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they found, humanly speaking, a hope of salvation; this was to approach the empress, whenever they might have some plausible reason for this, and to speak out the secret. Nevertheless, they kept their plan submerged and revealed their intention to absolutely no one. They were careful, like fishermen, not to scare away the prey. For they were planning to escape, but they were afraid to say this to the empress, lest she might preemptively reveal their situation to the emperor, caring for both the emperor and the men. Having therefore rejected this plan, they turn their counsel elsewhere; for they were skilled at taking advantage of opportunities that fell in their way.

2.2.1 For since the emperor was naturally no longer able to beget children because of old age, and fearing the inescapable stroke of death, he was considering who would succeed him. There was at that time a certain Synadenos, hailing from the east, of a distinguished family, handsome in appearance, profound in mind, strong of hand, verging on young manhood in age, and otherwise related to him by birth. More than others, he considered leaving him as successor to the empire, giving him the power as if a paternal inheritance, having ill counselled. For it was possible for him to secure safety until the end, and at the same time to consider a just course, to leave the imperial power to the empress’s son Constantine, as a sort of inheritance belonging to him from his grandfather and father, and for this reason for the empress to have more confidence in him and to increase her good will. The old man was unaware that he was contemplating unjust and inexpedient things and contriving evils against his own head. 2.2.2 The empress perceived these things being whispered about and was deeply grieved, suspecting the danger to her son. And she was despondent, but she did not disclose her grief to anyone. This did not escape the notice of the Komnenoi. Therefore, having found the opportunity they were seeking, they decided to approach the empress. Their mother entrusted the beginning of the conversation with her to Isaac, with his brother Alexios present with him. When they approached the empress, Isaac says to her, "We do not see you, my lady, as you were yesterday and the day before, but as if bitten by unspoken thoughts and contemplating, as if you have no one you trust to whom you might reveal the secret." For a time she was unwilling to reveal it, but sighing deeply she says, "It is not right to ask those who inhabit a foreign land; for this very thing is sufficient grief for them. But for me, alas, what things have succeeded what things, and what things, it seems, are stored up for me not long hence." Standing back, they added no more words; but fixing their eyes on the ground and crossing both their hands, they stood pensive for a short time. Then, having made the customary obeisance, they went away home, in distress. 2.2.3 On the next day they came again to speak to her; and seeing her looking at them more cheerfully than before, they both approached and said, "You are our lady, and we are most loyal servants, ready to suffer anything for your majesty. And let no thought trouble you, leading you into any doubt at all." Therefore, with these words having given their pledge to the empress and having freed themselves from all suspicion, they now came to an understanding about the secret, being both sharp and quick-witted and clever at hunting out from a few words a person's deeply held and hitherto secret opinion. And immediately they aligned themselves with the empress and, having clearly shown themselves to be loyal in many ways, they promised to defend her zealously in whatever she might summon them for. To rejoice with her when she rejoiced and to grieve with her when she was grieved, this apostolic precept, they most eagerly agreed to. And she deigned to consider them as natives and intimates, hailing from the same place as she herself, they having added this much, that if anything should be suggested against them by those who envied both her, the lady, and the emperor, this

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εὗρον κατὰ ἄνθρωπον σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἦν τῇ βασιλίδι προσελθεῖν, ὁπηνίκα αἰτίαν τινὰ εὐπρόσωπον πρὸς τοῦτο σχοῖεν, καὶ τὸ ἀπόρρητον ἐξειπεῖν. Εἶχον δὲ ὅμως ὑποβρύχιον τὴν βουλὴν καὶ οὐδενὶ τὸ παράπαν τὸ σκοπού μενον ἐξεκάλυπτον. Προσεῖχον δὲ καθάπερ οἱ θαλάττιοι μὴ τὸ θήραμα προσοβήσωσιν. Ἀποδρᾶναι μὲν γὰρ ἐμελέτων, ἐπεφόβηντο δὲ ἄρα τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα εἰπεῖν, μή πως ἐκείνη φθάσῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ παραδηλῶσαι τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀμφοτέρων κηδομένη καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν. Τούτου τοίνυν κατεγνωκότες τοῦ σκέμματος ἄλλοσε τρέ πουσι τὴν βουλήν· δεινοὶ γὰρ τοῖς παραπεπτωκόσι καιροῖς ἀποχρήσασθαι.

2.2.1 Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τεκνογονεῖν διὰ τὸ γῆρας οὐκ ἐπεφύκει, δεδιὼς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄφυκτον τῆς τοῦ θανάτου τομῆς περὶ τοῦ διαδεξομένου διεσκοπεῖτο. Ἦν δὲ τηνι καῦτα Συναδηνός τις ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ὁρμώμενος, ἐκ γένους λαμπροῦ, τὸ εἶδος ὡραῖος, τὴν φρένα βαθύς, ῥωμαλέος τὴν χεῖρα, τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐς μειράκιον παραγγέλλων καὶ ἄλλως δὲ προσήκων αὐτῷ κατὰ γένος. Τῶν ἄλλων μᾶλλον ἐσκέπτετο διάδοχον αὐτὸν τῆς βασιλείας καταλιπεῖν, καθάπερ τινὰ πάτριον κλῆρον τὸ κράτος αὐτῷ διδούς, κακῶς βουλευό μενος. Ἐξὸν γὰρ αὐτῷ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς μέχρι τέλους περι ποιήσασθαι, ἅμα δὲ καὶ δίκαιόν τι σκοπεῖν τὴν αὐτοκρά τορος ἐξουσίαν τῷ τῆς βασιλίδος υἱῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ καταλιπεῖν καὶ ὡς οἷόν τινα κλῆρον πρὸς πάππου καὶ πατρὸς αὐτῷ διαφέρουσαν, καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα μᾶλλον διὰ τοῦτο ἐπ' αὐτῷ θαρρεῖν καὶ τὸ εὔνουν ἐπαύξειν. Λέληθεν ἑαυτὸν ὁ γηραλέος ἄδικά τε καὶ ἀξύμφορα διασκοπούμενος καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς τεκταίνων κακά. 2.2.2 Τούτων ὑποψιθυριζομένων ᾔσθετο ἡ βασιλὶς καὶ περίλυπος ἦν τὸν τοῦ παιδὸς κίνδυνον ὑφορωμένη. Καὶ ἦν ἀθυμοῦσα μέν, οὐδενὶ δὲ τὴν λύπην ἐξορχουμένη. Τοῦτο τοὺς Κομνηνοὺς οὐ διέλαθεν. Εὐκαιρίαν οὖν, ἣν ἐζήτουν, εὑρηκότες τῇ βασιλίδι προσελθεῖν ἐβουλεύσαντο. Τῆς δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁμιλίας τὴν καταρχὴν ἡ μήτηρ τῷ Ἰσαακίῳ ἐπέτρεψε συμ παρόντος αὐτῷ τἀδελφοῦ Ἀλεξίου. Τῶν δὲ προσελθόντων τῇ βασιλίδι ὁ Ἰσαάκιός φησι πρὸς αὐτήν «οὐχ ὡς χθὲς καὶ πρότριτα ὁρῶμέν σε, δέσποινα, ἔχουσαν, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑπὸ λογισμῶν ἀνεκφόρων δακνομένην καὶ σκεπτομένην, ὡς μὴ θαρρεῖν ἔχουσαν, πρὸς ὃν ἂν ἐκκαλύψειας τὸ ἀπόρρητον». Ἡ δὲ τέως μὲν ἐκφαίνειν οὐκ ἤθελε, βύθιον δέ τι στενά ξασα «οὐ χρή» φησι «τοὺς ἀλλοτρίαν οἰκοῦντας ἐπε ρωτᾶν· αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐς λύπην αὐτοῖς ἀξιόχρεων. Ἐμὲ δέ, φεῦ, οἷα ἐξ οἵων διεδέξατο καὶ ὁποῖά μοι, ὡς ἔοικε, μετ' οὐ πολὺ ταμιεύεται». Οἱ δὲ ἀποστάντες πλείω μὲν ῥήματα οὐ προσέθεντο· ἐς γῆν δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπερεί σαντες καὶ περιστείλαντες ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε σύννους πρὸς μικρὸν εἱστήκεσαν. Εἶτα τὴν συνήθη προσκύνησιν ποιησά μενοι οἴκαδε ἀπῄεσαν ἀγωνιῶντες. 2.2.3 Τῇ δ' ὑστεραίᾳ πάλιν προσερησόμενοι ἥκουσιν· ἱλαρώτερον δὲ ἢ πρῴην τούτοις ἀτενίζουσαν ὁρῶντες προσίασιν ἄμφω καί φασι «σὺ μὲν δεσπότις, ἡμεῖς δὲ δοῦλοι εὐνούστατοι, πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἑτοίμως ἔχοντες ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας παθεῖν. Καὶ μή σε λογισμός τις διαταραττέτω εἰς διψυχίαν ὅλως εἰσάγων». Ἐκ τούτων οὖν τῶν λόγων τὰ πιστὰ δεδωκότες τῇ βασιλίδι καὶ ἀπαλλάξαντες ἑαυτοὺς ὑποψίας ἁπάσης τὸ ἀπόρρητον ἤδη συνῄεσαν ὀξεῖς τε ὄντες καὶ ἀγχίνοι καὶ δεινοὶ θηρᾶσαι ἀνθρώπων ἐξ ὀλίγων ῥημάτων βαθέως ἐγκει μένην γνώμην καὶ τέως ἀπόρρητον. Καὶ αὐτίκα μάλα προσετίθεντό τε τῇ βασιλίδι καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν εὔνους αὐτοὺς φανερῶς καταστήσαντες καὶ πᾶν εἰς ὅπερ ἂν αὐτοὺς προσκαλοῖτο, ἐκθύμως ἐπαμύνειν κατεπηγγείλαντο. Συγ χαίρειν τε χαιρούσῃ καὶ λυπουμένῃ συνανιᾶσθαι, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἀποστολικόν, μάλα προθύμως συνέθεντο. Καὶ ὡς αὐθι γενεῖς ἠξίουν τούτους λογίζεσθαι καὶ συνήθεις κἀκεῖθεν ὁρμωμένους ὅθεν καὶ αὐτή, τοσοῦτον ἐπειπόντες, ὡς εἴ τι παρὰ τῶν φθονούντων αὐτῇ τε τῇ δεσποίνῃ καὶ τῷ αὐτο κράτορι κατ' αὐτῶν εἰσηγηθείη, τοῦτο