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surnamed Kassymatas; and this man also was perverted in his opinion concerning the faith. The emperor, however, sends out a fleet against the Hagarenes who had seized Crete. But it was defeated, and the survivors returned as messengers of their own defeat. Then again, having prepared another large naval force, he sent it out, appointing as its general Krateros, who, having engaged the Hagarenes in Crete, was at first successful, both taking many of them prisoner and killing them. Then, emboldened by the victory, both he and the people under him, thinking that the enemy was already exhausted and would never dare to attack them, gave themselves over to relaxation and drinking unguardedly and slept that night with great ease. Having noticed this, the enemy came upon them at night with a very great shout and destroyed them all, so that scarcely even a messenger of the disaster was left. For Krateros himself, the 351 commander of the fleet, was caught fleeing on a merchant ship and was impaled. And again, another man called Ooryphas, having been entrusted with another naval force, went to the islands and engaged with the pirate ships of the Hagarenes and checked their impetus for plunder and restrained those in Crete from their former boldness. And in Sicily another revolt had been stirred up. For a certain man, Euphemios, a commander of some people, was seized with a mad passion for a certain nun, and he made her his prize by force. The general therefore sought this man, to be punished for his crime. But because of this he fled and approached the emir of Africa and promised to betray Sicily to him and to provide him with much tribute, if he were proclaimed emperor of the Romans. And he fulfilled that man's desire and gives him a heavy force. And Euphemios betrays Sicily to him; and in this way it came under the Hagarenes. But Euphemios, 352 not long after, pays the penalty for his own lawlessness and madness and is deprived of his life, being killed most violently. But the emperor Michael, after enjoying the reign for eight years and nine months, ended his life with a kidney disease and retention of urine or dysentery (for both are said), leaving the empire to his son Theophilos. And in his time Dalmatia also revolted from the rule of the Romans. And it is said that there was an ancient oracle containing something like this: a beginning of evils will indeed befall the land, when a serpent of Babylon rules, this one stammering and very fond of gold. And truly he was exceedingly fond of gold. And Theophilos, having come to sole power, made his first task the punishment of those who had conspired with his father to obtain the empire and had killed Leo. And so that none of them should 353 escape notice, having gathered the entire senate around the palace, he said he was fulfilling a paternal command. For that he had wished to reward worthily his co-workers and collaborators in his reign, but had not had the opportunity to carry out his plan, being occupied first by wars, and then falling ill and departing this life. And that he had instructed him to pay them their due generously. And he urged those who had labored with his father in the overthrow of Leo to be separated from the others. But they, not understanding what was ominously intended, standing apart, said, "We are the ones who allied with your father." And he, immediately taking off the mask of hypocrisy, said, "Why did you lay murderous hands on the Lord's anointed, and have become not only killers of men, but also murderers of a king?" Immediately, therefore, turning to the prefect, he said, "Take these men and give them the rewards they deserve for their audacity." And they, being punished by the prefect, paid the penalty for murderers. And Theophilos, having driven his stepmother from the palace, took her away to her former monastery on the island of Prinkipos, 354 she having benefited nothing from the oaths which Michael had demanded from the senate concerning her. And Theophilos, wishing to take a wife for himself, gathered many beautiful maidens from many places, among whom was also Eikasia,

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Κασσυματᾶς τὸ ἐπώνυμον· καὶ οὗτος δὲ τὴν περὶ τὴν πίστιν δόξαν διέστραπτο. Ὁ μέντοι βασιλεὺς στόλον ἐκπέμπει κατὰ τῶν τὴν Κρήτην κατασχόντων Ἀγαρηνῶν. ἥττητο δέ, καὶ οἱ περιλειφθέντες ἐπανῆλθον τῆς ἥττης αὐτάγγελοι. εἶτ' αὖθις ἕτερον πολὺ ναυτικὸν ἑτοιμασάμενος ἔστειλε, τούτῳ στρατηγὸν ἐπιστήσας τὸν Κρατερόν, ὃς συμβαλὼν τοῖς ἐν Κρήτῃ Ἀγαρηνοῖς πρότερον μὲν εὐτύχησε, πολλοὺς ἐκείνων καὶ ζωγρήσας καὶ ἀνελών. εἶτα τῇ νίκῃ τεθαρρηκὼς κἀκεῖνος καὶ ὁ ὑπ' ἐκεῖνον λαός, ὡς ἤδη τῶν ἐναντίων ἐκνενευρισμένων καὶ μὴ ἄν ποτε προσβαλεῖν αὐτοῖς τολμησόντων, ἀνέσει ἑαυτοὺς καὶ πότοις ἐξέδωκαν ἀφυλάκτως καὶ ὕπνωττον κατὰ τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην σὺν ῥᾳστώνῃ πολλῇ. ἅπερ κατανοήσαντες οἱ πολέμιοι νυκτὸς αὐτοῖς ἐπῆλθον μετὰ μεγίστου ἀλαλαγμοῦ καὶ πάντας διέφθειραν, ὡς μικροῦ μηδ' ἄγγελον περιλειφθῆναι τῆς συμφορᾶς. καὶ αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ 351 τοῦ στόλου ἐξάρχων ὁ Κρατερὸς ἐν πλοίῳ ἐμπορικῷ φυγὰς ἀπιὼν κατελήφθη καὶ ἀνεσκολοπίσθη. ἕτερος δέ τις αὖθις Ὠορύφας καλούμενος ναυτικὸν πιστευθεὶς ἕτερον ἐπῄει τὰς νήσους καὶ ταῖς πειρατικαῖς ναυσὶ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν συνεπλέκετο καὶ τὴν τούτων ῥύμην τὴν πρὸς προνομὴν ἀνέκοπτε καὶ τοὺς ἐν Κρήτῃ τοῦ προτέρου θράσους ἀνέστειλε. Καὶ κατὰ Σικελίαν δὲ στάσις ἑτέρα κεκίνητο. ἀνὴρ γάρ τις Εὐφήμιος λαοῦ κατάρχων τινὸς ἔρωτι περιμανεῖ μοναζούσης ἐλήφθη τινός, καὶ ταύτην ἅρπαγμα τίθεται. ἐζήτει τοίνυν τοῦτον ὁ στρατηγός, διὰ τὸ ἁμάρτημα κολασθησόμενον. ὁ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο τῷ τῆς Ἀφρικῆς ἀμηρᾷ φυγὼν προσελήλυθε καί οἱ προδοῦναι τὴν Σικελίαν ὑπισχνεῖτο καὶ φόρους αὐτῷ παρέχειν πολλούς, εἰ βασιλεὺς ἀναρρηθείη Ῥωμαίων. καὶ ὁ μὲν τὴν ἔφεσιν ἐκείνου πληροῖ καὶ δύναμιν αὐτῷ δίδωσι βαρεῖαν. ὁ δ' Εὐφήμιος αὐτῷ τὴν Σικελίαν προδίδωσι· καὶ ἡ μὲν ὑπὸ τοὺς Ἀγαρηνοὺς τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον ἐγένετο. ὁ δ' Εὐφήμιος 352 οὐ μετὰ μακρὸν δίκην ἐκτίνει τῆς οἰκείας παρανομίας καὶ ἀπονοίας καὶ στερίσκεται τῆς ζωῆς, ἀναιρεθεὶς βιαιότατα. Ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἐπὶ ἔτη ὀκτὼ καὶ μῆνας ἐννέα ἀπολαύσας τῆς βασιλείας νεφρίτιδι νόσῳ καὶ ἐπισχέσει τῶν οὔρων ἢ δυσεντερίᾳ (λέγεται γὰρ καὶ ἄμφω) κατέστρεψε τὴν ζωήν, τῷ υἱῷ Θεοφίλῳ τὴν βασιλείαν καταλιπών. ἐπ' ἐκείνου δὲ καὶ ἡ ∆αλματία τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ἀφηνίασε. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἀρχαῖον εἶναι χρησμὸν οὑτωσί πως περιέχοντα· ἀρχὴ κακῶν γε προσπεσεῖται τῇ χθονί, ὅταν κατάρξῃ τῆς Βαβυλῶνος δράκων δύσγλωττος οὗτος καὶ φιλόχρυσος λίαν. καὶ ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐκεῖνος λίαν φιλοχρυσότατος. Αὐταρχήσας δὲ ὁ Θεόφιλος πρῶτον ἐποιήσατο ἔργον τὴν κόλασιν τῶν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ συναραμένων εἰς τὸ τῆς βασιλείας τυχεῖν καὶ ἀνελόντων τὸν Λέοντα. καὶ ἵνα μή τις αὐτῶν δια353 λάθοι, ἀθροίσας τὴν γερουσίαν ἅπασαν περὶ τὰ βασίλεια, ἐντολὴν ἔφη πληροῦν πατρικήν. ἐκεῖνον γὰρ βούλεσθαι μὲν ἀξίως ἀμείψασθαι τοὺς συνεργοὺς καὶ συμπράκτορας τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῷ, μὴ μέντοι καιρὸν ἐσχηκέναι ἐπιτελὲς ποιῆσαι τὸ βούλευμα, πρότερον μὲν πολέμοις ἀπασχολουμένῳ, εἶτα νοσήσαντι καὶ τὸν βίον ἐκλελοιπότι. ἐντείλασθαι δέ οἱ τὴν ὀφειλὴν αὐτοῖς ἀποδοῦναι φιλότιμον. καὶ προετρέπετο τοῖς τῷ πατρὶ ἐπὶ τῇ καθαιρέσει τοῦ Λέοντος συμπονήσασι τῶν ἄλλων διακριθῆναι. οἱ δὲ μὴ συνέντες τὸ σκαιωρούμενον ἰδίᾳ στάντες "ἡμεῖς ἐσμέν" εἶπον "οἱ τῷ πατρὶ τῷ σῷ συμμαχήσαντες." καὶ ὃς αὐτίκα τὸ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως περιελὼν προσωπεῖον καὶ "ἱνατί τῷ χριστῷ κυρίου φονίους ἐπηνέγκατε χεῖρας" ἔφη "καὶ οὐ μόνον ἀνθρωποκτόνοι γεγόνατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλέως αὐτόχειρες;" αὐτίκα τοίνυν ἐπιστραφεὶς πρὸς τὸν ἔπαρχον "τούτους" εἶπε "παραλαβὼν ἀπόδος αὐτοῖς ἀξίας ἀμοιβὰς τοῦ τολμήματος." καὶ οἱ μὲν παρὰ τοῦ ἐπάρχου κολασθέντες ἀνδροφόνων ἔδοσαν δίκας. ὁ Θεόφιλος δὲ καὶ τὴν μητρυιὰν ἀπελάσας τῶν βασιλείων εἰς τὴν προτέραν αὐτῆς μονὴν ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πρίγκιπος νήσῳ 354 ἀπήγαγε, μηδὲν ἀποναμένην τῶν ὅρκων, οὓς ὁ Μιχαὴλ περὶ αὐτῆς ἐκ τῆς συγκλήτου ἀπῄτησε. Γυναῖκα δ' ἑαυτῷ εἰσοικίσασθαι βουληθεὶς ὁ Θεόφιλος, πολλὰς πολλαχόθεν ὡραίας κόρας συνήγαγεν, ἐν αἷς ἦν καὶ ἡ Εἰκασία,