Compendium chronicum
Gold-bearing, glistening with robes studded with pearls. the fragrant violet shone, the rose shone back. every kind of violet's color smiled from ever
The fine-spun ones. the large-winged, large-hooked-beaked, hooked-clawed, boasting their claws like javelins, having a beak sharper than daggers, for
Having made him a composite of soul and body, and having bestowed the grace of a will moved by itself, and having formed him according to his likeness
Of yours, and you will be called gods, and you will know all things. the woman heard these things, she heeded the flattery, she was conquered by the
Land-born, winged, walking but god, opening the floodgates of heaven, brought down from there whole seas of rain, covered the peaks of the deep-cliff
They stole, they committed adultery, and finally they looked toward idolatry. seruch was the first to begin to use carved images and pillars, being th
Javelin-bowmen, armor-bearers, spearmen, men furious in battle, and having taken an allied force from the nation of the huns, and having made allies o
Chaldeans, and the plaything of fortune and the dice of affairs, having sufficiently mocked others, passed over to others. and when these things were
Mandane, and that the liquid poured forth was so great as to be able to cover the face of the land of asia. this was the first dream, and a second one
Not even among the most famous, like that of the medes and persians, or that of the assyrians. candaules was king of lydia and phrygia, tracing his li
To be contrived by such devices. he, having learned and discerned which mare the horse of darius loved more than all the others, after the two of them
Having heard that joseph, the one born of rachel, was governing the land of egypt for pharaoh, and also contriving to find a release from his sufferin
Was sung. and a light of gladness rose for the hebrews, but the darkness of calamities overshadowed the egyptians. the israelites who fled egypt then
He exposes him in a place called parion after paris himself. he was therefore cast aside carelessly. shepherds found him, pitied him, took him up. the
Because helen had been seized by someone, all fought on her behalf with their own bodies. so after much entreating and importuning, they persuade the
While strong-handed achilles was present, the counsels of the son of laertes were ineffective, and every plot devised and scheme stitched together aga
The swarm of trojans mingled with each other, daring to do nothing. and there was a temple before the walls of beautifully-towered troy, where achille
To proteus, he also finds his consort there in memphis, and having been hosted and honored he receives helen, and after considerable toils he reaches
Flapping its wings, a great-winged bird, fanned the fire into flame with its wings. but a certain cunning fox, vying with these and contending against
To be called, remaining faithful, keepers of the house and guardians of what is within. then taking a clod of earth in his hand from outside, he throw
The most unjust slaughter of his father, and perceiving as a man of sense that he would share the danger with his father and brother and would die wit
Caesar wished to take into the fellowship of marriage a woman who was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and he urged nero to betroth his wife to hi
And his whole character was lecherous, and worse than others, lusting after women joined to men, and commanding their spouses to serve his abomination
You will cause me pain for those who are sated on my rotten limbs will vex me for a short time, but if others fall upon me, they will cling more viol
Bringing with them a chariot-driver mime, they came upon him to kill him. and nero, knowing this, killed himself, saying this at the end: what an art
Extinguishes it, and dogs, running up and eating the bonds, release the stargazer who was invoking the gods many times. and these things indeed were a
Ravaging and plundering, being in want of money, pressed by need and having no army from anywhere to arm against them, set forth in the marketplace th
Of great things, what terror was not present, what was not dared! slaughters and toils everywhere, and pools of blood. and the gloom of the prison hel
Their names were constans and constantine) manages the western parts and rome and the gauls. but these were extinguished rather quickly and before the
But when that woman again added that her husband was plotting against gratian himself, he replied again, what is that to you, woman? and they say th
Orestes, and after orestes the son of romulus was the last to take hold of the rule. and the great-named city, the city of the romans, having had romu
They set aside the young woman. athenais the maiden, exceedingly distressed at these things and wounded in her soul, goes to her maternal aunt, she sh
Learning of the emperor, she arrives in the city of jerusalem as quickly as possible, and there, having completed the remainder of her life, she pays
When a fierce battle had broken out and he was leading the romans against the arrogant persians, marcian, seized by a death-threatening illness, remai
A man, a treasure of wisdom, was slandered as a hellene, isocasius by name, a quaestor by rank and from there, stripped of both honor and money, he i
Having reigned over the romans for eighteen years. but this one, having tasted power for a short time, departed from the earth rather quickly, leaving
The poison with the trisagion hymn, and when he saw the whole crowd immediately run wild and drive the eparch from the temple with stones and burn dow
Justin, but being inflamed with zeal for the pious religion, kindled an implacable war against the manichaeans and a persecution more severe than thos
Manly minds for with this man he joined mighty battles, and so terrified chosroes that he wished to exchange peace for man-slaying wars. and rome the
With graces and bear torches for creation, and appear as bright stars to those on earth but the sun leaped up from a most beautiful lake, and the tor
Such power, and being filled with greater zeal, he held to what must be done. and it happened that not long after something like this occurred, worthy
Into the judgments of the judge shook the hearts of all. from there a calm of justice-doing was spread everywhere, instead of a winter and a gloomy te
And by the things that will be said and the khagan, having attacked the garrisons of the romans (the khagan was king of the northern scythians) and h
Of dregs. therefore, he is caught fleeing together with the empress and the purple-born branches sprung from him. but the most god-hated, man-slaying
With golden helmets, delicate, all quiver-bearing, on snorting, gold-phalerad horses. so when the emperor saw it was impossible to engage with the arm
Having embarked in boats, they came on, covering the back of the sea with their dense light boats, with their single-log vessels. thus there were many
But nevertheless he did not long enjoy his fortune, but it quickly grew cold, but appearing he was hidden, just as a rose might spring up and immediat
Him, only one thing troubled, lest the scepter reach justinian again, and he who was formerly deprived of it, and of his nose along with it, might aga
Infancy was subjected to murderous hands for slaughter but here, boys of fifteen, girls in their early bloom, young men, soft-skinned women, little g
You will see a dreadful thing, and he bespattered the ground, flowing away like water. thus it was said well and wisely by the ancients, nothing beyo
But the emperor theodosios, shrinking from the audacity and the beast-like heart of leo, yielded the throne and the crown to his enemy, willingly or u
From the kandys and the torc i will know, and the croaking raven from its blackness. near the precinct of the wisdom of god a splendid house had been
He plundered beauty, he cut out the sacred images from the churches, and in their place with the same colors and mosaics he engraved his beloved hunti
From there he is rolled towards lawless deeds, and he shaves the head of his most temperate consort, and introduces the union with another woman into
They drive him from the throne and the city as a fugitive. and he, having indicated these things in writing to the empress and having besought to rece
They were supplicating, even employing force. but he, not knowing the turn of the balancing scale of fortune, and fearing its wavering will, approache
And again the tail of the dragon was moved. the abomination, i mean, of iconoclasm, like a great dragon, crept, dreadful and gaping, it rushed to devo
And from there what was being built was overturned from its roots, and having stained his own war-loving hands with murders and having made every spea
The king, on account of the bruises and the numerous wounds, or rather cases of paralysis, was shaken in his soul at what had happened, and wishing to
Finding their catch, they write to the just man while he is fishing with nets a short writing in iambic meter, which, since i have deemed it not right
Having been persuaded and having received complete assurance that theophilos was delivered from the torments there, she became a fellow-diner with the
Of the ancient kings, both the golden trees, and the chattering sparrows, and lions made of hammered gold, and simply every royal thing gleaming in th
By his hand, but the contriver of evils paid the penalty, and the preparer of terrible things drank a cup of wrath. bardas, therefore, while digging a
Scarcely the temple-keeper he immediately makes basil a member of his household, and deems him worthy of fitting care. and basil was handsome, noble,
To earth-born men, and certain innate dooms accompany men. for this one, great in understanding among emperors, having been persuaded by certain serpe
By the transgression of tetragamy. but leo, the most philosophical among emperors, having fallen into the natural necessities of the body and being af
He arms himself on behalf of the one who had been out-generaled with an army drawn from many places, from the lycaonians, from the thracians, from the
Raising him from a lowly state to the summit, he makes him father and guardian of the empire. and drawing romanos further into his affection, he gives
Of unstained rule, and being about to be released from the bonds of nature, he appointed his son romanos as sole ruler. but he, entrusting all strengt
He conveys everything, and says, alas, o general, for the fortune of the romans! until when will woman-souled eunuchs steer the ship of state, resour
Medimni of grain to be sold for a nomisma. thus phocas managed the matter meanly, and this though he was rich in thousand-bushel granaries, laden with
Near the ister cutting down the phalanxes, breaking the scytharchs, killing, pursuing, routing the champions, as if some lion falling upon broad-flank
Slumber to his eyelids, nor sleep to his eyes, until he drove out the wolves, the devourers of sheep. the mighty ones of the bulgars recognized his st
And having been taught by certain people that after him the rule would pass to romanos, one of the senate, surnamed argyropoulos, he compels the man t
Having the care of those in the home for the aged, he managed all other matters of state up and down and was seen openly as the keeper of the ruler. t
Rushing into the inner sanctuary, from there they seize the wretched man, crying out with groans from the heart, with hot tears, and they gouge out hi
Bloody streams, but murderous outpourings. he seized the fortresses, he seized the cities. he went on, roaring in his anger, breathing fire more than
Of the power to comnenus. but those who were allotted to steer the ship of state, wishing not to save it but to sink it and swamp the most wretched th
But suddenly the tempests of the flesh, having grown wild, stirred up a hard-to-calm, wave-tossed wind, they brought on nausea, vomiting, dizziness, t
To sheep-guarded folds. but a winged dove, flying up from somewhere, alighted on his knees with a silent flutter, not like the one before that flew to
Promising down on his temples, using caesar his uncle as a rival and the most powerful men and those in high military command, he at once seats himsel
Shining with purple dye and gold, and using in turn overlapping garments, he sat upon high, silver-studded thrones, adorning with dignities all who ca
near the Ister cutting down the phalanxes, breaking the Scytharchs, killing, pursuing, routing the champions, as if some lion falling upon broad-flanked oxen should feast and with violent tearings despoil them. Then also the streams of rivers were turned to blood, and the fair-flowing Ister became mixed with gore. The Romans danced over the plains beside the Ister, and fear turned the hearts of the barbarians to ice. Such was Tzimisces, a shepherd who hunts wild beasts, keeping watch over his own flocks, sleepless nor lowering his eyelids to sleep, and crushing the jaws of strong-clawed beasts. But in times of leisure, gentle, pleasant, witty, an eye with a graceful glance, a look dripping with delight, a most cheerful face, a most gift-loving hand, a great-souled heart, most magnificent, another paradise of God gushing forth four streams, justice, prudence, courage, temperance, so that if he had not been stained by the pollution of murder, he would have been in reality a light-bringing, life-giving star. But when the common debt of natural necessity led Tzimisces also from life, after he had ruled the Romans for six years after Phokas, Basil blossomed forth together with Constantine, the purple-born shoots of Romanos, the former autocrat of the Romans, son of Constantine. who the ancestral kingdom, which had been hidden and interrupted in the times of Phokas and Tzimisces, brought again to the light, again reconnected, forging it, one might say, as a golden chain. For such a thing happened to the purple-born as when a tree withers when winter has come, and again puts forth shoots and again blossoms when the brightness of spring sweetly smiles, or just as a star of beautiful appearance might be hidden and obscured and covered by the thickness of a cloud, and again shine forth when that which darkens is dispersed. And so the first-born of the branches of the purple, emulating his great-grandfather the Macedonian and the most steadfast hero Heracles, spat out luxuries and pleasures, and detested the life of ease and indulgence, but the rough and hard toil of arms and breastplates and helmets and swords and arrows he chose rather than the sweet drops of nectar. Therefore he loathed delicate-robed attire and a luxurious table swelling with dainties and a purple-spread couch and the wearing of pearls, but the clash of shields and the rattle of chariots he considered above the enchanting strains of instruments. Therefore anklets and iron greaves and a battle-delighting spear were things to be loved by him. But yet fortune, casting an envious glance, opposed and worked against so great a zeal and quenched the flame and restrained the impulse. For having stirred up to revolt that Bardas the harsh, the great in strength, a most warlike man, daring, arrogant, and related by blood to the emperor, she roused him up as another accursed Ader, and threw the life of the sovereign into turmoil like a ship by a stormy wind broken off from some cloud. And while for a long time the harshness of the battle wore on and domestic dangers held the empire, Asia was being destroyed by the sword of the Arabs and the borders of the Romans were being constricted by the Syrians, while the Bulgarians were driving against the lands beside the Ister and plundering Thrace which bordered on them. And the emperor was in the midst as a boat on the sea, like a sparrow's nestling in the mouth of dragons. But suddenly from winter spring dawned forth, instead of the billowy surge a sweet-breathing breeze blew, bringing fair weather to affairs. And Bardas indeed submitted to the rod of the ruler, and all who were secretly aspiring to the throne drew back, and straightway the etharchy of the Arabs held Basil, and the drinkable Iberian-nurturing stream of the Phasis and the land of the Phoenicians looked upon him as a fiery whirlwind. The Iberians shuddered at him, the Tauroscythians cowered; that haughty Iberarch fled. Thus swiftly he overran all of Asia. He gave no rest to his own temples, nor
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ἰστρογείτων τὰς φάλαγγας συγκόπτοντα, ῥηγνύντα τοὺς Σκυθάρχας, κτιννύοντα, διώκοντα, τρέποντα τοὺς προμάχους, ὡς εἴ τις λέων
ἐμπεσὼν βουσὶ μεγαλοπλεύροις θοινῷτο καὶ σπαράγμασι βιαίοις κεραΐζοι. τότε καὶ ῥεῖθρα ποταμῶν εἰς αἷμα μετετράπη, καὶ γέγονε
λυθρόφυρτος ὁ καλλιχεύμων Ἴστρος. Ῥωμαῖοι κατεχόρευον πεδίων παριστρίων, καρδίας δὲ βαρβαρικὰς τὸ δέος ἐκρυστάλλου. Τοιοῦτος
ἦν ὁ Τζιμισχῆς ποιμὴν θηροδιώκτης, προφυλακὰς ποιούμενος τῶν ἑαυτοῦ θρεμμάτων, ἄγρυπνος οὐδὲ βλέφαρα πρὸς ὕπνον καταφέρων,
καὶ σιαγόνας καταθλῶν θηρῶν καρτερονύχων. ἐν ἀνεσίμοις δὲ καιροῖς πρᾶος ἡδὺς ἀστεῖος, ὄμμα χαριτοβλέφαρον, βλέμμα σταλάττον
τέρψιν, πρόσωπον ἱλαρώτατον, χεὶρ φιλοδωροτάτη, καρδία μεγαλόψυχος, μεγαλοπρεπεστάτη, ἄλλος παράδεισος θεοῦ τέτταρα βλύζων
ῥεῖθρα, δικαιοσύνην, φρόνησιν, ἀνδρίαν, σωφροσύνην, ὡς εἴγε μὴ τῷ μολυσμῷ τοῦ φόνου κατεχράνθη, ἀστὴρ ἂν ἦν αὐτόχρημα φωσφόρος
ζῳογόνος. Ὡς δέ ποτε καὶ Τζιμισχῆν ἀπήγαγε τοῦ βίου τὸ πάγκοινον ὀφείλημα τῆς φυσικῆς ἀνάγκης ἔτεσιν ἓξ μετὰ Φωκᾶν κρατήσαντα
Ῥωμαίων, ἐξήνθησε Βασίλειος σὺν ἅμα Κωνσταντίνῳ, οἱ πορφυρόφυτοι βλαστοὶ τοῦ Ῥωμανοῦ τοῦ πρώην Ῥωμαίων αὐταρχήσαντος παιδὸς
τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου. οἵτινες τὴν παππόπατρον κρυβεῖσαν βασιλείαν κἀν τοῖς Φωκᾶ καὶ Τζιμισχῆ διακοπεῖσαν χρόνοις πάλιν ἐξήνεγκαν
εἰς φῶς, πάλιν ἐπισυνῆψαν, χρυσῆν, ἂν εἴποι τις, σειρὰν ἁλυσιδοῦντες ταύτην. τοιοῦτον γὰρ συνέβη τι τοῖς πορφυροβλαστήτοις
ὡς εἴ τι δένδρον μαρανθῇ χειμῶνος ἐπελθόντος, καὶ πάλιν ἐκθηλάσειε καὶ πάλιν ἐξανθήσει τῆς ἔαρος φαιδρότητος γλύκιον γελασάσης,
ἢ καὶ καθάπερ ἂν ἀστὴρ καλλιφανὴς κρυβείη καὶ θολωθῇ καὶ καλυφθῇ τῷ πάχει τῷ τοῦ νέφους, καὶ πάλιν ἀναλάμψειε λυθέντος τοῦ
σκοτοῦντος. Καὶ τοίνυν ὁ πρωτόφυτος τῶν τῆς πορφύρας κλάδων, ζηλώσας τὸν πρωτόπαππον αὐτοῦ τὸν Μακεδόνα καὶ τὸν καρτερικώτατον
ἥρω τὸν Ἡρακλέα, τὰς μὲν τρυφὰς ἀπέπτυσε καὶ τὰς ἡδυπαθείας, καὶ βίον τὸν ἀνέσιμον ἀπέστυξε καὶ χαῦνον, τὸ δὲ τραχὺ καὶ τὸ
σκληρὸν τῶν ἐργομόχθων ὅπλων καὶ θώρακας καὶ κόρυθας καὶ φάσγανα καὶ βέλη εἵλετο μᾶλλον νέκταρος γλυκαζουσῶν ψεκάδων. ἐντεῦθεν
τρυφερόπεπλον περιβολὴν ἐστύγει καὶ τράπεζαν ἁβρόσιτον φλεγμαίνουσαν τοῖς ὄψοις καὶ κλίνην πορφυρόστρωτον καὶ μαργαροφορίας,
ἀσπίδων δὲ δουπήματα καὶ πάταγον ἁρμάτων ὑπὲρ ὀργάνων ἴυγγας θελξιμελῶν ἡγεῖτο. ἐντεῦθεν περισφύρια καὶ σιδηραῖ κνημῖδες καὶ
δόρυ πολεμόχαρτον ἦσαν αὐτῷ στερκτέα. πλὴν ἀλλ' ἡ τύχη βάσκανον ὄψιν ἐπιβαλοῦσα ἀντέπιπτεν ἀντέπραττε τῇ τηλικαύτῃ θέρμῃ καὶ
τὸν φλογμὸν ἐμάραινε καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπεῖχε. καὶ γὰρ ἀνακινήσασα πρὸς τὴν ἀποστασίαν Βάρδαν ἐκεῖνον τὸν σκληρόν, τὸν μέγαν ἐν
ἰσχύϊ, ἄνδρα πολεμικώτατον, εὔτολμον, φρυακτίαν, αἱμάτων τε ταυτογενῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ παγέντα, ἐξήγειρεν ὡς ἕτερον Ἄδερ τὸν παλαμναῖον,
καὶ τὴν ζωὴν ἐκύκησε τοῦ κράτορος ὡς πλοῖον νέφους ποθὲν ἀπορραγεὶς ἄνεμος θυελλώδης. ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ τῷ σκληρῷ τῆς μάχης τριβομένης
καὶ κατεχόντων τὴν ἀρχὴν κινδύνων ἐφεστίων, Ἀσία μὲν ἠφάνιστο τῇ τῶν Ἀρράβων σπάθῃ καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων ὅρια τοῖς Σύροις ἐστενοῦντο,
οἱ Βούλγαροι δ' ἐπήλαυνον κατὰ τῶν παριστρίων καὶ Θρᾴκην ἐληΐζοντο τὴν ἀγχιτερμονοῦσαν. ἐν μέσοις δ' ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἐν πελάγει
σκάφος, ὡσεὶ στρουθοῦ νεόττιον ἐν στόματι δρακόντων. ἀλλ' αἴφνης ἀντεπηύγασεν ἀπὸ χειμῶνος ἔαρ, ἀντὶ τῆς ζάλης ἔπνευσε τῆς
κυματώδους αὔρα ἡδύπνοος, ἐπάγουσα τοῖς πράγμασιν εὐδίαν. καὶ Βάρδας μὲν ὑπέκυψε τῇ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ῥάβδῳ, καὶ πάντες ὑπεστάλησαν
λάθρᾳ βασιλειῶντες, εἶχε δ' εὐθὺς Βασίλειον Ἀρράβων ἐθναρχία καὶ Φάσιδος τὸ πότιμον ἰβηροτρόφον ῥεῖθρον καὶ γῆ Φοινίκων βλέψασα
ταυτὸν ὡσεὶ πρηστῆρα. ἔφριξαν τοῦτον Ἴβηρες, ἔπτηξαν Ταυροσκύθαι· ὁ γαῦρος ἐδραπέτευεν ἐκεῖνος Ἰβηράρχης. οὕτως ὀξέως ἅπασαν
ἐπέδραμεν Ἀσίαν. οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ κροτάφοις, οὐδὲ
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