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to guard and watch the sally of the Arabs, having appointed as their head John the Sakellarios, who was a eunuch and her domesticus. But Madi sent Kebir with a great force, and they met each other in a place called Melos. And when war was joined, the Arabs were defeated, and many of them were killed, and they returned with shame. And the pious began to speak freely, and the word of God to spread, and those wishing to be saved to renounce the world without hindrance, and the doxology of God to be exalted, and the monasteries to be restored, and every good thing to be made manifest. At this time, then, at the Long Walls of Thrace a certain man digging found a coffer, and having cleaned and uncovered it, he found a man lying inside, and letters carved in the coffer containing the following: "Christ is to be born of Mary the virgin, and I believe in him. In the reign of the sovereigns Constantine and Irene, O sun, you will see me again." βʹ. ζʹ. ιγʹ. γʹ. In this year Irene sent Constans the sakellarios and Mamalos the primikerios to Charles, the king of the Franks, so that his daughter, called Erythro, might be wedded to the emperor Constantine, her son. And after an agreement and oaths were made between them, they left behind Elissaios the eunuch and notarios to teach her both the Greek letters and language, and to instruct her in the customs of the Roman empire. And having equipped a large fleet and a select force from the themes and capable commanders, she appointed Theodore the patrikios, a eunuch, an energetic man, and sent him off to Sicily against Elpidios. And after many battles had taken place, Theodore and his men were victorious. But Elpidios, seeing this and becoming afraid, taking what money he had and Nikephoros the doux, crossed over to Africa and having received a pledge of safe conduct, went over to the Arabs. whom they received and held as emperor of the Romans, 456 crowning him in vain and putting on him an imperial shoe and a crown. While the Roman people were occupied with these things, Aaron, son of Madi, marched out with an overwhelming force and equipment from both the Maurophoroi and all of Syria and Mesopotamia and the desert, and came as far as Chrysopolis, leaving Bounousos to besiege Nakoleia and guard his rear. He also sent Bourniches to Asia with 30,000, who, having fought Lachanodrakon with the theme of the Thrakesians in a place called Darenos, killed 15,000 of them, their force numbering 30,000. But the empress, having sent Antony the domestikos with the tagmata, seized the Banes pass and shut them in. But Tatzatios, the strategos of the Boukellarioi, deserted to them, out of hatred for Staurakios, the patrikios and logothete of the dromos, the eunuch, who was first among all who existed at that time and managed everything. And having given them counsel, they asked for peace. But when Staurakios and Peter the magistros and Antony the domestikos went out for this purpose, they did not take care to receive a pledge and the children of the leading men, but having gone out thoughtlessly they were seized by them and put in bonds, and both sides were forced to make peace; and both the Augusta and Aaron gave each other many guest-gifts, agreeing also to pay them tribute at the appointed time; and peace having been made, they withdrew, abandoning also the fortress of Nakoleia. And Tatzates also took away his wife and all his substance. γʹ. ηʹ. ιδʹ. δʹ. In this year, Irene, having made peace with the Arabs and finding an opportunity, sends Staurakios the patrikios and logothete of the oxys dromos with a great force against the Sklavene nations. And going down to Thessalonica and Hellas he subdued them all and made them tributary to the empire. He also entered the Peloponnese 457 and brought much captivity and spoils to the

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φυλάττειν καὶ ἐπιτηρεῖν τὴν ἔξοδον τῶν Ἀράβων, ἐπιστήσασα αὐτοῖς κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννην τὸν σακελλάριον, εὐνοῦχον ὄντα καὶ οἰκειακὸν αὐτῆς. ὁ δὲ Μαδὶ ἀπέστειλε Κεβὴρ μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς, καὶ συναντῶσιν ἀλλήλοις ἐν τόπῳ λεγομένῳ Μήλῳ. καὶ κροτηθέντος πολέμου, ἡττῶνται οἱ Ἄραβες, καὶ κτείνονται ἐξ αὐτῶν πολλοί, καὶ ὑπέστρεψαν μετ' αἰσχύνης. ἤρξαντο δὲ οἱ εὐσεβεῖς παρρησιάζεσθαι, καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ πλατύνεσθαι, καὶ οἱ θέλοντες σωθῆναι ἀκωλύτως ἀποτάσσεσθαι, καὶ ἡ δοξολογία τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψοῦσθαι, καὶ τὰ μοναστήρια ἀναρρύεσθαι, καὶ πᾶν ἀγαθὸν φανεροῦσθαι. ἐν γοῦν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐν τοῖς Μακροῖς τείχεσι τῆς Θρᾴκης ἄνθρωπός τις ὀρύγων εὗρε λάρνακα, καὶ τοῦτον ἀποκαθάρας καὶ ἀποσκεπάσας εὗρεν ἄνδρα κείμενον, καὶ γράμματα κεκολαμμένα ἐν τῷ λάρνακι περιέχοντα τάδε· "Χριστὸς μέλλει γεννᾶσθαι ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς παρθένου, καὶ πιστεύω εἰς αὐτόν. ἐπὶ δὲ Κωνσταντίνου καὶ Εἰρήνης τῶν βασιλέων, ὦ ἥλιε, πάλιν με ὄψει." βʹ. ζʹ. ιγʹ. γʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἀπέστειλεν Εἰρήνη Κωνστάην τὸν σακελλάριον καὶ Μάμαλον τὸν πριμικήριον πρὸς Κάρουλον τὸν ῥῆγα τῶν Φράγγων, ὅπως τὴν αὐτοῦ θυγατέρα, Ἐρυθρὼ λεγομένην, νυμφεύσηται τῷ βασιλεῖ Κωνσταντίνῳ, τῷ υἱῷ αὐτῆς. καὶ γενομένης συμφωνίας καὶ ὅρκων ἀναμεταξὺ ἀλλήλων, κατέλιπον Ἐλισσαῖον τὸν εὐνοῦχον καὶ νοτάριον πρὸς τὸ διδάξαι αὐτὴν τά τε τῶν Γραικῶν γράμματα καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν, καὶ παιδεῦσαι αὐτὴν τὰ ἤθη τῆς Ῥωμαίων βασιλείας. ἐξοπλίσασα δὲ στόλον πολὺν καὶ λαὸν ἐπίλεκτον ἐκ τῶν θεμάτων καὶ ἄρχοντας ἱκανοὺς προεβάλετο Θεόδωρον τὸν πατρίκιον, εὐνοῦχον, ἄνδρα δραστήριον, καὶ ἀπέλυσεν ἐν Σικελίᾳ κατὰ τοῦ Ἐλπιδίου. πολλῶν δὲ πολέμων γεγονότων, ἀπενίκησαν οἱ περὶ Θεόδωρον. ἰδὼν δὲ Ἐλπίδιος καὶ φοβηθείς, λαβὼν ὅσα εἶχε χρήματα καὶ Νικηφόρον τὸν δοῦκα ἐπέρασεν εἰς Ἀφρικὴν καὶ λαβὼν λόγον ἀπαθείας προσερρύη τοῖς Ἄραψιν. ὃν δεξάμενοι ὡς βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων κατεῖχον, 456 στέψαντες αὐτὸν εἰς μάτην καὶ περιθέντες τζαγγίον καὶ στέφανον. τοῦ δὲ λαοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀσχολουμένου ἐν τούτοις, ἐξέρχεται Ἀαρών, υἱὸς Μαδί, μετὰ δυνάμεως καὶ ἐξοπλίσεως ὑπερβαλλούσης ἀπό τε Μαυροφόρων καὶ πάσης Συρίας καὶ Μεσοποταμίας καὶ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἔρχεται ἕως Χρυσοπόλεως, καταλιπὼν τὸν Βούνουσον πολιορκεῖν τὴν Νακώλειαν καὶ φυλάττειν τὰ νῶτα αὐτοῦ. ἀπέστειλε δὲ καὶ τὸν Βουρνιχὲ εἰς Ἀσίαν μετὰ λʹ χιλιάδων, ὃς καὶ πολεμήσας τὸν Λαχανοδράκοντα σὺν τῷ θέματι τῶν Θρᾳκησίων ἐν τόπῳ λεγομένῳ ∆αρηνῷ, καὶ αὐτῶν λʹ χιλιάδων ὄντων ιεʹ χιλιάδας ἀπέκτεινεν. ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα πέμψασα Ἀντώνιον τὸν δομέστικον σὺν τοῖς τάγμασιν ἐκράτησε τὴν Βανὴν καὶ ἀπέκλεισεν αὐτούς. προσέφυγε δὲ αὐτοῖς Τατζάτιος, ὁ τῶν Βουκελλαρίων στρατηγός, μίσει τῷ πρὸς Σταυράκιον, τὸν πατρίκιον καὶ λογοθέτην τοῦ δρόμου, τὸν εὐνοῦχον, πρωτεύοντα πάντων τῶν τηνικαῦτα ὄντων καὶ τὰ πάντα διοικοῦντα. καὶ δοὺς αὐτοῖς βουλήν, ᾐτήσαντο εἰρήνην. ἐξελθόντων δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦτο Σταυρακίου καὶ Πέτρου μαγίστρου καὶ Ἀντωνίου δομεστίκου, οὐκ ἠκριβολογήσαντο λόγον λαβεῖν καὶ τέκνα τῶν πρωτευόντων, ἀλλὰ ἀσκόπως ἐξελθόντες ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεδήθησαν, καὶ ἐβιάσθησαν ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη τοῦ ποιῆσαι εἰρήνην· καὶ ἐδωρήσαντο ἀλλήλοις ἥ τε Αὐγούστα καὶ ὁ Ἀαρὼν ξένια πολλά, στοιχήσαντες καὶ φόρους κατὰ καιρὸν τελεῖν αὐτοῖς· καὶ γενομένης εἰρήνης ἀνεχώρησαν ἀφήσαντες καὶ τὸ κάστρον Νακωλείας. ἐπῆρε δὲ καὶ ὁ Τατζάτης τὴν γυναῖκα ἑαυτοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν ὑπόστασιν. γʹ. ηʹ. ιδʹ. δʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει εἰρηνεύσασα Εἰρήνη μετὰ τῶν Ἀράβων καὶ ἄδειαν εὑροῦσα ἀποστέλλει Σταυράκιον τὸν πατρίκιον καὶ λογοθέτην τοῦ ὀξέος δρόμου μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς κατὰ τῶν Σκλαυινῶν ἐθνῶν. καὶ κατελθὼν ἐπὶ Θεσσαλονίκην καὶ Ἑλλάδα ὑπέταξε πάντας καὶ ὑποφόρους ἐποίησε τῇ βασιλείᾳ. εἰσῆλθε δὲ καὶ ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ 457 καὶ πολλὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ λάφυρα ἤγαγε τῇ