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

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 it to him?" And Leo the emperor, having fashioned this, and being slandered as has been said, and being discovered carrying this in his boot, was not heard though he offered many defenses concerning this. Therefore Niketas the Helladic, his protovestiarios, who became papias under Emperor Romanos, was flogged, and others with him, having suffered many terrible things, were exiled. And the emperor, having imprisoned Leo in the Triklinos of the Margarites, wished to blind him, if Patriarch Photios had not prevented this through many entreaties, along with Stylianos Zaoutzes, who was then the junior 847 hetaeriarch. And he spent three months under watch, lamenting and grieving, and through a letter he greatly importuned the emperor. And as the emperor had great faith in Saint Elias, Emperor Leo makes his appeal to Saint Elias on his feast day. And when the procession took place, the people, seeing him, cried out, "Glory to you, O God." But the emperor turned and responded to them, "Do you glorify God for my son? You will have to endure many tribulations from him and go through painful days." 25. And Andreas, Domestic of the Schools, accused by Santabarenos of siding with Leo, was replaced by the emperor. And in his place Stypiotis was appointed Domestic; and having gone out with an army to Tarsus, he was defeated and lost everyone. And again Andreas was appointed Domestic by the emperor. 26. And a plot was made against the emperor by John Kourkouas, who was Domestic of the Hikanatoi, being instructed by the recluse who was in Blachernai. And many of the senators and magistrates were found, up to sixty-six of them. For there was Michael the hetaeriarch Katoudares and Myxaris and Baboutzikos and the rest. When therefore this plot was reported to the emperor by the protovestiarios of Kourkouas, and all were arrested, the emperor went out into the Hippodrome and sitting 848 there and interrogating them concerning their affairs, he beat them all and, having shaved off their remaining hair, burned it. And after this he came out in the procession of the Annunciation, when they were about to carry out the plot. And they walked behind him naked and bound as far as the forum, as he had decreed. Then, having confiscated the property of all, he exiled them. 27. And when the emperor went out to hunt, a very large stag appearing from somewhere, as the emperor was pursuing it, the stag turned and lifted the emperor from his horse by his belt. But someone, arriving and drawing his sword, cut the belt and rescued the emperor. And after he returned, he ordered the one who cut his belt to be beheaded for having drawn his sword against him, though he defended himself profusely, saying he had done this for his salvation; but it was of no avail. And from the goring of the stag, Basil, having fallen ill, died, leaving behind Leo as emperor and Alexander.

{REIGN OF LEO SON OF BASIL.} In the 380th year of the world, and the 880th of the divine incarnation, Leo son of Basil reigned for twenty-five years and eight months. And Stephen, his brother, being a cleric and synkellos, was with 849 Patriarch Photios, being raised and educated by him. And this Leo, after becoming emperor, sent Andreas the stratelates with many wax candles and clerics and senators to Chrysopolis, and he brought Michael out of his tomb, and placed him in a coffin of cypress wood; and placing him on a bier and covering him, and honoring him royally, with hymns and great honor, with his brothers also following there, he brought him to the Holy Apostles and laid him in a sarcophagus. 2. After this the emperor sent Andreas, Domestic of the Schools, along with John Hagiopolites, a most wise man and former logothete

ἐποίησε τὸν Λέοντα κατασκευάσαι καὶ φορεῖν ἐν τῷ τουβίῳ, εἰπὼν αὐτῷ ὅτι πολλάκις τοῦ πατρός σου ἐπιζητοῦντος μαχαίριον διὰ χρείαν τινά, ἵνα τί μὴ δίδως αὐτῷ; καὶ τοῦτο κατασκευάσας Λέων ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ διαβληθεὶς ὡς εἴρηται, καὶ φωραθεὶς ἐν τῷ τουβίῳ τοῦτο βαστάζων, πολλὰ περὶ τούτου ἀπο λογούμενος οὐκ ἠκούετο. ἐτυπτήθη οὖν Νικήτας ὁ Ἑλλαδικὸς ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος αὐτοῦ, ὃς γέγονε παπίας ἐπὶ Ῥωμανοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἄλλοι μετ' αὐτοῦ πολλὰ δεινὰ πεπονθότες ἐξωρίσθησαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Λέοντα καθείρξας ἐν τῷ τρικλίνῳ τῷ Μαργαρίτου ἐβού λετο ἐκτυφλῶσαι αὐτόν, εἰ μὴ Φώτιος πατριάρχης διὰ πολλῶν παρακλήσεων τοῦτο διεσκέδασεν, ἅμα Ζαούτζᾳ Στυλιανῷ μικρῷ 847 ἑταιρειάρχῃ τότε ὄντι. ἐποίησε δὲ ὑπὸ ὄψεως μῆνας τρεῖς, θρη νῶν καὶ ὀδυρόμενος, καὶ δι' ἐπιστολῆς πολλὰ δυσώπει τὸν βασι λέα. μεγάλην δὲ πίστιν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔχοντος εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἠλίαν ἀποσυνοψίζει Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἠλίαν ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ αὐτοῦ. τῆς δὲ ἐλεύσεως γενομένης ἰδόντες αὐτὸν οἱ λαοὶ ἐφώ νησαν τὸ "δόξα σοι ὁ θεός." ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀναστραφεὶς ἀπελο γήσατο αὐτοῖς "δοξάζετε περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ μου τὸν θεόν; πολλὰς θλίψεις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἔχετε ὑπομεῖναι καὶ ἐπωδύνους ἡμέρας διελ θεῖν." 25. Κατηγορηθεὶς δὲ Ἀνδρέας δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν παρὰ Σανταβαρηνοῦ ὡς τὰ Λέοντος φρονῶν διεδέχθη παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως. ἀντ' αὐτοῦ δὲ προεβλήθη δομέστικος ὁ Στυπιώτης· καὶ ἀπελθὼν μετὰ λαοῦ ἐν Ταρσῷ ἡττήθη καὶ πάντας ἀπώλεσε. καὶ πάλιν προχειρίζεται Ἀνδρέας παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως δομέστικος. 26. Ἐγένετο δὲ συσκευὴ κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως παρὰ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Κροκόα δομεστίκου ὄντος τῶν ἱκανάτων, χρηματισθέντος παρὰ τοῦ ὄντος ἐν Βλαχέρναις ἐγκλείστου. εὑρέθησαν δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν συγκλητικῶν καὶ ἀρχόντων, μέχρι τῶν ἑξήκοντα ἕξ. ἦν γὰρ Μιχαὴλ ὁ ἑταιρειάρχης ὁ Κατουδάρης καὶ ὁ Μύξαρις καὶ ὁ Βα βούτζικος καὶ οἱ λοιποί. τῆς γοῦν τοιαύτης ἐπιβουλῆς μηνυθείσης τῷ βασιλεῖ παρὰ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου τοῦ Κορκόα, κρατηθέντων τε πάντων, ἐξελθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρομίῳ καὶ καθεσθεὶς 848 ἐκεῖσε καὶ ἀνακρίνας τὰ κατ' αὐτούς, πάντας τύψας καὶ κουρεύ σας τὰς περιλειφθείσας τρίχας κατέκαυσε. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐξῆλ θεν ἐν τῇ προελεύσει τοῦ εὐαγγελισμοῦ, ὅτε καὶ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἔμελλον ποιῆσαι. περιεπάτουν δὲ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ γυμνοὶ μέχρι τοῦ φόρου δεδεμένοι, καθὼς διωρίσατο. εἶθ' οὕτως πάντας δημεύσας ἐξώρισεν. 27. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἐξελθόντος πρὸς τὸ κυνηγῆσαι, ἐλά φου ποθὲν ἀναφανέντος παμμεγέθους, ὡς αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς κατε δίωκεν, ἐπιστραφεὶς ὁ ἔλαφος ᾖρε τὸν βασιλέα ἐκ τῆς ζώνης ἀπὸ τοῦ ἵππου. φθάσας δέ τις καὶ τὴν σπάθην γυμνώσας, τὴν ζώνην ἐκκόψας τὸν βασιλέα ἐρρύσατο. μετὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀποστραφῆναι ἐκέ λευσε τὸν τὴν ζώνην αὐτοῦ ἀποτεμόντα ἀποτμηθῆναι τὴν κεφαλὴν ὡς γυμνώσαντα τὸ ξίφος κατ' αὐτοῦ, πολλὰ ἀπολογουμένου ὡς ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτοῦ τοῦτο πεποιηκέναι· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὠφέλη σεν. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ σπαραγμοῦ τῆς ἐλάφου νοσηλευθεὶς Βασίλειος τελευτᾷ, καταλιπὼν Λέοντα αὐτοκράτορα καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον.

{ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΛΕΟΝΤΟΣ ΥΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ.} Τῷ τπʹ ἔτει τοῦ κόσμου, τῆς δὲ θείας σαρκώσεως ωπʹ, ἐβα σίλευσεν Λέων ὁ υἱὸς Βασιλείου ἔτη εἰκοσιπέντε μῆνας ὀκτώ. Στέφανος δὲ ὁ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸς κληρικὸς ὢν καὶ σύγκελλος ἦν μετὰ 849 Φωτίου τοῦ πατριάρχου, ἀνατρεφόμενος παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ παι δευόμενος. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς Λέων μετὰ τὸ αὐτοκρατορῆσαι ἀπέστειλεν Ἀνδρέαν στρατηλάτην μετὰ κηρῶν πολλῶν κληρικῶν τε καὶ συγ κλητικῶν ἐν Χρυσοπόλει, καὶ ἐξήγαγεν Μιχαὴλ ἐκ τοῦ τάφου, καὶ ἔβαλεν ἐν γλωσσοκόμῳ κυπαρισσίνῳ· καὶ ἐπὶ κραβάτου θέντες καὶ σκεπάσαντες βασιλικῶς τε τιμήσαντες, μεθ' ὕμνων καὶ τιμῆς πολλῆς, ἑπομένων ἐκεῖσε καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, ἤγαγεν εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους καὶ ἀπέθετο ἐν λάρνακι. 2. Μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπέστειλεν Ἀνδρέαν δομέστικον τῶν σχολῶν ἅμα Ἰωάννῃ Ἁγιοπολίτῃ σοφωτάτῳ καὶ γεγονότι λογοθέτῃ