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More were taken captive by the spear, among whom was a certain man known to the domestic of the schools and attested 370 by him as being both brave and skillful with his hand and a naturally gifted horseman and one who wielded two spears. Therefore, as a triumph was being celebrated for the victory with a contest of horsemanship, the ruler ordered that praised Agarene to ride a horse and to wield the two spears. And he demonstrated his ambidexterity to the spectators according to the command. And the emperor both praised and admired him. At any rate, Krateros Theodore, who a little later was adorned with the martyr's crown, being one of the forty-two martyrs, standing by Theophilos at that time, was mocking the Agarene. But the ruler, filled with anger at the mockery, said, "Will you, effeminate one (for Krateros happened to be a eunuch) demonstrate something of this sort?" And Krateros said, "I have not practiced brandishing two spears, because in battle there is no need for games, but for earnestness, but wielding one, and may it be said with God's help, I will strike this man down." But the emperor, enraged at the statement, and having sworn an oath against himself, said, "Truly, you will die, unless 371 you immediately strike this man down." And he, without delaying, both fought with the Agarene and knocked him from his horse. Again, therefore, there was a campaign for the emperor against the Agarenes, and again a battle, and the outcome of the battle was not good for the Romans. For the emperor almost would have been led away captive by the spear, having been surrounded by the Ishmaelites. But when Manuel realized this, shouting to those around him, he charged into the midst of the enemy and says to the emperor, "Follow me;" for he was standing still, having given up out of cowardice. But he, disguising his cowardice, said that he did not wish to flee, leaving his people behind. But since, though often urged to leave the battle, he stood as if fettered by terror, Manuel, drawing his sword, says, "If you do not follow me, I will kill you at once; for it is better for you to die than to be taken captive by the enemy and to bring such a disgrace upon the state of the Romans." Therefore, by these threats of Manuel, with difficulty released from the numbness of fear and having followed him, he was saved; for which reason he called the man savior and paid him the reward for saving his life lavishly 372. But not long after, the tongues of slanderers turned the emperor's opinion against Manuel to the contrary. For they slandered him as one attempting tyranny, and already Theophilos was persuaded by the slanders and had resolved to blind Manuel. But he, learning what was planned, fled and having come somewhere near the Agarenes, he reveals to their leader who he is and that, if he should receive pledges not to be forced to renounce his own religion, he would come over to him. And he at once both gives pledges and receives him with great joy. And Manuel, having gone there, and having been entrusted with an army, performed many feats of valor against the Persians and set up great trophies and was loved by those of Hagar and admired. And Theophilos was both grieved because of Manuel and was considering how he might recall him from there. Therefore, sending pledges to him both by oath and by a written document with a golden seal with a certain monk, 373 he urged him to return. And he returned, but how must be related; for it is not ungraceful to relate. Having met with the monk bringing him the pledges from the emperor and having agreed to return, he approached the leader of the Ishmaelites and asks that an army be given to him, so that, having gone to Cappadocia, he might pay back those who had denounced him to the emperor (for he said his accusers lived there), and he asked the leader of the Agarenes also to send his son with him, saying, "so that I may train this one for you in matters of war." And he is persuaded and sends his own son with him; for he was confident in Manuel and trusted him. And he departed, and already having approached the Roman borders, taking the son of the ruler of those from Hagar along with him, with a few Saracens, he went out ostensibly for a hunt, with many servants following him. At any rate, when he was within Roman territory, having embraced the son of the Ishmaelite, "You," he said

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πλείους δ' ἑάλωσαν δορυάλωτοι, ἐν οἷς ἦν καί τις ἀνὴρ τῷ τῶν σχολῶν δομεστίκῳ γνώριμος καὶ μαρτυρούμενος 370 ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ὡς καὶ τὴν χεῖρα γενναῖος καὶ περιδέξιος καὶ εὐφυῶς ἱππαζόμενος καὶ δύο μεταχειριζόμενος δόρατα. θριάμβου τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ καταγομένου ἐν ἱππηλασίας ἀγῶνι, τὸν ἐπαινούμενον ἐκεῖνον Ἀγαρηνὸν ἱππάσασθαι καὶ τὰ δύο μεταχειρίσασθαι δόρατα ἐκέλευσεν ὁ κρατῶν. καὶ ὃς ἐπεδείκνυτο κατὰ τὸ κέλευσμα τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὸ ἀμφοτεροδέξιον. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦτον ἐπῄνει τε καὶ ἐθαύμαζεν. ὁ γοῦν Κρατερός Θεόδωρος, ὃς μετ' ὀλίγον τῷ μαρτυρικῷ κατεκοσμήθη στεφάνῳ, τῶν τεσσαράκοντα δύο μαρτύρων εἷς ὤν, παρεστὼς τότε τῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἐχλεύαζε τὸν Ἀγαρηνόν. ὀργῆς δ' ἐπὶ τῇ χλεύῃ πλησθεὶς ὁ κρατῶν "σὺ δ'" ἔφη "ὦ θηλυδρία (ἐκτομίας γὰρ ὁ Κρατερὸς ἐτύγχανεν ὤν) ἐνδείξῃ τοιοῦτόν τι;" καὶ ὁ Κρατερὸς "δύο μὲν δόρατα στρέφειν οὐκ ἤσκησα, ὅτι μηδὲ δεῖ τῇ μάχῃ παιγνίων, ἀλλὰ σπουδῆς, ἓν δὲ μεταχειριζόμενος, σὺν θεῷ δ' εἰρήσθω, τοῦτον καταβαλῶ." ἐκμανεὶς δ' ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὀμόσας καθ' ἑαυτοῦ "ἦ μήν" ἔφη "τεθνήξῃ, εἰ μὴ 371 αὐτίκα τοῦτον καταβαλεῖς." ὁ δὲ μὴ ὑπερθέμενος καὶ συνεμαχέσατο τῷ Ἀγαρηνῷ καὶ τοῦ ἵππου κατέβαλε. Πάλιν οὖν τῷ βασιλεῖ στρατεία κατὰ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν, καὶ πάλιν μάχη, καὶ τὸ τῆς μάχης τέλος τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις οὐκ ἀγαθόν. μικροῦ γὰρ ἀπήχθη ἂν καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς δορυάλωτος παρὰ τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν κυκλωθείς. ὡς δ' ἔγνω τοῦτο ὁ Μανουήλ, ἐμβοησάμενος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν μέσον εἰσελαύνει τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ φησίν "ἀκολούθει μοι·" ἵστατο γὰρ ἐκ δειλίας ἀπεγνωκώς. ὁ δὲ τὴν δειλίαν ἐπιχρωννύς, μὴ βούλεσθαι φυγεῖν ἔφη καταλιπὼν τὸν λαόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλάκις ἐξελθεῖν τῆς μάχης παρακαλούμενος, ὥσπερ πεπεδημένος τῇ πτοίᾳ εἱστήκει, ὁ Μανουὴλ τὸ ξίφος σπασάμενος "εἰ μὴ ἕποιό μοι" φησίν, "αὐτίκα σε ἀνελῶ· κρεῖσσον γάρ σε θανεῖν ἢ ληφθῆναι τοῖς ἐναντίοις αἰχμάλωτον καὶ τοιοῦτον αἶσχος τῇ πολιτείᾳ Ῥωμαίων περιποιήσασθαι." ταύταις οὖν ταῖς τοῦ Μανουὴλ ἀπειλαῖς μόλις τῆς ἐκ τοῦ φόβου νάρκης λυθεὶς καὶ ἀκολουθήσας αὐτῷ, διεσώθη· ὅθεν σωτῆρα τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκάλει καί οἱ τὰ σῶστρα δα372 ψιλῶς ἀπετίννυεν. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ αἱ τῶν βασκάνων γλῶσσαι τὴν γνώμην τοῦ βασιλέως κατὰ τοῦ Μανουὴλ εἰς τοὐναντίον ἐτρέψαντο. διέβαλον γὰρ αὐτὸν ὡς τυραννίδι ἐπιχειροῦντα, καὶ ἤδη ταῖς διαβολαῖς ἐπέπειστο ὁ Θεόφιλος καὶ τὸν Μανουὴλ ἐκτυφλῶσαι διανενόητο. γνοὺς δ' ἐκεῖνος τὸ μελετώμενον ἀπέδρα καὶ ἀγχοῦ που γενόμενος τοῖς Ἀγαρηνοῖς δηλοῖ τῷ αὐτῶν ἀρχηγῷ ὅστις ἐστὶ καὶ ὡς, εἰ λήψεται πίστεις μὴ βιασθῆναι τὴν οἰκείαν θρησκείαν ἐξομόσασθαι, προσελεύσεταί οἱ. ὁ δὲ αὐτίκα πίστεις τε δίδωσι καὶ περιχαρῶς αὐτὸν ὑποδέχεται. καὶ ὁ Μανουὴλ ἐκεῖσε γενόμενος καὶ στράτευμα πιστευθεὶς πολλὰς ἀριστείας κατὰ Περσῶν εἰργάσατο καὶ μεγάλα τρόπαια ἔστησε καὶ ἐφιλεῖτο παρὰ τῶν τῆς Ἄγαρ καὶ ἐθαυμάζετο. ὁ δὲ Θεόφιλος καὶ ἐλυπεῖτο διὰ τὸν Μανουὴλ καὶ ἐφρόντιζεν ὅπως αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν μετακαλέσεται. πίστεις οὖν αὐτῷ καὶ δι' ὅρκου καὶ δι' ἐγγράφου χρυσοσημάντου μετά τινος μοναχοῦ στείλας 373 ἐπανελθεῖν προετρέπετο. καὶ ὃς ἐπανῆλθε, τὸ δ' ὅπως διηγητέον· ἔστι γὰρ οὐκ ἄχαρι πρὸς διήγησιν. ἐντυχὼν τῷ τὰς πίστεις ἐκ βασιλέως αὐτῷ κομίζοντι μοναχῷ καὶ συνθέμενος ὑποστρέψαι, πρόσεισι τῷ τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν ἀρχηγῷ καὶ αἰτεῖται στράτευμά οἱ δοθῆναι, ἵνα κατὰ τὴν Καππαδοκίαν γενόμενος ἀνταποδοίη τοῖς εἰς τὸν βασιλέα κατειποῦσιν αὐτοῦ (ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἔλεγεν οἰκεῖν τοὺς κατηγόρους αὐτοῦ), ἠξίου δὲ τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ συνεκπέμψαι αὐτῷ, "ἵνα σοι τοῦτον" λέγων "γυμνάσω πρὸς τὰ πολέμια." ὁ δὲ πείθεται καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον αὐτῷ συνεκπέμπει υἱόν· ἐθάρρει γὰρ τῷ Μανουὴλ καὶ ἐπίστευε. κἀκεῖνος ἀπῄει, καὶ ἤδη τοῖς Ῥωμαϊκοῖς ἐγγίσας ὁρίοις τὸν τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἄγαρ υἱὸν συμπαραλαβὼν μετ' ὀλίγων Σαρακηνῶν ἐξῄει δῆθεν πρὸς κυνηγέσιον, πολλῶν αὐτῷ θεραπόντων συνεπομένων. ὡς γοῦν ἐντὸς χώρας Ῥωμαίων ἐγένετο, τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ Ἰσμαηλίτου περιπλακείς, "σὺ μέν" ἔφη