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with all in succession singing the sacred hymns. And the sight provided not only astonishment, but also pleasure, as such a great sacred roll was seen together with the hierarchs, adorned in sacred vestments and performing one rite, arranged under one leader, the patriarch. And by the abundance of lamps and the other lavishness of the preparation, it surpassed even the ever-celebrated of the feasts. The great domestic himself provided from his own house the expenses for these things and the stipends of the priests, which were most generously made to each according to his worth. 2. But such were the propitiatory rites. But he himself held to the administration of affairs just as before, suspecting no one about anything. But it was not enough for the patriarch to remain in his former state, but it seemed necessary to him to take part in the administration of common affairs, as if it belonged to him for some such reason. While the emperor was still alive, not a little time before his death, the great domestic advised him to persuade the patriarch to pronounce a penance and separation from the church of the faithful, if anyone, after the emperor was 2.17 dead, should plot against his children and unjustly take away the empire. And he said, attempting to persuade him, that in doing such things they would have done nothing absurd or unreasonable, but would also provide no small benefit to his children from this, if any such thing should happen to them. For to all men the end of death is uncertain, when it will come, but especially to them who were always occupied with battles and dangers. And it was not among the impossibilities, if it should happen that they both fall in one battle. And if this should happen, it would come to pass that the children would be left completely without provision, being able neither to defend themselves on account of their infancy, nor having anyone else to protect them genuinely and without deceit. But the emperor was not easily persuaded, being of sound judgment and thinking it more fitting to place the hopes for his children's salvation in the right hand that can do all things, than to look to the fig-wood assistance that comes from human contrivance, seeing that such things devised for the emperors before them had profited nothing. And he said that either God from above holding out a saving hand, or the power of those well-disposed to us, if it should surpass that of our enemies, would check the impulses of those wishing to do wrong; but oaths and bonds and all such things would in no way frighten those who have chosen to be avaricious. Therefore he should abstain from such an action, as not only being of no profit to us, but also being capable of causing no ordinary 2.18 harm to others, such as, in addition to owing penalties for their usurpation, being also separated from God. But the great domestic did not cease pressing him, but begged him to abstain from such words, and to be persuaded by him, as one who was advising profitable and just things. And indeed he persuaded him by force, not that he was thus persuaded that the things being done were profitable, but while holding to his original opinion, he was persuaded even against his will because it seemed profitable to the other. And having summoned the patriarch and as many of the high priests as were then present in Byzantium, and having discussed what was appropriate about the matter and made his opinion clear, that to him the matter seemed neither necessary nor profitable, for it would not check the impulses of conspirators; but so that he might not seem to be persuaded by his own reasonings alone, but also to yield to others who were advising him, having been persuaded himself and entrusting it to them, he ordered them to pronounce the excommunication against those who after his death would unjustly attack his children. And it was performed by the patriarch, as the emperor commanded. For these reasons, indeed, after his death, the patriarch thought it necessary, as being guardian of the emperor's children, especially since the emperor's son, the emperor John, was still an infant, having just reached the age of childhood, for he was nine years old; to take hold of affairs and to help preserve the empire for the new emperor. And he did take hold of them, attempting to do so as secretly as possible and little by little insinuating himself into 2.19 power. For he was afraid

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πάντων ἐφεξῆς τοὺς ἱεροὺς ᾀδόντων ὕμνους. καὶ ἦν οὐκ ἔκπληξιν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡδονὴν τὸ θέαμα παρέχον, κατάλογος ἱερὸς ὁρώμενος τοσοῦτος ἅμα τοῖς ἱεράρχαις, στολαῖς ἱεραῖς κεκοσμημένοι καὶ μίαν τελοῦντες τελετὴν, ὑφ' ἑνὶ καθηγεμόνι τῷ πατριάρχῃ τεταγμένοι. λαμπάδων δὲ περιουσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ πολυτελείᾳ τῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ τὰς πώποτε ὑμνουμένας παρηκόντισε τῶν ἑορτῶν. ἀναλώματα δὲ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἱερέων μισθοὺς, φιλοτίμως μάλιστα γεγενημένους ἑκάστῳ κατ' ἀξίαν, οἴκοθεν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος παρέσχετο αὐτός. βʹ. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἱλασμῶν τοιαῦτα ἐγεγόνει. αὐτὸς δὲ εἴχετο τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων διοικήσεως ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, μηδένα ὑποπτεύων περὶ οὐδενός. τῷ πατριάρχῃ δὲ οὐκ ἤρκει μένειν ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις, ἀλλ' ἐδόκει δεῖν ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων διοικήσεως, ὡς αὐτῷ προσηκούσης ἐκ τοιαύτης δή τινος αἰτίας. ἔτι περιόντος βασιλέως οὐκ ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πρὸ τῆς τελευτῆς συνεβούλευεν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος αὐτῷ πατριάρχην πεῖσαι ἐπιτίμιον ἀνατείνασθαι καὶ χωρισμὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῶν πιστῶν, εἴ τις τετε 2.17 λευτηκότος βασιλέως ἐπιβουλεύσειε τοῖς ἐκείνου παισὶ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν παρέλοιτο ἀδίκως. ἔφασκέ τε πείθειν ἐπιχειρῶν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔσονται τοιαῦτα πράττοντες τῶν ἀτόπων εἰργασμένοι καὶ παραλόγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφέλειαν οὐ μικράν τινα παρέξονται τοῖς παισὶν ἐκ τούτου, εἴ τι τοιοῦτον συμβαίη περὶ αὐτούς. πᾶσι μὲν γὰρ ἄδηλον εἶναι τὸ τοῦ θανάτου τέλος, ὁπότε ἥξει, μάλιστα δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀεὶ περὶ μάχας καὶ κινδύνους ἠσχολημένοις. καὶ οὐδὲν εἶναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων, εἰ καὶ ἀμφοτέροις αὐτοῖς συμβαίη περὶ μίαν μάχην πεσεῖν. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο γένοιτο, ἀπρονοήτους παντάπασι συμβαίνει λείπεσθαι τοὺς παῖδας, μήθ' ἑαυτοῖς ἀμύνειν διὰ νηπιότητα δυναμένους, μήθ' ἕτερόν τινα ἔχοντας τὸν προστησόμενον γνησίως καὶ ἀδόλως. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὐκ ἐπείθετο ῥᾳδίως, γνώμης τε ὢν ἀγαθῆς καὶ μᾶλλον οἰόμενος προσήκειν ἐπὶ τὴν πάντα δυναμένην δεξιὰν τὰς ἐλπίδας τῆς τῶν παίδων σωτηρίας ἔχειν, ἢ πρὸς συκίνην ἐπικουρίαν τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐπινοίας ἀποβλέπειν, συνορῶν, ὡς καὶ τοῖς πρὸ ἐκείνων βασιλεῦσι τοιαῦτα ἐπινενοημένα ὤνησαν οὐδέν. ἔφασκέ τε, ὡς ἢ θεὸς ἄνωθεν χεῖρα σώζουσαν ὑπερέχων ἢ τῶν ἡμῖν εὔνων ἡ δύναμις, ἂν τῶν ἐναντίων ὑπερέχῃ, τὰς τῶν ἀδικεῖν ἐθελόντων ἂν κωλύσειεν ὁρμάς· ὅρκοι δὲ καὶ δεσμοὶ καὶ ὅσα παραπλήσια, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκφοβήσειε τοὺς πλεονεκτεῖν προῃρημένους. διὸ καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης πράξεως ἀποσχέσθαι, ὡς οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἡμῖν λυσιτελούσης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις οὐ τὴν τυ 2.18 χοῦσαν βλάβην δυναμένης προξενεῖν, οἷα δὴ πρὸς τῷ δίκας τῆς ἁρπαγῆς ὀφείλειν καὶ κεχωρισμένοις ἀπὸ θεοῦ. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος οὐκ ἀνίη βιαζόμενος, ἀλλ' ἐδεῖτο τῶν μὲν τοιούτων λόγων ἀποσχέσθαι, αὐτῷ δὲ πείθεσθαι, ὡς λυσιτελοῦντα καὶ δίκαια βουλευομένῳ. καὶ ἔπεισέ γε βιασάμενος, οὐδ' οὕτω μὲν πεπεισμένον, ὡς λυσιτελῆ τὰ πραττόμενα εἴη, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐξαρχῆς ἐχόμενον γνώμης, διὰ δὲ τὸ δοκεῖν ἐκείνῳ λυσιτελεῖν καὶ ἄκοντα πεπεισμένον. καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην μετακαλεσάμενος καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τότε παρῆσαν, καὶ ὅσα ἦν εἰκὸς διαλεχθεὶς περὶ τοῦ πράγματος καὶ τὴν γνώμην φανερὰν ποιήσας, ὡς αὐτῷ μὲν οὔτε ἀναγκαῖον, οὔτε λυσιτελὲς δοκεῖ τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐ γὰρ ἐπισχήσει τὰς ὁρμὰς τῶν ἐπιβούλων· ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ δοκοίη τοῖς σφετέροις μόνοις πείθεσθαι λογισμοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις συμβουλεύουσι παραχωρεῖν αὐτόν τε πεπεῖσθαι καὶ σφίσιν ἐπιτρέπειν, ἐκέλευε τὸν ἀφορισμὸν κατὰ τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν τοῖς παισὶν ἀδίκως ἐπιθησομένων ἐκφωνεῖν. καὶ ἐτελεῖτο παρὰ πατριάρχου, ᾗ προσέταττεν ὁ βασιλεύς. διὰ ταῦτα δὴ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ὁ πατριάρχης ᾠήθη δεῖν, οἷα δὴ τῶν βασιλέως παίδων φύλαξ, ἄλλως θ' ὅτι καὶ ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως παῖς Ἰωάννης ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔτι νήπιος ἦν, ἄρτι παιδικῆς ἡμμένος ἡλικίας, ἔτη γὰρ ἦν γεγονὼς ἐννέα· ἀνθάπτεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν συνδιασώζειν τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ. καὶ ἥπτετό γε αὐτῶν, λανθάνειν ἐπιχειρῶν ὡς μάλιστα ἐνῆν καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐμβιβάζων ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀρ 2.19 χήν. ἐδεδίει γὰρ