235

Bardanios the patrician rose up against him, and having summoned these men, he subdued him by their sorceries. For he caused a bull, tied by its horns to an iron stake in a certain pit with its head bowed to the ground, to be killed while it was thus bellowing and writhing in the mud, and having ground his garment backwards in a mill and having used incantations, he won a victory, with God permitting it because of the multitude of our sins. These men found an opportunity during his reign to live without fear, and many of the more frivolous people were corrupted by their impious doctrines. And in the Hexakionion there was a certain false hermit, Nicholas by name, and those who were with him 489 and they blasphemed against the true faith and the holy icons, whom Nikephoros championed, and he grieved the patriarch and all who live according to God. For he was often angered by those who brought accusations against them, greatly rejoicing with those who were hostile to one another, mocking every Christian who loves his neighbor as a subverter of the divine commandments; and it was his concern to bring unreasonable and reasonable lawsuits against every Christian in the tribunal of the Magnaura, so that no one might have leisure to act against his impieties. He ordered the military commanders to treat the bishops and clergy like slaves, quartering themselves with authority in the episcopal residences and monasteries, and to misuse their property. He censured those who from of old dedicated gold or silver vessels to God, and he decreed it right that the sacred things of the churches be profaned, just as Judas did the Lord's ointment. He found fault with all the emperors before him as being rudderless, altogether denying Providence and saying that no one becomes more powerful than the ruler, if the ruler wishes to rule energetically. But he became futile in his reasonings, this killer of God. And in the month of February of the same 4th indiction, on the first Saturday of the fast, the Saracens, having encountered Leo, strategos of the Armeniacs, at Euchaïta, took away the pay of the theme along with a great multitude of people. And there were 13 talents, which comes to 1300 pounds; and not even so was Nikephoros persuaded to cease from his avarice. Therefore, with so many signs, the new Ahab, not being chastened, more insatiable than Phalaris and Midas, drew up his forces against the Bulgars together with Staurakios, his son. And on the * of the month of May, as he was departing from the queen of cities, he ordered Niketas, patrician and logothete of the genikon, to levy the public taxes from the churches and monasteries and that the households of the archons be required to pay eight years of arrears. And there was great lamentation. And being reproached by a certain faithful servant, Theodosios Salibaras, I mean, who was a patrician, that "everyone cries out against us, master, and in a time of trial everyone will rejoice at our fall;" he said to him: "If God, in hardening, has hardened my heart, like that of 490 Pharaoh, what good will there be for those under my hand? From Nikephoros, Theodosios, expect nothing other than what you see." These things, the Lord knows, I myself who am writing this heard from Theodosios with his own living voice. And having gathered the armies, not only from Thrace, but also from the Asiatic themes, and many poor men at his own expense armed with slings and clubs, blaspheming along with the armies, he marched against the Bulgars. And Krum, fearing the multitudes, while they were at Markellai, asked for peace. But he was prevented by his own evil counsels and by the suggestions of his like-minded counselors, and after many wanderings through impassable places the reckless coward recklessly entered Bulgaria on the 20th of the month of July (it was the all-destructive rising of the Dog Star), frequently exclaiming, "Who will go and deceive Ahab?" saying, "that whether God or the adversary, he drags me unwillingly." And before he entered, Byzantios, his confidential servant, fled from Markellai to Krum, having snatched up an imperial robe and 100 pounds of gold. And many took his flight as an evil omen for Nikephoros. Against

235

Βαρδάνιος ὁ πατρίκιος ἐπανέστη αὐτῷ, τούτους προσκαλεσάμενος ταῖς αὐτῶν μαγγανείαις τοῦτον ὑπέταξεν. ταῦρον γὰρ ἔν τινι λάκκῳ ἐν σιδηρῷ πάλῳ ἐκ τῶν κεράτων προσδήσας εἰς γῆν νενευκότα, οὕτω μυκώμενον καὶ ἰλυσπώμενον ἀποκτανθῆναι πεποίηκεν, τὴν δὲ τούτου ἐσθῆτα ἐν μύλωνι ἀλήσας ἀντιστρόφως καὶ ἐπαοιδίαις χρησάμενος νίκην ἤρατο, παραχωρήσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. οὗτοι χώραν ἔλαβον ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἀφόβως πολιτεύεσθαι καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν κουφοτέρων ταῖς ἀθεμίτοις αὐτῶν διεφθάρησαν δόξαις. ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἑξακιονίῳ ψευδερημίτης τις Νικόλαος τοὔνομα καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ γεγονότες ἦσαν 489 καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ λόγου καὶ τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκόνων ἐβλασφήμουν, ὧν ἀντεποιεῖτο Νικηφόρος, καὶ ἐλύπει τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ πάντας τοὺς κατὰ θεὸν ζῶντας. πολλάκις γὰρ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐγκαλῶν ἠγανακτήθη, τοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐχθραίνουσι σφόδρα συγχαίρων, ἐπιτωθάζων παντὶ Χριστιανῷ φιλοῦντι τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἀνατροπεὺς τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν· καὶ διὰ σπουδῆς ἦν αὐτῷ δίκας ἀλόγους καὶ εὐλόγους παντὶ Χριστιανῷ κινεῖν ἐν τῷ κολαστηρίῳ τῆς Μαγναύρας, πρὸς τὸ μηδένα σχολάζειν κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβειῶν αὐτοῦ. τοὺς στρατιωτικοὺς ἄρχοντας δουλικῶς χρᾶσθαι τοῖς ἐπισκόποις καὶ κληρικοῖς ἐκέλευσε καταγομένους αὐθεντικῶς ἐν τοῖς ἐπισκοπείοις καὶ μοναστηρίοις, καὶ καταχρᾶσθαι τὰ αὐτῶν. τοὺς ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἀναθεμένους τῷ θεῷ χρυσᾶ ἢ ἀργυρᾶ σκεύη ἔψεγεν, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἱερὰ κοινοῦσθαι ἄξιον ἐδογμάτιζεν, ὡς Ἰούδας τὸ δεσποτικὸν μῦρον. τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλεῖς ἅπαντας ὡς ἀκυβερνήτους ἐμέμφετο, καθόλου τὴν πρόνοιαν ἀναιρῶν καὶ μηδένα λέγων γίνεσθαι τοῦ κρατοῦντος δυνατώτερον, εἰ βούλοιτο ὁ κρατῶν ἐντρεχῶς ἄρχειν. ἀλλ' ἐματαιώθη ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ θεόκταντος. τῷ δὲ Φεβρουαρίῳ μηνὶ τῆς αὐτῆς δʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος τῷ αʹ σαββάτῳ τῶν νηστειῶν ὑπαντηθέντες οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ εἰς Εὐχάϊταν Λέοντι, στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀρμενιάκων, σὺν τῇ ῥόγᾳ τοῦ θέματος ταύτην ἀφείλαντο σὺν πολλῷ πλήθει λαοῦ. τάλαντα δὲ ἦν ιγʹ γινόμενα λίτραι ατʹ· καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ἠλέγχετο Νικηφόρος τῆς πλεονεξίας παύσασθαι. ἐπὶ τοσούτοις οὖν σημείοις ὁ νέος Ἀχαὰβ μὴ παιδευθείς, ὁ Φαλάριδος καὶ Μίδου ἀπληστότερος, κατὰ Βουλγάρων παρατάττεται ἅμα Σταυρακίῳ, τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. καὶ τῇ * τοῦ Μαΐου μηνὸς τῆς βασιλίδος ἐξιὼν ἐκέλευσε Νικήτᾳ, πατρικίῳ καὶ γενικῷ λογοθέτῃ, τὰ δημόσια τέλη τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ μοναστηρίων ἀναβιβάσαι καὶ ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν ὀπισθοτελείας τοὺς τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀπαιτηθῆναι οἴκους. καὶ ἦν θρῆνος μέγας. ἐγκαλούμενος δὲ ὑπό τινος γνησίου θεράποντος, Θεοδοσίου φημί, τοῦ Σαλιβαρᾶ πατρικίου ὄντος, ὅτι "πάντες καταβοῶσιν ἡμῶν, δέσποτα, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ πάντες ἐπιχαρήσονται τῇ πτώσει ἡμῶν·" ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· "εἰ ὁ θεὸς σκληρύνων ἐσκλήρυνε τὴν καρδίαν μου, ὡς τοῦ 490 Φαραώ, τί ἀγαθὸν ἔσται τοῖς ὑπὸ χεῖρά μου; παρὰ Νικηφόρου, Θεοδόσιε, μὴ ἐκδέχου πλὴν τῶν ὁρωμένων σοι." ταῦτα, κύριος οἶδεν, αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ζώσῃ φωνῇ ὁ συγγραφόμενος ἀκήκοα παρὰ Θεοδοσίου. ἐπισυνάξας δὲ τὰ στρατεύματα, οὐ μόνον ἐκ Θρᾴκης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν περατικῶν θεμάτων, πένητάς τε πολλοὺς ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις σφενδόναις καὶ ῥάβδοις ὡπλισμένους, βλασφημοῦντας ἅμα τοῖς στρατεύμασιν, ἤλασε κατὰ Βουλγάρων. Κροῦμμος δὲ τὰ πλήθη φοβηθείς, ὄντων αὐτῶν ἐν Μαρκέλλαις, ᾐτεῖτο εἰρήνην. ὁ δὲ ταῖς οἰκείαις κακοβουλίαις καὶ ταῖς τῶν ὁμοφρόνων αὐτοῦ συμβούλων εἰσηγήσεσι διεκωλύθη, καὶ μετὰ πολλὰς περιαγωγὰς δι' ἀβάτων τόπων ῥιψοκινδύνως ὁ θρασύδειλος εἰσέρχεται εἰς Βουλγαρίαν τῇ κʹ τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνὸς (κυνὸς ἦν ἐπιτολὴ πανολέθριος), συχνῶς ἐπιφθεγγόμενος τό, "τίς πορεύσεται καὶ ἀπατήσει τὸν Ἀχαάβ;" λέγων, "ὅτι κἂν ὁ θεὸς κἂν ὁ ἀντικείμενος ἕλκει ἄκοντα." πρὸ δὲ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτόν, Βυζάντιος, ὁ τούτου ἐπιστήθιος οἰκέτης, πρὸς Κροῦμμον ἀπὸ Μαρκέλλων προσέφυγε συναρπάσας ἐσθῆτα βασιλικὴν καὶ χρυσίου λίτρας ρʹ. πολλοὶ δὲ τὴν τούτου φυγὴν ἐπὶ κακῷ Νικηφόρῳ οἰωνίσαντο. ἐπὶ