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being also a lover of virtue, was delighted with the man's character, and as if united with him by some disposition, he bestowed gifts on many and governed by means of pity and grace. Then he also reports the things concerning him to the emperor, and makes the man lovely and desirable for him to see. For these reasons he both brings and introduces him to the emperor and gives into his hands his own monastery of the all-blessed Theotokos. The emperor, however, was also very delighted with the man, and having loved his character, he ranked him among his spiritual fathers, and rendered him the fitting honor. And as a testimony: when on one of the Lord's days the clergy approached the emperor who had come to Constantinople, and standing in the church at the time of the liturgy, they paid their respects, being at that time at odds with the patriarch on account of the aforementioned things, the emperor, feigning anger at them for these things, having sent his confidential secretary to the author, sought 184 to learn from him about them, what had possessed them to approach so boldly, not understanding at all that they were under his anger, having apostatized from the patriarch. And when he apologized on their behalf, saying, "They did not come of their own accord, O master, but having approached your father, lord Kosmas, they received assurance from him that they are pardoned by your majesty," he in turn, sending back the same confidential secretary, both testified to many other good things about the man, and that upon his death, if the church should both wish and honor him as a saint, he confessed that he among the first would accept their opinion and honor him with the appropriate honors, but if the church should not approve this, he would again be of the same opinion, and would magnify the departed and honor him as a saint. So convinced, it seemed, was the emperor concerning him. So when the bishops gathered together and the search was for a patriarch, they did not judge it seemly to again compel Gennadios, who seemed useful for this, but who had once and for all renounced the episcopate, but to seek a man of whom the emperor was convinced, they considered among the most necessary things. And so they found no one worthier than Kosmas and otherwise suitable for the occasion; for after winter, spring is pleasant, and after a storm, a longed-for calm for sailors, and after a tempest and storm of affairs and the 185 anomaly and harshness of hard characters, a gentle and mild character is inherently acceptable. Therefore, having become of one mind, they vote for this man. For the man was in truth, except for one thing, somehow to be avaricious out of simplicity and ignorance, but not from a passion ingrained in his soul, in other respects fitting for the vote; for compassion, which they say is a peculiar quality of God towards men, abounded above all else in his soul with sufficient simplicity. 28. Having learned these things, the emperor both accepts the vote as is fitting, and summons him with messages, and straightaway nods assent, and he was on the point of being appointed, and the Lord's day was at hand, and all was prepared. But there was a certain monk Gregorios in the monastery of the Pantepoptes, who, hearing these things from his own abbot Loukas, did not accept the report; for not Kosmas but Ioannes was destined to be from this, and whatever might happen, what was being planned would not be accomplished. And he said this having it from books, I think, but not from any more divine initiation. So when all was prepared and the Lord's day arrived, and the one to be appointed was being led forth, Gregorios insistently denied the action, saying that it was among the impossible things for this man, remaining Kosmas, to become patriarch, immediately with a turn of the shell, they say, on that very day he is renamed Ioannes, a thing not known to anyone 186 before the acclamation of the one appointed. Then Loukas, being present and hearing it, was immediately amazed, and departing, he reports the event to Gregorios, and then Gregorios, believing the writings more, rather than hastening to persuade others, also added the remaining things, both that he would be patriarch for so many years and that he would not die in office. And these things, being an old man and near death, he foretold. But that one, having received the pastoral staff from the ruler, as was customary, is honored also with the imperial rescript. And on the first

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ὢν καὶ φιλά ρετος, ἐνησμένιζε τῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἤθει, καὶ οἷον συντακεὶς αὐτῷ κατά τινα διάθεσιν πολλοῖς τισὶν ἐδωρεῖτο καὶ ἐκυβέρνα οἰκτιρ μοῦ τρόποις καὶ χάριτος. εἶτα καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀναγγέλλει τὰ περὶ τούτου, καί οἱ ποιεῖται τὸν ἄνδρα ἐράσμιόν τε καὶ ποθεινὸν ἰδεῖν. διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἄγων συνίστησί τε αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν μο νὴν τὴν τῆς παμμακαρίστου θεοτόκου εἰς χεῖρας δίδωσιν. ὁ μέντοι γε βασιλεὺς καὶ λίαν ἐνησμένισε τῷ ἀνδρί, καί οἱ ἀγαπή σας τὸ ἦθος ἐν πνευματικοῖς ἔταττεν αὐτὸν πατράσι, καὶ ἀπεδί δου τιμὴν τὴν προσήκουσαν. μαρτύριον δέ· ἐπεὶ τῇ Κωνσταν τίνου ἐπιδημήσαντι βασιλεῖ μιᾷ τῶν κυριωνύμων ἡμερῶν οἱ τοῦ κλήρου προσῆλθον, καὶ κατὰ ναὸν ἐν καιρῷ λειτουργίας στάντες ἀπένεμον τὴν προσκύνησιν, διάφοροι ὄντες πατριάρχῃ τότε διὰ τὰ προειρημένα, ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτοῖς προσποιούμενος τὴν ὀργὴν διὰ ταῦτα, τὸν μυστικὸν πρὸς τὸν συγγραφέα πέμψας, ἐζήτει 184 μαθεῖν περὶ σφῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ τί παθόντες οὗτοι οὕτως ἀνέδην προσῆλθον, μήδ' ὅλως ξυνιέντες ὡς ὑπ' ὀργὴν κεῖνται, τοῦ πα τριάρχου ἀποστατήσαντες. τοῦ δ' ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἀπολογουμένου ὡς οὐκ αὐτόθεν ἦλθον ὦ δέσποτα, ἀλλὰ τῷ σῷ πατρὶ προσελ θόντες κυρίῳ Κοσμᾷ παρ' ἐκείνου τὴν πληροφορίαν ἔσχον ὡς σε συμπάθηνται παρὰ τοῦ κράτους τοῦ σοῦ, αὐτὸς πάλιν ἀνταπο στείλας τὸν αὐτὸν μυστικὸν ἄλλα τε πολλὰ προσεμαρτύρει ἀγαθὰ τἀνδρί, καὶ ὡς ἀποθανόντος αὐτίκα, εἰ μὲν ἐκκλησία θέλοι τε καὶ τιμῴη ὡς ἅγιον, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν πρώτοις τὴν ἐκείνων ἀποδέχε σθαι γνώμην διωμολόγει καὶ τιμᾶν τοῖς προσήκουσιν, εἰ δ' οὐ δοκιμάζοι τοῦτο ἡ ἐκκλησία, αὐτὸν καὶ αὖθις τῆς αὐτῆς εἶναι γνώμης, καὶ μεγαλύνειν τὸν ἀπελθόντα καὶ τιμᾶν ὡς ἅγιον. τόσον ἐπληροφορεῖτο, ὡς ἐδόκει, βασιλεὺς ἐπ' αὐτῷ. ὡς γοῦν συνελ θοῦσι τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι περὶ πατριάρχου ἡ ζήτησις ἦν, τὸ μὲν καὶ αὖθις καταναγκάζειν τὸν Γεννάδιον δοκοῦντα πρὸς τοῦτο χρήσι μον, καθάπαξ ἀπειπάμενον τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν εὐ πρεπές, ἄνδρα δὲ ζητεῖν ἐφ' ᾧπερ ὁ βασιλεὺς πεπληροφόρηται, τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων ἐνόμιζον. καὶ λοιπὸν οὐδένα εὕρισκον τοῦ Κοσμᾶ ἀξιώτερον καὶ ἄλλως ἁρμόδιον τῷ καιρῷ· μετὰ γὰρ χει μῶνα ἡδὺ τὸ ἔαρ καὶ μετὰ ζάλην ποθεινὴν γαλήνην εἶναι τοῖς πλέουσιν, καὶ μετὰ τρικυμίας καὶ ζάλας πραγμάτων καὶ ἠθῶν 185 σκληρῶν ἀνωμαλίαν καὶ κάκωσιν μαλακὸν ἦθος καὶ ἥμερον αὐτό θεν ἀπόδεκτον. ὅθεν καὶ μιᾶς γεγονότες γνώμης τοῦτον ψηφί ζονται. ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ ταῖς ἀληθείαις, πλὴν ἑνὸς τοῦ ἀμηγέπη φιλοκερδεῖν ἐξ ἁπλότητος καὶ ἰδιωτείας, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκ πάθους ἐν τετηκότος ψυχῆς, τἆλλα προσήκων τῇ ψήφῳ· τὸ γὰρ συμπαθές, ὅπερ καὶ θεοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἴδιον λέγουσιν, ὑπὲρ τἆλλα τῆς ἐκείνου ψυχῆς μεθ' ἱκανῆς ἁπλότητος ἐπεπόλαζε. 28. Ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀποδέχεταί τε ὡς εἰκὸς τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ προσκαλεῖται μηνύμασι, καὶ εὐθὺς κατανεύει, καὶ πρὸς τῷ προβληθῆναι ἦν, καὶ ἡ κυρία παρῆν, καὶ πάντ' ηὐ τρέπιστο. ἦν δέ τις μοναχὸς Γρηγόριος ἐν τῇ τοῦ Παντεπόπτου μονῇ, ὃς ταῦτ' ἀκούων παρὰ τοῦ οἰκείου ἡγουμένου Λουκᾶ τὸν λόγον οὐ παρεδέχετο· μηδὲ γὰρ Κοσμᾶν ἀλλ' Ἰωάννην ἐντεῦθεν μέλλειν γενέσθαι, κἂν ὅ τι γίγνοιτο, μὴ εἶναι τὸ βουλευόμενον ἀνυστόν. τοῦτο δ' ἔλεγεν ἐκ βίβλων ἔχων, οἶμαι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔκ τινος θειοτέρας μυήσεως. ὡς γοῦν πάντ' ηὐτρέπιστο καὶ ἡ κυ ρία ἐπέστη, καὶ ὁ μὲν προβληθησόμενος ἤγετο, ὁ δὲ Γρηγόριος ἐνστατικῶς τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀπέλεγεν, ὡς εἶναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων Κοσμᾶν μένοντα τοῦτον πατριάρχην γίνεσθαι, εὐθὺς ὀστράκου μεταπεσόν τος, φασίν, αὐθημερὸν Ἰωάννης μετονομάζεται, οὐ γνωσθέν τισι 186 πρότερον ἢ εὐφημουμένου τοῦ προβληθέντος. τότε παρὼν ὁ Λουκᾶς καὶ ἀκούσας τέθηπέ τε εὐθέως, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἐξαγγέλλει τῷ Γρηγορίῳ τὸ δρᾶμα, καὶ τότε ὁ Γρηγόριος πιστεύσας μᾶλλον τοῖς γράμμασιν, ἢ πείθειν ἄλλους σπεύδων, καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα προσετίθει, καὶ ὡς τόσους χρόνους πατριαρχεύσει καὶ ὡς οὐ τῇ τιμῇ ἐπαποθανεῖται. καὶ ταῦτα γέρων ὢν καὶ πρὸς τῷ θανάτῳ προέλεγεν. ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος τὴν ποιμαντικὴν βακτηρίαν λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ κρατοῦντος, ὡς εἴθιστο, τιμᾶται καὶ διβαμβούλῳ. καὶ πρώτῃ