164

distributions, but he also provided honors indiscriminately and bestowed them on those to whom they were not due, and if the 617 imperial treasuries happened to be emptied in a single day, he considered it of no account. Indeed, to all those who had offended him while he was a private citizen, he forgave the charges and was angry with none of them; and he gave himself over to pleasures and luxuries, on the one hand trying to spit out the unpleasantness from the surge of his misfortunes, having just now come to the imperial rule as if to a sheltered harbor, and on the other hand indulging the empresses and courting their good will, since they were of relaxed morals. And he paid attention to letters, or rather to those who pursued letters and had a reputation for learning, though he himself had tasted of learning, so to speak, with only the tip of his finger. So, things in the palace were thus, but affairs outside were not going well for the Romans. For a certain Scythian man named Boisthlabos, having run away from Byzantium, and having gathered a band around him and lurking in the Illyrian mountains like some wild beast, was plundering the nations neighboring these mountains and subject to the Romans, both the Triballi and the Serbs and all who were of their kind. When this was reported to the emperor, he wrote 618 to Stephen, the governor in Dyrrachium, to engage him; for this was also the name of Boisthlabos. But he, having unskillfully attempted battle against that man (for he was devoid of strategic experience), became the cause of a great disaster for the soldiers with him, he himself barely escaping with a few men, but having destroyed the entire rest of the army there, which was not even able to use its hands and defend itself against its slayers. So affairs in Illyricum turned out in this way; but Monomachos (for let my account now turn again to his domestic affairs), since his second wife had also died, decided not to incline to a third marriage, but was carrying on an affair with the niece of his wife, who was living in widowhood, at first secretly, but then also openly. She was of a young age and possessed extraordinary physical beauty and was of a distinguished family; for she sprang from the line of the Scleroi. And so they were consumed with each other and love was so inflamed in them that if they were not together, they seemed not even to live or endure. Wherefore also, when this emperor was condemned to exile, as 619 has been said, she exiled herself from everything, so that she might see her lover and beloved and not be in exile from him; and she went away with the man, becoming everything to him and lightening his misfortune as much as possible, and providing for him from her own resources, so that in addition to his other sorrows he might not be oppressed by want; for the hope of rule also nourished her. But when he was raised to the high station of the empire, and her hopes had not been in vain, the emperor did not forget the woman, not even in his moment of good fortune, but brings up the subject of her with the empress and asks that the woman be recalled and receive some prosperity. And she did not refuse; for both time had carried away her jealousy, since she was now getting on in years, and the trials that had befallen her had made her more moderate. Scleraina was therefore brought back from Mitylene, and a prominent residence was not immediately prepared for her, nor a luxurious retinue. But as time went on, an imperial bodyguard was assigned to her and her house was transformed into a palace. For he made her 620 dwelling out to be the construction of his own house, so that he might go to her frequently, as if to inspect some of the building work. For a while, therefore, he put a stage-play to his love and, as it were, blushed at what was happening. Then he casts off both his shame and the pretense and was with the woman not as a concubine nor as a quasi-wife, but as an open bed-sharer. And money flowed to her from the imperial treasuries every day like rivers, and veins of gold were opened, and the emperor visited her without concealment. But, thinking it a terrible thing if he should not also live with her and dwell with her always, he moves the woman from there to the palace, having first consulted with the empress about this and persuaded her not to be displeased at what was happening. Indeed, it is even said that oaths of friendship

164

διανομάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τιμὰς χύδην παρεῖχε καὶ οἷς μὴ προσῆκεν αὐτὰς ἐχαρίζετο καὶ τοὺς 617 βασιλικοὺς θησαυροὺς εἰ αὐθημερὸν ἐκκενωθῆναι συμβέβηκεν, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τι πρᾶγμα λελόγιστο. τοῖς γε μὴν ἰδιωτεύοντι προσκεκρουκόσιν αὐτῷ ἀφῆκεν ἅπασι τὰς αἰτίας καὶ ἐμηνία τούτων οὐδέ τινι· ἡδυπαθείαις δ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκδέδωκε καὶ τρυφαῖς, τὸ μὲν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σάλου τῶν συμφορῶν ἀηδίαν ἀποπτύσαι πειρώμενος, ἄρτι πρὸς ἄκλυστον τάχα λιμένα κατάρας τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν βασίλειον, τὸ δέ τι ταῖς βασιλίσσαις χαριζόμενος καὶ γλυκυθυμίας αὐταῖς μνώμενος ἀνειμένων οὔσαις ἠθῶν. λόγοις δὲ προσεῖχεν ἢ μᾶλλον τοῖς λόγους μετιοῦσι καὶ δόξαν ἔχουσι λογιότητος, αὐτὸς τῶν λόγων ἄκρῳ μόνῳ δακτύλῳ τὸ τοῦ λόγου γευσάμενος. Τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὰ βασίλεια οὕτως εἶχε, τὰ δ' ἐκτὸς οὐκ εὐτυχῶς τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐφέρετο. ἀποδρὰς γάρ τις ἐκ Βυζαντίου Σκύθης ἀνήρ, Βοϊσθλάβος ὀνομαζόμενος, καὶ χεῖρα περὶ αὐτὸν συλλέξας κἀν τοῖς ὄρεσι τοῖς Ἰλλυριοῖς ἐμφωλεύων ὥς τις ἄγριος θήρ, τὰ πρόσοικα τοῖς ὄρεσι τούτοις ἔθνη καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ὑπήκοα ἐληίζετο, Τριβαλλούς τε καὶ Σέρβους καὶ ὅσοι τούτοις ὁμογενεῖς. ὡς δ' οὖν ἠγγέλη τοῦτο τῷ βασιλεῖ, γράφει 618 τῷ εἰς τὸ ∆υρράχιον ἄρχοντι τῷ Στεφάνῳ συμβαλεῖν· καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Βοϊσθλάβος ὠνόμαστο. ὁ δὲ ἀτέχνως ἐγχειρήσας τῇ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μάχῃ (ἦν γὰρ στρατηγικῆς ἐμπειρίας ἀμέθεκτος), μεγάλης τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ στρατευομένοις ἐγένετο παραίτιος συμφορᾶς, αὐτὸς μὲν μόλις μετὰ βραχέων σωθείς, τὸ δ' ἄλλο στράτευμα σύμπαν καταστρώσας ἐκεῖ, μηδὲ χειρὶ δυνάμενον χρήσασθαι καὶ τοὺς ἀναιρέτας ἀμύνασθαι. Τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν τοῦτον ἔσχε τὸν τρόπον· ὁ δὲ Μονομάχος (εἰς τὰ κατ' οἶκον γὰρ αὐτῷ πάλιν ὁ λόγος ἐμφιλοχωρησάτω), ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ δευτέρα σύνοικος αὐτῷ ἐτεθνήκει, εἰς τρίτον μὲν γάμον ἀποκλῖναι οὐκ ἔκρινεν, ἀνεψιᾷ δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ γαμετῆς χηρείᾳ συζώσῃ, λάθρᾳ μὲν πρῴην, εἶτα καὶ εἰς τοὐμφανὲς συνεφθείρετο. ἡ δὲ καὶ νέας ἦν ἡλικίας καὶ κάλλους εἶχε τοῦ σώματος περιττῶς καὶ γένους ἐπιφανῶς· ἐξέφυ γὰρ τοῦ σπέρματος τῶν Σκληρῶν. οὕτω δ' ἀλλήλοις ἐνετετήκεσαν καὶ οὕτω σφίσιν ὁ ἔρως ἐγκέκαυτο ὡς εἰ μὴ συνεῖεν ἀλλήλοις, μηδὲ ζῆν δοκεῖν μηδ' ἀνέχεσθαι. διὸ καὶ ὑπερορίαν, ὡς 619 εἴρηται, καταδικασθέντι τούτῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ κἀκείνη τῶν πάντων ἑαυτὴν ὑπερώρισεν, ἵν' ὁρῴη τὸν ἐρῶντά τε καὶ ἐρώμενον καὶ μὴ εἴη αὐτοῦ ὑπερόριος· καὶ συναπῄει τἀνδρί, πάντα γινομένη αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ὡς οἷόν τε συνεπικουφίζουσα κἀκ τῶν οἰκείων χορηγοῦσα τούτῳ, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις λυπηροῖς ἐνδείᾳ πιέζοιτο· ἔτρεφε γὰρ κἀκείνην ἡγεμονίας ἐλπίς. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐκεῖνος εἰς τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἤρθη περιωπήν, τῇ δὲ αἱ ἐλπίδες οὐκ ἐκβεβήκεσαν, οὐκ ἠμνημόνησε τῆς γυναικὸς οὐδ' ἐν τῇ εὐκαιρίᾳ ὁ βασιλεύς, ἀλλὰ προσάγει λόγους τῇ βασιλίδι περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀξιοῖ ἀνακληθῆναί τε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τυχεῖν εὐετηρίας τινός. ἡ δὲ οὐκ ἀνένευσεν· ὅ τε γὰρ χρόνος παρήνεγκεν αὐτῇ τὸ ζηλότυπον, ἤδη τυγχανούσῃ παρήλικι, καὶ οἱ συμβεβηκότες αὐτῇ πειρασμοὶ μετριωτέραν εἰργάσαντο. ἀνάγεται τοίνυν ἐκ Μιτυλήνης ἡ Σκλήραινα, καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς αὐτῇ περιφανὴς κατοικία ἡτοίμαστο, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ θεραπεία ἁβρά. τοῦ χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος καὶ βασίλειος αὐτῇ δορυφορία νενέμητο καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτῇ μετεσχημάτιστο εἰς ἀνάκτορον. οἶκον γὰρ οἰκεῖον οἰκοδομεῖν ἐσχηματίσατο τὴν ἐκείνης 620 καταγωγήν, ἵνα θαμὰ πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀπίοι, ὡς δή τι τῶν δομουμένων ὀψόμενος. μέχρι μὲν οὖν τινος ἐσκηνοποίει τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ ὥσπερ ἠρυθρία πρὸς τὸ γινόμενον. εἶτα καὶ τὴν αἰδῶ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ἀποτίθεται καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ συνῆν οὐχ ὡς παλλακῇ οὐδ' ὡς ἡμιγάμῳ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐμφανῶς ξυνευνέτιδι. καὶ αὐτῇ ἐκ τῶν βασιλικῶν ταμείων καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπέρρει τὰ χρήματα κατὰ ποταμοὺς καὶ φλέβες ἀνεστομοῦντο χρυσίτιδες, καὶ ἀπαρακαλύπτως αὐτῇ προσεφοίτα ὁ βασιλεύς. ἀλλὰ δεινὸν ἡγούμενος εἰ μὴ καὶ συμβιῴη αὐτῇ καὶ συνοικοίη διὰ παντός, μετάγει ἐκεῖθεν τὴν γυναῖκα πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια, τῇ βασιλίδι περὶ τούτου πρότερον κοινολογησάμενος καὶ πείσας μὴ δυσχερᾶναι πρὸς τὸ γινόμενον. μᾶλλον μέντοι καὶ φιλίας ὅρκια λέγεται