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he plundered countries, and having taken by siege the city of Achris, in which the palaces had been built for the rulers of the Bulgars, and other fortresses through his generals, he returned to the city of Constantine. And again he marched against the Bulgars and again destroyed fortresses and many of the barbarians, while capturing others alive. But the ruler of the Bulgars, John Vladislav, set out against Dyrrhachium and fell while besieging it, having ruled for two years and five months. When the emperor learned this, he immediately went out and when he was near Adrianople, certain prominent Bulgars came to him, surrendering to him Pernikon and five and thir566ty other fortresses, and many others of these barbarians flocked to him. And Maria, the wife of John Vladislav, sent to the emperor David, the archbishop of Bulgaria, with letters, promising to withdraw from Bulgaria, if she should obtain what she wanted. And after a short time the wife came to the emperor, bringing with her three sons and six daughters; and three other sons of hers became fugitives in the mountains, but they too, being compelled as the mountains were guarded, came to the emperor; these were Prousianos and both his brothers, of whom he honored Prousianos as *magistros*, and the rest as *patrikioi*. Therefore, having brought all of Bulgaria under his control and having destroyed some of the fortresses, and fortified others and left sufficient garrisons for them, he himself arrived in Athens, to offer thank-offerings to the Theotokos; and having dedicated many and costly things to the temple, he returned to the preeminent of cities and celebrated a triumph, crowned with an upright tiara (which the common and vulgar per567son calls a *toupha*, named, I think, from *typhos* [pride], as it makes those crowned with it puffed up) and thus he arrived at the [church of the] Wisdom of the Word of God, giving there his thanks to the Lord. When he was there the patriarch, having beseeched him many times to abolish the *allelengyon*, did not persuade him, and this despite his having promised to do this if he should prevail over the Bulgars. This patriarch, Sergios, having shepherded the church for twenty years, departed this life, and Eustathios, who was the chief of the priests of the temple in the palace, was appointed archbishop of the church in Constantinople. And with Bulgaria having been subjugated to the rule of the Romans, the nations of the Croats also submitted, and indeed Sirmium as well. Then the emperor marches against Abasgia, as its ruler had broken the treaty. And while he was there, behind him Xiphias and Nikephoros the son of Bardas Phokas, the *patrikioi*, revolted, but their revolt was quickly extinguished, as Xiphias killed Phokas, and he himself was arrested and led away as a prisoner to the queen of cities. The emperor, having just now put aside his concerns 568 about this usurpation, clashes with the Abasgians; and a fierce battle having taken place, many fell on both sides and the contest was evenly balanced, then when war was joined again, the Romans were victorious. And the leader of the Abasgians, George, fled into the deeper parts of Iberia and after a short while, having asked for a truce, he ceded to the emperor as much territory as the emperor wished, giving his son, Pankratios, as a hostage, and having accomplished these things, the emperor returned. And he was also contemplating setting out for Sicily, but his plan did not proceed to action; for his life was already nearing its end and he was ill. A short while before he passed away, the patriarch Eustathios died, having presided over the church of the Orthodox for *** years. And while the emperor was sick, Alexios, who at that time held the presidency of the monastery of Stoudios, came to the emperor, bringing to him the sacred head 569 of the revered Forerunner. And immediately the emperor appointed him patriarch, passing away that very evening, having lived and reigned for seventy-two years,

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ἐληίσατο χώρας, τὴν δὲ τῆς Ἀχρίδος πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ τὰ βασίλεια τοῖς τῶν Βουλγάρων ᾠκοδόμηντο ἀρχηγοῖς, πολιορκίᾳ λαβὼν καὶ ἕτερα φρούρια διὰ στρατηγῶν, ἐπανέζευξεν εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου. Καὶ αὖθις δὲ κατὰ Βουλγάρων ἐστράτευσε καὶ αὖθις φρούριά τε καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς μὲν διέφθειρε, τοὺς δὲ συνέσχε ζωούς. ὁ δὲ τῶν Βουλγάρων ἄρχων ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ Βλαδισθλάβος κατὰ τοῦ ∆υρραχίου ἐξώρμησε καὶ πολιορκῶν αὐτὸ πίπτει, ἄρξας ἔτη δύο καὶ μῆνας πέντε. ὃ μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς ἔξεισι καὶ περὶ τὴν Ἀδριανούπολιν γενομένῳ προσίασιν αὐτῷ τῶν Βουλγάρων ἐπιφανεῖς τινες, παραδιδόντες αὐτῷ τὸν Πέρνικον καὶ ἕτερα φρούρια πέντε καὶ τριά566 κοντα, καὶ ἄλλοι δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν βαρβάρων τούτων αὐτῷ προσερρύησαν. καὶ ἡ γυνὴ δὲ τοῦ Ἰωάννου καὶ Βλαδισθλάβου Μαρία ἔπεμψε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Βουλγαρίας ∆αβὶδ μετὰ γραμμάτων ἐκστῆναι τῆς Βουλγαρίας ὑπισχνουμένη, εἰ ὧνπερ βούλεται τεύξεται. καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν ἧκεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, υἱοὺς ἐπαγομένη τρεῖς καὶ θυγάτρια ἕξ· καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ τρεῖς ταύτης υἱοὶ φυγάδες ἐγένοντο ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνοι τῶν ὀρῶν φυλαττομένων βιασθέντες προσῆλθον τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἦσαν δὲ οὗτοι ὁ Προυσιάνος καὶ ἄμφω οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ, ὧν τὸν μὲν Προυσιάνον ἐτίμησε μάγιστρον, πατρικίους δὲ τοὺς λοιπούς. ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν οὖν τὴν ἅπασαν Βουλγαρίαν πεποιηκὼς καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν φρουρίων καταστρεψάμενος, τὰ δὲ κατοχυρώσας καὶ φρουρὰς αὐτοῖς ἀρκούσας καταλιπών, αὐτὸς εἰς Ἀθήνας ἀφίκετο, θύσων τῇ θεοτόκῳ τὰ χαριστήρια· καὶ ἀναθέμενος τῷ ναῷ πολλὰ καὶ πολυτελῆ ἐπανέζευξεν εἰς τὴν ὑπερκειμένην τῶν πόλεων καὶ κατήγαγε θρίαμβον, τιάρᾳ ταινιωθεὶς ὀρθίᾳ (ἣν τοῦφαν καλεῖ ὁ δημώδης καὶ πολὺς ἄν567 θρωπος, τύφον, οἶμαι, ὠνομασμένην, ὡς τετυφῶσθαι ποιοῦσαν τοὺς ταύτῃ ἀναδουμένους) καὶ οὕτως ἄχρι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου Σοφίας ἀφίκετο, ἀποδοὺς ἐν ταύτῃ τῷ κυρίῳ τὰ χαριστήρια. ἔνθα γενόμενον ὁ πατριάρχης πολλὰ ἱκετεύσας ἐκκόψαι τὸ ἀλληλέγγυον οὐ κατεδυσώπησε, καὶ ταῦτα ὑποσχόμενον τοῦτο ποιήσειν, εἰ τῶν Βουλγάρων κρατήσειεν. οὗτος ὁ πατριάρχης Σέργιος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐπὶ εἴκοσι ποιμάνας ἔτη, μετέθετο τὴν ζωήν, καὶ προεχειρίσθη τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐκκλησίας ἀρχιερεὺς Εὐστάθιος, ὃς τοῦ ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ ναοῦ ἱερέων ἐπρώτευε. Τῆς Βουλγαρίας δὲ δουλωθείσης τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίᾳ καὶ τὰ τῶν Χορβάτων ἔθνη ὑπέκυψαν, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸ Σίρμιον. εἶτα κατὰ Ἀβασγίας ἐκστρατεύει ὁ βασιλεύς, τοῦ ταύτης κρατοῦντος παρασπονδήσαντος. ἐκεῖ δὲ τούτου γεγονότος, ὄπισθεν ἀποστατοῦσιν ὅ τε Ξιφίας καὶ Νικηφόρος ὁ υἱὸς Βάρδα τοῦ Φωκᾶ οἱ πατρίκιοι, ἀλλὰ ταχέως ἡ τούτων ἐσβέσθη ἀποστασία, τοῦ μὲν Ξιφία τὸν Φωκᾶν ἀνελόντος, αὐτοῦ δὲ συλληφθέντος καὶ δεσμίου ἀπαχθέντος εἰς τὴν τῶν πόλεων βασιλεύουσαν. ἄρτι δὲ τὰς περὶ τῆς τυραννίδος ταύτης φροντίδας 568 ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀποσκευασάμενος συρρήγνυται τοῖς Ἀβασγοῖς· καὶ μάχης ἰσχυρᾶς γενομένης ἔπεσον πολλοὶ ἀμφοτέρωθεν καὶ ἦν ἰσόρροπος ὁ ἀγών, εἶτ' αὖθις κροτηθέντος πολέμου νικῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι. καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἀβασγῶν ἡγεμὼν Γεώργιος εἰς τὰ τῆς Ἰβηρίας ἀπέδρα βαθύτερα καὶ μετὰ βραχὺ σπονδὰς αἰτήσας ἐξέστη τῷ βασιλεῖ χώρας ὁπόσης ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐβούλετο, εἰς ὁμηρείαν παρασχὼν Παγκράτιον τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα διανύσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπανέζευξεν. Ἦν δὲ διὰ μελέτης αὐτῷ καὶ πρὸς Σικελίαν ἀπᾶραι, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς ἔργον αὐτῷ προέβη τὸ βούλευμα· ἤδη γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τέλος κατήντησε τὸ βιώσιμον καὶ ἐνοσηλεύετο. πρὸ βραχέος δὲ τοῦ αὐτὸν ἐκλιπεῖν ὁ πατριάρχης Εὐστάθιος θνήσκει, προστὰς τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἐπ' ἔτεσι ***. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ νοσοῦντος Ἀλέξιος ὁ τότε τὴν προστασίαν ἔχων τῆς τοῦ Στουδίου μονῆς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀφίκετο, τὴν ἱερὰν κάραν 569 τοῦ τιμίου Προδρόμου κομίζων αὐτῷ. καὶ αὐτίκα τοῦτον ὁ βασιλεὺς πατριάρχην προεχειρίσατο, κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὴν ζωὴν ἐκλιπών, ζήσας μὲν καὶ βασιλεύσας χρόνους ἑβδομήκοντα ἐπὶ δυσίν,