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Because of this, Zautzes brought charges against him and removed him from his command. And in his place the magistros Katakalon was appointed domestic of the scholae. But after being without a post for a long time, 360 Nikephoros was again appointed strategos in the theme of the Thrakesians. And having accomplished many noble feats of bravery in the wars throughout his entire life, and having set up many trophies against the Hagarenes and the other nations, he ended his life at a good old age, leaving behind sons, Bardas and Leo, of whom Bardas, being very close to the emperor Leo, was cherished and loved and rendered services befitting the emperor. But the emperor, as has been said, having appointed Katakalon as domestic, sent him out against Symeon, sending out with him also Theodosios the patrikios and protovestiarios. When all the themes and tagmata of the east had crossed over, and war had been joined with the Bulgarians near Bulgarophygon, the Romans were badly routed, and all were lost; among whom also perished the protovestiarios Theodosios. At this time also the inhabitants of Cherson killed their strategos, Symeon, son of Ionas. And Koron in Cappadocia was taken by the Hagarenes. 11 And the emperor, having gone out to the palace of Damianou, had with him both Zoe, the daughter of Zautzes, and Zautzes himself. But Theophano, the emperor's wife, was not present there, but was praying constantly at the holy reliquary in Blachernae. And when it seemed good to the emperor to remain in the palace of Damianou, the circle of Zautzes, both his son Tautzes and the rest, having made a plan, decided to assassinate the emperor during the night. But Zoe, 361 sleeping with the emperor and having overheard the noise, leaned out of the window and silenced them. But when she understood the terrible plot precisely, she woke the emperor and indicated what was being done; he immediately embarked on a boat and crossed over to Pege, leaving everyone there, including Zautzes himself. And quickly entering the palace in the morning, he dismissed John the droungarios of the watch, and appointed Pardos, son of Nicholas, hetaireiarches in his place; for this Nicholas was a friend to the emperor and faithful, and made all the secrets of Zautzes clear to him and reported them. From then on, therefore, the emperor did not enter the chamber of Zautzes, until Leo the magistros, whose surname was Theodotakes, reconciled them to each other. 12 And the Augusta Theophano died, having reigned for twelve years, who also was revealed a wonder-worker, showing herself above the passion of jealousy and gently bearing the rivalry of Zoe, and having passed her entire life in almsgiving and prayers. 13 The emperor Leo crowned Zoe, the daughter of Zautzes, and she was blessed by the cleric of the palace, whose surname was Sinapes. The one who blessed her was therefore deposed, but she, having reigned for one year and eight months, died. Indeed, they found a sarcophagus in which to place her body, which had the following inscription engraved on it: "O wretched daughter of Babylon." 362 14 And Mousikos and Staurakios were slandered to the emperor, as taking bribes from the strategoi, and also from the archons, by acting as intermediaries for them with the basileopator. And once, when Staurakios had entered to the basileopator with letters from one of the strategoi, when the emperor saw him standing in the sun-parlor, he came in behind him and taking him by the neck, led him out, as if to ask about the strategoi, and leading him to the Monothyron and taking out the letters, he cast him away and gave him to those who happened to be there to lead out of the palace and tonsure him as a monk. And when Mousikos learned this, he fell into despair. And the emperor, entering where Mousikos was attending Zautzes, pushed him by the neck and led him out, appointing Christophoros

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τούτῳ ὁ Ζαούτζας αἰτίας ἐκίνησε κατ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦτον μετέστησεν. προεβλήθη δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν ὁ μάγιστρος Κατακαλών. ἐπὶ πολὺ 360 δὲ σχολάσας ὁ Νικηφόρος αυθις στρατηγὸς ἐν τῷ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων θέματι προχειρίζεται. πολλὰς δὲ καὶ γενναίας ἀνδραγαθίας διὰ πάσης αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις καταπραξάμενος βιοτῆς, καὶ πολλὰ κατὰ τῶν ̓Αγαρηνῶν καὶ τῶν αλλων ἐθνῶν στησάμενος τρόπαια, τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον ἐν γήρᾳ καλῷ, υἱοὺς καταλιπὼν Βάρδαν καὶ Λέοντα, ων ὁ Βάρδας οἰκειότατος ων τῷ βασιλεῖ Λέοντι ἐστέρ- γετό τε καὶ ἠγαπᾶτο καὶ δουλείαις ἐξυπηρετεῖτο ταῖς ἀνηκούσαις τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, καθὼς ειρηται, τὸν Κατακαλὼ προ- χειρισάμενος εἰς δομέστικον κατὰ τοῦ Συμεὼν τοῦτον ἐξαποστέλλει, συνεξαποστείλας αὐτῷ καὶ Θεοδόσιον πατρίκιον καὶ πρωτοβεστιά- ριον. διαπερασάντων δὲ πάντων τῆς ἀνατολῆς θεμάτων τε καὶ ταγμάτων, καὶ πολέμου μετὰ Βουλγάρων συγκροτηθέντος περὶ τὸ Βουλγαρόφυγον, τρέπονται ̔Ρωμαῖοι κακῶς, καὶ πάντες ἀπώλοντο· οις συναπώλετο καὶ ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος Θεοδόσιος. ἐπὶ τούτου καὶ οἱ τῆς Χερσῶνος οἰκήτορες τὸν αὐτῶν ἀπέκτειναν στρατηγὸν Συ- μεὼν τὸν τοῦ ̓Ιωνᾶ. παρελήφθη δὲ καὶ τὸ Κόρον ἐν τῇ Καππα- δοκίᾳ ὑπὸ τῶν ̓Αγαρηνῶν. 11 ̔Ο δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὰ ∆αμιανοῦ ἐξελθὼν ειχεν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν Ζωὴν τὴν τοῦ Ζαούτζα θυγατέρα καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Ζαούτζαν. Θεοφανὼ δὲ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως γαμετὴ οὐ παρῆν ἐκεῖσε, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σορῷ τῇ ἐν Βλαχέρναις προσεκαρτέρει εὐχομένη. δόξαν δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ μεῖναι ἐν τοῖς ∆αμιανοῦ, συμβούλιον οἱ τοῦ Ζαούτζα ποιησάμενοι, ο τε υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ Ταύτζης καὶ οἱ λοιποί, τῇ νυκτὶ τὸν βασιλέα διαχειρίσασθαι ἐβουλεύσαντο. ἡ δὲ Ζωὴ 361 τῷ βασιλεῖ συγκαθεύδουσα καὶ τὸν θροῦν ἐνωτισθεῖσα, διὰ τῆς θυρίδος προκύψασα κατεσίγασεν. ὡς δὲ τοῦ δεινοῦ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ῃσθετο ἀκριβῶς, τὸν βασιλέα διυπνίσασα τὸ πραττόμενον κατεσή- μανεν· ος ἐν πλοίῳ εὐθὺς εἰσελθὼν εἰς Πηγὰς διεπέρασεν, πάν- τας ἐκεῖσε καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Ζαούτζαν καταλιπών. ταχὺ δὲ πρωῒ εἰς τὸ παλάτιον εἰσελθὼν ̓Ιωάννην μὲν τὸν βίγλης δρουγγάριον διεδέ- ξατο, Πάρδον δὲ υἱὸν Νικολάου ἑταιρειάρχου ἀντ' αὐτοῦ προεβά- λετο· ὁ γὰρ Νικόλαος ουτος φίλος ην τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πιστός, καὶ [περὶ] τὰ ἀπόρρητα πάντα τοῦ Ζαούτζα δῆλα τούτῳ καθίστη καὶ εκπυστα. εκτοτε ουν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ τοῦ Ζαούτζα κελλίον οὐκ εἰσήρχετο, εἰ μὴ Λέων ὁ μάγιστρος, ῳ Θεοδοτάκης ἐπώνυμον, τούτους ἀλλήλοις διήλλαξεν. 12 Τελευτᾷ δὲ Αὐγοῦστα Θεοφανὼ ετη βασιλεύσασα δώδεκα, ητις καὶ θαυματουργὸς ἀνεδείχθη, ἀνωτέρα τοῦ τῆς ζη- λοτυπίας πάθους φανεῖσα καὶ πραῶς τὴν παρευδοκίμησιν ὑπενεγ- κοῦσα Ζωῆς, καὶ ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ προσευχαῖς τὸν απαντα βίον διανύσασα. 13 Στέφει Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ Ζαούτζα Ζωήν, καὶ εὐλογεῖται παρὰ τοῦ κληρικοῦ τοῦ παλατίου, ῳ ἐπίκλην Σινάπης. ὁ μὲν ουν εὐλογήσας καθῃρέθη, ἡ δὲ ετος εν καὶ μῆνας ὀκτὼ βασιλεύσασα ἐτελεύτησεν. λάρνακα δὴ ἐφεῦρον ἐφ' ῳ ἀπο- τεθῆναι τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς ἐν αὐτῇ, ητις τοιάνδε ειχεν ἐγκεκολαμμέ- νην γραφήν "θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος ἡ ταλαίπωρος." 362 14 ∆ιεβλήθησαν δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ Μουσικὸς καὶ Σταυράκιος, ὡς παρὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν δῶρα λαμβάνοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων, μεσιτεύουσι τούτοις τῷ βασιλεοπάτορι. καί ποτε τοῦ Σταυρακίου μετὰ γραμμάτων τινὸς τῶν στρατηγῶν εἰς τὸν βασιλεοπάτορα εἰσεληλυθότος, ὡς ειδεν αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ἡλιακῷ ἑστηκώς, κατόπιν αὐτοῦ εἰσῆλθεν καὶ τοῦ τένοντος αὐτὸν λαβόμενος εξω ἐξήγαγεν ὡς δῆθεν περὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐρωτήσων, καὶ εἰς τὸ Μονόθυρον ἀγαγὼν καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐξάρας ἀπεσφενδό- νησε τοῦτον καὶ τοῖς προστυχοῦσιν εδωκεν τοῦ παλατίου ἐξαγαγεῖν καὶ μοναχὸν ἀποκεῖραι. μαθὼν δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Μουσικὸς ἐν ἀπογνώ- σει γέγονεν. εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ενθα ὁ Μουσικὸς παρίστατο τῷ Ζαούτζᾳ, τοῦτον παρὰ τὸν τράχηλον ὠθήσας ἐξήγαγεν, διο- ρισάμενος Χριστοφόρον