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of his tending to the overthrow of what has happened?” And the emperor—I do not know how, for I had stated the reason—says again: “What do you say about such things?” And he himself: “I have often said, O Emperor, that what has been said seems to me mostly false, but in a lesser part true; but to pronounce precisely on uncertain matters does not seem easy to me.” And he said: “In uncertain matters there is grace in pronouncing firmly and precisely; for on clear matters even the ignorant speak.” And I said: “Behold, we too are ranked among the ignorant.” And the emperor, filled with anger, said: “You were always a fool and are now again a fool.” And I, by the Muses, replied nothing more except: “I am a fool and so I will be silent; let the wise speak.” I said these things, and the emperor, filled with boundless anger and madness, and as if driven to a frenzy by his rage, rushed to draw his sword from its scabbard, seizing the hilt. But he checked this; for having drawn it out a little, he put it back in again. And he ordered his Grand Domestic, Andronikos Mouzalon, to throw me from my horse. And he wished to, but could not; for he had a slight and weak little body. But he said somehow quietly: “Get off the saddle-cloth.” And I dismounted from the she-mule. And this most excellent emperor toward us who had suffered much at the hands of his father because of him, who in a great crowd and often had said in a piercing voice, “This very man has been the cause of many good things for me”—speaking of logical education—“and I happen to be a debtor to him for many things,” he who had proposed my title among many and sweetly called it by this name, both the thing and the name, ordered two club-bearers to beat me, having appointed them yesterday and the day before, twenty-four in all, I know not if not because of me, so that there might also be a stage for the drama formed into a worthy tragedy. And they beat me, and I received the blows in silence. This enraged him all the more, that I was not at all moved to cries even while being struck. But when I had received many blows over my whole body, with difficulty in a faint and quiet voice I said, “O Christ the King, how many sicknesses have I suffered, and why in none of them did I end my life, but you have kept me for such times as these?” I said these things, and the emperor, as if ashamed, departed, having said to one of his attendants: “You take him.” And he, taking me on horseback, asked where we should go, and I said: “Wherever you wish, I follow.” And again he compelled me with questions; then indeed I myself answered him, “We must go to the Vardariots; for this seems to me more advantageous for you as well.” And so it happened, and we went to the tents of the Vardariots. And their primikerios, seeing me, was amazed and asked what I wanted, having come to his tent; and I said, “For the sake of a little rest.” So I stayed there for a short time; for the primikerios had already learned what had happened to me. But the emperor, not delaying for long, sent a message for me to come to his tent. But fearing that, overcome by grief, I might take to flight, he ordered a certain military detachment to surround my tent and guard me secretly. I, therefore, having come to my own tent, was quietly passing the time in it, not walking in the palace nor conversing with any of my usual acquaintances, but rather devoting myself to books and using them for reading, and taking food at the proper time. So a good number of days passed with me in this state, and the emperor was vexed, seeing the hardness of my spirit. So the whole month of August passed, and I was not at all able to yield even a little from the opinion I had cherished. So many of the chief priests came to me, by imperial command, as I knew, even if they wished to conceal it, saying they came to me of their own accord out of friendship and good disposition; and many things

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ἐκείνου πρὸς ἀνατροπὴν τῶν γεγενημένων τελούμενα;» καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς-οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως· τὴν γὰρ αἰτίαν εἰρήκειν-πάλιν λέγει· «τί φῂς περὶ τῶν τοιούτων;» καὶ αὐ τός· «πολλάκις εἰρήκειν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὡς ἐπὶ πλέον μοι δοκεῖ τὸ εἰρημένον ψευδές, ἐπ' ἔλαττον δὲ ἀληθές· τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀδήλοις ἀκριβῶς ἀποφαίνεσθαι οὔ μοι δοκεῖ ῥᾷον εἶναι.» ἦ δ' ἐκεῖνος· «ἐν τοῖς ἀδήλοις ἐστὶ χάρις βεβαίως καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἀποφαίνεσθαι· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς δήλοις καὶ οἱ ἀείδαροι λέγου σιν.» ἦν δὲ ἐγώ· «ἰδοὺ μετὰ τῶν ἀειδάρων καὶ ἡμεῖς συν τετάγμεθα.» καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς χόλου πλησθείς· «σὺ πάντοτε ἦσθα» ἔφη «μωρὸς καὶ ἀρτίως πάλιν μωρός.» καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδέν τι πλέον μὰ τοὺς λόγους ἀνταπεκρίθην ἀλλ' ἤ· «ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι μωρὸς καὶ ἵνα σιωπῶ, οἱ δὲ φρονοῦντες λαλείτωσαν.» Ταῦτ' εἶπον, καὶ ὀργῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπλέτου καὶ μα νίας πλησθεὶς καὶ οἷον ἐκβακχευθεὶς τῷ θυμῷ ἑλκύσαι μὲν ὥρμησε τὴν σπάθην τοῦ κουλεοῦ, τῆς κώπης ἐπιλα βόμενος. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν κατέσχε· μικρὸν γὰρ ταύτην ἀπογυμνώσας πάλιν εἰσῆξε· τῷ μεγάλῳ δὲ δομεστίκῳ αὐ τοῦ τῷ Μουζάλωνι Ἀνδρονίκῳ καταβαλεῖν με τοῦ ἵππου προσέταξε. καὶ ὃς ἐβούλετο μέν, οὐκ ἠδύνατο δέ· λεπτὸν γὰρ εἶχε καὶ ἀδρανὲς τὸ σωμάτιον. ἠρέμα δέ πως ἔφη· «ἔκστηθι τῆς ἐφεστρίδος.» καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπέβην τῆς ἡμιόνου. ὁ δὲ χρηστότατος περὶ ἡμᾶς βασιλεὺς τοὺς πολλὰ πρὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ δι' αὐτὸν πεπονθότας, ὃς ἐν πολλῷ πλήθει καὶ πολλάκις διαπρυσίῳ ἔλεξε τῇ φωνῇ ὡς «πολλῶν μοι αἴτιος ἀγαθῶν οὑτοσὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε»-περὶ τῆς λογικῆς φάσκων παιδείας-»καὶ πολλῶν ὀφειλέτης τούτῳ τυγχάνω,» ὁ τὴν κλῆσίν μοι προθέμενος ἐν πολλοῖς καὶ γλυκὺ ταύτην κατονομάζων καὶ πρᾶγμα καὶ ὄνομα, δυοῖν κορυνοφόροιν προσέταξε τύπτειν με, χθιζὰ καὶ πρὸ τρίτης τούτους χειροτονήσας, ὡς εἴκοσι τέσσαρας πάντας τὸν ἀριθ μόν, οὐκ οἶδα εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμέ, ἵν' εἴη καὶ σκηνὴ τοῦ δρά ματος εἰς τραγῳδίαν ἀξίαν μεμορφωμένη. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔτυπτον, ἐγὼ δὲ σιγῇ τὰς τύψεις ἐλάμβανον. ὃ καὶ μᾶλ λον τοῦτον ἐξέμαινεν, ὅτι μηδ' ὅλως πρὸς διήσεις κάμπτο μαι καὶ πληττόμενος. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλὰς κατὰ παντὸς ἐδε ξάμην τοῦ σώματος, μόγις ἰσχνῇ καὶ ἠρεμαίᾳ φωνῇ «ὦ Χριστὲ βασιλεῦ,» ἔφην, «πόσας νενόσηκα νόσους, καὶ διὰ τί ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ τούτων κατέλυσα τὴν ζωήν, ἀλλ' ἐν τοιού τοις με καιροῖς ἐταμίευες;» ταῦτ' εἶπον, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς οἷον αἰδεσθεὶς ἀπηλλάγη, ἑνὶ τῶν ἀκολούθων αὐτοῦ εἰρη κώς· «λάβε τοῦτον αὐτός.» καὶ ὃς ἔφιππόν με λαβὼν ἠρώτα, ποῦ ἂν καὶ ἀπέλθοιμεν, ἐγὼ δέ· «ὅπου ἂν αὐτὸς βούλει, ἐφέπομαι.» καὶ πάλιν οὗτος διὰ τῶν ἐρωτήσεων κατηνάγκαζε· τότε γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τοῦτον ἀντέφην ὡς «δεῖ ἡμᾶς τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Βαρδαρειώτας βαδίσαι· τοῦτο γάρ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ μᾶλλον συμφέρον σοι.» καὶ γέγονεν οὕτως, καὶ ἐς τῶν Βαρδαρειωτῶν ἀπῄειμεν τὰς σκηνάς. ἰδὼν δέ με ὁ αὐτῶν πριμμικήριος θαυμάσας ἠρώτα, τί ἂν βουλόμενος περὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ σκηνὴν ἀφικόμην· καὶ ἔγωγε «μικρᾶς» ἔφην «ἀναπαύσεως χάριν.» βραχὺ γοῦν τι προσ εκαρτέρησα τοῖς ἐκεῖσε· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ὁ πριμμικήριος ἐμε μαθήκει τὰ κατ' ἐμέ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς οὐδ' εἰς πολὺ μελλήσας διεμηνύσατο εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν ἀφικέσθαι με. δεδιὼς δὲ μή πως τῇ λύπῃ κατασχεθεὶς φυγῇ χρήσωμαι, προσέταξε μοῖ ράν τινα στρατιωτικὴν περιστοιχίσαι μου τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ λεληθότως φυλάττειν με. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀφιγμένος σκηνὴν ἡσύχως ἐν αὐτῇ τὸν καιρὸν διεβίβαζον, οὐκ ἐν ἀνακτόροις βαδίζων οὐδέ τινι τῶν συνήθων καὶ ἐπιτηδείων προσομιλῶν, ἀλλ' ἢ ταῖς βίβλοις προσανέχων καὶ ἀναγνώσει χρώμενος καὶ τροφῆς μεταλαμβάνων κατὰ καιρόν. ἱκαναὶ γοῦν ἡμέραι οὑτωσί πώς μου ἔχοντος παρῳχήκεσαν, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠγανάκτει τὸ σκληρόν μου καθορῶν τοῦ φρονήματος. παρῄει γοῦν ὅλος ὁ Αὔγουστος, καὶ οὐδ' ὅλως ἐνδοῦναι εἶχον τῆς ἧς ἔστερξα γνώμης μικρόν. πολλοὶ γοῦν τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἀφίκοντο πρὸς ἐμέ, βασιλικῇ μέν, ὡς ἠπιστάμην, τῇ προσταγῇ, εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖ νοι λανθάνειν ἤθελον, οἴκοθεν λέγοντες ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς ἐμὲ φιλίας χάριν καὶ χρηστῆς διαθέσεως· πολλά τε