and many others. Therefore, having barely been saved, he entered into the dromon. And Alexios Mouseles the droungarios also came fleeing, armed, with a dromon; and not being strong enough to climb up the 894 ladder of the dromon, falling into the sea with his protomandator, he was drowned. But the Argyroi, having fled into the little fort, were saved. But the sailors and all the rest of the multitude, some fleeing the hands of the enemy were drowned in the sea, others became the prey of the sword, and others were taken captive by Bulgarian hands. And the Bulgarians, having no one to hinder them, both set fire to the palaces of Pege and burned down the whole of the Stenon. Thus, indeed, a terrible thing is lack of counsel and inexperience having recklessness as an ally. 10. And on the twentieth day of the month of February, the 10th indiction, Theodora, wife of Romanos, dies; and her body was laid in the house of the emperor Romanos himself, which had been converted by him into a monastery. 11. In the same month Sophia, the wife of the emperor Christopher, is crowned. At that time also an Iberian kouropalates arrived in the city, and passing through the middle of the forum, which was splendidly decorated, he was received with much glory and honor; whom they also brought into the Holy Wisdom of God, that he might see its beauty and size and its costly decoration. For having beautified it and draped it with gold-embroidered cloths and all sorts of ornaments, thus they brought him into it. But he, being astonished at the wonderful and immense work of the church and marvelling exceedingly at the costly decoration, 895 and saying that this place was truly a dwelling of God, returned again to his own lands. 12. In the month of June, when the Bulgarians had again campaigned and come as far as the palaces of Saint Theodora and had given these over to fire, the emperor Romanos called together the commanders of the tagmata to a breakfast, the so-called Saktikes being with them, and he advised and urged them to go out against the enemy and fight for the fatherland. And they readily agreed to die for his empire and for the Christians. Therefore, on the next day the aforementioned Saktikes, having been armed by the emperor, demonstrated that his own faith and courage were true; for, getting behind the Bulgarians and falling upon their camp, he slaughtered all those found there. The Bulgarians, therefore, learning what had happened, return to the camp, and when the battle was joined, they put to flight Saktikes who was with a few men. And he, since after fighting bravely and killing many he was no longer able to hold out against the multitude of the enemy, let go the reins of his horse and rode in flight. And while crossing a certain river flowing by there, when his horse got stuck in the mud, he is wounded in the buttock and the thigh. Therefore, when his horse was with difficulty pulled out of the mud, with his subordinates helping, he is saved as far as Bla 896 chernae, and is placed in the holy reliquary. Since the wound was mortal, he died during the night. 13. At that time also Petronas, a most venerable man, by order of the emperor Romanos, brought a sarcophagus decorated with figures and two others devoid of carving from the men's monastery of Saint Mamas, which is near the so-called Xylokerkos gate, in which they say Maurice lies buried with his children; which were also deposited in the monastery of the emperor, that is, at the Myrelaion. 14. And a certain Adrianos, a Chaldian, and also Tzantzes, a very rich Armenian, at the suggestion and counsel of Bardas Boilas, who was strategos in Chaldia, plotted tyranny and rebellion against the emperor Romanos, having seized the fortress called Paiperte; whom John Krokouas, the domestikos of the scholae, having defeated in war, captured some, of whom he blinds the more distinguished, having confiscated their property, but the poor and insignificant he commanded to go away unharmed wherever they wished. But Tzantzes, having escaped into another very strong fortress and having received a promise of immunity, had entered the city, and having been honored with the rank of manglabites, was living under guard in the house of the manga, but planning an escape he is caught and of his eyes 897

καὶ πολλοὶ ἕτεροι. μόλις οὖν διασωθεὶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν δρό μωνα. ἦλθε δὲ φεύγων ἔνοπλος μετὰ δρόμωνος καὶ Ἀλέξιος δρουγγάριος ὁ Μουσηλέ· καὶ μὴ ἰσχύσας ἀνελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ 894 δρόμωνος ἀναβάθραν, πεσὼν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ σὺν τῷ αὐτοῦ πρω τομανδάτωρι ἀπεπνίγη. οἱ Ἀργυροὶ δὲ ἐν τῷ καστελλίῳ φυγόν τες διεσώθησαν. πλώϊμοι δὲ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἅπαν πλῆθος, οἱ μὲν τὰς τῶν πολεμίων χεῖρας φεύγοντες ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἀπεπνίγησαν, οἱ δὲ σιδήρου γεγόνασι παρανάλωμα, οἱ δὲ χερσὶ Βουλγαρικαῖς αἰχμάλωτοι συνελήφθησαν. οἱ δὲ Βούλγαροι μηδένα τὸν κω λύοντα ἔχοντες τά τε παλάτια τῶν Πηγῶν ἐπυρπόλησαν καὶ τὸ Στενὸν ἅπαν κατέκαυσαν. οὕτως ἄρα δεινὸν ἀβουλία καὶ ἀπειρία θρασύτητα σύμμαχον ἔχουσα. 10. Εἰκάδι δὲ Φεβρουαρίῳ μηνὶ κʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ιʹ, Θεο δώρα σύμβιος Ῥωμανοῦ τελευτᾷ· καὶ κατετέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμανοῦ, τῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς μονα στήριον ἀμειφθέντι. 11. Τῷ δ' αὐτῷ μηνὶ στέφεται Σοφία ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοφόρου γυνή. τηνικαῦτα δὲ καὶ κουροπαλάτης Ἴβηρ ἐν τῇ πόλει παρεγένετο, καὶ διὰ μέσης τῆς ἀγορᾶς διελθὼν κεκοσμη μένης λαμπρῶς μετὰ δόξης πολλῆς καὶ τιμῆς ὑπεδέχθη· ὃν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίᾳ εἰσήγαγον, τὸ κάλλος αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ μέ γεθος θεασόμενον καὶ τὸν πολυτελῆ κόσμον. καλλωπίσαντες γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ περιστείλαντες πέπλοις χρυσοϋφέσι καὶ κόσμῳ παντοίῳ, οὕτω εἰσήγαγον ἐν αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ τὸ θαυμαστὸν καὶ ὑπερμέγεθες τοῦ ναοῦ ἔργον καταπλαγεὶς καὶ τὸν πολυτελῆ κόσμον ὑπερθαυ 895 μάσας, καὶ ἀληθῶς θεοῦ κατοικίαν εἶναι τὸν χῶρον τοῦτον εἰπών, αὖθις ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα. 12. Ἰουνίῳ δὲ μηνὶ τῶν Βουλγάρων πάλιν ἐκστρατευσάν των καὶ μέχρι τῶν τῆς ἁγίας Θεοδώρας παλατίων ἐλθόντων καὶ ταῦτα πυρὶ παραδόντων, εἰς ἄριστον ὁ βασιλεὺς Ῥωμανὸς τοὺς τῶν ταγμάτων ἄρχοντας συνεκάλεσε, συνόντος αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῦ λε γομένου Σακτίκη, καὶ παρῄνει τούτοις καὶ προετρέπετο κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐξελθεῖν καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ὑπεραγωνίσασθαι. οἱ δὲ συνέθεντο ἑτοίμως τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας καὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ὑπερ αποθνήσκειν. τῇ οὖν ἐπαύριον καθοπλισθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ βασι λέως ὁ εἰρημένος Σακτίκης ἀληθῆ οὖσαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πίστιν τε καὶ ἀνδρίαν ἀπέδειξεν· ὄπισθεν γὰρ τῶν Βουλγάρων γενόμενος καὶ εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον αὐτῶν ἐμπεσὼν πάντας τοὺς ἐκεῖ εὑρεθέντας κατέσφαξεν. μαθόντες οὖν οἱ Βούλγαροι τὸ γεγονὸς ὑποστρέ φουσιν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, καὶ πολέμου συγκροτηθέντος τρέπουσι τὸν Σακτίκην σὺν ὀλίγοις ὑπάρχοντα. ὁ δὲ ἐπειδὴ γενναίως ἀγω νισάμενος πολλοὺς ἀνελὼν οὐκέτι ἀντέχειν ἠδύνατο πρὸς τὸ πλῆ θος τῶν πολεμίων, μεθίησι τοῦ ἵππου τὸν χαλινὸν καὶ εἰς φυγὴν ἤλαυνεν. ποταμὸν δέ τινα ἐκεῖσε παραρρέοντα διαπερῶν, τοῦ ἵππου αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἰλΰι ἐμπαγέντος, τιτρώσκεται κατὰ τῆς ἕδρας καὶ τοῦ μηροῦ. μόλις οὖν τοῦ ἵππου ἐκ τῆς ἰλύος ἀνασπασθέν τος, συνεργούντων τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα, διασώζεται μέχρι τῶν Βλα 896 χερνῶν, καὶ τίθεται ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σορῷ. καιρίας τῆς πληγῆς οὔσης τῇ νυκτὶ ἐτελεύτησε. 13. Τηνικαῦτα δὲ καὶ Πετρωνᾶς αἰδεσιμώτατος, προστά ξει Ῥωμανοῦ βασιλέως, ἤγαγε λάρνακα ἔνζῳδον καὶ ἕτερα δύο γλυφῆς ἀμοιροῦντα ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Μάμαντος μονῆς ἀνδρείας, τῆς πλησίον οὔσης τῆς Ξυλοκέρκου λεγομένης πόρτης, ἐν οἷς φασὶν ἐναποκεῖσθαι Μαυρίκιον σὺν τοῖς αὐτοῦ παισίν· ἃ καὶ ἀπετέθη ἐν τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως μονῇ ἤτοι εἰς τὸ Μυρέλαιον. 14. Ἀδριανὸς δέ τις Χάλδος, πρὸς δὲ καὶ Τζάντζης Ἀρμένιος πλούσιος πάνυ, τῇ ὑποθήκῃ καὶ συμβουλῇ Βάρδα τοῦ Βόϊλα στρατηγοῦντος ἐν Χαλδίᾳ, τυραννίδα καὶ ἀνταρσίαν κατὰ Ῥωμανοῦ βασιλέως συσκευάζουσι, τὸ Παΐπερτε λεγόμενον ὀχύ ρωμα κατασχόντες· οὓς ὁ τῶν σχολῶν δομέστικος Ἰωάννης ὁ Κροκόας καταπολεμήσας τοὺς μὲν κατέσχεν, ὧν τοὺς περιφανε στέρους ἀποτυφλοῖ, τὰς οὐσίας αὐτῶν δημεύσας, τοὺς δὲ πενι χροὺς καὶ ἀσήμους ἀθῴους κελεύσας ὅποι βούλοιντο ἀπιέναι. Τζάντζης δὲ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ὀχυρωτάτῳ καστελλίῳ διαφυγὼν καὶ λόγον ἀπαθείας δεξάμενος ἐν τῇ πόλει εἰσεληλύθει, καὶ τῇ τοῦ μαγγλα βίτου ἀξίᾳ τιμηθεὶς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῶν μαγγάνων διῃτᾶτο τηρούμε νος, δρασμὸν δὲ βουλευσάμενος ἁλίσκεται καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν 897