79

vehemently indeed, at being thus prevented from making a defense, contrary to all reason and justice; but having given up trying to persuade the emperor, he writes to the patriarch as follows: “Lord Patriarch and the divine and holy synod around him, you know clearly all that has happened some time ago between the emperor and me, on account, I would say, of my own sins. God, who wisely orders all things, easily resolved these matters and granted a profound peace; and when all the intervening thorns and stumbling blocks had been removed, and we were enjoying a deep calm, not even contemplating any thought about a civil war, suddenly a heavy surge and a harsh tempest broke out, threatening to sink the empire of the Romans, men and all, and something very similar has happened to us as happens to those who are sick. For they, during the very first attack of the disease, even if it happens to be severe and harsh, resist strongly; but if it attacks them a second 1.224 or even a third time, as may happen, after they have had some relief, it finds them weaker and easily overcomes the men. And the same thing has happened to us now. For having been worn down for the most part both by the previous civil wars that have occurred and by those brought upon us from outside by the barbarians, we will not even be able to look at the evils that are sprouting up, but we will be destroyed by ourselves. Seeing all these things myself, and seeing clearly that the danger is not my own—for that would be tolerable—but common to all the Romans, for about sixty days now I have been staying near Rhegion, as you yourselves know, daily begging the emperor with the fitting reverence, moderation, and servitude on my part, to obtain forgiveness, even though I am conscious of having done nothing worthy of anger. But when, after toiling much, I found no benefit from my labors, I turned to another course, asking to come before the emperor with a very few men, and in this way to give an account for the things of which I am accused; or if this too were not to the emperor's liking, for the Grand Domestic to come and make a defense on my behalf. And I was heard on neither proposal, but am thus being condemned in my absence contrary to all law of justice. As for me, if the emperor himself had ordered me to give some specific penalty, whatever seemed best to him, for the things of which I am accused, I would have been content, and I would have provided it with great eagerness; but now, seeing that the anger toward me is bringing forth harm against all the Romans, I suffer 1.225 unbearably. For this reason I also write, begging your holiness, if you are indeed of God, to strive for peace and not to overlook us being defiled with the blood of our kinsmen, but either to persuade the emperor that I should come to you and give an account for the things of which I am accused, or, with you having come here, for me to make my defense for the same things.” The young emperor wrote such things in his plea to the patriarch and the other hierarchs for the sake of peace, which the messenger, carrying them, handed over to the patriarch. And as the hierarchs were holding a council, and the letters were read, since the request of the young emperor seemed just, they all immediately went to the elder emperor, and they showed him the grandson's letters and supported him, as one who was making just demands. For they said that the very fact that he was making it of the greatest importance either to come here himself and be willing to give an account for what he is accused of, or, with the patriarch having gone there, to do the same, would be the greatest proof either that he has done no wrong, or, if he has done wrong, that he wishes to be corrected. And since this was thus being demonstrated by the facts themselves, it would be just and at the same time advantageous and necessary for one of the two requests to be granted. And so the emperor, seeing both the incontrovertible nature of the request and the earnestness of the patriarch and the hierarchs about this, forbade the young emperor to come to him, just as he forbade the patriarch to go there, saying that neither was of any use; but he did approve of some of the hierarchs and of the senate 1.226, and not only that but also of the officials of the church and of the archimandrites, to go to his grandson, the

79

μὲν σφοδρῶς ἐφ' οἷς οὕτω παρὰ πάντα δικαίου λόγον καὶ αὐτῆς εἴργετο ἀπολογίας· ἀπαγορεύσας δὲ τὸ βασιλέα πείθειν ἐπιχειρεῖν, τῷ πατριάρχῃ γράφει τοιαῦτα· «δέσποτα πατριάρχα καὶ ἡ περὶ αὐτὸν θεία σύνοδος καὶ ἰερὰ, ἴστε σαφῶς ὅσα βασιλέως μεταξὺ καὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸ χρόνου συμβέβηκέ τινος, διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε τὰς ἐμάς. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ πάντα σοφῶς οἰκονομῶν θεὸς διέλυσέ τε ῥᾳδίως καὶ βαθεῖαν ἐχορήγησεν εἰρήνην· ὅτε δὲ πάντα τὰ ἐν μέσῳ σκῶλα καὶ προσκόμματα περιῃρέθη, καὶ βαθείας ἀπελαύομεν γαλήνης, οὐδ' ἄχρι λογισμοῦ ἐμφυλίου πέρι μηδὲν πολέμου ἐννοοῦντες, αἰφνίδιον ἀνεῤῥάγη κλύδων βαρὺς καὶ χαλεπὴ τρικυμία τὴν Ῥωμαίων αὔτανδρον ἡγεμονίαν ἀπειλοῦσα καταδύειν, καὶ συμβέβηκέ τι παραπλήσιον ἡμῖν ὥσπερ καὶ τοῖς νοσοῦσιν. ἐκεῖνοί τε γὰρ κατὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην μάλιστα τῆς νόσου προσβολὴν, κἂν σφοδρὰ τύχῃ οὖσα χαλεπὴ, ἀντέχουσιν ἰσχυρῶς· ἂν δὲ ῥαΐσασι δεύτερον 1.224 αὖθις ἢ καὶ τρίτον ἐπίθηται εἰ τύχοι, ἀσθενεστέροις περιτυχοῦσα, κατεργάζεται ῥᾳδίως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. καὶ ἡμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ συμβέβηκε νῦν. ὑπό τε γὰρ τῶν πρότερον ἐμφυλίων γεγενημένων πολέμων καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπενεχθέντων τῷ πλείονι κατειργασμένοι μέρει, οὐδὲ ἄν τι βλέψαι δυνησόμεθα πρὸς τὰ ἀναφυόμενα κακὰ, ἀλλὰ διαφθαρησόμεθα αὐτοὶ ὑφ' ἑαυτῶν. ἅπερ ἅπαντα συνορῶν καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον οὐκ ἴδιον, ἦν γὰρ ἂν ἀνεκτὸν, ἀλλὰ κοινὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἁπάντων ὄντα σαφῶς ὁρῶν, ἐν ἑξήκοντα ἡμέραις ἤδη μάλιστα περὶ Ῥήγιον κάθημαι, καθάπερ ἴστε καὶ αὐτοὶ, βασιλέως δεόμενος ὁσημέραι μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης αἰδοῦς ἐμοὶ καὶ μετριότητος καὶ δουλείας, συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, καίτοι γε μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς ὀργῆς ἄξιον πεπραγμένῳ. ὡς δὲ πολλὰ μοχθήσας, εὕρισκον οὐδεμίαν ὄνησιν ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων, ἐτραπόμην ἑτέραν, μετὰ κομιδῇ τινων εὐαριθμήτων ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλθεῖν αἰτῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι εὐθύνας ταύτῃ παρασχεῖν· ἢ εἰ μηδὲ τοῦτο κατὰ γνώμην εἴη βασιλεῖ, τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐλθόντα ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἀπολογεῖσθαι. καὶ ἐπ' οὐδεμιᾷ προκλήσει εἰσηκούσθην, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐρήμην παρὰ πάντα τοῦ δικαίου νόμον καταδικάζομαι. ἐγὼ δὲ, εἴγε βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς ῥητήν τινα δίκην ὁποίαν ἂν αὐτῷ ἐδόκει ἐκέλευεν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι δοῦναι, ἠγάπησα ἂν, καὶ σὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ παρέσχον· νυνὶ δὲ ὁρῶν τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ ὀργὴν κατὰ πάντων Ῥωμαίων ἐξάγουσαν τὴν βλάβην, οὐκ 1.225 ἀνεκτῶς ἀλγῶ. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δεόμενος τῆς ὑμῶν ἁγιότητος γράφω, εἴγε τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε ὑμεῖς, σπουδάσαι ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ μὴ περιϊδεῖν ἡμᾶς τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις αἵμασι καταχρανθέντας, ἀλλ' ἢ πεῖσαι βασιλέα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ γενόμενον ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι λόγον ὑποσχεῖν, ἢ ἐνταῦθα γενομένων ὑμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἴσων τὴν ἀπολογίαν θέσθαι.» Τοσαῦτα μὲν βασιλεὺς ὁ νέος πατριάρχου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δεόμενος ἀρχιερέων ἔγραψεν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἃ καὶ φέρων ὁ διακομιστὴς ἐνεχείρισε τῷ πατριάρχῃ. καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων συνεδριαζόντων, ἀναγνωσθέντων δὲ τῶν γραμμάτων, ὡς ἐδόκει ἡ ἀξίωσις δικαία τοῦ νέου βασιλέως, πάντες εὐθὺς πρὸς βασιλέα τὸν πρεσβύτερον ἐλθόντες, τά τε γράμματα ἐδείκνυσαν τοῦ ἐγγόνου καὶ συνηγόρουν αὐτῷ ὡς δίκαια ἀξιοῦντι. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ ἔφασαν τὸ περὶ πλείστου ποιεῖσθαι ἢ αὐτὸν ἐνταῦθα ἐλθόντα ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγκαλεῖται παρέχειν ἐθέλειν εὐθύνας, ἢ τοῦ πατριάρχου ἐκεῖ γενομένου τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖν, τεκμήριον ἂν εἴη μέγιστον ἢ τοῦ μηδὲν ἡμαρτηκέναι, ἢ εἰ καὶ ἥμαρτε, τοῦ βούλεσθαι ἂν διορθωθῆναι. τούτου δὲ οὕτως ἐξ αὐτῶν πραγμάτων ἀποδεικνυμένου, δίκαιον ἂν εἴη καὶ ἅμα λυσιτελὲς καὶ ἀναγκαῖον, ἐκ δύο τῶν ζητουμένων γενέσθαι θάτερον. ὁρῶν οὖν καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τό, τε ἀναντίῤῥητον τῆς ἀξιώσεως καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατριάρχου καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων πρὸς τοῦτο σπουδὴν, τὸ μὲν τὸν νέον βασιλέα πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἥκειν ἀπηγόρευεν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ τὸν πατριάρχην ἐκεῖ γενέσθαι, οὐδὲν εἶναι προὔργου φάμενος ἑκάτερον· ἐπένευσε δὲ τῶν τε ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν τῆς συγκλή 1.226 του τινὰς, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιμανδριτῶν, πρὸς τὸν ἔγγονον παραγενομένους, τά