Historiae p.4 from the east, this man also rebels against him and, having prevailed, seizes the imperial power, giving an evil reward to the one who h
Completely senseless of what is good, who, having set a goal among themselves to destroy komnenos and thus also destroy the porphyrogennetos, the brot
He had claimed the inheritance, at the same time also securing his own safety, so that he might not suffer any of the terrible things such as the many
Another born in the purple who had departed this life, had a greater right to rule? it is clear, therefore, that the famed alexios among emperors, hav
After he had exercised tyrannical power for many years and had overthrown almost all the east, he was appointed ambassador, having tried to join toget
Dull and slow to punish. there are many other proofs of the man's virtue, and not least his renunciation of the empire how, the narrative as it proce
Had been demonstrated, doukas led him with every honor, calling him lord and emperor and deeming him worthy of precedence whenever he came to him and
Of europe, since the descendants of hagar, having risen in sedition against one another, divided the greatest dominion into many parts, one ruling one
While encouraging his people, when his horse slipped, he was thrown to the ground with it and, breaking his neck, was killed. and when this happened,
Fitting, they were attacking the towns of armeniakon to plunder them, he took up his forces and proceeded against the turks and, encountering them sca
To leave her unconsoled in the greatness of her suffering, adding suffering to suffering, adding your long absence to his death.” thus the emperor. an
Being present and arranging the matters of war well. for wishing to draw the emperor forward and get him within his nets, he sent out skirmishers, who
Alyates, a cappadocian man and an associate of the emperor, commanded the right wing, bryennius himself the left, and the emperor held the center of t
To make a disposition of the whole. thus it seemed also to the emperor michael and he agreed with the purpose of his uncle but those who wished to re
He seizes. but having learned this, those around the emperor and the caesar were considering whom they might set up as an opponent to him. it seemed b
The truth shone forth like a torch hidden under soot. but those who nourished the divine fear in their hearts and were in labor with a spirit of salva
Entered thickets and were saved, but of the rest some fell, and others were taken captive. and so the phalanx of diogenes was thus dissolved and scatt
Having handled the matters of his elevation with skill, he was both cast down himself and brought down the affairs of the romans with him how the one
Therefore, having encamped, they were considering how they might drive away the attacking turks who were sacking the towns. 2.4 but so much for them.
One different from the others, theodotos by name, said that what was happening was not a good omen for when the night comes on, they will flee at on
He hastened to the queen of cities in order to take up the gold and ransom his brother. therefore, having collected this in a few days, he went away t
He began to speak: 2.10 to me, men, to make no attempt at all against the enemy, but instead to betray ourselves into slavery and obvious danger, see
They were trying to help isaacius and the glorious alexius, he himself by name called upon the glorious alexius and implored him to help but he, imme
Was deliberating, but seeing time was still being wasted, he was enraged for he wished to be rid of the fear from that man and thus to revel fearless
But he, choosing to face extreme danger for his father's own safety, turned back and thrust himself into the midst of the enemy and having struck down
The children's cots lay there. and when they saw the cot of the one who had escaped was empty, immediately each one, just as he was, beat the pedagogu
By many, and be destroyed, they selected a narrow plain, putting forward the river flowing down from sophon as a rampart. but artouch, having crossed
But when he was checking their assaults, he no longer waited for their incursions, but advancing on the forts held by the enemy, he set ambushes and s
To receive and, having dined with him, he finally arrests him and, having made him a prisoner, sends him to the stratopedarches, having taken hostages
A crowd is brought out and he is seen by all as if he were blind this act completely silenced the uproar. the commander of the army, then, having rec
As he was passing through the narrow straits and going down beside the sea towards heracleia, maurex met him, a man not of noble birth, but otherwise
He pretended to be friendly to the patriarch and behaved in a friendly manner towards him, but he was cultivating the magistrates. therefore the doux,
3.τ book 3 3.1 the preceding account makes clear, therefore, all that happened in the east after the deposition of the emperor diogenes, and how many
Were arranged and the nation of the franks, having mastered italy and sicily, were plotting terrible things against the romans, michael planned for th
A guard had been entrusted, was going about in odrysae towards the city formerly called orestias, but now adrianople, who, having stopped at a certain
He died with good hopes, leaving behind his most beloved child, but again the evil men seemed to be winning and the marriage was not taking place, as
Impulse, but something that happened persuaded him on the following day, even unwillingly, to yield to their will. 3.9 for having encamped at trajanop
Having offered thanksgiving sacrifices, he returned home and was deliberating about what to do next, and he called all the generals and commanders to
Bryennius, seeing that the time of the siege was being wasted in vain, so that the army might not suffer further hardship, wanted to lift the siege, b
They tried to hinder his march with their arrows. but those around him, being brave, although few, nevertheless sallied out against the turks and chec
He was pleased for since it was already a late hour, it seemed that some uproar and disturbance would happen in the city, if some were to be captured
I remained with the one in power until the end and, while all were turning to your rule, i myself have kept faith with him even until now, having sent
He hastened for the scepters of the kingdom, as much as possible, to win the goodwill of the citizens, especially when he learned about the affairs of
A man being both good in appearance and very skilled in conversation. when the ambassadors had approached and made the customary address for ambassado
He exercised and trained the soldiers through him. and whenever they were already able to ride safely and seemed to be adequately and skilfully traine
For on the evening before this, letters had been sent to him from the emperor ordering him not to fight, but to await the arrival of the allies recent
To wander, at a loss how, while they were fleeing, he both showed the horse and the broadswords and clearly proclaimed the death of bryennios, and the
Now, the pursuers were not a great multitude, so their retreat was easy. but when many ran together and his horse was worn out and useless for running
Therefore, having taken him, he himself departed as if for constantinople but the scarlet-dyed sandals, which that man used to wear when playing the
Sleeping in his tent, without any delay he ordered everyone to arm themselves and immediately all were under arms. and when the sun was towards the we
Recognizing basilakes, he strikes him with his sword upon the helmet but with the sword having been broken near his hand and having fallen, komnenos
Counsel conquers many hands, which at that time received confirmation through his own deeds. for one man and one mind in a short time brought down th
He ordered the protovestiarios this was the eunuch john, who had long served him before his reign he was ambitious, if anyone ever was, and possesse
That campaign, being most experienced, and already seeing the imminent danger before his eyes, advised him to turn back. but he, receiving his words a
Servants with another one of his servants, he went where they said kontostephanos would be and seeing him calling out from afar, covering his head, he
having offered thanksgiving sacrifices, he returned home and was deliberating about what to do next, and he called all the generals and commanders to an assembly and proposed for counsel whether it was necessary to make an attempt on the great city. It seemed best to all that he should not immediately proceed with the whole army against Byzantium, but should send out one of the generals with a sufficient force, and at the same time ambassadors to the emperor concerning peace and a just settlement, and also to send to all those in authority gold-sealed letters full of promises of the greatest honors and gifts, and thus to test their disposition. 3.11 When this, then, was decided, Bryennios, having honored his own brother, the magistros John, with the title of kouropalates and having appointed him Domestic of the Schools, sent him out with a sufficient force, giving him also a not inconsiderable portion of the commanders. He, taking command of the forces, departed for Constantinople; and he was accompanied by a not inconsiderable force of Scythians, not the foreign and mercenary ones, but of those who had long ago deserted to the Roman empire. Therefore, the Domestic of the Schools, having arrived near Constantinople, encamped and made an attempt on it. And those inside, on the one hand holding the emperor in anger and knowing the noble and steadfast character of Bryennios, now revealed the goodwill towards him which they had concealed within; but a divine power opposed them and quickly turned the goodwill of all into ill-will by a certain event of this kind. 3.12 When the Domestic of the Schools encamped opposite the palace in Blachernae near the place they call Kosmidion, where a very great and most beautiful church is established in the name of the wonderworking Anargyroi, and a fortress has been built, some of the attendants, and moreover of the soldiers, running out from the camp, crossed the bridge and, roaming about in the areas of the Strait opposite the city, ostensibly on the pretext of collecting necessities, wanted to plunder whatever they came across. But since the inhabitants had managed to bring everything inside the city, those who had run out, when they saw the houses empty of plunder, were filled with rage and attempted to set them on fire. But the Domestic of the Schools, perceiving this, quickly sent men to restrain them from their disorderly impulse and to extinguish the fire. But his efforts came to nothing, as the fire rose to a great height and burned down everything in its path. As a result of this, it happened that many of the most beautiful suburbs were burned down. This deed stirred the citizens to anger and changed their goodwill. The commander of the tagmata, therefore, despairing of winning the city over by persuasion, proceeded to a siege. 3.13 The then-reigning emperor placed as guards of the land walls both his own brother Constantine the Porphyrogennetos and Alexios Komnenos, who, for lack of soldiers, having put some of the common people up on the walls and having armed their own men, themselves ran about and guarded the city. And at one hour, Alexios Komnenos, while scouting, saw men from the camp of Bryennios going down to the coastal areas for the sake of foraging and again returning to the camp, but with very few left behind; opening the gates, he went out with those around him and attacking these men, he took up to twenty men alive, and before the others could learn of the deed, he returned with them into the city, and immediately the valor of the man was on everyone's lips. But envy so vexed Constantine that he even reviled the man to his face because he had not had him as a partner in the deed. The emperor, however, both admired his action and openly acknowledged his gratitude to him. The Caesar, finding an opportunity in this action of Komnenos, requested the marriage of his granddaughter to be performed, and it was performed quickly by the bond of marriage as soon as the siege of the city was lifted. These things, then, happened in this way. 3.14 But the commander of the tagmata of the
χαριστήρια θύσας οἴκαδε ἐπανέζευξε καὶ περὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐβουλεύετο καὶ στρατηγοὺς καὶ ἄρχοντας ἅπαντας εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐκάλει καὶ
βουλὴν προὐτίθει εἰ δέον ἐστὶν ἀποπειρᾶσθαι τῶν τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως. Ἐδόκει δὲ πᾶσι μὴ αὐτίκα χωρεῖν αὐτὸν μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ στρατεύματος
ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον, ἀλλ' ἐκπέμπειν τινὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν μετὰ δυνάμεως ἀποχρώσης, ἅμα τε καὶ πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν κρατοῦντα περὶ εἰρήνης
τε καὶ δικαιοπραγίας, ἐκπέμπειν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τέλει πάντας χρυσοση μάντους γραφὰς πλήρεις οὔσας ὑποσχέσεων τιμῶν τε
καὶ δωρεῶν μεγίστων καὶ οὕτω τῆς γνώμης τούτων ἀποπειρᾶσθαι. 3.11 Τούτου γοῦν δόξαντος, ὁ Βρυέννιος τὸν οἰκεῖον ὁμαίμονα τὸν
μάγιστρον Ἰωάννην κουροπαλάτην τιμήσας καὶ δομέστικον τῶν Σχολῶν ἀποδείξας μετὰ δυνάμεως ἀποχρώσης ἐξέπεμπε, δοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ
τῶν ἀρχόντων μοῖραν οὐκ ἐλαχίστην. Ὁ δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις ἀναλαβὼν ἀπῄει πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν· ξυνείπετο δὲ καὶ Σκυθῶν οὐκ
ἐλαχίστη τις δύναμις, οὐ τῶν ξέων καὶ μισθοφόρων, ἀλλὰ τῶν πρὸ πολλοῦ αὐτομολησάντων ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν Ῥωμαίων. Φθάσας οὖν
ὁ δομέστικος τῶν Σχολῶν ἐγγὺς τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐστρατοπέδευε καὶ ἀπεπειρᾶτο ταύτης. Καὶ οἱ ἐντὸς ἅμα μὲν δι' ὀργῆς ἄγοντες
τὸν κρατοῦντα καὶ τὸ γενναῖον καὶ σταθηρὸν τοῦ Βρυεννίου γινώσκοντες, ἣν ἐντὸς ἔκρυπτον εἰς ἐκεῖνον εὔνοιαν ἀνεκάλυπτον ἤδη,
ἀλλὰ τὸ δαιμόνιον ἀντωπῆσαν τὴν πάντων εὔνοιαν ταχέως εἰς τὸ δύσνουν μετέστρεψε κατά τινα συντυχίαν τοιάνδε. 3.12 Τοῦ δομεστίκου
τῶν Σχολῶν ἀντικρὺ τῶν ἐν Βλαχέρναις παλατίων στρατοπεδεύσαντος περὶ τὸν τόπον ὃν καλοῦσι Κοσμίδιον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ναὸς ἐπ' ὀνόματι
τῶν θαυματουργῶν Ἀναργύρων ἵδρυται μέγιστός τε καὶ κάλλιστος καὶ φρούριον ᾠκοδόμηται, τινὲς τῶν τοῦ θητικοῦ, ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ
τῶν τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ τοῦ χάρακος ὑπεκθέοντες διέβαινόν τε τὴν γέφυραν καὶ καταντικρὺ τῆς πόλεως ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Στενοῦ φοιτῶντες
μέρεσιν ἐξ ἀφορμῆς δῆθεν τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων συγκο μιδῆς διαρπάζειν τὰ προστυχόντα ἐβούλοντο. Τῶν δ' οἰκητόρων φθασάντων πάντα
ἐντὸς συγκομίσαι τῆς πόλεως, οἱ ἐκδραμόντες, ἐπεὶ κενὰς τὰς οἰκίας λαφύρων ἑώρων, θυμοῦ τε ἐνεπίμπλαντο καὶ πυρπολεῖν αὐτὰς
ἐπεχείρουν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο αἰσθόμενος ὁ δομέστικος τῶν Σχολῶν ἀπέστειλε διὰ τάχους τοὺς εἵρξοντας αὐτοὺς τῆς ἀτάκτου ὁρμῆς καὶ
τὸ πῦρ κατασβέσοντας· εἰς οὐδὲν δ' αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς ὁρμῆς κατέληξε, τοῦ πυρὸς εἰς μέγα ἀρθέντος καὶ πᾶν τὸ παρατυχὸν καταφλέγοντος.
Ξυνέβη γοῦν ἐκ τούτου πολλὰ τῶν καλλίστων προαστείων πυρποληθῆναι. Τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον εἰς θυμὸν τοὺς πολίτας διήγειρε καὶ τὴν
εὔνοιαν τούτων μετέστησεν. Ἀπογνοὺς τοίνυν ὁ τῶν ταγμάτων ἔξαρχος τοῦ πειθοῖ τὴν πόλιν παραστήσασθαι πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἐχώρει.
3.13 Ὁ δὲ τηνικαῦτα κρατῶν τῆς τῶν κατὰ τὴν χέρσον τειχῶν φρουρᾶς ἐπέστησε φύλακας τόν τε οἰκεῖον ὁμαίμονα Κωνστάντιον τὸν
πορφυρογέννητον καὶ τὸν Κομνηνὸν Ἀλέξιον, οἳ στρατιωτῶν ἀπορίᾳ τῶν προστυχόντων τινὰς ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη ἀναβιβάσαντες καὶ τοὺς
ἑαυτῶν καθοπλίσαντες, αὐτοὶ περιθέοντες ἐφρούρουν τὴν πόλιν. Ἐν μιᾷ δὲ τῶν ὡρῶν περισκοπῶν ὁ Κομνηνὸς Ἀλέξιος τοὺς ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου
τοῦ Βρυεννίου προνομῆς χάριν πρὸς τὰ παράλια τῶν χώρων κατιόντας καὶ αὖθις πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀναστρέφοντας, ὀλίγους δὲ κομιδῇ
καταλειφθέντας, τὰς πύλας ἀναπετάσας ἔξεισι μετὰ τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιθέμενος τούτοις ζωγρεῖ ἄνδρας μέχρι τῶν εἴκοσι καὶ
πρὶν ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους γνῶναι τὸ δρᾶμα ἐπάνεισι μετ' αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εὐθὺς περιλάλητος ἦν τοῖς ἁπάντων στόμασιν ἡ τοῦ
ἀνδρὸς ἀρετή. Ὁ δὲ φθόνος ὑπέκνιζε τὸν Κωνστάντιον τοσοῦτον ὡς καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῷ ἀνδρὶ λοιδορήσασθαι ὅτι μὴ καὶ τοῦτον
συμπράκτορα ἔσχε τοῦ ἔργου· ὁ δὲ κρατῶν ἠγάσθη τε τούτου τὴν πρᾶξιν καὶ χάριτας αὐτῷ φανερῶς ὡμολόγει. Ταύτην τὴν πρᾶξιν τοῦ
Κομνηνοῦ ἀφορμὴν ὁ καῖσαρ εὑρὼν τὸν γάμον ἐξαιτεῖ τῆς θυγατριδῆς τελεσθῆναι τοῦ γάμου συναφείᾳ καὶ τελεῖται ταχέως ἅμα τῷ
λυθῆναι τὴν πολιορκίαν τῇ πόλει. Ταῦτα μὲν τοῦτον ἔσχε τὸν τρόπον. 3.14 Ὁ δὲ τῶν ταγμάτων κατάρχων τοῦ
