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

Of Nicholas the Patriarch, the monks were pardoned from death, Karamalos to the Pikridiou monastery, and Eustathios to the Stoudiou monastery. And the island of Lemnos was also taken by the Hagarenes, who took many captives. 27. And during the procession of Mid-Pentecost, as emperor Leo was going up to Saint Mokios and entering, when he came near the soleas, someone came out from the ambo and struck him with a strong and thick rod; and if the force of the rod had not been weakened by being impeded by a chandelier, he would have immediately been deprived of his life. And as blood was flowing profusely from the emperor's head, there was confusion and flight among the magistrates, and many perished in it. And his brother Alexander used the excuse of being ill and did not come down for the entrance, so that because of this he became suspected of having contrived such a plot. Neither was Samonas present there, but had gone to bring Zoe into the palace to be with the emperor, and when the one who struck the emperor was seized and examined, and had endured many tortures and punishments for many days, since he confessed nothing against anyone, finally his hands 862 and feet were cut off and he was burned in the sphendone of the hippodrome, and from then on such a procession was discontinued. 28. And after some time Markos, the most wise oikonomos of the same church, went up, who had completed the tetraodion of Lord Kosmas for Holy Saturday; and while dining at table with the emperor he implored the emperor not to discontinue the festival. But when the emperor refused, Markos said that it had been foretold by the prophet David that you should suffer, master. For he prophesied, saying, "what evils the enemy has done in your sanctuary, and those who hate you have boasted in the midst of your feast." And you must, O master, from now hold the empire for ten years. which indeed also happened; for on the same day on which he was struck, on it he also died. 29. And Zoe, the fourth wife of the emperor, was uncrowned. And when the emperor had made a journey to the emporion of Boutiou to dedicate the monastery of Christophoros his protovestiarios, news came that the fleet of the Hagarenes along with Tripolites was coming up against Constantinople. Therefore the emperor sends Eustathios the drungarius of the fleet with the whole fleet and the generals against Tripolites; they, not being able to join battle, turned back empty-handed. 30 Therefore Tripolites came, and entered inside Abydos as far as Parion. 863 Learning this, the emperor was in great despair and difficulty, and he sends Himerios the protasecretis as head of the fleet against Tripolites, though they did not dare at all to even approach the fleet of the Hagarenes. But by the judgments of God, the same Leo Tripolites turned back and went away to Thessalonica and besieged and took it, along with their general Leo Chatzilakios, making great slaughter and captivity. And a certain koubikoularios, Rhodophylos, had been sent to Sicily on some business, having with him one hundred litras of gold. And having by chance fallen ill on the way, he entered Thessalonica to bathe and recover himself, and he was captured by Leo. And as Symeon the asecretis, who after this became patrikios and protasecretis, was passing by, he recovered both the gold and the gifts which Rhodophylos had left on the road; and he, having been much tortured, died. And as Tripolites wished to destroy the city, Symeon, having learned this, indicated to him to take gold and leave it alone; which indeed also happened. 31. And Samonas, making an excuse to go out to his monastery, ta Speira, which is in Damatrys, took to flight with his money and horses, having hamstrung the public horses at his departure. Learning this, the emperor sends after him Basil the hetaireiarch, the Kamateros, and George 864 the Krenites to apprehend him. And as Samonas wished to cross the Halys river, Nikephoros the drungarius, called Kaminas, caught up with him, not allowing him to cross. And since Samonas promised many things and did not

Νικολάου τοῦ πατριάρχου, τὸν θάνατον συνεχω ρήθησαν, μοναχοὶ ὁ μὲν Καράμαλος εἰς τὰ Πικριδίου, ὁ δὲ Εὐ στάθιος εἰς τῶν Στουδίου. παρελήφθη δὲ καὶ Λῆμνος ἡ νῆσος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν, αἰχμαλωσίαν πολλὴν πεποιηκότες. 27. Ἐν τῇ προελεύσει δὲ τῆς μεσοπεντηκοστῆς τοῦ βασι λέως Λέοντος ἀνελθόντος εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Μώκιον καὶ εἰσοδεύοντος, ὅτε ἦλθε πλησίον σωλέας, ἐξελθών τις ἐκ τοῦ ἄμβωνος δέδωκεν αὐτῷ μετὰ ῥάβδου ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ παχείας· καὶ εἰ μὴ ἡ φορὰ τῆς ῥάβδου εἰς πολυκάνδηλον ἐμποδισθεῖσα διεχαυνώθη, παρευθὺ ἂν τοῦτον ἀπήλλαξε τοῦ ζῆν. τοῦ δὲ αἵματος σφοδρῶς καταρρέοντος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως κεφαλῆς ταραχή τε καὶ φυγὴ τῶν ἀρχόντων γέγονεν, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐν ταύτῃ ἀπώλοντο. ὁ δὲ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀλέξανδρος προεφασίσατο νοσηλευθεὶς καὶ οὐ κατῆλθεν ἐν τῇ εἰσόδῳ, ὡς ἐκ τούτου ὕποπτον αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπι βουλὴν κατασκευάσαι. οὔτε ὁ Σαμωνᾶς παρῆν ἐκεῖ, ἀλλ' ἦν ἀπελθὼν ἀγαγεῖν Ζωὴν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ πρὸς τὸ συνεῖναι τῷ βασι λεῖ, κρατηθέντος δὲ τοῦ δόντος τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἐξετασθέντος, καὶ πολλὰς βασάνους καὶ τιμωρίας ὑπομεμενηκότος ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας, ἐπεὶ μηδένα καθωμολόγει, τέλος ἐκκοπεὶς αὐτοῦ χεῖρας 862 καὶ πόδας ἐκάη ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἱππικοῦ σφενδόνῃ, καὶ ἔκτοτε ἐξεκόπη ἡ τοιαύτη προέλευσις. 28. Μετὰ δέ τινα καιρὸν ἀνῆλθε Μάρκος ὁ σοφώτατος οἰκονόμος τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὃς ἦν ἀναπληρώσας τοῦ μεγάλου σαββάτου τὸ τετραῴδιον τοῦ κυρίου Κοσμᾶ· καὶ ἐν τῇ τραπέζῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ συνεστιώμενος ἐξελιπάρει τὸν βασιλέα μὴ ἐκκοπῆναι τὴν ἑορτήν. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἀπαναινομένου ἔφη ὁ Μάρκος ὅτι προγεγραμμένον ἦν παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου ∆αβὶδ τὸ παθεῖν σε, δέ σποτα. προεφήτευσε γὰρ εἰπών, ὅσα ἐπονηρεύσατο ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ σου, καὶ ἐνεκαυχήσαντο οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἑορ τῆς σου. καὶ δεῖ σε, ὦ δέσποτα, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν κρατῆσαι τὴν βα σιλείαν ἔτη δέκα. ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονε· τῇ γὰρ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἔλαβεν, ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ τελευτᾷ. 29. Ἦν δὲ Ζωὴ ἡ τετάρτη γυνὴ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄστεπτος. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως πρόκενσον ποιησαμένου εἰς τὸ ἐμπόριον τοῦ Βου τίου πρὸς τὸ ἐγκαινίσαι τὴν μονὴν Χριστοφόρου τοῦ πρωτοβεστια ρίου αὐτοῦ, ἦλθεν ἀγγελία ὡς ὅτι ὁ στόλος τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν ἅμα τῷ Τριπολίτῃ ἀνέρχεται κατὰ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. ἀποστέλλει οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς Εὐστάθιον δρουγγάριον τοῦ πλωΐμου μετὰ παντὸς στόλου καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν κατὰ τοῦ Τριπολίτου· οἳ μὴ δυνηθέν τες ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι ἀπεστράφησαν κενοί. 30 ἦλθεν οὖν ὁ Τριπολίτης, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἔνδοθεν τῆς Ἀβύδου μέχρι Παρίου. 863 τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν μεγάλῃ ἀθυμίᾳ καὶ περιστάσει γέγο νεν, καὶ ἀποστέλλει Ἱμέριον πρωτασηκρῆτιν κεφαλὴν τοῦ στόλου κατὰ τοῦ Τριπολίτου, μὴ τολμώντων κἂν ὅλως πλησιάσαι τῷ στό λῳ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν. τοῖς δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ κρίμασιν ἀντεστράφη ὁ αὐτὸς Λέων ὁ Τριπολίτης καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ καὶ ταύ την ἐπολιόρκησε καὶ παρέλαβεν ἅμα τῷ στρατηγῷ αὐτῶν Λέοντι τῷ Χατζιλακίῳ, ποιήσας πολλὴν σφαγὴν καὶ αἰχμαλωσίαν. Ῥοδό φυλλος δέ τις κουβικουλάριος ἦν ἀποσταλεὶς ἐν Σικελίᾳ διὰ χρείαν τινά, ἔχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ χρυσίου λίτρας ἑκατόν. νοσήσας δὲ κατὰ τύχην ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἰσῆλθεν ἐν θεσσαλονίκῃ πρὸς τὸ λούσασθαι καὶ ἀνακτήσασθαι ἑαυτόν, ἐκρατήθη παρὰ Λέοντος. διερχομένου δὲ Συμεὼν ἀσηκρῆτις, ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα γεγονὼς πατρίκιος καὶ πρωτα σηκρῆτις, ἀνελάβετο τό τε χρυσίον καὶ τὸ δῶρα, ἅπερ εἴασεν ὁ Ῥοδόφυλλος ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ πολλὰ βασανισθεὶς ἐτελεύτησε. τοῦ δὲ Τριπολίτου βουλομένου τὴν πόλιν καταστρέψαι, μαθὼν ὁ Συ μεὼν δηλοῖ αὐτῷ χρυσίον λαβεῖν καὶ ταύτην ἐᾶσαι· ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν. 31. Σαμωνᾶς δὲ προφασισάμενος ἐπὶ τὴν μονὴν αὐτοῦ τὰ Σπεῖρα ἐξελθεῖν, τὴν ἐν τῷ ∆αματρὶ οὖσαν, φυγῇ ἐχρήσατο ἅμα χρήμασι καὶ ἵπποις αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἵππους τοὺς δημοσίους κατὰ ἀπαλλαγὴν ἀγκυλοκοπήσας. τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀποστέλλει ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ Βασίλειον ἑταιρειάρχην τὸν Καματηρὸν καὶ Γεώρ 864 γιον τὸν Κρηνήτην τοῦ καταλαβεῖν αὐτόν. τοῦ δὲ Σαμωνᾶ τὸν Ἅλυν βουλομένου διαπερᾶσαι, κατέλαβεν αὐτὸν Νικηφόρος δρουγγάριος ὁ λεγόμενος Καμινᾶς, οὐκ ἐῶν αὐτὸν διαπερᾶσαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλὰ ὁ Σαμωνᾶς ὑπισχνεῖτο καὶ οὐκ