De cerimoniis aulae Byzantinae, lib1.-192

 procession, in which the masters are about to come forth, and all the public roads leading there, in which the masters are about to pass through, to a

 of the Augusteum stand the nipsistiarioi, carrying the gold and precious-stone-encrusted hand-washing basins, and the masters stand at the Golden Hand

 At the same tribunal, on the right and on the left, stand near the lamps from the demes and beyond them the gentiles who happen to be present at that

 crucifixion, and venerating the patriarch, they take their leave of him, and they enter into the oratory which is before the metatorion, and there thr

 of them and the rest of the 1.15 reception is carried out as has been said before. And again a second reception takes place at the outside of the cas

 they change their divetesia in the koiton of Daphne, when all of the senate have been assembled in the portico of the great triclinium of the Nineteen

 the masters put on the lōroi and are crowned by the praepositi, taking in the right hand the akakia, and in the left the golden crosses adorned with s

 column of the Forum, and the masters indeed stand on the steps of the great 1.23 porphyry column, while the magistri and proconsuls and patricians and

 the praepositus of the ceremony says: Give the order. And indeed when the senators are exiting, the masters also exit with them, and mount their hor

 as the lords are passing by [as has been said before, they acclaim the factions] and acclaiming the things appropriate to the feast. For the lords do

 the criers say the acclamation, tone 1: He who is motherless in heaven is born fatherless upon the earth. The acts of acclamation are sung by both

 1.35 3rd Feast of the Lights.

 inaugurating the resurrection for the dead may He Himself raise your horn, O masters, in victories against the barbarians. Reception 6, of the Blues

 the people likewise for the third time: O, You who are, our risen God, guard the masters. The chanters: All-holy Spirit, protect the Augustas. And

 of the Reds. And the acclamations of praise are sung by both the criers and the people, just as in the other receptions. 6th reception, in the bakery

 Great and venerable Spirit, who is glorified above with the Father as Lord of all, being in sacred converse with the Hebrews, teaches Wisdom to gush

 Reception 10, in the bakers' arcade. Returning, the demarch of the Greens with the deme of the Reds, holds a reception there. Reception 11, in the For

 benefactors, at the descent of the Spirit, He has placed from heaven a sanctified crown upon your precious heads wherefore we beseech him unceasingly

 of the praepositus, and he comes forth, holding in his right hand an anexikakia, and in his left a scepter resting upon his shoulder, and he passes th

 he gives the candle to the praepositus, and he places it upon the solea near the holy doors, on the right side, and the emperor stands near the same c

 the cantors and the paramonarioi, and then they enter inside the curtain hanging at the Holy Well. And the praepositus, taking the crown, gives it to

 are clothed in cloaks with golden tablia, and the spatharocubicularii their swords. When the palace opens, all of the cubiculum enter through the Pass

 in the processional candelabra and the cross goes up and stands at the base behind the emperor, in front of the gate of the church. And the patriarch

 When the time of the divine communion has arrived, two silentiaries go by order, and summon the patriarch, and the patriarch, being supported by them,

 of cataphracts, and all of them in genuine sagia. Likewise the spatharokandidatoi also ride together with the spatharioi, and they ride on caparisoned

 of the faction of the Greens, and they receive the emperor in the Forum of the Peraean Greens, they receive the emperor in the paved area of the Milio

 of Justinian and stands in the first omphalion of the same triclinium. The patricians and generals having gathered there and the rest of the senate, a

 the procession enters into the Justinianos. And the emperor puts on a `divetesion` and a `tzitzakion` and stands in the Chrysotriklinos in the exiting

 holding in his hand a golden, jeweled staff, and having prepared the first *vēlon*: metropolitans, he enters and stands at the threshold of the silver

 of needs. And at the entrance for each course at the table, the emperor asks the patriarch to say the blessing. And the patriarch invites each metropo

 in the temple of the Lord, wearing true *sagia*, both patricians and generals, *praepositi* and *ostiarii* and *primicerii*, and the eunuch *protospat

 He meets the procession in the middle, and having lit 1.95 candles and prayed, he venerates the precious and life-giving cross and the immaculate Gosp

 in the narthex outside the gate of the same spiral staircase, likewise also the officials of the cubiculum. And the praepositus, having received a sig

 May God lead your reign for many and good years, and they exit. It is also necessary to know this, how many receptions the factions receive in this

 The notarios of the same party begins to say the iambics of the feast. At the outer gate, the democrat of the Greens receives him, that is the domesti

 each other, and the emperor departs to his bedchamber, but the patriarch, wherever he wishes. 1.106 28 (19) What must be observed on the eve of Saint

 outside the holy doors, they receive candles from the praepositi, and through the threefold prostration they give thanks to God. Then entering into th

 And when the 1.112 lords, according to custom, enter with the patriarch into the sanctuary, the patriarch enters first but the lords, standing outsid

 he comes to the royal gates of the same oratory, that is, with the subdeacon carrying the processional cross. And the masters receive candles from the

 of the praepositus, and having venerated the immaculate Gospel, he passes with the patriarch through the middle of the church, and in the right-hand p

 when they have gone out, he is crowned by the praepositus and goes out through the Augustaion into the narrow passage, with bearded protospatharii sta

 one another's hands, they proceed as far as the royal gates, and there the emperor, having stood, lights candles, and when the patriarch has completed

 the faction of the Blues, with the demarch wearing a blue cloak, and they make their acclamations, as is their custom, acclaiming the emperor, likewis

 When he entered, held by the *katepano* of the imperials and the *logothete* of the *dromos*, and having fallen down and prostrated himself before the

 both greet each other, the emperor and the patriarch, the emperor departs to his bedchamber, and there, standing within the veil, he awaits the patria

 to the emperor, and after making obeisance and kissing his feet, he rises, having prayed for the emperor, and the *tēs katastaseōs* takes hold of him,

 good years. And this prayer is made, when the twelve-day period is completed.

 both the emperor and the patriarch, go forth together and stand in the gate of the Great Church and the patriarch beginning the prayer of the entranc

 of the spiral staircase, and from there by the silentiaries down to the bottom. The emperor passes the time after this as he commands and wishes. It m

 happen to be on the same day in the city, likewise both the clerics of the Great Church and those of the outer churches, and whoever in all the monast

 The masters venerate the holy table and the vestment, and ascending through the side of the sanctuary and the spiral staircase behind the conch into t

 of Pharos, and after venerating the precious wood, they go out, and immediately by command a dismissal is given. And in the middle of the second hour,

 of a litany, the government and the body of the clergy enter through the right gate of the royal gates, but the orphans and the metropolitans and the

 of the Lord, they themselves also praying for the emperor. When the emperor has entered within the gate, the cubicularii secure the gate, they themsel

 the order of the feast requires. When the hour arrives, the emperor changes into a divetesion and chlanis, and sits upon the senzon in the Chrysotrikl

 of the single door leading to the Eidikon, and he descends the steps of the Lausiakos. But those of the senate, the spatharokandidatoi and those of th

 of Stephen, there performing the 1.166 divine liturgy, [and if the emperor commands, the patricians are summoned]. And when the divine liturgy has bee

 time, the emperor, putting on the pagan *divetesion* and the late-purple *chlanis*, and being escorted by the *praepositi* and the other officials of

 a diaspron skaramangion with gold embroidery, and the invited friends also sit down, some in white skaramangia, others in colored ones, and immediatel

 1.175 46 (37) One must know how the emperors change vestments on the feasts and in processions.

 skaramangia, also putting on their swords and crowns, as they command, and after the Gospel they return on horseback with the chionmata. It is to be k

 The people cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace. A third time. Then: Many years to so-and-so, the great empero

 criers: He who crowned you with His own hand The people likewise. The criers: May He multiply your years with the Augustae and the Porphy 2.5 rogen

 all-holy. The chanters: One is the holy God, grant them concord. The people: One is the all-holy Spirit. The chanters: One is this kingdom, Lord

 The Augusta wearing the maphorion, the patriarch says the customary prayers. And when he completes the prayer, they remove the Augusta's maphorion, an

 likewise a third time. The criers: But the one who crowned you, so-and-so, with his own hand The people likewise a third time. The criers: may he k

 the praepositus of the masters says: Give the order and they go out praying, and the patricians go to the Onopodion, and the consuls to the portico

 It is necessary to know that the crowned emperor is crowned, and they go out crowned to the Golden Hand, and the patricians receive them in the Onopod

 Purple gem-studded ones one of them the lady-in-waiting holds behind the Augusta, and two others on this side and that.

 of the patriarch, and immediately the emperor speaks to the people, if he wishes anything, and if the people have anything to answer, they answer. And

 criers: Arise, O servants of the Lord. The people, three times: Arise. The criers: Arise, so-and-so and so-and-so, Augustae of the Romans. The p

 The entire senate is summoned, that they may come early with changes of clothing, and in the morning the entire senate and the dignitaries of the scho

 Nobilissimus, the whole ceremony and procession is performed, as for the Caesar, likewise also the acclamations of the demes, but the chlamys placed u

 of the katastasis and the chariots and the spatharioi bearing their weapons, and the patricians themselves fall down according to custom, and the prae

 of the master and both knees, likewise also of the junior, and having risen he holds out his hands and receives from the masters the sticharion and th

 of the two lords, and having taken the codicils, he kisses their hands, and he walks backwards, likewise the rest, however many there are, do thus, wh

 on a Sunday and on Holy Saturday the senate is informed to wear the white cloaks with the dark ones, and before the masters go to the church, he hold

 in the midst of the officials of the *cubiculum*, and spreading his hands out with his mantle, he does reverence to the emperor, not bending his knees

 he summons him, and brings him in, wearing a purple sagion. Both the tēs katastaseōs and a silentiary hold him, and they stand him in the middle of th

 the left side sits with equal honor, for the order so provides and they themselves, both the silentiaries and the soldiers, receive from the patricia

 The patrician goes to the bench of the patricians, and puts on a true military cloak, and comes out from there, and mounts a horse, and goes to his ho

 the one who wishes from the Phylax, where the polished, opposite gates are, and the praepositus leads her within the middle gates, and she only falls

 The wives of the generals do obeisance to her, and they acclaim the sovereigns for the one who was promoted. And the patrician ladies depart, and the

 Going out from the Augusteion, he passes through the narrow way and the prefect remains inside the gate that leads out to the Onopodion, but the praep

 criers: As one who is pure and most worthy. The people: Welcome. The criers: But may the Maker and Master of all guard you, o prefect, for a mult

 the appointed demarch, escorting him as far as the Consistorium. And the appointed one enters, and lights candles at the cross, and goes to the church

 2.79 Ζ∆ʹ What must be observed, if the emperor commands two demarchs to be appointed at the same time.

 2.82 67 (58) On the promotion of notaries. The masters give orders to the praepositus, and he goes out and seeks a silentiary, and sends him to see if

 2.86 9 (61) What must be observed on the emperor's birthday, celebrated annually.

 The criers say: Arise, the divinely inspired empire. And the people shout three times: Arise and the rest of the acclamations. And when the master

 contracting. And the two factions say: Es. The criers: Nana. And the people. May God hear our voice. The criers: Many, many, many. The people:

 praepositus to the silentiarius standing in the lower part of the same reception hall by command, and he says: Give the order and they acclaim the

 to the emperor, what he was taught by the *tes katastaseos*, and the *tes katastaseos*, having received a sign from the *praepositus* by command, give

 has been said. Then the emperor passes through the same portico, escorted by the chiefs of the cubiculum, patricians, and generals, and enters the Chr

 Second Saximon. The faction of the Greens enters according to the aforementioned manner with the domestic of the excubitors and the teicheotes and the

 them in the triclinium and having stood, the emperor is adored by the chiefs of the cubiculum, and the praepositus receives a sign to say more loudly:

 of the attendance at each reception celebrated in the great phialai.

 of the Apse and of the Daphne, lighting candles in the oratories, as is his custom. And passing through the Augusteion, he enters into Saint Stephen,

 and being escorted by the officials of the cubiculum, he passes through, and they pray over him: For many and good years. And when the emperor has e

 of the Red. And again the inspector says in a loud voice: Holy, Thrice-Holy and all answer and say: Victory to the 2.119 Blue (the Greens: to the

 and they have honored you, a dearly desired servant, today with higher dignities as honorable protospatharios and worthily as demarch, so that you, O

 Greens: The choice of the Trinity. The people, three times: Many years to you. The Greens Holy. The criers: Many years to you, so-and-so and so

 three to the Heavenly One. (The Greens: To the Olympian.) And the people three times: Many years to you. The chanters: Lord, save the masters 2.12

 criers: In this you will rule all the nations. The people three times: Holy. And while the organ plays the Trisagion, the criers say: Thrice-holy

 to the Augustae and the Porphyrogennetoi. And the people three times: Lord, save. And then the criers say thus: We your servants have another requ

 And again the criers say: Lord, save the masters of the Romans. The people three times: Lord, save them. The criers: Lord, save the masters with

 a twelfth nomisma but if he wins in part, the distinction shall fall to the one being substituted for. 2.138 But if he also fails, he toils gaining n

 both factionarii and micropanitae, and the overseers and the inspectors and the bigarii and the chiefs. And when these chiefs dare not speak a single

 having received the consent from the emperor for the hippodrome races to be held, he goes out and departs to the thessarios, and gives him the final o

 they likewise pile up vegetables and cakes, that is, on the day before the horse-race but this turn of the Greens is kept for rolling. And the two-ho

 times. And then the *epi tēs katastaseōs*, taking the edge of the emperor’s chlamys and making it into a roll, presents it to the emperor. Thence the

 2.152 One is God. The criers: You, save her. The people: Yes, Lord. The criers: He who helps the eparch. The people: One is God. The criers:

 Many years to you, so-and-so and so-and-so, emperors of the Romans and the people, three times: Many years to you. The Greens: Holy one. The crie

 royal, and may the Blue also increase. And then they escort the charioteers to the church, that is, the Blues to the [church] of Dagisteas, and the G

 Give the dismissal signal and he says loudly: Dismissal. And the emperor enters the bedchamber, and is robed in his chlamys by the

 2.164 ΠΒʹ (ΟΓʹ) Concerning the hippodrome of the macellum, so-called

 This too must be known, that because the hippodrome is a pagan place, the great domestics do not go up to the demes, but the emperor, after giving the

 and what follows.

 2.175 87 (78) What must be observed on the day of the grape-harvest at

 the eparch guards what is just, there also our God is hymned and glorified. Eis, God who raised Lazarus, guard the eparch. And so then he receives th

 I have gathered from the field, and into the bridal chamber I have brought with haste a newly-wed sun I saw on a golden-honored bed they embraced ea

 Nana he subjected all nations and the tyranny of the godless Hagia the Savior, good masters Nana may he enslave every enemy of yours before

of the single door leading to the Eidikon, and he descends the steps of the Lausiakos. But those of the senate, the spatharokandidatoi and those of the manglavion and other oikeiakoi remain in the Lausiakos on either side, acclaiming the emperor, and the emperor, being escorted by those present, enters the Tripeton, and the protospatharioi remain there, acclaiming the emperor. And the emperor enters with the kouboukleion and patrikioi into the Chrysotriklinos, and the emperor, having gone, stands on the right side of the Chrysotriklinos, near the chamber which leads to the koiton, while the patrikioi stand on the left side of the same Chrysotriklinos, and they stand in front of the senzon, holding their processional candles and the crosses, and the priests come up the middle of the Chrysotriklinos, and stand near the senzon. The deacon places the Gospel on the imperial throne, and the usual ektene is said, and the emperor departs with the kouboukleion and the priests to the church of the most holy Theotokos in the Pharos, while the patrikioi, having acclaimed the emperor, depart. And then, if the emperor so commands, they summon the patrikioi, and they serve the liturgy with the emperor in the church of the all-holy Theotokos; or if not, they serve the liturgy outside at Saint Stephen of the 1.164 Hippodrome. When the kletorion has been set in order, mensae are held, and after the dismissal of the divine liturgy, the emperor comes out and sits at his revered table in the Triclinium of Justinian in a skaramangion, likewise also those who were invited; for after the procession all change their clothes. It should be known that if the Annunciation of the most holy Theotokos should happen to fall on this feast, it is celebrated thus: the emperor makes a procession, as was said above, performing everything in sequence in the oratories of the Daphne; and having completed everything, as is customary for him to perform on the day of Palms, the priests, after performing everything in sequence in Saint Stephen's, depart by themselves, making a procession in the palace, while the emperor enters his koiton, awaiting the time. When the time has come, the one of the katastasis informs the praepositus, and the praepositus announces it to the emperor, and the emperor, coming out into the Octagon, is clothed in his chlanis by the vestitores, as is customary, and being escorted by the archons of the kouboukleion, he goes out through the Augusteion, and having passed through the narrows, that is, the Golden Hand, he goes up to the Onopous, and standing at the bronze gate of the Onopous, the patrikioi and strategoi receive him there; and when they have prostrated themselves and done obeisance, the praepositus nods to the one of the katastasis by command, and that one says: "Give the order." And from there he passes through, performing everything in sequence, in the manner we set out in detail above for the procession of the Annunciation. It should be known that on the same day of Palms the Augusta also receives the vela in like manner to the emperor, and she receives the crosses from those who come in according to the rule before the emperor, thus also before her.

1.165 42 (33) What must be observed on holy and great Thursday and during the emperor's visit to the old-age homes.

The emperor comes out from the palace at the first or second hour into the Hippodrome. Having ridden his horse there, being escorted by those according to custom, he departs to the old-age homes, fulfilling the word spoken by the Prophet, or rather by the Lord: "He has scattered, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever and ever," enriching all and comforting them from the inexhaustible treasures granted to him by God. Having performed all things according to custom in each old-age home, he returns to the palace, and when the kletorion has been set in order, mensae are held, and the invited friends remain, but the rest depart to their own places. When the hour of the divine liturgy has arrived, the emperor enters the church of the most holy Theotokos of the Pharos to perform the divine liturgy; and if the emperor so commands, the patrikioi are summoned, and they serve the liturgy with him, but if not, they go out to the church of the holy protomartyr

μονοθύρου τοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ Εἰδικόν, καὶ κατέρχεται τὰ βαθμίδια τοῦ Λαυσιακοῦ. Οἱ δὲ τῆς συγκλήτου, σπαθαροκανδιδάτοι καὶ οἱ τοῦ μαγλαβίου καὶ λοιποὶ οἰκειακοὶ μένουσιν ἐν τῷ Λαυσιακῷ ἔνθεν κἀκεῖσε, ὑπερευχόμενοι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ δηριγευόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖσε, εἰσέρχεται ἐν τῷ Τριπέτωνι, καὶ μένουσιν ἐκεῖσε οἱ πρωτοσπαθάριοι ὑπερευχόμενοι τὸν βασιλέα. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰσέρχεται μετὰ τοῦ κουβουκλείου καὶ πατρικίων ἐν τῷ Χρυσοτρικλίνῳ, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἵσταται ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ μέρει τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου πλησίον ὡς πρὸς τὴν καμάραν τὴν εἰσάγουσαν πρὸς τὸν κοιτῶνα, οἱ δὲ πατρίκιοι ἵστανται ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ μέρει τοῦ αὐτοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου, καὶ ἵστανται ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ σένζου, βαστάζοντες τά τε λιτανίκια αὐτῶν κηρία καὶ τοὺς σταυρούς, οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς ἀνέρχονται μέσον διὰ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου, καὶ ἵστανται πλησίον τοῦ σένζου. Ὁ δὲ διάκονος τίθησι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἐν τῷ βασιλικῷ θρόνῳ, καὶ γίνεται ἡ συνήθης ἐκτενή, καὶ ἀπέρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ τοῦ κουβουκλείου καὶ τῶν ἱερέων εἰς τὸν ναὸν τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου ἐν τῷ Φάρῳ, οἱ δὲ πατρίκιοι ὑπερευξάμενοι τὸν βασιλέα ἐξέρχονται. Καὶ εἶθ' οὕτως, εἰ κελεύει ὁ βασιλεύς, προσκαλοῦνται τοὺς πατρικίους, καὶ συλλειτουργοῦσι τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς παναγίας Θεοτόκου· ἢ καὶ οὐχί, λειτουργοῦσιν ἔξω εἰς Ἅγιον Στέφανον τοῦ 1.164 Ἱπποδρόμου. Στοιχηθέντος δὲ τοῦ κλητωρίου, γίνονται μίνσαι, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν τῆς θείας λειτουργίας ἐξέρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ καθέζεται ἐπὶ τῆς τιμίας αὐτοῦ τραπέζης ἐν τῷ Ἰουστινιανοῦ τρικλίνῳ ἀπὸ σκαραμαγγίου, ὡσαύτως καὶ οἱ κληθέντες· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς λιτῆς πάντες ἀλλάσσουσιν. Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτι, εἰ μὲν τύχῃ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἑορτῇ ὁ Εὐαγγελισμὸς τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου, τελεῖται οὕτως· λιτανεύει ὁ βασιλεύς, ὡς ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται, ἐκτελῶν ἅπαντα ἀκολούθως ἐν τοῖς εὐκτηρίοις τῆς ∆άφνης· τελέσας δὲ ἅπαντα, ὡς εἴθισται αὐτῷ τῇ τῶν Βαΐων ἡμέρᾳ τελεῖν, οἱ μὲν ἱερεῖς, μετὰ τὸ ἐκτελέσαι πάντα ἀκολούθως ἐν τῷ Ἁγίῳ Στεφάνῳ, ἀπέρχονται αὐτοὶ μόνον ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ λιτανεύοντες, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰσέρχεται ἐν τῷ κοιτῶνι αὐτοῦ, ἐκδεχόμενος τὸν καιρόν. Καταλαβόντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, μηνύει ὁ τῆς καταστάσεως τῷ πραιποσίτῳ, ὁ δὲ πραιπόσιτος δηλοῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἐξελθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ Ὀκταγώνῳ, περιβάλλεται τὴν χλανίδα αὐτοῦ διὰ τῶν βεστητόρων, καθὼς εἴθισται, καὶ δηριγευόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ κουβουκλείου ἀρχόντων, ἐξέρχεται διὰ τοῦ Αὐγουστέως, καὶ διελθὼν τὸ στενόν, ἤγουν τὴν Χρυσῆν Χεῖρα, ἀνέρχεται εἰς τὸν Ὀνόποδα, καὶ στὰς ἐν τῇ χαλκῇ πύλῃ τοῦ Ὀνόποδος, δέχονται αὐτὸν ἐκεῖσε οἱ πατρίκιοι καὶ στρατηγοί· πεσόντων δὲ καὶ προσκυνησάντων, νεύει ὁ πραιπόσιτος τῷ τῆς καταστάσεως ἀπὸ κελεύσεως, κἀκεῖνος λέγει· "Κελεύσατε." Ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖ διέρχεται, τελῶν ἅπαν ἀκολούθως, ὃν τρόπον ἀνωτέρω ἐν τῇ προελεύσει τοῦ Εὐαγγελισμοῦ ἐπὶ λεπτῷ ἐξεθέμεθα. Ἰστέον ὅτι τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν Βαΐων καὶ ἡ Αὐγούστα δέχεται τὰ βῆλα ὁμοίως τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τοὺς σταυροὺς λαμβάνει ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τύπον εἰσερχομένων ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως οὕτως καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς.

1.165 ΜΒʹ (ΛΓʹ) Ὅσα δεῖ παραφυλάττειν τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ μεγάλῃ εʹ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως περιόδου ἐν τοῖς γηροκομίοις.

Ἐξέρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ παλατίου ὥρᾳ πρώτῃ ἢ καὶ δευτέρᾳ ἐν τῷ Ἱπποδρομίῳ. Ἱππεύσας δὲ ἐκεῖσε, δηριγευόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ συνήθειαν, ἀπέρχεται ἐν τοῖς γηροκομίοις, ἐκπληρῶν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Προφήτου, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰρημένην φωνήν· "Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησιν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος," πλουτοποιῶν ἅπαντας καὶ παραμυθούμενος ἐκ τῶν παρὰ Θεῷ δεδωρημένων αὐτῷ ἀνεξαντλήτων θησαυρῶν. Ἐκτελέσας δὲ ἅπαντα τὰ κατὰ συνήθειαν ἐν ἑκάστῳ γηροκομίῳ, ὑποστρέφει ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, καὶ στοιχηθέντος τοῦ κλητωρίου, γίνονται μίνσαι, καὶ οἱ μὲν κληθέντες φίλοι μένουσιν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἀπέρχονται ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτῶν τόποις. Καταλαβούσης δὲ τῆς ὥρας τῆς θείας λειτουργίας, εἰσέρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου τοῦ Φάρου πρὸς τὸ ἐκτελέσαι τὴν θείαν λειτουργίαν· καὶ εἰ κελεύει ὁ βασιλεύς, προσκαλοῦνται οἱ πατρίκιοι, καὶ συλλειτουργοῦνται αὐτῷ, εἰ δὲ μήγε, ἐξέρχονται ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ ἁγίου πρωτομάρτυρος