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
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, they threatened to make the sailors wave-washed; for a stormy sea opened its mouth. And what and of what kind was the event? Come, O Word, speak to me, not plucking the musical string out of tune. There was a certain commander, Romanos, surnamed Diogenes, charming, handsome, Cappadocian by birth, having a beautiful body, and strong arms as well, possessing a lovely appearance, worthy of tyranny. This man, seeing the state of affairs and the power of the Romans resting upon a little woman, and a puffed up one at that, and upon delicate children with the strength of infants. like a serpent he hissed at the featherless sparrows, boasting to devour with bone-crushing jaws the mother sparrow herself along with her chicks, foolish, he did not know that a bird-limed twig casts the air-walking eagle to the ground and flax-woven snares hunt bears. Therefore, having gone around the Thracian cities he gathered a swarm of an army, he rushed forth, he rose up, he acted insolently toward gardeners and vine-dressers, he made plunder of the possessions of the farmers. After a short while, the bellowing bull, the broad-chested bull was caught by puppies. He was led away to be punished, to pay the penalty for his audacity. The empress saw him, she was struck by his beauty, she had a heart wounded by love from the sight, and considering Romanos' audacity as nothing and having disregarded those dreadful oaths she embraces amorously, she unites with the prisoner, instead of a prison she opens bridal chambers, instead of chains she bestows pearl-adorned robes, and the royal bed instead of a pallet on the ground, and she makes him emperor, having rescued from death the one in danger of falling into the jaws of Hades. Such are your games, O playful wheel of life. But when Romanos came to such a high station, he showed from the starting-gate, from the first run, what heat of manliness he had in his breast. For he did not gape for more bodily luxuries, nor charmed by the gold-gleaming, all-purple robe did he live the life of a miserable, earth-eating worm, in darkness, hiding himself in the royal chambers, and fleeing his enemies, so to speak, and shirking battles, and not brandishing his sword against the wicked and the evil-doers; but taking up courage against those of Hagar and having drawn the broadsword of zeal against them, and having covered the earth with their corpses as with sheaves, and having designed seas with the blood that flowed, he showed what sort of valor the Ausonians foster, what sort of arms they have in wars. And if the terror of envy had not held back the noble man, if the viper of malice had not devoured the man, not even a fire-bearer would have escaped the sword of justice. But the thorn of malice and the sting of envy bruised him more than scorpions' stings, and they gouged out the pupils of his eyes. For Romanos was by nature plain-spoken, stubborn, arrogant, vain, selfish, self-willed; but then, being more puffed up by the purple and having acquired greater arrogance as ruler of the Romans, yes, and also having acquired an unstable mind and a fickle character, and suspecting everyone and being wary of everyone, his own people, not his own people, as plotters, as those watching his heel, he seemed harsh and bitter not only to those in authority but now also to his wife and to the children of Doukas. From this came whispered words and conspiracies and tricks, from this unnatural hatred and snares and traps. And they planned to betray the emperor to his enemies as an effortless, trouble-free, most ready prey. And the one who mixed this potion of treachery was the Caesar, Constantine, brother of Doukas; for his son Andronikos was then the commander of the army. So the plot is shared with the generals and with his son, and a net of danger was woven for the wretched man, and a black-robed garment of death was being woven. So Romanos was on the other side of Byzantium setting out to hunt wild beasts and to run down wolves leaping upon sacred
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ἀλλ' αἴφνης ἀγριάνασαι σαρκὸς αἱ καταιγίδες ἐξήγειραν δυστάραχον ἄνεμον κυματίαν, ἐπήγαγον ναυτιασμοὺς ἐμέτους σκοτοδίνας,
ἠπείλησαν τοὺς πλέοντας θέσθαι κυματοκλύστους· πέλαγος γὰρ δυσχείμερον ὑπήνοιγε τὸ στόμα. τί δὲ καὶ ποῖον τὸ συμβάν; ἄγε μοι,
λόγε, φθέγγου, μὴ παρὰ μέλος τὴν νευρὰν τὴν μουσικὴν ψαλάττων. Ἦν Ῥωμανός τις στράταρχος, ἐπίκλην ∆ιογένης, ἐπίχαρις, εὐπρόσωπος,
τὸ γένος Καππαδόκης, εὖ ἔχων κάλλους σώματος, εὖ δὲ καὶ βραχιόνων, εἶδος πλουτῶν ἐράσμιον, ἄξιον τυραννίδος. οὗτος ἰδὼν τὰ
πράγματα καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ γυναίῳ κείμενα, καὶ ταῦτα φυσιῶντι, ἐπὶ παισί τε τρυφεροῖς καὶ νηπιοδυνάμοις. ὡς δράκων
ἐπεσύριζε στρουθίοις ἀπτερώτοις, καταπιεῖν μεγαλαυχῶν στόμασιν ὀστοφάγοις αὐτὴν τὴν στρουθομήτορα μετὰ τῶν ὀρταλίχων, νήπιος,
οὐδ' ἐγίνωσκεν ὡς λύγος ἰξοφόρος εἰς γῆν ῥιπτεῖ τὸν ἀετὸν τὸν ἀεροβατοῦντα καὶ στάλικες ἀγρεύουσι λινόπλοκοι τὰς ἄρκτους.
περινοστήσας τοιγαροῦν πόλεις περιθρακίας ἤθροισε σμῆνος στρατιᾶς, ἐφώρμησεν, ἀντῆρεν, ἐνύβριζε τοῖς κηπευταῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀμπελοκόμοις,
διαρπαγὴν ἐτίθετο τὰ τῶν γαιομαχούντων. ὀλίγον τι τὸ μεταξύ, καὶ βοῦς ὁ μυκητίας, ὁ βοῦς ὁ μεγαλόστερνος ἑάλω κυναρίοις. ἤχθη
κολασθησόμενος, τόλμης ὑφέξων δίκας. εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἡ βασιλίς, τὸ κάλλος κατεπλάγη, καρδίαν ἐρωτότρωτον ἔσχεν ἀπὸ τῆς θέας, καὶ
παρ' οὐδὲν τὸ τόλμημα τοῦ Ῥωμανοῦ θεμένη κἀκείνους ἀθετήσασα τοὺς φρικαλέους ὅρκους ἐρωτικῶς συμπλέκεται, μίγνυται τῷ δεσμώτῃ,
ἀντὶ φρουρᾶς ἀνοίγνυσι θαλάμους νυμφιδίους, ἀντὶ κλοιῶν χαρίζεται πέπλους καταμαργάρους, καὶ λέχος τὸ βασίλειον ἀντὶ χαμαιστρωσίας,
καὶ κράτορα καθίστησι θανάτου ῥυσαμένη τὸν Ἅιδου κινδυνεύοντα περιπεσεῖσθαι γνάθοις. τοιαῦτά σου τὰ παίγνια, παῖκτα τροχὲ
τοῦ βίου. Ὡς δὲ παρῆλθε Ῥωμανὸς εἰς τηλικοῦτον ὄγκον, ἀπὸ βαλβῖδος ἔδειξεν, ἀπὸ πρωτοδρομίας, οἵας ἀρρενωπότητος θέρμην ἐν
στέρνοις εἶχεν. οὐ γὰρ τρυφαῖς ἐπέχανε ταῖς σωματικωτέραις, οὐδὲ θελχθεὶς τῷ χρυσαυγεῖ περιπορφύρῳ φάρει σκώληκος ἔζη βιοτὴν
ἀθλίου γαιοφάγου, σκότιος, ἐγκρυπτόμενος θαλάμοις βασιλείοις, καὶ φεύγων οἷον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ μάχας ἀλυσκάζων, καὶ τοῖς κακοῖς
καὶ φαυλουργοῖς οὐκ ἐπισείων σπάθην· ἀλλὰ θυμὸν ἀναλαβὼν κατὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἄγαρ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ζήλου κατ' αὐτῶν σπασάμενος ῥομφαίαν,
καὶ γῆν τοῖς τούτων πτώμασιν ὡς δράγμασι καλύψας, καὶ τοῖς ῥυεῖσιν αἵμασι θαλάσσας σχεδιάσας, ἔδειξεν οἷαν Αὔσονες τρέφουσιν
εὐανδρίαν, ὁποίους τοὺς βραχίονας ἔχουσιν ἐν πολέμοις. κἂν μὴ τοῦ φθόνου τὸ δεινὸν ἀπεῖρξε τὸν γενναῖον, ἂν μὴ κακίας ἔχιδνα
κατέφαγε τὸν ἄνδρα, οὐδ' ἂν πυρφόρος ἔφυγε τὴν μάχαιραν τῆς δίκης. ἀλλ' ἡ κακίας ἄκανθα καὶ τὸ τοῦ φθόνου πλῆκτρον κατεμωλώπισαν
αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ σκορπίων κέντρα, καὶ κόρας ἐξεκέντησαν αὐτοῦ τὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων. ἦν μὲν γὰρ φύσει Ῥωμανὸς αὐθέκαστος, αὐθάδης, ὑπέροφρυς,
φιλότυφος, φίλαυτος, αὐτογνώμων· τότε δὲ πλέον φυσηθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλουργίδος καὶ μείζω τῦφον προσλαβὼν ἅτε Ῥωμαίων ἄναξ, ναὶ
μὴν καὶ προσκτησάμενος γνώμην ἀστατουμένην καὶ τρόπον ἀλλοπρόσαλλον, καὶ πάντας ὑποπτεύων καὶ πάντας ὑφορώμενος, οἰκείους,
οὐκ οἰκείους, ὡς ἐπιβούλους, ὡς αὐτοῦ πτέρναν ἐπιτηροῦντας, βαρὺς ἐδόκει καὶ πικρὸς οὐ τοῖς ἐν τέλει μόνον ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τῇ
γαμετῇ καὶ τοῖς τοῦ ∆ούκα τέκνοις. ἐντεῦθεν λόγοι ψίθυροι καὶ συσκευαὶ καὶ δόλοι, ἐντεῦθεν μῖσος ἔκφυλον καὶ θήρατρα καὶ πάγαι.
καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐσκέπτοντο τὸν κράτορα προδοῦναι ἄπονον ἀπραγμάτευτον θήραν ἑτοιμοτάτην. ἐκίρνα δὲ τὸ κέρασμα τοῦτο τῆς προδοσίας
ὁ Καῖσαρ ὁ ταυτόσπορος τοῦ ∆ούκα Κωνσταντῖνος· τούτου γὰρ παῖς Ἀνδρόνικος ἦν τότε στρατιάρχης. κοινοῦται γοῦν τοῖς στρατηγοῖς
καὶ τῷ παιδὶ τὸ σκέμμα, καὶ δίκτυον ἐπλέκετο κινδύνου τῷ δειλαίῳ, καὶ στόλισμα μελάμπεπλον ὑφαίνετο θανάτου. εἶχε μὲν οὖν
τὸν Ῥωμανὸν περαία Βυζαντίου θηροκτονεῖν ὁρμώμενον καὶ κατατρέχειν λύκων ἐπιπηδώντων ἱεραῖς
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