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to the empire." Not much time passed, and many of the themes, being forced by the demands imposed on them by Nikephoros, revolted and proclaimed Bardanes, surnamed the Turk, as emperor. He, being distressed at this, 2.33 tried to refuse, but being unable to escape and being compelled by them, he came down to Chrysopolis acclaimed. When these things happened, Leo and Michael went over to the emperor, of whom the one was entrusted with the command of the foederati, and the other with that of the count of the court, while Thomas devoted his loyalty to his own master to the point of danger. Then Bardanes, having the fear of God in his heart, and fearing lest a civil war might arise because of him, secretly sent messages to the emperor seeking immunity. And having obtained it, he escaped by ship at night, and going to the monastery of Herakleios in Katabolion, he became a monk. The people with him went home. But the emperor, pretending to bring Bardanes to the city, sent out a dromon. When he arrived at the island of Prote at the monastery which he himself had built, it being his own suburban property, he was blinded by some Lycaonians by the will of the emperor. Wherefore, supposedly grieved at such hypocrisy, he who never kept an oath assured everyone with oaths that he was innocent of such a deed.

In the 2nd year, he crowned his son Staurakios, who was wanting in appearance, judgment, and strength. In this year he went out against the Arabs, and being defeated with shame he returned, having almost been captured himself, if some of the bravest commanders had not rescued him with difficulty. 2.34 In the 3rd year, finding a little security, he built Ankyra of Galatia and Theba and Andrasos. In the 4th year, Tarasios the most holy patriarch of Constantinople died gloriously, and was buried in the monastery built by him in the strait. On the 4th day of the first week of the fasts and on Great Sunday, Nikephoros the most holy patriarch was ordained from the rank of asekretis, by the vote of all the people and of the emperor and of the priests. But Plato and Theodore, the abbot of the Stoudion, did not consent to the ordination of Nikephoros, but also made a schism, having the supposedly reasonable cause that it was not right for one to be elevated suddenly from the laity to be bishop; whom the emperor, wishing to drive out of the city, was prevented by some. And the matter was not strange nor recently devised, but many others from the laity also became bishops, having ministered worthily to God. In this year Aaron, the leader of the Arabs, campaigned against Roman Mnia with 300,000 men, and coming to Tyana he built a house of his blasphemy, and took innumerable fortresses. And he sent a raiding party of 60,000 as far as Ankyra, and having destroyed everything, he returned. And Nikephoros also went out, in despair showing the noble deeds of misery, and indeed having considered, he sends to him for peace to be made, declaring thus: "Why do you rejoice in injustices and bloodshed, not being content with your own things, but transgressing ancient and ancestral oaths? 2.35 For what divine prophet told you to do these things? Did not Muhammad your prophet command that every Christian be held and called a brother? For does the God of all, the creator and provider for both, rejoice in the blood of men unjustly shed? May it not be so. Or have you come out, lacking silver and gold and the rest, to wrong those who have wronged you in nothing? And yet you have in abundance the finest things, which are difficult for us to procure and are most desirable. But if you are in need of anything of ours, we will provide it at once in a spirit of affection. Let us not therefore campaign against one another as if immortal and godless, and imitate the war of demons against men out of envy, knowing that a little later we shall die and go to an incorruptible judge, who will render to each according to his works." These things of the

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βασιλείᾳ." οὐ πολὺ τὸ ἐν μέσῳ, καὶ τῶν θεμάτων πολλὰ καταναγκαζομένων διὰ τὰς ἐπιτεθείσας αὐτοῖς ἀπαιτήσεις παρὰ Νικηφόρου ἀποσκιρτήσαντες ἀνηγόρευσαν βασι λέα Βαρδάνιον, ᾧ ἐπίκλην Τοῦρκος. ὅς γε δυσφορῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ 2.33 παρῃτεῖτο, μὴ δυνηθεὶς δὲ διαδρᾶναι βιαζόμενος ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατ ῆλθεν ἐν Χρυσουπόλει εὐφημούμενος. τούτων δὲ γενομένων Λέων καὶ Μιχαὴλ τῷ βασιλεῖ προσερρύησαν, ὧν ὁ μὲν τῆς τῶν φοιδε ράτων ὁ δὲ τῆς τοῦ κόμητος κόρτης τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρίζονται, Θωμᾶς δὲ μέχρι κινδύνων τῷ ἰδίῳ δεσπότῃ ἀφοσιοῖ τὰ τῆς πί στεως. εἶτα τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον ἐν καρδίᾳ κεκτημένος ὁ Βαρδά νιος, καὶ δεδιὼς μή πως δι' αὐτὸν ἐμφύλιος γένηται πόλεμος, λάθρᾳ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐκπέμπει λόγους ἀπαθείας ζητῶν. καὶ λαβὼν ναυσιπόρος διέδρα νυκτός, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἐν τῷ Καταβολίῳ εἰς τὴν τοῦ Ἡρακλείου μονὴν γέγονε μοναχός. ὁ δὲ μετ' αὐτοῦ λαὸς οἴκαδε ᾤχετο. σχηματισάμενος δ' ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀγαγεῖν τὸν Βαρδάνιον ἐν τῇ πόλει δρόμωνα ἐξαπέστειλε. τοῦ δὲ παραγενο μένου ἐν τῇ Πρώτῃ νήσῳ πρὸς τὴν μονὴν ἣν αὐτὸς κατεσκεύασε, προάστειον οὖσαν αὐτοῦ, ἐκτυφλοῦται ὑπὸ Λυκαόνων τινῶν γνώμῃ τοῦ βασιλέως. διὸ ἐπὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὑποκρίσει δῆθεν λυπηθείς, πάντας μεθ' ὅρκων ἐπληροφόρησεν ἀναίτιον αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ τοιού του δράματος ὁ μηδέποτε εὐορκήσας.

Τῷ βʹ ἔτει ἔστεψε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Σταυράκιον, ἀποίητον ὄντα τῇ τε ἰδέᾳ καὶ γνώμῃ καὶ ῥώμῃ. τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἐξῆλθε κατὰ Ἀράβων, καὶ μετ' αἰσχύνης ἡττηθεὶς ὑπέστρεψε, παρὰ μικρὸν συσχεθεὶς καὶ αὐτός, εἰ μή τινες τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀνδρειότατοι τοῦ τον μόλις περιεσώσαντο. 2.34 Τῷ γʹ ἔτει εὑρὼν μικρὰν ἄδειαν ἔκτισεν Ἄγκυραν Γαλατίας καὶ τὴν Θήβαν καὶ τὴν Ἀνδρασόν. Τῷ δʹ ἔτει Ταράσιος ὁ ἁγιώτατος πατριάρχης Κωνσταντι νουπόλεως ἀπεβίω ἐνδόξως, καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κτισθέντι μοναστηρίῳ ἐν τῷ στενῷ. τῇ δʹ τῆς πρώτης ἑβδομάδος τῶν νη στειῶν καὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ κυριακῇ ἐχειροτονήθη Νικηφόρος ὁ ἁγιώτα τος πατριάρχης ἀπὸ ἀσηκρῆτις, ψήφῳ παντὸς λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ βα σιλέως καὶ τῶν ἱερέων. Πλάτων δὲ καὶ Θεόδωρος ἡγούμενος τῶν Στουδίου οὐ συνηυδόκησαν τῇ χειροτονίᾳ Νικηφόρου, ἀλλὰ καὶ σχίσμα ἐποίησαν, αἰτίαν δῆθεν εὔλογον ἔχοντες τὸ μὴ δεῖν ἀπὸ λαϊκῶν ἀθρόως εἰς ἐπίσκοπον ἀνατρέχειν· οὓς ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς πόλεως ἀπελάσαι βουληθεὶς ἀνετράπη παρά τινων. καὶ οὐκ ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα ξένον οὐδὲ προσφάτως ἐπινοηθέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὶ ἄλλοι ἀπὸ λαϊκῶν ἐπεσκόπησαν, ἀξίως τῷ θεῷ ἱερατεύσαντες. τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Ἀαρὼν ὁ τῶν Ἀράβων ἀρχηγὸς ἐπεστράτευσε κατὰ Ῥωμανίας μετὰ χιλιάδων τʹ, καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὰ Τύανα ᾠκοδόμησεν οἶκον τῆς βλασφημίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρέλαβε κάστρα ἄπειρα. ἀπέστειλε δὲ κοῦρσον ξʹ χιλιάδας ἕως Ἀγκύρας, καὶ ἀφανίσας πάντα ὑπέστρεψεν. ἐξῆλθε δὲ καὶ ὁ Νικηφόρος ἐν ἀπογνώσει τὰ γενναῖα τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ δὴ σκεψάμενος πέμ πει πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρήνην γενέσθαι, δηλώσας οὕτως "ἵνα τί ἐπιχαί ρεις ταῖς ἀδικίαις καὶ ταῖς αἱματεκχυσίαις, μὴ ἀρκούμενος εἰς τὰ ἴδια, ἀλλὰ παραβαίνεις ὅρκους ἀρχαίους καὶ πατρῴους; ποῖος 2.35 γάρ σοι προφήτης θεῖος ταῦτα ποιεῖν εἴρηκεν; οὐχὶ Μουχούμετ ὁ προφήτης σου παρήγγειλεν ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἔχειν Χριστιανὸν πάντα καὶ λέγειν; μὴ γὰρ ὁ πάντων θεός, ὁ δημιουργὸς καὶ προνοητὴς ἀμφοτέρων, αἵμασιν ἀνθρώπων ἀδίκως ἐκχυνομένοις χαίρει; μὴ γένοιτο. ἢ ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὑστερούμενος ἐξῆλθες ἀδικῆσαι τοὺς μηδὲν ἀδικήσαντάς σε; καίτοι γε τὰ κάλ λιστα καὶ ἡμῖν δυσπόριστα καὶ ἐπέραστα κατακόρως ἔχεις. εἰ δέ τινος τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐνδεὴς εἶ, αὐτίκα παρέξομεν φιλοστοργίας τρόπῳ. μὴ τοίνυν ὡς ἀθάνατοι καὶ ἄθεοι κατ' ἀλλήλων στρα τευώμεθα, καὶ τὸν ἐκ δαιμόνων κατ' ἀνθρώπων πόλεμον ἐκ φθό νου μιμώμεθα, γινώσκοντες ὅτι μικρὸν ὕστερον τελευτήσομεν καὶ πρὸς κριτὴν ἀδέκαστον ἀπελευσόμεθα, ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ." ταῦτα τοῦ