Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle I

the parties were in agreement for the marriage, so that the son-in-law freely entered the house of the girl. But a short time, which measured that betrothal, flowed by, and I do not know what happened to the ruler, but power is stronger than justice, he gave in marriage the aforementioned, who was of good birth, to Basil, son of Kaballarios, who was of noble birth. And he gladly receives what was given as a favor and hastened 57 the marriage. To the women, however, who were inclined toward the first contract and, being prejudiced, held it dishonorable to change, the bridegroom was unloved. Meanwhile—for the ruler ordered it—whether they were willing or unwilling, the customary rites were performed, and the marriage was celebrated openly. But for days the bridegroom did not fulfill the duties of men for the girl; and when the emperor inquired how this came to be, he at first obscured his defense, as if not wishing to reveal it, forsooth, then when he was questioned more forcefully, he said sorcery was the impediment. And immediately suspicion arose in the ruler concerning himself, and a very terrible anger that seemed would not yield at all, unless the sorcery was confessed. Immediately, therefore, a sack of chaff, and the noble old woman, naked along with weasels, was shut up inside; being prodded from the outside with rods, the suffering woman was pricked with the points of their claws, so that she, being forced and unwilling, would speak the secret. But it was not possible to hear more from her than that she was not conscious of having done any such thing and that "I do not know if the bridegroom is hated by the girl," who was previously betrothed to another. The emperor, however, whether still holding unchangeably to his suspicion that she, being accustomed to sorcery, was likely to dare to use such things against him too (her brother, having been raised and loved by her, also being suspected), or whether indeed he came to the thought that perhaps, when what had been done was likely heard, Palaiologos, having been insulted as a brother, might be inclined toward rebellion, being in this state of mind, sent and relieved him of his command, and brought him up as a prisoner, ostensibly to defend himself on the charge of sorcery, but in truth what was done was a pretext out of fear that he might rebel on hearing it. And this was clear from the fact that not only was he soon recalled from prison and shown sympathy, but also, fearing for himself and his affairs because of his illness, he deemed him worthy to be guardian of his family and to remember his favor to him in these things, that, although he deserved to suffer badly for what had happened before, he had done nothing irreparable to him out of compassion.

13. The death of the emperor Theodore and his achievements while still living. As that same year was declining toward autumn, the ruler departed this life, with four children, three female, and one nine-year-old 59 male, John, named for his grandfather; for the eldest of the daughters, the one to Constantine Tich, the ruler of Bulgaria, the other to Nikephoros, son of the western despot Michael, had already been given in marriage. Which indeed a certain sign had also portended; for the sun was eclipsed for an hour, at the third hour on the sixth day, and a deep darkness covered everything, so that stars also appeared in the sky. And so a man is snatched away before his time, one who was both born and raised royally, and royally brought up and educated, even if he did not resemble his father in depth and intelligence in what he might say and do, and in the firmness and unchangeability of his judgment, yet from his grandfather he had acuity in all things, and magnanimity, and a martial spirit, and from his mother a most generous nature, so that he exhausted his wealth upon his subjects with full hands and in exhausting it was not at all annoyed, but even rejoiced, being a great lover of letters, and behaving beneficently toward all learned men, while no less himself having attended to a literary education, having the power for writing not more from learning than from nature, so that he could compose many things offhand, if he only set his mind to it; for it was necessary, and I pass over most things in silence, if the conspicuous memory of a saint were at hand, to add nothing except how of the

πρὸς τὸν γάμον τὰ μέρη ἦσαν συγκάταινα, ὡς γαμβρὸς ἀνέδην τὴν τῆς κόρης οἰκίαν εἰσήρχετο. Ἀλλὰ παρερρύη χρόνος ὀλίγος ὁ τὴν μνηστείαν ἐκείνην ἐπιμετρῶν, καὶ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι παθὼν ὁ κρατῶν, πλὴν ἀλλ' ἡ ἐξουσία κρεῖσσον δικαίου, τῷ τοῦ Καβαλλαρίου υἱῷ Βασιλείῳ, εὐγενεῖ γε ὄντι, ἐξεδίδου εὖ γένους ἔχουσαν τὴν ῥηθεῖσαν. Ὁ δ' ἐν εὐεργεσίας μέρει δέχεται ἀσμένως τὸ δωρηθὲν καὶ κατεπείγει 57 τοὺς γάμους. Ταῖς μέντοι γε γυναιξί, πρὸς τὸ πρῶτον ῥεπούσαις συνάλλαγμα, προκατειλημμέναις ἄτιμον ἐχούσαις τὸ μεταβαίνειν, ἀπόστοργος ὁ νυμφίος ἦν. Τέως δέὁ γὰρ κρατῶν προσέταττεν, ἑκουσῶν ἀκουσῶν ἐκείνων, τὰ νομιζόμενα ἐτελεῖτο, καὶ περιφανῶς οἱ ὑμέναιοι ἤγοντο. Ἀλλ' ὁ νυμφίος ἐφ' ἡμέραις οὐκ ἐπλήρου τῇ κόρῃ τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν· καὶ πυνθανομένου τοῦ βασιλέως ὅπως τοῦτο γένοιτο, ὁ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ὑπεσκίαζε τὸν ἀπόλογον, ὡς μὴ θέλων ἐκκαλύπτειν δῆθεν, εἶθ' ὡς καὶ δραστικώτερον ἀνεκρίνετο, μαγγανείαν τὸ ἐμποδὼν ἔλεγε. Καὶ εὐθὺς ὑποψία περὶ ἑαυτῷ τοῦ κρατοῦντος, καὶ θυμὸς μάλα δεινὸς καὶ οὐδὲν ὑφεῖναι δοκῶν, εἰ μὴ ὁμολογοῖτο ἡ μαγγανεία. Εὐθὺς οὖν σάκκος ἀχυρμιᾶς, καὶ γυμνὴ συνάμα γαλαῖς ἡ εὐγενὴς γραῦς ἐντὸς συναπείληπτο, ὧν, λύγοις ἔξωθεν μυωπιζομένων, ταῖς τῶν ὀνύχων ἀκμαῖς ἐπερονᾶτο ἡ πάσχουσα, ἐφ' ᾧ ἀναγκαζομένην καὶ ἄκουσαν ἐξειπεῖν τὸ ἀπόρρητον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν πλέον παρ' ἐκείνης ἀκούειν ἢ τὸ μὴ συνειδέναι τι τοιοῦτον ἑαυτῇ πραξάσῃ καὶ ὡς οὐκ οἶδ' εἰ ὁ νυμφίος μεμίσηται τῇ παιδί, ἄλλῳ τῳ πρότερον κατηγγυημένῃ. Ὁ μέντοι γε βασιλεύς, εἴτε τὸ πρὸς τὴν ὑποψίαν καὶ ἔτι ἀμετάθετον ἔχων, ὡς ἐκείνην, μαγγανείαις εἰθισμένην, εἰκὸς καὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ τολμῆσαι τοιούτοις χρήσασθαι, συνυποπτευομένου καὶ τἀδελφοῦ, ὑπ' αὐτῇ τραφέντος καὶ στεργομένου, εἴτε μὴν καὶ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἐλθὼν μήπως, τῶν πραχθέντων ὡς εἰκὸς ἀκουσθέντων, ὁ Παλαιολόγος, ὑβριοπαθήσας ὡς ἀδελφός, πρὸς νεωτερισμὸν ἀποκλίνειεν, οὕτως ἔχων, πέμψας καὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐκεῖνον παραλύσας, ἀνάγει δέσμιον, τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν περὶ τοῦ τῆς μαγγανείας ἐγκλήματος ἀπολογησόμενον, τῇ δ' ἀληθείᾳ πρόσχημα ἦν τὸ πραχθὲν δειλίας τοῦ μή τι νεωτερίσαι ἀκούσαντα. Τὸ δ' ἦν δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὅπως μετ' ὀλίγον τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἐκεῖνον ἐσαῦθις ἀνακαλεῖσθαι καὶ συμπαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καί, περὶ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ πράγμασι δεδοικότα διὰ τὴν νόσον, ἀνάδοχον ἀξιοῦν εἶναι τῷ γένει καὶ ἀπομνημονεύειν τὴν χάριν αὐτῷ ἐν τούτοις, ὅτι, παθεῖν κακῶς ἄξιον ὄντα διὰ τὰ φθάσαντα, οὐδὲν ἐκεῖνον ἐκ συμπαθείας ἀνήκεστον ἔδρασε.

ιγʹ. Θάνατος τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδώρου καὶ τὰ ἔτι ζῶντος αὐτοῦ κατορθώ ματα. Τοῦ δ' αὐτοῦ χρόνου πρὸς τὸ φθινοπωρινὸν ἀποκλίνοντος, ἐπὶ τέτρασι παισὶ μεταλλάττει τὸ βιοῦν ὁ κρατῶν, τρισὶ μὲν θηλυτέραις, ἑνὶ δ' ἐνναέτει 59 ἄρρενι παππωνυμοῦντι τῷ Ἰωάννῃ· αἱ γὰρ πρῶται τῶν θυγατέρων, ἡ μὲν τῷ Βουλγαρίας ἄρχοντι Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ Τείχῳ, ἡ δὲ τῷ τοῦ δυσικοῦ δεσπότου Μιχαὴλ παιδὶ Νικηφόρῳ, πρὸς γάμον ἔφθασαν ἐκδοθῆναι. Ὃ δὴ καὶ προεσήμηνέ τι σημεῖον· ἥλιος γὰρ ἐκλελοίπει ἐφ' ὥραν, τρίτην ὥραν τῆς ἕκτης ἡμέρας, καὶ βαθὺ σκότος τὸ πᾶν κατειλήφει, ὥστε καὶ ἄστρα φανῆναι κατ' οὐρανόν. Καὶ δὴ ἁρπάζεται καὶ πρὸ ὥρας ἀνὴρ βασιλικῶς μὲν καὶ γεννηθεὶς καὶ τραφείς, βασιλικῶς δ' ἀναχθείς τε καὶ παιδευθείς, κἂν εἰ τῷ πατρὶ οὐ προσεῴκει τὸ βαθύ τε καὶ συνετόν, πρὸς ὅ τι λέξοι καὶ πράξοι, καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώμης στερρόν τε καὶ ἀμετάθετον, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐκ πάππου μὲν ἔχων τὸ ἐς πάντ' ὀξὺ καὶ μεγαλόφρον καὶ ἀρεϊκόν, ἐκ δὲ μητρὸς τὸ φιλοδωρότατον, ὡς ὅλαις χερσὶ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τὰ χρήματα ἐξαντλεῖν καὶ ἐξαντλοῦντα οὐχ ὅπως ἀνιᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν, φιλολογώτατος δ' ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ὤν, καὶ πᾶσι μὲν λογίοις εὐεργετικῶς προσφερόμενος, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς λογικῇ παιδείᾳ προσεσχηκώς, οὐ μᾶλλον ἐκ μαθήσεως ἢ φύσεως τὴν περὶ τὸ γράφειν δύναμιν ἔχων, ὡς καὶ πολλὰ ἐπιρρύδην ἐκτιθέναι, εἰ μόνον ὁρμήσειεν· ἔδει γάρ, καὶ σιωπῶ τὰ πλεῖστα, εἰ περιφανὴς ἁγίου ἐφειστήκει μνήμη, οὐδὲν προσθέντα ἢ ὅπως τῶν