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he leads her away unwillingly. Therefore, her brothers approach Michael, recounting the details of the drama; and he orders the general, if he should find the truth to be so, to cut off the nose of Euphemius who had dared this. When Euphemius learned this, having taken as conspirators those under his own command and some of the co-tourmarchs, he drives away the general who had come for this purpose and flees to the leader of Africa, promising to place all of Sicily 2.98 under him and to give him much tribute, if only he might be proclaimed emperor of the Romans. Therefore, the emir, accepting the proposal, proclaims him emperor of the Romans and gives him a large force, and becomes master of Sicily, having received it from this very man. However, Euphemius, not enjoying the imperial dignity for a long time, has his head cut off, receiving this as the wage for his own rebellion and lawlessness. It is worthwhile also to tell the manner of his slaying. For as he was going about Sicily in imperial attire, being acclaimed, he went towards Syracuse. And being at a distance from his own ranks and his bodyguards, and having approached the city by about a bowshot, he spoke to the citizens and with his words drew their goodwill to himself. But two Syracusan brothers, seeing him alone, having deliberated among themselves and come to an agreement and being of one mind, approach him ironically and mockingly, as if bestowing upon him as emperor the fitting honor. But Euphemius, not understanding the trick, and accepting the proclamation and greeting from them, called them to him with friendliness, as if he himself would return his own greeting. And indeed, having bowed his head and pressed his mouth to the mouth of one of the brothers, he is held strongly by the hair by this one, and by the other of the brothers his head 2.99 is cut off. And so he paid this penalty for his own folly. But the Hagarenes from that time became masters not only of Sicily but also of Calabria and of the greater parts of Italy, overrunning and plundering everything. But Michael, having been in control of the empire for 8 months and 9 years, ends his life, seized by the sickness of dysentery, having been the cause of so many evils for the Roman state through the impiety he held toward God and his wickedness in affairs, as the account has previously mentioned. And under him all of Dalmatia also revolted. And there was also an ancient oracle concerning him, which ran thus: 'The beginning of evils will befall the earth, when the dragon of Babylon shall rule, this stammerer and excessive lover of gold.' And his corpse was buried in the great heroon of Justinian at the church of the Holy Apostles, in a green Thessalian sarcophagus. And after the death of Michael, his son Theophilus, being now of a man's age, succeeded to his father's rule, in the month of October of the 8th indiction, in word, indeed, wishing to be called a fiery lover of justice and a strict guardian of the civil laws, but in truth, protecting himself from conspirators, so that no one might dare any youthful act against him, 2.100 he was playing a part in these things. Therefore, straight from the beginning, he decided to give over to destruction and ruin all those who had joined with his father in the death of Leo. Whence he issued a decree that all those enjoying imperial bounties, and moreover those who had partaken of any imperial honor whatsoever, should be gathered together at the Magnaura, that is, the Pentapyrgion. And when this was done and all were gathered as he had commanded, having for the time hidden the beastliness of his soul as in darkness, he said in a gentle and calm voice to those who had assembled: "My blessed father wished and had it as a desire, O my people and my inheritance, to deem those who supported and championed the empire worthy of many honors, many goods, and other rewards, but being overcome by the

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ἄκουσαν ἄγει. ταύτης οὖν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ προσίασι τῷ Μιχαήλ, τὰ τοῦ δράματος διηγούμενοι· ὁ δὲ κελεύει τῷ στρατηγῷ, εἰ οὕτως καταλάβοι ἔχουσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν ῥῖνα τοῦ τετολ μηκότος Εὐφημίου ἀποτεμεῖν. ὅπερ μαθὼν ὁ Εὐφήμιος, συνω μότας λαβὼν τούς τε ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα καί τινας τῶν συντουρ μαρχῶν, τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐπὶ τούτῳ παραγενόμενον ἀπελαύνει καὶ πρὸς τὸν τῆς Ἀφρικῆς ἀποδιδράσκει ἡγούμενον, πᾶσαν τὴν Σικε 2.98 λίαν ὑπ' ἐκεῖνον ποιῆσαι καθυπισχνούμενος καὶ διδόναι φόρους αὐτῷ πολλούς, εἰ μόνον ἀναγορευθείη Ῥωμαίων βασιλεύς. δεξά μενος οὖν τὸν λόγον ὁ ἀμηρᾶς ἀναγορεύει τοῦτον βασιλέα Ῥω μαίων καὶ χεῖρα δίδωσι πολλήν, καὶ τῆς Σικελίας γίνεται ἐγκρα τής, παρ' αὐτοῦ τούτου λαβὼν αὐτήν. πλὴν ὁ μὲν Εὐφήμιος οὐ πολὺν χρόνον τοῦ βασιλικοῦ ἀπολαύσας ἀξιώματος ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν κεφαλήν, τῆς οἰκείας ἀποστασίας καὶ παρανομίας τοῦτον λα βὼν τὸν μισθόν. ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τὸν τρόπον εἰπεῖν τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀναι ρέσεως. ὡς γὰρ ἐν σχήματι βασιλικῷ περιῄει τὴν Σικελίαν ἀνευ φημούμενος, ἀπῄει κατὰ Συράκουσαν. ἄποθεν δὲ γενόμενος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ τάξεως καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων, καὶ ὅσον ἀπὸ τόξου βολῆς τῇ πόλει προσεγγίσας, ὡμίλει τοῖς πολίταις καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν λόγοις τὴν ἐκείνων ἐφείλκετο εὔνοιαν. μεμονωμένον δὲ τοῦτον ἰδόντες ἀδελφοὶ δύο Συρακούσιοι, πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς βουλευσάμενοι καὶ σύμ πνοοι γενόμενοι καὶ τὸ ἓν φρονήσαντες προσέρχονται τούτῳ εἰρωνι κῶς τε καὶ τωθαστικῶς, ὡς βασιλεῖ τάχα τὴν προσήκουσαν τιμὴν ἀπονέμοντες. ὁ δὲ Εὐφήμιος μὴ συνεὶς τὸν δόλον, τὴν παρ' αὐ τῶν ἀναγόρευσιν καὶ τὸν ἀσπασμὸν προσδεξάμενος, προσεκάλει τούτους μετὰ φιλοφροσύνης ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀσπασμὸν ἀποδώσων. καὶ δὴ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ στόμα προσερείσας τῷ στόματι θατέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν, θριξὶ μὲν κατέχεται ἰσχυρῶς παρὰ τούτου, πρὸς δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν 2.99 ἀποτέμνεται. καὶ οὗτος μὲν ταύτην ἔτισε δίκην τῆς οἰκείας ἀπο νοίας. Οἱ δὲ Ἀγαρηνοὶ οὐ τῆς Σικελίας μόνον ἔκτοτε ἀλλὰ καὶ Καλαβρίας καὶ τῶν πλειόνων τῆς Ἰταλίας ἐγένοντο ἐγκρατεῖς, πάντα κατατρέχοντες καὶ διαπορθοῦντες. ὁ Μιχαὴλ δὲ ἐπὶ μῆ νας ηʹ καὶ ἔτη θʹ τῆς βασιλείας γενόμενος ἐγκρατής, δυσεντερίας ἁλοὺς ἀρρωστήματι καταστρέφει τὸν βίον, τοσούτων παραίτιος τῇ πολιτείᾳ Ῥωμαίων γενόμενος κακῶν δι' ἣν εἶχεν ἀσέβειαν πρὸς θεὸν καὶ πρὸς τὰ πράγματα μοχθηρίαν, ὅσων προλαβὼν ἐπεμνή σθη ὁ λόγος. ἀπεστάτησε δὲ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ∆αλματία. ἐφέρετο δὲ καὶ χρησμὸς παλαιὸς περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἔχων οὕτως ἀρχὴ κακῶν δὲ προσπεσεῖται τῇ χθονί, ὅταν κατάρξῃ τῆς Βαβυλῶνος δράκων, δύσγλωττος οὗτος καὶ φιλόχρυσος λίαν. ἐτάφη δὲ ὁ τούτου νεκρὸς ἐν τῷ κατὰ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους με γάλῳ ἡρῴῳ Ἰουστινιανοῦ, ἐν λάρνακι πρασίνῳ Θετταλικῇ. Μετὰ δὲ τὸν τοῦ Μιχαὴλ θάνατον ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Θεόφιλος, ἀνδρὸς ἤδη ἡλικίαν ἔχων, διεδέξατο τὴν πατρῴαν ἀρχήν, κατὰ τὸν Ὀκτώβριον μῆνα τῆς ηʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος, λόγῳ μὲν τῆς δικαιοσύ νης ἔμπυρος ἐραστὴς καλεῖσθαι βουλόμενος νόμων τε φύλαξ πολι τικῶν ἀκριβής, τῇ δ' ἀληθείᾳ ἔξωθεν ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἐπιβουλευόν των διατηρῶν, ὡς ἂν μή τις κατ' αὐτοῦ νεανικὸν τολμήσειε, 2.100 ταῦτα ὑπεκρίνετο. εὐθὺς οὖν ἐκ προοιμίων τοὺς τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ συναραμένους εἰς τὸν τοῦ Λέοντος θάνατον ἔγνω πάντας ὀλέθρῳ δοῦναι καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ. ὅθεν ἐξέθετο δόγμα τοὺς τῶν βασιλικῶν ἅπαντας ἀπολαύοντας φιλοτιμιῶν, προσέτι δὲ καὶ βασιλικῆς τιμῆς μετασχόντας τῆς οἱασοῦν, κατὰ τὴν Μαγναύραν ἤτοι τὸ Πεντα πύργιον συναθροισθῆναι. ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο καὶ πάντες ἠθροί σθησαν ὡς ἐκέλευσεν, ὡς ἐν σκότῳ τέως τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς κρύψας θηριωδίαν, πραείᾳ καὶ ἠρεμαίᾳ φωνῇ ἔφη πρὸς τοὺς συνειλεγμέ νους "ἐβούλετο μὲν καὶ δι' ἐπιθυμίας εἶχε, ὦ λαὸς καὶ κλῆρος ἐμός, ὁ ἐμὸς μακαρίτης πατὴρ τοὺς ἀντιλαβομένους καὶ τῆς βα σιλείας ὑπερμαχήσαντας πολλῶν μὲν τιμῶν πολλῶν δὲ τούτους ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἑτέρων καταξιῶσαι γερῶν, καταχθεὶς δ' ὑπὸ τοῦ