De cerimoniis aulae Byzantinae (lib. 1.842.-56)
until he reaches the grade. But it is necessary to know that for the empress’s portion, four silentiarii of good repute and of attested respectable li
and to send [someone] also to meet them, and to lead each one into his own lodging, and bedding and expenses are prepared beforehand for them. And the
They are adored by the domestics and protectors, and the Persikē meets them, and all things are done according to custom. When he wishes to dismiss th
to Nicomedia, if he wishes, he should cross over by dromons, and if he is vexed, it is in any case necessary to prepare both horses and animals, so th
armed *candidati* and comely *pueri* following them. And the emperor comes out of the *cubiculum*, escorted by the *patricius*, and sits in the great
of a silentiary to him, so that he may come forth, and a silence is made, and the chariot is held, and the labarum-bearers stand, and when he comes fo
fellow-soldier, from whom, while still campaigning with you, I learned to endure. It was shouted by all: Good fortune! The army hails you as emperor
pounds of silver, and when he receives it, he presents them with the document in return, and thus he enters, escorted by all, and the prefects 416 and
a Roman and full of every imperial virtue, so as not to be subject to the love of money, nor to any other human passion, at least as far as is possibl
where it is the custom in the Hippodrome for the senators to do obeisance, he put on a tunic of purple silk with gold stripes, a belt, leggings, and i
palace. So Celer the magister arrived, and Justin of the divine inheritance, being at that time count of the excubitors. And immediately the magister
The Emperor Caesar Augustus: that through our own philanthropy he might strengthen us to accomplish all things beneficial to you and to the state. F
When Romanos the younger emperor died, son of Constantine the great and porphyrogennetos emperor of the Romans, the Macedonian, on the 15th of the mon
they killed. They destroyed the houses of those who were arrayed against the ruler down to the foundations, having plundered all their possessions and
*** CH. 97. On the promotion of a president of the whole senate.
444 Plan of the imperial campaigns and a memorandum on the military camps. These are the military camps: the first camp at Malagina, the second at Dor
for a set time to count the baggage animals, how many pack-animals there are, and to report this number. And having received the number of the pack-an
the armies in one straight line. And in the middle were the tagmata, and of these the most honored in the central position, and on either side of the
of these things a written account will be made, revealing Roman majesty. Wherefore, after investigating much concerning these things and finding no me
Thus: the Strategos of the Anatolikon, 3 mules the Strategos of the Armeniakon, 3 mules the Strategos of the Thrakesion, 3 mules the Strategos of t
curacies. And while the imperial service is being supplied, wherever he finds good wine and oil and legumes, so that he may put it in his vessels, and
of noble refugees. Thick and winged felted double-thick cloths for the emperor's use for the low couches two saddles for the procession, saddles for
two all-gold items, two all-gold standing-cups. It is to be known, that these must be used when foreigners are dining with the emperor. For this reaso
the count and the chartoularios. And the count of the stable also provides for the transportations, for every ten pack-horses, a syntrophos of the Mal
it is an imperial [regulation], that no one should receive as a gift, neither a mule, nor a pack-horse, bearing the imperial brand, so that the imperi
Caesarea, or in another theme towards the place, in which he is about to encamp, it being suitable and when he comes nearest to the camp at a distanc
has been said before, and the imperial table becomes a low stool. The imperial cooks prepare the appetizers in the evening. The eighty optimates lead
It is to be known that, when the emperor is in Syria, the *magistroi* and the *patrikioi* and the official *protospatharioi* receive a *maioumas* the
for one ox-skin, and two Apisian waterskins each, in order to cross easily the deep and difficult rivers and they are to have their tools without fai
magistrianoi, fabricenses, the bureau of the prefects and of the prefect, silversmiths and all merchants, and every corporation, and simply from the C
at the Philadelphion and the Taurus, at the Artopoulion and at the Forum. And upon arriving at the Forum they dismounted from their horses, and entere
of their golden ones, placing on his head both a helmet with a golden crest, girding on also a short sword, and he himself mounted a likewise white ho
to be observed on the second day of the first week, when the emperor delivers a speech at the silentium of the Magnaura. 11. What must be observed whe
Greetings of ambassadors of various nations coming to the emperor. 48. The acts of the inscriptions made for the nations. 49. These are the things set
They open the gate leading out from the Horologion into the Lausiakos. Then, with the maglabites and the weekly officials of the Hetaireia, they open
for some pagans to see the emperor, if he does not wish to be crowned, he puts on his head the crown called the kaisarikion and the sagion woven entir
to summon to the hall, and immediately the drungarius draws his sword, and the papias also comes out, shaking the keys in his hand, and immediately th
receiving it, he prostrates himself on the ground, and kisses the feet of the emperor and his knees, likewise also of the junior emperor and after th
The annual commemoration of Constantine the Great and the dedication of the erected precious crosses in the new palace of Bonus.
the patriarch, arriving with the procession, stands inside the church of the Holy Apostles outside the railings of the sanctuary, and when the time co
of the imperial clergy and of the protopapas of the Daphne [church] of Saint Stephen and of the diaetarii of Saint Stephen and of the palace, all carr
of him, and having stood there, the officers of the kouboukleion stand on this side and that. And the spatharokoubikoularioi stand behind them. And th
at a nod from the praepositus, all the people say, Many years! And after all have fallen silent, the emperor begins to deliver his speech. It is to
being escorted by the aforementioned, and it is deposited in the palace of Daphne in the church of the holy protomartyr Stephen. And on the Monday of
of the kouboukleion, and they themselves praying toward the single door leading further in, and outside the single door stand the praepositi, they als
riding on horseback, go before the masters. The *maglabitai* and all the imperial men with *skaramangia* and swords, each goes before in his own rank.
the lords into the narthex, and putting on the gold-bordered cloaks, they light candles at the royal gates. And immediately they enter and pass throug
all the rulers of the church and presbyters and other priests. And the emperor comes out from the scaramangion, wearing also the gold-bordered sagion,
holding a staff, and brings in the foreigner, who is clearly held by the katepano of the imperial men, or by the count of the stable, or by the protos
from large purple skaramangia and from various imperial silver works, and there were hung in it 5 small chains and 5 silver polycandela from the New C
specia and golden torques but those who did not have specia wore skaramangia and rose-colored sagia. The chartoularioi and notarioi of the sekreta wo
and from there the sons of archons and the saponistai of the vestiarion and those of the trapeza, the sons of archons wearing their own skaramangia an
of the Great Martyr Demetrios and from those stored in the treasury. And on the wooden racks from the Pentapyrgion bound to the walls were fastened to
before the friends went out, through the [official] of the table they were given, in golden, jeweled bowls, to the two friends five hundred miliaresia
a faction of three men each. And in the White faction and in the Red faction were hung the pointed veils of the Golden Triclinium, the gryponagroi an
That on the 30th of the month of August, on a Sunday, upon the arrival of Delemikes the Emir of Edessa and apokrisiarios of Abochabdas, a reception wa
of maidservants, she entered through the Justinianos and the Lausiakos and the Tripeton into the Kainourgion, and rested then, the emperor having sat
of a peeping-curtain hanging in the middle of the canopy, in which place it is customary for the emperors to be seated on a throne, a reception being
and they perform the *saximon*, as the regulation provides. But if any of them are seated in the reception hall, rising up they complete the *saximon*
and to the patricians 144 miliaresia each, and one Saracen loros inner-garment each, or one of pure silk to the protospatharioi 120 miliaresia each a
these things are arranged. And immediately the psalmist comes forth and says a prokeimenon: What god is great as our God? You are the God who does wo
the taxeotai place the arms upon leather skins and goat-hair cloths so that they are not soiled, either by dust, or by mud. The demesmen of the two fa
the small cradle, and both the Augusta and the child are covered with gold-embroidered coverlets. Then, through the trapeza of the Augusta, the praepo
being seized by the sponsors are distributed. 622 But in the time of Basil, the emperor of blessed memory, the tonsuring of Leo, the Christ-loving mas
a *paragaudion* to the gates of the bema, that is, to the holy doors, and then the *praepositus* comes out, and leads in from the Pantheon, or from th
And the patrician Niketas and the patrician John and the patrician who was over Jesdes and the patrician Dometios and the magister Eustathios wore tog
When the emperor had ordered the fulfillment of the four petitions to take place, he entered into the triconch, and changed as was customary, and bein
being. And it is clear from the assurance of the emperor Heraclius, which he made to Sergius the patriarch, containing in these very words: The praep
15 silver-embroidered short-sleeved tunics of true purple. 29 colored short-sleeved tunics with points. 18 colored short-sleeved tunics of true purple
are of his sarcophagus. Another sarcophagus of Proconnesian stone, in which lies Irene, the wife of Constantine Caballinus. Another green Thessalian s
on the east, in the left part of the same oratory stands a sarcophagus in relief, in which lies Anastasia the daughter of Basil the Christ-loving mast
Total in all: 23 thousands and two. Through the theme of the Cibyrrhaeots. 15 dromons, having, each, 230 rowers and 70 warriors total 4 thousands and
he should accept. It should be known that the archon Chrepou in the theme of Hellas undertook to make 2,000 arrows and 3,000 javelins. Likewise also t
Atenulf, his brother, and Goimar and Goifer, his brother, and all the apostate Lombards from the theme of Lombardy, and that he hand over the forts to
each with 150 men and 6 ousiaka chelandia each with 108 men. And there were sent with the protospatharios John and asekretis to Africa 3 chelandia and
of Thrace, for both salaries and bonuses of the army, in place of the garments, 171 pounds and 29 of gold, 9 scaramangia. for the 4 tagmata of Macedon
and for the great crossbows, iron parts according to type. pitch, 10,000 litrai. liquid pitch, 3 round Magarika. cedar oil, 50 Magarika. flax, 8,000 l
muscles of bow-strings, 4,000. The things given from the sekreton of the vestiarium to the droungarios of the fleet in surplus for the expedition to C
of Rome? The greeting to the emperor of the ambassadors coming from Bulgaria. How is the God-crowned emperor, the spiritual grandfather of the ruler f
Mercy, gladness and glory from God to the high and great emperor of the Romans, a good life and health to you and a long life from the Lord, O peace-m
in God himself, emperors of the Romans, to so-and-so the most holy pope of Rome and our spiritual father. to the king of Saxony to the king of Bavar
offices, or not. But if from these one also wishes to be set up among the salaried imperials, he provides 4 pounds in addition to the price of the dig
are made destitute and given over to the *apelatai*, from whom also *Tzekones* are assigned to the forts. But the properties of such soldiers remain i
the hippodrome, and there he is venerated by the domestics and protectors as soon as he enters the gate, and being escorted in procession he comes out
being made known and at the same time being done, we shall set them down line by line in the order of a list. And we do this, not as overturning the w
These into six parts, namely, into generals, into domestics, into judges, into secretaries, into democrats, into private offices. 708 Volume I. Concer
to the chamberlains, 3 pounds, to the cubiculum with the praepositi alone, 3 pounds of gold, and her sticharion to the praepositus. To the one in char
of the Opsikion the strategos of the Boukellarioi the strategos of Cappadocia the strategos of Charsianon the strategos of Koloneia the strategos
centarchs, bandon-bearers, laburisioi, standard-bearers, duciniatores, mandators. And under the Drungarius of the Fleet are subordinated 7 kinds of of
2, to the primicerius 4. The fourth dignity is that of the ostiarii, whose insignia, a golden rod having a headpiece of precious stones, is bestowed b
them from the bearded maioumas for the games. The papias is also to receive wood weekly, one pitch, and the secundus one pitch. And all these things a
patrician and logothete of the herds the proconsul patrician and domestic of the Hikanatoi the proconsul patrician and domestic of the Noumeroi the
protospatharios and over the petitions the protospatharios and orphanotrophos the protospatharioi and kleisourarchs the protospatharios and demarch
chartoularios of the theme of the Anatolics the spatharios and chartoularios of the tagma of the Scholae the spatharios and actuarius the spathario
should some of the aforesaid hold ranks granted by award, let each of them be preferred in grade according to the rank of one of equal status. 739 But
as he goes up with them to the three-couched imperial banquet, and stations them around the venerable table so that those friends whom the emperor dee
of the Excubitors, and to lead them in at the summons according to the previously shown manner. And in the couches 746 of each of the parts, one must
the polytrikhon, and to prepare for a feast for friends, at the imperial table eight magistroi, anthypatoi, patrikioi, and strategoi, and two Bulgaria
a pre-feast illumination and the presentation of the mangers, to lead them all out according to the rule prescribed for all. On the tenth day, for the
of all the orphans, and to arrange him on the left, facing the position of the akoubita and to bring them both in on either side with the blessing of
and to lead them out with their own vestments, except for their cloaks, according to the dignity of rank belonging to each. On the Sunday of Meatfare.
the four domestics of the tagmata are brought in with the two demarchs and the chartoularios of the imperial sakelle, and with them also all the gerok
they hold, and offering the divine liturgy to God after the partaking of the holy mysteries, they openly receive the chief men of the senate for a sol
of ceremonial garments inside the palace, and a banquet is held in the Gold Triclinium according to the form of the first day. And we must prepare for
chartoularioi of the sacristy of Hagia Sophia, 773 receiving the same blessing. And on New Sunday, the after-feast of Pascha, a procession in bright r
according to the capacity of the table. On the 20th of the month of July, the commemoration of the prophet Elijah is celebrated by a processional lita
of a banquet in the lower triclinium which is at the sea palaces, and the emperor presides with the patriarch with his own divetesion. And it is neces
as we said, the order of the summoners. Therefore, having clearly set these forth for a reminder of the things accomplished among us, we bring a reque
From this same amount, to the *protovestiarios*... according to the quantity of pounds, 1 pound, to the one of the *katastasis* κʹ and to the *ostiar
of this tactical ordinance as from a canon, or, to be more truthful, as from the imperial decree, to act without dispute. We ought to have attached th
of Helenopontus, the one of Euchaïta 29, of the province of the Cyclades Islands, the one of Carpathus 30, of the province of Rhodope, the one of Ae
metropolis of Marcian, has under it cities, that is, 5 bishops, the one of Rhodostolos, the one of Tramariscae, the one of Novae, the one of Zekedespa
of Saint Mokios αʹ, the church of Saint Pancharios αʹ. And in total through gold κθʹ, and through miliaresia εʹ, mil. βʹ. And in total the sum
of Pharos εʹ, the subdeacons of Hagia Sophia 6 miliaresia, the deans of the patriarch 4 miliaresia, the dipotatai 3 miliaresia, those of the spoude 8
should some of the aforesaid hold ranks granted by award, let each of them be preferred in grade according to the rank of one of equal status. 739 But if they should be laymen, let them be honored only in their offices, being summoned according to the order already set forth. And ambassadors coming from the nations and being deemed worthy of the honorable common banquet of our emperors are also summoned thus. [The bishops from Rome were preferred to our bishops.] Those coming from Rome, if they are bishops, are preferred to the bishops of our church; and if they are presbyters, they are likewise given precedence. Likewise also each and every order of the priesthood receives precedence according to the seating arrangement spoken of above. And let the same rule hold for the three patriarchs who are in the East. And those who came from Rome were honored on account of the union of the church in the time of Leo, the Christ-loving emperor, such as bishop Nicholas and cardinal John, above the entire rank of the *magistroi*. [And the *synkelloi* from Antioch and Jerusalem were preferred to every *magistros*.] Likewise also the *synkelloi* from Antioch and Jerusalem in the second place of the table are first, above every *magistros*. And the friends from the Hagarenes fall under the rank of the *patrikioi* and *strategoi* in the seating arrangements, with those from the East being preferred to those from the West; and they are seated in the left-hand place, either as the fourth friends, or 740 the fifth, so that they may be at the second *minsos* of the table. And the friends coming from the Nounoi, that is the Bulgarians, in the summons of the common *kletoria* shall be called fourth or fifth in the left-hand place, clearly falling themselves under the rank of the *patrikioi* and *strategoi* and of all the rulers ranked as *patrikioi* of the *velum*, they themselves also enjoying the second *minsos* of the imperial table. And at the banquets of the nineteen *akoubita* on feast days they are summoned eighth and ninth, clearly falling under the rank of the aforesaid *velum*. And the ambassadors from the Franks, if they should have ecclesiastical rank, shall be called according to this; but if they are laymen, they fall under the rank of the *officiales*. And the friends coming from the other nations all fall under the rank of the *spatharokandidatoi*. Book 4. Since we have taken pains to compose a certain special treatise on the science of the *artiklinoi*, and have set forth clearly and precisely in the seating arrangements the ranks of our own state, and have shown to you the good order and arrangement of the sacred imperial *kletoria*, come now, I shall relate to you clearly the types of dignities who are called on each feast day and how it is necessary to bring in their 741 varied vestments at the *kletoria*. I shall begin from that point when the first-fruit of divine grace appeared to the world, celebrating which earthly and heavenly joy, our God-appointed and most divine emperors, in imitation of Christ's sojourn among men, spreading out the common banquet for the faithful, share in the bodily feast. The day of the birth of Christ, on which the arrangements of the nineteen *akoubita* are set forth. For it is necessary for you, O friends, on this brilliant and most glorious day of Christ's nativity, when the varied and extraordinary arrangements of the nineteen *akoubita* are set forth, to call to the imperial table of the *krama* of the Great Church for the common banquet of our Christ-loving emperors twelve magnates from the imperial senate, such as *magistroi*, *praepositoi*, *anthypatoi patrikioi*, *strategoi*, *officiales*, whomever it may please the emperors to receive; and to bring them in, however, without their proper *chlamydes*, but dressed only in their *kamisia*. And if *strategoi* should happen to have been called, let them be brought in with their proper *skaramangia* together with the *droungarios tes vigles*. And at the most honorable table of the nineteen 742 *akoubita* you must call two *magistroi*, *anthypatoi patrikioi*, six *strategoi*, two Bulgarian friends, two *officiales* from the bureau of the *logothetes tou stratiotikou* and below, so that twelve friends in number may be called to recline with the emperor, in the image of the apostolic twelve; and they must process in a line according to the order of each one's rank, dressed in their proper *chlamydes* in the forward-facing fashion, and shod in their proper *kampagia*, and to bring them in after the arrival of the imperial ministers and *boukalia* who are about to attend, that is, when the *kastresios* of the imperial table has received the signal from the illustrious *praepositus* standing above, and
τῶν λεχθέντων τινὲς ἔχοιεν ἀξίας τὰς διὰ βραβείου διδομένας, ἕκαστος αὐτῶν τῇ ἀξίᾳ τοῦ ὁμοτίμου τὸν βαθμὸν προτιμά 739 σθω.
εἰ δὲ παγανοὶ πέλοιεν, ἐν μόνοις τοῖς ὀφφικίοις τιμάσθωσαν κατὰ τὴν ἤδη ἐκτεθεῖσαν τάξιν κλητωρευόμενοι. οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἰσερχόμενοι
πρέσβεις καὶ τῆς τιμίας συνεστιάσεως τῶν βασιλέων ἡμῶν ἀξιούμενοι κλητωρεύονται καὶ αὐτοὶ οὕτως. [οἱ ἀπὸ Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοποι προεκρίθησαν
τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπισκόπων.] οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ Ῥώμης ἐρχόμενοι, ἐάν εἰσιν ἐπίσκοποι, προτιμῶνται τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίας·
εἰ δὲ πρεσβύτεροι εἶεν, ὡσαύτως προκρίνονται. ὁμοίως καὶ ἓν ἕκαστον τάγμα τῆς ἱεροσύνης τὴν προτίμησιν ἀναδέχεται κατὰ τὴν
καθέδραν τὴν ἀνωτέρως ῥηθεῖσαν. τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ κρατείσθω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ ὄντων τριῶν πατριαρχῶν. ἐτιμήθησαν δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ
Ῥώμης ἐλθόντες διὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ Λέοντος τοῦ φιλοχρίστου δεσπότου, οἷον ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Νικόλαος καὶ καρδηνάλιος
Ἰωάννης, ἐπάνω πάσης τῆς τάξεως τῶν μαγίστρων. [καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας καὶ Ἱεροσολύμων σύγκελλοι προεκρίθησαν παντὸς μαγίστρου.]
ὡσαύτως καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἀντιοχείας καὶ οἱ Ἱεροσολύμων σύγκελλοι ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ θέσει τῆς τραπέζης πρῶτοι ἐπάνω παντὸς μαγίστρου.
οἱ δὲ ἐξ Ἀγάρων φίλοι τῇ τῶν πατρικίων καὶ στρατηγῶν ὑποπίπτουσι τάξει ἐν ταῖς καθέδραις, οἱ μὲν ἀνατολικοὶ προκρινόμενοι
τῶν ἑσπερίων· καθέζονται δὲ ἐν τῇ εὐωνύμῳ θέσει, ἢ τέταρτοι φίλοι, ἢ 740 πέμπτοι, πρὸς τὸ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ μίνσῳ τῆς τραπέζης
τυγχάνειν. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Νούνων, ἤτοι Βουλγάρων, εἰσερχόμενοι φίλοι ἐν μὲν τῇ κλήσει τῶν κοινῶν κλητωρίων τέταρτοι ἢ πέμπτοι
ἐν τῇ εὐωνύμῳ θέσει κληθήσονται, δηλονότι ὑποπίπτοντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τῇ τῶν πατρικίων καὶ στρατηγῶν καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν τῷ βήλῳ
πατρικίων τεταγμένων ἀρχόντων, ἀπολαύοντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν δεύτερον μίνσον τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ιθʹ τῶν ἑορτῶν
ἀκουβίτοις κλητωρεύονται ὄγδοοι καὶ ἔννατοι, δηλονότι ὑποπίπτοντες τῇ τάξει τοῦ προλεχθέντος βήλου. οἱ δὲ ἐκ Φράγγων πρέσβεις,
εἰ μὲν ἔχοιεν χειροτονίας, κατὰ ταύτας κληθήσονται· εἰ δὲ παγανοί εἰσιν, τῇ τῶν ὀφφικιαλίων ὑποπίπτουσι τάξει. οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῶν
λοιπῶν ἐθνῶν ἐρχόμενοι φίλοι τῇ τῶν σπαθαροκανδιδάτων ὑποπίπτουσι πάντες ἀξίᾳ. Τόμος δʹ. Ἐπειδὴ τῆς τῶν ἀρτικλινῶν ἐπιστήμης
ἰδικήν τινα πραγματείαν συγγράψασθαι ἐσπουδάσαμεν, καὶ τὰς τοῦ οἰκείου πολιτεύματος ἀξίας ἐκφαντορικῶς ἐν ταῖς καθέδραις ἀκριβῶς
ἐξεθέμεθα, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἱερῶν βασιλικῶν κλητωρίων εὐστάθιαν καὶ κατάστασιν ὑμῖν ὑπεδείξαμεν, φέρε δὴ καὶ τὰς ἰδέας τῶν ἐφ'
ἑκάστῃ ἑορτῇ κικλησκομένων ἀξιωμάτων καὶ τὰς 741 τούτων πολυειδεῖς ἀμφιάσεις ὅπως δεῖ συνεισάγειν ἐν τοῖς κλητωρίοις, σαφῶς
ὑμῖν διηγήσομαι. ἄρξομαι δ' ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡ τῆς θείας χάριτος τῷ κόσμῳ ἐπέφανεν ἀπαρχὴ, ἧς καὶ οἱ θεοπρόβλητοι καὶ θειότατοι
ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς τὴν ἐγκόσμιον καὶ ὑπερκόσμιον ταύτην πανηγυρίζοντες χαρμονὴν κατὰ μίμησιν τῆς Χριστοῦ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας,
κοινῇ τὴν πανδεσίαν τοῖς πιστοῖς ἐφαπλώσαντες κοινωνοῦσι τῆς σωματικῆς ἑστιάσεως. Ἡ γενέθλιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ προτίθονται
αἱ τῶν ιθʹ ἀκουβίτων ἐκθέσεις. ∆εῖ γὰρ ὑμᾶς, ὦ φίλοι, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ λαμπρᾷ καὶ περιδόξῳ τῶν Χριστοῦ γενεθλίων ἡμέρᾳ, ἡνίκα αἱ
πολυσχεδεῖς καὶ ἐξαίσιοι τῶν ιθʹ προτίθονται ἀκουβίτων ἐκθέσεις, ἐν μὲν τῇ βασιλικῇ τραπέζῃ τοῦ κράματος τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας
καλεῖν εἰς συνεστίασιν τῶν φιλοχρίστων ἡμῶν βασιλέων μεγιστάνας ἐκ τῆς βασιλικῆς συγκλήτου τὸν ἀριθμὸν ιβʹ, οἷον μαγίστρους,
πραιποσίτους, ἀνθυπάτους πατρικίους, στρατηγοὺς, ὀφφικιαλίους, οὓς ἂν δόξῃ τοὺς αὐτοκράτορας λαμβάνεσθαι· εἰσάγειν δὲ αὐτοὺς,
ἄνευ μέντοι τῶν οἰκείων χλαμύδων, ἠμφιεσμένους δὲ τὰ καμίσια καὶ μόνα. εἰ δὲ τύχοιεν στρατηγοὶ κεκλημένοι, μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων
σκαραμαγγίων εἰσαγέσθωσαν σὺν τῷ δρουγγαρίῳ τῆς βίγλης. ἐν δὲ τῇ τῶν ιθʹ 742 ἀκουβίτων τιμιωτάτῃ τραπέζῃ δεῖ ὑμᾶς καλεῖν μαγίστρους
δύο, ἀνθυπάτους πατρικίους, στρατηγοὺς ἓξ, Βουλγάρους φίλους δύο, ὀφφικιαλίους ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ λογοθέτου τάξεως καὶ
κατωτέρω δύο, πρὸς τὸ συνανακληθῆναι τῷ βασιλεῖ εἰς τύπον τῆς ἀποστολικῆς δωδεκάδος, φίλους τὸν ἀριθμὸν ιβʹ· προκισεύειν δὲ
αὐτοὺς δεῖ στιχηδὸν κατὰ τάξιν τῆς ἑκάστου ἀξίας, ἐνδεδυμένους τὰς οἰκείας αὐτῶν χλαμύδας ἐμπροσθείῳ τῷ σχήματι, ὑποδεδεμένους
δὲ καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα καμπάγια, καὶ εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξιν τῶν μελλόντων παραστᾶναι βασιλικῶν ὑπουργῶν τε καὶ βουκαλίων,
δηλονότι λαβόντος τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ καστρησίου τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης παρὰ τοῦ ἄνωθεν παρεστῶτος περιφανοῦς πραιποσίτου, καὶ
