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created the purple-born Constantine. And many of the wise know this and have passed on the miracle to those who do not know, so that even the elements might mourn the end of the purple-born. But if most of the royal deeds escape the mind, by adding this one last thing to what has been said, I will arrive at the end of my account. (49) A longing and desire was nourished in the emperor to reach Mount Olympus and to behold the holy fathers there and to enjoy their precious prayers and 464 by the change of places and by the good climate of the air to procure health for himself; for a hidden sickness was smouldering in him, for which he was also shown to be given over to medical cares, and he especially needed the journey to Olympus. Being seized by this longing, he immediately boarded the dromon and was making for the lands of the Bithynians and for Prietos, which is called Prainetos by the locals, having been given its name from some ancestral god of the Bithynians. From there he arrives at Nicaea, a city rich from antiquity and populous. And from there he came to a monastery of monks situated towards the highlands, [a monastery] of the martyr Athenogenes who is glorified there; and the abbot there showed the emperor an inscription in cinnabar by his father. For they say that Leo the pious emperor, passing through there, making the journey towards the heights of Olympus for the sake of a petition that a son might be given to him as successor to his reign, and Peter, the abbot of the monastery at that time, prophesied to him that he would beget a son as successor to his reign; and that he himself is destined to go to Olympus at the end of his life. And the purple-born, recognizing the inscription as being that of his father Leo, said that the prophecy of the monk was true. And from there he comes to the highlands of Olympus, that Olympus which scripture has long ago handed down also as Mysian, the Mysians having in ancient times dwelt in it 465. And from these, the emperor having with difficulty passed over the unexpected and difficult and winding and precipitous ascents, having reached the cells of the holy fathers, whom, seeing and embracing, and having taken their soul-profiting prayers as provision for the journey, he removes to Prousa, a city of a man who long ago reigned over the Bithynians, who, having surpassed the kings of that time in bravery and wars, fashioned such a city as a symbol of memory. Not far from which he also went underwater, seeing the outlets of hot springs, in which myths say Heracles, while wandering in search of Hylas, washed off the gore from the murder on account of Hylas. (50) But the emperor, having been taught by the holy fathers that on the peak of Olympus there was a wonder-working old man, an ascetic in a cave, hastened with longing toward him. And indeed, the old man, appearing by a divine flash as the emperor was arriving toward him, coming away from his cell, and making a prostration, said, "Give the blessing." But the emperor asked, "Who are you and from where and how and where are you going?" he said, "Having learned of Your Majesty's approach to me, I am rather coming to you." And he, supposing the old man to be a divine messenger, having taken his prayers as provision for the journey and having learned of the passing of his life, returned to the cells of the holy fathers and having feasted with them he descended with speed to the sea. And it was hidden from the many that he was sick; but inwardly he was being 466 consumed and wasted away by both the abdominal sickness and the fever. 51 But O laws of mortal nature and changes of fortune, to what laments am I hastened and driven! From where, having departed and directed his voyage straight, he arrived at the queen city, being worn down and afflicted by the persistent sickness. For when the formidable emperor was overcome by the sickness and the hopes for his life were departing, there was no one who did not lament the purple-born.

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δεδημιουργημένον τὸν πορφυρογέννητον Κωνσταντῖνον. καὶ τοῦτο ισασι πολλοὶ τῶν εὐγνωμόνων καὶ τὸ θαῦμα τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι παραπεμψαμένων, ινα καὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα τὸ τοῦ πορφυρογεννήτου συμπενθήσῃ τέλος. ̓Αλλ' εἰ καὶ τὰ πλείω τῶν βασιλικῶν πρακτέων διαφεύγει τὸν νοῦν, εν δὲ τοῦτο τὸ τελευταῖον τοῖς εἰρημένοις προσθεὶς τὸ τοῦ λόγου πέρας ἀφίξομαι. (49) ἐτρέφετο πόθος καὶ εφεσις τῷ ανακτι τῷ ορει τοῦ ̓Ολύμπου καταλαβεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ ἁγίους πατέρας ἐπόψεσθαι καὶ τῶν τιμίων αὐτῶν ἐπαπολαῦσαι εὐχῶν καὶ 464 τῇ μεταβάσει τῶν τόπων καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀέρων εὐκρασίᾳ τὸ ὑγιὲς αὐ- τῷ περιποιήσασθαι· ὑπεσμύχετο γὰρ αὐτῷ νόσος κρυφία, δι' ην καὶ ἰατρικαῖς ἐπιμελείαις εκδοτος ἐδείκνυτο, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ολυμπον ἐξελεύσεως ἐδεῖτο τὸ μάλιστα. τούτῳ τῷ πόθῳ κάτοχος γεγονὼς αὐτίκα τοῦ δρομωνίου ἐπέβαινεν καὶ πρὸς χώρας τῶν Βι- θυνῶν ἐπεφοίτα καὶ πρὸς Πρίετον, ητις Πραίνετος παρὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἐπωνόμασται, εκ τινος πατρίου θεοῦ Βιθυνῶν τὴν κλῆσιν ἐπιτεθεῖσα. ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς Νικαίαν ἐφίσταται, πόλιν ἀρχαιόπλου- τον καὶ πολύανδρον. ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης εἰς φροντιστήριον μοναχῶν πρὸς τὰς ἐπορείας κείμενον ἀφίκετο τοῦ ἐκεῖσε δοξαζομένου μάρ- τυρος ̓Αθηνογένους· καὶ διὰ κιναβάρεως τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γράμ- ματα ὁ ἐκεῖσε καθηγουμενεύων ὑπέδειξε τῷ ανακτι. φασὶ γὰρ οτι Λέων ὁ εὐσεβὴς βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖσε διερχόμενος, τὴν πορείαν ποιού- μενος πρὸς τὰς τοῦ ̓Ολύμπου ἀκρωρείας αἰτήσεως χάριν τοῦ δο- θῆναι αὐτῷ υἱὸν διάδοχον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ τηνικαῦτα ἡγούμενος τῆς μονῆς Πέτρος προέφησεν αὐτῷ υἱὸν γεννῆσαι διά- δοχον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ· καὶ αὐτὸς μέλλει ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὸν Ολυμπον εἰς τὰ τέλη τοῦ βίου αὐτοῦ. τὴν δὲ γραφὴν ὁ πορφυρογέννητος ἰδίαν ειναι Λέοντος τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ γνωρίσας ἀλη- θινὴν εφησεν ειναι τὴν πρόρρησιν τοῦ μοναχοῦ. ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης πρὸς τὰς ἐπορείας τοῦ ̓Ολύμπου γίνεται, ̓Ολύμπου ἐκείνου ου καὶ Μυ-σίων πρόπαλαι γραφῇ παραδέδωκεν, Μυσῶν τὸ παλαιὸν ἐν τούτῳ 465 οἰκούντων. ἐκ δὲ τούτων ἐπὶ τὰς παραλογὰς καὶ δυσκολίας καὶ ἑλικοειδεῖς καὶ κρημνώδεις ἀναβάσεις μόλις διελθὼν ὁ αναξ, ταῖς κέλλαις τῶν ἱερῶν πατέρων καταλαβών, ους ἰδὼν κατασπασάμενος καὶ τὰς τούτων ψυχωφελεῖς εὐχὰς ἐφόδιον λαβὼν πρὸς τὴν Προῦ- σαν μετανίσταται, πόλιν ἀνδρὸς τὸ πάλαι Βιθυνῶν βασιλεύσαν- τος, ος ἀνδραγαθίας καὶ πολέμων τῶν τηνικάδε βασιλέων ὑπερ- αρθέντων σύμβολον μνήμης τὴν τοιάνδε πόλιν ἐξειργάσατο. ης οὐ πολλῷ αποθεν καὶ ὑποβρύχιος γέγονε, θερμῶν ἀναδόσεις βλέ- πων, ἐν οις μῦθοί φασιν ̔Ηρακλῆν κατὰ ζήτησιν Υλη περιπλα- νώμενον τὸν ἐξ Υλου φόνον τῷ λύθρῳ ἐναποσμήξασθαι. (50) ὁ δὲ αναξ παρὰ τῶν ἱερῶν πατέρων διδαχθεὶς ἐν τῇ κορυφῇ τοῦ ̓Ολύμπου ἀσκητὴν ειναι σημειοφόρον γέροντα ἐν σπηλαίῳ, πόθῳ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἠπείγετο. καὶ δὴ θείᾳ ἐκλάμψει ὁ γέρων ἐμφανι- σθεὶς ὡς τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφικομένου, τῆς κέλλης αὐτοῦ ἀπιών, μετάνοιαν δὲ βαλών, τὸ εὐλόγησον εφησεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐρωτήσας "τίς τε ων καὶ πόθεν καὶ πῶς καὶ ποῦ παραγίνῃ;" εφη- σιν "τὴν πρόοδον τῆς βασιλείας σοῦ πρός με γνοὺς μᾶλλον πρὸς σὲ παραγίνομαι." ὁ δὲ θείαν ἀποστολὴν τὸν γέροντα ὑπονοήσας, τὰς τούτου εὐχὰς ἐφόδιον λαβὼν καὶ τὴν τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ μετάστασιν μαθών, πρὸς τὰς κέλλας τῶν ἱερῶν πατέρων ὑπενόστησεν καὶ συνεστιαθεὶς αὐτοῖς τὸ τάχος πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν κατῆλθεν. καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐλάνθανεν ὡς ειη νοσῶν· ενδον δὲ κατεδαπα466 νᾶτο καὶ κατηνάλωτο ὑπό τε τοῦ κοιλιακοῦ νοσήματος καὶ τοῦ πυρετοῦ. 51 ̓Αλλ' ω θνητῆς φύσεως νόμοι καὶ τύχης μεταβολαί, πρὸς οιους συνεπείγομαι καὶ ἐλαύνομαι θρήνους! ἐξ ου μεταβὰς καὶ κατευθὺ τείνας τὸν πλοῦν πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν κατέλαβεν, τῇ συνεχούσῃ νόσῳ κατατρυχόμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡττᾶτο ὁ φοβερὸς βασιλεὺς παρὰ τῆς νόσου καὶ αἱ περὶ τοῦ ζῆν ἐλπίδες προεχώρουν, οὐκ ην οστις τὸν πορφυρογέννητον μὴ ἀπω- λοφύρετο