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those who had inherited from their grandfathers or great-grandfathers, having been separated from the same for 20 years, to be given back to the treasury, and he ordered those who had bought domestic slaves outside of Abydos to pay two nomismata each, especially those in the Dodecanese. A ninth madness, that those who inhabited the coastal regions, especially of Asia Minor, ship-owners, who had never lived as farmers, should be forced to buy from the estates seized by him, so that they might be assessed by them. A tenth impiety, having gathered the notable ship-owners in Constantinople he gave them twelve pounds of gold each at an interest of four keratia per nomisma, while they also paid the usual commercial taxes. These few things out of many have been recorded by me in summary, revealing his resourcefulness for every kind of greed. For the terrible things shown by him in the capital city to those of high, middle, and low rank, being beyond writing, we have omitted, how he suborned wicked servants to slander their own masters, that is, as many as happened to be wealthy, deeming the slanderers worthy of honor, while extorting money from the slandered. 2.39 So that also a certain wax-chandler in the forum, being well-off from his own labors, the all-devouring one summoned him and said, "Place your hand upon my head, and swear how much gold you have." And he said that he had one hundred pounds. And he told him to bring them that very hour. When these were brought, the darkened one said, "What need have you of distraction? Dine with me, and taking one hundred nomismata, go away content with them." In the ninth year he intensified his contrivances against the Christians: impious inspections, compulsory purchases of all kinds of livestock and produce, unjust confiscations and fines for those in high office, lending on ships at interest—he who legislated for all not to charge interest—and ten thousand other evil contrivances, a detailed history of which is naturally burdensome for those who seek to learn the matters concisely. But he was an ardent friend of the Manichaeans, who are now Paulicians and Athinganoi, his neighbors in Phrygia and Lycaonia (for he was born there), delighting in their oracles and rites. These received the opportunity during his reign to live without fear, and many of the more frivolous people were corrupted by their unlawful doctrines. And in the outer portico there was a false hermit, Nicholas by name, who with his companions blasphemed against the right doctrine and the venerable icons. The emperor, pretending to support these men, grieved the patriarch and all those living according to God. For he was often angered, making accusations against 2.40 him, greatly rejoicing in those who were hostile to one another, and mocking every Christian who loves his neighbor, as an overthrower of the divine commandments. He ordered the military commanders to treat the bishops and clergy like slaves, quartering themselves with authority in the episcopal residences and monasteries, and misusing their property. He censured those who from of old had dedicated to God gold or silver vessels, and he decreed it was right for the sacred things of the churches to be profaned. He blamed all the emperors before him as rudderless, completely abolishing providence, and saying that no one was more powerful than the ruler, if the ruler wished to rule energetically. And he became futile in his reasonings, the foolish and God-hated one. For on the first Saturday of the fasts of the 4th indiction, Saracens, having met Leo, the general of the Armeniacs, at Euchaïta with the payroll of the theme, took it away along with a great number of people, it being 13 centenaria. Therefore, at these events, the new Ahab, not having been chastened, more insatiable than Phalaris and Midas, draws up for battle against the Bulgarians together with Staurakios his son. And going out of the capital city, he ordered Niketas the patrician and general logothete to raise the public taxes of the churches and monasteries, and an eight-year tax arrear to be demanded from the houses of the archons. And there was great lamentation in the city. At these things

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τοὺς ἐκ πάππων ἢ προ πάππων κληρονομήσαντας διαιρεθέντας ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν κʹ χρόνων ἐξαναδιδόναι τῷ δημοσίῳ, καὶ τοὺς ὠνησαμένους ἔξω τῆς Ἀβύ δου σώματα οἰκετικὰ ἀνὰ δύο νομίσματα τελέσαι προσέταξε, μά λιστα τοὺς κατὰ τὴν δωδεκάνησον. ἐννάτη παράνοια, τοὺς τὰς παραθαλασσίους οἰκοῦντας, μάλιστα τῆς μικρᾶς Ἀσίας, ναυκλή ρους, μηδέποτε γηπονικῶς ζήσαντας, ἄκοντας ὠνεῖσθαι ἐκ τῶν καθαρπαγέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ κτημάτων, ὡς ἂν ἐκτιμηθῶσι παρ' αὐτῶν. δεκάτη ἀθεΐα, τοὺς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐπισήμους ναυκλήρους συναγαγὼν δέδωκεν ἐπὶ τόκῳ τετρακεράτου τὸ νόμισμα ἀνὰ χρυσίου λίτρας δώδεκα, τελοῦντας καὶ τὰ συνήθη κομμέρκια. ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ μικρά μοι ἐστηλογράφηται, δηλοῦντα τὸ πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος πλεονεξίας αὐτοῦ πολυμήχανον. τὰ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν βασιλίδα τοῖς ἐν τέλει καὶ μέσοις καὶ εὐτελέσιν ἐν δειχθέντα δεινὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ πέρα συγγραφῶν ὄντα παρελίπομεν, ὅπως τοὺς πονηροὺς τῶν οἰκετῶν καθυπέβαλε συκοφαντεῖν τοὺς ἑαυτῶν δεσπότας, ὅσοι δηλαδὴ ἐν εὐπορίᾳ ἔτυχον, τοὺς μὲν δια βάλλοντας τιμῆς ἀξιῶν, τοὺς δὲ διαβαλλομένους ἐξαργυρίζων. 2.39 ὥστε καί τινα κηρουλάριον ὄντα ἐν τῷ φόρῳ, ἀνενδεῆ τυγχάνοντα ἐκ πόνων ἰδίων, μεταστειλάμενος ὁ παμφάγος φησί "θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, καὶ ὄμοσον πόσος χρυσός σοι ἐστίν." ὁ δὲ λίτρας ἑκατὸν ἐξεῖπεν ἔχειν. ὁ δὲ ἀγαγεῖν ταύτας κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ὥραν ἔφη. ὧν ἐνεχθέντων φησὶν ὁ ἐσκοτισμένος "σὺ τί χρείαν ἔχεις περισπασμοῦ; συναρίστησόν μοι, καὶ ἄρας νομίσματα ἑκατὸν πορεύου ἀρκούμενος αὐτοῖς." Τῷ θʹ ἔτει τὰς κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἐπινοίας ἐπέτεινεν, ἐπο ψίας ἀθέους, ἐπαγορασμοὺς παντοίων ἀλόγων βοσκημάτων τε καὶ καρπῶν, ἀδίκους δημεύσεις καὶ ζημίας τῶν ἐν τέλει, τοκισμοὺς ἐν πλοίοις ὁ πᾶσι νομοθετῶν τὸ μὴ τοκίζειν, καὶ ἄλλας μυρίας κακῶν ἐπινοίας, ὧν ἡ κατὰ μέρος ἱστορία φορτικὴ τοῖς ἐπιτετμημένως ζητοῦσι μανθάνειν τὰ πράγματα πέφυκε. τῶν δὲ Μανιχαίων, τῶν νῦν Παυλικιανῶν καὶ Ἀθιγκάνων, τῶν κατὰ Φρυγίαν καὶ Λυκαονίαν ἀγχιγειτόνων αὐτῷ (ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἐγεγόνει) φίλος ἦν διάπυρος, χρησμοῖς καὶ τελεταῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιχαίρων. οὗ τοι χώραν ἔλαβον ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἀφόβως πολιτεύεσθαι, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν κουφοτέρων ταῖς ἀθεμίτοις αὐτῶν διεφθάρησαν δόξαις. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἔξω κιονίῳ ψευδερημίτης ἦν Νικόλαος τοὔνομα, ὃς σὺν τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ κατὰ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ λόγου καὶ τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκό νων ἐβλασφήμουν. ὧν ἀντιποιούμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐλύπει τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ πάντας τοὺς κατὰ θεὸν ζῶντας. πολλάκις γὰρ κατ' 2.40 αὐτοῦ ἐγκαλῶν ἠγανακτήθη, τοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐχθραίνουσι σφόδρα συγχαίρων, καὶ ἐπιτωθάζων παντὶ Χριστιανῷ φιλοῦντι τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἀνατροπεὺς τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν. τοὺς στρατιωτι κοὺς ἄρχοντας δουλικῶς χρᾶσθαι τοῖς ἐπισκόποις καὶ κληρικοῖς ἐκέλευε, καταγομένους αὐθεντικῶς ἐν τοῖς ἐπισκοπείοις καὶ μονα στηρίοις, καὶ καταχρᾶσθαι τὰ αὐτῶν. τοὺς ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἀναθε μένους τῷ θεῷ χρυσᾶ ἢ ἀργυρᾶ σκεύη ἔψεγε, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐκκλη σιῶν ἱερὰ κοινοῦσθαι ἄξιον ἐδογμάτιζε. τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλεῖς ἅπαντας ὡς ἀκυβερνήτας ἐμέμφετο, καθόλου τὴν πρόνοιαν ἀναι ρῶν, καὶ μηδένα λέγων γίνεσθαι τοῦ κρατοῦντος δυνατώτερον, εἰ βούλοιτο ὁ κρατῶν ἐντρεχῶς ἄρχειν. καὶ ἐματαιώθη ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνόητος καὶ θεομισής. τῷ γὰρ πρώτῳ σαββάτῳ τῶν νηστειῶν τῆς δʹ ἰνδικτίωνος ὑπαντήσαντες Σαρακη νοὶ εἰς τὰ Εὐχάϊτα Λέοντα στρατηγὸν τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν σὺν τῇ ῥόγᾳ τοῦ θέματος, ταύτην ἀφείλοντο σὺν πολλῷ πλήθει λαοῦ, κεντηνάρια ιγʹ οὖσαν. ἐπὶ τούτοις οὖν ὁ νεὸς Ἀχαὰβ μὴ παιδευ θείς, ὁ Φαλάριδος καὶ Μίδου ἀπληστότερος, κατὰ Βουλγάρων παρατάττεται ἅμα Σταυρακίῳ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐξελθὼν τῆς βασιλίδος ἐκέλευσε Νικήταν πατρίκιον καὶ γενικὸν λογοθέτην τὰ δημόσια τέλη τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ μοναστηρίων ἀναβιβάσαι, καὶ ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν ὀπισθοτέλειαν τοὺς τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀπαιτηθῆναι οἴκους. καὶ ἦν θρῆνος μέγας ἐν τῇ πόλει. ἐπὶ τούτοις