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he was saying he no longer had true knowledge. For neither had anyone noteworthy arrived from there with a report, nor had the protostrator declared it in writing. But he had heard only this from the messengers arriving from there, that the emperor had learned about your illness, that it was one of those that lead to death; 1.414 and fearing that after your death some irreparable thing might be dared against him, he had assumed the monastic habit. But the emperor was both annoyed at the news and was displeased not moderately, saying that what had happened was not according to his will. But the great domestic, seeing him grieved at what had happened and fearing that his illness might be harmed by his grief, both took him in hand and comforted him, saying that he himself, above all, knew and bore witness to the respect and honor which he himself continued to have for the emperor, and that he would have considered it of great value that such things had not happened concerning him, but that he had remained in his former state. But if it is impossible to undo what has happened, why should one, by having great concern for them, find no benefit in them, but cause no small harm to ourselves? And I, if it were possible, would have imposed no small penalty upon myself, because so thoughtlessly, or rather, foolishly, for no gain I brought you turmoil and a grief in no way appropriate to the present time. For even if we have been delivered from the fears and suspicions of death, it is not yet possible to enjoy pure health or safety. And the emperor reminded him of what a little while before he had intended to do concerning the emperor his grandfather, saying, «If those things had been put into action, such things would not be happening now.» But he himself said, «Such things indeed would not have been done; but other things much worse and more unprofitable perhaps would have happened.» 1.415 19. Since we, the emperor, have mentioned what the young emperor intended concerning his grandfather the emperor, it is necessary to discuss these things briefly as well, so that the omission of some matters that seem necessary may not mar the body of the history. For when the emperor Andronicus the younger, as we have already said, intended to take the great domestic as a partner in the empire and to adorn him with the flower of the purple and the imperial insignia, and having spoken to him much and often about this, he was able to accomplish nothing more, but saw that his mind was unchangeable against ever being persuaded by him to do what he wanted, he himself also desisted from him, thinking he was attempting the impossible; but not much later it occurred to him to entrust to his grandfather and emperor all the rule and administration of the Roman dominion, as before. Having thus intended, it seemed right to him to proceed also to action, and he communicated his thoughts to the great domestic, to see if it would be profitable to carry it out. But it immediately seemed to him that the emperor was making a test of him, thinking that when he learned he was planning such things concerning the emperor his grandfather, he would easily yield to becoming emperor by his doing, which he had previously put off, and he revealed what he suspected to the emperor. But when the other said he had intended nothing of the sort, but simply and without any cunning thought it good and wished to carry it into action, the great domestic replied: «But to me,» he said, «it does not seem 1.416 to be good, nor, as far as it concerns me, would I have advised that it be done as being profitable. But if it has seemed good to you to do such things concerning the emperor and you wish by all means to accomplish it, it is better that what has been judged good by you should prevail over what does not appear so to me. For if you have planned things both fitting and profitable for yourself and for the Romans, God, who delights in all good works, would also strengthen your soul for this, and not even if all men should try to hinder you would they be able to persuade you to desist. But if, on the other hand, these things are entirely unprofitable both for the Romans and for yourself, and it seemed good to God to persuade you to such things so that a pretext for civil wars and sedition and turmoil might be found for the Romans, who would be so utterly devoid of sense as to think that he could ever undo what has been decreed by God? Consider therefore within yourself, and if you see with all votes

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ἔφασκεν εἰδέναι μὲν τἀληθὲς οὐκέτι ἔχειν. μήτε γὰρ ἀξιόλογόν τινα ἀπαγγελοῦντα ἐκεῖθεν ἀφῖχθαι, μήτε πρωτοστράτορα γράμμασι δεδηλωκέναι. τοῦτο δὲ μόνον τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἀφικνουμένων ἀγγελιαφόρων ἀκηκοέναι, ὡς πύθοιτο μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς περὶ τῆς νόσου τῆς σῆς ὡς εἴη τῶν πρὸς θάνατον ἀγουσῶν· 1.414 δείσας δὲ μὴ μετὰ σὴν τελευτὴν τῶν ἀνηκέστων τι τολμηθῇ περὶ αὐτὸν, ὑποδύσαιτο τὸ σχῆμα τῶν μοναχῶν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἤχθετό τε πρὸς τὴν ἀγγελίαν καὶ ἐδυσχέραινεν οὐ μετρίως, οὐ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ λέγων εἶναι τὰ γεγενημένα. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ἀλγοῦντα ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι καὶ δείσας μή τι πρὸς τὴν νόσον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀλγεῖν παραβλαβῇ, ἀνελάμβανέ τε αὐτὸν καὶ παρεμυθεῖτο, τὴν μὲν αἰδῶ καὶ τιμὴν ἣν αὐτὸς ἔχων περὶ βασιλέα διατελεῖ, καὶ ὡς πολλοῦ ἂν ἐτιμήσατο μὴ τοιαῦτα περὶ αὐτὸν συμβεβηκέναι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου διαμένειν σχήματος πάντων μᾶλλον αὐτὸς εἰδέναι καὶ συνεπιμαρτυρεῖν εἰπών. εἰ δὲ ἀδύνατον τὰ γεγενημένα ἀναλῦσαι, τί χρὴ περὶ αὐτῶν πολλὴν ποιούμενον φροντίδα, ἐκείνοις μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἐξευρίσκειν ὄνησιν, ἡμῖν δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν βλάβην προξενεῖν; ἐγὼ δὲ, εἴγε ἐξῆν, ἐμαυτῷ δίκας οὐ μικρὰς ἐτιμησάμην, ὅτι οὕτως ἀπερισκέπτως ἢ ἀνοήτως μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν, ἐπ' οὐδενὶ κέρδει ταραχήν σοι προσήγαγον καὶ λύπην οὐδαμῶς ἐν τῷ νυνὶ προσήκουσαν καιρῷ. κἂν γὰρ τῶν πρὸς θάνατον ἀπηλλάγημεν φόβων καὶ ὑπονοιῶν, ἀλλ' οὔπω καθαρᾶς ὑγείας οὐδ' ἀσφαλείας ἀπολαύειν ἔξεστι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἃ μικρῷ πρόσθεν περὶ βασιλέα τὸν πάππον διενοεῖτο δρᾷν ἀνεμίμνησκεν αὐτὸν, ὡς «εἴ γε ἐκεῖνα» λέγων «εἰς ἔργον προὔβη, νῦν οὐκ ἂν συνέβαινε τοιαῦτα.» ὁ δ' ἔφασκε καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς «τοιαῦτα μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐδρᾶτο· ἕτερα δὲ πολλῷ χείρονα καὶ ἀλυσιτελέστερα ἴσως ἂν συνέβη.» 1.415 ιθʹ. Ἐπεὶ δ' ὧν περὶ βασιλέα τὸν πάππον ὁ νέος διενοεῖτο, ἐμνήσθημεν, βασιλεὺς, ἀναγκαῖον βραχέα καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν διαλαβεῖν, ὡς ἂν μὴ λυμαίνοιτο τῷ σώματι τῆς ἱστορίας ἡ τῶν δοκούντων τινῶν παράλειψις ἀναγκαίων. ὡς γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ νέος, καθάπερ ἔφθημεν εἰπόντες, τῆς βασιλείας διενοήθη κοινωνὸν τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον παραλαβεῖν καὶ τῷ τῆς ἁλουργίδος ἄνθει καὶ βασιλικοῖς κοσμῆσαι παρασήμοις, καὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις περὶ τούτου γε αὐτῷ διαλεχθεὶς, οὐδὲν ἠδυνήθη πλέον, ἀλλ' ἀμετάθετον τὴν γνώμην ἔχοντα ἑώρα πρὸς τὸ μηδέποτε αὐτῷ πεισθέντα πράττειν ἃ ἠξίου, ἐκείνου μὲν ἀπέσχετο καὶ αὐτὸς, ἀνηνύτοις οἰόμενος ἐπιχειρεῖν· ὕστερον δὲ οὐ πολλῷ τῷ πάππῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν διοίκησιν τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον παρέστη ἐγχειρίσαι. οὕτω δὴ διανοηθέντι ἐδόκει δεῖν προάγειν καὶ εἰς ἔργον, καὶ τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ ἐκοινοῦτο τὰ τῆς γνώμης, ὡς εἰ λυσιτελοίη καταπραξόμενος. τῷ δ' εὐθὺς μὲν ἐδόκει πεῖραν αὐτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι βασιλέα, οἰόμενον ὡς ἂν τοιαῦτα περὶ βασιλέως τοῦ πάππου πύθηται βουλόμενον, ῥᾳδίως ὑπείξει πρὸς τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι βασιλεὺς, ὅπερ ἀνεβάλλετο πρὶν, καὶ ἐδήλου ἃ ὑπενόει βασιλεῖ. ὡς δὲ ἐκεῖνος τοιοῦτον μὲν ἔφασκε διανενοῆσθαι μηδὲν, ἁπλῶς δ' οὑτωσὶ καὶ πανουργίας τινὸς χωρὶς καλόν τε οἴεσθαι καὶ βούλεσθαι προάγειν καὶ εἰς ἔργον, ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ὑπολαβών· «ἀλλ' ἔμοιγε» εἶπεν «οὐκ ἀγα 1.416 θὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ, οὐδὲ, τόγε εἰς ἐμὲ ἧκον, ὡς λυσιτελοῦν βουλεύσασθαι πραχθῆναι ἄν. εἰ δὲ σοί γε ἔδοξε τοιαῦτα περὶ βασιλέως καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ βούλει ἐκτελέσαι, βέλτιον ὃ παρά σοι κέκριται καλὸν τοῦ παρ' ἐμοὶ μὴ τοιούτου φαινομένου τὸ πλέον ἔχειν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ σαυτῷ τε καὶ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ προσήκοντα καὶ λυσιτελοῦντα ἐβουλεύσω, θεὸς ὁ πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις ἐνηδόμενος καὶ τὴν σὴν ἂν ἐπιῤῥώσειε πρὸς τοῦτο ψυχὴν, καὶ οὐδ' εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι κωλύειν ἐπιχειροῖεν πεῖσαι δύναιντ' ἄν σε ἀποσχέσθαι· εἰ δ' ἄρα ταῦτα μὲν ἀσύμφορα πάντη καὶ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ σαυτῷ, θεῷ δ' ἔδοξε τοιαῦτα πεῖσαι ὥστε πρόφασιν πολέμων ἐμφυλίων καὶ στάσεως καὶ ταραχῆς Ῥωμαίοις εὑρεθῆναι, τίς οὕτως ἂν εἴη παντάπασιν ἔρημος φρενῶν, ὥσθ' ἃ ἔδοξε θεῷ, ταῦτ' αὐτὸν ἄν ποτε δυνηθῆναι ἀναλῦσαι νομίσαι; σκέψαι τοίνυν παρὰ σαυτῷ, κἂν ἴδῃς ἁπάσαις ψήφοις