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But then one might have said thus to another neighbor, "O heavens, what a great thing it is to stir these matters up and for each person to seek to establish his own righteousness, it being sufficient if, with the scandal concerning the pope resolved, all other things might be resolved along with it. But now, with each one seeking his own righteousness, he would never attain to the righteousness of God, like those men." But to what this led, we shall speak as we proceed. Therefore, when the synod was then dissolved, the monastery of Kosmidion held them, except under guards and appropriate custody; and the emperor, sending for them, demanded that they make peace, and, having abandoned all self-justification, to live freely and to have his benevolence. But if not, he threatened exiles and hardships to be brought upon them; for it was not possible for things to be otherwise than as they had been ordained, and they, having a bad reputation, were being utterly ruined, unless they repented and made peace. Although the emperor frequently proclaimed these things and proposed good terms, they were neither moved by fear of sufferings nor were they softened by the promises of good things, but, being resolute toward both, they presented themselves as ready for whatever the emperor might decide, as they would more 103 gladly suffer that than make a truce with those who had thus condemned them. And the emperor was all the more provoked against them as they remained completely unyielding. And being at a loss for all means of softening their soul, he finally decided to sentence them to exile. And indeed, to the fortress on the right as one sails into the Astacene Gulf, which is called somehow that of Saint Gregory, he orders them to be taken away by boat. Where indeed, having been shut up under Celtic guards and one of the emperor's attendants, they were left, unprovided for regarding their necessary needs, enjoying nothing more from the emperor, except that after some time, when Athanasios was patriarch, as the emperor was setting out for the east and had crossed the strait at Helenopolis, he sent the great logothete to them (whom he had also promoted to protovestiarios), and the one was provided with one hundred gold pieces, and Meliteniotes with fifty. For the third, Metochites, because of illness, had previously been brought from there to his home, by order of the emperor. (36) But what I almost passed over, having happened a little earlier: the emperor, having ridden out of the city, approached the fortress of Niketiaton at Dakibyze, and having met with the blind John, he both paid him the proper respects, and what had been done to him by his father he himself tried to soften by his submissions, so as to be forgiven by him and, as it were, to be strengthened for his reign from 104 a good purpose and an honest disposition. And having himself provided for his luxury and comfort, he departed very quickly. Then the protovestiarios, visiting them, while Athanasios was patriarch (about whom will be spoken later), both tried to smooth over past events, and appeared very keen on flattering and winning over the men, and indeed he released them from the heavy guard, and removed guards, and some he even changed, and he held out good hopes, and guaranteed the emperor's benevolence. Then, having been brought down from the fortress, they also spoke to the emperor himself in every way gladly and kindly. For since the things from Gregory were also being rejected, as we will also speak of this shortly, and they were already for this reason disposed to a truce, placing the whole matter in the hands of those who were at once learned and pious and who would arbitrate in accordance with truth, which judges in God, the emperor, having appointed both a time and a place for their meeting—the time being not long after, and the place being Lopadion (for he was marching there)—with the third, Metochites, also to come, just as they demanded, with benevolence toward them, he 105 departs. For what had happened concerning Gregory encouraged both them and the protovestiarios, and it occurred to them to hope for things conducive to peace. For to them it was no trouble if their own exposition were condemned, since Gregory's also had been condemned; and wherever he should be ranked, they too would certainly be ranked, since both, having peered into the mysteries of God, had not grasped what was correct. And so it occurred to them to hope thus, but the protovestiarios thought that

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τότε δὲ ὧδέ τις ἂν εἶπε πρὸς πλησίον ἄλλον, "ὢ πό ποι, ἦ μέγα δὴ τὸ ταῦτα κινεῖν καὶ ζητεῖν συνιστᾶν τὴν ἰδίαν δικαιοσύνην ἕκαστον, ἱκανὸν ὂν εἰ διαλυθέντος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν πάπαν σκανδάλου καὶ τἆλλα πάντα συνδιαλύοιτο. νυνὶ δὲ ἀλλ' ἕκαστος τὴν ἰδίαν δικαιοσύνην ζητῶν, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύ νην οὐ φθάσειε πώποτε, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι." τὸ δ' ἐς ὅ τι προῆλθε, προϊόντες ἐροῦμεν. Ἐκείνους μὲν οὖν τότε τῆς συνόδου διαλυθείσης ἡ τοῦ Κο σμιδίου εἶχε μονή, πλὴν ὑπὸ φρουροῖς καὶ φυλακαῖς προσηκού σαις· οὓς δὴ καὶ πέμπων ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰρηνεύειν ἠξίου, καὶ πᾶσαν δικαιολογίαν ἀφέντας διάγειν ἀνέδην καὶ τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εὐμένειαν ἔχοντας. εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἐξορίας προσηπείλει καὶ κακουχίας ἐπαξομένας σφίσι· μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι ἄλλως ἢ ὡς ἐτάχθη γίγνεσθαι, αὐτοὺς δὲ φήμην κακὴν ἔχοντας παραπόλλυσθαι, εἰ μή γε μετα νοήσαντες τῆς εἰρήνης γένωνται. ταῦτα τοῦ βασιλέως συχνάκις διαμηνυομένου καὶ ἀγαθὰ προτείνοντος, ἐκεῖνοι οὔτε πρὸς δέος τῶν λυπῶν προήχθησαν οὔτε πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπαγγελίας ἐμαλακίσθησαν, διευτονοῦντες δὲ πρὸς ἀμφότερα ἑτοίμους ἑαυ τοὺς παρεῖχον πρὸς ὅ τι δόξει τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὡς ἐκεῖνο μᾶλλον πει 103 σομένους ἡδέως ἢ τοῖς οὕτω καταδικάζουσι σπεισομένους. ἐπὶ μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς παρωξύνετο ἀνενδότως μένον τας τὸ παράπαν. πάντων δ' ἀπορηθεὶς τῶν μαλάττειν ἐχόντων ψυχὴν τέλος ἐξορίαις δικαιοῦν ἔγνω. καὶ δὴ πρὸς τὸ κατὰ δεξιὰ εἰσπλέοντι τὸν Ἀστακηνὸν κόλπον φρούριον, τὸ οὕτω πως τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου ἐπιλεγόμενον, προστάσσει πλῷ χρησαμένους ἀπάγεσθαι. οὗ δὴ καὶ ἐγκλεισθέντες ὑπὸ φρουροῖς Κελτοῖς καί τινι τῶν ἐκπροκοιτούντων τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀφεῖντο, ὅσα τὰ εἰς χρείαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπρονόητοι, οὐδὲν πλέον ἀπονάμενοι βασιλέως, ὅτι μὴ μετὰ καιρὸν ἐπ' ἀνατολῆς ὁρμῶντος πατριαρχοῦντος Ἀθανασίου, τόν τε κατὰ τὴν Ἑλενόπολιν περαιωθέντος πορθμόν, καὶ τὸν μέγαν λογοθέτην ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πέμψαντος, ὃν καὶ εἰς πρω τοβεστιάριον ἀνεβίβασεν, ὁ μὲν ἑκατὸν χρυσίνοις ἐνικανοῦτο, ὁ δέ γε Μελιτηνιώτης πεντήκοντα. ὁ γὰρ τρίτος ὁ Μετοχίτης διὰ νόσον προκατήχθη ἐπὶ τὰ οἴκοι ἐκεῖθεν, βασιλέως προστάξαντος. (36) ἀλλ' ὅ με παρῆλθε μικροῦ πρότερον γεγονός, βασιλεὺς τῆς πόλεως ἐξεληλακὼς προσβάλλει τῇ τῶν Νικητιάτων τῆς ∆α κιβύζης φρουρίῳ, καὶ τῷ τυφλῷ Ἰωάννῃ συμμίξας φιλοφρονεῖ ταί τε τὰ εἰκότα, καὶ τὸ εἰς ἐκεῖνον παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγονὸς αὐτὸς ἐπειρᾶτο μαλάττειν ταῖς ὑποπτώσεσιν, ὥστε καὶ συγχωρη θῆναι παρ' ἐκείνου καὶ οἷον κραταιωθῆναι πρὸς τὸ βασιλεύειν ἐξ 104 ἀγαθοῦ σκοποῦ καὶ χρηστῆς διαθέσεως. αὐτὸς δὲ τῶν εἰς τρυ φὴν ἐκείνῳ καὶ ἄνεσιν προνοήσας ἀπαλλάττεται τὴν ταχίστην. τότε δ' ἐπιστὰς ἐκείνοις ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος, Ἀθανασίου πα τριαρχοῦντος, περὶ οὗ μετὰ ταῦτα ῥηθήσεται, τὰ μὲν προγεγο νότα καὶ διεμάλαττε, καὶ πολὺς ἐφαίνετο τοὺς ἄνδρας θωπεύων τε καὶ ὑποποιούμενος, καὶ δὴ τῆς πολλῆς μὲν ἐκείνους φρουρᾶς ἀνῆκε, φρουροὺς δ' ἀφῃρεῖτο, ἔστι δ' οὓς καὶ ἐνήλλαττε, καὶ ἀγαθὰς ὑπέτεινε τὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ τὴν παρὰ βασιλέως ἠγγυᾶτο εὐμένειαν. ἔπειτα καὶ αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ καταχθέντες τοῦ φρουρίου ἀσμένως πάντῃ καὶ φιλοφρόνως ὡμίλησαν. ὡς γὰρ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Γρηγορίου ἀπεδοκιμάζοντο, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ μετ' ὀλίγον ἐροῦ μεν, καὶ ἤδη διὰ ταῦτα ἔνσπονδοι ἦσαν, τὸ πᾶν τιθέντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐν θεῷ βραβευούσης ἀληθείας διαγνωμονήσουσι λογίοις οὖ σιν ἅμα καὶ εὐλαβέσι, τάξας βασιλεὺς τῆς αὐτῶν συνελεύσεως καὶ καιρὸν καὶ τόπον, τὸν μὲν μετ' οὐ πολὺ τὸν δὲ τὸ Λοπάδιον (ἐκεῖσε γὰρ ἐξήλαυνεν), ἐλευσομένου καὶ τοῦ τρίτου τοῦ Μετο χίτου, καθὼς καὶ ἠξίουν, μετ' εὐμενείας τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀνα 105 χωρεῖ. ἔθαλπε γὰρ καὶ τούτους καὶ τὸν πρωτοβεστιάριον τὸ συμ βὰν περὶ τὸν Γρηγόριον, καὶ ἐλπίζειν ἐπῄει σφίσι τὰ πρὸς εἰρή νην. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ οὐ πόνος ἦν ὀβελισθείσης τῆς αὐτῶν ἐξηγή σεως, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Γρηγορίου κατέγνωσται· καὶ ὅπου ἂν ἐκεῖ νος τετάξεται, καὶ αὐτοὶ πάντως ταχθήσονται, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἄμφω εἰς θεοῦ μυστήρια παρακύψαντες τὸ ὀρθὸν οὐ κατέλαβον. καὶ τοῖς μὲν οὕτως ἐλπίζειν ἐπῄει, ὁ δέ γε πρωτοβεστιάριος ᾤετο ὡς