Chronicon OF GEORGE THE MONK LIVES OF THE NEW EMPERORS.

 he summons to the palace Nikephoros the renowned patriarch and with him the leading bishops and priests in the presence of the senate, and says, Know

 a man-slaying fruit of a seed bitterly kept and sprouted in our generation, I know not whence this terrible condemnation was allotted to the Romans. w

 and the fool will speak foolish things. For being exceedingly ignorant and nonsensical, he did not know at all those Cherubim wrought of gold, which t

 we have recorded as being preserved. 21 And sight is a witness, a truthful teacher. Both the length of time and the building of the venerable churches

 This apostolic preaching they continue to uphold and never in another jurisdiction, where there are Christians, is that wicked and lawless and God-ha

 {THE REIGN OF MICHAEL THE STAMMERER.}

 Therefore, having plundered it moderately, but not as he had hoped, but as divine providence allowed on account of our sins, he accomplished nothing m

 {THE REIGN OF THEOPHILOS.}

 of impiety and insolence, and of tyranny and madness, the deluded and vain-minded one. Since therefore he was possessed by the same deceit and derange

 this? But the emperor, as if rebuked, forcefully dragged him from the sanctuary, and having inflicted no small number of blows upon him, exiled him,

 as was fitting, he received him, immediately making him magister and domestic of the scholae, and receiving his children from holy baptism. 14. Elated

 most lawless ones, or Pharaoh the Egyptian, or Nebuchadnezzar the Assyrian? Or should we bring all these together and name you one and the same, since

 he wished to take, but he received two pounds for him, the general having also been ordered to test him, and if he was brave, to make him a guardsman.

 Then, having impiously committed many shameful, terrible, and absurd acts, they were driven from there as apostates. But having fled to the imperial c

 having secretly brought out Theophobos through Boukoleon, they saved him near Narsou, in what is now called 'of Theophobias', and they placed this the

 and overturned every day. And so finally, through imperial commission and cooperation, the fathers in exile and bitter prisons were recalled and resto

 Theophilitzes said, My lord, 817 I have a young man, most experienced and most brave with horses, just as your majesty desires, by the name of Basil.

 church, having a warden named Nicholas. And on that night a divine voice called the warden, saying Arise, bring the emperor into the oratory. And ha

 to Bardas, Do not strike the logothete. But they slaughtered him and cut him limb from limb in the Scythian manner, showing the rawness and savagery

 having constructed it very beautifully with flowing water. And when this was completed, there was someone in the city named Peter, a man of letters an

 plotting against him. But he heard these things as nonsense. But Basil, hurrying to convince the emperor, befriends Symbatios, a patrician and logothe

 standing on a high rock, cried out loudly to the emperor, A fine journey you have made, O emperor, having slain your own kinsman and your paternal bl

 Peganes to cense him with an earthenware censer with sulfur. And they blind Symbatios in one eye, and they also cut off his right hand, and they set h

 the emperor. And John the Chaldos immediately with his sword striking the emperor cut off his hands. And Iakobitzes the apelates, the Persian, woundin

 and having been eaten by worms, he died. 3. And the emperor, having come forth on the day of Christ's nativity during the procession to the great chur

 before the fleet arrived, with the emperor lamenting and mourning greatly. 12. And when Niketas Xylinites, the epi tes trapezes, was accused of being

 he made Leo fashion and wear in his boot, saying to him that Often when your father is looking for a small knife for some need, why do you not give i

 of the drome and having gone up to the ambo of the church, having read the charges against the patriarch Photius, they brought him down from the thro

 to make war against Hagion. And when an engagement occurred, those with Constantine were defeated and slaughtered, with him barely escaping. 9. And th

 He having died, Symeon sought pretexts to break the peace for seeking other captives as well, he advanced against the Romans. And the emperor Leo app

 he having given his word to Basileios, he confided everything to him. But Samonas, entering in to the emperor, said to him that, my lord, I wish to te

 Of Nicholas the Patriarch, the monks were pardoned from death, Karamalos to the Pikridiou monastery, and Eustathios to the Stoudiou monastery. And the

 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

 Andronikos, learning this, despairing, along with his relatives and his children and his men, went away and seized the fortress of Kabala, having come

 Samonas said, Against whom is the affliction? The metropolitan said to him, Against you and if you get past the 13th of June, from then on you wil

 he dressed it and made an illumination for the animals. For this reason the hand of God was lifted from him, as one who attached the honor of God to i

 of the detachments fell, and so many that the place was flooded with blood pouring down like a river. And Gregoras the son of the Doux was also killed

 879 of Domenikos the Hetaeriarch. Zoe deposes Patriarch Nicholas along with those with him in anger, telling him to look after and care for the affair

 others in the engagement of the war, 882 both Constantine Lips and John Grapson and a sufficient number of other commanders. 17. And at some point Rom

 These things came to pass. 23 But the emperor took Nicholas the patriarch and Stephen the magister to be with him in the palace, drawing the authority

 the basileopator, having made signed golden bulls as if from the person of the emperor Constantine, containing the overthrow of such a plot, and that

 they came forth in a procession. 2. In the month of June, of the 8th indiction, on a Sunday, the union of the church took place under Romanos, with al

 and many others. Therefore, having barely been saved, he entered into the dromon. And Alexios Mouseles the droungarios also came fleeing, armed, with

 is deprived. They tonsured Bardas Boilas as a monk, since the emperor pitied him as he was a friend. 15. When the patrician nicknamed Moroleon, who wa

 of silver-shielded and silver-speared men, and of those adorned with every color of arms, all of them fenced in with 900 iron, who, having taken Symeo

 Stephen the metropolitan of Amaseia being a eunuch. 903 26. In the month of October, the mystikos John, the paradynasteuon, was accused of aspiring to

 and with Maria the daughter of Christopher and with the whole senate to the church of the most holy Theotokos of the Spring, and they blessed both Pet

 son of the emperor Romanos, whom they were about to ordain patriarch of Constantinople. 38. On the twenty-fifth of the same month an unbearable winter

 he having already reached old age and his sons being still infants. and his remains were placed in the aforementioned monastery of his father. 43. And

 Consequently, the rest of the dromons and the triremes, having sallied forth, worked a complete rout, and they sank many ships with their crews, and w

 a military force being besieged and coming into the greatest necessity, its inhabitants sent an embassy to the emperor Romanos to have the siege lifte

 a monk. 1 Constantine, his son-in-law, was therefore left as sole emperor who, having immediately honored Bardas, the son of Phokas, with the dignity

the basileopator, having made signed golden bulls as if from the person of the emperor Constantine, containing the overthrow of such a plot, and that those who were abandoning Phokas and fleeing to the emperor 888 were on the emperor's side, gave them to a certain shameless and bold woman named Anne and to a certain cleric Michael and sent them out into his camp. And they, having taken these, scattered them throughout the whole army. And Michael, being caught by Phokas and mercilessly blinded, had his nose and ears cut off; who after this received from Romanos a fitting reward; likewise also the woman sent with him. 29 So first Michael Constantine, the son of Bareas, abandoning Phokas, ran to Romanos, having become the beginning of the dissolution of such a rebellion and tyranny. And with him also Balantios and the one called Atzmoros, both being tourmarchs. So Leo Phokas, having arrived in Chrysopolis with a very numerous and heavily armed host, drew up battle lines from the stone heifer as far as Chalcedon, frightening those in the city. So Symeon, the keeper of the kanikleion, was sent by Romanos with a dromon, carrying a signed letter of the emperor Constantine declaring these things: 30 "as I, having found no one under my command more vigilant and well-disposed and faithful for my empire than Romanos, have entrusted my protection, after God, to him, and I have decided to have him as a father, since he has shown fatherly affection and parental disposition toward me. But this Leo Phokas, whom I have always suspected of plotting against my empire, 889 I have now found by his very deeds to be a plotter and to be rising up tyrannically against my rule. Therefore, I do not wish him to be domestic from now on, nor do I say that this rebellion was done with my counsel, but that he made this attack of his own free will, usurping the empire for himself." When these things, then, had been read aloud to the host, all began to withdraw and to flock to the basileopator Romanos. And as Phokas was reduced to an impasse and despaired, as having missed all hope, and had resorted to flight and arrived at the fort of Ateous and was not received, Romanos sent John Toubakes and Leo his kinsman to bring him into the city. But they, having seized him, blinded him, although they had received no command about this, but had done this of their own free will, so that even the basileopator Romanos was indignant at this. 31. And in the month of August, the plot of Constantine Ktematinos and David Kamoulianos and Michael, curator of the mangana, was reported; and these men, having been blinded and their property confiscated, passed through the middle of the city and were sent into exile. 32 They also brought Leo, magistros and domestic of the schools, into the city, and he passed through the middle of the forum, mounted on a mule. 33. And Zoe Augusta was also caught plotting against Romanos 890 by means of poisoned foods prepared by Theokletos, a notarios of the service. And they bring her down from the palace and take her to the Petrion, having tonsured her in the monastery of St. Euphemia. 34. And Theodore, the pedagogue of the emperor Constantine, and Symeon his brother were invited to breakfast by Theophylact, patrikios and comes of the stable. So while they were eating, John, droungarios of the watch, called Kourkouas, entered with a very numerous host, and having seized them, he exiled them to the Opsikion in their own suburbs as men who were plotting against Romanos. 35. On the twenty-fourth of the month of September, Romanos is honored with the dignity of Caesar, and in the month of December on the seventeenth, the Sunday of the Fathers, he is crowned with the diadem of the empire by the emperor Constantine his son-in-law and by Patriarch Nicholas, 1 and on January 6th, the day of the Holy Lights, he crowns Theodora his wife. And in the month of May on the 17th, of the 5th indiction, Christopher the son of Romanos is proclaimed emperor, and he is crowned on the 24th of the same month by the emperor Constantine, on the day of holy Pentecost; and only these two in this

βασιλεοπάτωρ χρυ σοβούλλια ποιήσας ἐνυπόγραφα ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου, τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιβουλῆς ἀνατροπὴν περιέχοντα, καὶ ὡς οἱ τὸν Φωκᾶν καταλιμπάνοντες τῷ βασιλεῖ δὲ προσφεύγον 888 τες ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰσίν, δοὺς Ἄννῃ τινὶ γυναικὶ ἀναιδεῖ καὶ θρασείᾳ καὶ κληρικῷ τινὶ Μιχαὴλ ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ στρατοπέδῳ ἐξέ πεμψεν. οἱ δὲ ταῦτα ἀναλαβόμενοι διέσπειραν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ. καὶ ὁ μὲν Μιχαὴλ φωραθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Φωκᾶ καὶ ἀνηλεῶς τυφθεὶς τήν τε ῥῖνα καὶ τὰ ὦτα ἀπετμήθη· ὃς μετὰ ταῦτα παρὰ Ῥωμανοῦ τῆς προσηκούσης ἔτυχεν ἀμοιβῆς· ὡσαύτως καὶ ἡ σὺν αὐτῷ στα λεῖσα γυνή. 29 πρῶτος οὖν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Βαρέως Μιχαὴλ Κων σταντῖνος καταλιπὼν τὸν Φωκᾶν τῷ Ῥωμανῷ προσέδραμεν, ἀρχὴ γεγονὼς καταλύσεως τῆς τοιαύτης ἀνταρσίας καὶ τυραννίδος. σὺν αὐτῷ δὲ καὶ ὁ Βαλάντιος καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος Ἄτζμωρος, τουρμάρχοι ὄντες ἀμφότεροι. Λέων οὖν ὁ Φωκᾶς μετὰ λαοῦ πλείστου ἰσχυ ρῶς καθωπλισμένου ἐν Χρυσοπόλει καταλαβὼν διέστησε παρατά ξεις ἀπὸ τῆς λιθίνης δαμάλεως μέχρι Χαλκηδόνος, τοὺς ἐν τῇ πό λει φοβῶν. ἀποστέλλεται οὖν μετὰ δρόμωνος παρὰ Ῥωμανοῦ Συμεὼν ὁ τοῦ κανικλείου, λόγον ἐνυπόγραφον τοῦ βασιλέως Κων σταντίνου ἐπιφερόμενος τάδε διαγορεύοντα, 30 ὡς ἐγὼ φύ λακα τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας ἐγρηγορώτατον καὶ εὐνούστατον καὶ πι στότατον οὐδένα τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἢ Ῥωμανὸν εὑρηκὼς τούτῳ τὴν ἐμὴν φυλακὴν μετὰ θεὸν κατεπίστευσα, καὶ ἀντὶ πατρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχειν ἔκρινα, σπλάγχνα πατρικὰ καὶ διάθεσιν γονικὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ ἐνδειξάμενον. Λέοντα δὲ τοῦτον τὸν Φωκᾶν ἀεὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βασιλείᾳ 889 ὑποπτεύων ἐπιβουλεύειν νῦν ἔργοις αὐτοῖς ἐπίβουλον εὕρηκα καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀρχῆς τυραννικῶς ἐξανιστάμενον. διὸ οὔτε δομέστικον αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν εἶναι βούλομαι, οὔτε δὲ ταύτην τὴν ἀνταρσίαν μετὰ βουλῆς ἐμῆς πεπραχέναι φημί, ἀλλ' αὐθαιρέτῳ γνώμῃ ταύ την ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐπίθεσιν, ἑαυτῷ τὴν βασιλείαν σφετεριζόμε νον. τούτων οὖν τῷ λαῷ ὑπαναγνωσθέντων ἤρξαντο πάντες ὑπο χωρεῖν καὶ τῷ βασιλεοπάτορι προσρύεσθαι Ῥωμανῷ. τοῦ δὲ Φωκᾶ εἰς ἀμήχανον περιστάντος καὶ ἀπογνόντος ὡς πάσης ἐλπίδος ἠστοχηκότος, καὶ φυγῇ χρησαμένου καὶ πρὸς τὸ κάστρον Ἀτεοῦς παραγενομένου καὶ μὴ δεχθέντος, ἀπέστειλε Ῥωμανὸς Ἰωάννην Τουβάκην καὶ Λέοντα τὸν αὐτοῦ συγγενῆ ὥστε εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ πόλει. οἱ δὲ τοῦτον κρατήσαντες ἀπετύφλωσαν, καίτοι μηδεμίαν περὶ τούτου δεξάμενοι ἐντολήν, ἀλλ' αὐθαιρέτῳ γνώμῃ τοῦτο πεποιηκότες, ὡς ἀγανακτῆσαι ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ τὸν βασιλεο πάτορα Ῥωμανόν. 31. Αὐγούστῳ δὲ μηνὶ κατεμηνύθη τὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Κτηματινοῦ καὶ ∆αβὶδ Καμουλιανοῦ καὶ Μι χαὴλ κουράτωρος τῶν μαγγάνων· καὶ τυφθέντες οὗτοι καὶ δημευ θέντες διὰ μέσης διῆλθον τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐξορίᾳ παρεπέμφθησαν. 32 ἤγαγον δὲ καὶ Λέοντα μάγιστρον καὶ δομέστικον τῶν σχο λῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν μέσῃ τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἡμιόνῳ ἐφεζό μενος. 33. Ἐφωράθη δὲ καὶ Ζωὴ Αὐγοῦστα ἐπιβουλεύουσα Ῥω 890 μανῷ διὰ πεφαρμαγμένων βρωμάτων ὑπὸ Θεοκλήτου νοταρίου τῆς ὑπουργίας σκευασθέντων. καὶ ταύτην τοῦ παλατίου καταβιβά ζουσιν καὶ εἰς τὸ Πετρίον ἀπάγουσι, τῇ τῆς ἁγίας Εὐφημίας μονῇ ἀποκείραντες. 34. Προσεκλήθη δὲ παρὰ Θεοφυλάκτου πατρικίου καὶ κόμητος τοῦ στάβλου εἰς ἄριστον ὁ παιδαγωγὸς Κωνσταντίνου βασιλέως Θεόδωρος καὶ Συμεὼν ὁ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφός. ἐσθιόντων οὖν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰωάννης δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης ὁ Κουρκούας λεγό μενος μετὰ πλείστου λαοῦ, καὶ τούτους ἀναρπάσας εἰς τὸ Ὀψί κιον ἐξώρισεν ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν προαστείοις ὡς κατὰ τοῦ Ῥωμανοῦ μελετῶντας. 35. Εἰκοστῇ τετάρτῃ τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου μηνὸς τιμᾶται Ῥωμανὸς τῇ τοῦ Καίσαρος ἀξίᾳ, καὶ ∆εκεμβρίῳ μηνὶ δεκάτῃ ἑβδόμῃ τῇ τῶν πατέρων κυριακῇ τῷ τῆς βασιλείας στέφεται διαδήματι παρὰ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ Νικολάου πατριάρχου, 1 καὶ Ἰανουαρίου ʹ, τῇ τῶν ἁγίων φώτων ἡμέρᾳ, στέφει Θεοδώραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. Μαΐῳ δὲ μηνὶ ιζʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος εʹ, Χριστοφόρος ὁ υἱὸς Ῥωμανοῦ ἀναγορεύε ται βασιλεύς, στέφεται δὲ τῇ κδʹ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνὸς παρὰ Κων σταντίνου βασιλέως, τῇ τῆς ἁγίας πεντηκοστῆς ἡμέρᾳ· καὶ μόνοι οὗτοι οἱ δύο ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ