The possession of these castles is not safe for you, as long as their rulers are dwelling here; but if you wish to rule them securely, send them as prisoners to Francia. The king, therefore, being persuaded, ordered chains to be forged quickly, as if for some urgent need. So Saldanos, seeing this, says to the rulers, "Do you still not believe me?" Therefore the rulers, realizing that the barbarian was speaking the truth, sought how they might defend themselves against the king. And so when he went out for a hunt, they shut the gates against him; and he departed to his own country, grieving. And Saldanos demands the reward for his information; and it was that he be allowed 696 to depart to his own fatherland. So, having recovered his own rule and not ceasing from being evil, he marches against Capua and Benevento. And they send an embassy to the king. But they are sent away with insolence. So they send to the emperor. And he quickly sends the ambassador, declaring to expect the aid from there soon. The messenger of the news is overcome by the enemies. So Saldanos says to him, "If you serve my will, you will both be deemed worthy of salvation and will enjoy many gifts." And when he agreed, "I want," he said, "you to stand outside the castle, and to tell those within that I for my part have fulfilled my service, but do not expect aid from the emperor; for he did not hear your petition." And he, having come near the wall with the servants of Saldanos and having asked the leaders of the city to come, said: "Even if death is manifest to me and slaughter is at hand, nevertheless I will not hide the truth. However, I ask and adjure you to render the favor to me for my children and my wife. For I, O my lords, even if I am now held in the hands of the enemies, nevertheless I have fulfilled my service and the embassy from you I brought to the emperor of the Romans, and expect the aid from there soon. Wherefore stand bravely and do not be cowardly; for he who will deliver you is coming, even if not me." The men of Saldanos, hearing these things and being enraged at the deception, immediately cut him down with their swords. So Saldanos, fearing the expected 697 force from the emperor, lifted the siege and returned to his own country. 21. In his 18th year, Leo the emperor was accused by Santabarenos to his own father in the following manner. Being prudent and passing his life piously, he condemned the things done by Santabarenos, and blamed him and turned away from him. But since that one could not bear his hatred, suspecting that a slander from him to the emperor would occur, what does he devise? Having made and variously adorned a large knife, what is indeed called a paramerion, he gives it to Leo, saying, "I know that often during a hunt an animal falls to you alone, and not having a knife to slay it, it is lost. Therefore carry this. Perhaps even the emperor your father will praise you for it." So Leo, persuaded by the wicked one, takes the knife. So the deceitful Santabarenos departs, and slanders him to his father, saying that "Leo your son carries a paramerion, and when he is alone with you, he intends to slay you." The emperor, hearing this and having investigated and found it, confined him in the Margarites, wishing to blind him, had not Photius the patriarch with many others of the senate prevented this. And all his men, after punishing them severely, since nothing of the accusation was found to be true, he exiled. And he spent three months out of sight, lamenting 698 and wailing and importuning the emperor through many letters. And when the feast of Saint Elias arrived, since the emperor had great faith in the saint, Leo came into view in this manner. There was a certain flying creature in a woven basket hanging in the palace, imitative and of many voices, which is called a parrot, which, whether taught by someone or in some other way, often would cry out "Alas, alas, lord Leo." of a general feast
οὐκ ἔστι σοι ἀσφαλὴς ἡ τῶν κάστρων τούτων κατάσχεσις, ἕως οἱ τούτων ἄρχοντες ἐνταῦθα ἐπιχωριάζουσιν· ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει βεβαίως δεσπόζειν αὐτῶν, πρὸς Φραγγίαν τούτους δεσμίους ἀπόστειλον. πεισθεὶς οὖν ὁ ῥὴξ ἁλύσεις διωρίσατο συντόμως χαλκευθῆναι ὡς ἐπὶ χρείᾳ κατεπειγούσῃ τινί. ἰδὼν οὖν ὁ Σαλδανός φησι πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας "οὐδὲ ἔτι μοι πιστεύετε;" γνόντες οὖν οἱ ἄρχοντες ἀληθεύειν τὸν βάρβαρον, ἐζήτουν ὅπως τὸν ῥῆγα ἀμύνωνται. καὶ δὴ πρὸς κυνηγέσιον ἐξελθόντος κλείουσι κατ' αὐτοῦ τὰς πύλας· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν ἀπαίρει λυπούμενος. καὶ ὁ Σαλδανὸς τὴν χάριν τῆς μηνύσεως ἀπαιτεῖ· ἡ δὲ ἦν τὸ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν πατρίδα συγχωρηθῆναι αὐ 696 τὸν ἀπελθεῖν. τὴν οἰκείαν οὖν ἀρχὴν ἀπολαβὼν καὶ τοῦ κακὸς εἶναι μὴ ἐκστὰς ἐκστρατεύει κατὰ Καπύης καὶ Βενεβενδοῦ. οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα διαπρεσβεύονται. ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὕβρεως ἀποπέμπονται. στέλλουσιν οὖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ θᾶττον ἐκπέμπει τὸν πρεσβευτήν, δηλῶν προσδέχεσθαι συντόμως τὴν ἐκεῖθεν βοήθειαν. γίνεται τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγκρατὴς ὁ τῆς ἀγγελίας διάκονος. λέγει οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Σαλδανὸς "εἰ ὑπηρετήσῃς μου τῷ βουλήματι, καὶ σωτηρίας ἀξιωθήσῃ καὶ δωρεῶν ἀπολαύσῃ πολλῶν." τοῦ δὲ συνθεμένου "βούλομαι" ἔφη "στῆναί σε τοῦ κάστρου ἐκτός, καὶ τοῖς ἔνδον εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐγὼ μὲν τὴν διακονίαν μου ἐξεπλήρωσα, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως βοήθειαν μὴ προσδέχεσθε· οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσεν τῆς δεήσεως ὑμῶν." ὁ δὲ πλησίον τοῦ τείχους μετὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν τοῦ Σαλδανοῦ γενόμενος καὶ τοὺς πρώτους παραγενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως αἰτησάμενος ἔφη "εἰ καὶ πρόδηλός μοι τυγχάνει ὁ θάνατος καὶ ἐν χερσὶν ἡ σφαγή, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. πλὴν αἰτῶ καὶ ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς ἀποδοῦναί μοι τὴν χάριν εἰς τὰ ἐμὰ ἔκγονα καὶ τὴν σύνευνον. ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ κύριοί μου, εἰ καὶ νῦν ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων περιεσχέθην χερσίν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν διακονίαν μου ἐξεπλήρωσα καὶ τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν πρεσβείαν τῷ βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων προσήγαγον, καὶ συντόμως προσδέχεσθε τὴν ἐκεῖθεν βοήθειαν. διὸ στῆτε γενναίως καὶ μὴ δειλανδρήσητε· ἔρχεται γὰρ ὁ ὑμᾶς ῥυσόμενος, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐμέ." ταῦτα οἱ τοῦ Σαλδανοῦ ἀκούσαντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀπάτην ἐμμανέντες εὐθὺς αὐτὸν τοῖς ξίφεσι κατακόπτουσι. φοβηθεὶς οὖν ὁ Σαλδανὸς τὴν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως 697 προσδοκωμένην δύναμιν ἔλυσε τὴν πολιορκίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χώραν ὑπέστρεψεν. 21. Τῷ ιηʹ αὐτοῦ ἔτει Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς κατηγορεῖτο παρὰ τοῦ Σανταβαρηνοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον πατέρα τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. νουνεχὴς ὢν καὶ εὐσεβῶς τὸν βίον διαπερῶν τὰ γινόμενα παρὰ τοῦ Σανταβαρηνοῦ κατεγίνωσκε, καὶ ἐμέμφετο αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπεστρέφετο. ἐπεὶ ἐκεῖνος δὲ τὸ μῖσος τούτου ὑπενεγκεῖν οὐχ ὑπέφερεν, ὑφορώμενος διαβολὴν αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα γενήσεσθαι, τί τεχνάζεται; μάχαιραν μεγάλην, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον παραμήριον, ποιήσας καὶ ποικίλως ἐπισκευάσας δίδωσι τῷ Λέοντι, εἰπὼν "οἶδα ὅτι πολλάκις εἰς κυνήγιον ἐμπίπτει σοι ζῷον μόνῳ, καὶ μὴ ἔχων μάχαιραν σφάξαι αὐτὸ ἀπόλλυται. βάσταζε οὖν αὐτό. ἴσως καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ πατήρ σου ἐπαινέσει σοι." πεισθεὶς οὖν τῷ ἀλάστορι ὁ Λέων λαμβάνει τὴν μάχαιραν. ἀπέρχεται οὖν ὁ δόλιος Σανταβαρηνός, καὶ διαβάλλει τοῦτον πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, ὡς ὁ Λέων ὁ υἱός σου παραμήριον βαστάζει, καὶ ἡνίκα μοναζευθῇ μετὰ σοῦ, ὁρμᾶν ἔχει τοῦ σφάξαι σε." τοῦτο ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐρευνήσας καὶ εὑρὼν ἀπέκλεισεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ Μαργαρίτῃ, βουλόμενος ἐκτυφλῶσαι, εἰ μὴ Φώτιος ὁ πατριάρχης μετ' ἄλλων πολλῶν τῆς συγκλήτου τοῦτο διεσκέδασαν. τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους αὐτοῦ πάντας πολλὰ τιμωρήσας, ὡς οὐδὲν εὑρέθη τῆς κατηγορίας ἀληθές, ἐξώρισεν. ἐποίησε δὲ ἀπὸ ὄψεως μῆνας τρεῖς, θρηνῶν 698 καὶ ὀδυρόμενος καὶ δι' ἐπιστολῶν πολλῶν δυσωπῶν τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Ἠλιοὺ φθασάσης, ἐπεὶ πίστιν μεγάλην ἔσχεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν ἅγιον, ἀποσυνοψίζει Λέων τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ. ἦν τι ζῷον πτηνὸν ἐν ταλάρῳ πλεκτῷ κατὰ τὰ βασίλεια αἰωρούμενον, μιμηλὸν καὶ πολύφωνον, ὃ ψιττακὸς ὀνομάζεται, ὅπερ εἴτε πρός τινων διδαχθὲν εἴτ' ἄλλως πως πολλάκις "αἲ αἲ κύριε Λέων" ἐφθέγγετο. πανδαισίας