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to remain for the emperor on his return. So as soon as the ruler set foot in Adrianople, at the same time the slaughter of Constantine is announced. For as Lachanas grew in power day by day and many went over to him, scorning their own emperor, and as Svendislav was now out of the way, having reaped the rewards of Maria's intrigues, while of those loyal to Constantine, some were among the dead, done in by Maria's villainies, and of those who survived, some were suspected of disloyalty by the others, while others were in truth disloyal, Constantine, left alone or with a few men, rushes to attack the one who was now scorning him too. And indeed, having drawn up his forces, he was carried in a wagon, but those whom he trusted checked the attacks on his behalf. But Lachanas, having advanced to meet him, as soon as he appeared, falls upon him and takes him by force; and that man, having done nothing in war worthy of an emperor, he slaughters like a sacrificial victim; and having overcome some of his men, he treated the rest as his own. And now, holding the country securely, he also attacked cities and, capturing them, did not let up, being proclaimed as ruler and emperor. But things concerning him were thus, and so day by day he grew greater and, being successful, he advanced.

4. How the emperor arranged for his daughter Irene to marry Asan. But the emperor, while naturally grieving at the unexpected event, and securing his own position as best he could, wished to increase what security he had from the fall of Constantine by a marriage-alliance with Lachanas. And sending envoys, he made trial of the barbarian, in order to know if he was sufficiently disposed to proceed further, having thus begun so simply and having succeeded in the greatest things with the utmost ease. And indeed he intended to make him his son-in-law by his daughter, if he seemed to them to be sufficiently capable even for the rule of the Bulgarians itself. But nevertheless, seeing the instability of fortune, how it both bestows the greatest things and at the same time takes away former possessions, tipping the scales, while with virtue what is gained is one's own and what is lost is not without hope, he was very suspicious of fortune, lest, having suddenly given great things, she might quickly take everything away and, if there were not even a little virtue, what was given by her would be 555 obscured, so that one would not have time to be admired for succeeding before being pitied for failing. For this reason, turning these things over in his thoughts, he assembled a council, calling together those around him. For he saw that the rule of the Bulgarians by necessity needed someone to lead it, and he set beside Lachanas John, the son of Mytzes; and he judged that for the one, fortune and boldness and being on the scene would contribute to his accession to power, but he discerned that for John, his lineage and his own connection would be better able to secure the rule. And the counsel pleased many; that the son of Mytzes should become son-in-law to the emperor, and, thus established in his paternal kingdom, be helped towards it by the emperor himself, and that the Bulgarians would more quickly incline to this, both because of the right belonging to Mytzes and the goodwill of his fathers towards them, and also because of the emperor's care for him, as that of a father-in-law for a son-in-law; and it was likely that Lachanas, suddenly puffed up by fortune, would relax his efforts when Roman forces appeared there, and would either submit to servitude or indeed even hide somewhere in flight, having no place where he might make a stand; and that the people of Ternovo would more easily betray Maria and her child; for her evils against them were not so small as to be given over to oblivion.

5. How the emperor, having sent for this purpose, sought counsel also from the patriarch. When they had deliberated these things, the emperor, sending a secret message, also sought the counsel of the patriarch. And he mostly inclined towards Mytzes and in writing gave his support to the plan. This also the hieromonk Theodosius, Prince,

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ἐμμένειν ἐπανελθόντι τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἅμα γοῦν ἐπέβη ὁ κρατῶν τῆς Ἀδριανοῦ, καὶ ἅμα ἡ σφαγὴ τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου ἀγγέλλεται. Ὡς γὰρ ηὐξάνετο καθ' ἡμέραν ὁ Λαχανᾶς καὶ πολλοὶ προσεχώρουν ἐκείνῳ, κατολιγωροῦντες τοῦ σφῶν βασιλέως, ἐκποδὼν δ' ἦν ἤδη καὶ Ὀσφεντίσθλαβος, τῶν δόλων ἀπονάμενος τῆς Μαρίας, οἱ δέ γε προσῳκειωμένοι τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ, οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἦσαν, ταῖς τῆς Μαρίας κακεντρεχείαις κατειργασμένοι, ὅσοι δὲ καὶ περιῆσαν, οἱ μὲν παρ' ἐκείνων ἐπὶ δυσνοίαις ὑπωπτεύοντο, οἱ δὲ καὶ ταῖς ἀληθείαις ἐδυσνόουν, μόνος ἢ μετ' ὀλίγων ἐγκαταλειφθείς, Κωνσταντῖνος ὁρμᾷ μετελθεῖν τὸν ἤδη καὶ αὐτοῦ κατολιγωροῦντα. Καὶ δὴ συνταξάμενος τὰς δυνάμεις, ὁ μὲν ἐφ' ἁμάξης ἐφέρετο, οἱ δὲ οἷς ἐκεῖνος ἐπίστευε τὰς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ὁρμὰς κατεκλῶντο. Ὁ δὲ Λαχανᾶς, ὁμόσε χωρήσας ἐκείνῳ, ἅμα φανεὶς ἐπεισπίπτει καὶ κατὰ κράτος αἱρεῖ· κἀκεῖνον μέν, μηδὲν κατὰ πόλεμον πράξαντα βασι λείας ἄξιον, δίκην ἱερείου κατασφάττει· τινὰς δὲ τῶν ἐκείνου καταγωνι σάμενος, τοῖς λοιποῖς ὡς σφετέροις ἐχρᾶτο. Καὶ ἤδη βεβαίως ἐπισχὼν τὴν χώραν, καὶ πόλεων ἥπτετο καί γ' αὐτὰς αἱρῶν οὐκ ἀνίει ὡς ἄρχων καὶ βασι λεὺς φημιζόμενος. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν κατ' ἐκεῖνον οὕτω, καὶ οὕτως ὁσημέραι πλέον ἐμεγαλύνετο καὶ εὐοδούμενος ἐπεδίδου.

δʹ. Ὅπως ὁ βασιλεὺς τῇ θυγατρὶ Εἰρήνῃ τὸν Ἀσὰν εἰς γάμον ἥρμοσεν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, τῷ μὲν παρὰ δόξαν συμβάντι ὡς εἰκὸς ἐπαλγήσας, τὰ δὲ καθ' αὑτὸν ὡς ἐνῆν κατασφαλιζόμενος, ὅσον ἀσφαλῶς εἶχεν ἐκ Κων σταντίνου πεσόντος, ἐπαύξειν ἤθελε ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Λαχανᾶν ἀγχιστείαις. Καὶ πέμψας μὲν ἀπεπειρᾶτο τοῦ βαρβάρου, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ γνῶναι εἰ ἱκανῶς ἔχοι καὶ πρὸς τὸ πρόσω χωρεῖν, οὕτως ἀρξάμενος μὲν ἀπερίττως, τὰ μέγιστα δ' εὐτυχηκὼς ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα. Καί γε καὶ γαμβρὸν ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ διενοεῖτο ποιεῖν, εἰ σφίσι δόξειεν ἐνικανωμένος καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν τῶν Βουλγάρων ἀρχήν. Ὅμως δ' ἐνορῶν τὸ τῆς τύχης ἄστατον, ὡς ἅμα μὲν χαρίζεσθαι καὶ τὰ μέγιστα, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα προσαφαιρεῖσθαι, κλίνουσαν τὰ ζυγά, ἀρετῇ δὲ καὶ τὸ προσγενόμενον οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸ ἀπογενόμενον οὐκ ἀνέλπιστον, ὑπώπτευε τὰ πολλὰ τὴν τύχην, μή, δοῦσα μεγάλα ἐξαίφνης, τὸ πᾶν ταχέως ἀφέληται καί, ἀρετῆς μὴ οὔσης μηδὲ βραχύ, καὶ τὸ παρ' ἐκείνης διδόμενον 555 ἀμαυρῷτο, ὡς μὴ φθάνειν ἐπιτυγχάνοντα θαυμάζεσθαι καὶ ἐλεεῖσθαι ἀποτυγχάνοντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ταῦτα στρέφων ἐπὶ λογισμῶν, βουλὴν συνέλεγε, τοὺς ἀμφ' αὑτὸν συγκαλῶν. Ἔβλεπε γὰρ τὴν τῶν Βουλγάρων ἀρχὴν τοῦ προστα τήσοντος χρῄζουσαν ἐξ ἀνάγκης, παρετίθει δὲ καὶ τῷ Λαχανᾷ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Μυτζῆ Ἰωάννην· καὶ τῷ μὲν τύχην καὶ θράσος καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων εἶναι εἰς πρόσβασιν τῆς ἀρχῆς διεγίνωσκε συντελέσοντα, Ἰωάννην δὲ τὸ γένος καὶ τὴν ἀφ' αὑτοῦ σύναρσιν κατοχυροῦν εἰς ἀρχὴν οἷά τ' ὄντα καὶ μᾶλλον διέκρινε. Καὶ πολλοῖς γε ἤρεσκεν ἡ βουλή· τὸν τοῦ Μυτζῆ υἱὸν εἰς γαμβρὸν γενέσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ, καί, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῇ πατρόθεν βασιλείᾳ καταστάντα, συνεργηθῆναι καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς ταύτην, ἐπικλῖναί τε θᾶττον πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ τοὺς Βουλγάρους, ἅμα μὲν διὰ τὸ προσὸν τῷ Μυτζῆ δίκαιον καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ πρὸς σφᾶς ἱλαρόν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς αὐτὸν κηδεμονίαν, ὅσα καὶ πενθεροῦ πρὸς γαμβρόν· εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ τὸν Λαχανᾶν, ἐξαίφνης ἐκ τύχης φυσηθέντα, ὑπο χαλάσαντα τὰς ὁρμάς, φανεισῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ἐκεῖσε δυνάμεων, ἢ πρὸς δουλείαν ὑποπεσεῖν ἢ μὴν καί που κρυβῆναι φεύγοντα, μὴ ἔχοντα ὅπῃ ἄρα καὶ ἰσχυρίσαιτο· Μαρίαν δὲ καὶ παῖδα ταύτης ῥᾷον τοὺς Τερνοβίτας προδοῦναι· τὰ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐκείνης κακὰ οὐ τοσοῦτον μικρὰ ὥστε καὶ λήθῃ δοθῆναι.

εʹ. Ὅπως ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τούτῳ πέμψας ἐζήτει βουλὴν καὶ παρὰ τοῦ πατριάρχου. Ταῦτα βουλευσαμένων, ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατριάρχου βουλὴν πέμψας ἐν ἀπορρήτοις ἐζήτει. Καὶ ὃς τὰ πολλὰ πρὸς τὸν Μυτζῆ ἔρρεπε καὶ γράφων τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ βουλῇ ῥοπὴν ἐδίδου. Τοῦτο καὶ Πρίγκιψ ὁ ἱερομόναχος Θεοδόσιος,