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

to make war against Hagion. And when an engagement occurred, those with Constantine were defeated and slaughtered, with him barely escaping. 9. And there was an eclipse of the sun, so that it became night at the sixth hour and the stars appeared. But there were thunders and gusts of winds and lightnings, so that seven people were burned on the steps of the forum. 10 and the castle of Samos was besieged by the Hagarenes, and their general Paspatas was taken captive. And the emperor Leo appointed Zaoutzes as basileopator, having already become intimate with his daughter Zoe, after her husband Theodore Gouaniates died from some poison. And when Stephen the patriarch departed from this life, Antony, called Kauleas, was ordained in his place. 853 11. And news also came from the general of Macedonia that Symeon, the archon of Bulgaria, wished to campaign against the Romans. And the reason for Symeon's anger was this. Zaoutzes the basileopator had a eunuch slave named Mousikos. This man became friendly with Staurakios and Kosmas, Greek traders who were lovers of gold, who, looking for shameful gain, through the mediation and power of Mousikos, moved the trade of the Bulgarians in the city to Thessaloniki, administering the Bulgarians badly in their commerce. And the Bulgarians reported these things to Symeon. And he made these things clear to the emperor Leo. But the emperor, being hindered by the basileopator, who favored Mousikos, heard it all as nonsense. 12 Therefore, the Bulgarian, enraged, campaigned against the Romans. And when the emperor learned these things, he sent Krenites the stratelates against the Bulgarians with arms and many archons of the city against Symeon. And when an engagement occurred in Macedonia, the Romans were routed, and Krenites and Armenios Kourtikios and all the rest were slaughtered. And from the Khazars, who were in the hetaireia of Leo, having been captured and their noses cut off, they were sent by Symeon to the city to the shame of the Romans. When the emperor saw them and became angry, he sent Niketas, surnamed Skleros, with dromons on the river Danube to give gifts to the Turks and to stir up war against Symeon. And he went out and, meeting with their 854 chiefs Arpad and Koursan, and they having agreed to make war, taking hostages he came to the emperor. And the emperor again sent by sea Eustathios, a patrikios and droungarios of the fleet. And he sent Nikephoros Phokas, a patrikios and domestikos, with the themata by land, and he entered as far as Bulgaria. And the emperor, embracing peace after this, sent Konstantiniakes the quaestor to Symeon, advising on matters of peace. But Symeon, having learned of the movement against him by both land and sea, locked up the quaestor in a guardhouse as one who had come with treachery. Therefore the Turks, having crossed over, while Symeon was occupied with the army of Phokas, took captive all of Bulgaria. Learning this, Symeon moved against the Turks. But they, crossing over against them, joined battle with the Bulgarians, and Symeon was routed, barely escaping to Distra. And the Turks asked the emperor to send and buy the Bulgarian captives; which indeed the emperor did, sending citizens to ransom them. 13. And Symeon, through Eustathios the droungarios, pleaded for peace. To which the emperor yielded, and he sent Leo Choirosphaktes for peace to be made. And Nikephoros was ordered to return with his army, and likewise Eustathios the droungarios of the vigla. Symeon did not even deign to speak to Leo, but secured him in a 855 prison. And campaigning against the Turks, since they did not have a stronghold of aid from the Romans but were improvidently abandoned, he slaughtered them all, increasing his boasting. And returning, he found Leo in Moudagra, and said to him, "I will not make peace, unless I receive all the captives." Therefore the emperor decreed that they should be returned, and a Bulgarian, a familiar of Symeon, came with Leo and took them. 14. And of Nikephoros Phokas

καταπολεμῆσαι Ἁγίωνα. καὶ συμβολῆς γενομένης ἡττήθησαν οἱ μετὰ Κωνσταντίνου καὶ κατεσφάγησαν, μόλις αὐτοῦ διασωθέντος. 9. Γέγονε δὲ ἔκλειψις ἡλίου, ὥστε νύκτα γενέσθαι ὥρᾳ ἕκτῃ καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας φαίνεσθαι. ἀλλὰ βρονταὶ καὶ συνοχαὶ ἀνέμων καὶ ἀστραπαὶ γεγόνασιν, ὥστε καῆναι ἐν τοῖς ἀναβαθμοῖς τοῦ φόρου ἀνθρώπους ἑπτά. 10 καὶ ἐπολιορκήθη ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν ἡ Σάμος τὸ κάστρον, αἰχμαλωτισθέντος καὶ τοῦ στρα τηγοῦ αὐτῶν τοῦ Πασπαλᾶ. προεχειρίσατο δὲ Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς Ζαούτζαν εἰς βασιλεοπάτορα, συμφιλιωθεὶς ἤδη Ζωῇ τῇ αὐτοῦ θυγατρί, φαρμάκῳ τινὶ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς Θεοδώ ρου τοῦ Γαουανιάτου. Στεφάνου δὲ πατριάρχου τῶν τῇδε μετα στάντος χειροτονεῖται ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Ἀντώνιος ὁ λεγόμενος Καυ λέας. 853 11. Ἦλθε δὲ καὶ ἀγγελία παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ Μακεδο νίας ὡς ὁ ἄρχων Βουλγαρίας Συμεὼν βούλεται ἐκστρατεῦσαι κατὰ Ῥωμαίων. ἡ δὲ αἰτία ἣν ὠργίζετο Συμεὼν ἦν αὕτη. Ζαούτζας ὁ βασιλεοπάτωρ εἶχε δοῦλον εὐνοῦχον ὀνόματι Μουσικόν. οὗτος ἐφιλιώθη Σταυρακίῳ καὶ Κοσμᾷ Ἑλλαδικοῖς φιλοχρύσοις καὶ πραγματευταῖς, οἵτινες πρὸς αἰσχροκερδίαν ἀφορῶντες μεσιτείᾳ καὶ δυνάμει τοῦ Μουσικοῦ διέστησαν τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει πραγματείαν τῶν Βουλγάρων ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, κακῶς τοὺς Βουλγάρους διοι κοῦντες ἐν τῷ κομμερκεύειν. οἱ δὲ Βούλγαροι τῷ Συμεὼν ταῦτα ἀπήγγειλαν. ὁ δὲ δῆλα πεποίηκε ταῦτα τῷ βασιλεῖ Λέοντι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλεοπάτορος κωλυόμενος, προσπαθοῦντος τῷ Μουσικῷ, πάντα ὡς λῆρον ἤκουεν. 12 μανεὶς οὖν ὁ Βούλ γαρος ἐκστρατεύει κατὰ Ῥωμαίων. καὶ μαθὼν ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀποστέλλει τὸν Κρηνήτην στρατηλάτην κατὰ Βουλγάρων μετὰ ὅπλων καὶ ἀρχόντων πολλῶν τῆς πόλεως κατὰ Συμεών. καὶ συμ βολῆς γενομένης ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τρέπονται οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, σφαγέντος τοῦ τε Κρηνήτου καὶ τοῦ Ἀρμένη τοῦ Κουρτικίου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πάντων. ἐκ δὲ τῶν Χαζάρων, οἳ ἦσαν εἰς τὴν ἑταιρείαν Λέοντος, κρατηθέντες καὶ τὰς ῥῖνας αὐτῶν κοπέντες εἰς αἰσχύνην Ῥωμαίων ἐν τῇ πόλει παρὰ Συμεὼν ἀπεστάλησαν. οὓς ἰδὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ θυμωθεὶς ἀπέστειλε Νικήταν τὸν ἐπιλεγόμενον Σκληρὸν μετὰ δρο μώνων ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ ∆ανουβίῳ δοῦναι δῶρα τοῖς Τούρκοις καὶ πόλεμον κινῆσαι κατὰ Συμεών. ὁ δὲ ἀπελθὼν καὶ συντυχὼν ταῖς 854 κεφαλαῖς αὐτῶν Ἀρπάδη καὶ Κουρσάνη, καὶ συνθεμένων πολεμῆ σαι, λαβὼν ὄψιδας ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πάλιν διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπέστειλεν Εὐστάθιον πατρίκιον καὶ δρουγγά ριον τοῦ πλωΐμου. Νικηφόρον δὲ πατρίκιον τὸν Φωκᾶν καὶ δο μέστικον μετὰ τῶν θεμάτων ἀπέστειλεν διὰ γῆς, καὶ εἰσῆλθε μέχρι Βουλγάρων. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὴν εἰρήνην ἀσπαζόμενος μετὰ τοῦτο ἀπέστειλε Κωνσταντινιάκην κυαίστωρα πρὸς Συμεών, τὰ περὶ εἰρήνης συμβουλεύοντα. Συμεὼν δὲ τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ κίνησιν διά τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης μαθὼν ἐν φρουρᾷ κατακλείει τὸν κυαίστωρα ὡς ἐπὶ δόλῳ ἐλθόντα. περάσαντες οὖν οἱ Τοῦρκοι, τοῦ Συμεὼν ἐπὶ τὸ στράτευμα Φωκᾶ ἀσχολουμένου, ᾐχμαλώτευσαν πᾶσαν τὴν Βουλγαρίαν. ταῦτα μαθὼν Συμεὼν κινεῖται κατὰ Τούρκων. οἱ δὲ ἀντιπεράσαντες συμβάλλουσι πόλεμον μετὰ Βουλγάρων, καὶ τρέπεται Συμεών, μόλις διασωθεὶς ἐν τῇ ∆ίστρᾳ. οἱ δὲ Τοῦρκοι ᾐτήσαντο τὸν βασιλέα ἀποστεῖλαι καὶ ἀγοράσαι τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῶν Βουλγάρων· ὃ δὴ καὶ πεποίηκεν ὁ βασιλεύς, τοὺς πολίτας ἀποστείλας ἐπαγοράσαι αὐτούς. 13. Ὁ δὲ Συμεὼν δι' Εὐσταθίου δρουγγαρίου ἐδεήθη περὶ εἰρήνης. πρὸς ἣν ὑπεῖξεν ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ ἀπέστειλε Λέοντα τὸν Χοιροσφάκτην πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι εἰρήνην. ἐδέξατο δὲ Νικηφόρος ὑποστρέψαι μετὰ λαοῦ, καὶ ὁ δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης Εὐστάθιος ὁμοίως. Λέοντα οὐδὲ λόγου ἠξίωσε Συμεών, ἀλλ' ἠσφαλίσατο 855 εἱρκτῇ. ἐκστρατεύσας δὲ κατὰ τῶν Τούρκων, ἐκείνων ὀχύρωμα βοηθείας μὴ ἐχόντων παρὰ Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλ' ἀπρονοήτως ἐαθέντων, πάντας κατέσφαξεν, αὐξήσας τὴν μεγαλαυχίαν αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὑπο στρέψας εὗρε Λέοντα ἐν τῇ Μουδάγρᾳ, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν "οὐ ποιῶ εἰρήνην, ἐὰν μὴ πᾶσαν τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν λάβω." διωρίσατο οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ταύτην ἀποδοῦναι, καὶ ἦλθε μετὰ Λέοντος Βούλ γαρος οἰκεῖος τοῦ Συμεών, καὶ παρέλαβεν αὐτούς. 14. Νικηφόρου δὲ τοῦ Φωκᾶ