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

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 appointed Leo Katakalon, who had his dwelling in Rhabdos, as domestikos of the schools, and with him he sent Theodosios the patrikios and protovestiarios. and having passed through all the themes and tagmata, and battle having been joined with Symeon at Bulgarophygon, a public rout took place and all perished, including the protovestiarios Theodosios, on whose account the emperor was not moderately grieved. 15. The men of the fort also slaughtered their strategos Symeon, the son of John, in Cherson. And the fort of Koron in Cappadocia was taken by the Hagarenes. 16. And the emperor made a procession to the palace of Damianos, with Zaoutzes the basileopator and paradynasteuon also present, and his daughter Zoe with the emperor; but his wife Theophano was not present there, but was at the holy reliquary 856 in Blachernai, praying. Therefore, when the emperor decided to remain there, the relatives of Zaoutzes, both his son Tzaoutzes and the others, having held a council, wanted to murder the emperor during the night. But Zoe, sleeping with the emperor and hearing the disturbance, looked out through the window and silenced them. And when she learned the terrible nature of the plot which they had planned, she woke the emperor, who immediately entered a boat and crossed over to Pege, leaving Zaoutzes and everyone there. And early in the morning he quickly entered the palace, having driven out John, the droungarios of the vigla, and having appointed Pardos, son of Nicholas, as hetaireiarches in his place; for Nicholas, having been reconciled with the emperor, made manifest to him all the affairs of Zaoutzes ...., until Leo the magistros, the Theodotakes, reconciled them. 17. And Theophano Augusta died, having reigned for twelve years; whom not many days later God revealed as a miracle-worker on account of her lack of jealousy and her forgiving nature and because in alms and prayers she unceasingly devoted herself to God and to the holy churches. 18 And the emperor Leo crowned Zoe, the daughter of Zaoutzes. Because Zoe had been accused with the emperor during the life of Theophano, the marriage was not blessed by the patriarch as it was unlawful; and the priest who blessed 857 it, even though he was an emperor, was nevertheless deposed by a synod. And he is blessed with her by a cleric of the palace surnamed Sinapes; And the one who performed the blessing was deposed, but she reigned for one year and eight months. And when Zoe died, they found a sarcophagus for her body to be placed in, having letters engraved within, saying thus: "O wretched daughter of Babylon." 19. And both Musikos and Staurakios were slandered to the emperor Leo, as receiving gifts from the strategoi and officials and acting as intermediaries with the basileopator. And once when Staurakios entered with letters from one of the strategoi for Zaoutzes, as the emperor saw him standing in the solarium, he came up behind him, and seizing him by the nape of the neck, led him out, pretending to ask about the strategoi; and having led him to the Monothyron, and taking and throwing away the letters, he handed him over to those who were there to lead him out of the palace, ordering that he be tonsured. And when Musikos learned this, he fell into despair. And the emperor entered where Musikos stood attending Zaoutzes, pushed him out by the neck, handing him over to Christopher the koubitonites to take him away to the monastery of Stoudios and make him a monk. And a little later Zaoutzes died in the palace, and bringing him down through the Boukoleon they took him away to the monastery of Kaulea, burying him there. 20. And after the death of Zaoutzes, Basileios Epeiktes, 858 son of Nicholas the hetaireiarches, became friends with Samonas the koubikoularios, who was from the Hagarenes, desiring the imperial dignity. And he confided in Samonas that: 'Now that our aunt Zoe has died, the emperor is going to take another wife, and he is going to destroy all of us. But give me your word, so that I may confide in you all that is being planned.' And

τελευτήσαντος, ἀφορμὰς ἐζήτει Συμεὼν τὴν εἰρήνην διαλῦσαι· ἐπιζητῶν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλους αἰχμαλώτους εἰσέρχεται κατὰ Ῥωμαίων. Λέων δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς δομέστικον τῶν σχολῶν προβάλλεται Λέοντα Κατακαλόν, ἐν τῇ Ῥάβδῳ τὴν οἴκησιν ἔχοντα, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἀποστέλλει Θεοδόσιον πατρίκιον καὶ πρωτοβεστιάριον. καὶ περάσας ὅλα τὰ θέματα καὶ τὰ τάγματα, καὶ γενομένης συμβολῆς μετὰ Συμεὼν εἰς τὸ Βουλγαρόφυ γον, ἐγένετο τροπὴ δημοσία καὶ πάντες ἀπώλοντο καὶ ὁ πρωτοβεστιά ριος Θεοδόσιος, δι' ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐ μετρίως ἠνιάθη ἐπὶ τούτου. 15. Ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἐν Χερσῶνι οἱ τοῦ κάστρου τὸν στρα τηγὸν αὐτῶν Συμεὼν τὸν υἱὸν Ἰωάννου. καὶ παρελήφθη τὸ κά στρον τὸ Κόρον ἐν Καππαδοκίᾳ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν. 16. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πρόκενσον ἐποίει εἰς τὰ ∆αμιανοῦ, συνόντος καὶ Ζαούτζα τοῦ βασιλεοπάτορος καὶ παραδυναστεύοντος καὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς Ζωῆς ἅμα τῷ βασιλεῖ· Θεοφανὼ δὲ ἡ γαμετὴ αὐτοῦ οὐ παρῆν ἐκεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐν Βλαχέρναις ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σορῷ 856 προσχομένη. δόξαντος οὖν τοῦ βασιλέως μεῖναι ἐκεῖ συμβούλιον ποιήσαντες οἱ τοῦ Ζαούτζα συγγενεῖς, ὅ τε υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ Τζαού τζης καὶ οἱ λοιποί, ἠβούλοντο τῇ νυκτὶ φονεῦσαι τὸν βασιλέα. ἡ Ζωὴ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καθεύδουσα καὶ τὴν ταραχὴν ἀκού σασα, διὰ τῆς θυρίδος προβλεψαμένη αὐτοὺς κατεσίγασεν. ὡς δὲ τὸ δεινὸν ἔγνω τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἧς ἐμελέτησαν, ἐξύπνισε τὸν βα σιλέα, ὃς παρευθὺ εἰσελθὼν εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασεν εἰς Πηγάς, ἐάσας Ζαούτζαν καὶ πάντας ἐκεῖσε. καὶ πρωῒ ταχίων εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ παλάτιον, ἐξεώσας Ἰωάννην δρουγγάριον τῆς βίγλης, καὶ προβαλόμενος Πάρδον υἱὸν Νικολάου ἑταιρειάρχην ἀντ' αὐτοῦ· ὁ γὰρ Νικόλαος συμφιλιωθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ κατάδηλα ἐποίει αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ τοῦ Ζαούτζη ...., ἕως ἂν Λέων ὁ μάγιστρος ὁ Θεοδο τάκης διήλλαξεν αὐτούς. 17. Τελευτᾷ δὲ Θεοφανὼ Αὐγοῦστα, βασιλεύσασα ἔτη δώδεκα· ἣν οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ἡμέρας ἀνέδειξεν ὁ θεὸς θαυματουρ γὸν διὰ τὸ ἀζηλότυπον αὐτῆς καὶ ἀμνησίκακον καὶ διὰ τὸ ἐν ἐλεη μοσύναις καὶ προσευχαῖς ἀδιαλείπτως προσκαρτερεῖν τῷ θεῷ καὶ ταῖς ἁγίαις ἐκκλησίαις. 18 στέφει δὲ Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς Ζωὴν τὴν θυγατέρα Ζαούτζα. ὅτι διὰ τὸ κατηγορηθῆναι τὴν Ζωὴν μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῇ Ζωῇ τῆς Θεοφανὼ οὐκ εὐλογήθη παρὰ τοῦ πατριάρχου ὡς παράνομος ὁ γάμος· καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ εὐλογήσας 857 αὐτόν, εἰ καὶ βασιλεὺς ὑπῆρχεν, ἀλλά γε ἐκαθῃρέθη ὑπὸ συνό δου. καὶ εὐλογεῖται μετ' αὐτῆς παρὰ κληρικοῦ τοῦ παλατίου ᾧ ἐπίκλην Σινάπης· καὶ ὁ μὲν εὐλογήσας καθῃρέθη, ἡ δὲ ἐβασί λευσεν ἔτος ἓν μῆνας ὀκτώ. τελευτησάσης δὲ τῆς Ζωῆς λάρνακα ἐφεῦρον εἰς τὸ ἀποτεθῆναι τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς, ἔχουσαν ἔνδοθεν γράμματα κεκολαμμένα, γράφοντα οὕτως "θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος ἡ ταλαίπωρος." 19. ∆ιεβλήθησαν δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ Λέοντι ὅ τε Μουσικὸς καὶ ὁ Σταυράκιος ὡς ὅτι παρὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν καὶ ὀφφικιαλίων λαμβάνοντες δῶρα καὶ μεσιτεύοντες πρὸς τὸν βασιλεοπάτορα. καί ποτε εἰσελθόντος τοῦ Σταυρακίου μετὰ γραμμάτων τινὸς τῶν στρα τηγῶν πρὸς τὸν Ζαούτζαν, ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἑστὼς ἐν τῷ ἡλιακῷ, ἦλθεν ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ κρατήσας ἐκ τοῦ τένοντος ἐξήγαγεν ἔξω ὡς δῆθεν ἐρωτήσων περὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν· καὶ εἰς τὸ Μονόθυρον ἀγαγών, καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἄρας καὶ ἀποσφενδονή σας, παραδέδωκε τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσιν ἐξαγαγεῖν τοῦ παλατίου, διο ρισάμενος ἀποκεῖραι αὐτόν. μαθὼν δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Μουσικὸς ἐπ' ἀπογνώσει γέγονεν. εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔνθα ἵστατο ὁ Μου σικὸς παρεστὼς τῷ Ζαούτζα, τοῦτον ἐπὶ τράχηλον ὠθήσας ἐξή γαγε, παραδοὺς Χριστοφόρῳ κοιτωνίτῃ ἐν τοῖς Στουδίου ἀπαγα γεῖν καὶ μοναχὸν ποιῆσαι. μετ' ὀλίγον δὲ τελευτᾷ Ζαούτζας ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, καὶ τοῦτον διὰ τοῦ Βουκολέοντος καταγαγόντες ἀπή γαγον ἐν τῇ μονῇ τοῦ Καυλέα, ἐκεῖσε αὐτὸν θάψαντες. 20. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν Ζαούτζα Βασίλειος Ἐπείκτης, 858 υἱὸς Νικολάου ἑταιρειάρχου, συνεφιλιώθη Σαμωνᾷ κουβικουλα ρίῳ τῷ ἐξ Ἀγαρηνῶν, ὀρεγόμενος τοῦ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξιώματος. ἐθάρρησε δὲ τῷ Σαμωνᾷ ὅτι τῆς θείας ἡμῶν Ζωῆς τελευσάσης ὁ βασιλεὺς λαβεῖν ἔχει ἑτέραν γυναῖκα, καὶ ἡμᾶς πάντας ἔχει ἀφα νίσαι. ἀλλὰ δός μοι λόγον, ἵνα σοι θαρρήσω πάντα τὰ βουλευό μενα. καὶ