Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle II

of similar things for which they have administered, and this, when not even those who today administer public affairs hold such responsibilities for the things in which they acted, for whatever they have done outrageously against justice either with malicious intent or through ignorance. But oh, my misfortunes, that our affairs could not even be made equal to these! And if whence these things came upon us is unclear to the many, yet it is not so to God. For he who said, speaking boldly to God, "For the zeal of thy house has eaten me up," also said, "and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." For these are not the penalty for our errors, and thanks be to God; we, being wronged, are wronged in this way, that no one can harm the one who does not wrong himself, but the church has been insulted again and suffered loss. And what is the loss? Of the monks and nuns and the rest of the people called Christian, some of whom by persuasion and others even by force were looking to a more venerable life, the insult against us, like a fierce tempest suddenly bursting upon them, turned them back to their former ways. And the insult and its painful aspect was not only against our reputation, and that they took up stones to throw at us and to anathematize us, and to utter all sorts of bodily insults, but, alas, also against the sacred object itself. Therefore I also say, if I am conscious in myself of having been caught in fornication or adultery or sodomy, and if I have ever thought or think or shall think a thought alien to the church of Christ my God, may I be anathema from Christ, and my portion be with the betrayer and with those who crucified my Lord. But if, while I am serving and thinking rightly and faithfully, and casting away from my soul what the church does not glorify nor has received, tongues that have learned to speak evil things did not shrink from slandering me, whoever and of whatever sort they may be, I hold them according to the canon, and as separated from the life-giving Trinity. That we were placed in the church having been compelled but not compelling, in the hope of peace and common benefit, but what we administered did not advance according to our hopes, so it seemed expedient to us, God is my witness, and what we did, we did not as something evil but as fitting. However, if with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again, I refer the judgment of these things to the holy emperor and to the chief priests in the presence of God, and whether we are judged worthy of acceptance or of censure, we are content, and we await their command as from God. Another thing, although what sort of work each man has is revealed on that day, we say this on account of the slander which the devil has vomited against us. if I am conscious in myself of having been caught in fornication or adultery or sodomy, and if I have ever thought or shall think a thought that is alien and dissonant to the church of Christ my God and Lord, and if I do not hold the faith as his holy disciples and apostles have handed down, and their successors, the God-bearing fathers, both individually and synodically, and if I do not consign to anathema every heterodox opinion which the church of Christ has not received and does not hold, may I be anathema from Christ, and my portion be with the betrayer and with those who crucified my Lord. But if, while I am serving and thinking and embracing and proclaiming rightly and faithfully, some have slandered me with such calumnies, whoever and of whatever sort they may be, may they be outcasts from the church of Christ, and our mediocrity subjects them to an indissoluble separation from the life-giving and blessed and holy Trinity, and to a curse of anathema, and also anyone led astray by such people to harm and wrong me. And just as this curse from God is for the unjust and blasphemers, so also for those who spare their tongue and love and speak the truth, may the blessing and protection of God surround them both here and in the age to come." And these things were in the cups and placed in a secret place; of what sort these things are and how they are, so as to bring under anathema even the very one led astray, whoever he might be, and whether these are a composition of dispassionate ways or not, those who live by the spirit and serve the Lord would know. Nevertheless, being found later, as will be told shortly, they sufficiently subjected the writer to just accusations. And having composed another letter, he sent it to the emperor, containing the following, word for word. "To God and after God to the

τούτοις ὁμοίων εἰς ἃ διῳκήκασι, καὶ ταῦτα μηδὲ τοῖς ἐνερ γοῦσι σήμερον τὰ δημόσια τοιαύτας ἐν οἷς ἐνήργησαν ὑπεχόντων εὐθύνας, ὅσα ἢ κακοτρόπῳ γνώμῃ ἢ καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου πεπαρῳνήκασιν. ἀλλ' ὢ τῶν ἐμῶν κακῶν, ὡς μηδὲ κἂν ἴσα τού 171 τοις ἐξισωθῆναι καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα. καὶ εἰ καὶ πόθεν ταῦτα ἐπῆλ θεν ἡμῖν, ἄδηλα τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ θεῷ. ὁ γὰρ εἰ πὼν παρρησιασάμενος πρὸς θεὸν ὅτι ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου σου κατέ φαγέ με, εἶπε καὶ οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσον ἐπ' ἐμέ. οὐ γὰρ ἡμετέρων ταῦτα σφαλμάτων ἀντέκτισις, καὶ χάρις θεῷ· ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀδικούμενοι οὕτως ἀδικούμεθα, ὅτι τὸν μὴ ἑαυτὸν ἀδικοῦντα οὐδεὶς δύναται παραβλάψαι, ἡ ἐκκλησία δὲ πάλιν ὑβρίσθη καὶ ἐζημίωται. τίς δὲ ἡ ζημία; τῶν μοναχῶν καὶ μοναζουσῶν καὶ λοιποῦ χριστωνύμου λαοῦ, τῶν μὲν λόγῳ τῶν δὲ καὶ βίᾳ βλεψάντων πρὸς τὸ σεμνότερον, ὡς καταιγὶς ἀγρία ἀθρόον ἐπεισπεσοῦσα ἡ καθ' ἡμῶν ὕβρις πρὸς τὰ πρότερα ἔστρε φεν. ἡ δὲ ὕβρις καὶ τὸ αὐτῆς λυπηρὸν τὸ μὴ κατὰ τῆς ἡμῶν ὑπολήψεως μόνον καὶ τὸ λίθους κρατῆσαι βαλεῖν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀνα θεματίσαι, καὶ ὅσα σωματικῆς ὕβρεως ἐπειπεῖν, ἀλλ' οἴμοι καὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σεβάσματος. διὸ καὶ φημί, εἰ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ πορνείᾳ ἢ μοιχείᾳ ἢ ἀρρενομανίᾳ ἑαλωκέναι, καὶ εἰ ἐφρόνησα πώποτε ἢ φρονῶ ἢ φρονήσω ἀλλότριον φρόνημα τῆς ἐκκλησίας Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ μου, ἀνάθεμά μοι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ μερίς μου σὺν τῷ προδότῃ καὶ τοῖς τὸν κύριόν μου σταυρώσασιν. εἰ 172 δὲ ὀρθῶς καὶ πιστῶς με λατρεύοντα καὶ φρονοῦντα, καὶ ἀποβαλ λόμενον ἐκ ψυχῆς ὃ μὴ δοξάζει ἡ ἐκκλησία μηδὲ παρέλαβε, συ κοφαντῆσαι οὐκ ἔφριξαν γλῶσσαι λέγειν μαθοῦσαι κακά, ὅσοι καὶ οἵτινες εἶεν, ἔχω αὐτοὺς καθὰ ὁ κανών, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ζωαρχικῆς τριάδος ἀφωρισμένους. ὅτι δὲ βιασθέντες ἀλλ' οὐ βιάσαντες ἐτέ θημεν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἐλπίδι εἰρήνης καὶ ὠφελείας κοινῆς, οὐ προέβη δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἐλπίδας ὅσον διῳκήσαμεν, οὕτω συμφέρον ἡμῖν κατεφαίνετο, μάρτυς θεός, καὶ ὃ μὴ ὡς κακὸν ἀλλ' ὡς πρέπον ἐπράττομεν. πλὴν εἰ ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετροῦμεν ἀντιμετρη θησόμεθα, τὴν τούτων διάκρισιν ἀνατίθημι τῷ ἁγίῳ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ εἴτε ἀποδοχῆς εἴτε εὐθύ νης κριθῶμεν, στέργομεν, καὶ ὡς ἐκ θεοῦ τὴν τῶν τούτων κέ λευσιν ἐκδεχόμεθα. ἕτερον, εἰ καὶ ὁποῖόν ἐστιν ἑκάστου τὸ ἔρ γον τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ δηλοῦται, χάριν τῆς δυσφημίας ἣν ἐξήμεσε καθ' ἡμῶν ὁ διάβολος λέγομεν. εἰ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ πορνείᾳ ἢ μοιχείᾳ ἢ ἀρρενομανίᾳ ἑαλωκέναι, καὶ εἰ ἐφρόνησα πώποτε ἢ φρονήσω ἀλλότριον φρόνημα καὶ ἀπᾷδον τῆς ἐκκλησίας Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κυρίου μου, καὶ εἰ μὴ ὡς οἱ ἅγιοι μαθηταὶ καὶ ἀπόστολοι τούτου παραδεδώκασι καὶ οἱ διάδοχοι τούτων θεοφό ροι πατέρες, ἰδικῶς καὶ συνοδικῶς, καὶ εἰ μὴ ἅπαν ἑτερόδοξον φρόνημα, ὃ μὴ παρέλαβε καὶ κρατεῖ ἡ ἐκκλησία Χριστοῦ, παρα 173 πέμπω τῷ ἀναθέματι, ἀνάθεμά μοι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ μερίς μου σὺν τῷ προδότῃ καὶ τοῖς τὸν κύριόν μου σταυρώσασιν. εἰ δὲ ὀρθῶς καὶ πιστῶς με λατρεύοντα καὶ φρονοῦντα καὶ ἀσπαζό μενον καὶ κηρύττοντα διαβολαῖς μέ τινες τοιαύταις διέβαλον, ὅσοι καὶ οἵτινες εἶεν, ἐκκήρυκτοι τῆς ἐκκλησίας Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἀλύτῳ ἀφορισμῷ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ζωαρχικῆς καὶ μακαρίας καὶ ἁγίας τριάδος ἡ μετριότης ἡμῶν ὑποβάλλει αὐτούς, καὶ ἀρᾷ ἀναθέματος καὶ τὸν τοιούτοις παρασυρέντα εἰς τὸ βλάψαι καὶ ἀδικῆσαί με. ὡς δὲ τοῖς ἀδίκοις καὶ βλασφήμοις αὕτη ἀρὰ παρὰ θεοῦ, οὕτω καὶ τοῖς φειδομένοις τὴν γλῶσσαν καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἀγαπῶσι καὶ λέγουσιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ εὐλογία καὶ σκέπη περικυκλώσοι καὶ ὧδε καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι." Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἐκπώμασι καὶ ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τε θέντα· ἃ δὴ ὁποῖα μὲν καὶ ὅπως ἔχουσιν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν πα ρασυρέντα, ὅστις ἂν καὶ εἴη, ὑπ' ἀνάθεμα ἄγειν, καὶ εἰ σύστα σις ταῦτα ἀπαθῶν τρόπων εἴτε καὶ μή, εἰδεῖεν ἂν οἱ πνεύματι ζῶντες καὶ τῷ κυρίῳ δουλεύοντες. ὅμως ὕστερον εὑρεθέντα, ὡς μετ' ὀλίγον ῥηθήσεται, ἱκανῶς αἰτίαις δικαίαις ὑπῆγον τὸν γρά ψαντα. ἕτερον δὲ γράμμα σχεδιάσας πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀπέστει λεν, οὕτω κατὰ ῥῆμα διαλάμβανον. "θεῷ καὶ μετὰ θεὸν τοῖς