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betraying our secrets to them. For which reasons he cannot bear to count you among the Romans at all, but considers you of the party of the Triballi.” And Gabalas, struck with amazement at these things, both called God to witness that he was conscious of nothing of what was said, and could not believe at all that the grand domestic, having so thoughtlessly believed the slanders and calumnies of some, would condemn him in his absence and be angry without reason. For not even the long time that has already passed, during which he has administered the affairs of the Romans, accuses him of such baseness and facility of character. But the *parakoimomenos* used his customary oaths, or rather perjuries, and persuaded him that nothing of what was said was a fabrication, 2.120 but all was true. And he gradually revealed that a not ignoble conspiracy was already being formed for his overthrow, with which it was necessary for him to align himself and help to bring him down, if he himself cared at all for his own salvation. And without hiding his purpose, he judged it necessary to offer him a way to satisfy his anger. And for the sake of more secure belief in what was said and of knowing most clearly that he was especially zealous for him and cared for him, he even betrothed his daughter to him—for he had previously lost his wife—and gave oaths on this, and some holy reliquary for security. And when he had won him over too, he approached Choumnos the grand stratopedarch, who was otherwise one of his friends and related by marriage through his wife. For after his first wife had died, who was the daughter of Disypatos, one of those enrolled in the clergy of the church of God's Wisdom, he married the niece of Choumnos, being already distinguished and not deemed unworthy by those of nobler birth. Being therefore one of his associates on account of these things, he approached him and reminded him of what had been said to the grand domestic, when they were deliberating about the son of Michael, the king of the Mysians, whether they should hand him over to Alexander who was demanding him, namely ‘if it is revealed to the last, let the first be silent.’ Of which things, he said, the grand domestic was always mindful and, carrying it like an arrow in his soul, 2.121 was seeking an opportunity in which he could take revenge on him worthily of the insult against him. And that this was none other than his return from the west. For so he had heard him say. “And I, holding your affairs of the greatest importance—for the danger is not about the smallest things, but about your life—have come both to report as much as I have learned, and, if you wish, to suggest a path to salvation.” And he, being not moderately disturbed at what was said, said that he was amazed if the grand domestic, having so suddenly changed from his usual goodness, instead of being moderate and affable, should appear so implacable in his anger and bitter to those who had offended him and ready for retribution. For his past life does not bear witness to such a character in him. For though many have offended him, and greatly, he has never been seen to retaliate badly against anyone; and toward me he was moderately disturbed on account of that remark, but a little later he let go of his anger so completely that it seemed as if nothing had been said. But Apokaukos said: “If you answered thus suspecting my words, as if I were testing you, and fearing to offend him again, that would be another matter. But if you think it is truly so, know that you are ignorant of the whole matter. For he is not gentle, as you said, and affable and seen to be bad to no one; but for a long time everyone has courted him as he has been clothed with great power, and no one until now has ever dared not only to speak against him, but even to look him in the face 2.122; wherefore he also treated everyone moderately, as they were cowering and thoroughly enslaved. But since you are now the first who has dared to speak openly against him, he was no longer able to conceal his wickedness, but he will also begin with you first to punish those who sin against him.” And immediately he swore the most dreadful oaths that all that he had uttered was true, and that if he did not try to save himself in some way with the greatest speed, there was nothing to prevent both him and his whole household from being destroyed. And he, as was likely, having come to fear the worst, begged him

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ἡμῶν ἀπόῤῥητα αὐτοῖς καταπροδιδούς. δι' ἃ οὐδὲ Ῥωμαίοις ὅλως ἀνέχεται καταλέγειν σὲ, ἀλλὰ τῆς μερίδος ἡγεῖται Τριβαλῶν.» καταπλαγεὶς δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Γαβαλᾶς, θεόν τε ἐμαρτύρετο, ὡς οὐδὲν συνειδοίη τῶν λεγομένων ἑαυτῷ, καὶ οὐδὲ πιστεύειν ὅλως εἶχεν, εἰ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος οὕτως ἀπερισκέπτως συκοφαντίαις τινῶν πιστεύσας καὶ διαβολαῖς, ἐρήμην αὐτοῦ καταγνοίη καὶ ὀργίζοιτο ἀκαίρως. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ παρεληλυθὼς ἤδη χρόνος πολὺς, καθ' ὃν τὰ Ῥωμαίων διοικεῖ, τοιαύτην αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ φαυλότητα καὶ εὐκολίαν τρόπων. παρακοιμώμενος δὲ τοῖς εἰωθόσιν ὅρκοις ἢ ταῖς ἐπιορκίαις μᾶλλον ἐχρῆτο καὶ κατέπειθεν αὐτὸν, ὡς οὐδὲν εἴη τῶν λεγομένων πλάσμα, 2.120 ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀληθῆ. παρεγύμνου τε κατὰ μικρὸν, ὡς σύστημα οὐκ ἀγεννὲς ἐπὶ καταλύσει ἤδη συσταίη τῇ ἐκείνου, οἷς δέον ἑαυτὸν προσνείμαντα τὸ μέρος καὶ αὐτὸν συγκαταβάλλειν, εἴ τι μέλοι τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας καὶ αὐτῷ. καὶ μὴ συγκαλυψάμενος ἔγνω δεῖν ἐκείνῳ ἐμπαρέχειν ἐμπιπλάναι τὸν θυμόν. πίστεως δὲ τῶν λεγομένων ἕνεκα ἀσφαλεστέρας καὶ τοῦ σαφέστατα εἰδέναι, ὡς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ μάλιστα σπουδάζοι καὶ κήδοιτο αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα κατηγγύα, ἦν γὰρ πρότερον τὴν γαμετὴν ἀποβαλὼν, καὶ ὅρκους παρεῖχεν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἐγκόλπιόν τί τε τῶν ἱερῶν ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκα. ἐπεὶ δὲ κἀκεῖνον ἦν προσειληφὼς, Χούμνῳ πρόσεισι τῷ μεγάλῳ στρατοπεδάρχῃ, ἄλλως τε ὄντι τῶν ἐκείνῳ φίλων καὶ προσήκοντι κατὰ γένος διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα. τῆς γὰρ συναφθείσης ἐκείνῳ πρώτως τετελευτηκυίας, ἣ ∆ισυπάτου θυγάτηρ ἦν, ἑνὸς τῶν τῷ κλήρῳ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ Σοφίας κατειλεγμένων, ἀνεψιᾷ συνῴκησε τῇ Χούμνου, ἤδη λαμπρὸς ὢν καὶ μὴ ἀπαξιούμενος πρὸς τῶν εὐγενεστέρων. διὰ ταῦτα οὖν ἐκείνῳ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ὢν, ἀνεμίμνησκέ τε προσελθὼν τῶν πρὸς μέγαν δομέστικον εἰρημένων, ὅτε περὶ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ Μυσῶν βασιλέως ἐβουλεύοντο υἱοῦ, εἰ δέοι ἐκδιδόναι Ἀλεξάνδρῳ ἀπαιτοῦντι, τὸ ἐὰν ἀποκαλυφθῇ τῷ ἐσχάτῳ, σιγάτω ὁ πρῶτος. ὧν, ἔφασκε, τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἀεὶ μεμνημένον καὶ ὥσπερ βέλος περιφέροντα ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, 2.121 καιρὸν ζητεῖν, ἐν ᾧ τοῦτον ἀμυνεῖται ἀξίως τῆς ὕβρεως τῆς εἰς αὐτόν. τοῦτον δὲ οὐδένα ἄλλον εἶναι, ἢ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἑσπέρας ἐπάνοδον αὐτοῦ. οὕτω γὰρ ἐκείνου φάσκοντος ἀκηκοέναι. ἐμὲ δὲ περὶ πλείστου ποιούμενον τὰ σὰ, οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ ἐλαχίστων ὁ κίνδυνος, ἀλλὰ περὶ ψυχῆς, ἥκειν ἀπαγγέλλοντά τε, ὅσα ἐπυθόμην, καὶ, εἰ βούλει, σωτηρίας ὁδὸν ὑφηγησόμενον.» ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὰ εἰρημένα οὐ μετρίως θορυβηθεὶς, θαυμάζειν, ἔφασκεν, εἰ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος οὕτως ἐξαίφνης τῆς συνήθους καλοκἀγαθίας μεταβαλὼν, ἀντὶ μετρίου καὶ προσηνοῦς ἀπαραίτητος οὕτως ὀφθείη πρὸς ὀργὴν καὶ τοῖς προσκεκρουκόσι πικρὸς καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀντιδόσεις ἕτοιμος. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ προτοῦ χρόνος τοιοῦτον αὐτῷ τὸ ἦθος συμμαρτυρεῖ. πολλῶν γὰρ αὐτῷ προσκεκρουκότων καὶ μεγάλα, οὐδένα πώποτε ἐφάνη ἀντιδρῶν κακῶς· πρὸς ἐμὲ δὲ μετρίως μὲν διὰ τὸν λόγον τετάρακτο ἐκεῖνον, ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον οὕτως ἀφῆκε τὴν ὀργὴν, ὡς μηδὲ εἰρῆσθαί τι δοκεῖν. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ «εἰ μὲν ὑποπτεύων» ἔφη «τοὺς λόγους τοὺς ἐμοὺς, ὡς πειρωμένου, καὶ τὸ προσκρούειν αὖθις ἐκείνῳ δεδοικὼς, τοιαῦτα ἀπεκρίνω, ἄλλος ἂν εἴη λόγος. εἰ δ' ὡς ἀληθῶς οἰόμενος οὕτως ἔχειν, ἴσθι ἀγνοῶν τὸ πᾶν. οὐ γὰρ ἥμερος, ὥσπερ ἔφης, καὶ προσηνὴς καὶ περὶ μηδένα ἐκεῖνος κακὸς ὀφθείς· ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου δύναμιν μεγάλην περιβεβλημένον πάντες ἐθεράπευον, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἄχρι νῦν, οὐχ ὅτι ἀντειπεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἀντιβλέψαι πώποτε 2.122 ἐτόλμησεν· ὅθεν κἀκεῖνος πᾶσι προσεφέρετο μετρίως ὑπεπτηχόσι καὶ δεδουλωμένοις ἀκριβῶς. σοῦ δὲ νυνὶ πρώτου τολμήσαντος ἀντειπεῖν ἀναφανδὸν, οὐκέτι συγκαλύπτειν τὴν κακίαν οἷός τε ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ σοῦ κἀκεῖνος ἄρξεται πρώτου τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνοντας κολάζειν. αὐτίκα τε ὤμνυε τὰ φρικωδέστατα, ὡς πάντα εἴη, ὅσα φθέγξαιτο, ἀληθῆ καὶ ὡς, εἰ μὴ τὴν ταχίστην ἑνί γε τῳ τρόπῳ πειρῷτο διασώζειν ἑαυτὸν, οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν, μὴ καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπολέσθαι. ὁ δ', ὥσπερ ἦν εἰκὸς, περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων τὸν φόβον ἐσχηκὼς, ἐδεῖτό οἱ