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to become openly opposed to the Grand Domestic. And he was doing other things which were not pleasing to him, and he was forming a faction from among the senators and persuading them with many promises to cooperate with him, as one who would do them the greatest good, if the rule of affairs should fall to him. And he was constantly spending time in the palace, departing for home only at night, and in the middle of it at that. From which the Grand Domestic, guessing the intention of the patriarch, and especially since some of those who shared his secrets were reporting the reason for what was happening, was naturally displeased and regarded what was being done with anger, but nevertheless he bore it in silence, watching to see where his intention would end. And while these things were happening, something else also occurred, which touched the soul of the Grand Domestic not moderately. For the king of the Mysians, Alexander, having sent an embassy to the empress and the Romans, demanded the fugitive Sisman, who was staying with them, the son of Michael who had formerly reigned among the Mysians; who had been born to him from the sister of Stephen, the ruler of the Triballi, she who after his death ruled Mysia. For she had previously been cast out by him while he was still alive and he was married to the sister of the Emperor Andronicus the Younger. But when, after a little while, a plot was formed against her by the most powerful men, she was again driven from power, she, having the one son, John, returned to her brother the Kral, but Sisman, the 2.20 remaining of the sons, went as a fugitive to the Scythians. And he, having stayed with them for no short time, later came voluntarily to the Romans after the death of the emperor. This man Alexander demanded, having sent for him, as being most hostile to him. And he said one of two things: either hand over Sisman to be executed or prepare for war, since it was not possible for him to be a friend and ally to the Romans, while his greatest enemy was being harbored by them. And he also sent the oaths, which had been made to him by the Emperor Andronicus for the sake of peace. Thus, Alexander's embassy was of this nature. And it was necessary for the senate, having assembled together with the empress, to deliberate whether it was right either to hand over the deserter or to take up war against the Mysians on his behalf. So they assembled in the palace. And the Grand Domestic was also present with them, along with the patriarch. And when the council was set before the assembly, all the others kept silent, looking to the Grand Domestic, for whatever he might advise concerning the matters at hand; but George Choumnos, the master of the table, ignorantly and boldly, before anyone uttered anything, said, "it is written, 'if a revelation is made to the last, let the first be silent.' If, therefore, it is permitted for one of us who seem to be last to say something better about what we are now deliberating, it is necessary for the first to accept it." Then the Grand Domestic was immediately disturbed by the speech, being indignant at the 2.21 audacity and shamelessness of the man. But thinking that the empress or the patriarch—for he was already presiding over the council—would in anger drive Choumnos from the council-chamber or rebuke him with words for his ill-timed garrulity, he bore it in silence. But when nothing of what was necessary was said by them, he was even more disturbed, taking the speech as a clear proof of disorder and anarchy, if it were to be permitted for everyone to clash with their superiors without fear. But Demetrios Tornikes, not enduring the absurdity, said, "What then? Must we make the empire of the Romans a democracy, so that it is permitted for anyone to deliberate and to say whatever he thinks, both about greater and lesser matters, and to compel their betters to accept what has been voted on. And what excess of absurdity would such a thing not reach?" And when they had already started to argue with each other about such things, the empress stopped them, ordering them to refrain from these ill-timed words and to discuss the necessary matters. But the Grand Domestic, pretending to have a stomach ache, feigned that his insides were turning and fell silent, as if unable even to speak from the pain. But they were making a disorderly clamor, each one wishing to ratify his own proposal. For some...

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γενέσθαι φανερὸς ἀντιπολιτευόμενος τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ. καὶ ἄλλα τε ἔπραττεν, ἃ οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ ἀρέσκειν, καὶ ἑταιρείαν ἐκ τῶν συγκλητικῶν συνίστα καὶ ἔπειθε πολλαῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν αὐτῷ συμπράττειν, ὡς τὰ μέγιστα εὖ ποιήσων, εἰ αὐτῷ προσγένοιτο τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ ἀρχή. καὶ διηνεκῶς διέτριβεν ἐν βασιλείοις, νυκτὸς μόνης καὶ ταύτης μέσης οἴκαδε ἀναχωρῶν. ἐξ ὧν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος καταστοχαζόμενος τῆς τοῦ πατριάρχου διανοίας, ἄλλως τε καί τινων τῶν κοινωνούντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀπαγγελλόντων τῶν γινομένων τὴν αἰτίαν, ἐδυσχέραινε μὲν ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ δι' ὀργῆς τὰ πραττόμενα ἐποιεῖτο, ὅμως δὲ ἔφερε σιγῇ, ἀποσκοπῶν ὅποι τελευτήσει ἡ διάνοια αὐτῷ. μεταξὺ δὲ τούτων γινομένων συμβέβηκέ τι καὶ ἄλλο, ὃ οὐ μετρίως καθήψατο τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ψυχῆς. ὁ γὰρ τῶν Μυσῶν βασιλεὺς Ἀλέξανδρος πρεσβείαν πέμψας πρὸς βασιλίδα καὶ Ῥωμαίους, τὸν παρ' αὐτοῖς διατρίβοντα φυγάδα ᾔτει Σίσμανον τὸν τοῦ παρὰ Μυσοῖς προβεβασιλευκότος Μιχαήλ· ὃς δὴ γεγένητο αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς Στεφάνου τοῦ τῶν Τριβαλῶν ἄρχοντος ἀδελφῆς, ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν ἦρξε Μυσίας. πρότερον γὰρ ἐκβεβλημένη ὑπ' ἐκείνου ἦν ἔτι περιόντος καὶ τῇ βασιλέως Ἀνδρονίκου τοῦ νέου συνοικοῦντος ἀδελφῇ. ἐπεὶ δὲ μετ' ὀλίγον ὑπὸ τῶν δυνατωτάτων ἐπιβουλευθεῖσα, πάλιν ἐξεβλήθη τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἡ μὲν τὸν ἕτερον ἔχουσα τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωάννην, πρὸς Κράλην ἐπανῆκε τὸν ἀδελφὸν, Σίσμανος δὲ ὁ 2.20 λοιπὸς τῶν παίδων, εἰς Σκύθας ᾤχετο φυγάς. ὃς δὴ παρ' ἐκείνοις διατρίψας οὐκ ὀλίγον, ὕστερον Ῥωμαίοις ἑκοντὶ προσῆλθε μετὰ τὴν βασιλέως τελευτήν. τοῦτον δὴ Ἀλέξανδρος ᾐτεῖτο πέμψας, ὡς πολεμιώτατον αὐτῷ. ἔφασκέ τε δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ παραδοῦναι Σίσμανον ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἢ παρασκευάζεσθαι πρὸς πόλεμον, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι φίλον καὶ σύμμαχον Ῥωμαίοις, τοῦ πολεμιωτάτου τρεφομένου παρ' αὐτοῖς. ἔπεμπέ τε καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους, οἳ πρὸς βασιλέως Ἀνδρονίκου πρὸς αὐτὸν ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ γεγενημένοι. ἡ μὲν οὖν Ἀλεξάνδρου πρεσβεία τοῦτον εἶχε τὸν τρόπον. ἔδει δὲ τὴν σύγκλητον συνελθοῦσαν βουλεύσασθαι ἅμα βασιλίδι, εἰ δέον ἢ τὸν αὐτόμολον παραδιδόναι ἢ πόλεμον ἄρασθαι πρὸς Μυσοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. οἱ μὲν οὖν συνῆλθον ἐν βασιλείοις. συμπαρῆν δ' αὐτοῖς καὶ δομέστικος ὁ μέγας ἅμα πατριάρχῃ. προτεθείσης δὲ τῆς βουλῆς ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πάντες ἡσυχίαν ἦγον πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἀποβλέποντες, ὅ, τι ἂν βουλεύσαιτο περὶ τῶν προκειμένων· Χοῦμνος δὲ Γεώργιος, ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης, ἀμαθῶς καὶ θρασέως πρίν τι φθέγξασθαί τινα «γέγραπται», εἶπεν «ἐὰν τῷ ἐσχάτῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ, σιγάτω ὁ πρῶτος. ἂν οὖν καὶ ἡμῶν τινι τῶν δοκούντων ἐσχάτων εἶναι βέλτιόν τι περὶ ὧν νυνὶ βουλευόμεθα εἰπεῖν ἐξῇ, ἀνάγκη τὸν πρῶτον στέργειν.» ἐταράχθη μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ πρὸς τὴν θρασύτητα 2.21 καὶ ἀναίδειαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀγανακτῶν. οἰόμενος δὲ τὴν βασιλίδα ἢ τὸν πατριάρχην οὗτος γὰρ ἤδη προΐστατο τῆς βουλῆς, πρὸς ὀργὴν τὸν Χοῦμνον ἀπελάσειν τοῦ βουλευτηρίου ἢ λόγοις ἐπιπλήξειν τῆς ἀκαίρου γλωσσαλγίας, ἤνεγκε σιγῇ. ὡς δὲ μήτε παρ' ἐκείνων ἐλέγετο τῶν δεόντων τι, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐταράττετο, τεκμήριον ἐναργὲς ἀταξίας καὶ ἀναρχίας τιθέμενος τὸν λόγον, εἰ πᾶσιν ἐξέσται τοῖς μείζοσι προσκρούειν ἀδεῶς. Τορνίκης δὲ ∆ημήτριος οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τὴν ἀτοπίαν, «τί οὖν;» εἶπε «δημοκρατίαν χρὴ ποιεῖν τὴν Ῥωμαίων βασιλείαν, ἵν' ἐξῇ παντί τῳ βουλεύεσθαι καὶ λέγειν, ἅττα ἂν δοκῇ, καὶ περὶ μειζόνων καὶ ἐλαττόνων πραγμάτων, καὶ ἀνάγκην προστιθέναι τοῖς βελτίοσι στέργειν τὰ ἐψηφισμένα. καὶ ποίαν ἀτοπίας ἂν ὑπερβολὴν ἐλλίποι τὸ τοιοῦτον;» ὡρμημένων τε ἤδη περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀλλήλοις ἀντιλέγειν, ἐπέσχεν ἡ βασιλὶς, τῶν ἀκαίρων ἀποσχέσθαι κελεύουσα λόγων τουτωνὶ καὶ ἀναγκαίων πέρι διαλέγεσθαι. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ὑποκρινάμενος τὸν στόμαχον ἀλγεῖν, ἐπλάττετό τε στρέφεσθαι τὰ ἔνδον καὶ ἐσιώπα, ὡς μηδὲ φθέγγεσθαι δυνάμενος ὑπὸ τῆς ἀλγηδόνος. οἱ δὲ ἀτάκτως ἐθορύβουν, ἕκαστος τὸ προσιστάμενον βουλόμενος κυροῦν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ