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9.6.1 But lest the account proceed in a confused manner, let it relate the story concerning Diogenes Nikephoros from the very beginning. Now, how his father Romanos was raised to the imperial eminence and what end his affairs met with, has been the concern of various historiographers, and from them it will be possible for those who wish to read about this. Yet he had died leaving behind his sons, Leo and Nikephoros. And the emperor Alexios, from the very beginning of his proclamation, taking them in as private citizens who were once of royal blood (for as soon as he ascended to the throne, Michael, their own step-brother, stripped them of their red sandals and took away their crowns and condemned them to exile with their mother, the empress Eudokia, to the monastery of Kyperoudes) deemed them worthy of every kind of attention, partly pitying them for what they had suffered, and partly seeing that the youths excelled the many in beauty of body and in strength, with the first down on their newly-grown beards, tall and well-proportioned in stature as if by a ruler, and already showing forth the very flower of youth, and from their very appearance revealing their spirited and noble nature most clearly to those not blinded by passion, like lion cubs. 9.6.2 And in other ways, too, such was he that he did not see superficially nor close his eyes to the truth nor was he caught by blameworthy passions, but weighing the reality on the balanced scale of conscience and considering the height from which they had fallen, he embraced them just as his own children. What good was he not saying, what was he not doing for them, what was he not providing? Even so, envy did not cease striking them with its arrows. For though provoked by many against them, the emperor himself rather deemed them worthy of all assistance, always looking upon them cheerfully and taking pride in them, as it were, and constantly advising them on what was advantageous. 9.6.3 For another man perhaps would have considered them suspect and would have been eager to get them out of the way by every method from the very beginning. But this emperor disregarded the suggestions of the many against the youths, loving them exceedingly, and moreover deeming their mother Eudokia worthy of gifts and not depriving her of the honor befitting empresses. And to Nikephoros himself he entrusted the rule of the island of Crete as his own domain. 9.6.4 But this was the emperor's part; of these two, Leo, being of good sense and a free mind, and seeing the emperor's benevolence towards them, was content with his lot, resting, as it were, on his present circumstances according to the saying: "Sparta is your lot, adorn it." But Nikephoros, being quick to anger and grievously resentful, did not cease to plot deeply against the emperor and to plan to become a tyrant; yet he kept his plan hidden. And already beginning the work, he associated more genuinely with certain people. This did not escape the notice of most people, through whom it also reached the emperor's ears. But the emperor, doing something novel, would summon them at opportune times, and while not revealing what he had heard, he would cleverly admonish them and give them fitting advice. And the more he became aware of the plot, the more generously he treated them, wishing in this way to win them over. But the Ethiopian was not being whitened. For he remained the same and imparted his ruinous design to as many as he approached, winning some over by oaths, and others by promises. 9.6.5 Now, Nikephoros was not so concerned about the common soldiery, for they had all already inclined towards him; but turning his whole attention to the great men, both the leaders and the chosen men enrolled in the senate, he took great care to win them over. For he was sharper in mind than a two-edged sword, but in no way steadfast, except insofar as he showed an unchangeable resolve to become a tyrant, honey-sweet in his words, pleasant in company, feigning a humility like a fox's at one time

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9.6.1 Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ συγκεχυμένος ὁ λόγος προΐῃ, τὰ κατὰ τὸν ∆ιογένην Νικηφόρον ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτῆς ἱστορείτω. Ὅπως μὲν οὖν ὁ τούτου πατὴρ Ῥωμανὸς εἰς τὴν βασίλειον ἀνήχθη περιωπὴν καὶ ὁποῖον τέλος ἔσχε τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν, διαφόροις τῶν ἱστοριογράφων ἐμέλησε, κἀκεῖθεν ἐξέσται τὰ περὶ τούτου ἀναλέγεσθαι τοῖς βουλομένοις. Ἐπὶ παισὶ δὲ ὅμως τετελευτήκει τῷ τε Λέοντι καὶ τῷ Νικηφόρῳ. Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ Ἀλέξιος ἐκ προοιμίων τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀναρ ρήσεως παραλαβὼν τούτους ἰδιώτας ἐκ βασιλέων (καὶ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιβῆναι ὁ Μιχαὴλ καὶ αὐτάδελφος αὐτῶν αὐτοὺς μὲν τῶν ἐρυθρῶν ἀπογυμνοῖ πεδίλων καὶ τὰ στέφη τούτων ἀφαιρεῖται καὶ ὑπερορίαν ξὺν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ Εὐδοκίᾳ εἰς τὴν μονὴν τοῦ Κυπερούδη καταψηφίζεται) παντοίας θεραπείας ἠξίου τὸ μέν τι δι' ὃ πεπόνθασιν οἰκτείρων αὐτούς, τὸ δέ τι καὶ τοὺς νέους ὁρῶν κατά τε σώματος ὥραν καὶ ῥώμην διαφέροντας τῶν πολλῶν, χνοάζοντας μὲν καὶ ἀρτιφυεῖς τὸ γένειον, ὑψηλοὺς καὶ ἰσομέτρους ὥσπερ ὑπὸ κανόνα τὸ μέγεθος καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ νεοτήσιον ἤδη ἐκφύοντας ἄνθος ἐξ αὐτῆς τε ὄψεως τὸ θυμοειδὲς αὐτῶν καὶ γενναῖον τοῖς μὴ διὰ πάθος τυφλώτ τουσιν ἀριδήλως ἐμφαίνοντας καὶ σκύμνους οἷον λέοντος. 9.6.2 Καὶ ἄλλως δέ, ὁποῖος ἐκεῖνος μὴ ἐπιπολαίως ὁρῶν μήτε πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν μύων μηδὲ πάθεσιν ἁλισκόμενος ἐπιψό γοις, ἀλλὰ ταλαντεύων τὸ ὂν ἐν ἰσορρόπῳ στάθμῃ τῆς συνειδήσεως καὶ τὸ ὕψος ἐξ οὗπερ ἐκπεπτώκεσαν λογιζό μενος ἐνηγκαλίζετο ἶσα καὶ τέκνοις ἰδίοις. Τί μὲν οὐ λέγων, τί δὲ οὐ πράττων ἀγαθὸν ἐς αὐτούς, τί δὲ οὐ προ μηθευόμενος; Κἂν ὁ φθόνος βάλλων αὐτοὺς τοῖς τοξεύ μασιν οὐκ ἀνίει. Ἐκ πολλῶν γὰρ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐρεθιζόμενος ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ αὐτὸς μᾶλλον πάσης αὐτοὺς ἐπικουρίας ἠξίου ἱλαρὸν ἐνατενίζων ἀεὶ καὶ ἐνωραϊζόμενος οἷον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ξυμβουλεύων τε διὰ παντὸς τὰ συνοίσοντα. 9.6.3 Ἄλλος μὲν γὰρ ἴσως καὶ ὑπόπτους ἂν ἐλογίσατο τούτους καὶ ἐκπο δὼν διὰ παντοίας μεθόδου ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς ποιῆσαι ἐσπού δασεν ἄν. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν κατὰ τῶν νέων εἰσηγήσεις παρ' οὐδὲν ἐτίθετο ἐξόχως τούτους φιλῶν, τὴν μέντοι μητέρα τούτων Εὐδοκίαν καὶ δωρεῶν ἀξιῶν καὶ τιμῆς τῆς προσηκούσης βασιλίσσαις μὴ ἀποστε ρῶν. Καὶ αὐτῷ δὴ τῷ Νικηφόρῳ τὴν τῆς νήσου Κρήτης ἀρχὴν ἀνέθετο εἰς ἐνδιαίτημα ἴδιον. 9.6.4 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ βασιλεύς· τούτων δὲ ὁ μὲν Λέων φρονήματος ὢν ἀγαθοῦ καὶ γνώμης ἐλευθέρας, ὁρῶν δὲ καὶ τὴν βασιλέως εἰς αὐτοὺς εὐμένειαν ἔστεργε τὴν λαχοῦσαν ἐπαναπαυόμενος οἷον ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· «Σπάρταν ἔλαχες, ταύταν κόσμει». Ὁ δέ γε Νικηφόρος δύσοργος καὶ βαρύ μηνις ὢν βυσσοδομεύων κατὰ τοὺ αὐτοκράτορος καὶ τυραν νήσειν μελετῶν οὐκ ἐπαύετο· ὑποβρύχιον δὲ ὅμως εἶχε τὴν βουλήν. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἔργου ἀπαρξάμενος γνησιώτερόν τισι προσωμίλει. Οὐκ ἐλάνθανε τοῦτο τοὺς πλείστους· δι' ὧν καὶ εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἔφθανε τοῦ βασιλέως. Ὁ δὲ βασι λεὺς καινόν τι ποιῶν μεταπεμπόμενος τούτους ἐν καιροῖς ἁρμοδίοις οὐκ ἐνέφαινε μὲν τὸ ἀκουσθέν, εὐφυῶς δὲ παρῄ νει καὶ τὰ εἰκότα συνεβούλευε. Καὶ ὅσῳ μᾶλλον τῆς ἐπι βουλῆς ἐν γνώσει ἐγίνετο, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐλευθεριώτερον πρὸς αὐτοὺς διετίθετο οὕτω βουλόμενος τούτους κερδανεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὁ Αἰθίοψ οὐκ ἐλευκαίνετο. Ἔμενε γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ μετεδίδου τῆς λύμης ὁπόσοις ἂν προσεπέλασε, τοὺς μὲν δι' ὅρκων, τοὺς δὲ δι' ὑποσχέσεων σφετεριζόμενος. 9.6.5 Τοῦ μὲν οὖν κοινοῦ τοῦ στρατοῦ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἔμελε τῷ Νικηφόρῳ· ἤδη γὰρ ἅπαντες πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπονενεύκασιν· ἀλλ' ὅλος πρὸς τοὺς μεγιστᾶνας ἀπονενευκὼς τῶν τε ἡγε μόνων καὶ τῶν τῇ συγκλήτῳ κατειλεγμένων προκρίτων ἀνδρῶν πολλὴν φροντίδα ποιούμενος ὑπεποιεῖτο αὐτούς. Ἦν γὰρ τὴν φρένα μὲν ὀξύτερος ἀμφιστόμου ξίφους, στάσιμος δὲ οὐδαμῶς, εἰ μὴ ὅσον πρὸς τὸ τυραννήσειν τὸ ἀμετάθετον ἐνεδείκνυτο, μελιχρὸς ἐν λόγοις, ἐν συνανα στροφαῖς ἡδύς, ταπεινοφροσύνην μὲν ὡς ἀλωπεκῆν ποτε