Her plan was the renunciation and expulsion of her husband. Wherefore also her first son, whom she had borne from her union with Doukas, they proclaimed emperor and master, 169 seating him on the imperial throne of the Chrysotriklinos, and they handed over to him the sole rule; and they deposed his lady and mother with a vehement attack, then also handing her over to a ship, they placed her in exile across the eastern strait, which the citizens call the Stenon from its location, having installed her in the monastery founded by her and called Piperoudes, having shown her dressed in black and with her hair shorn, and having enrolled her in the order of nuns. So Diogenes, proceeding as far as the theme of the Armeniacs, when he was informed of the things concerning himself, and that he had been proclaimed an enemy to the citizens and the palace, seized a certain fortress named Dokeia and encamped there. And the Caesar and his nephew, who had newly been entrusted with the scepters, after having arranged everything in the ruling city according to their plan, and had won over the members of the senatorial council and begun to honor them, and had delivered the customary address to the people of the forum, saying that he had recovered his paternal empire by the decree of God, and had made them hopeful with philanthropic promises, they resolved to send an army against Diogenes. And having appointed as general with full powers one of the Caesar's sons, Constantine by name, a protoproedros in rank, they entrusted to him the soldiers at hand, and quickly 170 sent him out from the ruling city; who, having gathered others from the provinces, and having commended others to himself by means of imperial letters, seemed to have assembled a considerable force, and pitched his camp near the refuge of Dokeia. But most of the Franks flocked to Diogenes, and from this he expected to have the upper hand. From then on, therefore, skirmishes broke out between the sides; but no decisive battle determined the outcome, as the opposing soldiers engaged with one another man to man and then withdrew again. But when the emperor had summoned many of the Cappadocians by proclamations and letters, whom Theodore Alyates, the proedros, commanded—a man of noble family in matters of war and most wonderful to behold, differing from the many in size and bulk and having served capably in many campaigns—it seemed that Diogenes greatly surpassed the enemy, and quickly breaking camp from the fortress of Dokeia, he marched towards the land of the Cappadocians, from which he himself had his origin. But those of the faction of the one holding the empire in Constantinople, having received an unexpected reinforcement during that night, had determined not to come off much the worse. For there reached them, sent with others from the queen of cities, an ally, that Frank, Crispin, whom Diogenes, having removed from the army on charges of rebellion, had sent into exile at Abydos, but Michael, who later reigned 171 in his stead, having recalled him from exile, made him brilliant with benefactions and honors and strengthened his goodwill toward himself. This man, therefore, being most noble in hand-to-hand combat, and most valiant, if any man, being seen as such because he had given proof of his own valor from his previous exploits, instilled great eagerness in the soldiers, having arrived at a time of martial increase. For these reasons, indeed, as Diogenes was breaking camp from Dokeia, the emperor's men also appeared, carrying their banners unfurled. But Alyates, being elated by this, having gathered many of the soldiers, joined battle with them. But when they drew up vigorously in opposition, and especially when it was proclaimed that Crispin was present and had spoken to the Franks in their native tongue, the men of Alyates in disorder to flight

αὐτῆς ἡ βουλὴ τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀποκηρύξεως καὶ διώξεως. διὸ καὶ τὸν μὲν πρῶτον υἱὸν αὐτῆς, ὃν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ∆ούκα συναφείας ἀπέτεκεν, αὐτοκράτορα καὶ δεσπότην φη 169 μίζουσιν, ἐν τῷ τοῦ χρυσοτρικλίνου βασιλείῳ θρόνῳ καθιδρύσαντες αὐτόν, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρίζουσι μόναρχον· τήν τε δέσποιναν καὶ μητέρα τούτου καθαιροῦσι μετὰ σφοδρᾶς τῆς ἐπιφορᾶς, εἶτα καὶ πλοίῳ παραδόντες ὑπερόριον τίθενται κατὰ τὸν ἑῶον πορθμόν, ὃν Στενὸν οἱ πολῖται κατονομάζουσιν ἐκ τῆς θέσεως, ἐγκαταστήσαντες ταύτην τῷ παρ' αὐτῆς συστάντι φροντιστηρίῳ καὶ λεγομένῳ Πιπερούδη, μελαμφοροῦσαν ἐπαποδείξαντες καὶ κεκαρμένην τὰς τρίχας, καὶ τῷ τάγματι τῶν μοναζουσῶν καταζεύξαντες. Ὁ δ' οὖν ∆ιογένης μέχρι τοῦ θέματος τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν προϊών, ἐπεὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπληροφορήθη, καὶ ὡς τοῖς πολίταις καὶ τοῖς ἀνακτόροις ἐπικεκήρυκται, φρούριόν τι κατασχὼν ∆όκειαν κατονομαζόμενον ἐκεῖσε κατεστρατοπεδεύσατο. ὁ δὲ Καῖσαρ καὶ ὁ τὰ σκῆπτρα νέον ἐγχειρισθεὶς τούτου ἀνεψιός, μετὰ τὸ πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν βασιλεύουσαν διαθεῖναι κατὰ τὸ βεβουλευμένον αὐτοῖς, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς οἰκειώσασθαι καὶ τιμᾶν αὐτοὺς προκατάρξασθαι, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς τῆς ἀγορᾶς τὰ συνήθη δημηγορῆσαι καὶ ὡς τὴν πατρῴαν βασιλείαν ψήφῳ θεοῦ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀνεκτήσατο, καὶ ὑποσχέσεσι φιλανθρώποις εὐέλπιδας τούτους ποιήσασθαι, στρατιὰν πέμψαι κατὰ τοῦ ∆ιογένους ἐσκέψαντο. καὶ στρατηγὸν αὐτοκράτορα προχειρισάμενοι τῶν τοῦ Καίσαρος υἱῶν ἕνα, Κωνσταντῖνον ὀνόματι, τὸ ἀξίωμα πρωτοπρόεδρον, τοὺς παρατυχόντας τῶν στρατιωτῶν αὐτῷ ἐγχειρίζουσι, καὶ ταχέως 170 τῆς βασιλευούσης ἐκπέμπουσιν· ὃς καὶ ἄλλους τῶν ἐπαρχιῶν συλλεξάμενος, οὓς δὲ καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων βασιλικῶν ἑαυτῷ συστησάμενος, ἁδράν τινα δύναμιν ἔδοξε συναγηοχέναι, καὶ πλησίον τοῦ κρησφυγέτου τῆς ∆οκείας τὸν χάρακα ἔθετο. προσερρύησαν δὲ τῷ ∆ιογένῃ τῶν Φράγγων οἱ πλείους, κἀκ τούτου ἔχειν τὸ ἰσχυρὸν προσεδόκα. ἔκτοτε οὖν παροδικαὶ μάχαι τοῖς μέρεσι διερρήγνυντο· οὐδεμία δ' αὐτοτελὴς τὴν ἔκβασιν ἔκρινε, συναπτομένων ἀλλήλοις κατ' ἄνδρας καὶ αὖθις ἀπαλλαττομένων τῶν ἀντιθέτων στρατιωτῶν. ὡς δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Καππαδοκῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς κηρύγμασί τε καὶ γράμμασι μετεπέμψατο, ὧν ἦρχε Θεόδωρος πρόεδρος ὁ Ἀλυάτης, ἀνὴρ γένους ἐπιφανοῦς τὰ πολεμικὰ καὶ θεαθῆναι θαυμασιώτατος, μεγέθει καὶ ὄγκῳ τῶν πολλῶν διαφέρων καὶ ἱκανῶς ἐν πολλοῖς στρατευσάμενος, ἔδοξεν ὁ ∆ιογένης πολὺ τῶν ἐναντίων προέχειν, καὶ ταχὺ τοῦ τῆς ∆οκείας ἄρας φρουρίου πρὸς τὴν τῶν Καππαδοκῶν ἤλαυνεν, ἐξ ἧς περ αὐτὸς τὴν γένεσιν ἔσχηκεν. ἀλλ' οἱ τῆς μοίρας τοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει κατέχοντος, παρὰ δόξαν προσθήκην δεξάμενοι κατὰ τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην, οὐ πολὺ τὸ ἔλαττον ἀπενέγκασθαι διεγνώκεσαν. κατέλαβε γὰρ αὐτοὺς μεθ' ἑτέρων ἐκ τῆς βασιλίδος ἀποσταλεὶς σύμμαχος ὁ Φράγγος ἐκεῖνος Κρισπῖνος, ὃν ὁ ∆ιογένης μὲν ἐπ' αἰτίαις ἀποστασίας καθελὼν ἐκ τῆς στρατιᾶς ὑπερόριον εἰς Ἄβυδον ἐποιήσατο, ὁ δ' ἀντιβα 171 σιλεύσας ὕστερον Μιχαὴλ ἐκ τῆς ὑπερορίας μεταγαγὼν εὐεργεσίαις καὶ τιμαῖς κατελάμπρυνε καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀνέρρωσεν εὔνοιαν. οὗτος οὖν γενναιότατος κατὰ χεῖρα τελῶν, καὶ ἀλκιμώτατος, εἴπερ τις ἀνθρώπων, δοκῶν διὰ τὸ πεῖραν δοῦναι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δοκιμότητος ἐκ τῶν φθασάντων αὐτοῦ ἀνδραγαθημάτων, πολλὴν ἐνέσταξε προθυμίαν τοῖς στρατιώταις, ἐν ὥρᾳ καταλαβὼν πολεμικῆς ἐπιδόσεως. διὰ ταῦτά τοι καὶ ἄραντος ἐκ ∆οκείας τοῦ ∆ιογένους ἐπεφάνησαν καὶ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως τὰς σημαίας ὑπερτεταμένας ἐκφέροντες. ἀλλ' ὁ Ἀλυάτης τούτων κατεπαρθείς, πολλοὺς τῶν στρατιωτῶν συναγηοχώς, πόλεμον τούτοις προσέμιξεν. ἐρρωμένως δὲ ἀντιταξαμένων αὐτῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιφημισθέντος τοῦ Κρισπίνου παρεῖναι καὶ τοῖς Φράγγοις τῇ πατρίῳ διαλεχθέντος φωνῇ, πρὸς φυγὴν οἱ τοῦ Ἀλυάτου ἀτάκτως