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but were openly judged for their devotion to the emperor, if they did not complete the matter of the subscription. But as some resorted to fear, lest they be forced to something more, the emperor immediately commands, and a chrysobull decree is issued, full indeed of most dreadful curses, and full also of most blood-guilty oaths, that truly he would not force anything more, not accomplish it, not attempt it, nor even bring into mind to alter the creed by so much as a single horn and iota, nor to seek more than the three chapters, of the primacy, the appeal, and the commemoration, and these by bare names according to economy; but if he should, to become utterly and completely destroyed and to suffer the most fearsome things. Having written and signed these things, and moreover having sealed it with a golden bull, he sends it to the church through the protasekretis Michael of Neocaesarea; by which indeed having been reassured, they subscribe, except even then for some, who having been exiled, after a time gave their consent, are brought back and are united to the church, with no one of the clergy being missing. 507

21. How the emperor's envoys were in peril at sea. But the matters of the envoys must also be told. For they, having sailed at the wrong season—for at the beginning of the month of Kronios they embarked on the ships and sailed away—towards the end of the month are near Malea itself, which they are accustomed to call Xylophagos, and on the evening of the then-present great fifth day, they suffer a terrible shipwreck. For immediately the sea was in turmoil, and a bright Hellespontine wind descended, and with clouds it covered the land and sea together; and night did not rise from the heavens, but in truth the night was the shadow of the earth and the usual one, except that it was moonless and starless. The instability and confusion of the air increased the terror of the sea, and a terrible danger was laid upon the sailors. First, then, the surge separated the ships from one another, and those in them could not know where each was going; for they gave way to the wave swelling violently, wherever it might furiously dash and carry them. Wherefore those with Germanus and the Grand Logothete both pushed the trireme towards the open sea and ran before the wind, trusting the open sea, acting more wisely than the rest. For those others, losing heart at the danger and hoping to be saved by the dry land, which was near, if they should find a harbor, were on guard for the land, fearing the danger from it, yet on the other hand they did not trust the open sea either. Wherefore, as the pilot was little by little overcome by the force of the waves, they strike unseen against the shores and thus sink with the ship itself, sinking with them those royal gifts and the precious vestments of the church, along with the men themselves, with one and only one being saved, who indeed became the messenger of the disaster. And so those with the archons were reported to have utterly perished; but those with the men of the church and the Grand Logothete, fighting a sea battle all night against both wave and sea and often coming close to sinking, with difficulty and with great force, as day was dawning, arrive at Methone, having scarcely escaped, against all hope, the impending 509 danger. And resting there for several days, in order to learn of the other trireme, if it had somehow survived the surge, they became aware of the bitter news not long after; who indeed, having been left alone, since it was not possible to turn back, set out for the things ahead, and sailed away toward Rome. And within a few days, having reached the pope, they fulfilled the duties of the embassy, as the pope gladly received the envoys, so as even to honor them with tiaras and mitres and rings, as is their custom concerning high priests. Therefore, having spent spring and summer there and having been treated with the customary kindness by the pope, they arrange the matters of the embassy and, as autumn was ending, they reach the city together with envoys.

22. How the pope was commemorated, the patriarch having suspended his duties. Therefore, from this point on, the patriarch was to suspend his duties completely, according to the agreements,

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ἀλλ' ἄντικρυς ἐκρίνοντο τῆς πρὸς βασιλέα καθοσιώσεως, ἢν μή γε τὰ τῆς ὑπογραφῆς τελοῖεν. Ὡς δέ τινες εἰς φόβον κατέφευγον τοῦ μή τι καὶ πλέον προσβιασθῆναι, ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτίκα προστάσσει, καὶ λόγος ἐκτίθεται χρυσοβούλλειος, πλήρης μὲν φρικωδεστάτων ἀρῶν, πλήρης δὲ καὶ ὅρκων παλαμναιοτάτων, ἦ μὴν μὴ ἐκβιάσασθαι πλέον, μὴ διαπράξασθαι, μὴ παρεγχειρῆσαι, μηδ' εἰς νοῦν βαλεῖν μέχρι καὶ ἐς κεραίαν μίαν καὶ ἰῶτα τὰ τοῦ συμβόλου παραγαγεῖν, μὴ πλέον τῶν τριῶν κεφαλαίων, πρωτείου καὶ ἐκκλήτου καὶ μνημοσύνου, καὶ τούτων ἐπὶ ψιλοῖς ὀνόμασι κατ' οἰκονο μίαν, ζητῆσαι· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἐξώλη τε καὶ προώλη γενέσθαι καὶ τὰ φοβερώτατα ὑποσχεῖν. Ταῦτα γράψας καὶ ὑπογράψας, προσέτι δὲ καὶ βούλλῃ χρυσῇ κατασφαλισάμενος, πέμπει τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ διὰ τοῦ πρωτασηκρῆτις Νεοκαι σαρείτου Μιχαήλ· ᾧ δὴ καὶ βεβαιωθέντες, καθυπογράφουσιν, ἄνευ καὶ τότε τινῶν, οἳ δὴ καὶ ἐξορισθέντες, μετὰ καιρὸν συγκαταθέμενοι, κατά γονται καὶ ἑνοῦνται τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, οὐδενὸς τῶν τοῦ κλήρου ἐλλείψαντος. 507

καʹ. Ὅπως οἱ πρέσβεις τοῦ βασιλέως κατὰ θάλασσαν ἐκινδύνευσαν. Ἀλλὰ ῥητέον καὶ τὰ τῶν πρέσβεων. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ παρὰ καιρὸν πλεύσαντες κρονίου γὰρ ἀρχομένου μηνὸς ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐμβάντες ἀπέπλεον, πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ Μαλέᾳ, ὃν καὶ Ξυλοφάγον καλεῖν εἰώθασι, λήγοντος τοῦ μηνός, γίνονται καὶ τῇ ἐνισταμένῃ τότε μεγάλῃ πέμπτῃ ἑσπέρας ναυαγίῳ χρῶνται δεινῷ. Αὐτίκα γὰρ ὤδινε μὲν ἡ θάλασσα, καὶ κατέβαινεν Ἑλλησποντίας λαμπρός, σὺν δὲ νεφέεσσι κάλυψε γαῖαν ὁμοῦ καὶ πόντον· καὶ νὺξ μὲν οὐκ οὐρανόθεν ὀρώρει, ἀλλ' ἦν ταῖς ἀληθείαις νὺξ ἡ σκιὰ γῆς καὶ συνήθης, πλὴν ἀσέληνός τε καὶ ἀλαμπὴς ἐξ ἀστέρων. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀκαταστασία καὶ σύγχυσις τὸ δεινὸν ἐπηύξανε τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ δεινὸς ἐφῆπται τοῖς πλέουσι κίνδυνος. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν διέσχεν ὁ κλύδων τὰς ναῦς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐταῖς οὐκ εἶχον εἰδέναι ποῦ προΐασιν ἄρα ἑκάτεροι· ἐνέδοσαν γὰρ τῷ κύματι σφοδρῶς πλημμυροῦντι, ὅπου προσαράσσων ἀγρίως καὶ φέροι. Ὅθεν καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Γερμανὸν καὶ τὸν μέγαν λογοθέτην ἀνώθουν τε πρὸς πέλαγος τὴν τριήρη καὶ ἐξουρίαζον, τῷ πελάγει πιστεύσαντες, σοφώτερον δρῶντες ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιπούς. Ἐκεῖνοι γάρ, μικροψυχήσαντες πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ τῇ ξηρᾷ, ἐγγὺς οὔσῃ, ἐλπίζοντες σωθήσεσθαι, εἰ λιμένι ἐντύ χοιεν, τὴν γῆν μὲν ἐφυλάσσοντο, τὸν ἀπὸ ταύτης δεδιότες κίνδυνον, πλὴν δ' ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πάλιν τῷ πελάγει ἐπίστευον. Ὅθεν καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν τῆς φορᾶς τῶν κυμάτων ἡττωμένου τοῦ κυβερνήτου, ἀφανῶς ταῖς ἀκταῖς προσπαίουσι καὶ οὕτως αὐτόνεῳ καταδύονται, δῶρα ἐκεῖνα βασιλικὰ καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας πολύτιμον ἐνδυτὴν αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσι συγκαταδύσαντες, ἑνὸς καὶ μόνου δια σωθέντος, ὃς δὴ καὶ ἄγγελος ἐγεγόνει τῆς συμφορᾶς. Καὶ οὕτω μὲν οἱ ἀμφὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐξαπολωλότες ἠγγέλλοντο· οἱ δὲ περὶ τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τὸν μέγαν λογοθέτην, τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν πρός τε κῦμα πρός τε θάλασσαν διαναυμαχοῦντες καὶ πολλάκις ἐγγὺς ἐλθόντες τοῦ καταδῦναι, μόλις καὶ σὺν πολλῇ βίᾳ, ὑπαυγαζούσης ἡμέρας, πρὸς Μεθώνην γίνονται, μόγις ἀποδράσαντες παρ' ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα 509 κίνδυνον. Ἐκεῖσε δ' ἀνέσαντες ἡμέρας πλείους, ἐφ' ᾧ μαθεῖν τὰ τῆς ἄλλης τριήρεως, εἴ που τοῦ κλύδωνος διαγένοιτο, ἐν εἰδήσει γίνονται τῆς πικρᾶς ἀγγελίας μετ' οὐ πολύ· οἳ δὴ καὶ μόνοι λειφθέντες, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν ὑποστρέφειν, τοῖς πρόσω ἐπιβαλλόμενοι, πρὸς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀπέπλεον. Καὶ δι' ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν καταλαβόντες τὸν πάπαν, τὰ τῆς πρεσβείας ἐπλήρουν, ἀσμένως ὑποδεξαμένου τοῦ πάπα τοὺς πρέσβεις, ὥστε καὶ τιμῆσαι σφᾶς τιάραις τε καὶ μίτραις καὶ δακτυλίοις, ὡς ἡ ἐκείνων ἔχει ἐπ' ἀρχιερεῦσι συνήθεια. Ἔαρ οὖν καὶ θέρος ἐκεῖσε διαγαγόντες καὶ τὰ εἰκότα φιλοφρονηθέντες παρὰ τοῦ πάπα, τὰ τῆς πρεσβείας διευθετοῦσι καί, φθινοπώρου λήγοντος, συνάμα πρέσβεσι τὴν πόλιν καταλαμβάνουσιν.

κβʹ. Ὅπως ὁ πάπας ἐμνημονεύετο, ἀργήσαντος τοῦ πατριάρχου. Ἦν οὖν ἀπεντεῦθεν ἀργῆσαι μὲν τὸν πατριάρχην κατὰ τὰ συγκείμενα τέλεον,