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experience and nobility averted this and sent it far away. The men 110 were called Theophobos and Manuel. But Manuel was formidable in bravery, and known to all his enemies; for he was Armenian by birth, and had been a leader of the army of the Anatolics under Leo, and the first of the grooms of Michael before him; they call him a protostrator. The account will also reveal about Theophobos, whence and how, being descended from the Persians, he became known to the emperor and married his sister. A certain one of the Persians of the royal line, having once come on an embassy to the city of Constantine, caused this man to be born not from a lawful union but from a secret and clandestine one, and then departed. Since there is an inviolable law for the Persians that no one can become master of their rule unless he is part of the royal line, and since those of the royal tribe had died out from the continuous wars and the movements from here to there, being driven out by the Hagarenes, but also a great report was spread about him by those remaining in Persia, that there was someone in Byzantium named Theophobos (for it had been given by the father who sired him at that time), it seemed good to the chief men of the Persians to secretly send some men to search for the one sought. And indeed having reached our land, with difficulty they at last found him living with his mother and dwelling on Oxyeia. Since, therefore, the one sought was then revealed and recognized 111 not only by certain appearances but also by the very characteristics of his soul and body, and moreover, someone from the neighbors testified to the union that had occurred for the woman with the Persian (for nothing secret which will not be known to the many), the envoys make themselves known to the emperor and clarify the matters of the affair, promising peace and treaties and the submission of the entire nation, if he would not refuse to hand him over to them. The emperor therefore rejoiced at what was promised, and since he found the truth to be thus, he makes him lodge and dwell in the palace, attending to his studies and education. 20 There is also another account concerning Theophobos (for it is good that both be told), seeming to differ a little at the beginning, but preserving the rest of what has been written as similar and nearly the same; it is that which says he did not receive his illegitimate birth from some ambassador, but that through some misfortune of the things that happen in wars, his father, whether he was reigning or was close to the king by kinship, fled from Persia and came to the reigning city enduring a poor life, and there, while serving a certain female innkeeper, he late in life begat this one through love for her and a lawful union. But he passed from among men, and by a certain astronomy and divination (for they say that these sciences still flourish among the Persians) they learned about Theophobos, as they were seeking if there was anyone anywhere descended 112 from the royal tribe, and since they learned this, they ran with haste to the city of Constantine to search for the one sought. In this way it became known to the emperor, when he was found. Since, then, his appearance and presence in life became known to all those in Persia through the returned messengers, it seemed pleasant and desirable to all to conceive of some revolt from those of Hagar, and to go over to the rule of the Romans, so that they might be fortunate in having a leader according to their race. (21) And it happened otherwise that the leader of the Persians, Babek, having already for five years revolted from the Ameramnounes and raised his heel against him with seven thousand men; who both out of longing for Theophobos and fear of the Hagarene from whom he had revolted comes to the Roman dominion at the city of Sinope, and has made both himself and the whole nation subject to the emperor. For this very reason Theophilos enrolls Theophobos in the honor of the patricians, and gives him to his own sister in marriage, and legislates that each of the Persians be joined in marriage

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πεῖρά τε καὶ γενναιότης ἀπέτρεπε τοῦτο καὶ πόρρω ποι ἐναπέπεμπε. Θεόφοβος οἱ ανδρες 110 καὶ Μανουὴλ ἐκαλοῦντο. ἀλλ' ὁ Μανουὴλ δεινὸς ἐπ' ἀνδρείᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις απασι γνώριμος· ἐξ ̓Αρμενίων γὰρ τὴν γένεσιν ην, καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ τῶν ̓Ανατολικῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Λέοντος προηγού- μενος, καὶ τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ Μιχαὴλ ἱπποκόμων ὁ πρῶτος· πρωτο- στράτορα τοῦτόν φασιν. δηλώσει δὲ καὶ τὸν Θεόφοβον ὁ λόγος, οθεν τε καὶ οπως ἐκ Περσῶν καταγόμενος τῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονε γνώ- ριμος καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ εἰς γάμον ἡρμόσατο. εἰς πρεσβείαν τίς ποτε τῶν ἐκ βασιλικῆς σειρᾶς Περσῶν ἀφικόμενος πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου, οὐκ ἐκ νομίμου συναφείας κρυφίου δὲ καὶ λα- θραίας τοῦτον γεννηθῆναι ποιήσας ἐξαπεδήμησεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ νόμος τοῖς Πέρσαις ἀπαράβατος μή τινα τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν ἀρχῆς ἐγκρατῆ γενέσθαι, εἰ μὴ τῆς βασιλικῆς μετέχῃ σειρᾶς, ἐξέλιπον δὲ ἐκ τῶν συνεχῶν πολέμων καὶ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε μετασκηνώσεων ὑπὸ τῶν ̓Αγα- ρηνῶν ἐλαυνόμενοι οἱ τῆς βασιλικῆς φυλῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγος ἐφέ- ρετο πολὺς περὶ αὐτοῦ παρὰ τῶν ἐν Περσίδι μενόντων, ὡς ῃ τις κατὰ τὸ Βυζάντιον ὠνομασμένος Θεόφοβος (καὶ γὰρ ην δοθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ τηνικαῦτα σπείραντος τοῦτον πατρός), εδοξε τοῖς ἀρίστοις τῶν Περσῶν κρύφα τινὰς ἐκπέμψαι τοῦ ζητουμένου εἰς ερευναν. καὶ δὴ καταλαβόντες τὴν ἡμετέραν μόγις τοῦτόν ποτε τῇ μητρὶ συνόντα καὶ κατὰ τὴν ̓Οξεῖαν ἐνδιαιτώμενον προσεφεύρισκον. ἐπεὶ γοῦν οὐκ εκ τινων μόνον ἰνδαλμάτων ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος γνωρισμάτων ὁ ζητούμενος ἐδηλοῦτο τότε καὶ ἐγνω- 111 ρίζετο, προσέτι μὴν καὶ τῶν ἐκ γειτόνων ἐμαρτύρει τις τὴν γενο- μένην τῇ γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸν Πέρσην συνάφειαν (οὐ γάρ τι κρυπτὸν ο  τοῖς πολλοῖς οὐ γνωσθήσεται), δήλους ἑαυτοὺς οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι ποιοῦσι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὰ τοῦ δράματος σαφηνίζουσιν, εἰρήνην καὶ σπονδὰς καὶ παντὸς τοῦ εθνους ὑποταγὴν καθυπισχνούμενοι, εἰ τοῦτον αὐτοῖς ἐπιδοῦναι οὐ παραιτήσεται. ἐγεγήθει γοῦν τοῖς ὑποσχεθεῖσιν ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ ἐπείπερ ουτως εχουσαν ευρισκε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐν βασιλείοις τοῦτον αὐλίζεσθαι καὶ κατασκηνοῦν ποιεῖ, μαθήμασί τε καὶ παιδείᾳ ἐπιμελούμενον. 20Εστι δὲ καὶ αλλος λόγος περὶ τοῦ Θεοφόβου (καλὸν γὰρ ἀμφοτέρους εἰρῆσθαι), μικρὸν μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν διενηνοχέ- ναι δοκῶν, ταλλα δὲ ομοια σώζων τῶν γεγραμμένων καὶ πάρισα· εστιν δὲ ος οὐκ ἀπὸ πρέσβεώς τινος τὴν νόθον σπορὰν δέξασθαι τοῦτόν φησιν, ἀλλὰ κατά τινα περιπέτειαν τῶν ἐν πολέμοις συμ- βαινόντων καὶ τὸν τούτου πατέρα, ειτε βασιλεύοντα ειτε καὶ βα- σιλέως ἐγγὺς οντα κατὰ συγγένειαν, φυγεῖν ἐκ Περσίδος καὶ πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πένητα διαθλοῦντα βίον προσρυῆναι, κἀκεῖσε καπηλίδι τινὶ γυναικῶν δουλεύοντα ὀψέ ποτε τῷ ταύτης ερωτι καὶ νομίμῳ συναφείᾳ τοῦτον ἐναποτεκεῖν. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο, ἀστρονομίᾳ δέ τινι καὶ μαντείᾳ (καὶ γάρ φασι ταύτας τὰς ἐπιστήμας ἀκμάζειν ετι παρὰ Πέρσαις) μαθεῖν περὶ τοῦ Θεοφό- βου, ζητοῦσιν αὐτοῖς εἰ εστι πού τις ἐκ βασιλικῆς φυλῆς καταγό- 112 μενος, καὶ ἐπείπερ εμαθον, σπουδῇ ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου θεῖν εἰς τὴν τοῦ ζητουμένου ερευναν. γνωστὸν ουτως γενέσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ, καταληφθέντος αὐτοῦ. ἐπείπερ ουν ἡ τούτου ἐμφάνεια καὶ κατὰ τὸν βίον παρουσία απασιν ἐγνώσθη τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Περ- σίδα διὰ τῶν ὑποστρεψάντων ἀποστόλων, ἡδὺ πᾶσιν ἐφάνη καὶ ἐφετὸν τοῦ ἀπόστασίν τινα ἐννοῆσαι ἀπὸ τῶν τῆςΑγαρ, τῇ δὲ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀρχῇ προσχωρῆσαι, ὡς αν τοῦ κατὰ γένος ἀρχηγοῦ εὐ- μοιρήσειαν. (21) ετυχε δὲ αλλως ὁ τῶν Περσῶν ἀρχηγὸς Βάβεκ ηδη πενταετίαν εχων ἐξ ἀμεραμνουνῆ ἀποστὰς καὶ πτέρναν ἐπάρας κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐν χιλιάσιν ἑπτά· ος καὶ πόθῳ πρὸς τὸν Θεόφοβον καὶ φόβῳ τῷ ἐξ ου  ἀπέστη ̓Αγαρηνοῦ πρὸς τὴν ̔Ρωμαϊκὴν ἐπικρά-τειαν κατὰ πόλιν Σινώπην ερχεται, καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὸ ολον εθνος ὑπήκοον τέθεικεν. διά τοι τοῦτο τόν τε Θεόφοβον ὁ Θεόφιλος τιμῇ τῇ πατρικίων ἐναριθμεῖ, καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῇ πρὸς γάμον ἐκδίδωσι, συναρμόζεσθαί τε εκαστον τῶν Περσῶν νομοθετεῖ