλος κατηγωνίσατο
τὸ τοξοφόρον ἔθνος. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὧδε γεγονὼς τοῦ δρόμου καὶ τοῦ λόγου θαυμάζω τὸ παλίντοκον τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους, καὶ πῶς οὐκ
ἐξεικάζονται παῖδες τοῖς σφῶν πατράσιν. ἀεὶ μὲν λεοντόθυμον σκυμνὸν ὁ λέων τίκτει καὶ πάρδαλις ταυτόθυμον καὶ τίγρις αὐτοτίγριν·
παρὰ δ' ἀνθρώποις ἄνισοι παῖδες πρὸς τοὺς τοκέας. καὶ δῆλον ὡς προαίρεσις τούτων ἡ παραιτία. πρὸς τί μοι ταῦτα λέλεκται, καὶ
τίς σκοπὸς τῷ λόγῳ; ὁ Μάρκος μὲν τοῖς φυσικοῖς ὑπέκυψε νομίμοις καὶ τὴν πηλὸν ἀπέδωκε τῇ δανεισάσῃ φύσει δέκα κρατήσας ἔτεσι
σὺν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐννέα· υἱὸς δ' ἐκείνου Κόμοδος παρῆλθεν εἰς τὸ κράτος, μεῖραξ πατρώζων κατ' οὐδέν, μηδ' ἐμφερές τι φέρων
τῷ Μάρκῳ τῷ γεννήσαντι καὶ τῷ πεπαιδευκότι. μίμοις γὰρ ἔχαιρεν ἀεὶ καὶ μονομάχων θέαις καὶ γυναιξὶ καὶ φαυλουργοῖς ἀνδράσι
καὶ μεθύσοις, καὶ ξίφος εἶχεν ἐνεργὸν κρεανομοῦν καὶ θῦον τοὺς δυνατοὺς καὶ προύχοντας καὶ τοὺς εὐπορωτέρους. ὅθεν καὶ τέλος
εὕρατο κατάξιον τοῦ βίου· φαρμάκοις γὰρ ἀπέρρηξε ψυχὴν τὴν μιαιφόνον καὶ τὴν ζωὴν κατέστρεψεν ἀώρως καὶ πρὸ χρόνου, δὶς ἓξ
κρατήσας ἔτεσι τοῦ βασιλείου κράτους. Ῥωμαίων δ' ἦρξε μετ' αὐτὸν Περτίναξ ὁ τριγέρων, ὃς μηδὲ φθάσας ἀγαγεῖν εἰς βασιλείους
δόμους τοὺς παῖδας ἢ τὴν γαμετὴν ἀνόμως ἀνῃρέθη. Ἦν δέ τις Ἰουλιανὸς ∆ίδιος κεκλημένος· οὗτος, ὡς λόγος, ὤνιον ἐκτήσατο τὸ
στέφος, τοὺς ταγματάρχας τοῦ στρατοῦ χρήμασιν ὑποφθείρας. ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀπώνατο τῆς βασιλείου τύχης, Σεβήρου δὲ τοῦ Λίβυος
ἐπαναστάντος τούτῳ μαχαίρας ἔργον γίνεται καὶ κακιγκάκως θνήσκει, μηδὲ γευσάμενος σχεδὸν τοῦ μέλιτος τοῦ κράτους, δύο καὶ
μόνοις ἐντυχὼν μησὶ τῆς βασιλείας. ἡ δὲ πολύζηλος αὐτὸν ἀπολιποῦσα τύχη Σεβήρῳ προσεγέλασε καὶ χαροπὸν ἐνεῖδε. Τοῦτον ἀκούω
δείμασθαι λουτρὸν τὸ τοῦ Ζευξίππου, τὸ μέγα καὶ περίπυστον τῆς Βυζαντίδος θαῦμα, καὶ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ θέατρον τὸ τῆς ψυγαγωγίας,
τὸ πόλεις ὅλας ἱκανὸν στέγειν καὶ γεναρχίας, ἐν ᾧ πρὸς τέρψιν θέουσιν ἁμιλλητῆρες ἵπποι. Ὁ δὲ Σεβῆρος ἱκανῶς ἐπιβιοὺς τῷ κράτει,
καὶ δέκα ὅλοις ἔτεσι προσδιαρκέσας τούτῳ σὺν ἄλλοις ἓξ πρὸς τῷ ἑνί, νόσῳ δεινῇ ἐμπίπτει, καὶ μέλλων θνήσκειν τοῖς παισὶ τὰ
σκῆπτρα καταλείπει, ὧν ὁ μὲν πρῶτος ἔλαχε τὴν Ἀντωνίνου κλῆσιν, ὃν ἔλεγον Καράκαλλον, ὁ μετ' αὐτὸν δὲ Γέτας ἀρχῆθεν κατωνόμαστο
πρὸς τῶν γεγεννηκότων. οὗτοι δ' εἰς ἓξ κρατήσαντες τῆς βασιλείας ἔτη καὶ μῆνας δύο τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τῆς ζωῆς στεροῦνται. Τῶν
σκήπτρων τοίνυν ὁ πεττὸς συχνάκις μεταπίπτων σὺν ἄλλοις ἐχαρίσατο τὴν αὐτοκρατορίαν καὶ τῷ ∆ιοκλητιανῷ τῷ παρανομωτάτῳ, ὃς
προσεταιρισάμενος τὸν ταυτογνωμονοῦντα Μαξιμιανὸν Ἑρκούλιον, τοῦ Σατανᾶ τὸν παῖδα, τοῦ κράτους ἔσχε κοινωνόν. τῆς ἀνοχῆς σου,
λόγε! καὶ συνδραμόντων εἰς ταὐτὸ δύο κακῶν
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