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the Heraclean labors of the emperor and his toils on behalf of his subjects and the sweats of martial contests and the victories from God, by which, as a heaven exceeding bright with stars, there rises up a bedchamber, skillfully wrought by the same emperor, both beautiful and of great variety, and bearing off the prizes of beauty against almost all. 333 For immediately, in the very center of the floor, the Median bird, the peacock, has been fashioned from shining tesserae by the stone-cutter's art, enclosed in a well-turned circle of Carian stone, from which rays of the same stone are sent forth to another, larger circle. And outside of this, just like some streams or rivers of Thessalian stone, which has been allotted the leek-green color, are spread out according to the square shape of the chamber, enclosing within their inner flanks four eagles of varied and fine tesserae, with the entire imitation so exact as to imagine them to be alive and wishing to fly. The walls on either side are covered with multi-colored slabs of glass, appearing to be beautified by the forms of various flowers. And above these is another ornament, flowering all around with a composition of gold, by which the lower parts seem to be separated from the upper; this is succeeded by another delight of golden tesserae, showing enthroned the creator of the work, the emperor, and his consort Eudocia, adorned in imperial robes and bound with diadems. Their children in common are depicted around the chamber like bright stars, they too resplendent in imperial robes and diadems. Of these, the males are shown carrying books containing the divine commandments, which they were taught to follow, and the female offspring is also seen holding certain books, having the content of divine laws, the artist perhaps wishing to show that not only the male but also the female offspring has been initiated into the sacred letters and is not 334 without a share in divine wisdom, and even if their progenitor was not at first acquainted with letters because of the vicissitudes of life, yet he has made all his own offspring sharers in wisdom; and this, even apart from the narrative, he wished to signify to the viewers through the painting. And these beauties are contained by the four-part walls up to the ceiling; but the ceiling of such a bedchamber is not raised aloft, but sits upon the walls in a square shape, being entirely resplendent and gleaming with gold, bearing in the very center the victory-bringing cross, fashioned from green glass, around which you will see shining like stars in heaven the renowned emperor himself and his consort with all their children, raising their hands both to God and to the life-giving sign of the cross, and all but shouting this: that through this victory-bringing symbol every good and God-pleasing thing has been done and accomplished in the days of our reign. And there is also included a written thanksgiving, spoken by the parents on behalf of their children to God, and again by the children on behalf of their parents. And the one from the parents is shown having this wording: "We thank you, O supremely good God and King of kings, because you have surrounded us with children who are thankful for the magnificence of your wonders. But keep them in your will, lest any of them transgress any of your commandments, so that in this too we may 335 give thanks to your goodness." And that of the children is again shown proclaiming these things: "We thank you, O Word of God, because from Davidic poverty you raised up our father, and anointed him with the chrism of your Holy Spirit. But protect him with your hand, along with her who bore us, deeming them and us worthy also of your heavenly kingdom." And let the works and beauties of the said bedchamber be described in these terms. 90 Of the same hand and mind

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τοῦ βασιλέως ̔Ηράκλεια αθλα καὶ οἱ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὑπηκόου πόνοι καὶ οἱ τῶν πολεμικῶν ἀγώνων ἱδρῶτες καὶ τὰ ἐκ θεοῦ νικη- τήρια, ὑφ' ων ὡς οὐρανὸς ὑπ' ἀστέρων ὑπέρλαμπρος ἐξανίσχει κοιτὼν ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φιλοτεχνηθεὶς αὐτοκράτορος, ὡραῖός τε καὶ παμποίκιλος καὶ κατὰ πάντων σχεδὸν τὰ τοῦ κάλλους φερόμενος 333 νικητήρια. εὐθὺς γὰρ κατὰ τὸ τοῦ ἐδάφους μεσαίτατον τὸ Μη- δικὸν ορνεον ὁ ταὼς ἐκ ψηφίδων λαμπρῶν τῇ λιθοξόῳ τέχνῃ δια- μεμόρφωται, ἐν εὐθυτόρνῳ κύκλῳ ἐκ λίθου Καρικῆς συγκλειόμε- νος, ἀφ' ουπερ ἀκτῖνες ἀπὸ λίθου τῆς αὐτῆς πρὸς αλλον μείζονα κύκλον ἐκπέμπονται. εξωθεν δὲ καὶ τούτου καθάπερ τινὲς ῥύακες η ποταμοὶ ἐκ λίθου Θετταλῆς, η τὸ πράσιον χρῶμα κεκλήρωται, κατὰ τὸ τοῦ οικου τετράγωνον σχῆμα ἐφήπλωνται, κατὰ τὰς ἐν- τὸς λαγόνας τέτταρας ἀετοὺς ἐκ ψηφίδων ποικίλων τε καὶ λεπτῶν περισφίγγουσαι, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀκριβοῦντα τὴν μίμησιν απαντα ὡς εἰκάζειν αὐτὰ ζῆν καὶ ιπτασθαι βούλεσθαι. οἱ δὲ παρ' ἑκάτερα τοῖχοι ὑάλου πολυχρόοις πλαξὶ περισκέπονται, διαφόρων ἀνθέων δοκοῦντες μορφαῖς ὡραΐζεσθαι. υπερθεν δὲ τούτων κόσμος τις αλλος περιηνθισμένος διαθέσει χρυσῷ, ὑφ' ου διείργεσθαι τὰ κα- τώτερα τῶν ανω δοκεῖ· ον ἐκ χρυσοῦ ψηφίδων διαδέχεται τερ- πνότης αλλη, ενθρονον δεικνῦσα τὸν τοῦ εργου δημιουργὸν αὐτο- κράτορα καὶ τὴν σύζυγον Εὐδοκίαν, στολαῖς κεκοσμημένους βασι- λικαῖς καὶ ταινιουμένους τοῖς στέμμασιν. οἱ δὲ κοινοὶ παῖδες ὡς ἀστέρες λαμπροὶ τοῦ δόμου πέριξ ἱστόρηνται, ταῖς βασιλείοις καὶ αὐτοὶ στολαῖς καὶ τοῖς στέμμασι καταγλαϊζόμενοι. ων οἱ μὲν αρ- ρενες τόμους ἐπιφερόμενοι δείκνυνται τὰς θείας ἐντολάς, αις στοι- χεῖν ἐπαιδεύοντο, περιέχοντας, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ γένος καὶ αὐτὸ βίβλους τινὰς κατέχον ὁρᾶται, νόμων θείων ἐχούσας περιοχήν, βουλομέ- νου δεῖξαι τοῦ τεχνίτου τυχὸν ὡς οὐ μόνον ἡ αρρην γονὴ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ θήλεια τὰ ἱερὰ μεμύηται γράμματα καὶ τῆς θείας σοφίας οὐκ 334 εστιν ἀμέτοχος, καὶ καν ὁ φυτοσπόρος τούτων οὐκ εσχεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἰκείως πρὸς γράμματα διὰ τὴν βιωτικὴν περιπέτειαν, ἀλλ' ουν τοὺς οἰκείους απαντας βλαστοὺς ἐν μετοχῇ σοφίας πεποίηκε· τοῦτο δέ, καὶ τῆς ἱστορίας δίχα, διὰ τῆς γραφικῆς ἐβουλήθη τοῖς ὁρῶσι σημαίνεσθαι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ κάλλη τῷ τετραμερεῖ τῶν τοίχων αχρι τῆς ὀροφῆς περιέχεται· αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ τοῦ τοιούτου κοιτῶνος ὀροφὴ οὐκ ἀνεστηκυῖα πρὸς υψος ἐπαίρεται, ἀλλὰ τῷ τετραγώνῳ σχήματι τοῖς τοίχοις ἐγκάθηται, χρυσίῳ διόλου κατηγλαϊσμένη καὶ στίλβουσα, κατὰ τὸ μεσαίτατον φέρουσα τὸν νικοποιὸν σταυρόν, ὑάλῳ πρασίῳ διαμορφούμενον, περὶ ον ὡς αστρα κατ' οὐρανὸν θεάσῃ ἐκλάμποντα αὐτόν τε τὸν ἀοίδιμον βασιλέα καὶ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων πάντων τὴν σύνευνον, πρός τε θεὸν καὶ τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ζωοποιὸν σημεῖον τὴς χεῖρας ἐπαίροντας, καὶ τοῦτο μόνον οὐχὶ βοῶντας, οτι διὰ τοῦδε τοῦ νικοποιοῦ συμβόλου πᾶν ἀγαθὸν καὶ φίλον θεῷ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ἡμετέρας βασιλείας διαπέπρακται καὶ κατώρθωται. περιέχεται δὲ καὶ εὐχαριστία ἐγγράμματος παρά τε τῶν φυσάντων ὑπὲρ τῶν τέκνων λεγομένη πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ παρὰ τῶν τέκνων αυθις ὑπὲρ τῶν γεννητόρων. καὶ ἡ μὲν παρὰ τῶν γονέων οὑτωσί πως ἐπὶ λέξεως εχουσα δείκνυται "εὐχαριστοῦ- μέν σοι, θεὲ ὑπεράγαθε καὶ βασιλεῦ τῶν βασιλευόντων, οτι περι- έστησας ἡμῖν τέκνα εὐχαριστοῦντα τῇ μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ τῶν θαυμα- σίων σου. ἀλλὰ φύλαξον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ θελήματί σου, μή τις αὐτῶν παραδράμῃ τι τῶν σῶν ἐντολῶν, ινα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ εὐχαρι- 335 στῶμεν τῇ σῇ ἀγαθότητι." ἡ δὲ τῶν παίδων αυθις ταῦτα διαγο- ρεύουσα δείκνυται "εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, λόγε τοῦ θεοῦ, οτι ἐκ πτωχείας ∆αυϊτικῆς ἀνύψωσας τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν, καὶ εχρισας αὐ- τὸν τῷ χρίσματι τοῦ ἁγίου σου πνεύματος. ἀλλὰ φύλαξον αὐτὸν τῇ χειρί σου σὺν τῇ τεκούσῃ ἡμᾶς, ἀξιῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου σου βασιλείας." καὶ τὰ μὲν τοῦ εἰρημένου κοι- τῶνος εργα καὶ κάλλη ἐν τούτοις περιγεγράφθω. 90 Τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ χειρὸς καὶ γνώμης