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war of the Africans, 455 immediately they were engaged and clashed, and in the entanglement of the ships with one another; and indeed when a violent wind blew, allying with and helping us, but fighting against and resisting the barbarians, they had defeat as a consequence, being delivered to the deep with their own weapons and ships. And indeed their emir implored the emperor for peace treaties. And not only did these acknowledge their servitude to the emperor, but also the barbarians inhabiting Gaul with all their households offered their goodwill to the porphyrogennetos ruler, and sent magnificent gifts to the emperor with their hostages; and the fortune of the porphyrogennetos brought all into submission, into servitude and under the yoke. 32 And the emir of Egypt, having heard of the great victory of the Romans and the naval battle and the defeat of the deniers of Christ, immediately cast off his belligerence in friendly letters and promises unity. And the emir of Persia, since he had encountered the Roman armies in various ways and was defeated in various assaults and wars, is reconciled to the emperor with a bond of love. And the emperor sends hostages to him; who, having arrived at that arid land, after venerating and embracing the tomb of the Apostle Thomas, and lighting the imperial lamps that had been sent down, and trading in precious stones and pearls. 456 For to such an extent, along with other great achievements, was the emperor graced, as to collect and gather one thing after another and to transform it to something worthy of love. 33 It is necessary therefore also to narrate concerning the Chrysotriklinos; the most ingenious ruler made it to be a certain many-flowered and fragrant rose-garden, of multi-colored [flowers] and the most delicate various tesserae imitating the colors of newly-sprouted flowers; the central parts, enclosed by spiral intertwinings and shaped by the composition, bear an incomparable result. He crowned this with silver, and having encompassed it like a rim, it bestows insatiable delight upon the beholders. 34 And the emperor loved the citizens as his own offspring, and more, and held them in high esteem. And he made a selection of those born from noble stock. And some he makes brilliant with the honors of dignities, others he honors with magnificent gifts, and he makes them his table companions and messmates, and the affection rather increased his goodwill, and instead of many bodyguards and guards and saviors, he preferred these men as being faithful and loyal to their master, and to prefer the ruler to their own safety. 35 It is necessary to describe the Brumalia reception of the porphyrogennetos. For it was a custom practiced by the emperors of old, and 457 the porphyrogennetos put this into practice. For on the day to which the letter kappa of his name was allotted, celebrating a most brilliant festival, he makes this a populous one. And for receiving the entire senate at those costly and sumptuous tables with most beneficent provisions he multiplied the splendor of the feast, bestowing silken cloaks, much and countless silver, purple garments, the fragrance of Indian wood, things which no one has heard of or has seen come to pass. 36 Everyone knows music, that it is some divine invention and contributes to human nature. What then did the pious and most magnanimous ruler do? He laid claim to it, and through it he did not cease to hymn the divine. From this, brilliant festivals were made brilliant, and the feasts of the martyrs were made resplendent, the memorials of holy shepherds and teachers flashed all around. For the man was so graced as to organize choirs of hymn-singers and to devise leaders for them, he himself being with them before all others, listening to what was being sung and delighting and rejoicing his soul. 37 Thus he loved as

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̓Αφρικῶν πόλε- 455 μον, αὐτίκα συνεπλέκοντο καὶ συνερρήγνυντο, καὶ τῶν νηῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλων συμπλοκήν· καὶ δὴ ἀνέμου βιαίου πνεύσαντος, ἡμῖν μὲν συμμαχοῦντος καὶ βοηθοῦντος, τοῖς δὲ βαρβάροις πολεμοῦντος καὶ ἀνθισταμένου, τὴν ητταν ειχον ἀκόλουθον, σὺν τοῖς αὐτῶν οπλοις καὶ ταῖς ναυσὶ τῷ βυθῷ παραδιδομένων. καὶ δὴ ὁ ἀμηρᾶς αὐτῶν σπονδὰς εἰρηνικὰς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐξελιπάρει. καὶ οὐ μόνον ουτοι τὴν δούλωσιν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ὡμολόγησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τὰς Γαλλίας οἰκοῦντες πανοικὶ βάρβαροι παρεῖχον πρὸς τὸν πορ- φυρογέννητον ανακτα τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην, καὶ δώροις μεγαλοπρε- πέσι πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα μετὰ οψιδας αὐτῶν εστελλον· καὶ πάντας εἰς ὑποταγὴν ἡ τύχη τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου εἰς δουλείαν καὶ ζυγὸν ηγαγεν. 32 ̔Ο δὲ ἀμηρᾶς Αἰγύπτου τὴν μεγάλην νίκην τῶν ̔Ρω-μαίων ἀκηκοὼς καὶ τὴν πολεμικὴν ναυμαχίαν καὶ ητταν τῶν ἀρνη- τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γράμμασιν αὐτίκα φιλικοῖς τὸ μάχιμον αὐτοῦ ἀποβάλλεται καὶ ὑπισχνεῖται εἰς ἑνότητα. ὁ δὲ τῆς Περσίδος ἀμη- ρᾶς, ἐπειδὴ διαφόρως τοῖς ̔Ρωμαϊκοῖς ἐνέτυχεν στρατεύμασι καὶ προσβολαῖς καὶ πολέμοις διαφόροις ἡττήθη, ἀγάπης δεσμῷ καταλλάσσεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ οψιδας πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκπέμπει· οιτινες πρὸς τὴν κατάξηρον γῆν ἐκείνην ἀφικόμε- νοι, τοῦ ἀποστόλου Θωμᾶ τὸν τάφον προσκυνήσαντες καὶ κατ- ασπασάμενοι, καὶ τὰς βασιλικὰς κατασταλείσας λαμπάδας ὑπ- ανάψαντες, καὶ ἐμπορευσάμενοι λίθων τιμίων καὶ μαργαριτῶν. 456 εἰς τοσοῦτον γὰρ μετὰ τῶν αλλων μεγάλων κατορθωμάτων ὁ αὐτο- κράτωρ κεχάριστο, ὡς αλλα ἐξ αλλων συλλέγων καὶ συναθροίζων καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀξιέραστον μεταφέρων. 33 Χρὴ ουν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου διηγήσασθαι· ο μηχανικώτατος αναξ πολυανθῆ τινὰ καὶ ευοδμον ῥοδωνιὰν ειναι, τῶν πολυχρόων [ἀνθῶν] καὶ λεπτοτάτων διαφόρων ψηφίδων ἀνθῶν ἀρτιφυῶν χροιὰς μιμουμένων· οι μέσοι τῶν ἑλικοειδῶν συμπλοκῶν περικλειόμενοι καὶ τῇ συνθέσει διαμορφούμενοι τὸ ἀσύγ- κριτον ἀποφέρονται. ἀργύρῳ τοῦτο ἐστεφάνωσε, καὶ δίκην αν- τυγος τοῦτο περιλαβὼν τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἀκόρεστον ἐπιχορηγεῖ τὴν τέρψιν. 34 ̔Ο δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ τοὺς πολίτας ἠγάπησεν ὡς οἰκεῖα αὐτοῦ εκγονα, καὶ πλέον, καὶ αὐτοὺς περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιεῖτο. καὶ τοὺς ἐξ εὐγενοῦς φύντας ἐκλογὴν ἐποιεῖτο. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀξιωμά- των καταλαμπρύνει τιμαῖς, τοὺς δὲ μεγαλοπρεπέσι φιλοτιμεῖται δωρεαῖς, καὶ συνεστίους καὶ ὁμοδιαίτους ποιεῖται, καὶ τὸ φίλ- τρον μᾶλλον ἐπηύξει τῆς ἐκείνου εὐνοίας, καὶ ἀντὶ πολλῶν σωμα- τοφυλάκων καὶ φρουρῶν καὶ σωτήρων τούτους μᾶλλον προέκρινεν ὡς πιστοὺς καὶ φιλοδεσπότας, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας προκρίνειν τὸν ανακτα. 35 Τὴν δὲ δεξίωσιν τοῦ βρουμαλίου τοῦ πορφυρογεννή- του δεῖ ἐξειπεῖν. εθος γὰρ τοῖς πάλαι βασιλεῦσι τελούμενον, καὶ 457 ὁ πορφυρογέννητος εἰς εργον τοῦτο ἐξήνεγκεν. τὴν γὰρ ἡμέραν ἐν ῃ τὸ τῆς κλήσεως αὐτοῦ στοιχεῖον κάππα ἀποκεκλήρωται λαμπρο- τάτην ἑορτάζων πανήγυριν, πολυάνθρωπον ταύτην δεικνύει. καὶ ταῖς γὰρ πολυτελέσι καὶ πολυόψοις ἐκείναις τραπέζαις τὴν σύγ- κλητον απασαν δεξιούμενος χορηγίαις εὐεργετικωτέραις τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐπολλαπλασίαζεν, σηρικῶν περιβολαίων ἐπιδίδων, ἀρ- γυρίων πολλῶν καὶ ἀπείρων, ἐσθημάτων ἁλουργῶν, ξύλων ̓Ινδι- κῶν εὐωδίας, α ου τις ἀκήκοεν η γεγονότα τεθέαται. 36 Τὴν μουσικὴν οιδεν πᾶς τις ὡς θεῖον τί ἐστιν ευρημα καὶ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει συντελοῦν. τί ουν ὁ εὐσεβὴς καὶ μεγα- λοφρονέστατος αναξ; ταύτης ἀντεποιεῖτο, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ὑμνεῖν τὸ θεῖον οὐκ εληγεν. ἐντεῦθεν πανηγύρεις φαιδραὶ κατεφαιδρύ- νοντο, καὶ τῶν μαρτύρων ἑορταὶ κατελάμποντο, ποιμένων ἱερῶν καὶ διδασκάλων μνῆμαι περιηστράπτοντο. τοσοῦτον γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐχαριτώθη ὡς χοροὺς ὑμνῳδῶν συγκροτεῖν καὶ ἀρχηγοὺς τούτοις ἐπινοεῖν, αὐτὸς πρὸ πάντων τούτοις συνὼν καὶ τῶν ψαλλομένων ἐπακροώμενος καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡδυνόμενος καὶ χαιρόμενος. 37 Ουτως ἠγάπησεν ὡς