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having composed something they sang to him; and it was this: the fool Monomachos, if he had any sense, would have done it. And these things happened thus; but the drunken eastern commanders make an attempt again and approach the one administering common affairs, the protosynkellos Leo, and they attempted to entreat the emperor through him, not to be left unrewarded themselves alone, when all had enjoyed the generosity of the emperor, and this while others were faring well, they themselves stood beside their shields and fought in the front lines for the Roman empire. But he, being no less unskilled than the emperor in handling grieving men 657 and calming the swelling that had arisen in them from their grief, not only did not smooth over the men's harshness with words, but even exasperated them more, by disparaging each one and sending them all away dishonorably. And so, having tried this second attempt, they decided to delay no longer, but each one encouraging his neighbor, they hastened to bring their plan out into the open. It seemed good to them also to have Bryennios as a confederate and an accomplice in the enterprise, since he was one of the illustrious men and commanded the forces from Macedonia and was girded with the command of Cappadocia, and he too had causes for grief against the emperor. And so, when they found him also ready for their plan, they sought the one from among them who would be emperor, and to all, Komnenos was preferred above all. When they had agreed on these things, they all departed to their homes, having said their farewells to the emperor. And Bryennios also departed with the regiments under him and having arrived in the theme of the Anatolics, he there arranged for the distribution of the soldiers' pay; for the patrikios John Opsaras was with him, carrying gold. 658 And when the distribution had already begun, Bryennios added the grain allowances to the soldiers and increased the amount allotted to each. But the treasurer of the gold, the aforementioned man, said that this had not been commanded of him by the emperor. And Bryennios commanded him more rashly to be silent and to do what was ordered. But as Opsaras still did not obey, but even contradicted him more boldly, Bryennios, seized with anger, leaped up from his chair and, seizing the man by the hair and the beard, dashed him to the ground and put him in chains. And the general of the Pisidians and Lycaonians, encamped somewhere nearby, learning what had happened concerning Opsaras and judging these things to be the beginning of a tyranny, suddenly descends with the regiments under him upon the tent of Bryennios. And he binds him, but releases Opsaras from his chains and hands Bryennios over to him; and he immediately puts out his eyes, and thus sent the man to the emperor, having written to him also all that he had dared. And these things happened in this way; But Komnenos and those who had sworn an oath with him came together and set to work, as men from the military rolls streamed to him from one place and another. 659 For there was a desire among the entire military for a soldier to gird himself with the imperial authority. For it was vexed at being ruled by the civilian party, but did not dare to bring this desire out into the open, but concealed its longing and was in labor with its purpose concerning this. But when they had learned that Komnenos had attempted a tyranny and that he himself was the leader of the drama, and that the best of the noble families were assisting him in the enterprise, thinking this to be what they themselves were planning, they seize the opportunity and each one hastened to get ahead of his neighbor. From this, a heavy force was assembled for Komnenos; therefore, having sent men throughout the entire east, he collected the taxes, having appointed collectors for these and registrars of the things brought in. Then, having set out, he proceeded towards Nicaea, having already been proclaimed emperor by all those campaigning with him, wishing to become master of it, so that he might have the city as a base of operations or a refuge, whichever way the scales of fortune might tip for him; and he takes it, and having established a sufficient garrison in it, twelve stades before it

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τινα συνθέντες ἐπῇδον αὐτῷ· τὰ δ' ἦσαν· ὁ μωρὸς ὁ Μονομάχος, εἴ τι ἐφρόνει, ἐποίησε. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἔσχον οὕτως· οἱ δ' ἐμπαροινηθέντες τῶν ἑῴων ἀρχόντων καὶ αὖθις πεῖραν προσάγουσι καὶ προσίασι τῷ τὰ κοινὰ διοικοῦντι τῷ πρωτοσυγκέλλῳ Λέοντι καὶ ἱκετεύειν δι' ἐκείνου ἐπεχείρουν τὸν βασιλέα, μὴ μόνοι αὐτοὶ καταλειφθῆναι ἀγέραστοι, πάντων τοῦ φιλοτίμου καταπολαυσάντων τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, καὶ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων εὐπαθούντων αὐτοὶ καὶ παρ' ἀσπίδα ἱστάμενοι καὶ προπολεμοῦντες τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς. ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον τοῦ βασιλέως ἀδέξιος ὢν μεταχειρίσασθαι λυπουμένους ἄνδρας 657 καὶ καταστεῖλαι τὸ ἐκ τῆς λύπης αὐτοῖς γενόμενον οἴδημα, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλέανε λόγοις τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὴν τραχύτητα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἐξετράχυνεν, ἐκφαυλίσας ἕκαστον καὶ ἀτίμως πάντας ἀποπεμψάμενος. οὕτως οὖν καὶ τῆς δευτέρας πειραθέντες πείρας οὐκέτι μέλλειν ἔκριναν, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον παρακροτήσαντες ἔσπευδον εἰς προῦπτον ἐκφῆναι τὸ μελετώμενον. ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸν Βρυέννιον σχεῖν συνίστορα καὶ συλλήπτορα τοῦ ἐπιχειρήματος, ὄντα τε τῶν ἐπιφανῶν καὶ στρατηγοῦντα τῶν ἐκ Μακεδονίας δυνάμεων καὶ τὴν τῆς Καππαδοκίας περιεζωσμένον ἀρχήν, λύπης τ' αἰτίας κἀκεῖνον ἐσχηκότα κατὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. ὡς δ' οὖν κἀκεῖνον ἕτοιμον εὗρον πρὸς τὸ σφέτερον βούλευμα, ἐζήτουν τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν βασιλεύσοντα, καὶ πᾶσιν ὁ Κομνηνὸς ἁπάντων προυκέκριτο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα συνέθεντο, ἐπ' οἴκου ξύμπαντες ἀνεχώρησαν, τῷ βασιλεῖ προσειπόντες τὰ ἐξιτήρια. Ἀπῄει δὲ καὶ ὁ Βρυέννιος μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ταγμάτων καὶ ἐν τῷ θέματι τῶν ἀνατολικῶν γεγονὼς τὴν τῶν στρατιωτικῶν ὀψωνίων διανομὴν ἐκεῖ διετίθετο· συνῆν γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ πατρίκιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Ὀψαρᾶς χρυσίον ἐπιφερόμενος. ἤδη 658 δὲ τῆς διανομῆς ἠργμένης ὁ Βρυέννιος προσετίθει τοῖς στρατιώταις τὰ σιτηρέσια καὶ ηὔξει τὸ ἑκάστῳ νενεμημένον ποσόν. ὁ δὲ τοῦ χρυσοῦ ταμίας ὁ εἰρημένος ἀνὴρ μὴ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ἐντετάλθαι οἱ πρὸς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. καὶ ὁ Βρυέννιος σιωπᾶν αὐτῷ καὶ ποιεῖν τὸ ἐπιτασσόμενον ἐνεκελεύετο ἰταμώτερον. ὡς δ' ἔτι ὁ Ὀψαρᾶς οὐκ ἐπείθετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ θρασύτερον ἐκείνῳ ἀντέλεγεν, ὁ Βρυέννιος θυμῷ ληφθεὶς ἀνέθορέ τε τῆς καθέδρας καὶ τῶν τριχῶν τῆς τε ὑπήνης λαβόμενος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς προσαράσσει τῇ γῇ καὶ περιβάλλει δεσμοῖς. ἐγγὺς δέ που στρατοπεδεύων ὁ τῶν Πισιδῶν καὶ Λυκαόνων στρατάρχης καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ὀψαρᾶ μαθὼν καὶ τυραννίδος ταῦτα κρίνας ἀρχήν, ἀθρόον ἔπεισι μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ταγμάτων τῇ τοῦ Βρυεννίου σκηνῇ. καὶ δεσμεῖ μὲν ἐκεῖνον, λύει δὲ τὸν Ὀψαρᾶν τῶν δεσμῶν καὶ αὐτῷ τὸν Βρυέννιον παραδίδωσιν· ὁ δὲ αὐτίκα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκκόπτει ἐκείνου, καὶ οὕτως τὸν ἄνδρα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐξαπέστειλεν, ἐπιστείλας αὐτῷ καὶ ὅσα τετόλμηκε. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν συνεκύρησεν οὑτωσί· ὁ δέ γε Κομνηνὸς καὶ οἱ ἐκείνῳ συνομοσάμενοι συνελθόντες ἔργου ἥπτοντο, τῶν στρατιωτικῶν καταλόγων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλου προσρυϊσκομένων αὐτῷ. 659 ἦν μὲν γὰρ τῷ στρατιωτικῷ παντὶ ἔφεσις στρατιώτην τὴν βασίλειον ἀρχὴν περιζώσασθαι. ἤχθετο γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ πολιτικοῦ μέρους ἀρχόμενον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐθάρρει τὸν πόθον εἰς προῦπτον ἐξενεγκεῖν, ἔκρυπτε δὲ τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ ὤδινε τὸν περὶ τούτου σκοπόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν Κομνηνὸν τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρήσαντα μεμαθήκεσαν καὶ αὐτὸν μὲν κορυφαῖον εἶναι τοῦ δράματος, τὰ δὲ κράτιστα τῶν γενῶν τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως αὐτῷ συλλαμβάνεσθαι, τοῦτ' εἶναι τὸ ὑπ' αὐτῶν μελετώμενον δόξαντες, ἁρπάζουσι τὸν καιρὸν καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν πέλας προφθάσαι ἠπείγετο. ἐντεῦθεν τῷ Κομνηνῷ βαρεῖα συνέστηκε δύναμις· στείλας οὖν κατὰ ξύμπασαν τὴν ἑῴαν τοὺς φόρους ἐπράττετο, ἀποδεκτῆρας τούτων τάξας καὶ τῶν προσαγομένων ἀπογραφεῖς. εἶτα ἄρας ἀπῄει πρὸς Νίκαιαν ἤδη βασιλεὺς πρὸς πάντων τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ στρατευομένων ἀναρρηθείς, ταύτης ἐγκρατὴς γενέσθαι βουλόμενος, ἵν' ἔχοι τὴν πόλιν ὁρμητήριον ἢ κρησφύγετον, ὁποτέρως ἂν ῥέψῃ τὰ τῆς τύχης αὐτῷ· καὶ τὴν μὲν λαμβάνει, αὐτὸς δὲ φρουρὰν ἀρκοῦσαν ἐγκαταστήσας αὐτῇ πρὸ δώδεκα σταδίων ταύτης