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zakes brings to the emperor both his written confessions and the letters which he had searched for and found, sent to him by certain people, through which it appeared that the empress Maria knew of the rebellion of Diogenes, but in no way consented to the murder, but rather diligently restrained him not only from the murder, but even from the mere thought of it. And he, having read these and found more of those who were suspected written in them, and that all of these were distinguished men, was at a loss. For Diogenes was not to have so much of the commonality; for he had them long ago gaping towards him with their whole soul and inclined to him; but he was eager to win over the entire leading element of both the military and civil order. The emperor, therefore, wished the matters concerning the empress Maria to remain unmentioned; and indeed he maintained this, feigning ignorance, because of the trust and agreement he had with her, even before he had accepted the scepters of the empire. And it was rumored everywhere that the plot of Diogenes had been revealed to the emperor by the Porphyrogennetos Constantine, the emperor and her son, even though the matter was otherwise. But from those very men serving Diogenes the details of the plot were quietly being conveyed. 9.8.3 But when Diogenes had been detected and was now made a prisoner and an exile, and the distinguished men of his conspiracy who had not managed to be caught, recognizing that they had now become suspects, appeared terrified and were considering what they should do, those around the emperor, perceiving them thus agitated, seemed to be in a helpless state, seeing his affairs in very dire straits, as the emperor's aid was already confined to certain named individuals, with the danger now hanging over his head. 9.8.4 But the emperor, going back over matters from the beginning in his thoughts, and how many times Diogenes had moved against him and been thwarted by divine power, he himself now stood as his murderer with his own hand, was agitated by many thoughts. And experiencing many changes and turns of thought within himself, since he recognized that the entire civil and military establishment had been corrupted by the flatteries of Diogenes, not having sufficient power to post a guard against so many, nor wishing to mutilate so great a multitude of people, he sent Diogenes and Katakalon Kekaumenos, the prime movers, to Caesaropolis, on the condition that they only be imprisoned and bound, having for the time being decided on nothing else terrible against them, even if everyone advised him to mutilate them (for he was exceedingly fond of Diogenes and still held to his former care for him), and into exile his own brother-in-law Michael Taronites and ..., having taken away their properties. As for the rest, he considered it safe not to bring them to trial at all, but rather to soothe them through compassion. In the evening, therefore, each of the exiles reached the place allotted to him, and Diogenes, Caesaropolis. But none of the others was removed from his own position, but all had remained in the same one.

9.9.1 While things were in this dire state, on the next day, the emperor wishing to summon everyone and to accomplish what seemed best to him, as many as cherished a heartfelt longing for the emperor, of those related to him by blood and by marriage and as many paternal servants as were then present. Mighty in deed and quick to perceive what was to come, and shrewd to accomplish what was expedient in an unhesitating moment, fearing lest on the next day, when the crowd had gathered, some men might rush forward and dismember him on the throne, often carrying swords under their cloaks, just as that one once approached him in the guise of a beggar while he was playing ball (and the matter had no other cure than to remove everyone's loyalties toward Diogenes

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ζάκης τάς τε ἐγγράφους αὐτοῦ ὁμολογίας καὶ ἃ ἀναζητήσας εὗρε παρά τινων πρὸς αὐτὸν πεμπομένας γραφάς, δι' ὧν ἐφαίνετο καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς Μαρία τὴν μὲν ἀποστασίαν τοῦ ∆ιογένους εἰδέναι, τὸν δὲ φόνον μηδαμῶς συγχωρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' ἐπιμελείας ἀπείργειν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόνου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς ψιλῆς ἐννοίας, κομίζει τῷ βασι λεῖ. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτας ὑπαναγνοὺς καὶ πλείους τῶν ὑποπτευο μένων ἐγγεγραμμένους εὑρηκὼς καὶ τούτους ἐκκρίτους ἅπαντας ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔμελλε τῷ ∆ιογένει τοσοῦτον τῆς κοινότητος· εἶχε γὰρ αὐτοὺς πάλαι ὅλῃ ψυχῇ κεχηνότας πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπονενευκότας· ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ τὰ πρῶτα φέρον τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ τε καὶ πολιτικοῦ συντάγματος ἔσπευδεν ὑποποιήσασθαι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν αὐτο κράτωρ τὰ τῆς βασιλίδος Μαρίας ἀνέκφορα μένειν ἠβού λετο· καὶ μέντοι καὶ διετήρησε τὸν ἀγνοοῦντα ὑποκριθεὶς δι' ἣν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶχε πίστιν καὶ ὁμολογίαν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἀναδέξασθαι σκῆπτρα. ∆ιεδίδοτο δὲ παν ταχοῦ τὴν τοῦ ∆ιογένους βουλὴν παρὰ τοῦ Πορφυρογεν νήτου Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς διαμη νυθῆναι τῷ βασιλεῖ, κἂν ἄλλως εἶχε τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἐξ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν ἐξυπηρετουμένων τῷ ∆ιογένει τὰ τῆς βουλῆς ἠρέμα διεπορθμεύετο. 9.8.3 Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ ∆ιογένης πεφώρατο καὶ δέσμιος ἤδη καὶ ὑπερόριος καθίστατο, καὶ οἱ τῆς αὐτοῦ βουλῆς ἔκκριτοι οἱ μὴ φθάσαντες ἁλῶναι ὑπόπτους ἑαυτοὺς ἤδη γεγενημένους διαγνόντες περίφοβοί τε ἐφαίνοντο καὶ σκεπτόμενοι ὅ τι καὶ δράσαιεν, τούτους οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν βασι λέα οὕτω κυμαινομένους κατανοοῦντες ἐν ἀμηχάνοις ἑστά ναι ἐδόκουν ἐν στενῷ κομιδῇ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες ὡς εἰς ῥητούς τινας περιγραφείσης ἤδη τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἀρωγῆς τὸν κίνδυνον ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ἐφιστάμενον ἤδη ἔχοντος. 9.8.4 Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀναλύων ἐς τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ποσάκις κατ' αὐτοῦ ὁ ∆ιογένης ὁρμήσας καὶ σφαλεὶς ἐκ θείας δυνάμεως, αὐτὸς αὐτόχειρ τούτου φονεὺς ἤδη ἐφίστατο, πολλοῖς ἐκυμαίνετο λογισμοῖς. Καὶ πολλὰς νοημάτων λαμβάνων μεταβολὰς καὶ τροπὰς παρ' ἑαυτῷ, ἐπεὶ ἅπαν τοῦ τε πολιτικοῦ καὶ στρατιωτικοῦ συν τάγματος διεφθορὸς ταῖς τοῦ ∆ιογένους θωπείαις ἐπέγνω, ἀποχρῶσαν μὴ ἔχων δύναμιν ὥστε φρουρὰν πρὸς τοσού τους ἐπιστῆσαι, μήτε μὴν ἀκρωτηριάσαι λαὸν παμπληθῆ ἐθέλων τὸν μὲν ∆ιογένην καὶ Κεκαυμένον τὸν Κατακαλὼν τοὺς πρωταιτίους ἐς Καισαρόπολιν ἐξέπεμψεν ἐφ' ᾧ ἐμφρούρους καὶ δεσμώτας εἶναι μόνον, μηδὲν ἄλλο δεινὸν τέως κατ' αὐτῶν βουλευσάμενος, κἂν πάντες ἀκρωτηριάσαι τούτους αὐτῷ ξυνεβούλευον (ἠγάπα γὰρ τὸν ∆ιογένην δια φερόντως καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἔτι περὶ αὐτὸν εἴχετο κηδε μονίας), ὑπερόριον δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐπ' ἀδελφῇ γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Ταρωνίτην καὶ τὸν ... καὶ τὰς περιουσίας αὐτῶν ἀφελόμενος. Τὰ δέ γε κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀσφαλὲς ἐλογίσατο μηδὲ εἰς ἐξέτασιν ἀγαγεῖν ὅλως, ἀλλὰ διὰ συμ παθείας τούτους μᾶλλον καταμαλθάξαι. Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἑσπέραν ἕκαστος τῶν ὑπερορίων τὴν λαχοῦσαν αὐτῷ κατε λάμβανε, καὶ ὁ ∆ιογένης τὴν Καισαρόπολιν. Τῶν δ' ἄλλων οὐδεὶς τῆς οἰκείας μεθίστατο καταστάσεως, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ταὐ τοῦ ἅπαντες μεμενήκεσαν.

9.9.1 Ἐν τούτοις δὲ τοῖς δεινοῖς ὄντων τῇ μετ' αὐτὴν βουλομένου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος μετακαλέσασθαι πάντας καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτῷ διαπράξασθαι, ὁπόσοι εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα πόθον ἐγκάρδιον ἔτρεφον τῶν τε ἐξ αἵματος καὶ ἀγχιστείας αὐτῷ προσηκόντων καὶ ὁπόσοι πατρῷοι θεράποντες τότε παρῆσαν. Ὀμβριμοεργοὶ καὶ ταχεῖς μὲν συνιδεῖν τὸ μέλλον, ἀγχίνοι δὲ τὸ συνοῖσον ἐν ἀσκέπτῳ καταπράξασθαι χρόνῳ, δεδιότες μή πως τῇ μετ' αὐτὴν τοῦ πλήθους συρρεύσαντος ἐφορμήσαντές τινες διαμελίσωσιν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου πολλάκις ξίφη ὑπὸ τὰ ἄμφια φέροντες ὥσπερ ποτὲ ἐκεῖνος ὁ σφαιρίζοντι τούτῳ ἐν σχήματι προσαίτου προσελθών (τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἄλλην εἶχε τὴν θεραπείαν ἢ τὸ τὰς πρὸς τὸν ∆ιο γένην ἁπάντων περιελεῖν