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
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 to cast off his former wife and spouse and to be joined in marriage to Zoe the porphyrogenita. And having arranged these things, he departs from life, having enjoyed the imperial rule for a short time, and having been shown as sole ruler and autocrat for two years. And Romanos is seated upon the imperial thrones, a wise man, god-fearing, meditating on divine things and delighting greatly in books and all-night vigils; who very magnificently rebuilt for the Virgin Theotokos the monastery which is called Peribleptos. And so the empress, vigorous in her youth and inflamed with bodily convulsions, and seeing Romanos living by himself and not even remembering that he was bound to a wife and cohabited with a woman, and that a young one, was driven by certain base and arrogant thoughts. And there was a certain handsome, fair-to-see youth; his name was Michael, of Paphlagonian descent. Upon that Michael with the graceful eyelids, who was roaming about the courts of the palace, the empress cast an amorous glance and seeing the bright rays of his face and his beauty (for he was delicate-cheeked, of fine complexion, graceful, very white, flushed with red, dripping the dews of love) mingled with him amorously, and continuously gathered from Michael's face the roses of the graces. And indeed, once, as the emperor Romanos was refreshing and comforting his flesh in the baths, some abominable men murderously fell upon him and strangled him, clinging to his neck like serpents, I know not how or whence they were led to this evil, whether, as they say, Zoe also cooperated in this, or was not at all aware (for I cannot say), after he had ruled the Romans for five and a half years. In such a way he departed from his rule and his life. And when Romanos had left this life below, Michael becomes ruler and seizes the scepters, he who shortly before was obscure, he who was humble in birth, having found this reward for the adulterous bed. But Michael was handsome not only in his face, but he also shone with the graces which virtues beget, the adorners of the soul and lamps of the mind. For, being intelligent, he understood and considered by himself from what humility he had flown to the imperial dignity, from what lowliness to what a height he had been raised. Hence he was affable, without arrogance, modest, inclined to mercy, pitying the unfortunate, refreshing the needy, making the poor wealthy, and reviving, rekindling, preserving and warming those chilled by the evil of poverty, and watering the thirsty with streams flowing with gold. No one, seeing him, went away shedding tears, and no one supplicating him departed complaining. But indeed he was torn apart by a most grievous disease, like Saul by the evil choking of the demon, and he had a painful and perilous life, whether being agitated by seizures and falling down barking, or wrestling with a violent punishing demon. For often indeed he would be thrown speechless to the ground, vomiting foam from his mouth, spewing spittle, his lips turning black, his pupils rolling, sending forth harsh, indistinct, sheep-like sounds, and if some people did not happen to be there helping with his affliction, he would bang his head against the walls as if it were another's. Having often recovered from such a fall, he became a more ardent worker of virtue, and took more care of his inner well-being, and thirsted more for the monastic life. But he had some blood-relatives and men of the same seed of vile character, rapacious drones, ill-bred men, beastly, malevolent, and what of the cattle-breeders, swineherds, ox-yokers, shepherds, men reeking of grease, and tenders of holm-oak fruits and acorns? Since the emperor's brothers were such men, the one who was first in birth also excelled in wickedness, having long since been deprived of his child-producing testicles, a man of villainous character, awkward, of filthy mind, who
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καὶ πρός τινων ἐκδιδαχθεὶς ὡς μετ' αὐτὸν τὸ κράτος εἰς Ῥωμανὸν φοιτήσειεν, ἕνα τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου, ἐπίκλην Ἀργυρόπουλον, βιάζεται
τὸν ἄνδρα τὴν ἄλοχον καὶ γαμετὴν τὴν πρὶν ἀποβαλέσθαι καὶ συζυγῆναι τῇ Ζωῇ τῇ πορφυροβλαστήτῳ. καὶ ταῦτα διαθέμενος μεθίσταται
τοῦ βίου, βραχὺ τῆς αὐτοκράτορος ἀρχῆς παραπολαύσας, καὶ χρόνους δύο μόναρχος δειχθεὶς αὐσονοκράτωρ. Καὶ Ῥωμανὸς ἐγκάθηται
τοῖς βασιλείοις θρόνοις, ἀνὴρ σοφός, θεοσεβής, ἐμμελετῶν τοῖς θείοις καὶ βίβλοις χαίρων τὰ πολλὰ καὶ στάσεσι παννύχοις· ὃς
ἄγαν μεγαλοπρεπῶς τῇ θεοτόκῳ κόρῃ ἀνεδομήσατο μονὴν ᾗ Περίβλεπτος κλῆσις. καὶ τοίνυν ἡ βασίλισσα νεότητι σφριγῶσα καὶ σφαδασμοῖς
σωματικοῖς περιθερμαινομένη, καὶ βλέπουσα τὸν Ῥωμανὸν καθ' ἑαυτὸν βιοῦντα καὶ μηδὲ μιμνησκόμενον ὡς δέδεται γυναίῳ καὶ συνοικοίη
γυναικί, καὶ ταῦτα νεαζούσῃ, φαύλαις τισὶ καὶ σοβαραῖς ἐννοίαις ἐσοβεῖτο. ἦν δέ τις καλοπρόσωπος εὔοπτος νεανίας· ὄνομα τούτῳ
Μιχαήλ, γένος ἐκ Παφλαγόνων. ἐκείνῳ δὴ τῷ Μιχαὴλ τῷ χαριτοβλεφάρῳ, τῶν ἀνακτόρων ταῖς αὐλαῖς ἐμπεριστρεφομένῳ, ἡ βασιλὶς ἐρωτικὸν
ἐπιβαλοῦσα βλέμμα καὶ τοῦ προσώπου τὰς αὐγὰς ἰδοῦσα καὶ τὸ κάλλος (ἦν γὰρ τρυφεροπάρειος, εὐχρούστατος, χαρίεις, κατάλευκος,
ἐξέρυθρος, ἔρωτος στάζων δρόσους) ἐρωτικῶς ἐμίγνυτο, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐτρύγα ἐκ τῶν προσώπων Μιχαὴλ τὰ τῶν χαρίτων ῥόδα. καὶ δή
ποτε τῷ Ῥωμανῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν σάρκα ψυχαγωγοῦντι τοῖς λουτροῖς καὶ παραμυθουμένῳ ἄνδρες τινὲς χαιρομυσεῖς φονίως ἐμπεσόντες
ἀπάγχουσιν ὡς δράκοντες ἐμφύντες τῷ τραχήλῳ, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς εἰς τὸ κακὸν ἢ πόθεν προαχθέντες, εἴθ', ὥς φασι, καὶ τῆς Ζωῆς εἰς
τοῦτο συμπραττούσης, ἢ συνειδυίας μηδαμῶς (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχω λέγειν), ἔτη δὲ πέντε ἥμισυ κρατήσαντα Ῥωμαίων. τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τῆς
ἀρχῆς μεθίσταται καὶ βίου. Τοῦ Ῥωμανοῦ δὲ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν κάτω λελοιπότος ὁ Μιχαὴλ ἀρχηγετεῖ καὶ δράττεται τῶν σκήπτρων, ὁ πρὸ
βραχέος ἀφανής, ὁ ταπεινὸς τῷ γένει, τοῦτον μισθὸν εὑράμενος τῶν μοιχιδίων λέκτρων. ἦν δὲ καλὸς ὁ Μιχαὴλ οὐ μόνον τῷ προσώπῳ,
ἀλλ' ἔλαμπε καὶ χάρισιν ἃς ἀρεταὶ γεννῶσι, αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς στολίστριαι καὶ τοῦ νοὸς λαμπάδες. συνίει γὰρ ὡς συνετὸς καὶ καθ'
αὑτὸν ἐσκόπει ἐξ οἵας ταπεινότητος ἔπτη πρὸς βασιλείαν, ἐξ οἵας τῆς φαυλότητος εἰς οἷον ὕψος ἤρθη. ἐντεῦθεν ἦν εὐέντευκτος,
ἄτυφος, μετριόφρων, καμπτόμενος εἰς ἔλεον, οἰκτείρων δυσπραγοῦντας, ψυγαγωγῶν τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς, ὀλβίζων τοὺς ἀπόρους, καὶ τοὺς
ψυγέντας τῷ κακῷ τῷ τῆς ἀχρηματίας ἀναζωῶν καὶ ζωπυρῶν καὶ συντηρῶν καὶ θάλπων, καὶ χρυσορείθροις νάμασιν ἀρδεύων τοὺς διψῶντας.
οὐδεὶς αὐτὸν θεώμενος ἀπῄει δακρυχέων, οὐδεὶς δὲ λιταζόμενος ᾤχετο σχετλιάζων. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐσπαράττετο νόσῳ δυσφορωτάτῃ, ὡς ὁ
Σαοὺλ τῷ πονηρῷ πνιγμῷ τοῦ δαιμονίου, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν κατώδυνον εἶχε καὶ κινδυνώδη, εἴτ' οὖν ὑλαίων ἐκ βρασμῶν θολούμενος καὶ
πίπτων, εἴτε βιαίῳ κολαστῇ δαίμονι προσπαλαίων. πολλάκις γάρ τοι κατὰ γῆς ἄφωνος ἐρριπτεῖτο, ἀφρὸν ἐμῶν τοῦ στόματος, σίελον
ἀποβλύζων, τὰ χείλη μελαινόμενος, τὰς κόρας διαστρέφων, φθογγὰς προπέμπων δυσηχεῖς ἀσήμους προβατώδεις, κἂν μή τινες ἐντύχοιεν
ἀρήγοντες τῷ πάθει, τειχοκρουστῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν καθάπερ ἀλλοτρίαν. ἀπὸ τοιούτου πτώματος πολλάκις ἀνασφήλας θερμότερος ἐγίνετο
τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργάτης, καὶ πλέον ἐπεμέλετο τῆς ἔνδον εὐεξίας, καὶ τὴν μονάστριαν ζωὴν μᾶλλον ὑπερεδίψα. ἦσαν δ' αὐτῷ ταυτόαιμοι
κἀκ τῶν αὐτῶν σπερμάτων ἄνδρες φαυλότροποί τινες, κηφῆνες ἁρπακτῆρες, ἄνθρωποι δυσανάγωγοι, κτηνώδεις, κακοήθεις, καὶ τί γὰρ
οἱ βουθρέμμονες, χοιρόβιοι, βουζύγαι, ἄνδρες προβατοθρέμμονες, ἀπόζοντες τοῦ γράσου, καὶ πρινοκάρπων φροντισταὶ καὶ τῶν δρυοβαλάνων;
τοιούτων οὖν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὄντων τοῦ βασιλέως κἀν τοῖς κακοῖς ἐπρώτευεν ὁ καὶ τῷ γένει πρῶτος, ἐκτετμημένος πρὸ μακροῦ τοὺς
παιδουργοὺς κυλίνδρους, ἄνθρωπος κακουργότροπος, σκαιός, ῥυπαρογνώμων, ὃς
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