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knowing, since Romanos' dromon was now very near, that when he, walking behind Constantine the *parakoimomenos*, seized him with his hands and shouted "seize him," they immediately seized this man and brought him into the trireme of Romanos the *droungarios* and held him in 392 security. Therefore, there was no one defending or pitying the man, as all those with him had taken to flight. When Zoe Augusta learned these things, she summoned the patriarch Nicholas and her magnates, and sent to Romanos, wishing to learn what had happened. When they crossed over, therefore, the people drove them out by throwing stones. Therefore, at dawn, Zoe went out into the sun-balcony of the Boukoleon and cried out to her son and to all, "How has this rebellion come about?" And Theodore, the tutor of the emperor Constantine, said to her that because Leo Phokas had lost the Romans and Constantine the *parakoimomenos* had lost the palace, these things had happened. And the emperor took Nicholas the patriarch and Stephen the *magistros* to be with him in the palace, drawing the authority from his mother to himself. On the next day, he sent John Toubakes to bring Zoe Augusta down from the palace. But she, with wailing and tears, clinging to her own son, moved her son to motherly sympathy and pity, so that the emperor said to those leading her away, "Let my mother be with me." And they released her at his word. And both the emperor and the patriarch summoned John Garidas and appointed him Domestic of the Schools, fearing that Leo Phokas might proceed to rebellion. But he did not agree for this to happen, unless he appointed his brother-in-law Theodore Zouphinezer and his son Symeon 393 as *hetaireiarches*. Therefore, having been confirmed by oaths from them, he went down to his house. But they immediately bring his relatives down from the palace. Therefore when these came to him, as he saw them, a tremor and madness seized him. Immediately, therefore, he went out to Romanos, and related to him what he had suffered. Therefore, having become friends with him, and having given and received oaths so that they both should have one soul, he became of one mind and one spirit with him, so that they also agreed to make a marriage contract, tightening the bond of love even more by this. 12 Therefore on the twenty-fourth of the month of March, Romanos sent John the presbyter, a member of his household and most faithful to him, and Theodore Matzoukes to the palace to make an apology, saying, "What was done by me was not for rebellion, but being suspicious of an attack by Phokas, and fearing that some revolutionary act might be committed by him against the emperor, for this reason I have resolved to come up to the palace and to undertake the guard of the emperor." But when Patriarch Nicholas did not consent to this, Romanos was informed by the aforementioned tutor Theodore to come with the whole fleet as far as the Boukoleon. He, after deliberating with those with him (for that which led him, led him on), on the day of the Annunciation of the most blameless Virgin and Theotokos (it was a Thursday), came armed with the entire fleet to the Bou- 394 koleon. And immediately Stephen the *magistros* went out of the palace, and Niketas the patrician, the kinsman-by-marriage of Romanos, went up into the palace and brought out Patriarch Nicholas from there. Therefore, those of the palace, having been assured by oaths from Romanos, sent to him the life-giving and precious cross, and after venerating it and assuring them with oaths, he went up with them and a few others into the palace, to pay homage to the emperor. And entering with him into the church in the Pharos, and having given and received pledges of faith with him, he was immediately appointed by him *magistros* and grand *hetaireiarches*. At once, then, a divine command to Leo Phokas,

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εἰδότες, εγγιστα ηδη τοῦ δρό- μωνος ̔Ρωμανοῦ γεγονότος, ἐπειδὴ ουτος ὀπίσω τοῦ παρακοιμω- μένου Κωνσταντίνου περιπατῶν ἀνήρπασεν αὐτὸν ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ "αρατε αὐτὸν" ἀνεφώνησεν, παραχρῆμα ουτοι τοῦτον ἁρπάσαν- τες εἰς τὴν τοῦ δρουγγαρίου ̔Ρωμανοῦ τριήρη εἰσήγαγον καὶ ἐν τῇ 392 ἀσφαλείᾳ κατεῖχον. οὐδεὶς ουν ὁ ὑπερασπίζων ην η κατοικτείρων τὸν ανθρωπον, πάντων τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ χρησαμένων φυγῇ. ταῦτα Ζωὴ Αὐγούστα μαθοῦσα προσκαλεῖται τὸν πατριάρχην Νι- κόλαον καὶ τοὺς αὐτῆς μεγιστάνους, καὶ ἀποστέλλει πρὸς ̔Ρωμα- νὸν τὸ γεγονὸς θέλουσα μαθεῖν. τούτων ουν διαπερασάντων, λί- θοις ὁ λαὸς αὐτοὺς ἐξήλασαν βάλλοντες. εωθεν ουν ἐξελθοῦσα Ζωὴ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Βουκολέοντος ἡλιακῷ ἐπεφώνει τῷ υἱῷ καὶ πᾶσι, πῶς αρα γέγονεν ἡ ἀνταρσία αυτη; εφησε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ παι- δαγωγὸς τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου Θεόδωρος οτι διὰ τὸ ἀπολέ- σαι Λέοντα τὸν Φωκᾶν τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους καὶ Κωνσταντῖνον παρα- κοιμώμενον τὸ παλάτιον ταῦτα γεγόνασι. προσελάβετο δὲ ὁ βα- σιλεὺς Νικόλαον τὸν πατριάρχην καὶ Στέφανον μάγιστρον συνεῖναι αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, τὴν ἐξουσίαν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἐπισπώμενος. τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἀπέστειλεν ̓Ιωάννην τὸν Τουβάκην Ζωὴν Αὐγούσταν τοῦ παλατίου καταβιβάσαι. ἡ δὲ μετ' ὀλολυ- γῆς καὶ δακρύων τῷ ἑαυτῆς προσπλακεῖσα υἱῷ πρὸς συμπάθειαν μητρικὴν καὶ οικτον τὸν υἱὸν ἐκίνησεν, ὡς τὸν βασιλέα εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς αγοντας "ἐάσατε μετ' ἐμοῦ ειναι τὴν μητέρα μου." οἱ δὲ ταύτην αμα τῷ λόγῳ ἀφῆκαν. προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ο τε βασι- λεὺς καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης ̓Ιωάννην τὸν Γαριδᾶν προεβάλοντο δομέ- στικον τῶν σχολῶν, δεδιότες μὴ εἰς ἀνταρσίαν χωρήσῃ ὁ Φωκᾶς Λέων. ὁ δὲ ουτ' ενευσε τοῦτο γενέσθαι, εἰ μὴ Θεόδωρον τὸν γυναικάδελφον αὐτοῦ τὸν Ζουφινεζὲρ καὶ Συμεὼν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ 393 προεβάλετο ἑταιρειάρχας. ορκοις ουν βεβαιωθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατῆλθεν ἐν τῷ οικῳ αὐτοῦ. οἱ δὲ παραυτίκα τοὺς συγγενεῖς αὐ- τοῦ τοῦ παλατίου καταβιβάζουσιν. τούτων ουν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλ- θόντων, ὡς ἐθεάσατο αὐτούς, τρόμος αὐτὸν ελαβεν καὶ φρενῶν εκστασις. εὐθὺς ουν ἐξῆλθε πρὸς ̔Ρωμανόν, καὶ διηγήσατο αὐτῷ οια πέπονθεν. συμφιλιωθεὶς ουν αὐτῷ, καὶ ορκους δοὺς καὶ λαβὼν ωστε μίαν εχειν ἀμφοτέρους ψυχήν, σύμφρων αὐτῷ καὶ σύμπνους ἐγένετο, ωστε καὶ γαμικὸν συνάλλαγμα ποιήσασθαι συνεφώνησαν, πλέον ἐκ τούτου τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης δεσμὸν ἐπισφίγ- γοντες. 12 Τῇ εἰκάδι ουν τετάρτῃ τοῦ Μαρτίου μηνὸς ἀποστέλ- λει ̔Ρωμανὸς ̓Ιωάννην πρεσβύτερον, οἰκεῖον αὐτῷ καὶ πιστότατον οντα, καὶ Θεόδωρον τὸν Ματζούκην εἰς τὸ παλάτιον ὑπεραπολο- γουμένους, ὡς οὐκ ἐπ' ἀνταρσίας γέγονε τὸ παρ' ἐμοῦ διαπραχθέν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Φωκᾶ ἐπίθεσιν ὑφορώμενος, καὶ δεδιὼς μή τι νεω- τερισθείη παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν βασιλέα, τούτου ενεκα ἀνελθεῖν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ βεβούλευμαι καὶ τὴν φυλακὴν ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ βασι- λέως. μὴ συνευδοκοῦντος δὲ Νικολάου πατριάρχου ἐν τούτῳ, ἐμηνύθη ̔Ρωμανὸς παρὰ Θεοδώρου τοῦ ῥηθέντος παιδαγωγοῦ ἐλ- θεῖν μετὰ στόλου παντὸς μέχρι τοῦ Βουκολέοντος. ος μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ βουλευσάμενος (τὸ γὰρ αγον ηγεν αὐτὸν) τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ εὐαγγελισμοῦ τῆς ὑπεραμώμου παρθένου καὶ θεοτόκου (πέμπτη δὲ ην) ηλθεν ενοπλος αμα τῷ στόλῳ παντὶ ἐν τῷ Βου- 394 κολέοντι. καὶ παρευθὺ Στέφανος μὲν μάγιστρος ἐξῆλθε τοῦ πα- λατίου, Νικήτας δὲ πατρίκιος ὁ συμπενθερὸς ̔Ρωμανοῦ ἀνελθὼν ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ ἐξήγαγεν ἐκεῖθεν τὸν πατριάρχην Νικόλαον. ορ- κοις ουν βεβαιωθέντες οἱ τοῦ παλατίου παρὰ ̔Ρωμανοῦ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ζῳοποιὸν καὶ τίμιον σταυρὸν καὶ προσκυνήσας αὐτὸν καὶ ορκοις βεβαιώσας αὐτοὺς ἀνῆλθε μετ' αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ πα- λατίῳ καὶ ὀλίγων τινῶν, προσκυνήσων τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ εἰσελ- θὼν μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῷ ἐν τῷ Φάρῳ, καὶ πίστεις αὐτῷ δοὺς καὶ λαβών, παρευθὺ προχειρίζεται παρ' αὐτοῦ μάγιστρος καὶ μέγας ἑταιρειάρχης. αὐτίκα γοῦν θεία κέλευσις πρὸς Λέοντα τὸν Φωκᾶν,