118

the monk Markos, who completed the tetraodion of Great Saturday, said, being present before the emperor, "This 448 has been foretold by David who said: «What evils the enemy has done in your holy place, and those who hate you have boasted in the midst of your feast.» Know, therefore, O emperor, that from this time you will reign for a period of ten years." And the word became deed; for Leo died after ten years on the very day on which he was then struck on the head. The already mentioned Samonas, being very powerful with the emperor and having amassed abundant wealth, and taking this, was trying to flee to the Hagarenes, from where he had come. But he was caught crossing the Halys; and he said he was going to the cross in Siricha, having made this a vow; having taken him, Constantine the son of Andronikos Doukas brought him back to Byzantium. And the emperor, still maintaining his former disposition toward Samonas, instructed Constantine, if he should be asked before the senate about Samonas, not to say that he was fleeing, but that he was going to the cross in Siricha. On the next day, with the senate present, the emperor asked Constantine with the imposition of oaths whether Samonas was fleeing; and he, not wanting to lie because of the oaths, said that he was going to his own homeland, Melitene. 449 And the emperor sent Constantine away with anger, but Samonas after this he deemed worthy of his former intimacy, then also honored him as a patrikios and promoted him to parakoimomenos; who urged the emperor into many unbecoming things, one of which was also to force the patriarch to receive him and to release him from excommunication. Therefore having sent for the high priest, the emperor begged him to be received. But since he was inexorable, he is immediately sent across from the palace to Hiereia, and from there walking on foot they lead him to the monastery in Galakrenai, which he himself had built, having presided over the church for eleven years. And was ordained patriarch the synkellos Euthymios, a holy man, who also, when the emperor wanted to decree by law that one who wishes could marry at the same time two or even three wives up to four, with all zeal prevented him. And when the Hagarenes with their ships were plundering the lands of the Romans, the emperor, having appointed Himerios the logothete of the drome commander of the fleet, sent him against those from Hagar, 450 having instructed him also to take Andronikos Doukas with him. But the deceitful Samonas, having an irreconcilable enmity against the Doukas family, suggests to one of Andronikos' friends to declare to him not to sail with Himerios, who was about to put his eyes out according to an imperial order. Therefore Andronikos was not persuaded to join Himerios, whence he, fighting the naval battle alone, was victorious and overcame the navy of the enemy. From this, Andronikos, in despair, taking with him his kinsmen and servants, occupied Kabala, a certain strong fortress situated not very far from Iconium. And Samonas did not cease irritating the emperor and stirring him to anger against the man. And when he learned also of the expulsion of the patriarch Nicholas from the church and despairing on all sides, he went over to the Hagarenes with his entire household. And the emperor, knowing this, was greatly grieved, fearing to have the man as an adversary instead of a champion. Therefore he writes an imperial letter, by which for Andronikos both an amnesty for what had been done was decreed and 451 a return home was permitted and a gift of many good things was promised. This letter, having put it inside wax and having shaped the wax like a candle, they hand it over to one of the Saracen prisoners who was released from prison, having instructed him to give it to Andronikos. This Hagarene, Samonas, having summoned, says to him in secret, "Do you know that you carry the destruction of all Syria in your hands? In order, then, to save both your country and your kinsmen, hand this wax over to the wazir." And he did as he was instructed; and the people of Hagar, having learned the import of the letter, both bind Andronikos and all those with him. Andronikos, therefore, in the

118

δὲ μοναχὸς Μάρκος ὁ τὸ τετραῴδιον τοῦ μεγάλου σαββάτου ἀναπληρώσας ἔφη παρὼν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα "τοῦτο 448 προείρηται παρὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εἰρηκότος· «ὅσα ἐπονηρεύσατο ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ σου, καὶ ἐνεκαυχήσαντο οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἑορτῆς σου.» ἴσθι οὖν, βασιλεῦ, ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦδε χρόνον βασιλεύσεις δεκαετῆ." καὶ ὁ λόγος ἔργον ἐγένετο· ἔθανε γὰρ ὁ Λέων μετὰ δέκα ἐνιαυτοὺς κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμέραν καθ' ἣν ἐπλήγη τότε τὴν κεφαλήν. Ὁ ἤδη δὲ ῥηθεὶς Σαμωνᾶς παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ μεγάλα δυνάμενος πλοῦτόν τε δαψιλῆ περιβαλόμενος, καὶ τοῦτον λαβὼν εἰς τοὺς Ἀγαρηνούς, ὅθεν ὥρμητο, ἀπεδίδρασκεν. ἀλλ' ἑάλω τὸν Ἅλυν διαπερῶν· ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸν ἐν Σιριχᾷ σταυρὸν ἔλεγεν ἀπιέναι, τοῦτο εὐχὴν ποιησάμενος· ὃν λαβὼν Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ τοῦ ∆ουκὸς Ἀνδρονίκου υἱὸς εἰς τὸ Βυζάντιον ἐπανήγαγεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔτι τηρῶν τῷ Σαμωνᾷ τὴν πρῴην διάθεσιν ἐνετείλατο τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ, εἰ ἐρωτηθείη ἐνώπιον τῆς συγκλήτου περὶ τοῦ Σαμωνᾶ, μὴ εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἀπεδίδρασκεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι εἰς τὸν ἐν Σιριχᾷ ἀπῄει σταυρόν. τῇ δ' ἑξῆς τῆς συγκλήτου παρούσης ἤρετο μεθ' ὅρκων ἐπαγωγῆς τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰ ἔφευγεν ὁ Σαμωνᾶς· ὁ δὲ διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους ψεύσασθαι μὴ θελήσας εἶπεν ὅτι εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν πατρίδα τὴν Μελιτηνὴν 449 ἀπῄει. ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ τὸν μὲν Κωνσταντῖνον μετ' ὀργῆς ἀπεπέμψατο, τὸν δὲ Σαμωνᾶν μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς προτέρας ἠξίωσεν οἰκειώσεως, εἶτα καὶ πατρίκιον ἐτίμησε καὶ παρακοιμώμενον προεβάλετο· ὃς εἰς πολλὰ τῶν οὐ καθηκόντων τὸν αὐτοκράτορα προεβίβαζεν, ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ βιάσασθαι τὸν πατριάρχην δέξασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ ἀφορισμοῦ ἀπολῦσαι. μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν τὸν ἀρχιερέα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐδεῖτο δεχθῆναι. ὡς δ' ἐκεῖνος ἦν ἀδυσώπητος, ἐκ τῶν βασιλείων αὐτίκα διαπερᾶται πρὸς τὴν Ἱέρειαν, κἀκεῖθεν πεζοποροῦντα εἰς τὸ ἐν Γαλακρήναις ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν μοναστήριον, ὃ αὐτὸς ἐδομήσατο, ἔτη προστάντα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἕνδεκα. προεχειρίσθη δὲ πατριάρχης ὁ σύγκελλος Εὐθύμιος, ἀνὴρ ἱερός, ὃς καὶ βουλόμενον τὸν βασιλέα νόμῳ θεσπίσαι ἄγεσθαι κατὰ ταὐτὸν τὸν βουλόμενον γυναῖκας δύο ἢ καὶ τρεῖς ἄχρι τεττάρων πάσῃ σπουδῇ διεκώλυσε. Τῶν δὲ Ἀγαρηνῶν ναυσὶ τὰς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ληιζομένων χώρας, ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἱμέριον τὸν λογοθέτην τοῦ δρόμου τοῦ στόλου προβαλόμενος ἀρχηγὸν κατὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἄγαρ ἀπέστειλεν, 450 ἐντειλάμενος αὐτῷ καὶ τὸν ∆οῦκα προσλαβέσθαι Ἀνδρόνικον. ὁ δὲ δόλιος Σαμωνᾶς ἄσπονδον ἔχων ἔχθραν κατὰ τοῦ γένους τοῦ ∆ουκικοῦ ὑποτίθησί τινι τῶν φίλων τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου δηλῶσαι αὐτῷ μὴ συμπλεῦσαι τῷ Ἱμερίῳ, ἐκκόψαι οἱ τὰ ὄμματα μέλλοντι κατὰ βασίλειον πρόσταγμα. διὸ οὐκ ἐπείσθη τῷ Ἱμερίῳ συνελθεῖν ὁ Ἀνδρόνικος, ὅθεν καὶ μόνος ἐκεῖνος ναυμαχήσας ἐκράτησε καὶ τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων περιεγένετο ναυτικοῦ. ἐντεῦθεν ἀπεγνωκὼς ὁ Ἀνδρόνικος συγγενεῖς τε καὶ δούλους αὐτοῦ προσλαβόμενος κατέσχε τὴν Κάβαλαν, ὀχυρόν τι φρούριον τοῦ Ἰκονίου οὐ πάνυ τι διακείμενον μήκοθεν. ὁ δὲ Σαμωνᾶς οὐ διέλιπε τὸν βασιλέα ἐρεθίζων καὶ εἰς ὀργὴν παρακινῶν κατὰ τοῦ ἀνδρός. μαθὼν δ' ἐκεῖνος καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατριάρχου Νικολάου ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξώθησιν καὶ πάντοθεν ἀπογνοὺς πανοικεσίᾳ τοῖς Ἀγαρηνοῖς προσελήλυθεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῦτο γνοὺς ὑπερήλγησεν, ἐναντίον ἕξειν τὸν ἄνδρα ἀνθ' ὑπερμάχου πτοούμενος. γραφὴν τοίνυν ἐγχαράττει βασίλειον, δι' ἧς τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ καὶ ἀμνηστία τῶν πραχθέντων ἐπρυτανεύετο καὶ 451 ὑπονόστησις ἐπετρέπετο καὶ πολλῶν δόσις ἐπήγγελτο ἀγαθῶν. ταύτην ἐμβαλόντες κηρῷ τὴν γραφὴν καὶ λαμπάδι τὸν κηρὸν ἀπεικάσαντες Σαρακηνῷ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἑνὶ τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἐκβληθέντι ἐγχειρίζουσιν, ἐντειλάμενοι τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ δοῦναι αὐτήν. τοῦτον δὴ τὸν Ἀγαρηνὸν ὁ Σαμωνᾶς μετακαλεσάμενος ἐν ἀπορρήτοις φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν "οἶδας ὅτι τὸν ὄλεθρον τῆς Συρίας ὅλης φέρεις ἐν ταῖς χερσίν; ἵνα γοῦν καὶ τὴν πατρίδα σώσῃς καὶ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς, τὸν κηρὸν τοῦτον ἐγχείρισον τῷ οὐζήρ." ὁ δὲ πεποίηκεν ὡς παρήγγελτο· καὶ γνόντες οἱ τῆς Ἄγαρ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς γραφῆς καὶ τὸν Ἀνδρόνικον δεσμοῦσι καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀνδρόνικος ἐν τοῖς