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having taken along some of the senate, as many as were of the same mind with them, of whom the most honorable Psellos was the leader, he also being ill-disposed toward Diogenes, they confined the empress Eudocia to the monastery built by her by the strait in the Propontis, and they proclaimed Michael emperor. Then imperial letters were sent out everywhere, commanding that they should neither receive nor deem worthy of imperial honor the returning Diogenes. And Psellos was the proponent of this plan, as he himself also says in his writing about this. When Diogenes learned this, having seized Dokeia (this is a fortress), he encamped near it. And the Caesar sent his own younger son, the proedros Konstantinos, with a force against Diogenes. But Diogenes arrived in Cappadocia. When 705 Krispinos (he was a Frank) joined Konstantinos with his countrymen, Diogenes sent Theodoros Alyates against them. But he, having engaged them, was defeated and, having been captured, had his eyes cut out. This greatly distressed Diogenes; and while he was in Tyropoion (this is a very strong fortress), the doux of Antioch approached him (this was Chatatourios the Armenian) bringing many soldiers. This man, therefore, having taken Diogenes and led him away to Cilicia, was awaiting help from the sultan, and he himself was also gathering an army. So the elder of the Caesar's sons, the proedros Andronikos, was sent again against them, and having come to Cilicia, he clashed with Chatatourios, and Chatatourios was killed, while those with him fled together to Adana, where Diogenes was staying. And Andronikos, having surrounded the city, besieged it. Then Diogenes surrendered himself on terms; and the terms were that he lay aside the imperial power and, having had his hair shorn, live as a private citizen. For on these terms, bishops were also sent by the emperor, giving him a sworn assurance 706 that he would suffer no harm. Therefore, trusting in these things, Diogenes came out dressed in black and surrendered himself to Andronikos. And he, having taken him, was returning, and having arrived at Kotyaeion, he waited there until he should be ordered what was to be done, while Diogenes was being treated from the drinking of some poisonous drug treacherously mixed for him. Then an imperial decree was sent there, ordering that the man who had done no wrong be deprived of his sight. And immediately his eyes were dug out, while the bishops were present and considering the misfortune to the man terrible, yet being deemed worthy of no reconsideration. And having his eyes cut out most cruelly and not receiving even the necessary care, his head swelled up, and his wounds swarmed with maggots, and the air around him was filled with a foul smell from the putrefaction. Thus being in a bad state, he was taken away to the island called Prote, on which he had built a monastery on the higher part of the island. Having survived there for a short time, he laid down his dust on it, having been buried most magnificently by the empress Eudocia, having reigned for three years and eight months. 707 It is said that all the things done to this man were the orders of the Caesar, with the emperor Michael knowing nothing. For the emperor was very slack in character and dissolute and clumsy at handling affairs, even ordinary ones, let alone the administration of the empire. And so, taking advantage of his simplicity, his uncle the Caesar contrived everything against Diogenes, being enraged with the man. But as the emperor Michael was naturally disinclined to the administration of the empire, he put in charge of affairs John, the metropolitan of Side, who was a eunuch but an active man. Then another eunuch, Nikephoros, who as a youth was taken into the palace by Monomachos and was called Nikephoritzes as a nickname because of his youth, and he had this as a surname, he summoned from Hellas and the Peloponnese, where he was administering justice. For this man had previously served the father of the emperor, the emperor

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προσλαβόμενοι τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου ἐνίους, ὅσοι ὡμοφρόνουν αὐτοῖς, ὧν ἐξῆρχεν ὁ ὑπέρτιμος ὁ Ψελλός, δύσνους καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ ∆ιογένει τυγχάνων, τὴν βασίλισσαν Εὐδοκίαν εἰς τὴν παρ' αὐτῆς δομηθεῖσαν μονὴν κατὰ τὸν ἐν τῇ Προποντίδι πορθμὸν περιορίζουσι, τὸν δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἀνακηρύττουσιν αὐτοκράτορα. εἶτα πανταχοῦ διαπέμπονται βασίλεια γράμματα μήθ' ὑποδέχεσθαι μήτε τιμῆς βασιλικῆς ἀξιοῦν ἐπανιόντα τὸν ∆ιογένην κελεύοντα. τούτου δὲ τοῦ βουλεύματος εἰσηγητὴς ὁ Ψελλὸς γέγονεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ περὶ τούτου φησὶ συγγραφῇ. ὅπερ ὁ ∆ιογένης μαθών, τὴν ∆όκειαν κατασχών (φρούριον δ' αὕτη) παρ' αὐτῇ ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο. καὶ ὁ Καῖσαρ τῶν σφετέρων υἱέων τὸν νεώτερον τὸν πρόεδρον Κωνσταντῖνον στέλλει κατὰ τοῦ ∆ιογένους μετὰ δυνάμεως. ὁ δὲ ∆ιογένης εἰς Καππαδοκίαν ἀφίκετο. προσγενομένου δὲ τοῦ 705 Κρισπίνου (Φράγγος δ' οὗτος) σὺν ὁμοφύλοις τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ, ὁ ∆ιογένης Θεόδωρον τὸν Ἀλυάτην κατ' αὐτῶν ἐξαπέστειλεν. ὁ δὲ συμμίξας αὐτοῖς ἡττήθη καὶ ἁλοὺς ἐξεκόπη τὰ ὄμματα. τοῦτο τὸν ∆ιογένη λίαν ἠνίασεν· ὄντι δὲ ἐν τῷ Τυροποιῷ (τοῦτο δ' ἐστὶ φρούριον ἐρυμνότατον) πρόσεισιν αὐτῷ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ὁ δούξ (οὗτος δ' ἦν ὁ ἐξ Ἀρμενίων ὁ Χατατούριος) στρατιώτας συχνοὺς ἐπαγόμενος. παραλαβὼν οὖν τὸν ∆ιογένη οὗτος καὶ εἰς Κιλικίαν ἀπαγαγὼν ἐκ τοῦ σουλτὰν ἐκαραδόκει βοήθειαν καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ συνήθροιζε στράτευμα. στέλλεται οὖν αὖθις κατ' αὐτῶν ὁ πρεσβύτερος τῶν παίδων τοῦ Καίσαρος ὁ πρόεδρος Ἀνδρόνικος καὶ εἰς Κιλικίαν γενόμενος τῷ Χατατουρίῳ συρρήγνυται, καὶ ἀναιρεῖται μὲν ὁ Χατατούριος, οἱ δὲ περὶ ἐκεῖνον εἰς Ἄδαναν συμπεφεύγασιν, ἔνθα ὁ ∆ιογένης διέτριβε. περικαθίσας δὲ τὴν πόλιν ὁ Ἀνδρόνικος ἐπολιόρκει αὐτήν. εἶτα ἐπὶ συνθήκαις ἑαυτὸν ὁ ∆ιογένης παρέδωκεν· αἱ δὲ συνθῆκαι, ἀποθέσθαι μὲν τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἰδιωτεύειν τὴν τρίχα κειράμενον. ἐπὶ ταύταις γὰρ καὶ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐστάλησαν πρὸς τοῦ βασιλεύοντος, πληροφορίαν ἔνορκον διδόντες αὐτῷ 706 ὡς οὐδέν τι πείσεται ἄχαρι. θαρρήσας οὖν τούτοις ὁ ∆ιογένης ἔξεισι μελανείμων καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐγχειρίζει τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ. ὁ δὲ τοῦτον λαβὼν ἐπανῄει, καὶ εἰς τὸ Κοτυάειον ἀφικόμενος προσέμενεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἕως ἂν αὐτῷ κελευσθείη τὸ ποιητέον, τοῦ ∆ιογένους νοσηλευομένου ἐκ πόσεώς τινος φαρμάκου δηλητηρίου ἐπιβούλως κερασθέντος αὐτῷ. ἐκεῖ τοίνυν ἐπέμφθη βασίλειος ψῆφος, τοῦ φωτὸς στερηθῆναι τὸν μηδὲν ἠδικηκότα κελεύουσα. καὶ αὐτίκα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξωρώρυκτο, παρόντων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ ἐν δεινῷ ποιουμένων τὴν εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον συμφοράν, μηδεμιᾶς μέντοι ἀξιουμένων ἐπιστροφῆς. ὠμότατα δὲ τὰ ὄμματα ἐκκοπεὶς καὶ μηδ' ἐπιμελείας τῆς δεούσης τυχὼν διῳδήκει τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ αἱ πληγαί οἱ ἐξέζεσαν σκώληκας καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ὁ περὶ ἐκεῖνον δυσωδίας μεμέστωτο ἐκ τῆς σήψεως. οὕτως οὖν κακῶς διακείμενος εἰς τὴν καλουμένην Πρώτην νῆσον ἀπάγεται, ἐν ᾗ σεμνεῖον ἀνήγειρε περὶ τὸ τῆς νήσου μετεωρότερον. βραχύ τι τοίνυν ἐπιβιώσας ἐκεῖ τὸν χοῦν ἀποτίθεται ἐν αὐτῇ, παρὰ τῆς βασιλίδος Εὐδοκίας λαμπρότατα κηδευθείς, βασιλεύσας ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ὀκτώ. 707 Λέγεται δὲ τὰ εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον γενόμενα πάντα τοῦ Καίσαρος εἶναι διαταγάς, μηδὲν εἰδότος τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Μιχαήλ. ἦν γὰρ χαῦνος ἄγαν τὸ ἦθος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀνειμένος καὶ πρὸς μεταχείρισιν πραγμάτων καὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἀδέξιος, πολλοῦ γε δεῖ πρὸς βασιλείας διοίκησιν. κἀντεῦθεν τῆς εὐηθείας ἐκείνου κατατρυφῶν ὁ θεῖος αὐτοῦ καὶ Καῖσαρ πάντα τὰ εἰς τὸν ∆ιογένην ἐτύρευσεν ἐγκοτῶν τῷ ἀνδρί. Ἀποπεφυκὼς δ' ὁ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ πρὸς τὴν τῆς βασιλείας διοίκησιν τὸν μητροπολίτην Σίδης Ἰωάννην, ἐκτομίαν ὄντα, δραστήριον δέ, τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐφιστᾷ. εἶθ' ἕτερον ἐκτομίαν τὸν Νικηφόρον, ὃς νέος προσληφθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Μονομάχου εἰς τὰ βασίλεια ὑποκοριζόμενος διὰ τὴν νεότητα Νικηφορίτζης ὠνόμαστο καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπωνυμίαν ἔσχηκε τοῦτο, ἐξ Ἑλλάδος καὶ Πελοποννήσου τὰς κρίσεις τούτων διέποντα μετεπέμψατο. ἔφθασε γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος καὶ τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ βασιλέως τῷ βασιλεῖ