225

being left behind, they were deliberating with the empress about what was necessary. 14. And when discussion fell also upon Apokaukos the parakoimomenos, and they were considering how it was necessary to deal with him, the empress said that no other penalty should be demanded for the audacious acts committed by 2.88 him than the one he had assessed for himself, namely to sit at home, not going out, nor administering any public affairs. But he himself said that he considered the penalty fitting for the audacious act. However, it was not to his liking, as he was going on a foreign campaign to the west, to leave behind anything that needed correction. For which reason, he had made treaties both with the neighboring Persians and with Alexander the king of the Mysians, so that she would not be disturbed in his absence, being troubled by wars. And for this reason he thought it fitting to deem the parakoimomenos worthy of pardon and to use him again, in whatever way might seem advantageous. But she refused, pointing out from many proofs that he was ill-disposed not only to herself and her children, but also to him; especially from the way he had behaved towards him a little earlier in her presence, arrogantly and harshly. If then he was most clearly convicted of plotting against them both, in whom should he have confidence, she asked, to leave behind a man full of villainy and conspiracy when he himself was going abroad?” It is worthwhile to recall what was said by Apokaukos to the megas domestikos in the presence of the empress, and also his even older villainies, which he employed against the megas domestikos, who had been a great benefactor, so that from the narrative his magnanimity towards benefactions and his readiness to grant pardon to those who sin against him may become clear to us, as well as the parakoimomenos' ingratitude for kindnesses 2.89 and the coarseness of his character. For this parakoimomenos, originating from Bithynia and born obscurely of humble parents, at first served as a clerk to many of those who collected public revenues for a small salary, then was in the paid service of the emperor's uncle, Andronikos Asan. Then, having left him, he went over to the general, the domestikos of the western themes, who at that time was supervising the public salt pans. Having shown himself to be clever and zealous in his service, he was entrusted with money by him, so that he might go to the emperor—who was the first Andronikos—and persuade him to entrust the management of the salt pans to the general for the coming year as well. But he, having presented the money to the emperor as his own, and having promised to contribute himself double what was provided by the general to the imperial treasury, persuaded the emperor to choose him over the other and grant him the office of the salt pans. And so, having driven him out of the office with his own money, he was now distinguished and held the first rank among the tax collectors. Then, since he owed much money to the public treasury, and was expected to dwell in prison and be disciplined not to commit such villainies, he looked to rebellion against the emperor. For there was no other way to escape suffering ill. And perceiving from events that there would necessarily be a quarrel for the young emperor Andronikos with his grandfather, he begged Syrgiannes, being one of his closest associates, to bring him to the young emperor 2.90. And he—for indeed the war between the emperors was already being stirred up—begged the megas domestikos to also take on Apokaukos, bringing him not only as one who was skilled in the collection of public revenues, but also as one well-supplied with money, with which he would be seen as useful to them for the war; of which things we made brief mention especially at the beginning of the history. And he, having been brought into the circle of the young emperor through that man, when the war of the emperors broke out, immediately deserted the elder emperor for the younger one, not so much out of goodwill as to escape the suspected danger on account of the money he owed. And he was appointed treasurer of the imperial funds by the megas domestikos. And when victory looked to the young emperor and the entire dominion of the Romans was under him, again by that man—with the emperor almost unwilling, and not judging the service to be suitable for him—he was established in the position of mediating in affairs. But not entirely

225

καταλειφθεὶς, ἐβουλεύοντο ἅμα βασιλίδι περὶ ὧν ἀναγκαῖον ἦν. ιδʹ. Λόγου δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἀποκαύκου τοῦ παρακοιμωμένου ἐμπεσόντος καὶ σκεπτομένων καθότι δέοι χρήσασθαι αὐτῷ, μηδεμίαν ἄλλην, ἔφασκεν ἡ βασιλὶς, τῶν τετολμημένων παρ' 2.88 ἐκείνου δίκην ἀπαιτεῖν, ἢ ἣν αὐτὸς ἐτιμήσατο αὐτῷ, ὥστε οἴκοι καθῆσθαι, μὴ ἐξιόντα, μήτε τῶν κοινῶν τι διοικοῦντα. ὁ δ' ἔφασκε καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν δίκην πρέπουσαν ἡγεῖσθαι τῷ τολμήματι. μὴ μέντοι γε αὐτῷ κατὰ γνώμην εἶναι πρὸς ὑπερόριον ἀπιόντι στρατείαν τὴν πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν, τῶν δεομένων διορθώσεως ὀπίσω τι καταλιπεῖν. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα πρός τε τοὺς περιοίκους Πέρσας θέσθαι σπονδὰς καὶ πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μυσῶν βασιλέα, ἵνα μὴ ἀπόντος ταράττοιτο αὐτὴ ὑπὸ πολέμων ὀχλουμένη. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ παρακοιμώμενον ἡγεῖσθαι προσήκειν ἀξιώσαντας συγγνώμης, πάλιν χρῆσθαι, ὅπῃ ἂν δοκῇ συμφέρειν. ἡ δ' ἀνένευεν, οὐχ ἑαυτῇ καὶ τέκνοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ δύσνουν ἐκ πολλῶν ἀποδεικνῦσα· μάλιστα δὲ ἐξ ὧν ἐπ' αὐτῆς ὀλίγῳ πρότερον αὐθαδῶς ἐκεῖνος καὶ τραχέως προσηνέχθη πρὸς αὐτόν. εἰ δὴ ἀμφοτέροις ἐκεῖνος ἐπιβουλεύων σαφέστατα ἠλέγχθη, τίνι χρὴ θαῤῥήσαντα, ἄνθρωπον πανουργίας καὶ ἐπιβουλῆς μεστὸν ἀποδημοῦντα αὐτὸν ὀπίσω ἔφασκε καταλιπεῖν;» ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τῶν πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον Ἀποκαύκῳ εἰρημένων ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλίδος μνημονεῦσαι καὶ ἔτι παλαιοτέρων κακουργημάτων, οἷς ἐχρήσατο κατὰ μεγάλου δομεστίκου, μεγάλα εὐηργετηκότος, ἵν' ἐκ τῶν διηγημάτων κατάδηλος γένηται ἡμῖν ἥ τε τούτου πρὸς τὰς εὐεργεσίας φιλοτιμία καὶ ἑτοιμότης πρὸς τὸ παρέχειν τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνουσι συγγνώμην, καὶ ἡ παρακοιμωμένου πρὸς τὰ καλὰ ἀχαριστία 2.89 καὶ τῶν τρόπων ἡ σκαιότης. οὗτος γὰρ δὴ ὁ παρακοιμώμενος ἐκ Βιθυνίας ὡρμημένος καὶ ἄσημος ἐκ φαύλων φὺς, τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ὑπεγραμμάτευσε πολλοῖς τῶν τὰ δημόσια χρήματα εἰσπραττόντων ὀλίγου ἕνεκα μισθοῦ, ἔπειτα τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐμισθοφόρησε θείῳ Ἀσάνῃ τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ. εἶτ' ἐκείνου ἀποστὰς, προσεχώρησε στρατηγῷ τῷ τῶν ἑσπερίων θεμάτων δομεστίκῳ, τοὺς δημοσίους ἅλας τότε ἐφορεύοντι. εὐφυὴς δὲ φανεὶς καὶ πρόθυμος πρὸς τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν, χρήματα ἐπιστεύθη παρ' ἐκείνου, ἵν' ἐλθὼν πρὸς βασιλέα, Ἀνδρόνικος δὲ ὁ πρῶτος ἦν, πείσῃ στρατηγῷ καὶ εἰς τοὐπιὸν ἔτος τὴν διάθεσιν ἐγχειρίζειν τῶν ἁλῶν. ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν χρήματα ὡς ἴδια βασιλεῖ παρεσχηκὼς, ἐπαγγειλάμενος δὲ καὶ διπλασίω τῶν ὑπὸ στρατηγοῦ παρεχομένων τῷ βασιλικῷ αὐτὸς εἰσφέρειν ταμιείῳ, πείθει βασιλέα ἐκείνου προελέσθαι καὶ τῶν ἁλῶν παρέχειν τὴν ἀρχήν. καὶ οὕτω τοῖς ἰδίοις χρήμασι τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκεῖνον ἐκβαλὼν, ἤδη λαμπρὸς ἦν καὶ τὰ πρῶτα φέρων τελωνῶν. εἶτ' ἐπειδὴ πολλὰ τῷ δημοσίῳ χρήματα ὀφείλων, προσδόκιμος ἦν δεσμωτήριον οἰκεῖν καὶ σωφρονίζεσθαι μὴ τοιαῦτα κακουργεῖν, πρὸς ἀποστασίαν εἶδε βασιλέως. οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν διαφυγεῖν. συνιδὼν δὲ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ Ἀνδρονίκῳ πρὸς τὸν πάππον ἀναγκαίως ἔσται διαφορὰ, Συργιάννη ἐδεήθη, τῶν ἐπιτηδειοτάτων ὢν αὐτῷ, τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ προσ 2.90 αγαγεῖν. ὁ δὲ καὶ γὰρ ἤδη ὁ τῶν βασιλέων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐκινεῖτο πόλεμος, ἐδεῖτο τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου, καὶ τὸν Ἀπόκαυκον προσλαμβάνειν, οὐ μόνον εὐφυῶς πρὸς τῶν δημοσίων τὴν εἴσπραξιν ἐσχηκότα φέρων, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρημάτων εὐποροῦντα, οἷς χρήσιμος πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ὀφθήσεται αὐτοῖς· ὧν καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς ἱστορίας μάλιστα ἐπεμνήσθημεν συντόμως. ὁ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ δι' ἐκείνου προσοικειωθεὶς, ἐπεὶ ὁ τῶν βασιλέων πόλεμος ἀνεῤῥήγνυτο, τοῦ μὲν πρεσβυτέρου βασιλέως εὐθὺς ἀπέστη πρὸς τὸν νέον, οὐ μᾶλλον δι' εὔνοιαν, ἢ τὸν ὑφορώμενον κίνδυνον διὰ τὰ ὀφειλόμενα χρήματα ἀποδιδράσκων. ταμίας δὲ τῶν βασιλικῶν ἀπεδείκνυτο χρημάτων παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ νίκη πρὸς τὸν νέον ἀπεῖδε βασιλέα καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῷ πᾶσα ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονία ἦν, πάλιν ὑπ' ἐκείνου, σχεδὸν οὐχ ἑκόντος βασιλέως, οὐδὲ προσήκειν αὐτῷ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν κρίνοντος, εἰς τὸ μεσάζειν τοῖς πράγμασι κατέστη. πλὴν οὐ παντάπασιν