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hopes, (they who had spread the rumor of the blinding of his eyes as if in a secret place) summoning certain men, they send them out to proclaim this to everyone in secret, even though this had not yet entered the emperor’s mind at all. But this report, although it was then a mere word, nevertheless proceeded to action, as the account will make clear below. 9.9.2 When the sun, having peeped over the horizon, leapt up brightly, all those around the emperor who had not taken part in Diogenes' ruinous plot, and the guards themselves long appointed to the royal person, were the first to proceed to the royal tent, some girt with swords, others carrying spears, and others with heavy iron broadswords on their shoulders, stationing themselves in troops at some distance from the royal throne in a crescent shape, and as it were embracing the emperor, all commanded by anger and sharpening, if not their swords, then their hearts. As many of his kinsmen by blood and marriage as were present stood near the royal throne on either side. On the right and on the left other shield-bearers were stationed. And the emperor sat forth fearsome upon his seat, attired not so much royally as militarily, nor was he much elevated, as was his unassuming nature. Nevertheless, gold adorned the throne and it held its head high. And his brow was furrowed, and the struggle then especially reddened his cheek, and his eyes, fixed in thought and full of meditations, revealed his soul. 9.9.3 And all ran together, terrified and almost forced by fear to breathe out their souls into the air, some being pricked by their own conscience more sharply than an arrow, and others fearing empty suspicion. And no voice was heard from anyone, but gazing intently toward the man standing at the gate of the tent, they stood terrified. This was a man both intelligent in speech and capable in action; Tatikios was his name. The emperor, gazing at him, indicated with his glance that he should grant entrance to those outside. And he immediately made way for them to enter. And they, although afraid, nevertheless entered, with faces turned away and walking with a slow step. And having taken their places in rows, they awaited what was to come, each one fearing as if he were about to run the final race for his life. 9.9.4 But not even the emperor himself was entirely confident (I speak in human terms, except insofar as he referred everything to God), fearing the mixed company of those present, lest they might devise some other sharp and terrible thing against him. But having steadied himself with firmer reasoning and having once and for all entered the contest, he began his speech to them (and they stood more voiceless even than fish, as if their tongues had been cut out): “You know,” he said, “that Diogenes has never suffered any harm from me. For I did not take this imperial rule from his father, but another did, nor have I done anything terrible or grievous to him at all. And when the empire was transferred to me, surely by the will of God, not only did I maintain him and his brother Leo in their position, but I also loved and treated them as my own children. And as for Nicephorus, though I caught him plotting against me many times, just as many times I deemed him worthy of pardon. And when he was not reformed, I endured it, concealing many of his angry acts, understanding the ill-will of everyone towards them, even though none of the good things done by me for him altered the treachery of his mind. But he, in return for all this, has condemned me to death.” 9.9.5 At this they all shouted that they would not want to see another presiding in imperial guise, the majority not wanting this, but their words were flattery to escape the immediate danger

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ἐλπίδας, τὴν τῶν τούτου ὀμμάτων ὡς ἐν παραβύστῳ διαφημισάντων ἐκτύφλωσιν) μεταπεμψά μενοί τινας διαπέμπονται τοὺς τοῦτο πρὸς πάντας διακη ρυκεύσοντας ἐν ἀπορρήτοις, κἂν μηδ' εἰς νοῦν οὔπω τοῦτο τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ὅλως ἀνῄει. Ὁ δὲ λόγος οὗτος κἂν ψιλὸς τότ' ἦν, εἰς ἔργον ὅμως προὐβέβηκε, καθὼς ὁ λόγος κατω τέρω διατρανώσειεν. 9.9.2 Ἐπὰν δὲ ὁ ἥλιος τοῦ ὁρίζοντος ὑπερκύψας λαμπρὸς ἀνέθορεν, ὁπόσοι τῶν περὶ τὸν αὐτο κράτορα μὴ τῆς τοῦ ∆ιογένους λύμης μετειλήχασι καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ πάλαι τῶν βασιλικῶν σωμάτων τεταγμένοι φύλα κες, πρῶτοι πρὸς τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐχώρουν σκηνὴν οἱ μὲν ξίφη περιεζωσμένοι, οἱ δὲ δόρατα φέροντες, οἱ δὲ τὰς βαρυσιδήρους ῥομφαίας ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἔχοντες, ἐκ διαστή ματός τινος τοῦ βασιλικοῦ θρόνου εἰς μηνοειδὲς σχῆμα ἑαυτοὺς ἰλαδὸν καταστήσαντες καὶ οἷον ἐναγκαλισάμενοι τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, θυμῷ στρατηγούμενοι πάντες καὶ θήγον τες κἂν μὴ τὰ ξίφη, ἀλλὰ τὰς καρδίας. Ὅσον δὲ συγγενὲς ἐξ αἵματός τε καὶ ἀγχιστείας τούτῳ προσῆκον, ἀγχοῦ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ θρόνου ἐφ' ἑκάτερα ἵσταντο. ∆εξιόθεν δὲ καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων ἕτεροι καθίσταντο ὑπασπισταί. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ θώκου φοβερὸς προὐκάθητο, οὐ βασιλικῶς ἐσταλμένος μᾶλλον ἢ στρατιωτικῶς οὐδὲ πολὺ μετέωρος, ὁποῖα τὰ ἐκείνου μὴ ἐπηρμένα. Χρυσὸς δὲ ὅμως τὸν θρόνον ὑπήλει φεν ὑπερανεστήκει τε τὴν κεφαλήν. Συνέσταλτο δὲ τούτου τὸ ἐπισκύνιον, τὴν δὲ παρειὰν ἐπιπλέον τότε ὁ ἀγὼν κατε φοίνισσε, τὰ δὲ ὄμματα πεπηγότα ἐπὶ συννοίας καὶ πλήρη ἐνθυμημάτων ὑπεμφαίνοντα τὴν ψυχήν. 9.9.3 Συνέθεον δὲ ἅπαντες ὁμοῦ πεφοβημένοι καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς μικροῦ ἐς ἀέρα ἐξερεύξασθαι ὑπὸ φόβου ἐκβιαζόμενοι, τῶν μὲν ὀξύτερον βέλους ὑπὸ τῆς σφῶν συνειδήσεως κεντουμένων, τῶν δὲ τὴν κενὴν ὑποψίαν δεδιότων. Φωνὴ δέ τις παρ' οὐδενὸς ἐξηκούετο, ἀλλ' ἀτενὲς πρὸς τὸν ἐφεστηκότα τῇ πύλῃ τῆς σκηνῆς ἀπονεύοντες ἐπτοημένοι ἑστήκεσαν. Ἀνὴρ δὲ οὗτος καὶ εἰπεῖν συνετὸς καὶ καταπράξασθαι δυνατός· Τατίκιος τούτῳ τὸ ὄνομα. Τούτῳ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐνατενίσας δοῦναι τοῖς ἔξωθεν τὴν εἴσοδον διὰ τοῦ βλέμματος ἐνέφηνεν. Ὁ δὲ παραχρῆμα τῆς εἰσόδου τούτοις παραχωρεῖ. Οἱ δὲ καίπερ δεδιότες, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰσῄεσαν τετραμμένοι τε τὰς ὄψεις καὶ βραδεῖ ποδὶ στείχοντες. Κατὰ στοίχους δὲ τὴν στάσιν λαχόντες ἐκαραδόκουν τὸ μέλλον ἕκαστος δεδιὼς ὡς τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς λοίσθιον δρόμον δραμούμενος. 9.9.4 Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐθάρρει παντάπασι (κατ' ἄνθρωπον λέγω, εἰ μὴ ὅσον εἰς Θεὸν ἀναφέρων τὸ πᾶν) δεδιὼς τὸ σύμ μικτον τῶν παρεστώτων, μὴ ἄλλο τι ὀξὺ καὶ δεινὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετήσαιεν. Στερροτέροις δὲ λογισμοῖς ἑαυτὸν ἑδράσας καὶ ἅπαξ τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἐγκαταστὰς τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς δημηγορίας ἤρχετο (οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ἰχθύων ἀφω νότεροι ἑστήκεσαν καθαπερεὶ τὰς γλώττας ἐκκεκομμένοι)· «Οἴδατε» λέγων «ὡς οὐδὲν δεινὸν παρ' ἐμοῦ ὁ ∆ιογένης ἐπεπόνθει ποτέ. Οὔτε γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν ταυτησὶ τῆς βασι λείας ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀφειλόμην ἐγώ, ἀλλ' ἕτερος, οὔτε τι δεινὸν ἢ λυπηρὸν τὸ παράπαν εἰς αὐτὸν πέπραχα. Καὶ τῆς βασιλείας εἰς ἐμὲ Θεοῦ πάντως νεύσει μεταβι βασθείσης οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸν Λέοντα ἐπὶ ταὐτοῦ διεφύλαξα, ἀλλ' ὡς οἰκείους παῖδας καὶ ἐπό θησα καὶ ἐχρησάμην. Τὸν δὲ Νικηφόρον καὶ πολλάκις κατ' ἐμοῦ βουλευόμενον φωράσας τοσαυτάκις συμπαθείας ἠξίωσα. Καὶ μηδὲ πάλιν διορθουμένου ἠνειχόμην ἐπικρύπ των τὰ πολλὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ μηνιμάτων κατανοῶν τὴν τῶν ἁπάντων πρὸς αὐτοὺς δυσμένειαν, κἂν μηδὲν τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένων ἀγαθῶν τὸ δολερὸν τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώμης ἠλλοίωσεν. Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἀντὶ πάντων θάνατόν μοι ἐπεψηφίσατο.» 9.9.5 Ἐπεβόησαν δ' ἐπὶ τούτοις ἅπαντες, ὡς οὐ βούλοιντ' ἂν ἕτερον προεστηκότα ἐν βασιλείῳ ἰδεῖν σχήματι, οὐ τοῦτο οἱ πλείους βουλόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἦσαν θῶπες αὐτῶν οἱ λόγοι τὸν ὑπόγυον διαδρᾶναι κίνδυνον