207

has released from the hands of philanthropy. But if they should pass beyond them, this is a symbol that, supposedly, the imperial power has also rejected them. 12.6.9 Therefore, the affairs of men under punishment belong to Fortune, which I consider to be a divine decree, and one must call upon her for aid. For either the acts of compassion reach them within the hands and the unfortunate are snatched from dangers, or having passed the hands they are also far from salvation. But I attribute the whole matter to the Providence of God, which at that time also rescued this man from the gouging out of his eyes. For God, as it seems, then moved us to compassion for him. For indeed the angel of salvation, hastening from this side of the arch, in which the bronze hands were fixed, handed the little note of compassion to those leading Michael and, taking him from there, returned. And having reached the tower built near the palace, he imprisoned him there; for he had been ordered to do this.

12.7.1 This man had not yet been freed from the prison when the prison of Anemas again held Gregory. It was a certain tower of the city walls situated near the palace in Blachernae, called the tower of Anemas, having received this name as if by lot because it first received Anemas in iron chains, who spent a long time in it. For in the course of the twelfth indiction, the aforementioned Gregory, having been appointed doux of Trebizond, who had long been plotting rebellion, brought his secret design to light on his way to Trebizond. For, meeting Dabatenos as he was returning to Constantinople, the ducal office having been transferred to Taronites, he immediately held him as a prisoner and under guard in Tephrike, and not only Dabatenos, but also many of the prominent Trebizondines and even the nephew of Vakchenos himself. But since they were not being released from their bonds and imprisonment, they all came to an agreement, and having subjected the apostate's guards to torments, they led them out of the walls and drove them somewhere far away, while they themselves seized and held Tephrike. 12.7.2 And the emperor often, through letters, at one time summoned him, at another advised him to desist from his wicked deed, if he wished to receive compassion and be restored to his former state, and sometimes he also threatened him, if he would not obey. But he was so far from obeying the emperor who was advising what was best, that he even sent out a long letter to him, attacking not only the chief men of the senate and the army, but even the very relatives and sons-in-law of the emperor. From this letter, the emperor, discerning that he was proceeding daily for the worse and was now being driven into complete desperation, and having entirely given up on him, when the fourteenth indiction was at hand, sends John, his own nephew by his first-born sister, but a second cousin on his father's side to the apostate, against him, in the first instance rather to advise what was for his salvation, thinking that he would be persuaded by him on account of the sincerity of their kinship and the sharing of the same blood by both; but if he were unwilling, to oppose him manfully by both land and sea, bringing many forces with him. 12.7.3 But Gregory Taronites, learning of his arrival, went out and proceeded toward Koloneia (this is a very strong and impregnable fortress) in order to summon Tanismanes to his aid. John, having learned this while he was departing, separated the Celts from his own army and picked Roman troops and sent them out against him, who, having arrived first, joined a fierce battle with him. And two brave men, encountering him, seized him by knocking him off his horse with their spears. And so John, having taken him up

207

φιλανθρωπίας χειρῶν ἀπολέλυκεν. Εἰ δ' ὑπερβαῖεν ἐκείνας, σύμβολόν ἐστι τοῦτο ὡς δῆθεν καὶ τὸ βασίλειον κράτος τούτους ἀπώσατο. 12.6.9 Τῆς Τύχης οὖν ἐστι <τὰ> τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀνθρώπων, ἣν ἐγὼ θείαν ψῆφον εἶναι λογίζομαι, καὶ δεῖ καλεῖν ἐκείνην εἰς ἀρωγήν. Ἢ γὰρ τὰ τῆς συμπαθείας ἐντὸς ἔφθακε τῶν χειρῶν καὶ ἐξῄρηντο τῶν κινδύνων οἱ δυστυχοῦντες, ἢ τὰς χεῖρας παρωδευκότες καὶ πόρρω σωτηρίας εἰσίν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ πᾶν εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνατίθημι Πρόνοιαν, ἣ καὶ τότε τὸν ἄνδρα τῆς ἐξορύξεως τῶν ὀμμάτων τοῦτον ἐξείλετο. Θεὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἐκίνησεν εἰς τὴν τούτου συμπάθειαν. Ὁ γάρ τοι τῆς σωτηρίας ἄγγελος σπεύσας ἔνθεν τῆς ἁψῖδος, ἐν ᾗ αἱ χαλκαῖ χεῖρες ἦσαν ἐμπεπηγμέ ναι, τὸ τῆς συμπαθείας γραμμάτιον ἐπιδοὺς τοῖς τὸν Μιχαὴλ ἄγουσιν ἐκεῖθεν τοῦτον λαβὼν ὑπέστρεφε. Καὶ καταλαβὼν τὸν ἀγχοῦ τῶν ἀνακτόρων ᾠκοδομημένον πύργον κεῖθι τοῦτον καθεῖρξε· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῆσαι κεκέλευστο.

12.7.1 Οὔπω δ' οὗτος τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἠλευθεροῦτο καὶ τὸν Γρηγόριον αὖθις ἡ τοῦ Ἀνεμᾶ εἶχεν εἱρκτή. Πύργος δ' ἦν εἷς τις τῶν ἀγχοῦ τῶν ἐν Βλαχέρναις ἀνακτόρων διακειμέ νων τειχῶν τῆς πόλεως, ὁ τοῦ Ἀνεμᾶ καλούμενος, ὥσπερ τι λάχος τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ταυτηνὶ κληρωσάμενος διὰ τὸ πρώ τως τὸν Ἀνεμᾶν σιδηρόδετον δέξασθαι ἐπὶ πολὺν ἐν αὐτῷ χρονοτριβήσαντα χρόνον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπινεμήσεως παριπ πευούσης δωδεκάτης δοὺξ προβληθεὶς Τραπεζοῦντος ὁ ἤδη ῥηθεὶς Γρηγόριος ἀποστασίαν πάλαι ὠδίνων ἐν τῷ πρὸς Τραπεζοῦντα ἀπέρχεσθαι εἰς φῶς ἐξήγαγε τὸ ἀπόρρητον. Ἐπανιόντι γὰρ πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν τῷ ∆αβατηνῷ τῆς δουκικῆς ἀρχῆς εἰς τὸν Ταρωνίτην μετατεθείσης συναντήσας, δεσμώτην εὐθὺς αὐτὸν καὶ ἔμφρουρον εἰς Τήβενναν εἶχεν, οὐ τὸν ∆αβατηνὸν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν Τραπεζουντίων ἱκανοὺς καὶ αὐτὸν δὴ τὸν τοῦ Βακχηνοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν δεσμῶν καὶ τῆς εἱρκτῆς οὐκ ἐλύοντο, ὁμοφρονήσαντες ἅπαντες τοὺς μὲν φρουροῦν τας αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἀποστάτου αἰκίαις καθυποβαλόντες ἔξω τῶν τειχῶν ἐξαγαγόντες πόρρω που ἀπήλασαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ τὴν Τήβενναν σφετερισάμενοι κατεῖχον. 12.7.2 Ὁ δ' αὐτο κράτωρ πολλάκις διὰ γραφῶν ποτὲ μὲν μετεπέμπετο αὐτόν, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ ξυνεβούλευε τῆς κακίστης ἀποστῆναι πράξεως, εἰ βούλοιτο συμπαθείας τυχεῖν καὶ εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἀνα χθῆναι κατάστασιν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ἠπείλει, εἰ μὴ πείθοιτο. Ὁ δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχε τοῦ ὑπακούειν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος τὰ λῴονα συμβουλεύοντος, ὡς καὶ γραφὴν πολύστιχον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκπεπομφέναι καθαπτομένην οὐ μόνον τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ λογάδων, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν συγγενῶν καὶ γαμβρῶν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. Ἐκ ταυτησὶ δὲ τῆς γραφῆς διαγνοὺς αὐτὸν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προβαίνοντα καὶ εἰς παντελῆ ἀπόνοιαν ἤδη συνελαυνόμενον καὶ ἀπογνοὺς αὐτοῦ παντάπασι τῆς τεσσα ρεσκαιδεκάτης ἐπινεμήσεως ἐφισταμένης Ἰωάννην τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφιδοῦν τῆς πρωτοτόκου αὐταδέλφης, ἐξάδελφον δὲ πατρόθεν τοῦ ἀποστάτου πέμπει κατ' αὐτοῦ κατὰ πρῶ τον μὲν λόγον μᾶλλον συμβουλευόμενον τὰ σωτήρια, οἰόμε νος πεισθῆναι τούτῳ διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας γνησιότητα καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταὐτοῦ αἵματος ἀμφοῖν κοινωνίαν· εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο, ἀνδρικῶς ἀντικαταστῆναι διά τε ξηρᾶς καὶ θαλάσσης πολλὰς συνεπαγόμενον δυνάμεις. 12.7.3 Μαθὼν δὲ τὴν τούτου ἔλευσιν ὁ Ταρωνίτης Γρηγόριος ἐξελθὼν ὡς πρὸς Κολώνειαν ἀπῄει (πολίχνιον δὲ τοῦτο ἐρυμνότατον καὶ ἀνάλωτον) ἐφ' ᾧ μετακαλέσασθαι τὸν Τανισμάνην εἰς ἀρωγήν. Τοῦτο ἐν τῷ ἀπιέναι μεμαθηκὼς ὁ Ἰωάννης, τοὺς Κελτοὺς τοῦ ἰδίου στρατεύματος ἀποδιελόμενος καὶ λογά δας Ῥωμαίους κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεμψεν, οἳ καὶ προκαταλα βόντες καρτερὰν τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ ἀνεδήσαντο μάχην. ∆ύο δὲ γενναῖοι ἐντυχόντες αὐτῷ κατέσχον διὰ τῶν δοράτων κατα βαλόντες τοῦ ἵππου. Κᾆθ' οὕτως ἀναλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰωάννης