333

it is necessary for me, the successor to the kingdom, whom he left a debtor, lest I seem ungrateful to my benefactors. Therefore let each one, separating himself from the crowd, show himself openly to us, so that, knowing our friends, we may reward you worthily." Deceived by these words, the wretched men, and their minds led astray, each of those who had cooperated in the murder of Leo exposed himself.

Immediately, therefore, Theophilos, having the prey within his net, commands the eparch to use the civil laws, speaking thus: "Come now, O eparch, having received the power to judge from God and from our Serenity, render to these men the rewards worthy of their deeds, not because they stained their hands with human blood, but because they also slew the Lord's anointed within the sanctuary." Having uttered these things, he dissolved that wonder 2.101 ful and first assembly, and those wretched men, having been arrested by the eparch, were subjected to the penalties for murderers. And Theophilos, having driven his own stepmother from the palace, forced her to go into the monastery in which she had first put off her worldly hair, the oaths which the senate had made to Michael having been of no avail. And these things Theophilos did at the beginning, but the things that followed were not unworthy of praise; for, laying claim to justice, he was fearsome to all the wicked but admirable to the good; to the former because he seemed a hater of evil and just, to the latter because he was grave and austere. But he was by no means pure of all evils. For he held to his faith in God, but he held more to the abominable, ancestral heresy of the iconoclasts, and he afflicted the pious and all-holy people, not allowing them to be at peace for the entire time of his reign. Whence he was never successful even in wars, but was always defeated and did not return as a king should. Holding, therefore, to justice and to faith and zeal toward Christ and his mother, as he thought, he would go forth each week on horseback along the main road to the divine church of the Theotokos in Blachernae, escorted by his bodyguards. And he went forth making himself available to all, but especially to those who had been wronged, so that they might recount their own grievances and not be prevented by any of the unjust who were suspicious of punishment from him, 2.102 and then, passing through the market, that he might be an observer of the wares. He would therefore ask about each of the things being sold, for how much it was sold, as he was in the market. And he asked not in passing, nor about one kind of thing, but about foods and drinks and garments suitable for warmth and simply all things set out in the market. And through all things he showed much zeal and care for the common good, now in the law courts, now, as has been said, during his weekly processions. And once, for the sake of recreation, leaning out from the walls of the palace toward the sea, he saw a certain cargo ship sailing with a fair wind, its sails indeed unfurled, unsurpassed in size and of incomparable beauty; seeing which, he fell into amazement. He asked, however, whose the merchant ship was and what cargo it was carrying. But when he learned it was the Augusta's, he kept quiet for the time being and let the time pass until the day on which he was accustomed to go to the divine church in Blachernae. When the appointed day was at hand and the ship's anchorage had been made known to the emperor, who had learned of it from someone, he took the road leading to it, and drawing near he stood by the stern, and he asked those present many times what need anyone had of the cargo, perhaps of grain or wine or some other kind of thing. When, after being asked many times, they answered at once and with difficulty that those provided for by your lordship and majesty were in need of nothing, "But do you not know," said the emperor, "that me, who was made emperor by God, my Augusta 2.103 and wife has made a ship-owner?" And he added with bitterness this also: "Who ever a king of the Romans or

333

χρεὼν ἐμὲ τὸν τῆς βασιλείας διάδοχον, ἵνα μὴ ἀχάριστος δόξῃ τοῖς εὐεργέταις, ὀφειλέτην κατέλιπε. διὸ ἕκαστος χωρισθεὶς τοῦ πλήθους δεικνύτω ἑαυτὸν ἡμῖν ἐμφανῆ, ἵνα γνόντες τοὺς φίλους ἀξίως ὑμᾶς ἀμειψαίμεθα." τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις παρακλαπέντες οἱ δείλαιοι καὶ συλαγωγηθέντες τὸν νοῦν, ἕκαστος τῶν ὅσοι τῷ φόνῳ συνήργησαν τοῦ Λέοντος ἑαυτὸν παρεγύμνου.

Εὐθὺς οὖν ὁ Θεόφιλος, ἐντὸς σαγήνης ἔχων τὴν θήραν, ἐγκελεύεται τῷ ἐπάρχῳ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς χρήσασθαι νόμοις, οὕτως εἰπών "ἄγε δή, ὦ ἔπαρχε, ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἡμῶν γαληνότητος τὸ κρίνειν λαβών, τούτοις ἀξίας τῶν ἔργων ἀπόδος τὰς ἀμοιβάς, οὐχ ὅτι τὰς χεῖρας ἐμίαναν αἵματι ἀνθρωπίνῳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ χριστὸν κυρίου ἀνεῖλον ἔνδον θυσιαστηρίου." ταῦτα φθεγξάμενος διέλυσε τὸν θαυμα 2.101 στὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ πρῶτον σύλλογον, οἱ δ' ἄθλιοι ἐκεῖνοι συλλη φθέντες παρὰ τοῦ ἐπάρχου ποιναῖς καθυπεβλήθησαν ἀνδροφόνων. ὁ δὲ Θεόφιλος καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ μητρυιὰν ἀπελάσας τῶν βασιλείων εἰς τὸ μοναστήριον ἠνάγκασεν ἀπελθεῖν, ἐν ᾧ τὸ πρῶτον τὴν κοσμικὴν ἀπέθετο τρίχα, μηδὲν ὠφελησάντων τῶν ὅρκων οὓς ἡ σύγκλητος πρὸς τὸν Μιχαὴλ ἐποιήσατο. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν προοιμίῳ τῷ Θεοφίλῳ, τὰ δ' ἑξῆς οὐκ ἐπαίνων ἀνάξια· ἀντιποιούμενος γὰρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἅπασιν ἦν τοῖς πονηροῖς φοβερὸς τοῖς δὲ ἀγαθοῖς θαυμαστός, τοῖς μὲν ὅτι μισοπόνηρός τε καὶ δίκαιος ἐδόκει, τοῖς δ' ὅτι ἐμβριθής τε καὶ αὐστηρός. οὐκ ἦν δὲ πάντως αὐτὸν πάντων τῶν κακῶν καθα ρεύειν. εἴχετο μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἐπὶ θεὸν πίστεως, εἴχετο δὲ πλέον τῆς πατροπαραδότου μιαρᾶς τῶν εἰκονομάχων αἱρέσεως, καὶ τὸν εὐσεβῆ καὶ πανάγιον ἐκάκου λαόν, παρὰ πάντα τὸν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ χρόνον ἠρεμῆσαι μὴ συγχωρήσας. ὅθεν οὐδ' ἐν πολέμοις εὐτύχησέ ποτε, ἀεὶ δὲ ἥττητο καὶ οὐ κατὰ βασιλέα ὑπέστρεφεν. ἐχόμενος δ' οὖν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῆς πρὸς Χριστὸν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ μητέρα, ὡς ᾤετο, πίστεως καὶ προθυμίας, ἀπῄει ἑκάστης ἑβδομάδος ἔφιππος διὰ τῆς λεωφόρου ἐπὶ τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις τῆς θεομήτορος θεῖον ναόν, ὑπὸ τῶν δορυφόρων παραπεμπόμενος. ἀπῄει δὲ πᾶσι μέν, προηγουμένως δὲ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις διδοὺς ἑαυτόν, ὡς ἂν ἔχοιεν τὰ αὐτῶν ἐκτραγῳδεῖν ἀδικήματα καὶ μὴ παρά τινων κωλύοιντο ἀδίκων ὑφορωμένων τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τιμωρίαν, 2.102 εἶθ' ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν διερχόμενος θεατὴς γένοιτο τῶν ὠνίων. ἠρώτα οὖν περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν πιπρασκομένων, πόσου πωλεῖται, γινόμενος κατὰ τὴν ἀγοράν. ἠρώτα δὲ οὐ παρέργως, οὐδ' ἐν ἑνὶ εἴδει, ἀλλ' ἐπί τε τοῖς βρωτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ποτοῖς καὶ τοῖς εἰς θάλψιν ἐπιτηδείοις ἀμφιάσμασι καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν προκειμένοις. καὶ διὰ πάντων πολλὴν ἐπεδεί κνυτο σπουδὴν καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν πρὸς τὰ κοινά, νῦν μὲν ἐν κριτη ρίοις, νῦν δέ, ὡς εἴρηται, κατὰ τὰς προόδους τῆς ἑβδομάδος. καί ποτε δὲ καὶ ψυχαγωγίας χάριν προκύπτων ἀπὸ τῶν πρὸς θά λασσαν τοῦ παλατίου τειχῶν ἐθεάσατο ναῦν τινὰ μυριοφόρον ἐξ οὐρίας πλέουσαν ἀναπεπταμένοις δὴ τοῖς ἱστίοις, μεγέθει τε ἀνυπέρβλητον καὶ ἀπαράμιλλον κάλλει· ἣν θεασάμενος εἰς θάμ βος ἐνέπιπτεν. ἠρώτα δ' ὅμως τίνος τε ἡ ὁλκὰς εἴη καὶ ὅ τι φέρει τῶν ἀγωγίμων. ὡς δὲ τῆς Αὐγούστης εἶναι ἐμάνθανε, τότε μὲν ἐφησύχασε καὶ παρέπεμψε τὸν καιρὸν ἄχρι καὶ ἧς εἴωθεν ἡμέρας ἀπιέναι πρὸς τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις θεῖον ναόν. ὡς δ' ἤδη παρῆν ἡ κυρία καὶ ὁ τοῦ πλοίου ὅρμος δῆλος ἐγεγόνει τῷ βασιλεῖ πυθομένῳ παρά τινος, τῆς εἰς αὐτὸ φερούσης ὁδοῦ εἴχετο, καὶ πλησιάσας ἔστη παρὰ τὴν πρύμναν, καὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἠρώτα πολλάκις ὅτου τις ἔχει χρείαν τῶν ἀγωγίμων, σίτου τυχὸν ἢ οἴνου ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς εἴδους. ὡς δὲ πολλάκις ἐρωτηθέντες ἅπαξ ἀπεκρί θησαν καὶ μόλις μηδενὸς λείπεσθαι τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς προμηθου μένους δεσποτείας καὶ βασιλείας, "ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴστε δὴ" ἔφη ὁ βα σιλεύς "ὅτι με ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλέα γεγενημένον ἡ Αὐγοῦστά μου 2.103 καὶ σύμβιος ναύκληρον ἀπειργάσατο;" προσέθετο δὲ μετὰ πικρίας καὶ τοῦτο "τίς ποτε βασιλέα Ῥωμαίων ἢ