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clothing himself, sometimes even showing his spiritedness like a lion, powerful and boasting that he could compete with Giants, wheat-colored in complexion, broad in the chest, with shoulders higher than the men of his time. If anyone saw him playing ball, or riding a horse, or shooting an arrow, or brandishing a spear and performing feats of horsemanship, he seemed to be watching a new wonder and he gaped and was all but petrified. For this reason, he attracted the goodwill of the multitude even more. And his enterprise progressed so far that he suborned even Michael Taronites, the emperor’s brother-in-law, who was honored with the dignity of panhypersebastos.

9.7.1 But the narrative must be brought back again to where it digressed and the story must be continued in sequence. The emperor, then, running back in his thoughts from the time when he had first recognized Diogenes' plot against him, and how from the very beginning of his own proclamation he had treated both brothers and with how much kindness and care he had considered them worthy for so many years, and although none of these things had changed the mind of Nicephorus for the better, fell into helplessness. So the emperor, considering all these things, and how Diogenes had entered again after his failure, how he was pushed away by Tatikios, and knowing that, sharpening the murderous blade against him, he was hastening to stain his hands with innocent blood, and that he who until then had been lying in wait and watching for the night to carry out the murder was now hastening it openly, was tossed on a sea of many thoughts. He certainly wished in no way to proceed against Diogenes, because of the heartfelt affection he had for him, loving the man exceedingly; but, summing everything up simply and considering where the terrible affair would lead, since he recognized the danger to his own life hanging over him, he was stricken to the heart. 9.7.2 And bringing everything together to one point, he judged it necessary to arrest Nicephorus. But he, hastening his planned escape and wishing to take to the road leading to Christopolis by night, sent to the Porphyrogennetos Constantine in the evening and asked him to do him the favor of giving him the swift horse that had been given to him by the emperor. But he refused, saying he could not part with such a gift from the emperor on that very day. 9.7.3 But when the emperor set out on the proposed journey in the morning, Diogenes also followed him, since God, who scatters counsels and brings to nought the reasonings of peoples, had thwarted him, so that he argued against his escape, but put it off hour after hour, such are the judgments of God. So, having encamped near Serres, where the emperor also was, he himself was occupied with his usual thoughts, as one who had already been found out and was fearing the future. The emperor then summoned his own brother Adrian, the Grand Domestic, that very evening, on which the commemoration of the great martyr Theodore was celebrated. And he again communicated to him the affair of Diogenes, who was not ignorant of it before, how he had entered sword in hand, how he was thrust from the door, how he stood ready, hastening to accomplish if possible what had long been planned. Then the emperor instructed the Domestic to summon Diogenes to his own tent and through gentle words and all sorts of promises to persuade him to reveal everything that had been planned, promising him immunity and amnesty for his past crimes, if he would hide nothing at all, but would also name all his accomplices. 9.7.4 But he, being full of despondency, nevertheless carried out the command. So now threatening, now promising, and now even advising, he could not persuade Diogenes to reveal anything at all of what had been planned. What then? The Grand Domestic was vexed and annoyed, at whom Diogenes was said to be aiming his wicked plots. For Diogenes had already made him his brother-in-law by marrying his youngest half-sister. For this reason indeed, imploring him with tears, he did not let up; but he persuaded

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περιβαλλόμενος, ἔστιν οὗ καὶ τὸ θυμοειδὲς καθάπερ λέων ἐμφαίνων ποτέ, ῥωμαλέος καὶ πρὸς Γίγαντας ἐγκαυχώ μενος ἁμιλλᾶσθαι, σιτόχρους τὴν ὄψιν, εὐρὺς τὰ στέρνα, ὑπερωμίας τῶν τότε καιροῦ ὄντων ἀνδρῶν. Εἰ δὲ σφαιρί ζοντα τοῦτον εἶδέ τις, εἰ δὲ ἱππαζόμενον, εἰ δὲ ὀϊστὸν πέμποντα ἢ δόρυ κραδαίνοντα καὶ ἱππασίας ποιούμενον, θαῦμα ἐδόκει καινὸν θεᾶσθαι ἐκεχήνει τε καὶ μόνον οὐ πεπηγὼς ἦν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ μᾶλλον τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἐπεσπᾶτο εὔνοιαν. Τοσοῦτον δὲ τὸ σπουδαζόμενον αὐτῷ προῄει, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἐπ' ἀδελφῇ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος γαμβρὸν Μιχαὴλ τὸν Ταρωνίτην τῷ τοῦ πανυπερσεβάστου τιμώμενον ἀξιώματι ὑποποιήσασθαι.

9.7.1 Ἀλλ' ἐπανακτέον τὸν λόγον αὖθις ὅθεν ἀπερρύη καὶ καθ' εἱρμὸν ἑκτέον τῆς διηγήσεως. Ὁ μὲν οὖν αὐτοκράτωρ τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀνατρέχων, ἐξ οὗπερ τὴν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ ∆ιογένους μελετὴν ἐπέγνωκε, καὶ ὅπως ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀναρρήσεως ἀμφοῖν ἐχρήσατο τοῖν ἀδελφοῖν ὁπόσης τε φιλοφροσύνης καὶ κηδεμονίας ἐπὶ τοσούτοις ἔτεσιν αὐτοὺς ἠξίου, κἂν οὐδὲν τούτων τὴν τοῦ Νικηφό ρου γνώμην ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μετηλλοίωσεν, εἰς ἀμηχανίαν ἐνέπιπτε. Ταῦτ' οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀναλογιζόμενος πάντα καὶ ὅπως μετὰ τὸ σφαλῆναι αὖθις εἰσῄει, ὅπως ἀπώσθη παρὰ τοῦ Τατικίου, καὶ γνοὺς ὡς τὸ φονουργὸν σιδήριον θήγων κατ' αὐτοῦ αἵμασιν ἀναιτίοις σπεύδει χρᾶναι τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ὁ τέως ἐφεδρεύων καὶ νυκτὸς ἐπιτηρῶν τὸν φόνον τελέσαι ἀπαρακαλύπτως τοῦτον ἤδη ἐπισπεύδει, πολλοῖς ἐκυμαίνετο λογισμοῖς. Ἤθελε μὲν οὖν οὐδαμῶς τὸν ∆ιογένην μετελεύσεσθαι δι' ὃν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐγκάρδιον ἐκέκτητο πόθον ἐξόχως τὸν ἄνδρα φιλῶν· ἁπαξαπλῶς δὲ ἅπαντα συνελὼν ὅπη τε προβήσεται τὸ δεινὸν ἐννοῶν, ἐπεὶ τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς κίνδυνον αὐτῷ ἐφιστάμενον ἔγνω, πλήττε ται τὴν καρδίαν. 9.7.2 Καὶ εἰς ἓν τὸ πᾶν συναγαγὼν δεῖν ἔκρινεν κατασχεῖν τὸν Νικηφόρον. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ τὸν μελε τώμενον ἐπισπεύδων δρασμὸν καὶ βουλόμενος νυκτὸς τῆς πρὸς Χριστούπολιν φερούσης ἅψασθαι ἑσπέρας ἀποστεί λας εἰς τὸν Πορφυρογέννητον Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν δοθέντα αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ταχυδρόμον ἵππον ᾐτεῖτο ἀποχα ρίσασθαί οἱ. Ὁ δὲ ἀνένευε λέγων μὴ δύνασθαι δῶρον τοιοῦ τον αὐθήμερον τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποποιήσασθαι. 9.7.3 Ἐπεὶ δὲ πρωΐας ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς προκειμένης ὁδοῦ ἥψατο, συνεί πετο τούτῳ καὶ ὁ ∆ιογένης τοῦ διασκεδάζοντος βουλὰς καὶ λογισμοὺς ἀθετοῦντος λαῶν Θεοῦ τοῦτον σφήλαντος γνωσι μαχοῦντα μὲν τὸν δρασμόν, ὑπερτιθέμενον δὲ ὥραν ἐξ ὥρας, ὁποῖα τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίματα. Κατασκηνώσας οὖν ἀγχοῦ τῶν Σερρῶν, ὅπου καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς, αὐτὸς μὲν τῶν συνήθων εἴχετο λογισμῶν ὡς πεφωραμένος ἤδη καὶ δεδιὼς τὸ μέλλον. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς μετακαλεῖται τηνικαῦτα τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν Ἀδριανὸν καὶ μέγαν δομέστικον κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἑσπέραν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἡ τοῦ μεγαλομάρτυρος Θεοδώρου ἐτελεῖτο μνήμη. Καὶ κοινοῦται αὖθις τούτῳ τὰ τοῦ ∆ιογένους μηδὲ πρότερον ἀγνοοῦντι ὡς ξιφήρης εἰσῄει, ὡς ἀπώσθη τῆς θύρας, ὡς τὸ πάλαι βεβουλευμένον εἰ δυνατὸν ἵσταται σπεύδων τελέσαι. Τηνικαῦτα οὖν ἐπισκήπτει τῷ δομεστίκῳ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν ∆ιογένην εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν μετακα λέσασθαι σκηνὴν καὶ διὰ μειλιχίων λόγων καὶ παντοίων ὑποσχέσεων πεῖσαι ἀνακαλύψαι ἅπαντα τὰ βεβουλευμένα ἀπάθειαν αὐτῷ ὑπισχνουμένῳ καὶ ἀμνηστίαν τοῦ λοιποῦ τῶν κακῶν, εἰ μηδ' ὁτιοῦν ἀποκρύψειεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς συνίστορας ἐξείποι ἅπαντας. 9.7.4 Ὁ δὲ ἀθυμίας πλήρης γενόμενος ὅμως ἐπλήρου τὸ κελευσθέν. Ποτὲ μὲν οὖν ἀπει λῶν, ὁτὲ δὲ ὑπισχνούμενος, ὁτὲ δὲ καὶ συμβουλεύων οὐκ ἔπειθε τὸν ∆ιογένην ὅλως οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν τῶν βεβουλευμένων ἀνακαλύψαι. Τί τὸ ἐπὶ τούτοις; Ἤχθετο μὲν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος καὶ ἠνιᾶτο, οὗ κακῶν φέρεται ὁ ∆ιογένης στο χαζόμενος. Ἔσχε γὰρ τοῦτον προφθάσας ὁ ∆ιογένης γαμ βρὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ὑστάτῃ τῶν ἑτεροθαλῶν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφῶν. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ μετὰ δακρύων ἐκλιπαρῶν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀνίει· ἔπειθε δὲ