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no other of the faithful before him, and he honored with most brilliant memory also the genius of Chrysostom, praising the composition of his orations and periods and the long-drawn-out and reflective arguments of his cycles, in which he brilliantly and splendidly magnified the herald of repentance. 458 38 And he so cherished and loved the emperor Romanos his son as no one else, and he advised him before all else to have piety towards God, then he also instructed him in imperial speech and character and gait and laughter and dress and posture and stance. Therefore the Porphyrogenitus was also deemed worthy of divine visions, and he prophesied to him, "If you keep these things, you will be long-lived in the empire of the Romans." 39 And he gave a wife to the emperor Romanos his son, who was from noble ancestors, beautiful in body, lovely in appearance, and modest in soul, named Anastasia, the daughter of Krateros; who was also named Theophano by the Porphyrogenitus, fittingly, as one who had appeared from God and been chosen. and the nuptial chamber was prepared and the ceremony performed in the all-wondrous triclinium of Justinian Rhinotmetos, and joy and gladness shone around the Porphyrogenitus together with Helen the Augusta, because he had betrothed such a maiden of ancient stock to his son. 40 But when the Augusta Helen was afflicted by illness, the benevolent emperor did not fail in his disposition and affection for her, but in all things fulfilled her desires. For the Augusta requested that the emperor assign suburban estates and chrysobulls and revenues for the hospice and home for the aged recently constructed by her in the old Petrion, the place called ta Helenes; 459 which things the Porphyrogenitus fulfilled with joy. And one could see her being gladdened and rejoicing in soul and body, as he provided these things out of infinite affection and wealth. And she rejoiced most of all seeing her son Romanos as emperor and her daughters Zoe and Theodora and Agatha being with and rejoicing with her and with Constantine the emperor. For he too honored and loved them, but especially Agatha, as she tirelessly ministered to the emperor in his illnesses, and because through her the emperor was informed of the affairs of the secretariats and the magistrates; who also appeared as a mediator, and not only appeared so, but was also known to be and became one. 41 But the Porphyrogenitus, because Bardas, called Phokas, the magistros and domestic of the schools, was unwell and had reached old age, removed him from the domesticate, and in his place he appointed as domestic Nikephoros, patrikios and strategos of the Anatolics, his dearest son, a man who had gained renown in many and various wars and had shown himself most excellent; and having marshaled the armies with his most pleasant speech and encouragement, he advanced against the Agarene enemies, so that all the armies took courage and made their encampment as if in their own land; 460 and they neither hid nor ran wild nor turned back, as was their custom; but all advanced sharply against the enemy, fencing themselves in with their shields and defending themselves with their spears and destroying the Agarenes by force. And it was a cause of amazement and astonishment for those who saw the victor Nikephoros cutting to pieces and striking the battle-lines and forces and the divisions of the godless Chambadas, and for those who saw to marvel at and magnify the fortune of the victorious hero, as he burned cities and villages and lands with fire and led captives and brought them as tributaries to the empire of the Romans. And indeed, having come to the faithful Constantine, he was deemed worthy of praises and honors from him, such as the generals of the Romans would have acquired in ancient times. 42 And the emperor Constantine, not allowing any of his ancestral buildings to fall into ruin, not even this great bath, the one prepared by Leo his father at ta Marines

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αλλος οὐδεὶς τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ πιστῶν, καὶ μνήμῃ λαμπροτάτῃ τετίμηκεν καὶ τὸ εὐφυὲς τοῦ Χρυ- σοστόμου, ἐπαινῶν τὴν συνθήκην τῶν λόγων καὶ περιβολῶν καὶ τὰ τῶν κύκλων σχοινοτενῆ καὶ ἐνθυμημάτων, ἐν οις τὸν τῆς μετα- νοίας κήρυκα λαμπρῶς καὶ ἀγλαῶς ἐμεγάλυνεν. 458 38 Τὸν δὲ βασιλέα ̔Ρωμανὸν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ουτως ἐφί- λησεν καὶ ἠγάπησεν ὡς αλλος οὐδείς, καὶ τοῦτον πρὸ πάντων παρῄνει εχειν τὴν κατὰ θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, επειτα καὶ λόγον καὶ ηθος καὶ βάδισμα καὶ γέλωτα καὶ στολὴν καὶ καθέδραν καὶ στάσιν βα- σιλικὴν ἐξεπαίδευεν. διὸ καὶ θείων ἐμφανειῶν ὁ πορφυρογέννητος ἠξιοῦτο, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν προέφησεν "εἰ ταῦτα φυλάξῃς, μακρό- βιος τῇ βασιλείᾳ ̔Ρωμαίων εσῃ." 39 Καὶ γυναῖκα τῷ βασιλεῖ ̔Ρωμανῷ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ δέ- δωκεν ουσαν ἐξ εὐγενῶν προγόνων, καλὴν μὲν τῷ σώματι, ὡραίαν δὲ τῇ οψει, κοσμίαν δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ, ὀνόματι ̓Αναστασίαν, τὴν τοῦ Κρατεροῦ θυγατέρα· η καὶ ὀνομασθεῖσα παρὰ τοῦ πορφυρογεν- νήτου Θεοφανὼ κατ' ἀξίαν, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ φανεῖσαν καὶ ἐκλε- χθεῖσαν. καὶ νυμφικὴ παστὰς ἐγνωρίζετο καὶ ἐτελεῖτο ἐν τῷ παν- θαυμάστῳ τρικλίνῳ τοῦ ̓Ιουστινιανοῦ τοῦ ῥινοτμήτου, καὶ χαρὰ καὶ εὐφροσύνη τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ περιελάμπετο αμα ̔Ελένῃ τῇ Αὐγούστῃ, ὡς τοιαύτης ἀρχαίας κόρης τῷ αὐτοῦ μνηστεῦσαι. 40 ̔Η δὲ Αὐγοῦστα ̔Ελένη νόσῳ τρυχομένη, ὁ φιλάγα-θος αναξ οὐκ ἐνέδωκεν τῇ πρὸς αὐτὴν διαθέσει καὶ στοργῇ, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι τὰ καταθύμια αὐτῆς ἐπλήρου. καὶ γὰρ ἡ Αὐγοῦ- στα ἠξίου παρὰ τοῦ νεωστὶ παρ' αὐτῆς κατασκευασθέντος ξενῶνος καὶ γηροτροφείου εἰς τὸ παλαιὸν Πετρίν, τὸ λεγόμενον τὰ ̔Ελένης, 459 διορίσασθαι τὸν ανακτα προάστεια καὶ χρυσοβούλλια καὶ ἐξόδους· ατινα μετὰ χαρᾶς ὁ πορφυρογέννητος ἐξεπλήρου. καὶ ην ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῷ σώματι ἡδυνομένην καὶ χαιρομένην, ὡς ἀπείρου πόθου καὶ πλούτου ταύτην παρέχων. εχαιρεν δὲ πλεῖστον ὁρῶσα ̔Ρωμανὸν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς βασιλέα καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῆς Ζωὴν καὶ Θεοδώραν καὶ ̓Αγάθην συνούσας καὶ συνευφραινομένας αὐτῇ καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ Κωνσταντίνῳ. καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐτίμα καὶ ἐφίλει, ἐν ἐξαιρέτῳ δὲ τῇ ̓Αγάθῃ ὡς ἀόκνως λειτουργοῦσα τῷ βα- σιλεῖ εἰς τὰς ἀρρωστίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταμηνύεσθαι δι' αὐτῆς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν σεκρέτων καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τὰ διοικήματα· ητις καὶ μεσῖτις ἀνεφαίνετο, καὶ οὐκ ἀνεφαίνετο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγνωρί- ζετο καὶ ἐγένετο. 41 ̔Ο δὲ πορφυρογέννητος διὰ τὸ τὸν μάγιστρον καὶ δο- μέστικον τῶν σχολῶν Βάρδαν τὸν λεγόμενον Φωκᾶν ἀδυνάτως εχειν καὶ εἰς γῆρας ἐλάσαι τοῦ δομεστικάτου ἀποκινεῖ, καὶ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ προβάλλεται δομέστικον Νικηφόρον πατρίκιον καὶ στρατηγὸν τῶν ̓Ανατολικῶν, τὸν φίλτατον υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ανδρα ἐν πολλοῖς καὶ δια- φόροις πολέμοις εὐδοκιμήσαντα καὶ αριστον ἀναφανέντα· καὶ τῇ ἡδυτάτῃ διαλαλιᾷ καὶ θωπείᾳ αὐτοῦ κοσμήσας τὰ στρατεύματα καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ̓Αγαρηνοὺς ἐχώρει, ὡς πάντα τὰ στρα- τεύματα θαρρεῖν καὶ ὡς ἐν ἰδίῳ χώρῳ παροικίαν ποιήσασθαι· 460 καὶ μήτε κρυπτομένων η βακχευόντων η ὑποστρεφόντων, ὡς εθος ην αὐτοῖς· ἀλλὰ πάντες τομῶς ἐχώρουν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ταῖς ἀσπίσι περιφραξάμενοι καὶ τοῖς δόρασιν ἀμυνόμενοι καὶ κατὰ κράτος τοὺς ̓Αγαρηνοὺς ἀφανίζοντες. καὶ ην ἰδεῖν θάμβος καὶ εκπληξιν τοῖς ὁρῶσιν τὸν νικητὴν Νικηφόρον τὰς παρατάξεις καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ τὰ φοῦλκα τοῦ ἀθέου Χαμβαδᾶ συγκόπτοντα καὶ ἀπορραπίζοντα, καὶ τὴν τύχην τοῦ νικητοῦ ἀριστέως θαμβεῖσθαι καὶ μεγαλύνειν τοῖς ὁρῶσιν, ὡς τὰς πόλεις καὶ κώμας καὶ χώρας πυρὶ κατατεφρῶσαι καὶ αἰχμαλώτους αγειν καὶ ὑποσπόνδους τῇ βασιλείᾳ ̔Ρωμαίων προσφέρειν. καὶ δὴ πρὸς τὸν πιστὸν Κων- σταντῖνον ἀφικόμενος ἐπαίνων καὶ τιμῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἠξιώθη, οιον ἐν τοῖς πάλαι χρόνοις οἱ ̔Ρωμαίων στρατηγοὶ αν ἐκτήσαντο. 42 ̔Ο δὲ αναξ Κωνσταντῖνος μηδὲν τῶν πατρῴων αὐτοῦ οἰκοδομημάτων συγχωρῆσαι πεσεῖν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέγα λουτρόν, τὸ παρὰ Λέοντος τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ παρασκευασθὲν εἰς τὰ Μαρί- νης