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sealing the words about him, the emperor, having seen him and being carried away by the praises, somehow ordered the man to mount a horse and, taking two spears, to show his skill and prowess to the whole city. And when this had been done and was providing delight to the more inexperienced by the sight, Theodore, called Krateros, who also shortly after became leader of the phalanx of the 42 holy martyrs, approaching the emperor, was mocking the Hagarene, saying he was demonstrating nothing manly nor astonishing. At which the emperor grew angry and said, "But do you yourself have the strength, you effeminate and unmanly one, to do such a thing?" And he immediately said, "Two spears indeed, O emperor, not having learned, I am not able to handle; for not even in war is there need of such idle display; but using one spear I have firm trust in God that I will both cast this man down and throw him from his horse." The emperor, then, not bearing his frankness, said surely, invoking an oath upon his own head, that he would deliver the holy man to death, if he did not indeed put his words into 116 action. So Theodore, mounting a horse and taking a spear in his hands, quicker than words can say, in not many turns threw down the Saracen, and in no way gave him reason to be proud. The emperor, therefore, was ashamed, since he saw the Saracen thrown down by a eunuch and not some noble man, but being ever cunning and respecting the man's virtue, he treated him kindly with words, and respecting his way of life he presented robes and garments to him. 24And now again as spring was beginning and arming the combatants against each other, Theophilos, having gathered a great force, went out against the Saracens, and having rescued the holy Methodios from prison and taking him with him, doing this not only now and for the first time but always and keeping him somewhere near, either for the sake of resolving obscure matters and things unknown to many and making them known to him on account of the wisdom inherent in him (for Theophilos happened to be a great inquirer into secret things), or being on guard against suffering some rebellions from him on account of the war against the holy and venerable icons. For he seemed to honor the man not a little and to revere the excellence and piety of his way of life; for this very reason to take him with him and not to leave him behind seemed honorable to him. And indeed when the armies clashed with each other, and the Ishmaelites were prevailing, it happened that the 117 emperor, somehow having been surrounded by the enemy, was in danger for his life, at which time indeed Manuel the general, considering it a terrible thing and beyond terrible for the emperor to become a captive of the spear, having encouraged those around him and saying, "O men, respect the bees, which being struck by affection for the king, fly after him," he charged in like some lion being struck for his cubs, seeking the emperor. But when he found him exhausted and despairing of salvation out of cowardice, but pretending that he did not want to abandon his people and flee, he said, "Come then, O emperor, follow me as I make a wide path through the phalanx and slaughter many." But as Manuel went out and did not have the emperor following, who was very afraid and cowering, again he broke through the phalanx with many men, wanting to rescue him. But as he failed again, a third time also with a firmer spirit he cut through the phalanx that held the emperor, and he had come near him, so that he was able to tie his charging horse with straps and drag him out again. The man was wounded in his soul, fearing that the emperor of the Romans would become a captive and a footstool for the enemy; from where, making his return at once swifter and more skillful, and having threatened him with death if he would not follow him, late and with difficulty he saved him from the danger, with a few men warding off the 118 battle from behind, and brought him to his own men. For which reason with honors him

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περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγους ἐπισφραγίζων, ἐκέλευσέ πως ἰδὼν ὁ βασι- λεύς, καὶ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις κλαπείς, ιππον τε τὸν ανδρα ἐπιβῆναι καὶ δόρατα λαβόντα δύο τὴν εὐφυΐαν τούτου καὶ ἀριστείαν ἁπάσῃ τῇ πόλει ἐνδείξασθαι. καὶ δὴ τούτου γενομένου καὶ τοῖς ἀπειροτέ- ροις τέρψιν παρέχοντος τῇ ὁράσει, Θεόδωρος ὁ Κρατερὸς ουτω λεγόμενος, ὁ καὶ μετὰ βραχὺ ἀρχηγὸς τῆς τῶν ἁγίων μβʹ μαρτύ- ρων φάλαγγος γεγονώς, πλησιάζων τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐξεμυκτήριζε τὸν ̓Αγαρηνόν, ἀνδρεῖον οὐδὲν φάσκων οὐδὲ καταπληκτικὸν ἐνδεικνύ- μενον. ῳ  καὶ χαλεπήνας ὁ βασιλεύς "ἀλλὰ δι' ἰσχύος εχεις αὐτός, ω θηλυδρία καὶ ανανδρε, τοιοῦτόν τι ἐργάσασθαι;" καὶ ος αὐ- τίκα "δύο μέν, βασιλεῦ, μὴ μαθὼν οὐδὲ μεταχειρίσασθαι δόρατα δύναμαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν πολέμῳ τοιαύτης χρεία ἀδολεσχίας· ἑνὶ δὲ δόρατι χρώμενος τὴν εἰς θεὸν πεποίθησιν εχω βεβαίαν ὡς κρη- μνίσω τε τοῦτον καὶ τοῦ ιππου καταβαλῶ." τὴν παρρησίαν γοῦν μὴ φέρων ὁ βασιλεὺς η μὴν εφησε, κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὸν ορκον ἐπαγαγών, θανάτῳ παραδοῦναι τὸν αγιον, εἰ μὴ τοὺς λό- 116 γους οντως εἰς εργον ἀγάγοιεν. ιππον ουν ἀναβὰς ὁ Θεόδωρος καὶ δόρυ λαβὼν ἐν χεροῖν θᾶττον η  λόγος ἐν οὐ πολλαῖς περιόδοις τὸν Σαρακηνὸν κατεκρήμνισε, καὶ μέγα τούτῳ φρονεῖν δέδωκεν οὐδα- μῶς. ὁ μὲν ουν βασιλεὺς ᾐσχύνθη ατε δὴ καταβεβλημένον ἰδὼν τὸν Σαρακηνὸν ὑπ' ἀνδρὸς εὐνούχου καὶ οὐ γενναίου τινός, παν- οῦργος δὲ τέως ων καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν αἰδούμενος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐφιλο- φρονήσατο μὲν λόγοις αὐτόν, στολάς τε καὶ περιβολὰς αὐτῷ τὴν πολιτείαν αἰδούμενος ἐδωρήσατο. 24Αρτι δὲ πάλιν τοῦ εαρος ἱσταμένου καὶ τοὺς μαχητὰς κατ' ἀλλήλων ὁπλίζοντος, ὁ Θεόφιλος δύναμιν πολλὴν ἠθροικὼς κατὰ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν εξεισι, καὶ τὸν οσιον Μεθόδιον τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἀναρρυσάμενος καὶ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπαγόμενος, οὐ νῦν μόνον καὶ πρῶτον ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τοῦτο ποιῶν καὶ πλησίον που εχων αὐτόν, ειτε τοῦ ἀσαφῆ ενεκεν καὶ πολλοῖς αγνωστα διαλύειν καὶ γνώριμα τού- τῳ ποιεῖν διὰ τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ σοφίαν (καὶ γὰρ ἐτύγχανε τῶν ἀποκρυφῶν αγαν ζητητικὸς ὁ Θεόφιλος), ειτε δή τινας ἐπανα- στάσεις φυλαττόμενος παρ' αὐτοῦ παθεῖν διὰ τὸν κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ σεπτῶν εἰκόνων πόλεμον. οὐ μικρῶς γὰρ ἐδόκει τιμᾶν τὸν ανδρα καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ τῆς πολιτείας εκκριτον καὶ φιλόθεον· διά τοι τοῦτο αγειν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀλλ' οὐ κατόπιν ἀπολιμπάνειν ἐφαί- νετο τούτῳ σεμνόν. καὶ δῆτα προσπεσόντων ἀλλήλοις τῶν στρα- τευμάτων, καὶ τῶν ̓Ισμαηλιτῶν καθυπερτερούντων, συνέβη τὸν 117 βασιλέα πως περικυκλωθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κινδυνεύειν περὶ ψυχῆς, οτε δὴ καὶ Μανουὴλ ὁ στρατηγέτης δεινὸν ἡγησάμενος καὶ πέρα τοῦτο δεινὸν δορυάλωτον βασιλέα γενέσθαι, τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ἀναθαρρύνας καὶ "ω ανδρες" εἰπών, "τὰς μελίσσας αἰδεῖ- σθε, αι  τοῦ βασιλέως κατόπιν τῷ φίλτρῳ βαλλόμεναι πέτανται," εἰσῄει ωσπερ τις λέων περὶ τῶν τέκνων βαλλόμενος, τὸν βασιλέα ζητῶν. ὡς δ' ευρεν ἀποκαμόντα καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν μὲν ὑπὸ δει- λίας ἀπογνόντα, προφασιζόμενον δὲ ὡς μὴ βούλεσθαι τὸν λαὸν λιπόντα διαφυγεῖν, "αγε δή" εφησεν, "ω βασιλεῦ, ἀκολούθει μοι εὐρεῖαν τὴν φάλαγγα ποιοῦντι καὶ πολλοὺς ἀποσφάττοντι." ὡς δ' ὁ Μανουὴλ ἐξῄει καὶ τὸν ἑπόμενον δεδιότα πολλὰ καὶ κατεπτη- χότα βασιλέα οὐκ ειχεν, αυθις ἐρρήγνυ μετὰ πολλῶν τὴν φάλαγ- γα, τοῦτον ἐξελέσθαι βουλόμενος. ὡς δ' ἡμάρτανεν αυθις, καὶ τρίτον δὲ ἐκ στερροτέρας ψυχῆς τὴν συνέχουσαν φάλαγγα τὸν βα- σιλέα διέκοψεν, καὶ πλησίον ἐγεγόνει τούτου, ὡς καὶ ἱμᾶσι τὸν ἐπιφέροντα τοῦτον ἐπιδῆσαι ιππον καὶ αυθις ὑπεξερύσασθαι ἐτύγ- χανεν. ἐτρώθη τὴν ψυχὴν ὁ ἀνήρ, βασιλέα ̔Ρωμαίων αἰχμάλω- τον γενέσθαι φοβούμενος καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑποπόδιον· οθεν ταχυ- τέραν αμα καὶ δεξιωτέραν τὴν ὑποστροφὴν ποιήσας, καὶ θάνατον ἀπειλήσας αὐτῷ εἰ μὴ τούτῳ συνακολουθήσειεν, ὀψὲ καὶ μόλις τοῦ κινδύνου διέσωσεν, ὀλίγων τινῶν κατόπιν διακρουόντων τὸν 118 πόλεμον, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἐγκατέλεξε. διὸ τιμαῖς τε τοῦτον