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to postpone for the present, as he would be crowned in due course; it followed anyway from this, that if he were not crowned as emperor, he would fall behind the one already crowned both in the acclamations and in all other things; however, they said the attempt must be handled cleverly and that the matter concerning this must be set in motion while the rites were being performed, so that the one who was to give the crown, not sensing it beforehand, might not postpone the coronations.

8. How Palaiologos was crowned and the child was overlooked. So it was, and the appointed day was at hand, and all things were ready, and the bishops, having put on their sacred vestments, were ready to perform the rites of the ceremony and were awaiting the emperors. But immediately the plan was divulged, and there was a disturbance, with some saying one thing, and others another. And certain members of the senate even threatened to harm the child and do away with him, if the church wished to act otherwise. So words were exchanged, and they disputed contentiously; but the patriarch was at a loss and did not know with whom to side. The day was passing, and they could not agree. So, with difficulty and after much contention, all the bishops except for a few yielded; these were Andronikos of Sardis and Manuel of Thessaloniki, surnamed Psaras and Disypatos. But the bishop of Sardis, as soon as the patriarch was persuaded, was himself also persuaded, with the testimony of Germanos of Adrianople in Orestias contributing much to the assent, and also that of Gregory of Ancyra and Constantine of Melangeia; and Nikephoros of Ephesus, 145 being a pious and honorable man, did not suspect what was being plotted, as he lived in simplicity, and was immediately led along. Many others also experienced this. But the patriarch realized he had been deceived, but he did not know what to do, as great necessity beset him. And indeed these men signed what had been decided, but for the bishop of Thessaloniki these things were not even to be heard, as he did not deign to receive them even with the tips of his ears; for he demanded that the heir of the empire be first in all things. And when he was reminded of the oath and the emperor sent word and reproached him, that he himself had been the one to proclaim the empire to him while he was still a private citizen, while the emperor was alive, he both acknowledged it and presented himself ready to accept and approve, provided that the emperor by inheritance would take precedence in all things. And when they presented the child to him as well, explaining that he assented to only that one being crowned and that he himself was content—and indeed, lisping, he said these things to the bishop, that he would accept it, if only he himself might live and suffer no harm from anyone, for many were even threatening to rise up in revolt if he resisted, and the Celtic ax-bearing guard standing around was ready to act both for defense and for attack, if it should be ordered by those with the most power—the bishop, caring little for what was said by the child, was determined on one thing: to hold out on his behalf. But he could not hold out to the end; for many reproached him and indignantly urged him on, if he alone would go against so many. Then, therefore, he too signed, having been persuaded. However, for what seemed a plausible excuse, he added the word "similarly"; for since "similar" is used by the poet for the worst things, he made clear by this the coercive and wicked nature of the signature, as he did not at all accept the deed in good faith and with grace, but out of necessity and violence to his conscience. This is what "similar" indicated; for "similar war" and "similar old age" are spoken of by the poet. So when the rites of the imperial ceremony were completed and the crowned ones had to proceed to the palace, those who had received the crown went first, 147 and the child followed, not with an imperial crown, but with only a half-domed skullcap, adorned with stones and pearls. It was of no concern to him, as he did not understand; for each person, looking to his own affairs, paid no attention. But Justice was surely going to pursue them afterwards, as we have learned.

9. How Michael, after being crowned, won over the many both by words and by deeds. Then the child, living without a care, was at his childish games, and the

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πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἀναβαλέσθαι, ὡς ἐγκαίρως ταινιωθησομένῳ· εἵπετο δὲ πάντως ἐντεῦθεν, εἰ μὴ βασιλικῶς στέφοιτο, κἀν ταῖς εὐφημίαις καὶ πᾶσιν ἑτέροις τοῦ ἤδη ταινιωθέντος καθυστερεῖν· πλὴν σοφιστέον ἔλεγον τὴν ἐγχείρησιν καὶ ἅμα τελουμένων κινητέον τὰ περὶ τούτου, ὅπως μὴ καὶ προαισθόμενος ὁ τὸ στέφος δώσων τὰς ταινιώσεις ὑπέρθοιτο.

ηʹ. Ὅπως ἐστέφθη ὁ Παλαιολόγος καὶ τὸ παιδίον παρεωράθη. Ἦν ταῦτα, καὶ ἡ κυρία τῶν ἡμερῶν παρῆν, καὶ πάντ' εὐτρεπῆ ἦσαν, καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, τὰς στολὰς ἐνδύντες τὰς ἱεράς, πρὸς τὸ τὰ τῆς τελετῆς ἐνεργεῖν ἑτοίμως εἶχον καὶ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας περιέμενον. Ἀλλ' εὐθέως κοινοῦται τὸ σκέμμα, καὶ ταραχὴ ἦν, τῶν μὲν ταῦτα, τῶν δ' ἐκεῖνα λεγόντων. Τῶν δέ γε τῆς γερουσίας τινὲς καὶ προσηπείλουν κακῶς δρᾶν τὸ παιδίον καὶ διαχρᾶσθαι, εἰ ἄλλως πράττειν ἡ ἐκκλησία βούλοιτο. Λόγοι γοῦν ἐγένοντο, καὶ διεφι λονείκουν· ὁ δὲ πατριάρχης ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν οἷς προστεθείη. Παρήρχετο ἡ ἡμέρα, καὶ συμφωνεῖν οὐκ εἶχον. Μόλις οὖν καὶ μετὰ τὴν πολλὴν διαφιλονεικίαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς πάντες πλήν τινων ὑποκλίνουσιν· ἦσαν δ' οὗτοι Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ τῶν Σάρδεων καὶ Μανουὴλ ὁ Θεσσαλονίκης, ὁ τοὐ πίκλην Ψαρᾶς καὶ ∆ισύπατος. Ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν Σάρδεων, ἅμα τῷ τὸν πατριάρχην πεισθῆναι, καὶ αὐτὸς συνεπείθετο, τὰ πολλὰ συμβαλλομένου τῇ καταθέσει τοῦ τῆς κατὰ τὴν Ὀρεστιάδα Ἀδριανουπόλεως Γερμανοῦ, ἔτι δὲ Γρηγορίου Ἀγκύρας καὶ τοῦ Μελαγγείων Κωνσταντίνου· ὁ δέ γ' Ἐφέσου Νικηφό 145 ρος, εὐλαβὴς ὢν ἀνὴρ καὶ τίμιος, οὐχ ὑπενόει τὸ ὑπορυττόμενον, ὡς ἐν ἁπλότητι ζῶν, καὶ εὐθὺς συνυπήγετο. Τοῦτ' ἔπασχον καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοί. Ὁ δὲ πατριάρχης ἔγνω μὲν ἀπατηθείς, οὐκ εἶχε δὲ ὅ τι πράττοι, πολλῆς τῆς ἀνάγκης περιστάσης. Καὶ δὴ καθυπέγραφον μὲν οὗτοι τὰ ἐγνωσμένα, τῷ δέ γε Θεσσαλονίκης οὐδ' ἀκουστὰ ταῦτ' ἦσαν, μηδ' ἄκροις ὠσὶ δέξασθαι καταδεχομένῳ· τὸν γὰρ τῆς βασιλείας κληρονόμον πρῶτον ἠξίου ἐν πᾶσι γίγνεσθαι. Ὡς δὲ τὸ μάρπου ὑπεμιμνῄσκετο καὶ πέμπων ὁ βασιλεύων κατωνείδιζεν, ὡς αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ προαγγέλλων τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν ἰδιώταις ἔτι τελοῦντι, ζῶντος τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐκεῖνος καὶ προσωμολόγει καὶ ἕτοιμον ἑαυτὸν παρεῖχεν δέχεσθαί τε καὶ στέργειν, εἴπερ ἐν ἅπασι προηγοῖτο ὁ κατὰ κληρονομίαν βασιλεύς. Ὡς δ' ἐκείνῳ παρίστων καὶ τὸ παιδίον, διερμηνεύοντες κατανεύειν τὸ ται νιωθῆναι μόνον ἐκεῖνον καὶ αὐτὸν ἀγαπᾶνκαὶ δὴ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα ψελλίζον ἔλεγεν, ὡς καταδέχοιτο, εἰ μόνον αὐτὸ ζῴη, μηδὲν παθὸν ἔκ τινος πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ ἠπείλουν προεξανίστασθαι, εἰ ἀντέχοιτο, καὶ τὸ Κελτικὸν πελεκυφόρον περιεστὸς ἕτοιμον ἦν καὶ κατὰ φυλακὴν καὶ κατ' ἐπίθεσιν πράττειν, εἴ γ' ὁρισθείη παρὰ τῶν δυναμένων μάλιστα, ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, ὀλίγα τῶν παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς λεγομένων φροντίζων, ἑνὸς ἦν τοῦ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ἀντέ χεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἀντίσχειν εἰς τέλος οὐκ εἶχε· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ προσωνείδιζον καὶ προὐτρέποντο νεμεσῶντες, εἰ μόνος αὐτὸς ὁμόσε τοσούτοις χωροίη. Τότε τοιγαροῦν ὑπογράφει κἀκεῖνος πεισθείς. Πλὴν εἰς πιθανὴν δοκοῦσαν παραί τησιν τὸ ὁμοιοτρόπως προσέθετο· τοῦ ὁμοίου γὰρ ἐπὶ χειρίστοις λαμβανομέ νου παρὰ τῷ ποιητῇ, ἐξέφηνεν ἐκεῖνος ἐκ τούτου τὸ ἀναγκαστικὸν καὶ κακότροπον τῆς ὑπογραφῆς, ὡς οὐκ ἐν καλῇ πάντως πίστει καὶ χάριτι τὴν πρᾶξιν προσέμενος, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ βίᾳ τοῦ συνειδότος. Ὃ δὴ τὸ ὁμοῖον ὑπέφηνεν· ὁμοῖος γὰρ πόλεμος καὶ ὁμοῖον γῆρας τῷ ποιητῇ λελέχαται. Ἐπεὶ γοῦν τὰ τῆς βασιλείου τελετῆς ἤνυσται καὶ ἔδει χωρεῖν τοὺς στεφθέντας πρὸς τὰ ἀνάκτορα, προηγοῦντο μὲν οἱ τὸ στέφος δεξάμενοι, 147 μεθείπετο δὲ τὸ παιδίον, οὐκ ἐν στέφει βασιλικῷ, ἀλλ' ἐν μόνῳ κεκρυφάλῳ ἡμιτυμβίῳ, λίθοις καὶ μαργάροις κεκοσμημένῳ. Ἦν δ' ἐκείνῳ μέλον οὐδὲν μὴ νοοῦντι· ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸν σκοπῶν οὐ προσεῖχεν. Ἔμελλε δ' αὐτοὺς πάντως ἡ ∆ίκη ἐς τὸ μετέπειτα μετελθεῖν, ὡς ἐγνώκαμεν.

θʹ. Ὅπως στεφθεὶς ὁ Μιχαὴλ ὑπεποιεῖτο τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ λόγοις καὶ πράξεσιν. Τότε δὲ ἀτημελήτως τὸ παιδίον διάγον πρὸς παιγνίοις ἦν παιδικοῖς, καὶ ὁ