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downcast at what had been freely whispered. The high priest, seeing them and perceiving the profound distress of the pious who had gathered, and in no way wishing to set himself as a rock of scandal and a stone of stumbling for the orthodox, the venerable man lays bare his secret shame in the sight of all, and was found, contrary to expectation, to have been hardened by a wasting of his nature, <ἐξ> for which he was being vainly accused, and he rose to state the cause, that while staying in Rome, having been sent to its high priest on account of the charges brought against the patriarch Nikephoros, Satan had sifted me greatly with temptations, and that he had sufficiently petitioned the apostle Peter about this, to alienate him from the carnal motion. And indeed, while I was sleeping by night in the apostolic shrine, the chief of the apostles appeared and with his right hand pressed my private parts and declared that I should no longer be alarmed by the pleasure-loving desire, nor suspect its rekindling in the future. And I, waking up with intense pain, have ended up in such a corporeal deadness, as you see. When the patriarch had humbly spoken such things most truthfully, those present were rid of their dejection. From these things, Manuel struggles to clarify the truth for the relief of the woman, raising his sword and examining by whom she had been suborned. And she, from the threatening words and <τε> from the extension of the sword, revealed the truth about those who had conspired for this purpose and <τῶν> who had paid down some amount of money, and that this was deposited in a small vessel and was hidden in a certain chest which was full of grain. And just as it had been confessed by her, so the details of the discovery were made manifest, and the heretics at that time were obscured by a mist of shame; to whom the God-loving patriarch granted forgiveness for the offenses against him, obeying the law of Christ who forgives seventy-seven times. Therefore also, by those presiding over such an inquiry, it was decreed from that time for the convicted, as a requital, even one involving some benefit, that on the birthday of the day that makes orthodox, they should lead the procession with lamps from the church honored to the Theotokos in Blachernae. And such a custom lasted for a long time, until <their death>, with the heterodox persevering, it is clear, in the gathering at the great church and in proclaiming their own anathema for the triumph of their all-hated apostasy. 4.6 At that time the heresy of the Zelikoi appeared with their leader Zelikos, who was among the first of the imperial secretaries; who, on a notable day and during an imperial procession in the great church of God, having made manifest the things of his heresy, was dressed with his like-minded followers in photizomenoi garments, having been anointed with the myrrh of perfection. 4.7 In the meantime, the affairs of the state were being well-governed by the emperor Michael <καὶ> Theodora his mother, with the mediation of the aforementioned men. But the leader of Bulgaria, whose race is from the Avars and Khazars, with his name from lord Bulgar, who had been settled by the Romans in Dristra and Moesia, sent forth burdensome words, threatening an incursion against the Romans. But the queen courageously boasted to him that she would again march with her own army as far as the Bulgarian land; and if you defeat a woman, the victory is no cause for boasting for you; but if you are vanquished by her, your defeat will be ridiculous to all. Understanding these things, the Scythian decided to remain quiet in his own country. 4.8 Not much time had passed, and the harmony of the aforementioned men toward one another was corrupted, and a certain malicious strife was kindled by Theoktistos against Manuel, which drove him into exile. For he had lived with him in the palace, and both managed the common affairs; and he slandered him for a smoldering conspiracy, but with secret investigation; of which Manuel, having artfully taken aim, decides to go home by himself, and from there to visit the palace and to cooperate in matters

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κατηφιῶντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνέδην ἐνωτισμένοις. οὓς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπιδὼν καὶ τῆς κατὰ βάθος ἀνίας τῶν συνεληλυθότων εὐσεβῶν ἐπαισθόμενος, μηδαμῶς τε πρὸς ὀρθοδόξους ἑαυτὸν θέλων πέτρα σκανδάλου τίθεσθαι καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος, τὰ κρύφια αἴσχη ἀπογυμνοῖ ὁ αἰδέσιμος πάντων ἐπ' ὄψεσι, καὶ εὕρητο παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς μαρασμῷ τῆς φύσεως ἐσκληκώς, <ἐξ> οὗ ματαίως εὐθύνετο, καὶ τὸ αἴτιον ἐρεῖν διανίστατο, ὅτι περ ἐν Ῥώμῃ διάγων, ἀποσταλεὶς πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα ταύτης διὰ τὰς ἐπὶ Νικηφόρῳ τῷ πατριάρχῃ αἰτιαθείσας ἐπαγωγάς, πλεῖστα ἐπισινιάσαι με γαργαλισμοῖς τὸν σατανᾶν, ἱκανῶς τε περὶ τούτου Πέτρῳ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ ἐπεντυχεῖν, ἀλλοτριῶσαι τῆς ἐνσωματού σης κινήσεως. καὶ δὴ ἐμοῦ νύκτωρ ἐν τῷ ἀποστολείῳ εὐναζομένου, ἐπιστάντα τὸν κορυφαῖον δεξιᾷ τῇ χειρὶ τὰ αἰδοῖα καταπιέσαι καὶ ἐπιφθέγξασθαι, μὴ τοῦ λοιποῦ πτοεῖσθαι τὴν φιλήδονον ἔφεσιν, μήτε τὴν ἐκ ταύτης εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς ὑφορᾶσθαι ζωπύρησιν. ἐγὼ δὲ διϋπνισθεὶς μετὰ σφοδρᾶς ἀλγηδόνος περιῆλθον ἐν σαρκικῇ τοιαύτῃ, καθὼς ὁρᾶτε, νεκρότητι. τοιαῦτα τοῦ πατριάρχου ταπεινοφρόνως εἰπόντος πανάληθες, τῆς κατηφείας οἱ συμπαρόντες διΐσταντο. ἐξ ὧν Μανουὴλ πρὸς ἀνέτασιν τῆς γυναικὸς ἀγωνίζεται διασαφῆσαι τὸ ἀκριβές, τὸ ξίφος ἐπανατείνων καὶ παρὰ τίνος ὑποβεβλῆσθαι αὐτὴν ἀνετάζων. ἡ δὲ τοῖς κατ' ἀπειλὴν λόγοις ἔκ <τε> τῆς ξιφήρους ἐκτάσεως τὴν ἀλήθειαν παρεδήλου περὶ τῶν πρὸς τοῦτο συσκευασθέντων καὶ <τῶν> ποσὸν ὅσον χρήματος καταβαλομένων καὶ τὸ εἴς τι ἀγγείδιον τοῦτο εἶναι ἀπόθετον καὶ ὑποκεκρύφθαι κατά τι κιβώτιον σίτου ὑπάρχον κατάπλεον. καὶ καθὼς ἀνωμολόγητο ταύτῃ, οὕτως τὰ τῆς εὑρέσεως ἐμφανῶς ἐγνωρίζετο, καὶ οἱ αἱρετικοὶ τηνικαῦτα ἄχλυσιν αἰσχύνης ἠμαύρωντο· οἷς ὁ θεοφιλὴς πατριάρχης τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπταισμένων παρέσχε συμπάθειαν, τοῦ οζʹ συγχωροῦντος Χριστοῦ τῷ νόμῳ πειθόμενος. διὸ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐπιστατούντων τοῦ τοιούτου ἐλέγχου κατὰ τῶν ἐλεγχθέντων ἔκτοτε διώρισται αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀντέκτισιν, κἂν ὠφελείας ἀντεχομένην, ὅπως κατὰ τὸ τῆς ὀρθοδοξοποιοῦ ἡμέρας γενέθλιον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν Βλαχέρναις τῆς Θεοτόκου τιμωμένου ναοῦ τῆς λιτανείας μετὰ λαμπάδων προάγοιεν. καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἰδίωμα χρόνῳ πολλῷ μέχρι <τῆς αὐτῶν ζωῆς> διήρκεσεν, διακαρτερούντων δῆλον ὅτι τῶν ἀλλοδόξων ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν μέγαν ναὸν ἐπισυναγωγῇ καὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἀναθεματισμὸν διενηχουμένων ἐπὶ θριάμβῳ τῆς παντομισοῦς αὐτῶν ἀποστάσεως. 4.6 Κατ' ἐκεῖνο δὲ καιροῦ ἡ τῶν Ζηλίκων αἵρεσις ἀνεφάνη σὺν τῷ ἀρχηγῷ αὐτῶν Ζήλικι, ὄντι τῶν βασιλικῶν ἐν πρώτοις ὑπογραφέων· ὃς ἐν εὐσήμῳ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ βασιλείῳ προόδῳ ἐν τῇ μεγίστῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ θεοῦ τὰ τῆς αἱρέσεως κατάδηλα τεκτηνάμενος μετὰ τῶν ὁμοφρόνων ἐμφωτίοις ἐσθῆσιν ἠμφίαστο, χρισθεὶς τῷ μύρῳ τῆς τελειότητος. 4.7 Ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ καλῶς τὰ τῆς πολιτείας ἐκεκυβέρνητο παρά τε βασιλέως Μιχαὴλ <καὶ> Θεοδώρας τῆς τούτου μητρός, μεσιτευόντων τῶν προδηλωθέντων ἀνδρῶν. ὁ δὲ ἀρχηγὸς Βουλγαρίας, οἷς τὸ γένος ἐξ Ἀβάρων τε καὶ Χαζάρων, ἀπὸ Βουλγάρου κυρίου ὄνομα, ὃς παρὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐν κατοικήσει ∆ορυστόλου καὶ τῆς Μυσίας γεγένητο, ἐπαχθῆ προΐησι ῥήματα ἐπιδρομὴν Ῥωμαίοις ἐπαπειλῶν. ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα τούτῳ ἀνδρειοφρόνως μετὰ τοῦ ἑαυτῆς στρατοπέδου ἄχρι Βουλγαρικῆς γῆς αὖθις ἐπαναστεύειν ἐμεγαλαύχησεν· καὶ εἰ μὲν γυναῖκα ἡττήσειας, οὐδέν σοι τὸ νῖκος πρὸς καύχημα· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ ταύτης ἐκνικηθείης, πᾶσιν τὸ σὸν ἥττημα καταγέλαστον. ταῦτα ὁ Σκύθης συνεὶς ἠρεμεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν διέγνωκεν. 4.8 Οὐ πολὺς δὲ χρόνος προεβεβήκει, καὶ ἡ τῶν λεχθέντων ἀνδρῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοια διαφθείρεται, καὶ ἐξάπτεταί τις ἔρις χαιρέκακος παρὰ Θεοκτίστου πρὸς Μανουήλ, εἰς ἀποικίαν αὐτὸν διωθήσασα. τῷ παλατίῳ γὰρ μετ' αὐτοῦ γε συνῴκιστο, καὶ ἄμφω τὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ διεπραγματεύοντο· καὶ καθοσίωσιν ὑποσμύχουσαν διεσυκοφάντει, ἀλλ' ἐν παραβύστῳ τῇ περισκέψει· ἧς ἐντέχνως καταστοχασάμενος ὁ Μανουὴλ οἴκαδε χωρεῖν καθ' ἑαυτὸν τίθεται, κἀκεῖθεν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐπιδημεῖν καὶ συμπράττειν τὰ