181

He too, having been deemed worthy for counsel concerning these things, wrote, being already a candidate for the patriarchate; for Euthymius of the city of God had died. But it is not amiss to say how. The patriarchate was thus widowed, and many of the eastern bishops were present, some coming from there, and others having come here at his urging; for upon these things the counsel of Theodoretus of Anazarbus also was pleasing, that since the 557 patriarch was already confined by illness, suitable men should be brought forth at his urging, so that they might vote irreproachably and capably for the one to be summoned after him. When, therefore, the one who would be useful was being sought and no one despaired of the Princeps, it was thus possible to vote immediately and to summon the man. But the emperor, discerning something wise in these matters, suspected mockery and foresaw that he might incur the ridicule hanging from this suspicion. For he was not at all unaware that the Princeps was not entirely united with the church on account of the things that had happened, and though he thought he would submit to the supreme honor being offered, he could not firmly believe it; if, then, having been elected he should refuse, for that one there would be the sufficient honor that though deemed worthy he did not obey, but those who had called him would of necessity bear the lesser part, because though they deemed him worthy, they were not accepted. He wrote these things, therefore, in secret to the patriarch: to test him first, and then to permit the vote. And the test was through the one writing these things; for he, having the greatest familiarity with that man, was preferred to the others for this test. Then, therefore, according to what was sent in secret by the emperor to the patriarch, and sent by the patriarch to the writer, visiting him frequently and proposing the matters concerning the patriarchate, as one knowing to one not knowing, I sounded out his mind and took his opinion as a pledge, and I was fully assured, being fully assured myself, that if called he would obey and would accept the call to the patriarchate. These things happened, and, as he was thenceforth treated as a candidate, the emperor both sent him friendly messages and made him a partner in counsel concerning necessary matters. Then, therefore, having received their advice and before this that of the empress, he put the counsel into effect and sending for him, he brings John to himself from the Trojan lands near the Scamander—for he was making his sojourn there, having sufficient means for his providence—and having changed his status, he called him son-in-law and emperor of the Bulgarians. He also changed his surname to that of his grandfather Asan, celebrating the name among all the crowd around him and imposing fitting punishments on those who did not say it so, when remembering him for some need. And of the Bulgarians, he summoned those ready to join him, as he would immediately 559 benefit them, while those who had some forethought for their safety, he sent gifts to honor them, and he strengthened them with hopes that they would fare well, if they would accept John as emperor, having deserted Maria. These things, therefore, he arranged from Adrianople and some, who immediately came over at the mere report, he treated well and won over the Bulgarians with promises.

2. How he also made Michael, who had come up from the west, his son-in-law. But upon his return to the city, the imminent arrival of Michael from the western parts was also announced. He was the last son of the Despot Michael, called Demetrius at first, but after his father died, he exchanged his name in memory of him; to whom indeed a portion of his father's lands had been allotted, which did not seem at all sufficient for the magnitude of his own worth, since he had already been promised by the emperor to become his son-in-law. Therefore, leaving that behind, he went over to the emperor, trusting in letters secured by oaths. So, for the emperor, the betrothals of both his daughters, Irene and Anna—for Eudocia was still small—to their bridegrooms were imminent; but the wedding of Irene to Asan, already proclaimed emperor of the Bulgarians, was celebrated more splendidly. For he used imperial symbols, of wool on his riding-cloaks, and in other respects the

181

ἀξιωθεὶς καὶ οὗτος πρὸς συμβουλὴν τὴν περὶ τούτων, ἔγραφεν, ἤδη εἰς ψῆφον ὢν πατριαρχείου· ὁ γὰρ Εὐθύμιος ἐτεθνήκει τῆς Θεου πόλεως. Τὸ δ' ὅπως οὐ χεῖρον εἰπεῖν. Κεχήρωτο μὲν οὖν τὸ πατριαρχεῖον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν τῆς ἀνατολῆς ἐπισκόπων παρῆσαν, οἱ μὲν ἐκεῖθεν ἰόντες, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ταῖς ἐκείνου προτροπαῖς γενόμενοι· ἤρεσκε γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ἡ τοῦ Ἀναζάρβου Θεοδωρήτου βουλή, εἰς νόσον ἤδη κλιθέντος τοῦ 557 πατριάρχου, τοὺς ἱκανοὺς ἐκ προτροπῆς ἐκείνου γίνεσθαι, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸν μετ' ἐκεῖνον προσκληθησόμενον ἀνεπιλήπτως καὶ ἱκανῶς ψηφίζοιντο. Ὡς γοῦν ἐζητεῖτο ὁ χρησιμεύσων καὶ οὐδεὶς τοῦ Πρίγκιπος ἀπεγίνωσκεν, ἦν οὖν εὐθὺς καὶ ψηφίζεσθαι καὶ προσκαλεῖσθαι τὸν ἄνδρα. Ἀλλ' ὁ βασιλεύς, σοφόν τι συνορῶν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὑπώπτευε τὴν χλεύην καὶ τὸν κρεμάμενον ἐκ τῆς ὑποψίας κατάγελων μήπως ὀφλήσῃ προὐνόει. Τὸν γὰρ Πρίγκιπα μὴ δι όλου τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἑνούμενον διὰ τὰ συμβάντα οὐδ' ὅλως ἠγνόει, τὸ δὲ συνυ ποκλίνεσθαι κατὰ τιμὴν ὑπερτάτην προτεινομένην ᾤετο μέν, οὐκ εἶχε δ' ἀραρότως πιστεύειν· εἰ γοῦν ψηφισθεὶς ἀπερεῖ, εἶναι μὲν ἐκείνῳ τὴν ὅτι καὶ ἀξιούμενος οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτάρκη τιμήν, τοὺς δέ γε καλέσαντας ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀποφέρεσθαι τὸ ἧττον, ὅτι καὶ ἀξιοῦντες οὐ προσεδέχθησαν. Γράφει γοῦν καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἀπορρήτοις τῷ πατριάρχῃ· πειρᾶν πρότερον, εἶθ' οὕτως καὶ ἐφιέναι ψηφίζεσθαι. Ἡ δὲ πεῖρα ἦν διὰ τοῦ συγγράφοντος τάδε· οὗτος γάρ, συνήθειαν ἔχων εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὴν μεγίστην, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πείρᾳ ταύτῃ τῶν ἄλλων προὐκρίνετο. Τότε γοῦν, κατὰ τὰ ἐν ἀπορρήτοις ἐπε σταλμένα μὲν πρὸς βασιλέως πατριάρχῃ, ἐπεσταλμένα δὲ παρὰ πατριάρχου τῷ συγγραφεῖ, φοιτῶν ἐκείνῳ συχνάκις καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ πατριαρχείου προ τεινόμενος, εἰδὼς μὴ εἰδότι τὸν νοῦν ἐθηρώμην καὶ τὴν γνώμην ἐνεχύραζον, καί γ' ἐπληροφόρουν πληροφορούμενος ὡς κληθεὶς ὑπακούσειε καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ πατριαρχεῖον κλῆσιν προσήσεται. Γέγονε ταῦτα, καί, ὡς ὑποψηφίῳ ἐντεῦθεν προσφερόμενος, ὁ κρατῶν τὰ φιλικά τε ἐπέστελλε καί γε τῶν ἀναγκαίων κατὰ βουλὴν κοινωνὸν ἐποίει. Τότε τοίνυν, τὰς αὐτῶν δεξάμενος συμβουλὰς καὶ πρό γε τούτων τὴν τῆς δεσποίνης, ἔργῳ τὰ τῆς βουλῆς ἐπλήρου καὶ πέμψας ἄγει τε εἰς ἑαυτὸν τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐκ τῶν κατὰ Σκάμανδρον Τρωϊκῶνἐκεῖ γὰρ καὶ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιεῖτο, αὐτάρκως τῶν εἰς πρόνοιαν ἔχωνκαὶ μετασχηματίσας γαμβρὸν ἐκάλει καὶ βασιλέα Βουλγάρων. Μετετίθει δὲ καὶ τοὐπίκλην εἰς τὸ τοῦ πάπ που Ἀσάν, ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν πληθὺν θριαμβεύων τοὔνομα καὶ δίκας προστιθεὶς τὰς ἀξίας τοῖς γε μὴ οὕτω λέγουσι, κατά τινα μεμνημένοις χρείαν. Καὶ τῶν Βουλγάρων τοὺς μὲν προσχωρεῖν ἑτοίμους ἐκάλει, ὡς αὐτίκα 559 εὐεργετήσων, τοὺς δέ τι καὶ προνοοῦντας τοῦ ἀσφαλοῦς πέμπων δώροις μὲν ἤγαλλεν, ἀνερρώννυ δὲ ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ὡς εὖ πράξοντας, εἰ τὸν Ἰωάννην δέξοιντο βασιλέα, ἀποστάντες Μαρίας. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῆς Ἀδριανοῦ ᾠκονόμει καί τινας, αὐτίκα πρὸς μόνην τὴν φήμην προσχωροῦντας, εὖ ἔδρα καὶ κατεδημαγώγει Βουλγάρους ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν.

ʹ. Ὅπως καὶ τὸν Μιχαήλ, ἐκ δύσεως ἀνελθόντα, γαμβρὸν ἐποιήσατο. Ἐπανελθόντι δ' εἰς πόλιν ἠγγέλλετο καὶ ἡ τοῦ Μιχαὴλ ἐκ τῶν δυτικῶν ὅσον οὐκ ἤδη ἄφιξις. Ὁ δ' ἦν ὁ τοῦ Μιχαὴλ δεσπότου υἱὸς ὕστατος, ∆ημήτριος μὲν τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς λεγόμενος, θανόντος δὲ τοῦ πατρός, τοὔνομα κατὰ μνήμην ἐκείνου ἀνταλλαξάμενος· ᾧ δὴ καὶ μοῖρα τῶν τοῦ πατρὸς χωρῶν προσκεκληρωμένη οὐκ ἀποχρῶσα τῷ μεγέθει τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν ἀξίας, ἧς παρὰ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἐτύγχανεν ἤδη γαμβρὸς ὑπεσχημένος γενέσθαι, οὐδαμῶς ἐδόκει. Τῷ τοι κἀκείνην ἀφείς, βασιλεῖ προσεχώρει, πιστεύων γράμμασιν ὅρκοις κατησφαλισμένοις. Ἦσαν μὲν οὖν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἑκατέρων τῶν θυγα τέρων Εἰρήνης ἅμα καὶ Ἄννηςἡ γὰρ Εὐδοκία μικρὰ ἦν καὶ ἔτιαἱ πρὸς τοὺς νυμφίους συναρμόσεις ἐμπρόθεσμοι· ἀλλ' οἱ τῆς Εἰρήνης γάμοι τῷ ἤδη βασιλεῖ φημιζομένῳ Βουλγάρων Ἀσὰν ἐτελοῦντο περιφανέστερον. Συμβόλοις γὰρ ἐχρᾶτο βασιλικοῖς, ἐξ ἐρίων μὲν κατ' ἐφεστρίδας, τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις τοῖς