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although he was far from prophetic inspiration, he truly spoke like an oracle. They say that an oracle had also been given to him from above that on the day of the birth in the flesh of Christ our God, it was fated for him to lose his imperial good fortune, and to lose his very life as well.

The oracle was Sibylline, written in a certain book of the imperial library, which contained not only oracles simply, but also figures and forms of the emperors in colors. Now, the lion was depicted as a beast in the book, and above its back the letter chi was inscribed down to its very belly, and behind it a man running up with a spear was giving a mortal blow to the beast through the middle of the chi. Since the oracle showed some obscurity, the quaestor of that time alone interpreted it clearly, saying that a certain emperor Leo was destined to be delivered to a destructive death on the very day of the birth of Christ. No less did the vision of his own mother disturb and terrify the emperor. For she dreamt that while constantly frequenting the divine church of the Theotokos in Blachernae, she met a certain maiden escorted by men in white 2.64 robes, and she saw the divine church filled with blood. The maiden who was seen ordered one of the men in white robes, having filled a certain pot with blood, to give it to the mother of Leo to drink; but when she pleaded her many years of widowhood, on account of which she tasted neither meat nor anything with blood, and for this reason would not even touch this pot, "And how," said the maiden with anger, "does your son not cease from filling me with much blood and angering my son and God?" And from then on, she often implored her son to depart from the heresy of the iconoclasts, having related the vision in tragic terms. And another vision disturbed him not a little; For Tarasios the renowned patriarch, who had long since departed this life, seemed to call a certain Michael by name in dreams, urging him to leap upon Leo and strike him a mortal blow. The prophecy of the monk at Philomelion also tormented him, as did the change of clothing that Michael made, as we have already related somewhere. Terrified by all these things, the emperor trembled with fear and his soul was in turmoil. Therefore he also remained sleepless throughout the whole night. Having deliberated, therefore, more wisely than royally, he broke down the small gate leading to the papias and spied on what was inside. And having entered a certain small room, he sees a sight that led him into no small astonishment; for he saw the condemned man reclining quite magnificently upon a high couch, but the papias lying on the bare 2.65 floor. And approaching more curiously, he observed Michael, to see whether, as is wont to happen with those who are in turmoil and whose life is in doubt, he was sleeping a light and care-ridden sleep, or, on the contrary, a carefree and sweet one. But when he found him sleeping soundly (for he was not even able to awaken him by touching him), he was inflamed with greater anger at these unexpected sights, and he departed at his leisure, threatening something terrible not only for him but also for the papias. So much for the emperor. But these things did not escape the notice of the men around the papias, but one of Michael's attendants, having noticed from the crimson shoes, reported everything clearly. Astounded by these things and nearly out of their minds, the men around the papias considered how they might escape the danger. Day was just dawning, and Michael devised the following pretext, that he wished to confess certain stains on his soul to one of the God-loving men through Theoktistos, whom he later honored with the dignity of the kanikleios. Permission was granted by the emperor for this to be done. And Michael, having received permission, says to Theoktistos, "It is time, O Theoktistos, to threaten the conspirators that if they do not hasten more quickly to deliver us from danger, to reveal all the details of the plot to the emperor." And when Theoktistos had done as he was commanded, to

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εἰ καὶ πόρρω προφητικῆς ἦν ἐπιπνοίας, ἀληθῶς ἀπεφοίβασε. λέγουσι δ' ὅτι καὶ χρησμὸς ἦν ἄνωθεν αὐτῷ δεδομένος ὡς κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως πέπρωται αὐτῷ τήν τε βασιλι κὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ἀποβαλεῖν, προσαπολέσαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ζωήν.

Σιβυλλιακὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ χρησμός, ἔν τινι βίβλῳ τῆς βασιλικῆς βιβλιο θήκης ἐγγεγραμμένος, οὐ χρησμοὺς μόνον ἁπλῶς ἐχούσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μορφὰς καὶ σχήματα τῶν βασιλέων διὰ χρωμάτων. ἦν οὖν θηρίον μεμορφωμένον ὁ λέων ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ, ἄνωθεν δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ ῥάχεως ἐπεγέγραπτο τὸ χῖ στοιχεῖον μέχρι καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς γαστρός, κατόπιν δέ τις ἀνὴρ ἐπιθέων δόρατι καιρίαν ἐδίδου πληγὴν τῷ θηρίῳ διὰ μέσου τοῦ χῖ. ἀσάφειαν δ' ὑποφαίνοντος τοῦ χρη σμοῦ, μόνος ὁ τηνικαῦτα κοιαίστωρ αὐτὸν διετράνου, Λέοντα μέλλειν φήσας τινὰ βασιλέα κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς τοῦ Χρι στοῦ γεννήσεως θανάτῳ ὀλεθρίῳ παραδοθῆναι. ὑπέθραπτε δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἐξεδειμάτου καὶ ἡ τῆς οἰκείας μητρὸς ὄψις. ἔδοξε γὰρ αὕτη κατὰ τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις θεῖον ναὸν τῆς θεοτόκου φοιτῶσα συνεχῶς κόρῃ τινὶ συναντᾶν λευχείμοσιν ἀν 2.64 δράσι δορυφορουμένῃ, ἑώρα δὲ καὶ τὸν θεῖον ναὸν αἵματος πε πλησμένον. προστάξαι δὲ τὴν θεαθεῖσαν κόρην ἑνὶ τῶν λευχει μόνων ἀνδρῶν χύτραν τινὰ πλήσαντι αἵματος τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Λέον τος ἐπιδοῦναι πιεῖν· αὐτῆς δὲ πολυετῆ χηρείαν προβαλλομένης, δι' ἣν μήτε κρεῶν μήτε τινὸς τῶν ἐναίμων γεύσασθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ ταύτης τῆς χύτρας ἅψασθαι, "καὶ πῶς" ἔφησεν ἡ κόρη μετὰ θυμοῦ "οὐ παύεται ὁ σὸς υἱὸς πολλῶν ἐμπιπλῶν αἱμά των ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν ἐμὸν παροργίζων υἱὸν καὶ θεόν;" πολλά τε ἔκ τοτε τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἐξελιπάρει υἱὸν τῆς τῶν εἰκονομάχων ἐκστῆναι αἱρέσεως, τὴν ὄψιν ἐκτραγῳδήσασα. καὶ ἑτέρα δέ τις ὄψις οὐ μικρῶς συνετάρασσε· Ταράσιος γὰρ ὁ ἀοίδιμος πατριάρχης, πά λαι τὸν βίον μετηλλαχώς, Μιχαήλ τινα ἐδόκει καλεῖν ἐξ ὀνόματος ἐν ὀνείροις, ἐπιπηδῆσαι προτρεπόμενος τῷ Λέοντι καὶ καιρίαν πλῆξαι αὐτόν. ἐστρόβει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἡ τοῦ κατὰ τὸ Φιλομίλιον μοναχοῦ πρόρρησις καὶ ἡ τῆς ἐσθῆτος μεταμφίασις, ἣν ὁ Μιχαὴλ ἐποιήσατο, ὥς που φθάσαντες ἱστορήσαμεν. οἷς ἅπασι δειματούμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπάλλετό τε τῷ δέει καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκυμαί νετο. διὸ καὶ ἄγρυπνος διετέλει παρ' ὅλην τὴν νύκτα. σοφώ τερα τοίνυν ἢ βασιλικώτερα βουλευσάμενος, τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν παπίαν φέρουσαν πυλίδα διαρρήξας κατεσκόπει τὰ ἔνδον. εἰσελθὼν δὲ εἴς τι δωμάτιον θέαμα ὁρᾷ εἰς ἔκπληξιν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἄγον αὐτόν· εἶδε γὰρ τὸν μὲν κατάκριτον ἐπὶ στιβάδος ὑψηλῆς πάνυ μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἀνακείμενον, τὸν δὲ παπίαν ἐπὶ ξηροῦ κατακλινό 2.65 μενον τοῦ ἐδάφους. περιεργότερον δὲ προσελθὼν ἐπεσκόπει τὸν Μιχαήλ, εἰ ὅπερ φιλεῖ ἐν τοῖς κυμαινομένοις καὶ τὴν ζωὴν ἀμφί βολον ἔχουσι γίνεσθαι, ἐπιπόλαιόν τινα καὶ ἐμμέριμνον ὑπνώττει ὕπνον ἢ τοὐναντίον ἀφρόντιδα καὶ ἡδύν. ὡς δ' εὗρεν ἀνέτως ὑπνοῦντα (καὶ γὰρ οὐδ' ἐπαφώμενος αὐτὸν διυπνίσαι ἴσχυσεν), εἰς μείζονα ἀνήφθη θυμὸν τοῖς παρ' ἐλπίδα τούτοις θεάμασι, καὶ ἀπῄει κατὰ σχολήν, δεινὸν οὐκ αὐτῷ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ παπίᾳ εὐσείων. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ βασιλεύς. οὐκ ἔλαθε δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς περὶ τὸν παπίαν, ἀλλά τις τῶν προκοίτων τοῦ Μιχαὴλ ἐκ τῶν φοινικῶν φωρασάμενος ἐμβάδων ἀπήγγειλε πάντα σαφῶς. οἷς ἐκπαθεῖς καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἔκφρονες οἱ περὶ τὸν παπίαν γενόμενοι ἐσκέπτοντο πῶς ἂν τὸν κίνδυνον διαφύγοιεν. ὑπέλαμπεν ἄρτι ἡμέρα, καὶ σκέπτεται σκῆψιν τοιάνδε ὁ Μιχαήλ, ὡς ψυχικάς τι νας κηλῖδας βούλεταί τινι τῶν θεοφίλων ἐξαγορεῦσαι διὰ Θεοκτί στου, ὃν μετὰ ταῦτα τῷ τοῦ κανικλείου τετίμηκεν ἀξιώματι. ἐπε τέτραπτο γοῦν τοῦτο γενέσθαι παρὰ βασιλέως. ὁ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἀδείας λαβόμενος λέγει πρὸς τὸν Θεόκτιστον "καιρός, ὦ Θεόκτι στε, τοῖς συνωμόταις ἐπαπειλῆσαι, ὡς εἰ μὴ τάχιον σπεύσουσιν ἐξελέσθαι τοῦ κινδύνου ἡμᾶς, πάντα τὰ τῆς πράξεως ἀνακαλύψαι τῷ βασιλεῖ." καὶ τοῦ Θεοκτίστου ὡς ἐκελεύσθη ποιήσαντος, εἰς