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guaranteeing that the city would easily be saved. "Only," he said, "let your majesty fare well; and the besiegers of the city will receive sevenfold into their own bosom what they have wrought." Then, therefore, the emperor admired them and, dismissing them from the feast, spent the rest of the day without a care. 2.3.4 From this point on, therefore, the Comneni made it their business to frequent the palace and to embrace even more those around the emperor, and not to give any hold at all to those plotting against them, nor open up to them any pretext for hatred, but to persuade everyone to love them and to think and speak in their favor. They also contrived something more, to win over the empress Maria, and that all their looking and breathing was for her. For Isaac, putting forward his marriage connection with her cousin, increased his frankness; but my father, no less through his kinship by marriage, but more so making his adoption a splendid pretext for his visits to the empress, was altogether inconspicuous and overshadowed the envy of those who wished him ill; for neither the heavy wrath of those barbarian slaves nor the emperor's extreme fickleness escaped his notice. And reasonably they took care not to fall from her good favor, lest they should become a prey to their enemies on that account. For the most fickle characters are somehow easily changeable and, like the Euripus, wander as if in a backward-flowing tide. 2.4.1 Seeing these things, the slaves, and how the matter was not proceeding according to their plan, nor was the destruction of such men easy for them, since the emperor's goodwill towards them was increasing daily, after saying much and giving up on much, they turned to another path. And what was this? That in one night, having summoned them without the ruler's consent, they would do away with the men by gouging out their eyes, having fabricated a false accusation. 2.4.2 This did not escape the notice of the Comneni. And since after much deliberation they recognized the imminent danger, they thought revolt their one hope of safety, being pushed toward it by great necessity. For why wait for the one who would bring the red-hot iron to their eyes and extinguish the sun within them? Therefore they kept this opinion submerged in their souls. And when not long after Alexios was ordered to lead in a certain portion of the army that was about to be armed against the Hagarenes who had sacked the city of Cyzicus (for he happened to be Domestic of the West at that time), seizing a plausible pretext, he summoned by letters the leaders of the army who were well-disposed towards him, along with those under their command. And indeed, all set out and hurried towards the great city. 2.4.3 Meanwhile, someone came in at the suggestion of one of the slaves, the one called Borilus, and asked the emperor if the Grand Domestic was leading all the forces into the ruling city with his approval. And he immediately summoned him and asked if what was said was true. And he at once did not deny this, that a certain army was being led in by his command, but he plausibly misrepresented the idea that all of them were being gathered here from all over. "For the army," he says, "being scattered everywhere, has come from different places, having received the order. And those who see them arriving in a body from different parts of the Roman dominion think that the whole army is being gathered here by a prearranged signal, being deceived by the sight alone." And although Borilus brought many arguments against these words, Alexios was stronger even so and prevailed by all votes. But Germanus, being more simple-minded, did not vehemently oppose Alexios. And since not even these suggestions against the Domestic disturbed the emperor's soul, taking the opportunity of freedom from fear (for it was evening) the [plot] against the Comneni

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ῥᾳδίως τὴν πόλιν ἐπανασωθῆναι κατεγγυώμενοι. «Μόνον» φησὶ «τὸ σὸν κράτος ἐχέτω καλῶς· οἱ δέ γε πολιορκηταὶ τῆς πόλεως ἑπταπλάσιον εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτῶν ἀπολή ψονται ὧν εἰργάσαντο». Τότε μὲν οὖν ἠγάσατο τούτους ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τῆς εὐωχίας ἀπολύσας τὸ ἑξῆς τῆς ἡμέρας ἀπεριμερίμνως ἔσχε. 2.3.4 Τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοίνυν ἐπιμελὲς ἔσχον οἱ Κομνηνοὶ τοῖς βασιλείοις προσιέναι καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐναγκαλίζεσθαι καὶ αὐτοὺς μὲν μὴ διδόναι λαβὴν τὸ παράπαν τοῖς κατ' αὐτῶν μελετῶσι μηδ' ἡντιναοῦν πρόφασιν ἀπεχθείας αὐτοῖς ὑπανοίγειν, πάντας δὲ ἀναπείθειν στέργειν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν φρονεῖν τε καὶ λέγειν. Προσεμηχανῶντο δέ τι πλέον ὑποποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα Μαρίαν καὶ ὅλους αὐτοὺς ἐκείνην καὶ βλέπειν καὶ ἀναπνεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἰσαάκιος καὶ τὸ κῆδος τὸ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξαδέλφῃ αὐτῆς προβαλλόμενος τὴν παρρησίαν ξυνέτεινεν· ὁ δ' ἐμὸς πατὴρ οὐχ ἧττον μὲν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀγχιστείας συγγένειαν, πλέον δὲ τὴν υἱοθεσίαν λαμπρὰν ὑπόθεσιν τῶν πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα εἰσόδων ποιούμενος παν τάπασιν ἀνέμφαντος ἦν καὶ τὸν φθόνον τῶν πονηρευομένων αὐτῷ συνεσκίαζεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐλάνθανεν αὐτὸν τὸ βαρύμηνι τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκείνων δούλων καὶ τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως κουφό τατον. Καὶ εἰκότως μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς ἐκείνης εὐνοίας ἐφρόντιζον, ἵνα μὴ ἐντεῦθεν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς παρανάλωμα γένοιντο. Τὰ γάρ τοι κουφότατα ἤθη εὐμετάφορά πως καὶ Εὐρίπου δίκην ὡς ἐν παλιρροίᾳ περιπλαζόμενα. 2.4.1 Ταῦτα ὁρῶντες οἱ δοῦλοι καὶ ὅπως οὐ κατὰ σκοπὸν αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα προῄει οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν ἀπώλεια εὐχερὴς αὐτοῖς ἐστι τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐς αὐτοὺς εὐμενείας ὁσημέραι αὐξανούσης, πολλὰ μὲν εἰπόν τες, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἀπειπόντες ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἀτραπὸν ἐτρά πησαν. Τίς δὲ αὕτη; Ἵν' ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ μετακαλεσάμενοι τούτους βουλῆς ἄτερ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἐκποδὼν τοὺς ἄνδρας ποιήσωνται τοὺς αὐτῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύξαντες ψευδῆ αἰτίαν ἀναπλασάμενοι. 2.4.2 Τοῦτο τοὺς Κομνηνοὺς οὐ διέλαθε. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πολλὰ γνωσιμαχήσαντες ὑπόγυον τὸν κίνδυνον ἔγνωσαν, μίαν σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποστασίαν ἐδόκουν πρὸς ταύτην κατ' ἀνάγκην πολλὴν συνωθούμενοι. Τί γὰρ δεῖ περιμένειν τὸν ἐπενεγκόντα μύδρον τοῖς ὄμμασι καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἥλιον ἀποσβέσοντα; Ὑποβρύχιον οὖν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὴν γνώμην ταύτην εἶχον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετ' οὐ πολὺ προσετέτακτο ὁ Ἀλέξιός τινα μερίδα τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰσαγαγεῖν μέλλουσαν ἐξοπλίζεσθαι κατὰ τῶν πορθησάντων τὴν πόλιν Κυζίκου Ἀγαρηνῶν (ἔτυχε γὰρ τηνικαῦτα δομέστικος ὢν τῆς ἑσπέρας), ἀφορμῆς εὐλόγου δραξάμενος τοὺς εὔνως πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχοντας τῶν τοῦ στρατοῦ ἡγεμόνων μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοὺς διὰ γραμμάτων μετεκαλέ σατο. Καὶ δὴ κινηθέντες ἅπαντες πρὸς τὴν μεγαλόπολιν ἠπείγοντο. 2.4.3 Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ εἰσελθών τις ἐξ ὑποθήκης θατέρου τῶν δούλων, τοῦ λεγομένου Βορίλου, ἤρετο τὸν βασιλέα, εἰ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτοῦ τὰς δυνάμεις ἁπάσας ὁ μέγας δομέστικος εἰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν εἰσάγει. Ὁ δ' εὐθὺς μετακαλεσάμενος τοῦτον ἠρώτα, εἰ ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον. Καὶ ὃς αὐτίκα τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἠρνεῖτο, ὅτι στρατιά τις εἰσάγεται τῇ ἐκείνου κελεύσει, πρὸς δὲ τὸ πᾶσαν ἁπανταχόθεν ἐνταυθοῖ συναθροίζεσθαι πιθανῶς παρεκρούετο. «Ὁ γάρ τοι στρατός» φησι «διεσπαρμένος ὢν ἁπανταχόθεν ἄλλος ἄλλοθεν ἥκει λαβὼν τὸ ἐνδόσιμον. Καὶ οἱ τούτους ὁρῶντες ἐκ διαφόρων μερῶν τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ἀθρόους ἀφικνουμένους νομίζουσιν ὡς ἀπὸ συνθήματος πάντα τὸν στρατὸν ἐνταυθοῖ συνα θροίζεσθαι τῇ θέᾳ καὶ μόνῃ ἐξαπατώμενοι.» Καίτοι τοῦ Βορίλου πολλὰ πρὸς τούτους τοὺς λόγους ἀνθυπενεγκόν τος, ἰσχυρότερος καὶ οὕτως ἦν ὁ Ἀλέξιος καὶ ὅλαις ἐκράτει ψήφοις. Ὁ δὲ Γερμανὸς ἁπλούστερος ὢν οὐ πάνυ τοῦ Ἀλεξίου κατέτρεχεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ εἰσηγηθέντα ταῦτα κατὰ τοῦ δομεστίκου τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐξετάραξε ψυχήν, καιροῦ λαβόμενοι ἀδείας (ἑσπέρα δὲ ἦν) τὴν κατὰ τῶν Κομνηνῶν