Compendium chronicum
Gold-bearing, glistening with robes studded with pearls. the fragrant violet shone, the rose shone back. every kind of violet's color smiled from ever
The fine-spun ones. the large-winged, large-hooked-beaked, hooked-clawed, boasting their claws like javelins, having a beak sharper than daggers, for
Having made him a composite of soul and body, and having bestowed the grace of a will moved by itself, and having formed him according to his likeness
Of yours, and you will be called gods, and you will know all things. the woman heard these things, she heeded the flattery, she was conquered by the
Land-born, winged, walking but god, opening the floodgates of heaven, brought down from there whole seas of rain, covered the peaks of the deep-cliff
They stole, they committed adultery, and finally they looked toward idolatry. seruch was the first to begin to use carved images and pillars, being th
Javelin-bowmen, armor-bearers, spearmen, men furious in battle, and having taken an allied force from the nation of the huns, and having made allies o
Chaldeans, and the plaything of fortune and the dice of affairs, having sufficiently mocked others, passed over to others. and when these things were
Mandane, and that the liquid poured forth was so great as to be able to cover the face of the land of asia. this was the first dream, and a second one
Not even among the most famous, like that of the medes and persians, or that of the assyrians. candaules was king of lydia and phrygia, tracing his li
To be contrived by such devices. he, having learned and discerned which mare the horse of darius loved more than all the others, after the two of them
Having heard that joseph, the one born of rachel, was governing the land of egypt for pharaoh, and also contriving to find a release from his sufferin
Was sung. and a light of gladness rose for the hebrews, but the darkness of calamities overshadowed the egyptians. the israelites who fled egypt then
He exposes him in a place called parion after paris himself. he was therefore cast aside carelessly. shepherds found him, pitied him, took him up. the
Because helen had been seized by someone, all fought on her behalf with their own bodies. so after much entreating and importuning, they persuade the
While strong-handed achilles was present, the counsels of the son of laertes were ineffective, and every plot devised and scheme stitched together aga
The swarm of trojans mingled with each other, daring to do nothing. and there was a temple before the walls of beautifully-towered troy, where achille
To proteus, he also finds his consort there in memphis, and having been hosted and honored he receives helen, and after considerable toils he reaches
Flapping its wings, a great-winged bird, fanned the fire into flame with its wings. but a certain cunning fox, vying with these and contending against
To be called, remaining faithful, keepers of the house and guardians of what is within. then taking a clod of earth in his hand from outside, he throw
The most unjust slaughter of his father, and perceiving as a man of sense that he would share the danger with his father and brother and would die wit
Caesar wished to take into the fellowship of marriage a woman who was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and he urged nero to betroth his wife to hi
And his whole character was lecherous, and worse than others, lusting after women joined to men, and commanding their spouses to serve his abomination
You will cause me pain for those who are sated on my rotten limbs will vex me for a short time, but if others fall upon me, they will cling more viol
Bringing with them a chariot-driver mime, they came upon him to kill him. and nero, knowing this, killed himself, saying this at the end: what an art
Extinguishes it, and dogs, running up and eating the bonds, release the stargazer who was invoking the gods many times. and these things indeed were a
Ravaging and plundering, being in want of money, pressed by need and having no army from anywhere to arm against them, set forth in the marketplace th
Of great things, what terror was not present, what was not dared! slaughters and toils everywhere, and pools of blood. and the gloom of the prison hel
Their names were constans and constantine) manages the western parts and rome and the gauls. but these were extinguished rather quickly and before the
But when that woman again added that her husband was plotting against gratian himself, he replied again, what is that to you, woman? and they say th
Orestes, and after orestes the son of romulus was the last to take hold of the rule. and the great-named city, the city of the romans, having had romu
They set aside the young woman. athenais the maiden, exceedingly distressed at these things and wounded in her soul, goes to her maternal aunt, she sh
Learning of the emperor, she arrives in the city of jerusalem as quickly as possible, and there, having completed the remainder of her life, she pays
When a fierce battle had broken out and he was leading the romans against the arrogant persians, marcian, seized by a death-threatening illness, remai
A man, a treasure of wisdom, was slandered as a hellene, isocasius by name, a quaestor by rank and from there, stripped of both honor and money, he i
Having reigned over the romans for eighteen years. but this one, having tasted power for a short time, departed from the earth rather quickly, leaving
The poison with the trisagion hymn, and when he saw the whole crowd immediately run wild and drive the eparch from the temple with stones and burn dow
Justin, but being inflamed with zeal for the pious religion, kindled an implacable war against the manichaeans and a persecution more severe than thos
Manly minds for with this man he joined mighty battles, and so terrified chosroes that he wished to exchange peace for man-slaying wars. and rome the
With graces and bear torches for creation, and appear as bright stars to those on earth but the sun leaped up from a most beautiful lake, and the tor
Such power, and being filled with greater zeal, he held to what must be done. and it happened that not long after something like this occurred, worthy
Into the judgments of the judge shook the hearts of all. from there a calm of justice-doing was spread everywhere, instead of a winter and a gloomy te
And by the things that will be said and the khagan, having attacked the garrisons of the romans (the khagan was king of the northern scythians) and h
Of dregs. therefore, he is caught fleeing together with the empress and the purple-born branches sprung from him. but the most god-hated, man-slaying
With golden helmets, delicate, all quiver-bearing, on snorting, gold-phalerad horses. so when the emperor saw it was impossible to engage with the arm
Having embarked in boats, they came on, covering the back of the sea with their dense light boats, with their single-log vessels. thus there were many
But nevertheless he did not long enjoy his fortune, but it quickly grew cold, but appearing he was hidden, just as a rose might spring up and immediat
Him, only one thing troubled, lest the scepter reach justinian again, and he who was formerly deprived of it, and of his nose along with it, might aga
Infancy was subjected to murderous hands for slaughter but here, boys of fifteen, girls in their early bloom, young men, soft-skinned women, little g
You will see a dreadful thing, and he bespattered the ground, flowing away like water. thus it was said well and wisely by the ancients, nothing beyo
But the emperor theodosios, shrinking from the audacity and the beast-like heart of leo, yielded the throne and the crown to his enemy, willingly or u
From the kandys and the torc i will know, and the croaking raven from its blackness. near the precinct of the wisdom of god a splendid house had been
He plundered beauty, he cut out the sacred images from the churches, and in their place with the same colors and mosaics he engraved his beloved hunti
From there he is rolled towards lawless deeds, and he shaves the head of his most temperate consort, and introduces the union with another woman into
They drive him from the throne and the city as a fugitive. and he, having indicated these things in writing to the empress and having besought to rece
They were supplicating, even employing force. but he, not knowing the turn of the balancing scale of fortune, and fearing its wavering will, approache
And again the tail of the dragon was moved. the abomination, i mean, of iconoclasm, like a great dragon, crept, dreadful and gaping, it rushed to devo
And from there what was being built was overturned from its roots, and having stained his own war-loving hands with murders and having made every spea
The king, on account of the bruises and the numerous wounds, or rather cases of paralysis, was shaken in his soul at what had happened, and wishing to
Finding their catch, they write to the just man while he is fishing with nets a short writing in iambic meter, which, since i have deemed it not right
Having been persuaded and having received complete assurance that theophilos was delivered from the torments there, she became a fellow-diner with the
Of the ancient kings, both the golden trees, and the chattering sparrows, and lions made of hammered gold, and simply every royal thing gleaming in th
By his hand, but the contriver of evils paid the penalty, and the preparer of terrible things drank a cup of wrath. bardas, therefore, while digging a
Scarcely the temple-keeper he immediately makes basil a member of his household, and deems him worthy of fitting care. and basil was handsome, noble,
To earth-born men, and certain innate dooms accompany men. for this one, great in understanding among emperors, having been persuaded by certain serpe
By the transgression of tetragamy. but leo, the most philosophical among emperors, having fallen into the natural necessities of the body and being af
He arms himself on behalf of the one who had been out-generaled with an army drawn from many places, from the lycaonians, from the thracians, from the
Raising him from a lowly state to the summit, he makes him father and guardian of the empire. and drawing romanos further into his affection, he gives
Of unstained rule, and being about to be released from the bonds of nature, he appointed his son romanos as sole ruler. but he, entrusting all strengt
He conveys everything, and says, alas, o general, for the fortune of the romans! until when will woman-souled eunuchs steer the ship of state, resour
Medimni of grain to be sold for a nomisma. thus phocas managed the matter meanly, and this though he was rich in thousand-bushel granaries, laden with
Near the ister cutting down the phalanxes, breaking the scytharchs, killing, pursuing, routing the champions, as if some lion falling upon broad-flank
Slumber to his eyelids, nor sleep to his eyes, until he drove out the wolves, the devourers of sheep. the mighty ones of the bulgars recognized his st
And having been taught by certain people that after him the rule would pass to romanos, one of the senate, surnamed argyropoulos, he compels the man t
Having the care of those in the home for the aged, he managed all other matters of state up and down and was seen openly as the keeper of the ruler. t
Rushing into the inner sanctuary, from there they seize the wretched man, crying out with groans from the heart, with hot tears, and they gouge out hi
Bloody streams, but murderous outpourings. he seized the fortresses, he seized the cities. he went on, roaring in his anger, breathing fire more than
Of the power to comnenus. but those who were allotted to steer the ship of state, wishing not to save it but to sink it and swamp the most wretched th
But suddenly the tempests of the flesh, having grown wild, stirred up a hard-to-calm, wave-tossed wind, they brought on nausea, vomiting, dizziness, t
To sheep-guarded folds. but a winged dove, flying up from somewhere, alighted on his knees with a silent flutter, not like the one before that flew to
Promising down on his temples, using caesar his uncle as a rival and the most powerful men and those in high military command, he at once seats himsel
Shining with purple dye and gold, and using in turn overlapping garments, he sat upon high, silver-studded thrones, adorning with dignities all who ca
they drive him from the throne and the city as a fugitive. And he, having indicated these things in writing to the empress and having besought to receive aid from her, when he realized that everything he was contriving and doing was in vain and that he was attempting, as the saying goes, to write on water, and having despaired on all sides, flees to Charles (for that Charles was a ruler of the Franks; the Franks are accustomed to call their own rulers "reges") and he begs for his hand as one of great power, so that he might assist him against those who were wronging him. Charles receives him (for he was called by Christ from his ancestors and revered the laws of Christ), he respects the supplicating pontiff, gives him a mighty allied hand, and again installs him in the city and on the throne. Then Leo, in return for Charles, proclaims him emperor of the elder Rome, and places a crown upon him according to the Roman laws. Yet, employing also the laws of the Jews, he anoints him with oil from head to foot, I know not by what reasonings or what designs. Thus the former bond of the cities was broken; thus a sword flew between mother and daughter, dividing and cutting with the rage of a broadsword the fair-faced maiden, the newer Rome, from the wrinkled and old and thrice-venerable Rome. And these things, then, met with such an end; but the empress Irene, very eager to destroy that thrice-barbarous madness and to wash away the abomination she had committed against her son, emptied whole treasuries of money for the city, and turned the winter of debts into fair weather, pouring out a golden spring of magnificent generosity. But nevertheless he who sees the hidden things and understands all things, the all-seeing eye, he who judges the hearts, paid attention, saw, looked, was zealous, was displeased, and for her who had tasted for a short while the pleasure of power he mixed a bitter, wormwood-flavored cup, and the dregs of wrath for her who had transgressed the law. For when a certain man of the senate, of the most brilliant and well-known, by name Nikephoros, rose up against her, she is cast out of the splendidly-wooded garden of rule, instead of luxury she reaps heart-biting pains, not the pains of childbirth, but the goads of calamities, and she drinks the brine of affliction like a poor working woman. Such things the reversal of life works; thus God repays those who do wrong. Alone, therefore, she obtained power for a short time, but with her son Constantine for seventeen years. Therefore the wheel of power, having been rolled from some to others and turned on uneven roads, at last comes, raising up also Nikephoros, a most murderous, perverse, ill-natured man, a gold-mad slave of gold, a stingy skinflint, in fact a Midas who once ruled Phrygia, who made the offices of the cities for sale, distributing the honors not according to merit but according to wealth. He had gold on his lips, he had an ox on his tongue, gold on his table, he dreamed of gold. And to others he seemed sullen and downcast, but if someone brought a weight of gold to his bosom, then indeed then he showed a kindly eye, and the mist of sullenness was not on his face. Thence he dug up all devices and ways, and laid snares of all evil-devising tricks, so that if gold were found anywhere it might be emptied out and brought to him. O, the love of money! This man placed a heavy burden on the Byzantines, not light nor easy to embrace, nor easy to bear, for the sake of renovating the aging walls, which his chief tax-collectors call the dikeraton. And locking everything up with keys, and bringing nothing out the door, not silver nor gold, nor well-woven robes, and this being the saying in the fables of Aesop, showing very many tracks of money coming in, but none at all going out or being emptied, he deprived even the army of what was owed to them. From this came a ill-sounding rumor and a destructive sedition and a joyless clamor and slanderous tongues. and running together to the same place with an indistinct shout for Bardanes, who was then general, to become emperor
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θρόνου καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐλαύνουσι φυγάδα. ὁ δὲ σημάνας ἐν γραφῇ ταῦτα τῇ βασιλίδι ἐπικουρίας τε τυχεῖν ἐκ ταύτης ἱκετεύσας,
ὡς ἔγνω πάντα μάταια τεχνώμενος καὶ πράττων καὶ γράφειν τὸ λεγόμενον ἐπιχειρῶν εἰς ὕδωρ, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἀπογνοὺς προσφεύγει
τῷ Καρούλῳ (ἦν δὲ τῶν Φράγγων φύλαρχος ὁ Κάρουλος ἐκεῖνος· ῥῆγας τοὺς σφῶν κατάρχοντας οἴδασι Φράγγοι λέγειν) καὶ δεῖται τούτου
τῆς χειρὸς ὡς μεγαλοδυνάμου, ὡς ἐπαρκέσειεν αὐτῷ κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων. δέχεται τοῦτον Κάρουλος (ἦν γὰρ παπποπατρόθεν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ
καλούμενος καὶ σέβων Χριστοῦ νόμους), αἰδεῖται λιταζόμενον τὸν ἱεροθυτοῦντα, δίδωσι τούτῳ σύμμαχον μεγασθενῆ παλάμην, καὶ
πάλιν ἐγκαθίστησι τῇ πόλει καὶ τῷ θρόνῳ. ἐντεῦθεν ἀμειβόμενος τὸν Κάρουλον ὁ Λέων ἀναγορεύει κράτορα τῆς παλαιτέρας Ῥώμης,
καὶ στέφος περιτίθησιν ὡς οἱ Ῥωμαίων νόμοι. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ χρησάμενος καὶ νόμοις Ἰουδαίων ἐκ κεφαλῆς μέχρι ποδῶν ἐλαίῳ τοῦτον
χρίει, οὐκ οἶδα τίσι λογισμοῖς ἢ ποίαις ἐπινοίαις. οὕτως ὁ πρώην σύνδεσμος τῶν πόλεων ἐρράγη· οὕτω μητρὸς καὶ θυγατρὸς μέσον
ἐπέπτη σπάθη, διχάζουσα καὶ τέμνουσα μετὰ θυμοῦ ῥομφαίας νεᾶνιν τὴν εὐπρόσωπον, τὴν νεωτέραν Ῥώμην, ἐκ τῆς ῥυσσῆς καὶ παλαιᾶς
καὶ τριπεμπέλου Ῥώμης. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τετύχηκε τοιουτοτρόπου τέλους· ἡ βασιλὶς Εἰρήνη δὲ πολλὰ προθυμουμένη μανίαν τὴν τριβάρβαρον
ἐκείνην ἀφανίσαι καὶ μύσος ὅπερ δέδρακεν εἰς τὸν υἱὸν ἐκπλῦναι, χρημάτων ὅλους θησαυροὺς ἐκένωσε τῇ πόλει, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα
τῶν χρεῶν ἔτρεψεν εἰς εὐδίαν, ἔαρ χρυσοῦν ἐκχέασα τῆς μεγαλοδωρίας. πλὴν ἀλλ' ὁ βλέπων τὰ κρυπτὰ καὶ συνιεὶς εἰς πάντα, ὁ
παντεπόπτης ὀφθαλμός, ὁ τὰς καρδίας κρίνων προσέσχεν, εἶδεν, ἔβλεψεν, ἐζήλωσεν, ἠχθέσθη, καὶ πρὸς βραχὺ τῆς ἡδονῆς τοῦ κράτους
γευσαμένῃ ἀψινθιάζοντα πικρὸν ἐκέρασε κρατῆρα, καὶ τὸν τρυγίαν τῆς ὀργῆς τῇ παρανομησάσῃ. ἐπαναστάντος γὰρ αὐτῇ τινὸς τῶν
τῆς συγκλήτου, τῶν περιλάμπρων καὶ γνωστῶν, τοὔνομα Νικηφόρου, ἐκβάλλεται τοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀγλαοδένδρου κήπου, ἀντὶ τρυφῆς καρπίζεται
δακνοκαρδίους πόνους, πόνους οὐ πόνους τοκετοῦ, τῶν συμφορῶν δὲ κέντρα, ἅλμην τε πίνει θλίψεως ὡς πένησσα χερνῆτις. τοιαῦτα
τὸ παλίνστροφον ἐργάζεται τοῦ βίου· οὕτως ἀνταποδίδωσι θεὸς τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι. μόνη μὲν οὖν τετύχηκεν ἐπὶ μικρὸν τοῦ κράτους,
σὺν Κωνσταντίνῳ δὲ υἱῷ χρόνοις ἑπτὰ πρὸς δέκα. Τοῦ κράτους τοίνυν ὁ τροχὸς ἐξ ἄλλων εἰς ἑτέρους κυλινδηθεὶς καὶ συστραφεὶς
ἐν δρόμοις ἀνωμάλοις φθάνει ποτὲ μετέωρον ἄρας καὶ Νικηφόρον, ἄνθρωπον φονικώτατον, δύστροπον, κακοήθη, δοῦλον χρυσοῦ χρυσομανῆ,
κίμβικα σμικρολόγον, ἄντικρυς Μίδαν τὸν ποτὲ κατάρξαντα Φρυγίας, ὃς τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν πόλεων ὠνίους ἐποιεῖτο, οὐκ ἀριστίνδην τὰς
τιμὰς ἀλλὰ πλουτίνδην νέμων. εἶχε χρυσὸν ἐν χείλεσι, βοῦν ἐπὶ γλώττης εἶχε, χρυσὸν ἐπιτραπέζιον, χρυσὸν ὠνειροπόλει. καὶ τοῖς
μὲν ἄλλοις σκυθρωπὸς καὶ κατηφὴς ἐῴκει, ἂν δὲ χρυσοῦ τις ἔφερεν ὁλκὴν ἐπικολπίαν, τότε δὴ τότε προσηνὲς τὸ βλέφαρον ἐδείκνυ,
καὶ σκυθρωπότητος ἀχλὺς οὐκ ἦν ἐν τοῖς προσώποις. ἐντεῦθεν πάσας μηχανὰς ὑπώρυττε καὶ τρόπους, καὶ πάντας ὑπεβόθρευεν εὑρεσικάκους
δόλους, ὡς εἴ που παρευρίσκοιτο χρυσίον κενωθείη καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν μετενεχθῇ. τῆς φιλοχρηματίας! οὗτος ἐπέθηκε βαρὺ τοῖς Βυζαντίοις
ἄχθος, οὐ κοῦφον οὐδ' εὐάγκαλον, οὐδ' ἐλαφρὸν βαστάσαι, ἀνανεώσεως τειχῶν χάριν τῶν γηρασάντων, ὃ λέγουσι δικέρατον οἱ τούτου
τελωνάρχαι. σφίγγων δὲ πάντα ταῖς κλεισί, καὶ θύραζε μὴ φέρων οὐκ ἄργυρον οὐδὲ χρυσόν, οὐκ εὐυφάντους πέπλους, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ
λεγόμενον ἐν μύθοις Αἰσωπείοις, πλεῖστα μὲν ἴχνια δεικνὺς χρημάτων εἰσιόντων, ἐξερχομένων δ' οὐδαμῶς οὐδ' ἀποκενουμένων, ἐστέρησε
καὶ τὸν στρατὸν τῶν ἐποφειλομένων. ἐντεῦθε θροῦς δυσκέλαδος καὶ στάσις ὀλεθρία καὶ λαλαγὴ κακόχαρτος καὶ δυσφημοῦσαι γλῶσσαι.
καὶ συνδραμόντες εἰς ταὐτὸ μετὰ κραυγῆς ἀσήμου αὐτάνακτα Βαρδάνιον τὸν τότε στραταρχοῦντα γενέσθαι
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