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

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 Symeon in their midst, were acclaiming him as emperor in the language of the Romans. All the members of the senatorial council, standing on the walls, were watching what was happening. It was possible, therefore, to see a soul truly royal and magnanimous, and to admire the intrepidity of his spirit and the stature of his courage, how, seeing such an onslaught of enemies, he was not dismayed and did not retreat, but went forth with a soul so undisturbed as if proceeding into a friendly crowd, all but giving himself as a ransom for his subjects to the enemy. 21 He therefore, arriving first at the aforementioned pier, awaited Symeon. And when hostages had been taken from both sides, and the Bulgarians had searched the landing-stage carefully, lest there be any trickery or ambush, Symeon came down from his horse and went in to the emperor. And having greeted one another, they began to speak of peace. The emperor is said to have spoken to Symeon: "I have heard that you are a God-fearing man and a true Christian, but I see that your deeds in no way match your words. For it is characteristic of a God-fearing man and a Christian to love peace and embrace love, since God both is and is called love, but it is characteristic of an impious and unbelieving man to rejoice in slaughters and in blood unjustly shed. If, then, you are a true Christian, as we have been informed, put an end at last to the unjust slaughters and the sheddings of unholy blood, and 901 make a treaty of peace with us Christians, being and being called a Christian yourself, and do not wish to defile the right hand of Christians with the blood of fellow Christians. You too are a man expecting death and resurrection and retribution. Today you exist, and tomorrow you will be dissolved into dust. A single fever will extinguish all your arrogance. What account then will you give to God when you have departed hence for the unjust slaughters? With what face will you gaze upon the fearsome and just judge? If you do these things out of a desire for wealth, I will fill you to satiety with what you desire; only stay your right hand. Embrace peace. Love concord, so that you yourself may live a peaceful, bloodless, and untroubled life, and the Christians may at last cease from their misfortunes, and cease slaying Christians; for it is not lawful for them to take up arms against fellow believers." Having said so much, the emperor fell silent. Symeon, therefore, respecting his humility and his words, consented to make peace. Having therefore greeted one another they parted, after the emperor had received Symeon with magnificent gifts. 22. And I shall narrate a prodigious and incredible thing that happened then, for those who know how to interpret such things. They say that as the emperors were conversing, two eagles flew over them from above, cried out and came together with each other, and immediately were parted from one another, and one went over the city, while the other flew over to Thrace. 902 Those who carefully observe such things did not judge this a good omen; for they said that both would be separated irreconcilable to peace. Symeon, on reaching his own camp, reported to his magnates the emperor's intelligence and humility, and he extolled his appearance and his strength and the intrepidity of his spirit. 23. On the 25th of the month of December, Romanos crowned his sons in the great church, Stephen and Constantine. But also Patriarch Nicholas tonsured his son Theophylact, a eunuch, as a cleric, having ordained him subdeacon and appointed him syncellus, after he had first served in the order of subdeacons in the sanctuary. 24. On the 19th of the month of April, Romanos honored John the mystikos and paradynasteuon as patrician and proconsul, so that because of this very thing, envy was stirred up against him and he was accused by certain people. 25. On the 15th of the month of May, in the 13th indiction, Patriarch Nicholas ended his life, having held the patriarchate for 13 years in his second accession. And his body was laid to rest in the monastery of Galakrenai, which had been founded by him. In the month of August a patriarch is appointed

ἀργυροασπίδων καὶ ἀργυροδοράτων, τῶν δὲ πάσῃ ὅπλων χροιᾷ κεκοσμημένων, πάντων πεφραγμένων σι 900 δήρῳ, οἳ μέσον αὐτῶν διειληφότες τὸν Συμεὼν ὡς βασιλέα εὐφή μουν τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων φωνῇ. πάντες δὲ οἱ τῆς συγκλήτου βου λῆς τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐφεστῶτες ἐθεώρουν τὰ δρώμενα. ἦν οὖν ἰδεῖν τὴν ψυχὴν βασιλικὴν τῷ ὄντι καὶ μεγαλόφρονα, καὶ θαυμάσαι τὸ τοῦ φρονήματος ἀκατάπληκτον καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀνδρίας παράστημα, ὅπως τοσαύτην πολεμίων ὁρῶν ἐπιφορὰν οὐ κατεπλάγη καὶ ὑπε χώρησεν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εἰς φίλιον χωρῶν πλῆθος τὴν ψυχὴν οὕτως ἀτρεμὴς ἀπῄει, μόνον οὐχὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις τῶν ὑπηκόων διδοὺς ἀντίλυτρον. 21 πρῶτος οὖν ἐν τῇ ῥηθείσῃ ἀναβάθρᾳ κατα λαβὼν τὸν Συμεὼν ἐξεδέχετο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὅμηρα ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἐλή φθησαν τῶν μερῶν, καὶ τὴν ἀποβάθραν οἱ Βούλγαροι διηρευνή σαντο ἀκριβῶς, μήπω τις δόλος ἢ ἐνέδρα τυγχάνει, κατῆλθε Συμεὼν τοῦ ἵππου καὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰσῆλθεν. ἀσπασάμενοι δὲ ἀλλήλους εἰρήνης λόγους ἐκίνησαν. εἰπεῖν δὲ λέγεται τὸν βα σιλέα πρὸς Συμεών "ἀκήκοά σε θεοσεβῆ ἄνθρωπον ὄντα καὶ Χρι στιανὸν ὑπάρχειν ἀληθινόν, βλέπω δὲ τὰ ἔργα μηδαμῶς τοῖς λό γοις συμβαίνοντα. ἴδιον μὲν γὰρ θεοσεβοῦς ἀνδρὸς καὶ Χριστια νοῦ τὸ τὴν εἰρήνην ἀγαπᾶν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἀσπάζεσθαι, εἴπερ ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη καὶ ἔστι καὶ λέγεται, ἀσεβοῦς δὲ καὶ ἀπίστου τὸ χαί ρειν σφαγαῖς καὶ αἵμασιν ἀδίκως ἐκχεομένοις. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀληθὴς Χριστιανὸς ὑπάρχεις, καθὼς πεπληροφορήμεθα, στῆσόν ποτε τὰς ἀδίκους σφαγὰς καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνοσίων αἱμάτων ἐκχύσεις, καὶ 901 σπεῖσαι μεθ' ἡμῶν Χριστιανῶν εἰρήνην Χριστιανὸς καὶ αὐτὸς ὢν καὶ ὀνομαζόμενος, καὶ μὴ θέλε μολύνεσθαι Χριστιανῶν δεξιὰν αἵμασιν ὁμοπίστων Χριστιανῶν. ἄνθρωπος εἶ καὶ αὐτὸς θάνα τον προσδοκῶν καὶ ἀνάστασιν καὶ ἀνταπόδοσιν. σήμερον ὑπάρ χεις, καὶ αὔριον εἰς κόνιν διαλυθήσῃ. εἷς πυρετὸς ἅπαν κατα σβέσει τὸ φρύαγμα. τίνα οὖν λόγον δώσεις τῷ θεῷ ἐκεῖ ἀπελθὼν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδίκων σφαγῶν; ποίῳ προσώπῳ τῷ φοβερῷ καὶ δικαίῳ ἐνατενίσεις κριτῇ; εἰ πλούτου ἐρῶν ταῦτα ποιεῖς, ἐγώ σε κατακό ρως τοῦ ἐπιθυμουμένου ἐμπλήσω· μόνον ἐπίσχες τὴν δεξιάν σου. ἄσπασαι τὴν εἰρήνην. ἀγάπησον τὴν ὁμόνοιαν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς βίον ζήσῃς εἰρηνικὸν καὶ ἀναίμακτον καὶ ἀπράγμονα, καὶ οἱ Χρι στιανοὶ παύσονταί ποτε τῶν συμφορῶν, καὶ παύσονται τοὺς Χρι στιανοὺς ἀναιρεῖν· οὐ θέμις γὰρ αὐτοῖς αἴρειν ὅπλα κατὰ ὁμοπί στων." τοσαῦτα οὖν εἰπὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐσίγησεν. αἰδεσθεὶς οὖν ὁ Συμεὼν τὴν τούτου ταπείνωσιν καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ κατένευσε τὴν εἰρήνην ποιήσασθαι. ἀσπασάμενοι οὖν ἀλλήλους διεχωρίσθη σαν, δώροις μεγαλοπρεπέσι τοῦ βασιλέως δεξιωσαμένου τὸν Συ μεών. 22. Ὃ δὲ τότε συμβέβηκε διηγήσομαι τεράστιόν τι καὶ τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα συγκρίνειν εἰδόσι παράδοξον. δύο φασὶν ἀετοὺς τῶν βασιλέων ὁμιλούντων ἄνωθεν αὐτῶν ὑπερπτῆναι κλάγξαι τε καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους συμμῖξαι, καὶ παραυτίκα διαζευχθῆναι ἀλλή λων, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν διελθεῖν, τὸν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην 902 διαπτῆναι. τοῦτο οἱ ἀκριβῶς τὰ τοιαῦτα σκοποῦντες οὐ καλὸν ἔκριναν οἰωνόν· ἀσυμβάτους γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἀμφοτέρους δια λυθήσεσθαι ἔφασαν. Συμεὼν δὲ τὸ αὐτοῦ στρατόπεδον καταλα βὼν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μεγιστᾶσιν τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπήγγειλε σύνεσιν καὶ ταπείνωσιν, ἐξεθείαζέ τε αὐτοῦ τὸ εἶδος τήν τε ῥώμην καὶ τὸ ἀκατάπληκτον τοῦ φρονήματος. 23. ∆εκεμβρίῳ δὲ μηνὶ κεʹ ἔστεψε Ῥωμανὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ, Στέφανόν τε καὶ Κωνσταντῖνον. ἀλλὰ καὶ Θεοφύλακτον εὐνοῦχον υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ὁ πατριάρχης Νικό λαος ἀπέκειρε κληρικόν, χειροτονήσας ὑποδιάκονον σύγκελλόν τε προχειρισάμενος, διελθόντα πρότερον ἐν τῷ τῶν ὑποδιακόνων τάγματι εἰς τὰ ἅγια. 24. Ἀπριλλίῳ δὲ μηνὶ ιθʹ ἐτίμησε Ῥωμανὸς Ἰωάννην μυστικὸν καὶ παραδυναστεύοντα πατρίκιον καὶ ἀνθύπατον, ὥστε δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο φθόνον κινηθῆναι αὐτῷ καὶ κατηγορηθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπό τινων. 25. Μαΐῳ δὲ μηνὶ ιεʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ιγʹ, τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον ὁ πατριάρχης Νικόλαος, κρατήσας ἐν τῇ βʹ αὐτοῦ· ἀναβάσει τοῦ πατριαρχείου ἔτη ιγʹ. καὶ ἀπετέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κτισθείσῃ μονῇ τῶν Γαλακρηνῶν. Αὐγούστῳ δὲ μηνὶ πα τριάρχης καθίσταται