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He tried to calm those who were attacking Theoktistos, pleading rather more. But as the salvation of Theoktistos depended on the strength of his helper, and as necessity reached its peak, since the power of necessity dwells nearby and the strength of necessity is irresistible according to the sayings, he stepped aside from the gates, and they rushed inside. And one of them entered under the throne, under which Theoktistos was hidden, and there dealt him the final cut with a sword in the stomach. Thence Manuel said to Bardas, prophesying: Having drawn your sword, Bardas, in the palace, you will draw it upon yourself for the cutting of your own flesh. 4.11 And after a short while the affairs of the empress were thrown into turmoil; for which reason, having fallen from equal honor with her son, she was ostracized from the palace along with her daughters and took up residence in the monastery called Gastria, and they exchanged their attire for the monastic habit. But when she foresaw what was about to happen to her, she summoned the senate and, revealing the money in the treasury, she declared its amount to be one hundred and ninety centenaria of coined gold, and likewise about three thousand centenaria of silver; of which her husband had left a part by testament, and the rest by way of addition [which] she herself had collected. At her deposition, she was angry and reproached her son for his spendthriftness due to his lack of education, and from this also his inescapable ruin. 4.12 The imperial reins were hung on Michael alone, and Bardas was immediately brought close to him, being a kinsman to the emperor, and no less because of such a daring deed. For these reasons it seemed reasonable for him to procure for himself the glory of caesar, but indeed also more pertinent to his own security, even if he missed this; for so had a certain Philotheos, one of his close acquaintances who held the rank of protospatharios, advised him. And Bardas, having received the glory of caesar, was spurred on by many achievements, so that from this the office of caesar would be enhanced for him and from that, as they say, he would ascend to the imperial throne. 4.13 When the impious Ishmaelites were harassing the Romans, led by Amer near Melitene, the emperor did not wish to be so unnerved, laying claim to a manly, active state. For this reason he advanced with hostile intent to Samosata, a city of the Ishmaelites. Having besieged it for three days until Sunday, he went to it and celebrated the Christian liturgy, intending to partake of the unbloody fulfillment. And at that very hour the Hagarenes suddenly opened the gates, came out, and easily put the emperor to flight and drove him so far away as to appropriate his tents and every other kind of necessary equipment, with the emperor barely escaping with his life. 4.14 Then, after two years had passed, Amer brazenly set out on a campaign with three myriads. And Michael first went out, having gathered Thracians and Macedonians along with the other thematic troops up to fourteen thousand, and having occupied a certain place, which is called Dazymon, he encamped there in a certain meadow called Kellarion. But Amer, strategically making a diversion from the impassable road to Zelisa, went toward Chonarion, and there, having raised war against the Romans, the emperor was immediately routed by him, taking to flight for up to six miles. From there, as the imperial horses and the people fleeing with him grew tired, and especially because of the unbearable heat of the season, they considered it advantageous to ascend to the peak of a certain mountain, rugged with rough rocks and difficult to pass, which is called Anzes. The emperor, having seized this, encamped; but Amer, surrounding him, blockaded him. And for this reason, when a fierce battle was joined by both sides at close quarters, the strength of the enemy would have prevailed over the imperial force, bringing about utter destruction (for so much did it grow in strength),

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κατευνάζειν ἐπεχείρει τοὺς ἐπιόντας κατὰ Θεοκτίστου, κατὰ τὸ μᾶλλον ἱκετευόμενος. ὡς δὲ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας Θεοκτίστου ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ βοηθοῦ διητόνει, τῆς ἀνάγκης κορυφουμένης, ἐπείπερ δύναμις ἀνάγκης ἐγγύθι ναίει καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης ἔστ' ἀδήριτον σθένος κατὰ τὰ λόγια, ἐξίσταται τῶν πυλῶν, καὶ τοῖς εἴσω ῥύδην προσκεχωρήκεσαν. καί τις αὐτῶν ὑπεισέρχεται τῇ καθέδρᾳ, καθ' ἣν ὁ Θεόκτιστος ὑποκέκρυπται, καὶ ἐκεῖσε τὴν διὰ ξίφους τελευταίαν τομὴν αὐτῷ ἐγγαστρίζεται. ἐντεῦθεν εἰπεῖν τῷ Βάρδᾳ τὸν Μανουὴλ σιβυλλαίνοντα· σπάθην γυμνώσας, Βάρδα, τοῖς ἀνακτόροις, σαυτῷ γυμνώσεις εἰς τομὴν τοῦ σαρκίου. 4.11 Καὶ μετὰ βραχὺ τὰ κατὰ τὴν δέσποιναν ἐκταράττεται· διὸ σὺν ταῖς ἑαυτῆς θυγατράσι τῆς πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν ὁμοτιμίας ἐκπεπτωκυῖα τοῦ παλατίου ἐξοστρακίζεται καὶ τῇ τῶν Γαστρίων προσονομαζομένῃ μονῇ κατοικίζεται, καὶ τῷ μοναχικῷ μεταμείβονται σχήματι. ὅτε δὲ αὕτη προέγνω τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν συμβησόμενα, προσκαλεσαμένη τὴν σύγκλητον καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ χρῆμα κατεμφανίσασα τὸ τούτου ποσὸν διωρίζετο α κεντηναρίων πρὸς τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα διὰ χαράγματος τοῦ χρυσοῦ, ὡσαύτως καὶ ἀργυρίου ὡσεὶ κεντηναρίων τριῶν <χιλιάδων>· ὧν τὸ μὲν κατὰ διαθήκας παρῆκεν ὁ ταύτης ἀνήρ, τὸ δὲ κατὰ προσθήκην [ὃ] αὐτὴ συνέλεξεν. ἐπὶ τῇ καταβάσει δὲ δυσχεραίνουσα τῷ υἱῷ προσενείρει τὸ ἐξ ἀπαιδευσίας πολυανάλωτον, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τούτου τὸν ἄφυκτον ὄλεθρον. 4.12 Αἱ δὲ αὐτοκρατορικαὶ ἡνίαι μόνῳ τῷ Μιχαὴλ προσανήρτηνται, καὶ ἐξ ἑτοίμου ὁ Βάρδας, οἷα πρὸς γένους τῷ βασιλεῖ ὤν, προσῳκείωτο, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου τολμήματος. διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τὴν τοῦ καίσαρος δόξαν προσπορίσασθαι ἑαυτῷ κατεφαίνετο εὔλογον, ἀλλὰ <μὴν> καὶ πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀσφάλειαν προσεχέστερον, εἰ καὶ ταύτης διήμαρτεν· οὕτως γὰρ αὐτῷ Φιλόθεός τις τῶν αὐτοῦ λίαν γνωστὸς καὶ τὴν τοῦ πρωτοσπαθαρίου ὑπέχων τιμὴν ἐβεβούλευτο. ὁ δὲ Βάρδας τὴν καίσαρος εὔκλειαν εἰληφὼς πολλοῖς ἐδεδραστηρίωτο κατορθώμασιν, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς καισαρείας ἐπαύξοιτο κἀκεῖθεν, ὥς φασι, τῆς βασιλείας ἐπαναβήσοιτο. 4.13 Τῶν δὲ δυσσεβῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων Ῥωμαίους, ἐξηγουμένου αὐτῶν κατὰ Μελιτηνὴν τοῦ Ἄμερ, οὐκ ἐκλελύσθαι τοσοῦτον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐβεβούλητο, ἀνδρικῆς ἐμπράκτου μεταποιούμενος καταστάσεως. διὸ καὶ εἰς τὰ Σαμόσατα πολεμικῶς προβιβάζεται, πόλιν Ἰσμαηλίτιδα. καθ' ἣν προσεδρεύσας ἐπὶ ἡμέραις τρισὶν μέχρι τε τῆς κυρίας ἐλθὼν παρ' αὐτῇ τὰ κατὰ λειτουργίαν Χριστιανῶν ἀνατίθησι, μετασχεῖν μέλλων τῆς ἀναιμάκτου πληρότητος. καὶ κατ' αὐτήν γε τὴν ὥραν ἐξαίφνης τὰς πύλας οἱ Ἀγαρηνοὶ ἀνεῴξαντες ἐξεληλύθεσαν καὶ εὐχερῶς εἰς τροπὴν τὸν ἄνακτα διεκρούσαντο καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπήλασαν, ὡς καὶ τὰς σκηνὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶν ἄλλο τι τῶν πρὸς χρείαν σκευῶν σφετερίσασθαι, τοῦ βασιλέως μόλις ἀνασωθέντος. 4.14 Εἶτα χρόνων δύο παριππευσάντων Ἄμερ σὺν μυριάσι τρισὶ αὐθαδῶς ἐκστρατεύεται. καὶ Μιχαὴλ ἐν πρώτοις Θρᾷκας καὶ Μακεδόνας σὺν λοιποῖς θεμάτων στρατεύμασι μέχρι τετράδος δεκαδικῆς χιλιάδος συλλεξάμενος διεξῄει, καὶ καταλαβών τινα χῶρον, ᾧ ἐπώνυμον ∆αζυμών, ἐκεῖσε σκηνοῦται εἴς τι λιβάδιον κατωνομασμένον Κελλάριον. ὁ δὲ Ἄμερ στρατηγικῶς παρεκβατικώτερον διελθὼν τῆς ἀπαγούσης ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὴν Ζέλισαν, ἀπῄει πρὸς τὸ Χωνάριον, ἐν τούτῳ τε πόλεμον πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀράμενος, αὐτίκα πρὸς αὐτοῦ τροποῦται ὁ βασιλεὺς φυγαδείας ἐπιλαβόμενος μιλίων ἕως ἕξ. ἐντεῦθεν τοῦ δρόμου τῶν βασιλικῶν ἵππων ἀτονησάντων καὶ τοῦ συμφυγαδευομένου λαοῦ, καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τὸ παρεῖναι δυσφόρητον καύσετον ἐκ τῆς καιρικῆς διαθέσεως, λυσιτελείας ἡγοῦνται σκοπὸν ἀναβεβηκέναι πρός τι ὄρος πέτραις τραχέσιν ἀντίτυ πον καὶ παρόδῳ δύσβατον, ὃ Ἀνζῆς κατωνόμασται. τοῦτο δήπερ ὁ βασιλεὺς κατασχὼν ἐναυλίζεται· ὁ δὲ Ἄμερ γυρώσας αὐτὸν παρεντίθεται. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάχης σφοδρᾶς ἐκ τοῦ σύνεγγυς ἀμφοτέρων συγκροτηθείσης ἡ τῶν ἐναντίων ἰσχὺς τῆς βασιλικῆς ἂν περιγέγονεν σοβαρευομένη πανωλεθρίαν (τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἐκρατύνετο),