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
bloody streams, but murderous outpourings. He seized the fortresses, he seized the cities. He went on, roaring in his anger, breathing fire more than Centaurs, boasting like Capaneus, swaggering like Antaeus. And who would have hoped to flee from so great an evil? But he who is guarded by the palms of God will not cower before giants, will not shrink from beasts, nor will he tremble at iron or the mouth of a furnace; for he has God as an ally beyond the all-daring stone, beyond Midas the beast-hunter by the Tigris. Then the sun sent forth its bright rays, it dispelled the darkness, it drove away the cloud. The emperor and the cities saw the light of freedom, the hostile beast was wounded in the side, and all escaped its flesh-eating jaws. And again Tornikios arose, another evil, another beast which Daniel foresaw of old, trampling all things and winnowing and crushing them with its feet and shattering the remains with its teeth. But justice swiftly snatched him away, shooting him down with inescapable arrows and striking the beast with blows upon the chest. And then an undisturbed calm enveloped the emperor, having no remnant of the storm. But when avenging diseases pressed upon him and nature sought the clay of his body, having arranged matters according to his will, he departed from this life, after directing the empire for twelve years. And when Constantine left this life below, the rule passed immediately to the purple-born Theodora, of the same seed as Zoe (for the empress Zoe had died long before), who, having ascended the throne of power for a short time, and having reigned for twelve months, and knowing her own departure from the tabernacle (she was, as they say, unacquainted with the uncleanness of the body), places a certain long-lived, feeble, trembling man as a charioteer on so great a chariot. And his name was Michael, who in age rivaled long-lived crows of immeasurable life, such as war releases from its service, having already reached the sunset of life, but in other respects he seemed both dignified in manner and most excellent. But he was not strong enough to bring forth the shoots of his heart into the light and to reveal the ear of corn from the depths; for the attendants of the purple-born Theodora usurped all the power, openly scorning Michael as a sapless, leafless, old cabbage, already decayed, because he was also bound by dreadful oaths to stand aside for them in all matters both of word and deed. He was therefore like a shadow, and an emperor in words only, but all other things were managed by the hands of those whom Theodora had left as tutors for Michael, and guardians and stewards and fathers of the empire; for old men are twice children, according to the proverb. From this, those who praised and approached them and were in every way dependent on their nod drew up stagnant pools of benefactions. But men of military rank, well-versed in warfare and sprung from renowned and fair-branched roots, whose ancestors were nobles and their lineage from heroes, were cast aside like some dishonored clay vessel. What is said is confirmed by that Komnenos, whose name was Isaac, who was deemed worthy of a name and very clear fame for his excellent deeds; for he had good hands for the works of war, and his fingers were skillfully trained for battles. He, having approached Michael, and expecting to gather more abundant fruits of his labors from him, and not obtaining his hopes and not plucking roses, but rather finding thorns of insolence from the worst gardeners of the meadow of the empire, becoming greatly grieved, looks toward tyranny, and having made an ally of Constantine Doukas and several others of those weighed down with great wealth and those who had been fortunate in the illustrious origins of their families, and having gathered an army of hoplites from Asia, he goes against the emperor to drag him down from the throne. Michael, the trembling old man, heard these things, and judging himself more worthy of obscurity as one already doddering and decayed, he was ready to yield to the
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ῥοὰς αἱματηράς, ἀλλὰ φονίους χύσεις. κατέλαβε τὰ φρούρια, κατέλαβε τὰς πόλεις. ἐπῄει βρέμων τῷ θυμῷ, φυσῶν ὑπὲρ Κενταύρους,
ὡς Καπανεὺς μεγαλαυχῶν, κομπάζων ὡς Ἀνταῖος. καὶ τίς ἂν ἤλπισε φυγεῖν ἀπὸ κακοῦ τοσούτου; ἀλλ' ὁ περιφρουρούμενος ταῖς τοῦ
θεοῦ παλάμαις οὐ δειλιάσει γίγαντας, οὐ θῆρας ὑποτρέσει, οὐδὲ τρομάσει σίδηρον οὐδὲ καμίνου στόμα· φέρει γὰρ σύμμαχον θεὸν
ὑπὲρ παντάρβην λίθον, ὑπὲρ τὸν περὶ Τίγρητα θηροδιώκτην Μίδαν. ἐντεῦθεν ἥλιος φαιδρὰς ἀνέτειλεν ἀκτῖνας, ἔλυσε τὴν σκοτόμαιναν,
ἀπήλασε τὸ νέφος. ἔβλεψαν φῶς ἐλεύθερον ὁ βασιλεὺς αἱ πόλεις, ἐγένετο πλευρότρωτον τὸ δυσμενὲς θηρίον, καὶ πάντες ἤλυξαν αὐτοῦ
τὰς ὠμοφάγους γνάθους. καὶ πάλιν ὁ Τορνίκιος ἄλλο κακὸν ἀνέφυ, ἄλλο θηρίον ∆ανιὴλ ὃ προκατεῖδε πάλαι, πατοῦν τὰ πάντα καὶ
λικμοῦν καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ συντρῖβον καὶ τὰ καταλειπόμενα συνθλάττον τοῖς ὀδοῦσι. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον τάχιον ἀνήρπασεν ἡ δίκη, ἀφύκτοις
βέλεσιν αὐτοῦ κατατοξευσαμένη καὶ τὸ θηρίον πλήξασα πληγὰς περιστερνίους. καὶ τότε περιέλαβε τὸν κράτορα γαλήνη ἀτάραχος,
οὐκ ἔχουσα κατάλειμμα χειμῶνος. ὡς δὲ κατήπειγον αὐτὸν αἱ παλαμναῖοι νόσοι καὶ τὸν πηλὸν τοῦ σώματος ἡ φύσις ἐπεζήτει, τὰ
κατὰ γνώμην θέμενος μεθίσταται τοῦ βίου ἔτεσι δυοκαίδεκα τὸ κράτος διιθύνας. Ὡς δὲ κατέλιπε ζωὴν τὴν κάτω Κωνσταντῖνος, πρὸς
τὴν πορφυροβλάστητον εὐθέως Θεοδώραν, τὴν τῆς Ζωῆς ταυτόσπορον, τὸ κράτος μεταβαίνει (ἡ γὰρ βασίλισσα Ζωὴ πάλαι προετεθνήκει),
ἣ τῷ τοῦ κράτους πρὸς μικρὸν ἐπαναβᾶσα δίφρῳ, καὶ μῆνας δέκα τῆς ἀρχῆς σὺν δύο βασιλεύσασα, καὶ τὴν ἀνάλυσιν αὑτῆς γνοῦσα
τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σκήνους (ἦν δ', ὥς φασιν, ἀπείρατος σώματος ῥυπαρίας) ἄνδρα τινὰ μακρόβιον πέμπελον τρομαλέον ἐπιβιβάζει διφρευτὴν
ἅρματι τηλικούτῳ. καὶ τούτῳ κλῆσις Μιχαήλ, ὃς κατὰ μὲν τὸν χρόνον ἀμετροβίοις ἤριζε κορώναις μακρογήρῳς, ὁποίους ἤδη φθάσαντας
ἐπὶ δυσμὰς τοῦ βίου ἐκ τῆς λατρείας ἑαυτοῦ πόλεμος ἀπολύει, τὰ δ' ἄλλα καὶ σεμνότροπος καὶ βέλτιστος ἐδόκει. ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ
ἐξίσχυσε τὰς τῆς καρδίας βλάστας εἰς φῶς προάγειν καὶ δηλοῦν τὸν κατὰ βάθους στάχυν· καὶ γὰρ ἐσφετερίζοντο πᾶσαν τὴν δυναστείαν
οἱ Θεοδώρας πρόσπολοι τῆς πορφυροβλαστήτου, καταφρονοῦντες Μιχαὴλ ἄντικρυς ὡς ἀνίκμου κράμβης ἀφύλλου γηραιᾶς, ἤδη διερρευκυίας,
ὅτι καὶ κατεδέδετο φρικώδεσιν ὁρκίοις πάντων αὐτοῖς ἐξίστασθαι καὶ λόγων καὶ πραγμάτων. ἦν οὖν αὐτὸς ὡσεὶ σκιά, καὶ λόγοις
μόνοις κράτωρ, τὰ δ' ἄλλα πάντα ταῖς χερσὶν ἐκείνων διῳκεῖτο οὓς παιδοκόμους Μιχαὴλ ἔλιπε Θεοδώρα καὶ φύλακας καὶ φροντιστὰς
καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς πατέρας· δὶς παῖδες γὰρ οἱ γέροντες κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν. ἐντεῦθεν οἱ προσαίνοντες καὶ προσιόντες τούτοις καὶ
πανταχῇ τοῦ νεύματος αὐτῶν ἐξηρτημένοι ἠρύοντο λιμνάσματα τῶν εὐεργετημάτων. ἄνθρωποι δὲ στρατηγικοί, πολέμων εὖ εἰδότες καὶ
ῥιζωμάτων εὐκλεῶν φύντες καὶ καλλικλάδων, οἷς εὐπατρίδαι πρόγονοι καὶ γένος ἐξ ἡρώων, ὡς ἄγγος τι κεραμεοῦν ἄτιμον ἐρριπτοῦντο.
πιστοῦται τὸ λεγόμενον ὁ Κομνηνὸς ἐκεῖνος, ᾧ κλῆσις Ἰσαάκιος, ὃς ἐπ' ἀριστουργίαις ὀνόματος ἠξίωτο καὶ φήμης περιτράνου· εἶχε
γὰρ χεῖρας ἀγαθὰς περὶ πολέμων ἔργα, καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους εὐφυῶς ἤσκητο πρὸς τὰς μάχας. ὃς προσελθὼν τῷ Μιχαήλ, καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς
τῶν πόνων δαψιλεστέρους παρ' αὐτοῦ δρέψασθαι προσδοκήσας, καὶ τῶν ἐλπίδων μὴ τυχὼν καὶ μὴ τρυγήσας ῥόδα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ὕβρεων
εὑράμενος ἀκάνθας πρὸς τῶν κακίστων κηπευτῶν τοῦ τῆς ἀρχῆς λειμῶνος, περιαλγὴς γενόμενος βλέπει πρὸς τυραννίδα, καὶ προσεταιρισάμενος
τὸν ∆οῦκαν Κωνσταντῖνον καὶ πλείους ἄλλους τῶν πολλῷ πλούτῳ περιβριθόντων καὶ τῶν τοῦ γένους τὰς ἀρχὰς λαμπρὰς ηὐτυχηκότων,
καὶ συλλεξάμενος στρατὸν Ἀσίηθεν ὁπλίτην, ἀντέπεισι τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦ θρόνου κατασπάσων. ἤκουσε ταῦτα Μιχαὴλ ὁ τρομερὸς ὁ γέρων,
καὶ κρίνας μᾶλλον ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον ἀφανείας ὡς ἤδη τυμβογέροντα καὶ κατασεσηπότα, ἕτοιμος ἦν ἐξίστασθαι τῷ
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