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having squandered it both on marriage alliances with the nations and on burdensome ambitious projects, employing frequent embassies. But I do not know if the pretext put forward was also an excuse, that is, the lack of funds for necessities; or if it was rather what was muttered under the breath, 293 that, suspecting his subjects on account of what had happened, he thought it advantageous to afflict the people with financial penalties, lest they rise up in revolt out of luxury. At any rate, for this reason, whether real or supposed, he laid waste to the provinces with frequent tax assessments. And he entrusted such administrations and equalizations of taxes to men of no account, whereas great men had formerly been appointed for these tasks; for Caesar Romanos and the great domestic, the emperor's father, had been assessors in the region of the Scamander; but from these they collected gold and brought the money to the public treasury. When this happened also to the Paphlagonians and indeed to those further on, they were assessed in silver and became exhausted over time. For they had plenty of necessities, as the land provided abundantly, but they were poor in coinage, since everyone farmed for their essentials. Therefore, when the taxes were assessed in gold and silver coin, they were impoverished by paying the required amount out of necessity. Besides, most of them knew nothing of military service. Nevertheless, one might labor much to correct the wickedness of a greedy nation, even if one were not suffering; but if one is suffering, it is impossible for every plan not to fail. Those people, therefore, and especially those who lived in the borderlands, both by suffering from here and by hoping for better things from there, if only they would willingly go over, decided to go over and day by day went over to the Persians. This, then, happening for no short time, the Persians, together with them, using them as both guides and allies, grew bold against those who were left behind. And at first, making raids, they overran their land and, after plundering—for they did not dare to remain—they would return; then, with some submitting, and others moving away out of fear for their lives, it was very easy for the enemy to advance, and, having seized the country, they were a bad neighborhood for those nearby. To the emperor, however, thinking that it could be reclaimed whenever he wished, as it was on his doorstep, it was no concern, but he had his whole attention on the western affairs, neglecting the matters at hand. For it is always customary for what is at hand to be scorned because of its familiarity, while what is not held is sought after, as if it will charm by its very novelty. 295

23. Concerning the comet that appeared from the north in the summer months and the emperor's expedition to the west and concerning the patriarch Arsenios. So then, while those people were suffering, a comet shone forth from the west in the morning from spring to autumn, and it frightened those who saw it, brandishing fire mixed with smoke, as if signifying some evil. For it was not, it was not possible, when such portents appear in heaven, that something out of the ordinary not also happen on earth and among the nations. And if it were among the most terrible of comets, as that one was then, the coming evil was manifest. A testimony to this statement is also the saying 'No comet which not'; for those who are well-versed in such things add what is missing, the words 'is by nature evil,' so that the whole becomes an iambic line. Then, therefore, it seemed good to the emperor, as the western parts were again in turmoil, to also draw away their possessions from them, and gathering not a few forces, he set out for Thessalonica, in order to prepare for war from there. Having arrived then at Xantheia, he decided to keep the regiments there to spend the winter. As time was being spent—for not a few of the hierarchs also gathered around him, and there was a deliberation concerning the patriarch. For there also certain accusations were brought up against him, bringing a charge as if of sacrilege; and for these reasons word was sent to the patriarch also to meet them at Xantheia, with two archbishops having been sent for this purpose. And he, not obeying, yet trying to appease the situation, sent members of the clergy once and twice to the emperor, on the one hand to inquire peacefully about the emperor's health, and on the other to defend himself in part by proposing a reason

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σκορπί σαντος κατά τε κήδη τὰ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη καὶ βαρείας φιλοτιμίας, συχναῖς ἀποστολαῖς χρωμένου. Οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ καὶ σκῆψις ἦν τὸ προβαλλόμενον, τὸ ἐνδεὲς δηλαδὴ πρὸς τὰς χρείας· μὴ καὶ μᾶλλον ἦν τὸ ὑπ' ὀδόντα λεγόμενον, 293 ὡς, τὸ ὑπήκοον ὑποπτεύων διὰ τὰ συμβάντα, τὸν λαὸν κακοῦν ζημίαις συμφέρον ἔγνω, μὴ καὶ κατεξανασταῖεν τρυφῶντες. Ταύτης γοῦν τῆς αἰτίας ἢ οὔσης ἢ καὶ δοκούσης ἕνεκα, συχναῖς ἀναγραφαῖς τὰς χώρας ἐκαλαμᾶτο. Ἐνεπίστευε δὲ τὰς τοιαύτας οἰκονομίας καὶ ἐξισώσεις ἀνδράσιν οὐδέσι, μεγάλων ἐπὶ τούτοις τεταγμένων τὸ πρότερον· καῖσαρ γὰρ Ῥωμανὸς καὶ μέγας δομέστικος ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως πατὴρ ἐξισωταὶ κατὰ Σκάμανδρον ἦσαν· πλὴν ἐχρυσολόγουν ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τῷ κοινῷ ταμιείῳ προσῆγον τὰ χρήματα. Τοῦτο συμβὰν καὶ τοῖς Παφλαγόσι καί γε τοῖς προσωτέρω, ἠργυρολογοῦντο τῷ χρόνῳ κάμνοντες. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ χρειωδῶν καὶ λίαν εἶχον, εὐπόρως διδούσης τῆς γῆς, νομισμάτων δὲ πενιχρῶς εἶχον, ὡς πάντων γεωργούντων τὰ ἀναγκαῖα. Κεφαλαιουμένων γοῦν τῶν τελῶν ἐπὶ νομίσμασι χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου, διδόντες τὸ τεθὲν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐξηποροῦντο. Ἦσαν δ' ἄλλως καὶ στρατείας οὐδὲν εἰδότες οἱ πλεῖστοι. Ὅμως ἔθνους φιλοκερδοῦς πονηρίαν πολλὰ ἂν κάμοι τις διορθοῦν θέλων, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάσχοι· εἰ δὲ πάσχει, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως μὴ ἀπρακτεῖν πᾶσαν ἐπίνοιαν. Ἐκεῖνοι τοίνυν, καὶ μᾶλλον οἱ ταῖς ἄκραις προσκαθήμενοι, τῷ τε πάσχειν ἐνθένδε καὶ τῷ ἐλπίζειν ἐκεῖθεν τὰ λῴονα, εἰ μόνον προσχωροῖεν ἑκόντες, προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν καὶ ὁσημέραι προσετίθεντο Πέρσαις. Τοῦτο γοῦν οὐκ ἐπ' ὀλίγον γενόμενον, συνάμ' ἐκείνοις οἱ Πέρσαι, ὁδηγοῖς ἅμα καὶ συμμάχοις χρώμενοι, καταθαρρεῖν εἶχον τῶν λελειμμένων. Καὶ πρῶτον μέν, ἐκδρομὰς ποιοῦντες, κατέθεον τὴν γῆν ἐκείνων καὶ σκυλεύοντεςοὐ γὰρ ἐθάρρουν μένειν ὑπέστρεφον· εἶτα τῶν μὲν ὑποκλινομένων, τῶν δὲ καὶ ἀποικιζομένων δέει τῷ περὶ τοῦ ζῆν, ἐσχωρεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἦν, καί, κατασχόντες τὴν χώραν, κακὸν ἦσαν γειτόνημα τοῖς πλησίον. Τῷ μέντοι γε βασιλεῖ δόξαν ἀνακλητέον ἐκείνην εἶναι, ὅτε δὴ καὶ θελήσοι, ὡς ἐπὶ θύρας οὖσαν, οὐ μέλον ἦν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοῖς δυσικοῖς πᾶσαν εἶχε τὴν ἀσχολίαν, τὰ ἐν ποσὶ κατα προϊέμενος. Εἴωθε γὰρ ἀεὶ τὸ μὲν ἀνὰ χεῖρας καταφρονεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ σύνηθες, ζητεῖσθαι δέ γε τὸ μὴ κρατούμενον, ὡς θέλξον ἤδη ἐξ ἀσυνήθους προσγεγονός. 295

κγʹ. Τὰ περὶ τοῦ φανέντος κομήτου ἐκ βορρᾶ ἐπὶ μησὶ τοῖς θέρους καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ δύσιν ἐκστρατείας τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ περὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἀρσενίου. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἐκείνων κακουμένων, ἀστὴρ κομήτης ἐκ δύσεως κατὰ τὸ ἑωθινὸν ἐξέλαμπεν ἐξ ἦρος ἐς φθινόπωρον, ἐφόβει δὲ τοὺς ὁρῶντας, πυρὶ καπνὸν σύμμικτον ἀποπάλλων, ὥς τι κακὸν προσημαίνων. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν, οὐκ ἦν, φαινομένων τοιούτων ἐξαισίων κατ' οὐρανόν, μὴ καί τινα κατὰ γῆν καὶ ἔθνη παρὰ τὸ σύνηθες γίνεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῶν κομητῶν εἶεν οἱ φοβερώτατοι, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἦν τότε, τὸ κακὸν πρόδηλον ἐλευσόμενον. Μαρτύριον δὲ τοῦ λόγου καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον Οὐδεὶς κομήτης ὅστις οὔ· προστιθεῖσι γὰρ καὶ τὸ λεῖπον οἱ εὖ εἰδότες τῶν τοιούτων, τὸ φύσει κακός, ὡς γίνεσθαι τὸ σύμπαν ἴαμβον. Τότε τοίνυν δόξαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, τῶν δυτικῶν καὶ αὖθις κινουμένων, ὡς καὶ παρασπᾶσθαι παρ' ἐκείνων τὰ τούτων, οὐκ ὀλίγας δυνάμεις συναγαγών, τῆς ἐπὶ τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης ἥπτετο, ὡς ἐκεῖθεν συναρτύσων τὰ τοῦ πολέμου. Εἰς Ξάνθειαν οὖν καταντήσας, ἐκεῖσε κατασχεῖν ἔγνω διαχειμεριούσας τὰς συντάξεις. Τοῦ καιροῦ γοῦν τριβομένουσυνήχθησαν γὰρ ἀμφ' ἐκεῖνον καὶ τῶν ἱεραρχῶν οὐκ ὀλίγοι, καὶ ἦν σκέψις περὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ καί τισιν ἐκινοῦντο λόγοι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀναφερόμενοι ἔγκλημα ὡς δῆθεν καθοσιώσεως· καὶ διὰ ταῦτα διεμηνύετο καὶ πατριάρχης κατὰ Ξάνθειαν ἀπαντᾶν, πεμφθέντων δυοῖν ἀρχιερέοιν εἰς τοῦτο. Κἀκεῖνος οὐχ ὑπακούων, ὅμως τὸν καιρὸν θεραπεύων, καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κλήρου ὡς βασιλέα ἀπέστελλε, τοῦτο μὲν καὶ εἰρηνικῶς περὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν ὑγειῶν μαθησόμενος, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος ἀπολογούμενος τῷ προτείνειν αἰτίαν