108

no one, but even there, turning on one another they will clash and destroy each other, neglecting the enemy. For which reason it is necessary for us to remain below, bringing them up in order and breaking up the strife.” The emperor was persuaded by such things said by the grand domestic and permitted the ascent for those around him. But with many clinging to it at the same time and trying to ascend together, the emperor's ladder, unable to bear the weight, collapsed, as the ropes broke; and only the grand domestic's was left, and through it they went up one by one and slowly, with both men supervising the ascent and restraining the excessive pushing not only with threats but also with blows. When they had gone up, lacking little of one hundred, Synadenos son of Maroules, who was entrusted with the care of the guards, having quickly come to help with two hundred men at the sound of the shout, not yet thinking that the 1.304 enemies were on the wall, but were attacking from outside, went up onto the wall with a few of those he was leading, wishing to learn what was being done. And he himself was captured, as were those who had gone up with him, by the men in charge. But learning that he himself was leading the army, they shouted down to those below to yield and not to resist the new emperor who was already inside the walls, especially because, with their own general captured, they would not escape paying the penalty on the next day if they should attempt to do any harm. When those below heard that both their general was captured and the new emperor was within the walls, changing their minds at once they both acclaimed the new emperor and were ready to cooperate as much as possible. And along the rest of the wall, the acclamation of the new emperor now went quietly through all. And so the emperor and the grand domestic, hearing this, said that it was no longer necessary to struggle by paying attention to the ladder, but they ordered those who had ascended to open the gates for them. And when they were opened, the emperor also entered with the rest, and a little later the protostrator also entered with the whole army. And the new emperor, having come to the palace, did obeisance to the emperor and his grandfather, as was his custom, and having sat for a little while, the elder emperor, as if finding fault with himself for what had happened, said that he remembered his words well, hinting that he had not been persuaded by him when he advised what was advantageous and necessary. However, from the beginning the zeal for harming men and always attempting to do evil is equal and similar 1.305 to the devil. And for the most part he fails; but there are cases in which he also succeeds, just as in the events that have now happened. And the new emperor agreed that it was so; but Metochites the grand logothete, who was present while they were conversing, said, “But how long will things be like this? For if you yourselves are not of one mind, nothing of what is necessary will be done.” But the new emperor answered nothing, but wondered what they meant by these things, as if he himself had not been present at the events and did not know what was done more clearly than the others. However, he inquired of the emperor and his grandfather if he commanded him to go away for the veneration of the Mother of God Hodegetria. And when he gave permission, he went to the sanctuary of the Hodegetria and both venerated and gave many thanks for the benefactions toward him. And from there he arrived at the monastery of the Manganes, and having venerated the symbols of the saving passions of Christ treasured within it, and having thanked Patriarch Isaiah, who had been confined on his account, as much as time allowed, and having led him to the patriarchate on a royally adorned horse, he returned again to the palace and lodged nearby in the Porphyrogennetos chambers of the palace. The army, however, the one part encamped inside Byzantium, while the greater part, by order of the emperor, came and encamped in the meadows by the Kamelos bridge. And there was no plundering of property, except perhaps 1.306 for the house of the grand logothete, and this was against the emperor's will. Thus the war between the Roman emperors began, and it had so many changes,

108

οὐδεὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ συστραφέντες ἀλλήλοις συμπεσοῦνται καὶ διαφθεροῦσιν ἀλλήλους, ἀμελήσαντες τῶν πολεμίων. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα ἡμᾶς κάτω μένειν δέον ἀναβιβάζοντας αὐτοὺς ἐν τάξει καὶ τὴν ἔριν διαλύοντας.» τοιαῦτα τῷ μεγάλῳ εἰπόντι δομεστίκῳ ἐπείθετο ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὴν ἄνοδον ἐπέτρεπε τοῖς περὶ αὐτόν. πολλῶν δὲ ἐν ταὐτῷ προσφύντων καὶ ἅμα ἀναβαίνειν πειρωμένων, ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως κλίμαξ τὸ βάρος οὐκ ἐνεγκοῦσα κατέπεσε, τῶν κάλων ῥαγέντων· καὶ μόνη καταλέλειπτο ἡ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀνῄεσαν καθ' ἕνα καὶ σχολῇ, πρὸς τὴν ἀνάβασιν ἀμφοτέρων ἐφεστώτων καὶ οὐκ ἀπειλαῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πληγαῖς ἐπεχόντων τὸν ἄγαν ὠθισμόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὀλίγῳ δέοντες ἀνῆλθον ἑκατὸν, ὁ τὴν τῶν φυλάκων ἐπιμέλειαν ἐπιτετραμμένος Συναδηνὸς ὁ τοῦ Μαρούλη πρὸς τὴν βοὴν ὀξέως ἅμα διακοσίοις ἐπιβοηθήσας, οὔπω νομίζων ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους εἶναι τοὺς 1.304 πολεμίους, ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν ἐπιχειρεῖν, ἅμα ὀλίγοις ὧν ἦγεν ἀνέβαινεν ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος, ὅ, τι εἴη τὰ δρώμενα βουλόμενος μαθεῖν. καὶ αὐτός τε ἑάλω καὶ οἱ συναναβάντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἐφεστώτων. μαθόντες δὲ, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἄγοι τὴν στρατιὰν, τοῖς κάτω ἐπεφώνουν ὑπείκειν καὶ μὴ ἀνθίστασθαι τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ ἤδη ἐντὸς ὄντι τειχῶν, μάλιστα δ' ὅτι, καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ αὐτῶν ἑαλωκότος, οὐκ ἂν διαφύγοιεν τὸ δοῦναι δίκην ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν, ἐάν τι ἐπιχειρῶσι βλάπτειν. ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν οἱ κάτωθεν, ὅτι αὐτῶν τε ὁ στρατηγὸς ἑάλω καὶ ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς ἐντὸς εἴη τειχῶν, μεταβαλόντες εὐθὺς εὐφήμουν τε τὸν νέον βασιλέα καὶ ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν συναίρεσθαι τὰ δυνατά. καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἐπίλοιπον τοῦ τείχους ἠρέμα ἤδη διὰ πάντων ᾔει ἡ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως εὐφημία. ὃ δὴ βασιλεύς τε καὶ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἀκούοντες, οὐκέτι ἔφασαν δεῖν τῇ κλίμακι προσέχοντας ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀναβᾶσι προσέταττόν σφισι τὰς πύλας ἀνοιγνύναι. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀνεῴχθησαν, ἅμα τοῖς ἐπιλοίποις εἰσῄει καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς, μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ ἅμα σὺν παντὶ εἰσῆλθε τῷ στρατῷ. καὶ πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια ἐλθὼν ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς, τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πάππον προσεκύνησεν, ὥσπερ ἦν ἔθος αὐτῷ, καὶ καθεσθέντες μικρὸν, ὁ πρεσβύτερος βασιλεὺς ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβᾶσι καταμεμφόμενος ἑαυτὸν, μεμνῆσθαι ἔλεγε καλῶς τῶν λόγων τῶν αὐτοῦ, αἰνιττόμενος ὡς τὰ λυσιτελῆ καὶ δέοντα συμβουλεύοντι οὐκ ἐπείθετο αὐτῷ. ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέντοι ἴσην καὶ ὁμοίαν 1.305 τῷ διαβόλῳ εἶναι τὴν σπουδὴν περὶ τὸ βλάπτειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἀεὶ κακῶς ποιεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν. καὶ σφάλλεσθαι μὲν τὰ πλείω· ἔστι δὲ ἐν οἷς καὶ ἐπιτυγχάνειν ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς νυνὶ συμβεβηκόσι. καὶ ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς συνετίθετο οὕτως ἔχειν· παρὼν δ' αὐτοῖς διαλεγομένοις καὶ Μετοχίτης ὁ μέγας λογοθέτης, «ἀλλ' ἕως πότε» ἔφησεν «ἔσονται τοιαῦτα; ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ αὐτοὶ ὁμονοήσητε, τῶν δεόντων γενήσεται οὐδέν.» βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἀπεκρίνατο μὲν οὐδὲν, ἐθαύμαζε δὲ ὅ, τι ταῦτα βούλονται αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ μὴ παρῆν αὐτὸς τοῖς γινομένοις καὶ τὰ πραττόμενα σαφέστερον τῶν ἄλλων μᾶλλον ᾔδει. πρὸς μέντοι βασιλέα καὶ πάππον εἰς προσκύνησιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μητρὸς τῆς Ὁδηγητρίας ἀπελθεῖν ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ κελεύοι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπέτρεπεν, εἰς τὸ τῆς Ὁδηγητρίας τέμενος ἐλθὼν προσεκύνει τε καὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πολλὰς εὐχαριστίας ἀπεδίδου. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν Μαγκάνων ἀφίκετο μονὴν, καὶ τά τε ἐν αὐτῇ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ σωτηρίων παθῶν τεθησαυρισμένα σύμβολα προσκυνήσας, καὶ πατριάρχῃ τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ δι' αὐτὸν ἐγκεκλεισμένῳ ὅσον τε ὁ καιρὸς ἐδίδου εὐχαριστήσας καὶ εἰς τὸ πατριαρχεῖον ἐφ' ἵππου βασιλικῶς κεκοσμημένου ἀγαγὼν, ἐπανῆκεν αὖθις εἰς τὰ βασίλεια καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Πορφυρογενήτου οἴκοις τῶν βασιλείων ηὐλίσατο ἐγγύς. ἡ μέντοι στρατιὰ, ἡ μὲν ἔνδον ἐσκήνωσε Βυζαντίου, ἡ πλείων δὲ, προστάξαντος βασιλέως, ἐν τοῖς παρὰ τὴν τῆς Καμήλου γέφυραν λειμῶσιν ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο ἐλθοῦσα. ἁρπαγὴ δὲ πραγμάτων ἐγένετο οὐδεμία, πλὴν εἰ μὴ 1.306 τῆς μεγάλου λογοθέτου οἰκίας, καὶ τοῦτο παρὰ γνώμην βασιλέως. οὕτω μὲν ὁ πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέων πόλεμος συνέστη τὴν ἀρχὴν, καὶ τοσαύτας ἔσχε τὰς μεταβολὰς,