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second to none; The emperor began 1.411 to recover himself and, as it were, to return from the gates of Hades. And by the third hour of the day, the pulses were already clearly discernible, though faint and weak, yet nevertheless even and regular. And he himself was more at ease, and all the dreadful symptoms had disappeared at once. And from that day, recovering himself little by little, he came to the most complete and pure health. But so great was the excess of astonishment among all that not only did they disbelieve what was said when they heard it, thinking the emperor was dead, but even when they almost saw him, they could not easily believe themselves. For as many of the Romans as had pure and sincere goodwill towards the emperor, neither that grievous illness nor the unexpected recovery remained completely without benefit; but each considering the miracle done for the emperor as their own, they requited God with good works: some by abstaining from the evils to which they were in bondage, others by showing their gratitude and thanksgiving for a time through alms, the ransoming of captives, and abstinence from food. Thus the emperor reached the very height of danger, and thus again was he miraculously saved. 18. When he had recovered, he inquired of the grand domestic about each thing, how it had been done; and as he related them in detail, the emperor approved of all as having been done advantageously and properly. But when he reported that he had also sent Syrgiannes out as general of the west, he could no longer 1.412 praise it, but found fault with this alone as not having been managed prudently. For it would be better for Syrgiannes to remain in his former position and not to have abundant material inciting him to wickedness. But he said, “Therefore, if it seems better to you, I will relieve him of his command in the west by letter and restore him to his former posts.” When the emperor praised this, he proceeded to fulfill what had been ordered. But the emperor, having changed his mind, ordered him to return and to leave Syrgiannes in the command to which he had been appointed, as it was not just nor pleasing to him that, while all the other things he had done were approved, this action alone should be seen as invalid. And he obeyed immediately. But some of those present there secretly informed Syrgiannes in writing that the grand domestic had wanted to relieve him of his command, having regretted that he had entrusted the command to him, but was prevented by the emperor; and, as far as it concerned him, he had already been cast out from his command, but he owed thanks to the emperor who had prevented it. Syrgiannes, having learned such things, forgot the good deeds that had been done for him by the grand domestic, and because of these things, although they were not true, being carried away by anger, he did what the narrative will show as it proceeds. Then, as the grand domestic was reporting everything to the emperor, he also recounted concerning the despot Kallistos, how the army had been stirred up against him, fearing lest he escape from prison after your death 1.413 and attempt some revolution, and how they wanted to kill him, but he himself, by using contrivances and deceptions, had saved him and that he was now among the living. The emperor, being very pleased at this, both praised the grand domestic and deemed him worthy of pardon, releasing him from confinement. And yet, even before, he had often wished to release him from prison, having him swear by oaths that he would not take revenge on those in Thessalonica who had treated him badly and made him a prisoner, should he get the chance. But he would not be persuaded, but openly insisted that he would take worthy revenge on them, if he should gain the power to retaliate. For these reasons he was still being guarded. But then, when the emperor had advised what was necessary, and he himself had agreed to grant amnesty to those who had offended him, he was released from the prison. And concerning Andronikos the elder emperor, the emperor his grandson, remembering him, inquired of the grand domestic how he had been disposed during his illness. And he said that he had taken the habit of a monk and had been called Antonios instead of Andronikos. And the emperor, being astonished, asked the reason for the change and whether he had changed his way of life willingly or had been forced by someone. But he

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οὐδεμίας δευτέρα· ἀναλαμ 1.411 βάνειν δὲ ἤρξατο αὑτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὥσπερ ἀναστρέφειν ἐξ ᾅδου πυλῶν. καὶ μέχρι τρίτης τῆς ἡμέρας ὥρας οἵ τε σφυγμοὶ διεφαίνοντο ἤδη καθαρῶς, ἐξίτηλοι μὲν καὶ ἀτονοῦντες, ἴσοι δὲ ὅμως καὶ ὁμαλοί. καὶ αὐτὸς ῥᾴων ἦν καὶ πάνθ' ὁμοῦ διελέλυτο τὰ δεινά. καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας ἀνακτώμενος ἑαυτὸν κατὰ μικρὸν, εἰς τελεωτάτην καὶ καθαρὰν ἦλθεν ὑγείαν. τοσαύτη δὲ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἦν ἡ τῆς ἐκπλήξεως ὑπερβολὴ, ὥστ' οὐ μόνον ἀκούοντες ἠπίστουν τοῖς λεγομένοις, οἰόμενοι τεθνάναι βασιλέα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σχεδὸν ὁρῶντες οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἑαυτοῖς πιστεύειν εἶχον. ὅσοις μέντοι Ῥωμαίων εὔνοια πρὸς βασιλέα καθαρὰ καὶ ἄδολος ἦν, οὐδ' ἡ χαλεπὴ νόσος ἐκείνη καὶ ἡ παρὰ δόξαν ὑγεία ἀκερδὴς διέμεινε παντελῶς, ἀλλ' οἰκείαν ἕκαστος λογιζόμενοι τὴν εἰς βασιλέα παραδοξοποιΐαν, ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς ἠμείβοντο τὸν θεόν· οἱ μὲν ἀφιστάμενοι οἷς συνείχοντο κακοῖς, οἱ δ' ἐλεημοσύναις καὶ λύτροις αἰχμαλώτων καὶ ἐγκρατείᾳ βρωμάτων ἐπὶ καιρὸν τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην ἐνδεικνύμενοι καὶ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν. οὕτω μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ ἀκμαιότατον ἔφθασε τοῦ κινδύνου, οὕτω δ' αὖθις παραδόξως διεσώθη. ιηʹ. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἐῤῥάϊσεν, ἕκαστα καθ' ὅ, τι πραχθείη παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου διεπυνθάνετο δομεστίκου, καὶ αὐτοῦ διηγουμένου κατὰ μέρος, πᾶσιν ὡς λυσιτελῶς καὶ προσηκόντως εἰργασμένοις ἐπεψηφίζετο ὁ βασιλεύς. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπαγγείλαι ὡς καὶ Συργιάννην τῆς ἑσπέρας ἐκπέμψειε στρατηγὸν, οὐκέτι 1.412 εἶχεν ἐπαινεῖν, ἀλλ' ᾐτιᾶτο τοῦτο μόνον ὡς οὐ διαπεπραγμένον συνετῶς. βέλτιον γὰρ εἶναι Συργιάννην ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου μένειν σχήματος καὶ μὴ πρὸς κακίαν ἐναγούσης ὕλης εὐπορεῖν. ὁ δ' «οὐκοῦν» ἔφασκεν «εἴ σοι βέλτιον δοκοίη, γράμμασι μὲν αὐτὸν τῆς ἑσπέρας παραλύσω τῆς ἀρχῆς· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν προτέρων πάλιν καταστήσω.» ἐπαινέσαντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁ μὲν ἐχώρει πρὸς τὸ τὰ κεκελευσμένα ἐκπληροῦν. μεταμεληθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευέ τε ἀναστρέφειν καὶ Συργιάννην ἐᾷν ἐφ' ἧς ἐτέτακτο ἀρχῆς, ὡς οὐ δίκαιον ὂν οὐδὲ καθ' ἡδονὴν αὐτῷ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἃ αὐτῷ πέπρακται στεργομένων, ταύτην μόνην τὴν πρᾶξιν ἄκυρον ὀφθῆναι. ὁ δ' ἐπείθετο εὐθύς· τῶν παρόντων δὲ ἐκεῖ τινες κρύφα Συργιάννῃ ἐδήλουν γραφῇ ὡς βουληθείη μὲν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος παραλῦσαι τῆς ἀρχῆς, μεταγνοὺς ὅτι ἐνεχείρισε καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν, κωλυθείη δὲ ὑπὸ βασιλέως· καὶ, τὸ μὲν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἧκον, ἤδη τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκβεβλημένον εἶναι, βασιλεῖ δὲ ὀφείλειν χάριτας κεκωλυκότι. τοιαῦτα πυθόμενος ὁ Συργιάννης, τῶν μὲν ὑπηργμένων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἠμνημόνησεν ἀγαθῶν, διὰ ταῦτα δὲ, καίτοι γε οὐκ ὄντα ἀληθῆ, ὀργῇ φερόμενος εἰργάσατο ἃ δηλώσει προϊὼν ὁ λόγος. τότε δὲ πάντα ἀπαγγέλλων ὁ μέγας δομέστικος βασιλεῖ, καὶ περὶ δεσπότου τοῦ Καλλίστου διηγεῖτο, ὡς κινηθείη μὲν ἡ στρατιὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ, δείσαντες μὴ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου διαδρὰς μετὰ τὴν σὴν τελευτήν 1.413 τι νεωτερίσῃ, καὶ ὡς βουληθεῖεν ἀποκτεῖναι, αὐτὸς δὲ μηχαναῖς χρησάμενος καὶ ἀπάταις διασώσειέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ νῦν ἐν ζῶσιν εἶναι. ἡδέως δὲ ἄγαν ἐπὶ τούτοις διατεθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐπαινέσας καὶ συγγνώμης ἠξίωσεν ἐκεῖνον ἀπολύσας τῆς εἱρκτῆς. καίτοι γε καὶ πρότερον πολλάκις ἠβουλήθη τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἀπολύειν ὅρκοις πιστωσάμενον ὡς τοὺς ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ κακῶς διαθέντας καὶ δεσμώτην ἀποδείξαντας οὐκ ἀμυνεῖται καιροῦ τυχών· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπείθετο, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρίζετο φανερῶς, ὡς ἀμυνούμενος αὐτοὺς ἀξίως, ἂν τὴν δύναμιν προσλάβηται τοῦ ἀντιδρᾷν. διὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἔτι ἐφρουρεῖτο· τότε δὲ βασιλέως παραινέσαντος ὅσα ἐχρῆν, καὶ συνθεμένου καὶ αὐτοῦ ἀμνηστήσειν τοῖς προσκεκρουκόσι, τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἀπηλλάττετο. Περί γε μὴν Ἀνδρονίκου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου βασιλέως βασιλεὺς ὁ ἔγγονος ἐνθυμηθεὶς, ἐπυνθάνετο τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ὅπως περὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ διατεθείη νόσον. ὁ δ' ἔφασκε μοναχῶν τε ὑποδῦναι σχῆμα καὶ Ἀντώνιον ἐξ Ἀνδρονίκου προσαγορευθῆναι. ἐκπλαγεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, τὴν αἰτίαν τε ἠρώτα τῆς μεταβολῆς καὶ εἰ ἑκὼν εἶναι μεταλλάττοιτο τὸν βίον ἢ παρά του βιασθείς. ὁ δ'