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He said, "Healthy, go away, child, to your father; but know that I am going not to another, but to my true king and lord." And having been saved from there, he went to the ruling city, to the divine church in Blachernae, knowing that Theophilos did not have ordinary faith in it. From where he is honored as magistros, and from then on is named his synteknos, and is promoted to domestikos of the schools. But there are those who say that Manuel resorted to flight 121 to the sons of Hagar, and returned because of the zeal of Theophilos, as has been said, but that he did not flee when accused of sacrilege under Theophilos, but under Michael the Stammerer, his father, whether because of the hatred borne against him, or because he feared his old wrath. And John is ordained bishop of Constantinople on the twenty-first of the month of April, on the first day, having carried off the priesthood as a prize for impiety and unbelief and for not venerating the divine icons. 27 Theophilos, being inquisitive and extremely intent on knowledge of the men who were to be emperors, learned from some people about a certain woman, taken from the Hagarenes during these wars, who was possessed by a spirit of Python. Theophilos therefore brought her to him, and inquired who they were whose reign would last for a long time. And when she prophesied and divined that your successor would be your son and wife, and afterwards that the Martinakioi would hold the empire for a long time, he immediately tonsured this Martinakes for the monastic life, although he was somehow related to him by kinship, and he designated his own house a dwelling place for God and monks. But not only this, but the woman also prophesied many future events; for she indicated that John would be far from the patriarchal throne, and she made clear the restoration of the holy icons. 122 At which Theophilos, becoming pained in soul and always bearing these things as indelible, often and repeatedly chanted incantations to his own wife, and furthermore he advised the logothetes Theoktistos and bound him with a multitude of oaths that John should neither meet with exile nor indeed the icons with veneration. And so much indeed did he investigate and track down matters concerning the empire that from John he clearly foresaw in lecanomancy that the future Basil had assumed such a rule. But not only that, but the woman also made clear to Constantine Triphyllios the things that would happen to him, as he was earnestly begging and inquiring; for both he and his sons were to exchange their clothes for the clerical habit under Basil; which also happened. and that George, who had taken charge of the military rolls, would be killed on the sphendone in the hippodrome, and that his property would be confiscated for the imperial treasury. And these things are thus, according to Plato...... 28 In the following year, both the Hagarenes and Theophilos went out to war against each other, but remained completely inactive, being terrified of each other, and they returned to their own lands. And at the same time, both the Khagan of Khazaria and the Pech sent ambassadors to the emperor Theophilos, requesting that the fortress which is thus called Sarkel be built for them, which is interpreted as White House, and is also on the Tanais river, which separates the Patzinaks from here and the Khazars themselves from there, where also three hundred tax officials of the Khazars are seated, 123 changing in turn according to time. Persuaded by their request and entreaty, Theophilos sent the spatharokandidatos Petronas, surnamed Kamateros, with imperial transport chelandia and the Katepano of Paphlagonia, ordering him to bring their request to completion. As soon as he reached Cherson, he moored the long ships somewhere there and left them on the mainland, and leading the people onto round ships, he was conveyed as far as the Tanais, where also the city

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εφη "ὑγιής, απιθι, τέκνον πρὸς τὸν πατέρα σου· ἐμὲ δὲ ισθι πορευόμενον οὐ πρὸς αλλον, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἐμὸν οντως βασι- λέα καὶ κύριον." διασωθεὶς δ' ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν εἰς τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις θεῖον ἐπεφοιτήκει ναόν, τὸν Θεόφιλον εἰδὼς οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν εχοντα πίστιν εἰς αὐτόν. οθεν καὶ μάγιστρος τιμᾶται, καὶ σύντεκνος εκτοτε χρηματίζει αὐτοῦ, καὶ δομέστικος προβιβάζεται τῶν σχολῶν. εἰσὶ μὲν δ' οι  φυγῇ μὲν χρήσασθαι 121 τὸν Μανουήλ φασι πρὸς τοὺς ἐξΑγαρ, καὶ διὰ τὴν Θεοφίλου, ὡς ειρηται, ἐπανελθόντα σπουδήν, οὐ μὴν καθοσίωσιν ἐγκληθέντα ἐπὶ Θεοφίλου φυγεῖν, ἐπὶ Μιχαὴλ δὲ τοῦ Τραυλοῦ τοῦ τούτου πατρός, ειτε καὶ μίσει τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν φερόμενον, ειτε δὴ καὶ παλαιὰν δεδοικότα μῆνιν αὐτοῦ. Χειροτονεῖται δὲ καὶ ̓Ιαννὴς ἐπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κατὰ τὴν εἰκάδα πρώτην τοῦ ̓Απριλλίου μηνός, ἡμέρᾳ πρώτῃ, αθλον ἀσεβείας καὶ ἀπιστίας καὶ τοῦ μὴ τὰς θείας εἰκόνας προσκυ- νεῖν τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἀπενεγκάμενος. 27 Ζητητικῷ δὲ τῷ Θεοφίλῳ τυγχάνοντι καὶ αγαν ἐγκει- μένῳ περὶ γνώσεως τῶν μελλόντων βασιλεύειν ἀνδρῶν, γύναιόν τι ληφθὲν ἐκ τῶνΑγαρ κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους τούτους Πύθωνος κατεχόμενον πνεύματι παρά τινων ἀνεμάνθανε. τοῦτο ουν ηγαγέ τε παρ' ἑαυτῷ ὁ Θεόφιλος, καὶ τίνες ειεν ων ἡ βασιλεία διαρκέσει ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐπυνθάνετο. ὡς δὲ σοῦ μὲν διάδοχον τὸν σὸν υἱὸν καὶ γαμετὴν ἀπεφοίβασέ τε γενέσθαι καὶ ἐμαντεύσατο, μετέπειτα δὲ τοὺς Μαρτινακίους ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς βασιλείας κατασχεῖν, αὐτίκα τοῦτον τὸν Μαρτινάκην, καί τοί γε προσῳκειωμένον αὐτῷ πως κατὰ συγγένειαν, πρὸς τὸ μονάζειν ἀπέκειρεν, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οικον θεοῦ καὶ μοναχῶν ἐναπέδειξεν ἐνδιαίτημα. οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὰ τῶν μελλόντων τὸ γύναιον ἀπεθέσπισεν· τόν τε γὰρ ̓Ιαννὴν τοῦ πατριαρχικοῦ θρόνου πόρρω που γενέσθαι ἐνεσή- μανεν, καὶ τὴν τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκόνων ἀναστήλωσιν κατεσάφησεν. 122 οις τὴν ψυχὴν ὁ Θεόφιλος ἐπώδυνος γεγονὼς καὶ δυσαπόνιπτα ταῦτα φέρων ἀεὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις ἐπῇδε τῇ ἑαυτοῦ γαμετῇ, πρὸς δὲ καὶ λογοθέτῃ Θεοκτίστῳ παρῄνει καὶ πλήθει κατεδέσμει ορκων τοῦ μήτε τὸν ̓Ιαννὴν ὑπερορίας τυχεῖν μήτε μὴν τὰς εἰκόνας προσ- κυνήσεως. τοσοῦτον δὲ αρα τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἠρεύνα τε καὶ ἐξιχνίαζεν ὡς καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ̓Ιαννοῦ ἐν λεκανομαντείᾳ τὸν μέλλοντα Βασίλειον τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπειληφέναι ἀρχὴν καθαρῶς ἐνιδεῖν. οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν κατὰ τὸν Τριφύλιον τὰ αὐτῷ συμβησόμενα διετράνου τὸ γύναιον, πολλὰ λιπαροῦντα καὶ πυν- θανόμενον· αὐτόν τε γὰρ καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ υἱεῖς κληρικοῦ σχῆμα ἐπὶ τοῦ Βασιλείου διαμειφθῆναι· ο  καὶ γέγονεν. καὶ Γεώργιον δὲ τὸν τὰς στρατιωτικὰς δέλτους ἐπειλημμένον ἐπὶ σφενδόνῃ τῇ κατὰ τὸν ἱππόδρομον ἀποκτανθῆναι, καὶ τὴν υπαρξιν αὐτοῦ τῷ βασιλικῷ ἀνειλῆφθαι ταμείῳ. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ωδέ πῃ κατὰ Πλά- τωνα...... 28 Τῷ δ' ἐπιόντι ετει πρὸς τὸν κατ' ἀλλήλων πόλεμον οι τ' ̓Αγαρηνοὶ καὶ ὁ Θεόφιλος ἐξελθόντες εμειναν απρακτοι παν- τελῶς ἀλλήλους καταπτοούμενοι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπανέστρε- φον. κατὰ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν ο τε χαγάνος Χαζαρίας καὶ ὁ Πὲχ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Θεόφιλον επεμπον πρεσβευτάς, τὸ κάστρον οπερ ουτω Σάρκελ κατονομάζεται αὐτοῖς κτισθῆναι ἐξαι- τούμενοι, οπερ ἑρμηνεύεται μὲν Λευκὸν οικημα, εστι δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Τάναϊν ποταμόν, ος τούς τε Πατζινακίτας ἐντεῦθεν καὶ αὐ- τοὺς διείργει τοὺς Χαζάρους ἐκεῖθεν, ενθα καὶ Χαζάρων ταξεῶται 123 καθέζονται τριακόσιοι κατὰ χρόνον ἐναλλασσόμενοι. ων τῇ αἰ- τήσει καὶ παρακλήσει πεισθεὶς ὁ Θεόφιλος τὸν σπαθαροκανδιδά- τον Πετρωνᾶν τοῦ ἐπονομαζομένου Καματεροῦ, μετὰ χελανδίων βασιλικοπλωΐμων καὶ τοῦ Κατεπάνω τῆς Παφλαγονίας ἀπέστειλεν, εἰς πέρας τὴν τούτων αιτησιν κελεύσας ὑπαγαγεῖν. ος αμα τῷ τὴν Χερσῶνα καταλαβεῖν τὰς μὲν μακρὰς νῆας ἐκεῖσέ που προσ- ορμίσας ἐπὶ τῆς χέρσου κατέλιπεν, τὸν δὲ λαὸν ἐν στρογγύλαις εἰσαγαγὼν ναυσὶ μέχρι τοῦ Τανάϊδος διεβιβάσθη, ενθα καὶ τὴν πόλιν