44

When Symbatios, the prince of princes, was killed by Aposates, the emir of Persis, he took possession absolutely and properly as lord and independent ruler of both the fortress of Manzikert and the rest of the fortresses and lands, who also submitted to the emperor along with his other two brothers, Apolesphouet and Aposelme, because their fortresses were variously warred against and plundered and destroyed and their lands were ravaged by the domestikos of the scholai, providing to the emperor of the Romans also tribute for their fortresses and their villages. From the aforementioned Asotios, the prince of princes, father of Symbatios, and grandfather of the second Asotios and of the magistros Apasakios, until the lifetime of the second Asotios, the prince of princes, these three fortresses were under the authority of the prince of princes, and the prince of princes received tribute from them. But also the fortress of Manzikert with the land of Apachounes and of Kore and of Charka were under the authority and dominion of the same prince of princes, until Aposebatas, the emir of Manzikert, with his two brothers, Apolesphouet and Aposelme, submitted to the emperor, giving also tribute for both their fortresses and their villages; since the prince of princes happens to be a servant of the emperor of the Romans, as being appointed by him and receiving such a dignity, it is clear that also the fortresses and cities and villages ruled by him belong to the emperor of the Romans. That when Symbatios, the prince of princes of greater Armenia, was captured by Aposates, the emir of Persis, and beheaded by him, Aposebatas, who was residing in the fortress of Manzikert, seized the fortress of Chaliat and the fortress of Perkri and the city of Arzes. That the second brother of Aposebatas, Apolesphouet, and his nephew and stepson, Achmet, seized the fortress of Chliat and the fortress of Arzes and the fortress of Altzike, and they themselves submitted to the emperor of the Romans, and came under his authority and also provided tribute, just as also his first brother, Aposebatas, for both their fortresses and their villages. That the third brother of Aposebatas and of Apolesphouet, Aposelmes, held the fortress of Tzermatzou with its villages, and he himself submitted to the emperor of the Romans, and gave tribute, just as also his first brother, Aposebatas, and his second brother, Apolesphouet. That when Aposebatas died, Abderacheim, the son of Aposebatas, took possession of the fortress of Manzikert with its villages and all of its domain, and when Abderacheim died, Apolesphouet, the second brother of Aposebatas and uncle of Abderacheim, took possession of the fortress of Manzikert and all the aforementioned lands, and when he died, the third brother, that is of Aposebatas and of Apolesphouet, Aposelmes, took possession of both Manzikert and all the aforementioned lands. That Aposebatas had sons Abderacheim and Apemouze. That Apolesphouet had a stepson and nephew, Achamet, for he had no son, but he had Achamet his stepson and nephew in place of a son. That Aposelmes had a son, Apelbart, who is now holding Manzikert. That when Aposebatas died, he left Abderacheim, his son, as emir, but his other son, Apelmouze, was very young, for which reason he was disdained from coming to the authority of his father and his brother. That Aposebatas, the first brother, was settled in the fortress of Manzikert, and held, as has been said, these lands, both Apachounes and Kore and Charka, and gave the tribute for them to the emperor of the Romans, and when he died, his son Abderacheim took possession, and he himself also gave

44

Τοῦ δὲ Συμβατίου, τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων, παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποσάται, τοῦ ἀμηρᾶ Περσίδος, ἀναιρεθέντος, ἐκράτησεν αὐθεντῶς καὶ κυρίως ὡς δεσπότης καὶ αὐτοκέφαλος τό τε κάστρον τὸ Μανζικίερτ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κάστρα καὶ τὰς χώρας, ὅστις καὶ ὑπετάγη τῷ βασιλεῖ μετὰ τῶν ἑτέρων δύο ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ τε Ἀπολεσφούετ καὶ τοῦ Ἀποσέλμη, διὰ τὸ διαφόρως καταπολεμηθῆναι τά τε κάστρα καὶ πραιδευθῆναι καὶ ἀφανισθῆναι καὶ τὰς χώρας αὐτῶν παρὰ τοῦ δομεστίκου τῶν σχολῶν, παρέχοντες τὸν βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων καὶ πάκτα ὑπὲρ τῶν κάστρων καὶ τῶν χωρίων αὐτῶν. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ προρρηθέντος Ἀσωτίου, τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων, τοῦ πατρὸς μὲν τοῦ Συμβατίου, πάππου δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου Ἀσωτίου καὶ τοῦ μαγίστρου Ἀπασακίου, μέχρι ζωῆς τοῦ δευτέρου Ἀσωτίου, τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων, ὑπῆρχον τὰ τοιαῦτα τρία κάστρα ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων, καὶ ἐλάμβανεν ἐξ αὐτῶν πάκτα ὁ ἄρχων τῶν ἀρχόντων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ κάστρον τοῦ Μανζικίερτ μετὰ τῆς χώρας τοῦ Ἀπαχουνῆς καὶ τοῦ Κορὴ καὶ τοῦ Χάρκα ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἐπικράτειαν τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων ὑπῆρχεν, ἕως ὅτου Ἀποσεβατᾶς, ὁ ἀμηρᾶς τοῦ Μανζικίερτ, μετὰ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ τε Ἀπολεσφούετ καὶ τοῦ Ἀποσέλμη, ὑπετάγησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, διδόντες καὶ πάκτα ὑπέρ τε τῶν κάστρων καὶ τῶν χωρίων αὐτῶν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν ἀρχόντων δοῦλος τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ῥωμαίων τυγχάνει, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῦ προβαλλόμενος καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον δεχόμενος ἀξίωμα, δηλονότι καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δεσποζόμενα κάστρα καὶ πολιτεῖαι καὶ χωρία τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ῥωμαίων τυγχάνουσιν. Ὅτι τοῦ Συμβατίου, τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων τῆς μεγάλης Ἀρμενίας, κρατηθέντος παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποσάται, τοῦ ἀμηρᾶ Περσίδος, καὶ ἀποκεφαλισθέντος παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἐκράτησεν ὁ Ἀποσεβατᾶς, ὁ καθεζόμενος εἰς τὸ κάστρον τὸ Μανζικίερτ, τὸ κάστρον τὸ Χαλιὰτ καὶ τὸ κάστρον τὸ Περκρὶ καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν τοῦ Ἀρζές. Ὅτι ὁ δεύτερος ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ, ὁ Ἀπολεσφούετ καὶὁ ἀνεψιὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ προγονός, ὁ Ἄχμετ ἐκράτησαν τὸ κάστρον τὸ Χλιὰτ καὶ τὸ κάστρον τὸ Ἀρζὲς καὶ τὸ κάστρον τὸ Ἀλτζικέ, καὶ αὐτοὶὑπετάγησαν τῷ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ παρεῖχον καὶ πάκτα, καθὼς καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἀποσεβατᾶς, ὑπέρ τε τῶν κάστρων καὶ τῶν χωρίων αὐτῶν. Ὅτι ὁ τρίτος ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ καὶ τοῦ Ἀπολεσφούετ,ὁ Ἀποσέλμης, ἐκράτει τὸ κάστρον τὸ Τζερματζοῦ μετὰ καὶ τῶν χωρίων αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπετάγη τῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἐδίδου πάκτα, καθὼς καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἀποσεβατᾶς, καὶ ὁ δεύτερος ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἀπολεσφούετ. Ὅτι τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ τελευτήσαντος, ἐκράτησε τὸ κάστρον τὸ Μανζικίερτ μετὰ τῶν χωρίων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐπικρατείας αὐτοῦ πάσης ὁ Ἀβδεραχείμ, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ, τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἀβδεραχείμ, ἐκράτησεν ὁ Ἀπολεσφούετ, ὁ δεύτερος ἀδελφὸς τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ, θεῖος δὲ τοῦ Ἀβδεραχείμ, τὸ κάστρον τὸ Μανζικίερτ καὶ πάσας τὰς προρρηθείσας χώρας, καὶ αὐτοῦ τελευτήσαντος, ἐκράτησεν ὁ τρίτος ἀδελφός, ἤγουν τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ καὶ τοῦ Ἀπολεσφούετ, ὁ Ἀποσέλμηςτό τε Μανζικίερτ καὶ πάσας τὰς προρρηθείσας χώρας. Ὅτι ὁ Ἀποσεβατᾶς εἶχεν υἱὸν τὸν Ἀβδεραχεὶμ καὶ τὸν Ἀπεμουζέ. Ὅτι ὁ Ἀπολεσφούετ εἶχεν προγονὸν καὶ ἀνεψιὸν τὸν Ἀχάμετ,υἱὸν γὰρ οὐκ εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἀχάμετ τὸν προγονὸν καὶ ἀνεψιὸν αὐτοῦ εἶχεν ἀντὶ υἱοῦ. Ὅτι ὁ Ἀποσέλμης εἶχεν υἱὸν τὸν Ἀπελβάρτ, τὸν ἀρτίως κρατοῦντα τὸ Μανζικίερτ. Ὅτι ἀποθανόντος τοῦ Ἀποσεβατᾶ, κατέλιπε τὸν Ἀβδεραχείμ,τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἀμηρᾶν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἀπελμουζὲ ἦν νήπιος πάνυ, διὸ καὶ κατεφρονήθη ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐξουσίαν. Ὅτι ὁ Ἀποσεβατᾶς, ὁ πρῶτος ἀδελφός, ἐκαθέζετο εἰς τὸ κάστρον τὸ Μανζικίερτ, καὶ ἐκράτει, καθὼς εἴρηται, ταύτας τὰς χώρας, τό τε Ἀπαχουνῆς καὶ τὸ Κορὴ καὶ τὸ Χάρκα, καὶ ἐδίδου τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πάκτα τῷ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεῖ, καὶ τούτου τελευτήσαντος, ἐκράτησεν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἀβδεραχείμ, καὶ ἐδίδου καὶ αὐτὸς