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shall we be able to speak against it with justice, or shall we set the words at naught as having been spoken at the wrong time? For not only because every pretext for wars has been set in motion by the emperor from the beginning, and he is by nature prone to changes, and the Roman dominion has been much worn down by civil wars, and not all would easily bear the change, but even if all things were equally shared by both, and in no way did one differ from the other, it would still be necessary, having considered the existing circumstances, to choose the more suitable one to rule; would it not be fitting for anyone and everyone to side with you; not only on account of the gentleness and magnanimity which you displayed throughout the whole time of the war, but also the courage and the daring in battles, and especially because the affairs of the Romans now need not only an experienced and clever general, but also one who is zealous and practiced in warfare? To me, therefore, examining it from every side, no reason appears sufficient to persuade that it is advantageous for him to withdraw from rule and hand it over to his grandfather. Therefore I have also eagerly advised this for the sake of the common good. But if what has been said is not sufficient to persuade you, it is possible for you, using other counselors who are at once wiser 1.426 and more experienced, not to fail in what must be done.” Such things the great domesticus said; and the emperor, pausing for a little as was his custom, said, “That the words have been spoken wisely, I would not deny; but it seems to me that we must deliberate about them at our leisure, if somehow the intervening time will find something better.” And when the great domesticus also praised this, for the time being they dispersed. And on the third day, having come together again, they inquired of one another if they had found anything more in the intervening time; and since neither of them said anything, they ratified the counsel, and thus the matter of the elder emperor becoming ruler of affairs again, which had come so close, was prevented by the great domesticus. Later, the emperor, recalling these things, when he learned that he had taken up the monastic life, hinted to the great domesticus, saying, “If what we had previously planned had come to pass, such things would not be happening now.” To which that man replied, “Such things would not have happened, but perhaps other things, far worse and more disadvantageous.” And the emperor, when he was already completely freed from the sickness, came from Didymoteichon to Byzantium to give thanks to the all-holy mother of God, the life-giving spring that pours forth cures more than streams; from which he himself had also been delivered from that grievous sickness. And the Byzantines, having gone out in a body to meet the emperor, and also those 1.427 from the surrounding lands and cities to see the emperor—for to all he was a sight not only lovely, but also worthy of wonder, as one raised from the dead—they advanced as far as Rhegion, jostling one another, and they greeted the emperor, doing obeisance. And from there the emperor, going through their midst, came as far as the sanctuary of the ever-flowing spring before the city, being jostled by the crowd; and having given thanks to God, he went from there to the palace and stayed in Byzantium from that time for sixty days. And going out again, he went around the cities of Thrace. 21. And about the same time a Persian cavalry force, having crossed the Hellespont, was plundering Thrace. And when the emperor learned of this, he gathered the army to defend against them. And while these things were being done, most of the Persians, having turned back, crossed over to the east. But one thousand five hundred of their picked men remained in Thrace; and when the emperor marched against them, they all fell, defeated in battle. And not many days later, it was reported to the emperor from the west that a Triballian army was preparing to attack Achris, a western city lying under Mount Pieria, and after a little while the Triballians, having ravaged the areas around it, encamped and besieged it; and the emperor went to its aid with speed. But the Triballians, perceiving this, abandoned the siege and withdrew to their own country, and the emperor, having gone to Achris 1.428 made as much provision for the city

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δικαίᾳ δυνησόμεθα ἀντειπεῖν, ἢ ἐν οὐδενὶ θησόμεθα τοὺς λόγους ὡς ἀκαίρως εἰρημένους; μὴ γὰρ ὅτι πάσης μὲν προφάσεως πολέμων ἐκ βασιλέως ἐξ ἀρχῆς κεκινημένης, ῥᾳδίου δὲ ὄντος φύσει πρὸς μεταβολὰς, τῆς Ῥωμαίων δὲ ἡγεμονίας πολλὰ τοῖς ἐμφυλίοις τετρυχωμένης πολέμοις, ἁπάντων δὲ οὐκ ἂν οἰσόντων ῥᾳδίως τὴν μεταβολὴν, ἀλλ' εἰ πάντων μὲν ἀμφοτέροις μετῆν ἐπίσης, ἐν μηδενὶ δὲ διενήνοχεν ἅτερος ἑτέρου, ἔδει δὲ ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων σκεψαμένους τὸν προσήκοντα ἑλέσθαι μᾶλλον ἄρχειν, οὐ σοὶ προστίθεσθαι προσῆκον πάντα ὁντινοῦν· οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν πρᾳότητα καὶ μεγαλοψυχίαν, ἣν παρὰ πάντα ἐπεδείξω τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν εὐψυχίαν καὶ τὴν τόλμαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, καὶ τὸ μάλιστα δεῖσθαι τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα νυνὶ, οὐκ ἐμπείρου καὶ δεινοῦ μόνον στρατηγοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σπουδαίου καὶ τὰ πολέμια ἐξησκημένου; ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν πανταχόθεν ἐξετάζοντι, οὐδεμία τις αἰτία φαίνεται ἀρκοῦσα πείθειν ὡς λυσιτελὲς αὐτὸν ἀποστάντα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ πάππῳ ἐγχειρίζειν. διὸ καὶ συμβεβούλευκα προθύμως τοῦ κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦντος ἕνεκα. σὲ δὲ εἰ μὴ τὰ λελεγμένα πείθειν ἱκανὰ, ἔξεστι καὶ ἑτέροις ἅμα καὶ συνετωτέροις 1.426 καὶ ἐμπειροτέροις συμβούλοις χρησαμένῳ, μὴ τοῦ δέοντος ἁμαρτεῖν.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος εἶπε· βασιλεὺς δ' ὥσπερ εἴωθε μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν «συνετῶς μὲν εἰρῆσθαι τοὺς λόγους,» εἶπεν «οὐκ ἂν ἔξαρνος γενοίμην· ἔτι δέ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ κατὰ σχολὴν εἶναι βουλευτέον περὶ αὐτῶν, εἴπως τι βέλτιον ὁ μεταξὺ χρόνος ἐξευρήσει.» ἐπαινέσαντος δὲ καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου, τὸ νῦν μὲν ἔχον διελύθησαν. ἐς τρίτην δὲ ἡμέραν πάλιν συνελθόντες, ἐπυνθάνοντο ἀλλήλων εἴτι πλέον ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ἐξευρηκότες εἶεν χρόνῳ· μηδὲν δὲ ἀμφοτέρων εἰρηκότων ἐπεψηφίσαντο τὴν βουλὴν, καὶ οὕτω παρ' ὀλίγον ἐλθὸν τὸ βασιλέα τὸν πρεσβύτερον αὖθις ἄρχοντα γενέσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων, ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἐκωλύθη. ὧν ὕστερον εἰς μνήμην ἐλθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο αὐτὸν τὸν μονήρη βίον ἀνῃρημένον ᾐνίττετο τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ, ὡς «εἰ ἃ πρότερον ἐβουλευόμεθα εἰς ἔργον ἧκον, νῦν οὐκ ἂν συνέβαινε τοιαῦτα.» πρὸς ἃ ἐκεῖνος ἀπεκρίνατο, ὡς «τοιαῦτα μὲν οὐκ ἂν συνέβη, ἴσως δ' ἕτερα χείρω καὶ ἀλυσιτελέστερα πολλῷ.» βασιλεὺς δ' ἐπεὶ τῆς νόσου ἤδη ἀπηλλάγη καθαρῶς, ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου εἰς Βυζάντιον ἧκεν ἀποδώσων τὰς εὐχαριστίας τῇ πανάγνῳ μητρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ ζωοδόχῳ πηγῇ τῇ μᾶλλον ἰάματα ἢ νάματα βρυούσῃ· ἧς τυχὼν ἀπήλλακτο καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς χαλεπῆς ἐκείνης νόσου. Βυζάντιοι δὲ πανδημεὶ πρὸς ὑπάντησιν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐξελθόντες, ἔτι δὲ καὶ οἱ 1.427 τῶν πέριξ χωρῶν τε καὶ πόλεων κατὰ θέαν βασιλέως πᾶσι γὰρ οὐκ ἐπέραστος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαύματος ἀξία ὄψις ἦν, ὥσπερ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγηγερμένος, ἄχρι μὲν Ῥηγίου προῆκον ὑπ' ἀλλήλων συνωθούμενοι καὶ ἠσπάζοντο βασιλέα προσκυνοῦντες. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ δι' αὐτῶν ἰὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἄχρι τοῦ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως τεμένους τῆς ἀεννάου πηγῆς ἦλθε συνωθούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους· ἀποδοὺς δὲ τὰς εὐχαριστίας θεῷ, ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια ἐκεῖθεν καὶ διέτριψεν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐξ ἐκείνης εἰς ἑξηκοστὴν ἡμέραν. αὖθις δὲ ἐξελθὼν, περιῄει τὰς τῆς Θρᾴκης πόλεις. καʹ. Ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους καὶ στρατιὰ Περσῶν ἱππικὴ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον περαιωθεῖσα, ἐληΐζετο τὴν Θρᾴκην. πυθόμενος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς συνήθροιζε τὴν στρατιὰν ὡς ἀμυνούμενος αὐτούς. ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐτελεῖτο, οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ τῶν Περσῶν, ἀναστρέψαντες ἐπεραιώθησαν πρὸς ἕω. πεντακόσιοι δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ χίλιοι λογάδες ἔμειναν ἐπὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης· βασιλέως δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπιστρατεύσαντος, ἔπεσον πάντες μάχῃ νικηθέντες. οὐ πολλαῖς δὲ ὕστερον ἡμέραις ἐκ τῆς ἑσπέρας ἠγγέλθη βασιλεῖ ὡς παρασκευάζοιτο στρατιὰ Τριβαλῶν τῇ Ἀχρίδι ἐπιθέσθαι πόλει ἑσπερίῳ ὑπὸ τὴν Πιερίαν τὸ ὄρος κειμένῃ, καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν οἱ Τριβαλοὶ δῃώσαντες τὰ περὶ αὐτὴν, περικαθήμενοι ἐπολιόρκουν· βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐβοήθει κατὰ τάχος. αἰσθόμενοι δὲ οἱ Τριβαλοὶ, τὴν πολιορκίαν ἐκλιπόντες, ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς Ἀχρίδα παρελ 1.428 θὼν πρόνοιάν τε ἐποιήσατο τῆς πόλεως ὅση