68

they were walking and putting on monastic garments, so that they might escape the slaughter, and women were crowding into holes in the walls and hiding in dark and secret porticoes. And Baldwin, the ruler of the city, rushed toward the great palace. And the Latins who had gone off toward Daphnousia and the podestà with them, knowing nothing of what had happened, since they had not been able to do anything against the island of Daphnousia—for God helped them too—were returning back to the city. Having come, then, as far as the church of the arch-strategist of the heavenly powers, Michael, which is situated near the Anaplous, they had learned absolutely nothing of what had happened; but having arrived there and learning these things, they rushed to enter the city. But the Roman troops, knowing this, set fire to the houses of the Latins situated along the shore, and they burned them, and first those of the Venetians, then those of the other nations, which they also called campi. And when the Latins saw the city being set on fire, beating their cheeks with their hands, and taking as many as they could inside their triremes and the rest of their ships, they withdrew, with one trireme having gone to the great palace and taking up Baldwin, who was on the verge of being captured. And so these things happened, and the city of Constantine, by the providence of God, again came under the hand of the emperor of the Romans in a just and fitting manner, on the twenty-fifth of July, it being the fourth indiction, and the year from the creation of the world being 6769, having been held by the enemies for fifty-eight years.

86

So while the emperor was then encamped around Meteorion, suddenly a certain rumor by night buzzed about the ears of many. And the rumor came from a certain servant boy of the emperor's own sister, who was named Irene but renamed Eulogia on account of the monastic habit, who had come to her from the regions of Bithynia, that he had learned from someone on the road that the city of Constantine had been taken by the Roman armies. So with all speed the emperor's own sister, having gone to the emperor, found him sleeping, and she moved him somewhat gently with her hand, so that he might wake up, saying in a very soft voice, "You have taken, O emperor, Constantinople." And she had said this many times, and the emperor remained answering her nothing at all. But when she changed her words and had said: "Arise, emperor; for Christ has granted you Constantinople," rising from his bed and stretching his hands to heaven he said, "This word, O sister, I myself also accept. But the word which you said first, that I have taken Constantinople, I in no way accept; for how from Meteorion could I become master of Constantinople? And I have not even sent a worthy army against it. But that these things are easy for God I myself also confess, and he is able rather quickly to grant the nearly impossible things to whom he might wish." Having said these things, he gathered all those in authority who were then with him there, and he inquired if what was from the rumor seemed true to them. And some agreed that the words were true, and especially those by whom the departure of the Latins was more accurately known; but some held the report in doubt, for whom the judgments of providence from above are not within their knowledge, reckoning also the deed to be among the most difficult and not easily accomplished. In such discussions, then, the span of the night passed by. And when day dawned, there was hope for all that the one bearing the truth would arrive at the camp, but the span of that day also passed by, and no such person arrived. So the souls of all were vexed and were distressed, and especially that of the emperor. But as night came on, the one bearing the good tidings came and spoke clearly about the deed,

68

ἐβάδιζον καὶ μοναχικὰ ἐνεδέδυντο ἄμφια, ὅπως τὸν φόνον ἐκφύγοιεν, γυναῖκες δὲ εἰς ὀπὰς τειχῶν συνεστέλλοντο καὶ εἰς στοὰς σκοτεινὰς καὶ ἀποκρύφους ἐκρύπτοντο. ὁ δὲ τῆς πόλεως κατάρχων Βαλδουῖνος περὶ τὸ μέγα παλάτιον ὥρμησεν. Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν ∆αφνουσίαν ἀπιόντες Λατῖνοι καὶ ὁ μετ' αὐτῶν ποτεστάτος, μηδέν τι τῶν γενομένων γνωρίσαντες, ἐπεὶ μὴ κατὰ τῆς νήσου ∆αφνουσίας ποιῆσαί τι ἴσχυσαν -ἀντελάβετο γὰρ κἀκείνων θεός-παλίνδρομοι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐπανεζεύγνυον. μέχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων Μιχαὴλ ἐλθόντες, τοῦ περὶ τὸν ἀνάπλουν διακειμένου, οὐδέν τι ὅλως τῶν γενο μένων ἐμεμαθήκεισαν· ἐκεῖσε δὲ ἀφιγμένοι καὶ ταῦτα μαθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὥρμησαν ἐπελθεῖν. ἀλλὰ τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ στρατεύματα τοῦτο γνόντες πῦρ ταῖς οἰκίαις τῶν Λατίνων ἐνέβαλον παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν κειμέναις, καὶ ἐνέπρησαν ταύ τας, καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τὰς τῶν Βενετικῶν, εἶτα τῶν ἄλλων γενῶν, ἃς καὶ κάμπους κατωνόμαζον. ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶδον τὴν πόλιν πυρπολουμένην οἱ τῶν Λατίνων, τὰς παρειὰς ταῖς χερσὶ τύψαντες, καὶ λαβόντες ὅσους ἠδύναντο ἐντὸς τῶν τριήρεων αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πλοίων, ὑπεχώρησαν, μιᾶς τριήρεως εἰς τὸ μέγα παλάτιον ἀπελθούσης καὶ ἀναδεξα μένης τὸν Βαλδουῖνον ἐν χρῷ τῆς ζωγρείας γενόμενον. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω ξυνέβη, καὶ ἡ Κωνσταντίνου προνοίᾳ θεοῦ καὶ αὖθις ὑπὸ χεῖρα τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐγένετο κατὰ λόγον δίκαιόν τε καὶ προσήκοντα, Ἰουλίου εἰκοστὴν καὶ πέμπτην ἄγοντος, οὔσης ἐπινεμήσεως τετάρτης καὶ ἀπὸ γενέσεως κόσμου ἔτους ὄντος #22ψξθʹ, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν κρα τουμένη χρόνους πεντήκοντα καὶ ὀκτώ.

86 Περὶ γοῦν τὸ Μετεώριον τότε σκηνουμένου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐξαπίνης φήμη τις νύκτωρ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν περιεβόμβησεν ἀκοάς. ἡ δὲ φήμη παρὰ παιδαρίου τινὸς τῆς αὐταδέλφης τοῦ βασιλέω τῆς ὀνομαζομένης μὲν Εἰρήνης, διὰ δὲ τοῦ μοναδικοῦ σχήματος μετονομασθείσης Εὐλογίας, ἐκ τῶν τῆς Βιθυνίας μερῶν παρ' αὐτὴν ἀφικο μένου, ὡς καθ' ὁδὸν ἐμεμαθήκει παρά του, παρὰ τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν στρατευμάτων ἁλῶναι τὴν Κωνσταντίνου. ὡς εἶχε γοῦν τάχους ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοκασιγνήτη παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα ἀφιγμένη καταδαρθάνοντα τοῦτον εὗρε, καὶ ἠρέμα πως ἐκίνει αὐτὸν χειρί, ὅπως ἄν γε καὶ γρηγορήσειεν, ἰσχνοτέρᾳ τῇ φωνῇ ὑπολέγουσα ὡς «κατέσχες, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν.» καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο εἰρήκει, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπέμενε μηδέν τι πρὸς ταύτην ἀνταποκρινόμενος. ὡς δὲ τὸν λόγον μετέβαλε καὶ εἰρήκει· «ἀνάστηθι βασιλεῦ· ὁ γὰρ Χριστὸς ἀπεχαρίσατό σοι τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν,» τῆς κλίνης ἀναστὰς καὶ τὰς χεῖρας εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνατείνας «τοῦτον μὲν» ἔφη «τὸν λόγον, ὦ ἀδελφή, καὶ αὐτὸς δέχο μαι. ὃν δὲ λόγον τὸ πρῶτον εἶπας, ὡς τῆς Κωνσταντίνου κεκράτηκα, οὐδαμῶς ἀποδέχομαι· πῶς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ Μετεω ρίου ἐγκρατὴς γενοίμην τῆς Κωνσταντίνου; ἀλλ' οὐδὲ στρά τευμα κατ' αὐτῆς ἀξιόλογον πέπομφα. τὸ δὲ ῥᾴω ταῦτα εἶναι θεῷ καὶ αὐτὸς ξυνομολογῶ, καὶ θᾶττον ἂν τὰ μικροῦ καὶ ἀδύνατα τοῖς οἷς βούλοιτο παρασχεῖν καθέστηκε δυνατός.» Ταῦτ' εἰπὼν τοὺς ἐν τέλει πάντας τοὺς ἐκεῖσε τότε τού τῳ συνόντας ξυνήθροισε, καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ ἀληθῆ δοκεῖ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς τὰ παρὰ τῆς φήμης. καὶ οἱ μὲν συν έθεντο τὰ τῶν λόγων ἐπαληθεύειν, καὶ μάλιστα οἷς ἡ τῶν Λατίνων ἔξοδος ἀκριβέστερον ἐπεγνώσθη· ἔνιοι δὲ τὸν λό γον ἦγον ἐν ἀμφιβόλοις, οἷς οὐκ ἐν γνώσει τὰ τῆς ἄνω προνοίας καθέστηκε κρίματα, ὑπολογιζόμενοι καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα τῶν δυσχερεστάτων τε εἶναι καὶ μὴ ῥᾳδίως κατορθουμένων. ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις μὲν λόγοις τὸ τῆς νυκτὸς παρῄει διάστημα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡμέρα ἐπέφωσκεν, ἐλπὶς μὲν ἦν πᾶσι τὸν διακομίζοντα τἀληθῆ ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης παραδεδραμήκει διάστημα, καὶ οὐδεὶς τοιοῦτος ἀφίκετο. ἤσχαλλον γοῦν αἱ τῶν ἁπάντων ψυχαὶ καὶ ἠδημόνουν, καὶ μάλιστά γε τοῦ βασιλέως. ἀλλὰ νυκτὸς ἐπιούσης ὁ τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἀγγελίαν διακομίζων ἐλήλυθε καὶ σαφῶς εἰρήκει περὶ τοῦ ἔργου,