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a Caesar and protovestiarios and megas doux and simply those in the greatest dignities, he had the need to appoint others. And indeed this Ikarios he still held as a private citizen and, having embarked him on ships along with infantry forces, he sends him to Euripos to join with the great lord John. And indeed when the army was disembarking from the ships somewhere around Soreoi, John, learning of their disembarkation and how it was, although suffering from gout, did not hold back from battle against them, but drawing up his forces on the spot and preparing the Latin contingent, went straight for the place he had heard of. And having joined a fierce battle, he is struck by a javelin and falls; for the pain in his feet did not allow him to brace himself firmly against the stirrups on either side of the saddle, but as soon as he was hit by the javelin he immediately fell and was captured. And with him many others are captured, and indeed also the brother of Ikarios. 527 In the meantime an army also invades from the land, which the megas stratopedarches John Synadenos led and the megas konostaulos Michael Kaballarios. And indeed having rushed upon the fortress of Pharsala, which the ancient account holds to be Phthia, where they might supply grain to those in the fortress, they encounter John the bastard, who indeed, having joined a noble and manly battle with them, captures many others, and also captures Synadenos the megas stratopedarches. However, the Italian troops under that man, pursuing the megas konostaulos, were not strong enough to catch him, but giving full rein, he rode in flight and escaped his pursuers, running far ahead, but it was not for him to escape his little fate, even if he did everything. For riding his horse rather recklessly, thinking those behind were catching up and having his mind only on them, how he might escape, he crashes into a tree with the full force of his horse and is crushed in the chest. And with difficulty some men, having stopped the horse—for he had no care for the horse, but for his wound and his death—take him down half-dead and, as he was, having carried him away to Thessalonica, they bury him there when he died. And for those around John, it was open to them to kill whomever they met and to take the spoils of war. And then the Romans knew that they had been defeated in battle by John; for he did not charge openly in formation, but attacked from an ambush, as was his way in such things, and struck terror when he was seen; and having manfully overcome a chosen people, well-experienced in battle, with this unexpected defeat, he carries off the glory of the greatest renown. But the navy and all who were on the ships, having been kept unharmed or rather having even carried off the prize of battle, the men around the great lord John, come to the emperor with a cheerful heart. And the men around the great lord are given over to custody in chains, but Ikarios is honored as a reward for his struggles with the dignity of megas konostaulos. The people of Thebes, however, appoint John's brother, Goulielmos, as great lord in his place. The emperor, having admired and approved of him, released him to take him as a son-in-law under 529 secure oaths; but the marriage was up in the air, based on promises alone. But as soon as he set foot in his fatherland, he fell ill and died; and his brother Goulielmos succeeds him, whom the account also presents as the son-in-law of John, in the entire lordship of the deceased. And he was opposed to the Romans, even though year by year the fleet, attacking there, harassed his possessions and allowed him to accomplish nothing, since Ikarios had girded on the dignity of megas doux and was leading the fleet. κηʹ. Further matters concerning the former patriarch Joseph and Bekkos. And while Joseph was staying in the monastery at Anaplous, a terrible illness befalls the patriarch John; this was Bekkos, the former chartophylax. And indeed having suffered much and recovered, it seemed best to the doctors for the sick man to be moved to a place of leisure, to be treated privately, lest his duties cause a delay in his recovery from the illness, since even after recovering he was to take a purgative drink, the place of the Laura was judged useful for this. And so the emperor for these reasons to move Joseph

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καίσαρα καὶ πρωτοβεστιάριον καὶ μέγαν δοῦκα καὶ ἁπλῶς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις ἀξιώμα σιν, ἄλλους ἀνάγκην εἶχεν ἱστάναι. Καὶ δὴ τοῦτον μὲν τὸν Ἰκάριον καὶ ἔτι ἐν ἰδιώταις εἶχε καί, ἅμα δυνάμεσι πεζικαῖς ἐμβιβάσας ναυσίν, ἐκεῖνον ἐπ' Εὐρίπου πέμπει τῷ μεγάλῳ κυρίῳ Ἰωάννῃ συμμίξοντα. Καὶ δὴ ἐπεὶ ὁ στρατὸς τῶν νηῶν ἀπέβαινε περί που τοὺς Σωρεούς, ὁ Ἰωάννης, πυθόμενος τὴν ἐκείνων ἀπόβασιν καί γ' ὡς εἶχε, ποδαλγὸς ὤν, τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους οὐκ ἀπέσχετο μάχης, ἀλλ' αὐτόθεν συνταξάμενος καὶ τὸ Λατινικὸν εὐτρεπίσας, εὐθὺ τῶν ἀκουσθέντων ἤιε. Καὶ μάχην κρατερὰν συμμίξας, ἀκοντισθεὶς πίπτει· τὸ γὰρ τῶν ποδῶν ἄλγημα οὐ παρεῖχε στερρῶς ἀντιβαίνειν ταῖς ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τῆς ἐφεστρίδος κλίμαξιν, ἀλλ' ἅμ' ἠκοντίζετο καὶ παρευθὺς ἔπιπτε καὶ ἡλίσκετο. Καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ ἄλλοι τε πλεῖστοι συμποδίζονται καὶ δὴ καὶ ὁ τοῦ Ἰκαρίου αὐτάδελφος. 527 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ στρατὸς ἀπὸ ξηρᾶς εἰσβάλλει, οὓς ὁ μέγας στρατοπε δάρχης ὁ Συναδηνὸς Ἰωάννης ἦγεν καὶ ὁ μέγας κονοσταῦλος ὁ Καβαλλάριος Μιχαήλ. Καὶ δὴ ὁρμήσαντες ἐπὶ Φάρσαλα φρούριον, ὃ Φθίαν ὁ παλαιὸς ἔχει λόγος, ἐφ' ᾧ σιταρκοῖεν τοὺς ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ, προσπίπτουσι τῷ ἐκ νοθείας Ἰωάννῃ, ὃς δὴ καί, σφίσι συρράξας πόλεμον γενναῖον καὶ ἀνδρικόν, αἱρεῖ μὲν καὶ ἄλλους πλείστους, αἱρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν Συναδηνὸν καὶ μέγαν στρα τοπεδάρχην. Τὸν μέντοι γε μέγαν κονοσταῦλον ὁ ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ λαὸς Ἰταλὸς διώκων καταλαβεῖν οὐκ ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλ' ὅλαις ἡνίαις ἐκεῖνος ἐνδούς, εἰς φυγὴν ἤλαυνε καὶ τοὺς μὲν διώκοντας, πολὺ προθέων, ἐξήλυξε, τὸ δέ γε μοιρίδιον ἀλύξαι οὐκ ἦν ἐκείνῳ, κἂν πάντ' ἔπραττεν. Ἀτακτότερον γὰρ ἐλαύνων τὸν ἵππον, τοὺς ὄπισθεν οἰόμενος φθάνειν καὶ πρὸς ἐκείνοις μόνοις ἔχων τὸν νοῦν, ὅπως ἐκφύγοι, προσπταίει δένδρῳ μεθ' ὅλης τῆς τοῦ ἵππου φορᾶς καὶ κατὰ στῆθος συνθλᾶται. Μόλις δέ τινες τὸν ἵππον στήσαντεςοὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐκείνῳ μέλον τοῦ ἵππου, ἀλλά γε τῆς πληγῆς τε καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, ἡμιθνῆτα καταβιβάζουσι καί, ὡς εἶχον πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην ἀπαγαγόντες, ἐκεῖ θάπτουσι τελευτήσαντα. Τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀνέδην ἦν κτείνειν τὸν προστυχόντα καὶ πολέμου γέρα σκυλεύειν. Ἔγνωσαν δὲ καὶ τότε Ῥωμαῖοι λειφθέντες μάχῃ τοῦ Ἰωάννου· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἐμφανοῦς ὥρμα παραταξάμενος, ἀλλ' ἐκ λόχου προσβαλών, οἷος ἐκεῖνος τὰ τοιαῦτα, κατέπληξε θεαθείς· καὶ λαὸν ἔκκριτον καὶ ἐπιεικῶς μαχῶν ἔμπειρον τῷ παρ' ἐλπίδα πταίσματι ἀνδρικῶς καταγωνισάμενος, δόξαν εὐκλείας ἀποφέρεται τῆς μεγίστης. Τὸ δέ γε ναυτικὸν καὶ ὅσον ἀνὰ ταῖς ναυσὶν ἦν, ἀζήμιοι διατηρηθέντες ἢ μᾶλλον καὶ γέρα μάχης ἀπενεγκάμενοι τοὺς περὶ τὸν μέγαν κύριον Ἰωάννην, εὐθύμῳ καρδίᾳ πρὸς τὸν κρατοῦντα γίνονται. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀμφὶ τὸν μέγαν κύριον ὑπὸ δεσμοῖς φρουρᾷ δίδονται, τιμᾶται δὲ ὁ Ἰκάριος ἀντίποινα τῶν ἀγώνων τῷ τοῦ μεγάλου κονοσταύλου ἀξιώματι. Ὁ μέντοι γε τῶν Θηβῶν λαὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου Γουλίελμον μέγαν κύριον ἀντικαθιστᾶσιν. Ἐκεῖνον δ' ἀγήλας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ δοκιμάσας λαμβάνειν γαμβρὸν ὑφ' 529 ὅρκοις ἀσφαλέσιν ἀπέλυε· μετέωροι δ' ἦσαν οἱ γάμοι καθ' ὑποσχέσεις καὶ μόνας. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ἅμ' ἐπιβὰς τῆς πατρίδος καὶ ἅμα νόσῳ περιπεσὼν τελευτᾷ· διαδέχεται δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐκείνου Γουλίελμος, ὃν καὶ γαμβρὸν Ἰωάννου ὁ λόγος παρίστα, ὁλοτελῶς τὴν τοῦ τεθνηκότος κυριότητα. Καὶ ἦν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἀντιφερόμενος, εἰ καὶ κατ' ἔτος ὁ στόλος, ἐκεῖσε προσβάλ λων, ἐκάκου τἀκείνου καὶ οὐδὲν εἴα ἀνύειν, περιζωσαμένου τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς ἀξίαν τοῦ Ἰκαρίου καὶ τὸν στόλον ἄγοντος. κηʹ. Ἔτι τὰ κατὰ τὸν πατριαρχεύσαντα Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τὸν Βέκκον. Τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ δὲ καθημένου ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν Ἀνάπλουν μονῇ, νόσος ἐπεισπίπτει τῷ Ἰωάννῃ πατριαρχοῦντι δεινή· ἦν δ' οὗτος ὁ Βέκκος ὁ καὶ πρότερον χαρτοφύλαξ. Καὶ δὴ πολλὰ παθὼν καὶ ῥαΐσας, τοῖς ἰατροῖς δόξαν, ἐν σχολῆς τόπῳ μεταχθέντα, τὸν ἀρρωστοῦντα κατ' ἰδίαν θεραπεύεσθαι, μὴ καὶ ἡ ἀσχολία τριβὴν ἐμποιοίη τῇ νόσῳ, ἐπεὶ καὶ ῥαΐσας πρὸς τῷ καὶ πόμα καθαρτικὸν προσφέρεσθαι ἦν, ὁ τῆς Λαύρας πρὸς ταῦτα τόπος ἐκρίνετο χρήσιμος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς διὰ ταῦτα μεταθεῖναι τὸν Ἰωσὴφ