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to consider good will towards her more necessary. But others, as if in a trance, not perceiving the certainty of what was happening, thought they were dreaming. And others of those who knew well how to judge blessed the past prosperity, and lamented the future misfortune that would come through the tyranny, and especially those who had already had some experience of the tyrant's evil mind. But a common darkness and inconsolable despondency held everyone, so that I may not lengthen the account by writing down in detail the unseemly words of that miserable day. For the state of the air was also unnatural on that day, having suddenly become gloomy and sunless and full of relentless cold in the autumn season, clearly signifying his future wickedness and unbearable malice, and especially to those who had voted for him. So on the next day, taking some of the patricians, he went up to the empress who was under guard, feigning, as was his custom, a false goodness, by which he had deceived most people; and apologizing to her, that he had been raised to the throne unwillingly, and that he had no desire for it, and cursing those who had promoted him, while plotting against her, just as the traitor Judas did to the Lord after they had dined together, testifying that they were imitators of him in all things; and pointing out that he preferred to wear black shoes, affirming it was against the imperial statutes. And he deceitfully urged her to be of good cheer and with oaths promised every bodily comfort befitting a mistress from a slave, and to consider her deposition no misfortune. He advised her not to hide any of the imperial treasures from him, and he condemned the passion of avarice, not being able to contain it. For the all-devouring one was terribly sick with it, placing all his hopes in gold. But the wise and God-loving 478 Irene, although she ought to have been overcome by the suffering of the sudden change, as she was a woman, said with a noble and prudent spirit to him who was yesterday a perjured slave, but today a wicked and disruptive and shameless tyrant: "I, O man, consider God to be the one who raised me up when I was previously orphaned, and who brought me to the throne of the empire though I was unworthy, and I attribute the cause of my deposition to myself and to my sins, and in all things and in every way may the name of the Lord be blessed, crying out, of the only King of kings and Lord of lords. The manner of your promotion I attribute to the Lord, without whom I have believed nothing happens. You are not unaware of the reports often brought to me against you concerning the dignity that now clothes you (true reports, as the outcome of events has shown); if I had been swayed by them, I could have destroyed you without hindrance. But, partly persuaded by your oaths, and partly sparing you, I disregarded many well-wishers, even then committing my affairs to God, through whom kings reign and rulers hold sway over the earth. And now, as to one who is pious and put forward by Him, I bow to you as emperor, and I ask you to have mercy on my weakness and to grant me the house of Eleutheriou which was built by me, for the comfort of my incomparable misfortune." But he said: "And if you wish this to be done for you, swear to me by every divine power not to hide any of the treasures of the empire, and I will fulfill your request and provide all your care and comfort." And she swore to him on the precious and life-giving Wood, that "I will not hide from you, down to an obol;" which she also did. But he, having obtained what he desired, immediately exiled her to the island of Prinkipo, in the monastery which she herself had built, while the legates of Charles were still in the city and seeing what was being done. So this all-devouring man, having seized power, was not able even for a short time to conceal through hypocrisy his innate wickedness and avarice; but, as if intending to cut out injustice, the evil in the

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ἀναγκαιοτέραν ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὴν εὔνοιαν. ἄλλοι δὲ ὡς ἐν ἐκστάσει, τῶν γινομένων οὐκ αἰσθανόμενοι τὴν βεβαίωσιν, ὀνειροπολεῖσθαι ἐνόμιζον. ἕτεροι δὲ τῶν εὖ εἰδότων στοχάζεσθαι τὴν παρελθοῦσαν εὐημερίαν ἐμακάριζον, καὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἔσεσθαι δυστυχίαν διὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ἐθρήνουν, μάλιστα δὲ ὅσοι τῆς πονηρᾶς γνώμης τοῦ τυράννου πεῖράν τινα προειλήφεσαν. κοινὴ δὲ πάντας κατεῖχε ζόφωσις καὶ ἀπαράκλητος ἀθυμία, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ μέρος τῆς ἐλεεινῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης τὰ ἀκαλλῆ ῥήματα γράφων μηκύνω τὸν λόγον. ἦν γὰρ παρὰ φύσιν καὶ τοῦ ἀέρος κατ' αὐτὴν ἀθρόον τὸ κατάστημα συμβὰν σκυθρωπὸν καὶ ἀφώτιστον καὶ κρύους ἀνάπλεων ἀκαταλλάκτου φθινοπωρινῇ ὥρᾳ γενόμενον, δηλοῦν σαφῶς τὴν ἐσομένην αὐτοῦ δυστροπίαν καὶ ἀνύποιστον κάκωσιν, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς ψηφισαμένοις. τῇ γοῦν ἐπιούσῃ παραλαβών τινας τῶν πατρικίων ἀνῆλθε πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα φρουρουμένην, ὑποκρινόμενος μέν, ὡς ἦν αὐτῷ σύνηθες, ψευδοχρηστότητα, δι' ἧς καὶ ἠπάτησε τοὺς πλείστους· ἀπολογούμενος δὲ αὐτῇ, ὡς ἀκουσίως ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναβιβασθείς, καὶ ὡς ἦν ταύτης ἀνόρεκτος, καταρώμενος δὲ τοὺς προβιβάσαντας μὲν αὐτόν, ἐπιβουλεύσαντας δὲ αὐτῇ, ὡς ὁ προδότης Ἰούδας τὸν κύριον μετὰ τὸ συνδειπνῆσαι, μιμητὰς δὲ ἐκείνου κατὰ πάντα μαρτυρῶν αὐτοὺς εἶναι· ὑποδεικνὺς δὲ καὶ μέλανα τὰ ὑποδήματα περικεῖσθαι φιλεῖν παρὰ τοὺς βασιλικοὺς θεσμοὺς διαβεβαιούμενος. θαρσεῖν τε παρῄνει δολερῶς καὶ μεθ' ὅρκων περὶ πάσης σωματικῆς ἀναπαύσεως ἁρμοζούσης δεσποίνῃ παρὰ δούλου, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἡγεῖσθαι συμφορὰν τῆς ἐκπτώσεως. παρῄνει δὲ μηδὲν ἀποκρύψαι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τῶν βασιλικῶν θησαυρῶν, καὶ κατέκρινε τῆς φιλαργυρίας τὸ πάθος, κατέχειν μὴ φέρων. ἐνόσει γὰρ αὐτὸ δεινῶς πάσας ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ τιθεὶς τὰς ἐλπίδας ὁ παμφάγος. ἡ δὲ σοφὴ καὶ θεοφιλὴς 478 Εἰρήνη, καίπερ ὀφείλουσα τῷ τῆς ἀθρόας μεταβολῆς πάθει συνέχεσθαι, ὡς ἅτε γύναιον οὖσα, ἔφη γενναίῳ καὶ συνετῷ τῷ φρονήματι πρὸς τὸν χθὲς μὲν δοῦλον ἐπίορκον, σήμερον δὲ μοχθηρὸν καὶ ἀνασειστὴν καὶ ἀναιδῆ τύραννον· "ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, θεὸν ἡγοῦμαι τὸν καὶ πρὶν ὀρφανευθεῖσαν ὑψώσαντά με, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον τῆς βασιλείας ἀναξίαν οὖσαν ἀναβιβάσαντά με, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς καθαιρέσεως ἐμαυτῇ προσάπτω καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἐν πᾶσι δὲ καὶ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον εἴη τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου εὐλογημένον, κράζουσα, τοῦ μόνου βασιλέως τῶν βασιλέων καὶ κυρίου τῶν κυρίων. τὸν δὲ τρόπον τῆς σῆς προαγωγῆς τῷ κυρίῳ ἀποδίδωμι, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδὲν γενέσθαι πεπίστευκα. τὰς δὲ κατά σού μοι πολλάκις ἀνενεχθείσας περὶ τῆς νῦν σοι περικειμένης ἀξίας (ἀληθεῖς, ὡς τὸ τέλος ἀπέδειξε τῶν πραγμάτων) ἀκοὰς οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς· αἷς εἰ συναπήχθην, ἀκωλύτως εἶχον τοῦ ἀνελεῖν σε. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν τοῖς σοῖς ὅρκοις πειθομένη, τὸ δὲ φειδομένη σου πολλοὺς εὐνοήτορας παρελογισάμην, τῷ θεῷ καὶ τηνικαῦτα τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτὴν ἀποδοῦσα, δι' οὗ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσι καὶ δυνάσται κρατοῦσι γῆς. καὶ τὰ νῦν ὡς εὐσεβεῖ σοι καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ προβληθέντι προσκυνῶ σοι ὡς βασιλεῖ, καὶ αἰτοῦμαι φείσασθαί μου τῆς ἀσθενείας καὶ συγχωρῆσαί μοι τὸν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ κτισθέντα τῶν Ἐλευθερίου οἶκον εἰς ψυχαγωγίαν τῆς ἀσυγκρίτου μου συμφορᾶς." ὁ δὲ ἔφη· "καὶ εἰ τοῦτο θέλεις σοι γενέσθαι, ὄμοσόν μοι εἰς πᾶσαν θείαν δύναμιν μὴ ἀποκρύψαι τι τῶν τῆς βασιλείας θησαυρῶν, καὶ πληρῶ σου τὴν αἴτησιν καὶ πᾶσάν σου θεραπείαν καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν ποιῶ." ἡ δὲ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ εἰς τὰ τίμια καὶ ζωοποιὰ ξύλα, ὅτι "οὐκ ἀποκρύψω ἀπό σου, ἕως ὀβολοῦ·" ὃ καὶ πεποίηκεν. ὁ δὲ τοῦ ποθουμένου ἐπιτυχὼν παρευθὺ ἐξώρισεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τῆς Πριγκίπου, ἐν τῇ μονῇ, ἣν αὐτὴ ᾠκοδόμησεν, ὄντων ἀκμὴν τῶν ἀποκρισιαρίων Καρούλου ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ ὁρώντων τὰ πραττόμενα. ὁ γοῦν παμφάγος οὗτος τοῦ κράτους ἐπιλαβόμενος οὐδὲ κἂν πρὸς βραχὺ ἴσχυσεν ἐπικαλύψαι δι' ὑποκρίσεως τὴν ἔμφυτον αὐτοῦ κακίαν τε καὶ φιλαργυρίαν· ἀλλ' ὡς δῆθεν τὴν ἀδικίαν μέλλων ἐκκόπτειν τὸ πονηρὸν ἐν τῇ