69

to rule; but since he had given his pledge to the emperor, he both thought of and called his sister his sovereign lady, and vying for honor he would explain such things to the Roman ambassadors, that it was fitting for him, on account of both his age and his other authority, to lay claim to the primacy; but since, by the will of God, his sister had obtained even greater glory and power, it was necessary for him also to be content with what had been decreed by God, and to consider the empress of the Romans his sovereign lady. For not only barbarians, but also Italians and all others who rule over any peoples, each one considers the Roman empire both greater and more illustrious than their own and that of others. 41. At the same time, on the second day of February of the same eighth indiction, the new emperor was crowned by his grandfather and emperor in the temple of the Wisdom of God, while Isaiah was patriarch. Such an imperial ceremony is performed in this way. When the appointed time arrives, at which it has already been ordered to anoint the emperor with the holy myrrh, all those in high office and those in authority and the army, and not least also the one who has taken up the helm of the sacred affairs of the church of this new Rome, and moreover the entire populace of the city, all must be present at the palace at dawn. At about the second hour of the same day, when the emperor who is to be anointed has been seated on a shield, the emperor and father of the one being proclaimed, if he is still alive, and the patriarch, taking hold of the front parts of the shield, and of the remaining parts the preeminent men in high office, both despots and sebastokrators, if there are any, or the most illustrious of the senators, and having raised him along with the shield as high as possible, they show the emperor to the crowds standing all around. And when they have acclaimed him, they set him down and lead him into the temple where the ceremony must take place. And a small wooden chamber having been previously constructed in it for this purpose, they bring in the new emperor, and clothe him in the purple and the diadem, after the archbishops have first blessed them. And on his head nothing customary is placed, but either a crown, or whatever else seems best. While these things are happening, the divine mystery is celebrated. And next to the said chamber a platform of wood is also constructed beforehand, and they cover it all around with red silk cloths; and above it are placed golden thrones according to the number of the emperors, not like the usual ones, but raised very high, having four or even five steps, upon which, coming out of the chamber, the emperors ascend and sit, if there are not one, but more. And the empresses, ascending with them, also sit on thrones, those already crowned wearing their crowns, but the one about to be crowned wearing a garland. And before the divine hymn of the Trisagion, the patriarch comes out of the sanctuary and goes up to the ambo. And with him also ascend the most illustrious of the rulers of the church, they too clothed in sacred vestments; whom he sends to summon the emperors. And they, immediately rising from their thrones, proceed to the ambo. A deep silence and tranquility holds the entire multitude. And the patriarch goes through the prayers composed for the anointing of emperors, some quietly to himself, and some even for all to hear, and he propitiates the divinity for the one who is to be anointed. After this, the emperor who is about to be anointed removes whatever is on his head. And it is the custom that immediately all who are present inside the temple also stand with bare heads. And the patriarch with the holy myrrh anoints the head of the emperor in the form of a cross, saying in a loud voice: Holy. And those standing on the ambo, taking up the voice, they too say for a third time: Holy. And in succession the entire multitude also cries out the same thing as many times. After this the crown, held within the sanctuary by deacons clothed in sacred vestments, for it does not lie on the holy table, as some say, they bring to the ambo. And if there is present

69

κρατεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ κατηγγύηται τῷ βασιλεῖ, κυρίαν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀδελφὴν καὶ ᾤετο καὶ ὠνόμαζε, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίων πρέσβεις τοιαῦτα φιλοτιμούμενος διεξῄει, ὡς αὐτῷ μὲν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀρχὴν προσῆκε τῶν 1.196 πρωτείων ἀντιποιεῖσθαι· ἐπεὶ δὲ, βουλομένου θεοῦ, καὶ μείζονος δόξης καὶ ἀρχῆς ἐπελάβετο ἡ ἀδελφὴ, δέον εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸν στέργειν τὰ ἐψηφισμένα παρὰ θεοῦ, καὶ κυρίαν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν βασιλίδα Ῥωμαίων ἡγεῖσθαι. καὶ γὰρ οὐ βάρβαροι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰταλοὶ καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι ἄρχουσί τινων, τὴν Ῥωμαίων βασιλείαν καὶ ἑαυτῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστος καὶ μείζονα καὶ περιφανεστέραν οἴονται. μαʹ. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς, δευτέρᾳ ἱσταμένου Φεβρουαρίου τῆς αὐτῆς ὀγδόης ἰνδικτιῶνος, ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς παρὰ τοῦ πάππου καὶ βασιλέως ἐν τῷ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ Σοφίας ἐστέφθη ναῷ, Ἠσαΐου πατριαρχοῦντος. ἡ τοιαύτη δὲ βασιλικὴ τελετὴ τοῦτον γίνεται τὸν τρόπον. τῆς προθεσμίας ἐνστάσης, καθ' ἣν ἤδη τέτακται τῷ θείῳ μύρῳ χρίειν τὸν βασιλέα, τοὺς ἐν ἀξιώμασι πάντας καὶ τοὺς ἐν τέλει καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τῶν ἱερῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς νέας ταυτησὶ Ῥώμης οἰάκων ἐπειλημμένον, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πανδημεὶ τὴν πόλιν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἅμα ἕῳ πάντας παρεῖναι δεῖ. περὶ δὲ δευτέραν ὥραν μάλιστα τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας, τοῦ μέλλοντος χρισθήσεσθαι βασιλέως ἐπὶ ἀσπίδος καθεσθέντος, ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ ἀναγορευομένου, εἴγε περίεστι, καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης τῶν ἐμπροσθίων μερῶν ἐπιλαμβανόμενοι τῆς ἀσπίδος, τῶν δ' ἐπιλοίπων οἱ ἐν ἀξιώμασιν ὑπερέχοντες δεσπόται τε καὶ σεβαστοκράτορες, εἴπερ εἰσὶν, ἢ οἱ ἐπιφανέστατοι μάλιστα τῶν συγκλητικῶν, καὶ μετεωρίσαντες ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἅμα τῇ ἀσπίδι, 1.197 τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐπιδεικνύουσι τὸν βασιλέα πάντοθεν περιϊσταμένοις. ἐπευφημησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν, καταθέντες ἄγουσιν εἰς τὸν ναὸν, ἔνθα δεῖ τὴν τελετὴν γενέσθαι. οἰκίσκου δ' ἐν αὐτῷ ξυλίνου τῆς τοιαύτης ἕνεκα χρείας προκατεσκευασμένου, τὸν νέον εἰσάγουσι βασιλέα, καὶ τὴν πορφύραν καὶ τὸ διάδημα ἐνδιδύσκουσι, πρότερον τῶν ἀρχιερέων εὐλογούντων αὐτά. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς κεφαλῆς οὐ νενομισμένον περιτίθεταί τι, ἀλλ' ἢ στέφανος, ἢ ὅ,τι ἂν ἄλλο δοκῇ. τούτων δὲ γινομένων, ἡ θεία τελεῖται μυσταγωγία. ἐχόμενα δὲ τοῦ εἰρημένου οἰκίσκου καὶ ἀναβάθρα ἐκ ξύλων προκατασκευάζεται καὶ αὐτὴ, καὶ περιειλοῦσιν αὐτὴν πάντοθεν πέπλοις Σηρικοῖς ἐρυθροῖς· ὑπεράνω δὲ αὐτῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν βασιλέων τίθενται θρόνοι χρυσοῖ οὐ κατὰ τοὺς εἰωθότας, ἀλλ' ἐπηρμένοι μάλιστα τῷ ὕψει, τέτταρας ἢ καὶ πέντε ἔχοντες ἀναβασμοὺς, ἐφ' οὓς, ἐξιόντες τοῦ οἰκίσκου, ἀναβαίνοντες καθίζουσιν οἱ βασιλεῖς, ἤν γε μὴ εἷς, ἀλλὰ πλείους ὦσι. συναναβαίνουσαι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ αἱ βασιλίδες, καθίζουσιν ἐπὶ θρόνων, αἱ μὲν προεστεμμέναι τὰ στέμματα περικείμεναι, ἡ μέλλουσα δὲ στεφανηφοροῦσα. πρὸ δὲ τῆς τοῦ τρισαγίου θείας ὑμνολογίας ἄνεισιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἄμβωνα ὁ πατριάρχης τῶν ἀδύτων ἐξιών. συνανέρχονται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀρχόντων οἱ ἐπιφανέστεροι, τὰς ἱερὰς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνδεδυμένοι στολάς· οὓς ἀποστέλλων προσκαλεῖται τοὺς βασιλέας. οἱ δ' εὐθὺς ἐξανιστάμενοι τῶν θρόνων, ἐπὶ 1.198 τὸν ἄμβωνα χωροῦσι. σιωπὴ δὲ βαθεῖα καὶ ἀταραξία τὸ πλῆθος κατέχει πᾶν. ὁ δὲ πατριάρχης τὰς ἐπὶ χρίσει τῶν βασιλέων συντεθειμένας δίεισιν εὐχὰς, τὰς μὲν ἡσυχῇ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, ἔστι δ' ἃς καὶ εἰς ἐπήκοον πάντων, καὶ τῷ χρισθησομένῳ ἐξιλάσκεται τὸ θεῖον. μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ ὁ μέλλων χρισθήσεσθαι βασιλεὺς τὸ ἐπικείμενον, ὅ,τι ἂν ᾖ, τῇ κεφαλῇ ἀφαιρεῖ. νενόμισται δ' αὐτίκα πάντας, ὅσοι πάρεισιν ἐντὸς τοῦ ναοῦ, γυμναῖς καὶ αὐτοὺς ἑστάναι κεφαλαῖς. ὁ πατριάρχης δὲ τῷ θείῳ μύρῳ σταυροειδῶς χρίει τὴν βασιλέως κεφαλὴν, ἐπιλέγων μεγάλῃ φωνῇ· ἅγιος. διαδεχόμενοι δὲ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄμβωνος ἱστάμενοι τὴν φωνὴν, ἐκ τρίτου καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν· ἅγιος. ἐφεξῆς δὲ καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τὸ αὐτὸ ἐπιφωνοῦσι τοσαυτάκις. μετὰ τοῦτο τῶν ἀδύτων ἐντὸς παρὰ διακόνων τὰς ἱερὰς ἐνδεδυμένων στολὰς κατεχόμενον τὸ στέμμα, οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς, ὥς τινές φασι, τραπέζης κεῖται, ἄγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἄμβωνα. καὶ εἴγε πάρεστι