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When he was about to depart from there again, he asked the same tutors to accompany his son with him even as far as the Pharus. But they refused. But he put forward his fatherly affection and a long journey and, stringing together certain other things with these, he broke the hearts of the tutors, and persuaded by his words they accompanied him. Having reached the Pharus, therefore, he brought his pretext to light and, taking up the child and putting him on a merchant ship, he committed both himself and his son to the surge of the Pontus. 8.9.5 But when the emperor learned this, quicker than speech, he sent swift ships against him, having commanded those who were departing to deliver the letters to Gabras, but to hasten to take back the child with his consent, unless perhaps he wanted to have the emperor as an enemy. Therefore, those who had departed overtook him beyond the city of Aegina, at the city called Karambis in the local tongue. And indeed having delivered the imperial letters, through which the emperor indicated that he wished to betroth the child to one of my sisters, and having spoken many other things to him, they persuaded him to send his son away. 8.9.6 When the emperor saw him, and having perhaps confirmed the agreement only through the customary written documents, he handed him over to a tutor, one of the empress's servants, Michael the eunuch. And thus while he was staying around the palace, he deemed him worthy of great care, correcting his morals and teaching him all military discipline. But as is the way with the young, not wishing at all to be subordinate to anyone, he was vexed, as though being deemed worthy of an unfitting honor. And being at the same time displeased with his tutor, he planned to go to his own father, when he should rather have been grateful, being deemed worthy of such great care. But his plan did not stop at this, but he also set to work. Approaching some men, therefore, he shared his secret. And they were George Dekanos, Eustathios Kamytzes, and Michael the cupbearer, whom those of the imperial court usually call the *pinkernes*. And these men were most warlike and among those very close to the emperor. Of these, Michael approached and reported everything to the emperor. But he, not being very able to believe, refused to accept what was said. But as Gabras was pressing them and urging the escape, those more loyally disposed to the emperor said: "If you do not confirm the plan to us with an oath, we will not follow you." And when he agreed, they pointed out where the holy nail lay—with which the lawless pierced the side of my savior—having planned to take it up and bring it out, so that he might swear by Him who was wounded by it. 8.9.7 Gabras was persuaded by them and, entering, he secretly took up the holy nail. But one of those who had previously reported the plan to the emperor, entering in haste, said: "Behold Gabras, and the nail is in his bosom." And immediately, at the emperor's command, Gabras was brought in and the nail was at once taken out from his bosom. And when questioned, he reported everything upon simple questioning, confessing his accomplices and all that had been planned. Therefore, having condemned him, he handed him over to the duke of Philippopolis, George Mesopotamites, so that he might keep him as a prisoner under guard in the acropolis. And George Dekanos he sent with letters to Leo Nikerites, who was then duke of Paradounavon, ostensibly so that he too might guard the region of the Danube with him, but in reality, so that he might be watched more closely by Nikerites. And he confined and held Eustathios Kamytzes himself and the rest under guard.

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ἐν τῷ μέλλειν αὖθις ἐκεῖθεν ἀπαίρειν τὸ αὐτὸ τοὺς παιδα γωγοὺς ᾐτεῖτο συνέψεσθαι τούτῳ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Φάρου. Οἱ δὲ ἀνένευον. Ὁ δὲ σπλάγχνα τε πατρικὰ προεβάλλετο καὶ ἀποδημίαν μακρὰν καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ συνείρων τούτοις κατέκλασε τὰς τῶν παιδαγωγῶν καρδίας, καὶ πεισθέντες τοῖς αὐτοῦ λόγοις συνείποντο αὐτῷ. Τὸν Φάρον τοίνυν καταλαβὼν εἰς φῶς τὴν σκῆψιν προήγαγε καὶ ἀναλα βόμενος τὸ παιδίον καὶ ἐμβαλὼν εἰς ὁλκάδα τῷ τοῦ Πόντου ῥοθίῳ ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἐπαφῆκε. 8.9.5 Μεμαθηκὼς δὲ τοῦτο ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ θᾶττον ἢ λόγος δρομάδας νῆας κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεμψεν ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀπερχομένοις τῷ μὲν Γαβρᾷ τὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐγχειρίσαι γραφάς, τὸ δὲ παιδίον σπεῦσαι μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης ἀναλαβέσθαι, εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἐχθρὸν τὸν αὐτοκράτορα βούλοιτο ἐσχηκέναι. Καταλαμ βάνουσι τοίνυν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀπελθόντες ἔνθεν τῆς Αἰγίνου πόλεως κατὰ τὴν πόλιν τὴν οὑτωσὶ ἐγχωρίως Κάραμβιν καλουμένην. Καὶ δὴ τὰς βασιλικὰς ἐγχειρίσαντες γραφάς, δι' ὧν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐνέφαινε μιᾷ τῶν ἐμῶν ἀδελφῶν τὸ παιδίον βούλεσθαι συναρμόσαι, καὶ πολλὰ ἄττα πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡμιληκότες πείθουσιν ἐκπέμψαι τὸν υἱόν. 8.9.6 Ὅνπερ θεασάμενος ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ διὰ τῶν συνηθῶν ἐγγράφων μόνων τάχα τὸ συνάλλαγμα ἐμπεδώσας παιδαγωγῷ παραδέ δωκεν ἑνὶ τῶν τῆς βασιλίδος θεραπόντων, Μιχαὴλ τῷ ἐκτομίᾳ. Κᾆθ' οὕτως περὶ τὰ ἀνάκτορα ἐνδιατρίβοντα πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας ἠξίου τά τε ἤθη διορθούμενος καὶ πᾶσαν παιδείαν στρατιωτικὴν ἐκδιδάσκων. Ὁποῖα δὲ τὰ τῶν νέων, μὴ βουλόμενος ὅλως ὑποτάσσεσθαί τινι ἠνιᾶτο ὡς μὴ προσηκούσης δῆθεν ἀξιούμενος τιμῆς. ∆υσαρεστῶν δὲ ἅμα καὶ πρὸς τὸν παιδαγωγὸν ἐσκέπτετο πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον φοιτῆσαι πατέρα, δέον μᾶλλον εὐχαριστεῖν ἐπιμελείας τοσαύτης ἀξιούμενον. Οὐ μέχρι δὲ τούτου περιίστατο τούτῳ τὸ βούλευμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργου ἥπτετο. Προσελθὼν οὖν ἀνακοινοῦταί τισι τὸ ἀπόρρητον. Ἦσαν δὲ ὅ τε Γεώρ γιος τοῦ ∆εκανοῦ, Εὐστάθιος ὁ Καμύτζης καὶ Μιχαὴλ ὁ οἰνοχόος, ὃν καὶ πιγκέρνην συνηθῶς οἱ τῆς βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς ὀνομάζουσιν. Ἄνδρες δὲ οὗτοι μαχιμώτατοί τε καὶ τῶν λίαν προσῳκειωμένων τῷ βασιλεῖ. Τούτων ὁ Μιχαὴλ προσελθὼν ἀπαγγέλλει πάντα πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα. Ὁ δὲ οὐ πάνυ πιστεύειν ἔχων ἀνένευε πρὸς τὰ ῥηθέντα. Ἐπι κειμένου δὲ τοῦ Γαβρᾶ καὶ τὸν δρασμὸν ἐπείγοντος οἱ εὐνούστερον πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα διακείμενοι ἔφασαν· «Εἰ μὴ δι' ὅρκου ἡμῖν τὸ βεβουλευμένον πιστώσειας, οὐ συνεψόμεθά σοι». Τοῦ δὲ κατανεύσαντος τὸν ἅγιον ἧλον, δι' οὗ τὴν τοῦ ἐμοῦ σωτῆρος πλευρὰν οἱ ἄνομοι ἔνυξαν, ὑπεδείκνυον οὗ ἔκειτο βουλευσάμενοι ἀναλαβέσθαι καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν, ὥστε εἰς τὸν δι' αὐτοῦ τρωθέντα ἐπομόσασθαι. 8.9.7 Πείθεται τούτοις ὁ Γαβρᾶς καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἀναλαμβάνε ται λαθραίως τὸν ἅγιον ἧλον. Εἷς δέ τις τῶν προκαταγγει λάντων τῷ αὐτοκράτορι τὴν βουλὴν δρομαῖος εἰσελθὼν ἔφη ὡς «Ἴδε καὶ ὁ Γαβρᾶς καὶ ὁ ἧλος ἐγκόλπιος αὐτῷ». Καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐπισκήψαντος τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος καὶ ὁ Γαβρᾶς εἰσήγετο καὶ ὁ ἧλος εὐθὺς τοῦ κόλπου ἐξήγετο. Ἐρωτηθεὶς δὲ ἀπήγγειλε πάντα ἐκ ψιλῆς ἐπερωτήσεως τούς τε συνίσ τορας ὁμολογήσας καὶ τὰ βεβουλευμένα ἅπαντα. Αὐτοῦ μὲν οὖν καταψηφισάμενος παραδίδωσι πρὸς τὸν δοῦκα Φιλιπ πουπόλεως Γεώργιον τὸν Μεσοποταμίτην, ὥστε ἔμφρουρον τοῦτον τηρεῖν δεσμώτην ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει. Γεώργιον δὲ τὸν τοῦ ∆εκανοῦ μετὰ γραμμάτων πρὸς Λέοντα τὸν Νικερίτην δοῦκα τῷ τότε τοῦ Παραδουνάβου τυγχάνοντα πέπομφεν, ὡς δῆθεν καὶ αὐτὸν σὺν ἐκείνῳ τὰ περὶ τὸν ∆άνουβιν φυλάττειν, τὸ δὲ πᾶν, ἵνα μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνος παρὰ τοῦ Νικε ρίτου ἐπιτηροῖτο. Ἐμφρούρους δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν Εὐστάθιον τὸν τοῦ Καμύτζη καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς περιορίσας εἶχεν.