they withdrew. But being men of the East and truly neighbors, they were separated from each other by short distances. For these reasons, after waiting a few days, then indeed having run together to the same place, they began the plot. No sooner had they established this, than a noble army was assembled for them, as a multitude of noble men flocked to them and strengthened their resolve. For when they all had heard that a noble general had become their emperor and that he had attached the most powerful families to himself, and they knew these men by name, without waiting even a short time they immediately joined them, hastening to get there first, like a good runner outstripping another. 7.6 Indeed, even before they had wished to subject the entire military power of the Romans to themselves, and to become obedient to a general-emperor, and to abolish the civil succession of the empire, but they held back their plans, and only nursed their desire, because no one most worthy of rule appeared to them. But when they saw Isaac, whom they had not expected to see in the garb of power even in a dream, because of his precision in such undertakings, having become the leader of the tyrannical plot, and ratifying the subsequent plans, they immediately, without any second thoughts, flocked to the man, having equipped themselves more manfully and prepared for war. 7.7 And he, although he was then for the first time in charge of such a plot, handled the matter more prudently than boldly. And since he knew this above all, that the army needed much money, first he blocked all the roads to the City, leaving a sufficient guard on each, and allowing no one to go out or come in, unless he should know of it and permit passage in either direction. Then, having done this, he collected the public contributions not in a disorderly or confused manner, but by appointing offices and establishing exact tax-collectors, and recording everything, so that, when he had become more fully emperor, he might have accurate accounts of the collections. Thus he acted more prudently than boldly. And one might admire another thing about him, that although a great multitude had joined him, he sorted the ranks by tribe, and having chosen the nobler men from the rest, those whom he knew to possess both calculated daring and steadfast nobility, these he arranged into companies and phalanxes and to these he entrusted the war. And so it was that the chosen part was superior to its number, and the part that was selected was in no way inferior to them. 7.8 First, then, he commanded them to be gathered by themselves and not to be mixed up or disordered, but as if formed into ranks and phalanxes to advance in silence and thus to encamp. Then, having assigned to each the general's ration and sufficient preparation for a warlike assault, he also deemed them worthy of higher ranks, bestowing the greater on the greater, and the lesser on the lesser. In addition to these things, having entrusted his person to his kindred by blood and having wound a circle around himself, he both advanced fearlessly and again encamped. Therefore, he spent sleepless nights on his tyrannical cares, and by day he appeared more brilliant in his affairs, and advanced as if to the business at hand. But since many things are accustomed to happen in armies, and most men are by nature more bold than prudent, he raised his sword against no one, nor did he proceed at once against those who had erred, but he struck them with terror with a single glance, and his frowning brow was sufficient instead of any blow. 7.9 He, then, having thus also organized his forces precisely, had now come near the City. But the one who now held only the rule of Byzantium and those who had previously controlled him, just as

ἀνεχώρησαν· ἑῷοι δὲ ὄντες καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς πρόσαυγοι, ἐκ βραχέων τῶν διαστημά των ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διεστήκεισαν· διὰ ταῦτα ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἐπιλιπόντες, εἶτα δὴ ἐς ταὐτὸ συνδεδραμηκότες, τῆς ἐπι βουλῆς ἄρχουσιν. Οὐκ ἔφθασαν δὲ ταύτην ἑδράσαντες, καὶ στρατόπεδον αὐτοῖς γενναῖον ξυνέστη, πλήθους αὐτοῖς γεν ναίων συρρεύσαντος καὶ τὴν γνώμην κρατύναντος· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἠκηκόεισαν ξύμπαντες ὅτι στρατηγὸς γενναῖος αὐτοῖς βεβασίλευκε καὶ ὅτι τὰ κράτιστα γένη εἰς αὑτὸν ἀνηρτή σατο, ὀνομαστί τε τούτους ἠπίσταντο, οὐδὲ βραχύν τινα χρόνον διαλιπόντες εὐθὺς αὐτοῖς προσεχώρησαν, ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεὺς τὸν ἕτερον, προλαβεῖν ἐπειγόμενοι. 7.6 Ἐβούλοντο μὲν καὶ πρότερον τὸ στρατιωτικὸν ξύμπαν τὸ κράτος Ῥωμαίων ὑποποιήσασθαι, καὶ ὑπήκοοι γενέσθαι στρατηγῷ αὐτοκράτορι, καὶ τὴν πολιτικὴν καταλῦ σαι τῆς βασιλείας διαδοχὴν, ἐπεῖχον δὲ τὰ βουλεύματα, καὶ μόνον ἐνεκυμόνουν τὸν ἔρωτα, ὅτι μηδεὶς αὐτοῖς εἰς ἀρχὴν ἀξιολογώτατος κατεφαίνετο· ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν Ἰσαάκιον τεθέανται, ὃν οὐδ' ὄναρ εἰς τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κράτους ἰδεῖν προσεδόκησαν, διὰ τὸ περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιχειρήσεις ἀκριβὲς, κορυφαῖον γεγενημένον τοῦ τυραννικοῦ σκέμματος, καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα χειροτονοῦντα βουλεύματα, αὐτίκα οὐδέν τι γνωσιμαχήσαντες τῷ ἀνδρὶ προσερρύησαν, ἀνδρικώτερον ἐπισκευάσαντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἐξαρ τύσαντες. 7.7 Ὁ δὲ, εἰ καὶ τότε πρῶτον ἦρξε τοῦ τοιοῦδε σκέμ ματος, συνετώτερον ἢ τολμηρότερον τὸ πρᾶγμα μεταχει ρίζεται· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο πρὸ πάντων ᾔδει, ὅτι χρημάτων πολλῶν δεῖ τῷ συντάγματι, πρῶτον μὲν πάσας τὰς εἰς τὴν Πόλιν ἀποφράττει ὁδούς, φρουρὰν ἀποχρῶσαν καταλιμ πάνων ἑκάστῃ, καὶ μηδενὶ διδοὺς ἐξιέναι τε καὶ εἰσιέναι, εἰ μὴ ἐκεῖνος γνοίη καὶ τὴν ἐφ' ἑκάτερα συγχωρήσῃ πορείαν· ἔπειτα τοῦτο πεποιηκὼς, τὰς δημοσίους εἰσπρά ττει συνεισφορὰς οὐ φύρδην, οὐ συγκεχυμένως, ἀλλ' ἀρχεῖα τάξας καὶ ἀκριβεῖς ἐγκαταστήσας εἰσπράκτορας, καὶ ἀπογραφόμενος ἕκαστα, ἵν' ἔχοι καὶ τελεώτερον βασιλεύσας ἀκριβεῖς τοὺς τῶν εἰσπράξεων λογισμούς· οὕτω τοῦ συνε τωτέρου μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ τολμηροτέρου ἐγίγνετο. Καὶ ἄλλο δέ τις ἐκείνου θαυμάσειεν, ὅτι πλήθους αὐτῷ πολλοῦ προσκε χωρηκότος φυλοκρινεῖ τὰς τάξεις, καὶ τοὺς γενναιοτέρους ἀποκρίνας τῶν ἄλλων καὶ οἷς ᾔδει καὶ τόλμαν λελογισμένην καὶ στάσιμον τὸ γενναῖον, ἐκείνους εἰς λόχους καὶ φάλαγ γας καθιστᾷ καὶ τούτοις πιστεύει τὸν πόλεμον· ἦν δ' ἄρα καὶ τὸ ἀποκριθὲν ἀριθμοῦ κρεῖττον καὶ τὸ κριθὲν οὐδὲν ἐκείνων καταδεέστερον. 7.8 Πρῶτα μὲν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἐγκελεύεται συνειλέχθαι καθ' ἑαυτοὺς καὶ μὴ συγκεχύσθαι, μηδὲ συντεταράχθαι, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εἰς τάξιν καὶ φάλαγγας καταστάντας σιγῇ τε προϊέναι καὶ οὕτως κατασκηνοῦν· ἔπειτα τὸ στρατηγικὸν ἑκάστῳ σιτηρέσιον τάξας καὶ τὴν εἰς πολεμικὴν ἔφοδον ἀποχρῶσαν παρασκευὴν, καὶ μειζόνων ἀξιοῖ βαθμῶν, τοὺς μὲν μείζους ἀπονέμων τοῖς μείζοσι, τοὺς ἐλάττους δὲ τοῖς ἐλάττοσι. Ἐπὶ τούτοις συγγενικῷ αἵματι τὸ σῶμα πιστεύ σας καὶ κύκλον τινὰ περιελίξας αὐτῷ, ἀδεῶς τε προῄει καὶ αὖθις ηὐλίζετο· τὰς μὲν οὖν νύκτας ἀγρύπνους εἰς τὰς τυραννικὰς φροντίδας ἀνήλισκεν, ἡμέρας δὲ λαμπρότερός τε τοῖς πράγμασιν εἴδετο, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ προκειμένῳ προῄει τῷ πράγματι· ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλὰ εἴωθε προσπίπτειν τοῖς στρα τοπέδοις, καὶ οἵ γε πλεῖστοι τολμηρότεροι μᾶλλον πεφύ κασιν ἢ συνετώτεροι, οὐδενὶ μὲν τὸ ξίφος ἐπανετείνατο, οὐδ' εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας κεχωρήκει, κατέπληττε δὲ ἅπαξ ἰδὼν, καὶ ἡ ὀφρὺς αὐτῷ συναχθεῖσα ἀντὶ πάσης ἤρκει πληγῆς. 7.9 Ὁ μὲν οὖν οὕτως καὶ συνταξάμενος ἀκριβῶς ἐγγὺς ἤδη τῆς Πόλεως ἐγεγόνει· ὁ δὲ τοῦ Βυζαντίου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἤδη μόνην ἔχων καὶ οἱ προκατεσχηκότες ἐκεῖνον, ὥσπερ