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He often was driven to madness by immoderate drinking and intoxication, so that during it and at its height he commanded terrible things and beyond terrible. For he would order one man's ears to be cut off, another's nose, and another's head. These orders, if some men moved by pity had not neglected them and postponed them to the next day, awaiting some retraction and repentance from the man, which indeed happened, then the entire company that remained and endured with him would have been destroyed. And Basil nearly perished with them, having not infrequently been the plaything of this drunken violence. But he endured and remained, suspecting that at least some late repentance would arise in the man. But it was not possible for this man, like a chariot wheel bent from its early youth, to regain its original straightness, no matter what happened. Therefore, he stitched together a greater plot against Basil. And it was that during the hunt, one of the shield-bearers should make the cast of his lance, in word against the beast, but in deed against Basil. And the man who was ordered and who cast the lance himself made this clear and credible, confessing it at the time of his departure. 210 Therefore, the one who was ordered cast the lance, but he missed; and so Basil was saved, having come very near to death, by the God who has trampled down death. These things therefore, becoming known and manifest to all, sharpened the sword against him. For so that they might not see Basil also slaughtered, as Caesar was a little before, and before him Theoktistos himself, whether by the decision of the senate's council or by the will of those who loved Basil (for a common death was threatened against them too), he is slaughtered by the men of the emperor's bedchamber, in the palace of the holy great-martyr Mamas, in the month of September, on the twenty-fourth day, of the first indiction, in the year six thousand three hundred and seventy-six, at the third hour of the night, having reigned for fourteen years with Theodora his mother, and as sole monarch for eleven, and in addition to three months, for one year later with Basil. 45 And while the things said are all theatrical and dramatic, it is worthwhile to remember also the praiseworthy things. For the construction of the votive offerings which he brought in the renowned temple of the Wisdom of God, diligently and ambitiously completed, is praiseworthy. For neither is the paten equaled in size by any of the ancient and sacred treasures, and of the things skillfully made by men in temples since they came into being, nor has any comeliness and beauty bloomed on any of the things that have been made, with all things beautiful and precious having come together there; 211 and the chalice is very suitable for this. Moreover, the circle constructed by him for illumination, which they call a polykandelon, is not inferior to any of the others, but this one also, being made entirely of gold, weighing sixty litras, differs from the others by far and to this he gives the first place and reverence.

{1A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE AND DEEDS OF BASIL THE

EVER-MEMORABLE EMPEROR, WHICH CONSTANTINE, EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS IN GOD, HIS GRANDSON, HAVING DILIGENTLY GATHERED FROM VARIOUS NARRATIVES TO THE

WRITER ENTRUSTED.} 1 There was indeed a long-standing zeal and desire for experience of affairs and knowledge

to implant in the minds of the more serious through the ever-memorable and immortal mouth of history, and I wished, if I were able, of the entire time of the Roman rule in Byzantium, of the emperors and the rulers under them 212 and generals and subordinate generals and in each case to write down the more noteworthy of their deeds. But since the matter required also time

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πολλάκις ανοιαν ἐξ ἀκρατοποσίας καὶ μέθης ἐξώκειλεν ὡς κατ' αὐτὴν μὲν καὶ τὸν ταύτης καιρὸν δεινά τινα καὶ πέρα δεινῶν ἐγκελεύεσθαι· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὰ ωτα καὶ αλλου τὴν ῥῖνα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἑτέρου προσέταττεν· α εἰ μή τινες οικτῳ κρατούμενοι παρημέλουν καὶ πρὸς τὴν αυριον επεμπον, ἀνάκλησίν τινα καὶ μεταμέλειαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐκδεχόμενοι, οπερ καὶ ην, καν ἀπώλετο σύμπας ὁ παραμένων αὐτῷ καὶ συγκαρ- τερῶν. μικροῦ δὲ καὶ Βασίλειος συναπώλετο, τῆς παροινίας οὐκ ὀλιγάκις παίγνιον γεγονώς. ἀλλ' ἐκαρτέρει καὶ εμενε μετάμελόν τινα γενηθῆναι κατὰ τὸν ανδρα ὀψὲ γοῦν ὑποτοπάζων. ἀλλ' οὐκ ην τοῦτον ωσπερ ἁρμάτειον τροχὸν ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας καμφθέντα, οὐδ' αν ει τι γένοιτο, τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθυωρίαν λαβεῖν. τοιγαροῦν μείζονα κατὰ Βασιλείου συρράπτει ἐπιβουλήν. ἡ δὲ ην ἐν τῷ κυνηγίῳ λόγῳ μὲν κατὰ τῆς θήρας εργῳ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Βασιλείου τὴν τῆς λόγχης ῥῖψιν ποιῆσαί τινα τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν. καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸς ὁ προσταγεὶς καὶ τὴν λόγχην ἀφεὶς κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐξόδου και- 210 ρὸν ἐξαγορεύσας δῆλον πεποίηκε καὶ πιστόν. ἀφῆκε μὲν ουν ου- τος τὴν λόγχην ὁ κελευσθείς, διημάρτανε δέ· καὶ ουτω σέσωστο ὁ Βασίλειος, εγγιστα θανάτου γενόμενος, ὑπὸ τοῦ τὸν θάνατον καταπεπατηκότος θεοῦ. ταῦτ' ουν εκπυστα γενόμενα πᾶσι καὶ φανερὰ τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἠκόνησε μάχαιραν. ινα γὰρ μὴ καὶ τὸν Βασίλειον ὡς πρὸ μικροῦ τὸν Καίσαρα σφαττόμενον ιδωσι, καὶ πρὸ τούτου αὐτὸν Θεόκτιστον, ειτε βουλῇ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς ειτε γνώμῃ τῶν φιλούντων Βασίλειον (κοινὸς γὰρ καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ὁ θάνατος ἐπηπείλητο) σφάττεται ὑπὸ τῶν προκοίτων τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνδρῶν, κατὰ τὰ ἀνάκτορα τοῦ ἁγίου μεγαλομάρτυρος Μάμαντος, μηνὶ Σεπτεμβρίῳ, εἰκάδι τετάρτῃ, ἰνδικτιῶνος πρώτης, ετους ἑξακισχιλιοστοῦ τριακοσιοστοῦ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ εκτου, ωρᾳ τῆς νυκ- τὸς τρίτῃ, βεβασιλευκὼς ετη μετὰ μὲν τῆς Θεοδώρας τῆς τούτου μητρὸς τέσσαρα καὶ δέκα, καὶ μόναρχος δέκα καὶ εν, καὶ πρὸς τοῖς τρισὶ μησὶ χρόνον ενα υστερον μετὰ Βασιλείου. 45 Καὶ τὰ μὲν εἰρημένα σκηνικά τε απαντα καὶ θεατρικά, αξιον δὲ μεμνῆσθαι καὶ τῶν ἐπαινετῶν. ἡ γὰρ τῶν ων εφερεν ἀναθημάτων ἐν τῷ περιωνύμῳ ναῷ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας κατα- σκευὴ φιλεργῶς τελεσθεῖσα καὶ φιλοτίμως ἐπαινετή. ουτε γὰρ τῷ δίσκῳ τῶν παλαιῶν τι κειμηλίων καὶ ἱερῶν, καὶ τῶν ἀφ' ου γεγόνασιν ανθρωποι τεχνουργηθέντων ἐν ναοῖς, κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος ἐξισάζεται, ουτε τις εὐπρέπεια καὶ ὡραιότης τινὶ τῶν γενομένων ἐπήνθησεν, πάντων ἐκεῖ τῶν ὡραίων καὶ τιμίων συνδεδραμηκότων· 211 καὶ τὸ ποτήριον δὲ τούτῳ λίαν κατάλληλον. οὐ μὴν δὲ καὶ ὁ εἰς φωταγωγίαν κατασκευασθεὶς αὐτῷ κύκλος, οπερ φασὶ πολυκάνδη- λον, τινὶ τῶν αλλων ἠλάττωται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ουτος ἐκ χρυσοῦ ολος γενόμενος, λίτρας εχων ἑξήκοντα, τῶν αλλων διαφέρει κατὰ πολὺ καὶ τούτῳ δίδωσι τὰ πρωτεῖα καὶ τὸ σεβάσμιον.

{1ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗ ∆ΙΗΓΗΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΒΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΑΞΕΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ

ΑΟΙ∆ΙΜΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, ΗΝ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΒΛΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΕΝ ΘΕΩΙ ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ, Ο ΤΟΥΤΟΥ ΥΙΩΝΟΣ, ΦΙΛΟΠΟΝΩΣ ΑΠΟ ∆ΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΑΘΡΟΙΣΑΣ ∆ΙΗΓΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΩΙ

ΓΡΑΦΟΝΤΙ ΠΡΟΣΑΝΕΘΕΤΟ.} 1 Ην μὲν προθυμία καὶ εφεσις ἐκ πολλοῦ ἐμπειρίαν πραγμάτων καὶ γνῶσιν

ταῖς τῶν σπουδαιοτέρων ἐμφυτεῦσαι διανοίαις διὰ τοῦ ἀειμνήστου καὶ ἀθανάτου τῆς ἱστορίας στόματος, καὶ ἐβουλόμην, αν αρα οιός τε ω, τοῦ σύμπαντος τῆς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ̔Ρωμαϊκῆς ἀρ- χῆς χρόνου τῶν τε αὐτοκρατόρων καὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοὺς ἀρχόντων 212 καὶ στρατηγῶν καὶ ὑποστρατήγων καὶ τῶν καθ' εκαστα τὰς ἀξιο- λογωτέρας τῶν πράξεων ἀναγράψασθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐδεῖτο τὸ πρᾶ- γμα καὶ χρόνου