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 Doukas, having overtaken him and taking him up, returned to the city. The emperor ordered him to be guarded in the house of Bardas the Caesar, and he asked Constantine, the son of Doukas, about him, and learning that he had truly fled to Syria, he instructed the Doukas not to say this before the senate when he was asked by him, but that he had gone to Siricha for a prayer; for the emperor wished to be reconciled with him. So, having summoned Constantine, the son of Doukas, before the officials, he said, “As you hold God and my head, did Samonas flee or not?” But he, having previously told the emperor not to make him swear but to tell him what to say, upon hearing the oaths said before everyone that he had fled to Syria. And after the emperor had sent him away in anger, Samonas spent four months in the house of Bardas. And he fell out of favor during the reign of the emperor. 32. And then a comet star also appeared, sending its rays towards the east, appearing for forty days and nights. 865 And Samonas became a patrikios after his flight. And he fathered a son by Zoe, his fourth wife. And he was baptized on Holy Theophany by Nicholas the patriarch in the Great Church, with Alexander the emperor, Samonas the patrikios, and all the officials receiving him. 33. And Kypha also became a home for the aged at that time, the courtesans having been driven out. 34. And the emperor Leo was blessed with Zoe after the feast by Thomas the presbyter, who was deposed. And he proclaimed the same Zoe as Augusta, and for this reason the patriarch forbade the emperor from entering the church. Wherefore he would pass from the right side up to the metatorion, not at all passing through the customary places. 35. And Samonas was promoted to parakoimomenos for being an accomplice to the emperor in every transgression and wickedness. And they began to plot against the church. For having summoned Nicholas the patriarch on the first of the month of February, and having earnestly begged for polygamy to be accepted, since they were not able to persuade him, they put him on a small boat from the kletorion via the Boukoleon and took him across to Hiera, from which he barely went on foot as far as Galakrenai, as much snow lay on the ground. And in his place Euthymios the syncellus was ordained as patriarch, a man of priestly dignity, 866 both continent and very pious; whom they say accepted this because of a divine revelation, as the emperor was planning to set forth a heresy and a law for a man to have three or even four wives, with many most learned men assisting him in this. 36. And in the month of June, Leo the emperor was invited by Constantine Libs to the monastery which is in Mardosagares to perform the consecration and to have lunch. And a wind called Libs arose, blowing violently until the third hour, shaking and rattling houses and churches, so that everyone fled to open places, saying it was the end of the world, had not the philanthropy of God by means of rains stopped such destruction. 37. And the emperor appointed Himerios, the logothete of the drome, as head of all the fleet, when the fleet of the Agarenes set out against the Romans. And Andronikos the Doux also received orders to join Himerios the logothete on the ships and to fight the Agarenes. But Samonas was an implacable enemy to Andronikos, and he continually contrived and schemed many things against him, engineering by every means and with all zeal to harm Andronikos since his flight. And he induced someone to write secretly to Andronikos, that he should not board the ships and be seized by Himerios; for Samonas had suggested to the emperor that you be seized and blinded by him. And although Himerios 867 repeatedly urged Andronikos to board the ships against the Agarenes, he refused. And as the Agarenes were pressing on, Himerios alone, on the day of Saint Thomas, joining battle with the Agarenes, won a great victory.

ἔπειθεν, προσέφυγεν εἰς τὸ Σιριχᾶ εἰς τὸν τίμιον σταυρόν, προφασισάμενος ὡς διὰ πίστιν τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐληλύθει. καταλαβὼν οὖν Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ τοῦ ∆ουκός, καὶ τοῦτον ἀναλαβόμενος, ὑπέστρεψεν ἐν τῇ πόλει. προσέταξε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸν μὲν φυλάττεσθαι ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Βάρ δα τοῦ Καίσαρος, ἠρώτησε δὲ Κωνσταντῖνον τοῦ ∆ουκὸς περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μαθὼν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐν Συρίᾳ ἔφυγε, παρεγγύησε τῷ ∆ουκὶ μὴ εἰπεῖν τοῦτο ἐνώπιον τῆς συγκλήτου, ὅτε παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐρωτηθῇ, ἀλλ' ὅτι δι' εὐχὴν ἀπῆλθεν ἐν τῷ Σιριχᾶ· ἤθελε γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς συνοψισθῆναι αὐτῷ. προσκαλεσάμενος οὖν Κωνσταν τῖνον τοῦ ∆ουκὸς ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἐν τέλει ἔφη "οὕτως ἔχεις θεὸν καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, ἔφυγεν ὁ Σαμωνᾶς ἢ οὔ;" ὁ δὲ ὡς εἰπὼν πρότερον τῷ βασιλεῖ μὴ ὁρκισθῆναι καὶ τὸ κελευόμενον εἰπεῖν, ἀκούσας τοὺς ὅρκους ἐξεῖπεν ἐνώπιον πάντων ὅτι εἰς Συρίαν ἔφευ γεν. μετ' ὀργῆς δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦτον ἀποπεμψαμένου, ἐποίησε Σαμωνᾶς μῆνας τέσσαρας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Βάρδα. ἀπεσυνόψισε δὲ ἐν τῇ αὐτοκρατορίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως. 32. Ἐφάνη δὲ τότε καὶ κομήτης ἀστήρ, τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐπὶ ἀνατολῆς πέμπων, φαινόμενος ἐν ἡμέραις καὶ νυξὶ τεσσαράκοντα. 865 γέγονε δὲ Σαμωνᾶς πατρίκιος ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ φυγῆς. ἐγέννησε δὲ υἱὸν ἀπὸ Ζωῆς τῆς τετάρτης αὐτοῦ γυναικός. ἐβαπτίσθη δὲ τὰ ἅγια φῶτα ὑπὸ Νικολάου πατριάρχου ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ, δε ξαμένων αὐτὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου βασιλέως καὶ Σαμωνᾶ πατρικίου καὶ τῶν ἐν τέλει πάντων. 33. Γέγονε δὲ καὶ ἡ Κύφη τότε γηροκομεῖον, διω χθεισῶν τῶν ἑταιρίδων. 34. Εὐλογήθη δὲ ὁ Λέων βασιλεὺς μετὰ Ζωῆς μετὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν παρὰ Θωμᾶ πρεσβυτέρῳ, ὃς καθῃρέθη. ἀνηγόρευσε δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν Ζωὴν Αὐγοῦσταν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν βασιλέα ὁ πατρι άρχης ἐκώλυσεν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσέρχεσθαι. ὅθεν διήρχετο ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ μέρους μέχρι τοῦ μιτατωρίου, μηδ' ὅλως εἰς τὰ κατὰ συνήθειαν διερχόμενος. 35. Προεβλήθη δὲ Σαμωνᾶς παρακοιμώμενος διὰ τὸ εἶναι τῷ βασιλεῖ συνεργὸς πρὸς πᾶσαν παρανομίαν καὶ κακίαν. καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἤρξαντο μελετᾶν. προσκαλεσάμενοι γὰρ Νικόλαον πατριάρχην Φεβρουαρίῳ μηνὶ πρώτῃ, καὶ πολλὰ λιπαρήσαντες δεχθῆναι τὴν πολυγαμίαν, ἐπεὶ πεῖσαι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ κλητορίου διὰ τοῦ Βουκολέοντος ἐν πλοίῳ μικρῷ τοῦτον ἐμβιβά σαντες διεπέρασαν ἐν τῇ Ἠρίᾳ, ἀφ' ἧς πεζῇ μέχρι Γαλακρηνῶν μόλις ἀπῄει, χιόνος ἐπικειμένης πολλῆς. χειροτονεῖται δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Εὐθύμιος σύγκελλος εἰς πατριάρχην, ἀνὴρ ἱεροπρεπής, 866 ἐγκρατής τε καὶ εὐλαβὴς πάνυ· ὅν φασιν καταδέξασθαι τοῦτο ἐξ ἀποκαλύψεως θείας, ὡς τοῦ βασιλέως βουλευομένου αἵρεσιν καὶ νόμον ἐκθεῖναι τοῦ ἔχειν ἄνδρα γυναῖκας τρεῖς ἢ καὶ τέσσαρας, πολλῶν εἰς τοῦτο λογιωτάτων ἀνδρῶν συνεργούντων αὐτῷ. 36. Ἰουνίῳ δὲ μηνὶ προσεκλήθη Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς παρὰ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Λιβὸς ἐν τῇ μονῇ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν τῷ Μαρδοσαγ γάρη τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὰ ἐγκαίνια καὶ ἀριστῆσαι. καὶ γέγονεν ἄνεμος ὁ λεγόμενος λὶψ ἕως τρίτου σφοδρῶς φυσήσας, συσσείσας τε καὶ δονήσας οἰκήματα καὶ ἐκκλησίας, ὥστε πάντας φεύγειν ἐν ὑπαί θροις τόποις, λέγοντας συντέλειαν κοσμικὴν εἶναι, εἰ μὴ ἡ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία δι' ὄμβρων ἔπαυσε τὴν τοιαύτην θραῦσιν. 37. Προεβάλετο δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἱμέριον λογοθέτην τοῦ δρό μου κεφαλὴν πάντων τῶν πλωΐμων, ἐξελθόντος τοῦ στόλου τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν κατὰ Ῥωμαίων. ἐδέξατο δὲ καὶ Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ ∆οὺξδιὰ κελεύσεως συνελθεῖν Ἱμερίῳ λογοθέτῃ ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις καὶ καταπολεμῆσαι τοὺς Ἀγαρηνούς. ὁ δὲ Σαμωνᾶς ἦν ἀδιάλλακτος ἐχθρὸς Ἀνδρονίκῳ, καὶ πολλὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ διηνεκῶς συνεσκεύασε καὶ ἐμηχανᾶτο, κακῶσαι τὸν Ἀνδρόνικον παντὶ τρόπῳ καὶ πάσῃ σπουδῇ διαμηχανώμενος ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ φυγῆς. ὑπέβαλε δέ τινι γράψαι τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ κρύφα, μὴ εἰσέλθοι εἰς τὰ καράβια καὶ κρατηθῇ παρὰ Ἱμερίου· ὁ γὰρ Σαμωνᾶς ὑπέθηκε τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ κρατηθῆναί σε καὶ τυφλωθῆναι παρ' αὐτοῦ. πολλὰ δὲ προτρεπο 867 μένου Ἱμερίου Ἀνδρόνικον εἰσελθεῖν ἐν τοῖς πλοίοις κατὰ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν ἀπεσκίρτησε. τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν δὲ ἐπικειμένων Ἱμέριος μόνος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Θωμᾶ συμβαλὼν πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν Ἀγαρη νῶν μεγάλην νίκην εἰργάσατο.