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seeing the power and the strength and the affair turning out for him according to his hopes, he encouraged his brother by suborning him to the imperial office, suffering nothing unwillingly from these things, if he himself were snatched up by the whole army to the proud chariots, while the other flattered his brother with words and made a pretense of the supposed cession of power. 2.7.4 So, while time was thus being spent, the entire soldiery was gathered around the tent in suspense, each praying that his own desire might be fulfilled. Isaac, rising and taking the purple-dyed sandal, tried to put it on his brother. But as he repeatedly refused, "Let it be," he said, "God wishes to recall our family through you." And reminding him of the things which one who once appeared near the so-called Carpianu, as both brothers were returning homeward from the palace, had divinely pronounced to him. 2.7.5 For when they were there, a certain man met them, either one of the superior beings or else a man most perceptive, to speak truly, of things to come. He seemed, in appearance, to be a priest, approaching with bare head, his hair gray, his beard shaggy; he takes hold of the leg of Alexius and, being on foot, having drawn the horseman to himself, uttered into his ear this very verse from David's lyre: "Stretch forth and prosper and reign for the sake of truth and meekness and righteousness." And he added to his speech, "Emperor Alexius." Having said these things and, as it were, having prophesied, he went away, disappearing. For he was not to be caught by Alexius, although he looked about everywhere, if he might see him somewhere, and indeed even having let loose all reins and pursuing him, if he might overtake him, in order to learn more precisely who he was and from where. But nevertheless, the sight was completely vanished. 2.7.6 When he returned from there, his brother Isaac inquired many things about the apparition and demanded that he lay bare the secret; but when Isaac persisted in demanding, Alexius at first seemed to put it off, but after this he also revealed what had been mysteriously spoken to him. He himself, with outward words and explaining to his brother that what was said was a fabrication, declared it to be an imposture, but in his mind, pondering the venerable man who had appeared to him, he compared him to the theologian, the son of thunder. 2.7.7 But since Isaac saw in reality the prophecies of the old man and what he had said in words, he insisted more manfully, compelling him, and put on him the red-dyed shoe, especially seeing the ardent desire of the entire soldiery for Alexius. And from there the Doukai began the acclamation, they too accepting the man for other reasons and because their kinswoman Irene, my mother, was legally joined to my father. At the same time with them, those too who had sprung from their own blood did the same thing with zeal. And the rest of the army, taking up the acclamation, sent their voices up almost to heaven itself. And it was possible to see something new happening then, those who were formerly divided in their opinions and wished to choose death rather than to fail in their own desire, becoming of one mind in a single turn of the moment, and so much so that it could not even be recognized if there had ever been any discord among them at all.

2.8.1 While these things were being carried out, a rumor about Melissenus spread, reporting that he had reached the vicinity of Damalis with a considerable army and was already being acclaimed as emperor and clothed in purple; but for the time being they could not believe what was said. And he, having learned their situation, quickly sent envoys to them, who, having reached them, now delivered the letters addressed to them, which ran somewhat as follows. 2.8.2 "God has brought me safe as far as Damalis with the army under my command. I have learned

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κράτος καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ κατ' ἐλπίδας αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα γινόμενον ὁρῶν παρεμυθεῖτο τὸν ἀδελφὸν τῇ πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ὑποποιήσει, πρᾶγμα οὐδὲν ἐκ τούτων πάσχων ἀβούλητον, εἰ αὐτὸς μὲν παρὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἁπάσης εἰς τοὺς ὑπερηφά νους ἄξονας ἀναρπάζοιτο, ὁ δὲ λόγοις ὑποσαίνοι τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ πρόσχημα ποιοῖτο τὴν τοῦ κράτους δῆθεν ἐκχώρησιν. 2.7.4 Τοῦ καιροῦ γοῦν οὕτω τριβομένου συνεί λεκτο τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν περὶ τὴν σκηνὴν μετέωροι ὄντες καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ἕκαστος ἐπιθυμίαν εὐχόμενος τελεσθῆναι. Ἀναστὰς δὲ ὁ Ἰσαάκιος καὶ λαβὼν τὸ φοινικοβαφὲς πέδιλον ὑποδιδύσκειν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐπειρᾶτο. Ὡς δὲ ἐκεῖνος πολλάκις ἀνένευεν, «ἔα» φησί, «διὰ σοῦ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἀνακαλέσασθαι βούλεται». Ἀναμνήσας καὶ ὧν ὁ φανείς ποτε περί που τὰ Καρπιανοῦ λεγόμενα ἐκ τῶν βασιλείων οἴκαδε ἀπερχομένων ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἀδελφῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεφοίβασεν. 2.7.5 Ἐκεῖσε γὰρ γενομένοις ἀνήρ τις τούτοις ὑπηντηκὼς εἴτε τῶν κρειττόνων τις ὢν ἢ ἄλλως ἄνθρωπος τῶν μελλόντων, ὡς ἀληθῶς εἰπεῖν, διορατικώτατος. Ἐδόκει δ' οὖν ἱερεὺς τὸ φαινόμενον ἀπὸ γυμνῆς τῆς κεφαλῆς προσερχόμενος, πολιὸς τὴν τρίχα, τὸ γένειον λάσιος· ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῆς κνήμης τοῦ Ἀλεξίου καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν πεζὸς ὢν ἱππότην ἐφελκυσάμενος πρὸς τὸ οὖς τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τῆς ∆αυιτικῆς ἀνεφθέγξατο λύρας «ἔντειναι καὶ κατευοδοῦ καὶ βασίλευε ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας καὶ πρᾳότητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης». Καὶ προσεῖπε τῷ λόγῳ «αὐτοκράτορ Ἀλέξιε». Ταῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ οἷον προμαν τευσάμενος ἀφανὴς ᾤχετο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἧν τῷ Ἀλεξίῳ ἁλώσιμος, καίτοι πανταχόσε περιπαπταίνοντι, εἴ που καὶ τοῦτον θεάσαιτο, καὶ δὴ καὶ ὅλους λύσαντι χαλινοὺς καὶ τοῦτον μεταδιώκοντι, εἴ που καὶ καταλάβοιτο, ἵνα τίς τε εἴη καὶ ὁπόθεν ἀκριβέστερον μάθοι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀφανέστα τον ἦν τὸ θεαθέν. 2.7.6 Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ὑποστρέψαντα ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ἰσαάκιος πολλά τε περὶ τοῦ φανέντος ἐξεπυνθά νετο καὶ τὸ ἀπόρρητον ἠξίου παραγυμνοῦν· ὡς δὲ ἐνέκειτο ἀπαιτῶν ὁ Ἰσαάκιος, ὁ Ἀλέξιος τὸ ἐντεῦθεν τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ἀναβαλλομένῳ ἐῴκει, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὸ λαληθὲν μυστικῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξωρχεῖτο. Αὐτὸς μὲν τοῖς ἔξωθεν λόγοις καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν πλάσμα τὸ λεχθὲν ἐπεξηγού μενος καὶ φενάκην εἶναι ἐφθέγγετο, κατὰ νοῦν δὲ ἕλκων τὸν φανέντα ἐκείνῳ ἱεροπρεπῆ ἄνδρα εἰς τὸν τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸν θεολόγον παρείκαζεν. 2.7.7 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τοῦ γέροντος προμαντεύματα καὶ ἅπερ εἶπεν ἐκεῖνος ἐν λόγοις ὁ Ἰσαά κιος ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐθεᾶτο, ἐνίστατό τε ἀνδρικώτερον αὐτὸν βιαζόμενος καὶ τὸ ἐρυθροβαφὲς ἐνδιδύσκει ὑπόδημα, καὶ μᾶλλον ὁρῶν τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ παντὸς τὴν διάπυρον ἐπι θυμίαν πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξιον. Καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξῆρχον οἱ ∆οῦκαι τῆς εὐφημίας τά τε ἄλλα τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ οὗτοι ἀποδεχόμενοι καὶ διότι ἡ τούτων προσγενὴς Εἰρήνη καὶ μήτηρ ἐμὴ κατὰ νόμους συνῆπτο τῷ ἐμῷ πατρί. Σύναμα δὲ τούτοις καὶ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος συμφυεῖς αὐτῶν ἀναβλα στήσαντες τὸ αὐτὸ προθύμως ἐποίουν. Τὸ δέ γε λοιπὸν τοῦ στρατοῦ διαδεξάμενον τὴν εὐφημίαν σχεδὸν ἐς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέπεμπον τὰς φωνάς. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν καινόν τι τηνικαῦτα συμβαῖνον, τοὺς πρότερον διῃρημένους τὰς γνώμας καὶ θάνατον ἑλέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς σφῶν ἐπιθυμίας ἀποτυχεῖν βουλομένους, ὁμογνώμονας ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ γεγονότας, καὶ τοσοῦτον ὡς μηδ' εἴ ποτε στάσις μεταξὺ τούτων ὅλως ἦν ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι.

2.8.1 Ἐν ὅσῳ ταῦτα ἐτελεῖτο, φήμη τις περὶ τοῦ Μελισσηνοῦ διέτρεχε φθάσαι τοῦτον μηνύουσα περὶ τὴν ∆άμαλιν μεθ' ἱκανῆς στρατιᾶς εὐφημεῖσθαί τε ὡς βασιλέα ἤδη καὶ ἁλουργὰ ἠμφιεσμένον· οἱ δὲ τῷ λεγομένῳ πιστεύειν τέως οὐκ εἶχον. Τὰ δὲ κατ' αὐτοὺς κἀκεῖνος μαθὼν πρέ σβεις ταχὺ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐξαπέστειλεν, οἳ καὶ καταλαβόντες ἤδη τὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς γραφὰς ἐνεχείριζον οὑτωσί πως διεξιούσας. 2.8.2 «Ὁ Θεός με μέχρι ∆αμάλεως μετὰ τῆς ὑπ' ἐμὲ στρατιᾶς ἀσινῆ διεσώσατο. Μεμάθηκα