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and in what he was engaged. And so the emperor ordered them to inquire and to give the answers to this one. And upon hearing each of the things that were said, since good news was of necessity reported, they were clearly accepting it and giving thanks to God. 19. On the twenty-ninth of the month Maimakterion, on which the feast of the Holy Apostles is also celebrated, in the second year of the emperor's campaign, something of this sort happened, which was indeed the beginning of great evils for the Porphyrogennetos Constantine. For since it was the feast and it was necessary for gatherings of the magnates to be held with the emperor and visits of the matrons to the Augusta, many other and very great ladies came, and there also came the noble old woman Strategopoulina, the niece of John Doukas the emperor, and wife of Constantine Strategopoulos, who was later blinded by her son and emperor. But since the time had not yet called for her to go in to the Augusta, she was sitting somewhere outside awaiting the summons. But there also arrived the wife of the Porphyrogennetos, 155 with fitting delicacy and luxury, with many attendants and followers. And when she approached her aunt or rather her grandmother (for her paternal grandmother was the first cousin of this lady, since she was born of the emperor's brother who held the rank of sebastokrator, while the other's grandmother was from the other of the brothers, who was married to the protovestiarios Raoul Alexios), when, at any rate, as she drew near, the old woman should have risen from her chair according to propriety, yielding second place to the Augusta, she, partly due to old age and partly as if to a child, and scorning a descendant, did not rise in the least, excusing herself to her only by pleading her old age and the weakness of old age. Immediately the other felt insulted and her anger was unrestrained, that though she was the emperor's daughter-in-law and the wife of a man above despots, she received none of the honors she was due from one who was indeed related to the emperor, but was considered a private citizen since her husband had attained no rank while he lived. She turned her anger into grief, and with weeping and wailing she consecrated her suffering. This incident did not escape her husband. And he, being himself ambitious, and furthermore having his thoughts 156 bent by the laments of his wife, thought it right to grieve the old woman in return and to console his own wife by an insult toward her. And indeed he could do nothing irreparable to her, since she was noble and considered a grandmother to the emperor; but she had a servant named Constantine Maurozomes, with whom it was said she had secret intercourse. And this indeed seemed to him the clever thing, whereby, with that man being dishonored, the rumor circulating about her might be triumphantly confirmed by the powerful. Therefore, sending at once and seizing the man, who knew nothing of what had happened, he strips him completely in dishonor and orders his own men to parade him in triumph through the entire marketplace; at the same time, they also inflicted terrible and numerous blows. When this happened and was reported to the emperor, he was greatly vexed at the audacity, and was deeply troubled that while he, the emperor, was present, that man, paying no heed to anyone, would do these things, and for such a cause. Nevertheless, restraining his anger, he gave orders at once, and with difficulty, but nevertheless with his authority prevailing, the one being punished was set free. From this, wrath with anger melted into the emperor, and he turned over terrible thoughts as to how he might humble the one 157 who was being insolent beyond measure, taking the event personally and regarding the appearance of being scorned as a terrible thing, and he turned his face away from his brother, and neglected him when he was absent, and when he approached, he did not give him cheerful looks, and when riding with him he removed his proximity, and he pretended to withhold the honor of familiar conversation which he had previously enjoyed. For he too was in truth involved in affairs with greater authority, with many serving under him, and with much

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καὶ τίσι διάγων ἐνασχο λοῖτο. καὶ δὴ προσέταττε βασιλεὺς ἐκείνοις τε πυνθάνεσθαι καὶ τούτῳ διδόναι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις. καί γ' ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν λεγομέ νων ἀκούοντες, ἐπεὶ καὶ χρηστὰ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἠγγέλλοντο, προσα ποδεχόμενοι δῆλοι ἦσαν εὐχαριστοῦντες θεῷ. 19. Τῆς δ' εἰκοστῆς ἐνάτης μηνὸς Μαιμακτηριῶνος, καθ' ἣν καὶ ἡ τῶν Ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ἑορτὴ τελεῖται, διετείας τρεχούσης ἐστρατοπεδευμένῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, γίνεταί τι τοιοῦτον, ὃ δὴ καὶ κακῶν ἦρξε μεγάλων τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ ἑορτὴ ἦν καὶ ἔδει συνάξεις μὲν τῶν μεγιστάνων πρὸς βασιλέα προσόδους δὲ καὶ τῶν ματρωνῶν παρὰ τὴν Αὐγοῦ σταν γίνεσθαι, ἀπήντων μὲν καὶ ἄλλαι πλεῖσται καὶ μέγισται, ἀπήντα δὲ καὶ ἡ εὐγενὴς γραῦς Στρατηγοπουλῖνα, ἡ τοῦ Ἰωάν νου μὲν τοῦ ∆ούκα καὶ βασιλέως ἀδελφιδῆ, Κωνσταντίνῳ δὲ τῷ Στρατηγοπούλῳ τῷ καὶ ὕστερον τυφλωθέντι παρὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ βασιλέως συνοικήσασα. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὔπω καιρὸς ἐκάλει εἰσελ θεῖν πρὸς τὴν Αὐγοῦσταν, ἐκείνη ἔξω που καθῆστο τὴν πρόσκλη σιν ἀναμένουσα. ἀλλ' ἐφίσταται καὶ ἡ τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου 155 σύζυγος ἁβροσύνῃ καὶ χλιδῇ πρεπούσῃ ὑπὸ προπομποῖς τε πλεί στοις καὶ ὀπαδοῖς. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ θείᾳ ἢ μᾶλλον καὶ μάμμῃ προσήγ γιζεν (ἡ γὰρ πρὸς πατρὸς ἐκείνης μάμμη αὐτανεψία ταύτης ἦν, εἴπερ αὕτη μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν σε βαστοκράτορος ἐγεγέννητο, ἡ δ' ἐκείνης μάμμη ἐκ θατέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἣ δὴ καὶ τῷ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ συνῴκει τῷ Ῥαοὺλ Ἀλεξίῳ), ἐπεὶ γοῦν προσεγγιζούσῃ ἔδει τὴν γραῦν καθέδρας ὑπεξα νίστασθαι κατὰ τὸ προσῆκον τὰ δευτερεῖα πρὸς τὴν Αὐγοῦσταν φερούσῃ, ἐκείνη τοῦτο μὲν γήρᾳ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὡς δῆθεν παιδί, καὶ ἐκγόνης καταφρονήσασα, οὐδ' ἴκταρ ὑπεξανίστατο, παραι τησαμένη πρὸς ἐκείνην μόνον καὶ γῆρας προβαλλομένη καὶ τὴν τοῦ γήρως ἀσθένειαν. ὑβριοπαπαθεῖ τε παρευθὺς ἐκείνη καὶ ἀκάθεκτος ἦν τὴν ὀργήν, εἰ βασιλέως οὖσα νύμφη καὶ ἀνδρὸς ὑπὲρ δεσπότας σύζυγος οὐδὲν τῶν ἀξίων ἐπιτυγχάνει παρὰ προσ γενοῦς μὲν βασιλέως, ἀλλά γε καὶ ἰδιώτιδος νομιζομένης ἐκ τοῦ τὸν ἐκείνης σύζυγον ζῶντα μηδενὸς ἐπιβῆναι ἀξιώματος. τρέπει τε τὴν ὀργὴν εἰς λύπην, καὶ κλαυθμοῖς τε καὶ ὀδυρμοῖς ἀφω σιοῦτο τὴν δεινοπάθειαν. τοῦτο γεγονὸς τὸν ἐκείνης οὐκ ἔλαθε σύζυγον. ὁ δὲ φιλότιμος ὢν καὶ αὐτός, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοὺς λογι 156 σμοὺς ἐπικλασθεὶς ἐκ τῶν θρήνων τῆς γυναικός, ἀντιλυπεῖν μὲν τὴν γραῦν παραμυθήσασθαι δὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐκ τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνην ὕβρεως ἐδικαίου. καὶ δὴ ἐκείνην μὲν οὐκ εἶχέ τι διαθέσθαι ἀνή κεστον, εὐγενῆ τε οὖσαν καὶ μάμμην λογιζομένην τῷ βασιλεῖ· εἶχε δ' οἰκεῖον ἐκείνη Κωνσταντῖνον Μαυροζώμην ὠνομασμένον, ᾧ δὴ καὶ συγχρῆσθαι κατὰ κοίτην κρυφίαν ἐλέγετο. καὶ τοῦτο δὴ μᾶλλον ἦν τὸ δοκοῦν ἐκείνῳ σοφόν, ἐφ' ᾧ ἀτιμουμένου ἐκεί νου ἡ κατ' ἐκείνης ὑποτρέχουσα βάξις ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν θριαμ βεύοιτο. πέμψας γοῦν αὐτίκα καὶ περισχὼν τὸν ἄνθρωπον μηδὲν τῶν πραχθέντων εἰδότα, γυμνοῖ τε πάμπαν ἀτίμως καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀγορὰν θριαμβεύειν τοῖς οἰκείοις προστάσσει· ἅμα δὴ καὶ πληγὰς δεινάς τε καὶ πλείστας ἐντείνουσι. τοῦτο γινόμενον καὶ ἀνενεχθὲν βασιλεῖ, πολὺς ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὴν τόλμαν ἐν δεινῷ ποιού μενος, καὶ ἀχθόμενος τὰ μεγάλα εἰ αὐτοῦ βασιλέως ἐνδημοῦντος μηδὲν μηδενὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐπιστραφεὶς ταῦτα πράττοι, καὶ ταῦτα παρὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν. ὅμως τοὺς θυμοὺς κατασχὼν προσέταττε τὴν ταχίστην, καὶ μόλις μὲν ἀλλ' ὅμως νικησάσης τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐλευθεροῦται ὁ τιμωρούμενος. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ μῆνις μετὰ χόλον ἐντετήκει τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ δεινὰ ἔστρεφε πῶς ἂν ταπεινοίη τὸν 157 ὑπὲρ τὰ μέτρα κατεπαιρόμενον, εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀνάγων τὸ γεγονὸς καὶ τὴν τοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι δόξαν ἐν δεινῷ ποιούμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐποίει τὸν ἀδελφόν, καὶ ἀπόντος κατημέλει, καὶ προσιόντι ὀφθαλμοὺς ἱλαρότητος οὐκ ἐδίδου, καὶ συνιππαζόμε νος τὴν ἐγγύτητα ἀφῃρεῖτο, καὶ ἣν ἐξ ἐγγίονος εἶχε τῆς ὁμιλίας πρότερον δόξαν προσεποιεῖτο παρακατέχειν. ἀξιωματικώτερον γὰρ κἀκεῖνος ταῖς ἀληθείαις τῶν πραγμάτων ἐφήπτετο, πολλοῖς μὲν τοῖς ὑφ' αὑτὸν θεραπεύουσι, πολλῷ δὲ τῷ