evil communications. What becomes of his kinsmen? After feasting and entertaining them, while the food was still in their mouths, men prepared for this purpose seized them, and having made them clerics, they confined them to the nearby islands. After a short time, having asked to see their own father, who was a monk, being overcome with unbearable grief. But he, likewise lamenting, spoke to them, "I have begotten and exalted sons, but they have rejected me." Then thus they are exiled, Stephen to Proconnesus, then to Rhodes, then to Mity 754 lene, and Constantine to Tenedos, and from there to Samothrace; where also, having planned a rebellion, he is slain by those guarding him. And as for Michael, the son of the emperor Christopher, Theophylact the patriarch, after taking away his imperial sandals, made him a cleric. Likewise he also exiled Theophanes, patrician and parakoimomenos, and George, protospatharios and pinkernes, and Thomas, primikerios, whom, after flogging, tonsuring, and parading in triumph, he exiled because they were caught watching for an opportunity to bring Romanos back into the palace. 3. In the month of December, of the 3rd indiction, when a plot was made to bring Stephen from the island into the palace, since it was reported by Michael Diabolinos, when all were seized, he cut off the noses and ears of some, and others he subjected to an unbearable flogging and, having set them on donkeys and paraded them in triumph, exiled them. 4. On the 25th of the month of July, of the 3rd indiction, Romanos the emperor dies on the island, and his body, having been brought to the city, was laid to rest in his own monastery. (5) Therefore, after the emperor Constantine was left alone, he appointed Basil his protovestiarios, the natural son by a concubine of Romanos the previous emperor, as patrician and parakoimomenos and chief minister of the senate. This man was prudent and learned, and served the emperor in all things 755 auspiciously and fittingly. Then also the patriarch Theophylact fell ill and, being overcome by it, died, having held the church for 24 years. And in his place is ordained the aforementioned Polyeuctus, a monk, an honorable and most holy man. 6. Then also, when apostolic vestments hidden in some corner of the city were revealed to the emperor, taking them up with all honor and praise, he deposited them in the great church of the holy apostles. And the relics of Gregory the Theologian, which, having been divided, were placed partly in the shrine of the holy apostles, and partly in the church of the holy martyr Anastasia. 7. The emperor, therefore, because the magistros and domestic of the schools, Bardas called Phocas, had reached old age and was unable to bear the labors, removes him from the domesticate, and in his place promotes as domestic Nikephoros, patrician and strategos of the Anatolics, his son. Likewise also he appoints Leo the patrician, his full brother, as strategos of the Western themes. And a great fire occurred near the church of Saint Thomas, so that the colonnade toward the Iron Gate was burned. 8. It should be known that in the 14th year of the reign of Constantine Porphyrogennetos (for he reigned fifteen) was born the emperor Basil his grandson, son of Romanos his son. And when the Turks had raided as far as the city during the feast 756 of Easter, and had plundered all of Thrace, and had taken much booty, the emperor immediately sent Pothos Argyros, the patrician and domestic of the Excubitors, with his tagma and the strategos of the Bucellarians and of the Opsikion and of the Thrakesion, in pursuit of them; who, falling upon them by night, slaughtered them, taking both the booty and all the captives. 9. And they say that at the birth of the Porphyrogennetos a bright star appeared for 40 days, and again at his death and departure a star appeared having a dim light. He died, therefore, having fallen sick, after making his son emperor
ὁμιλίαι κακαί. τῶν ὁμαιμόνων τί γίνεται; ἑστιάσας αὐτοὺς καὶ φιλοφρονήσας, ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν ἀνήρπασαν τούτους οἱ πρὸς τοῦτο εὐτρεπισμένοι, καὶ ἐν ταῖς πλησιαζούσαις νήσοις αὐτοὺς περιώρισαν κληρικοὺς ποιήσαντες. μετ' ὀλίγον δὲ τὸν ἴδιον πατέρα αὐτῶν αἰτησάμενοι ἰδεῖν μοναχὸν ὄντα, πένθει ἀφορήτῳ κατεχόμενοι. ὁ δὲ ὁμοίως ὀδυρόμενος πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐφθέγξατο "υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν." εἶθ' οὕτως ἐξορίζονται, ὁ μὲν Στέφανος εἰς Προικόνησον, εἶτα εἰς Ῥόδον, ἔπειτα εἰς Μιτυ 754 λήνην, ὁ δὲ Κωνσταντῖνος εἰς Τένεδον, ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Σαμοθρᾴκην· ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἀνταρσίαν μελετήσας παρὰ τῶν φυλασσόντων αὐτὸν σφάζεται. Μιχαὴλ δὲ τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοφόρου υἱόν, τὰ βασιλικὰ πέδιλα ἀφελόμενος, κληρικὸν ἐποίησεν Θεοφύλακτος ὁ πατριάρχης. ὁμοίως καὶ Θεοφάνην πατρίκιον καὶ παρακοιμώμενον ἐξώρισε, καὶ Γεώργιον πρωτοσπαθάριον καὶ πιγκέρναν καὶ Θωμᾶν πριμικήριον, οὓς δείρας καὶ κουρεύσας καὶ θριαμβεύσας ἐξώρισεν διὰ τὸ φωραθῆναι αὐτοὺς καιροσκοπεῖν τοῦ εἰσαγαγεῖν πάλιν τὸν Ῥωμανὸν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ. 3. Τῷ ∆εκεμβρίῳ μηνί, τῆς ʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος, ἐπιβουλῆς γενομένης εἰς τὸ τὸν Στέφανον ἐκ τῆς νήσου ἀγαγεῖν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, ἐπεὶ παρὰ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ ∆ιαβολίνου ἐμηνύθη, πάντων κρατηθέντων τῶν μὲν τὰς ῥῖνας καὶ τὰ ὦτα ἀπέτεμε, τοὺς δὲ δαρμῷ ἀφορήτῳ ὑπέβαλεν καὶ ὄνοις ἐπικαθίσας καὶ θριαμβεύσας ἐξώρισεν. 4. Τῇ δὲ κεʹ τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνός, τῆς ʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος, Ῥωμανὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τελευτᾷ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ πόλει διακομισθὲν ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀπετέθη μονῇ. (5) μετὰ γοῦν τὸ μόνον καταλειφθῆναι τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Κωνσταντῖνον, προεχειρίσατο Βασίλειον τὸν πρωτοβεστιάριον αὐτοῦ, τὸν ἀπὸ παλλακῆς φυσικὸν υἱὸν Ῥωμανοῦ τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλέως, πατρίκιον καὶ παρακοιμώμενον καὶ παραδυναστεύοντα τῆς συγκλήτου. οὗτος δὲ ἦν ἐχέφρων καὶ λόγιος, καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐν πᾶσιν ὑπηρετῶν 755 αἰσίως καὶ πρεπόντως. τότε καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης Θεοφύλακτος ἀρρωστήσας καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῆς κυριευθεὶς ἐτελεύτησεν, κρατήσας τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἔτη κδʹ. χειροτονεῖται δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνωτέρω εἰρημένος Πολύευκτος μοναχός, τίμιος ἀνὴρ καὶ ἁγιώτατος. 6. Τότε καὶ ἀποστολικῶν ἐσθήτων ἀποκεκρυμμένων ἔν τινι γωνίᾳ τῆς πόλεως δηλωθεισῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ, μετὰ πάσης τιμῆς καὶ δοξολογίας ἀνελόμενος αὐτάς, τῷ μεγάλῳ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ἀπεθησαύρισε ναῷ. καὶ τὰ λείψανα τοῦ θεολόγου Γρηγορίου, ἃ καὶ μερισθέντα τὰ μὲν ἐν τῷ σηκῷ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ἐτέθησαν, τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς ἁγίας μάρτυρος Ἀναστασίας. 7. Ὁ τοίνυν βασιλεὺς διὰ τὸ τὸν μάγιστρον καὶ δομέστικον τῶν σχολῶν, Βάρδαν τὸν Φωκᾶν λεγόμενον, εἰς γῆρας ἐλάσαι καὶ ἀδυνάτως πρὸς τοὺς κόπους ἔχειν. τοῦ δομεστικάτου ἀποκινεῖ, καὶ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ προβάλλεται δομέστικον Νικηφόρον πατρίκιον καὶ στρατηγὸν τῶν ἀνατολικῶν, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. ὡσαύτως καὶ πατρίκιον Λέοντα, τὸν τούτου αὐτάδελφον, στρατηγὸν τῶν δυτικῶν προχειρίζεται. γέγονε δὲ ἐμπρησμὸς μέγας πλησίον τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου Θωμᾶ, ὡς καῆναι τὸν ἔμβολον τὸν πρὸς τὴν Σιδηρᾶν πόρταν. 8. Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι τῷ ιδʹ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου (δεκαπέντε γὰρ ἐκράτησεν) ἐγεννήθη ὁ βασιλεὺς Βασίλειος ὁ ἔκγονος αὐτοῦ, υἱὸς δὲ Ῥωμανοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. τῶν δὲ Τούρκων καταδραμόντων μέχρι τῆς πόλεως ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ 756 τοῦ πάσχα, καὶ ληϊσαμένων πᾶσαν τὴν Θρᾴκην, καὶ πραῖδαν πολλὴν λαβόντες, ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς τὸν πατρίκιον καὶ δομέστικον τῶν ἐξκουβίτων Πόθον τὸν Ἀργυρὸν μετὰ τοῦ τάγματος αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τῶν βουκελλαρίων καὶ τοῦ Ὀψικίου καὶ Θρακησίου κατὰ πόδας αὐτῶν ἐξαπέστειλεν· οἳ καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπιπεσόντες κατέσφαξαν αὐτούς, λαβόντες καὶ τὴν πραῖδαν καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν πᾶσαν. 9. Φασὶ δὲ ὅτι εἰς τὴν γέννησιν τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου λαμπρὸς ἀστὴρ ἐφάνη ἐπὶ ἡμέρας μʹ, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῇ κοιμήσει καὶ ἐξόδῳ αὐτοῦ ἀστέρα φανῆναι ἀμαυρὸν ἔχοντα φῶς. τελευτᾷ οὖν νοσήσας, πεποιηκὼς βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν