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of the Scholae with the Excubitor and the two demarchs, both the Green and the Blue, with the demarch of the Blues standing near the domesticus, and the demarch of the Greens near the Excubitor, and if sometimes there happened to be no domesticus and Excubitor, at least they had the demarchs. The emperor was the overseer of all of these, and, filled with all delight, sitting on a golden, jewel-studded throne, and not rising before, as both the tactical and imperial books prescribe, than to have enjoyed through the spectacle those leaps and the civic bounds. Thus indeed and for this reason were these things constructed by Theophilos, and such was his love for them that he would even carry out the usual audiences for affairs and the daily processions in the Triconchos itself. Opposite which, and facing the gates made of sil- 143 ver, there stands a roof raised on four columns of Thessalian, that is, green, stone. And opposite this and facing it, near the aforementioned steps, on the west side of the Sigma, adjoining triclinia were built by Theophilos; the name of the one and lower one is Pyxites, while the other is nameless but higher, and it fell to its lot to house the imperial clergy within itself. On the side of this Pyxites verses have been carved, being the creations of an asekretis having the name of Stephanos, and also called Kapetolites. but those inscribed along the gallery of the Sigma happen to be by the ecumenical doctor (this man was called Ignatios). and on the left side, towards the east of the Sigma, another triclinos is attached, which is called Eros, and served as an armory for him. Hence one could see nothing else in it than decorated shields and all sorts of weapons, and the walls decorated with these, as is fitting. And the buildings erected there from the Triconchos itself all the way to the west can be seen thus; but on the eastern side one might see also the one called Margarites. This is a triclinos erected from its foundations by Theophilos, which supports its roof on eight rose-colored columns, and has its walls decorated with all sorts of animals and the entire floor paved with Proconnesian stone and opus sectile. One might also see of the bedchamber in 144 it that the gold-spangled vault of the roof is held up by four columns of Bithynian marble, and that by four of Thessalian marble the porticoes are erected and supported, both of the eastern part and of the southern, and the walls and the floor are splendidly paved similarly to those of the Margarites. This bedchamber had Theophilos residing in it from midday in spring until autumn and back again; and when the winter solstice approached he would move to the other bedchamber, the one in the Karianos triclinos, it also having been built by him on account of the stronger and more violent blasts of the south winds; which now also can be seen to be the lodging of the pappias. And no less in appearance is the belvedere there built by him facing the north, from which indeed was also seen the old tzykanisterion, being there at that time, where the new church has been built and the two phialai are and the mesokepion, made by Basil the emperor of blessed memory. And toward the eastern part, these are his buildings; but toward the south, first extending the belvederes themselves, as has been said by us before, and making the gardens that are now there, he added bedchambers, both the one so called Kamilas and the second bedchamber near it and again the third in order near this, which is now also the vestiarium of the Augusta. But the Kamilas, its gold-spangled ro- 145 of raised on six columns of Thessalian stone, that is, green, and of the walls the lower parts indeed

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σχολῶν μετὰ τοῦ ἐσκουβίτου καὶ τῶν δύο δημάρ- χων, τοῦ τε πρασίνου τοῦ τε βενέτου, πλησίον μὲν τοῦ δομεστίκου ἱσταμένου τοῦ τῶν βενέτων δημάρχου, πλησίον δὲ τοῦ ἐσκουβίτου τοῦ τῶν πρασίνων, εἰ δὲ μὴ τύχοι ἐνίοτε δομέστικος καὶ ὁ ἐσκού- βιτος, ἀλλὰ τέως τούς γε δημάρχους εχοντες. τούτων εφορος ην ἁπάντων ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ θυμηδίας ἁπάσης πληρούμενος, ἐν χρυ- σῷ διαλίθῳ θρόνῳ καθήμενος, καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἐξανιστάμενος, ὡς καὶ τακτικὰ βιβλία καὶ βασιλικὰ διαγορεύουσιν, η  τῶν σκιρ- τημάτων ἐκείνων ἐπαπολαῦσαι διὰ τῆς θέας καὶ τῶν πολιτικῶν ἐξαλμάτων. ουτω μὲν ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῷ Θεοφίλῳ κατε- σκευάσθησαν, τοσοῦτος δὲ ερως ην τούτων αὐτῷ ὡς καὶ τὰς συνή- θεις τῶν πραγμάτων ἀντιλήψεις καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν προελεύσεις ἐν αὐτῷ δὴ Τρικόγχῳ ἐκτελεῖν. ου  καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς ἐξ ἀρ- 143 γύρου κατεσκευασμένης τῶν πυλῶν ἀνεστηκυῖά ἐστιν ὀροφὴ τέσ- σαρσι κίοσι μετεωριζομένη ἐκ Θετταλικοῦ, τοῦ καὶ πρασίνου, λί- θου. ἀντικρὺ δὲ ταύτης καὶ κατὰ μέτωπον, πλησίον δὴ τῶν εἰ- ρημένων ἀναβαθμῶν, κατὰ τὸ πρὸς δυσμὰς μέρος τοῦ Σίγμα τρίκλινοι πεφυκότες τῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἐξῳκοδόμηνται· Πυξίτης ονομα τῷ ἑνί τε καὶ κατωτέρῳ, ατερος δὲ ἀνώνυμος μὲν ἀνώτερος δέ, καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν βασίλειον κλῆρον ἐν ἑαυτῷ διαιτᾶσθαι λαχών. τούτου δὴ Πυξίτου κατὰ τὴν πλευρὰν στίχοι λελατόμηνται, ἀση- κρῆτις οντες γεννήματα Στεφάνου μὲν εχοντος τουνομα, ουτω δὲ τοῦ Καπετωλίτου προσαγορευομένου. οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Σίγμα περίδρομον ἐγκολαφθέντες τοῦ οἰκουμενικοῦ διδασκάλου ( ̓Ιγνάτιος ουτος ἐκαλεῖτο) τυγχάνουσιν. κατὰ τὸ εὐώνυμον δὲ μέρος, ὡς πρὸς ἀνατολὰς τοῦ Σίγμα, ετερός τις τρίκλινος ἐξήρτηται, οςΕρως μὲν ἐπικέκληται, ὁπλοθήκη δὲ αὐτῷ ἐχρημάτιζεν. ἐντεῦ- θεν οὐκ αλλο τι η  ἱστορημένας ἀσπίδας καὶ οπλα παντοῖα ιδοι τις ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ταύταις τοὺς τοίχους διαμορφουμένας, ὡς τὸ εἰκός. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Τρικόγχου αχρι δὴ τῶν δυσμῶν ουτως ενεστιν ἰδεῖν τοὺς ἀνεγηγερμένους οικους ἐκεῖ· κατὰ δὲ τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς μέρος ιδοις μὲν καὶ τὸν Μαργαρίτην προσαγορευόμενον. τρίκλινος ουτος ἐκ βάθρων τῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἀνεστηκώς, ος ὀκτὼ μὲν κίοσιν ῥοδοποικίλοις τὸν οροφον στηρίζεται, τοὺς τοίχους δὲ ζῴοις πεποικιλμένους παντοδαπῶς καὶ τὸ εδαφος εχει ἐκ Προικοννησίου λίθου καὶ συγκοπῆς απαν κατεστρωμένον. ιδοις δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐν 144 αὐτῷ κοιτῶνος ἐκ τεσσάρων μὲν κιόνων Βαθυΐνων τὸν χρυσῷ κα- τάστικτον κύκλον τῆς ὀροφῆς ἀνεχόμενον, ἐκ τεσσάρων δὲ Θεττα- λικῶν τὰς στοὰς ἀνεγηγερμένας καὶ βασταζομένας, τοῦ τε ἀνατο- λικοῦ μέρους καὶ τοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ, τοὺς τοίχους δὲ καὶ τὸ εδαφος ὁμοίως τοῖς Μαργαρίτου κατεστρωμένα λαμπρῶς. ουτος μὲν ὁ κοιτὼν ειχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ διαιτώμενον τὸν Θεόφιλον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐαρινῆς μεσημερίας μέχρι τῆς μετοπωρινῆς καὶ αυθις· αρτι δὲ τῆς χει- μερινῆς γειτνιαζούσης τροπῆς κατὰ τὸν αλλον μετῳκίζετο κοιτῶνα τὸν κατὰ τὸν Καριανὸν τρίκλινον, καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπ' ἐκείνου ᾠκοδο- μημένον διὰ τὰς τῶν νότων ἰσχυροτέρας καὶ βιαιοτέρας πνοάς· ο  καὶ νῦν τοῦ παππίου εστιν ἰδεῖν καταγώγιον. οὐχ ηττον δὲ κατό- ψει καὶ τὸ ἐκεῖσε δὴ ἡλιακὸν ὑπ' ἐκείνου καταβεβλημένον κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βορρᾶ, ἐξ ου  δὴ ὡρᾶτο καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν τζουκανι- στήριον, ἐκεῖσε τηνικαῦτα τυγχάνον, ενθα καὶ ἡ νέα εκτισται ἐκ- κλησία καὶ αἱ δύο φιάλαι εἰσὶν καὶ τὸ μεσοκήπιον ὑπὸ Βασιλείου τοῦ ἀοιδίμου γενόμενα βασιλέως. καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸ ἀνατολικὸν μέρος αυται αὐτοῦ αἱ οἰκοδομαί· πρὸς δὲ τὸν νότον πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὰ τὰ ἡλιακὰ προτείνας, ὡς ἡμῖν πρότερον ειρηται, καὶ τοὺς νῦν οντας κήπους ποιήσας κουβούκλεια προσεδείματο, τόν τε Κα- μιλᾶν ουτω λεγόμενον καὶ τὸ πλησίον ἐκείνου κουβούκλειον δεύτε- ρον καὶ τὸ τούτου πάλιν κατὰ τάξιν πλησίον τρίτον, ο  καὶ νῦν τῆς Αὐγούστης ἐστὶ βεστιάριον. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Καμιλᾶς εξ κίοσιν ἐκ Θετταλικοῦ λίθου, τοῦ καὶ πρασίνου, τὴν χρυσοκατάστικτον ὀρο- 145 φὴν μετεωριζόμενος, τῶν δὲ τοίχων τὰ κάτω μὲν