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Denderis, seeing the shapes produced from this, came and foolishly reported what had been revealed." And with these words she calmed the emperor's anger, and she subjected Denderis to a fitting punishment, persuading him never to speak to anyone about the babies. Wherefore Theophilos, once teasing the empress, asked Denderis if 'manna' was again kissing the beautiful babies; but he, 2.106 placing his right hand on his lips, replied, "hush, hush about the babies, O emperor." And so these things happened thus. A certain soldier had youthful strength and a fine horse, and the general under whom he served, being seized with desire for the horse by which the man had often been saved from war, sought it, promising to give many things. But when he refused, he even brought force to bear. And when he failed to persuade him even so to give up the horse, he brought a charge of cowardice against him and had him brought before the emperor from the campaign he was on. A search was made by Theophilos for a high-bred horse, and decrees were sent everywhere that such a horse be found and sent to him. Seizing this as an opportunity, the general takes the man's horse even against his will, and sends it to the emperor as his own possession. And when there was need of more soldiers in the war, and the emperor had commanded that absolutely everyone able to bear arms should serve, the said soldier also went on campaign, and when a rout occurred, he fell, not having the horse that could save him. And he fell, leaving behind a wife and children; who, having heard of the emperor's love of justice, and being consumed by love for her husband, and being unable to provide necessities for her children, approaches the empress. And on the day Theophilos was accustomed to go to the divine church in Blachernae, seeing him riding her husband's horse, she ran at full speed and seized the horse's bridle, saying that this was her own, and that no one else but the 2.107 emperor himself was the cause of her husband's slaughter. So the emperor, being astounded, for the time being ordered her to wait until his return to the palace; and as soon as he returned, he immediately had her brought before him, and he inquired to learn more clearly about what was said. And the woman, taking up the story, informs the emperor of everything from beginning to end. So he immediately had the general brought before him, and he makes a vigorous inquiry about the horse, while the woman was for the time being hidden by imperial command. And when the general insisted that the horse was his own and not acquired by him through robbery, he immediately brings the woman out from behind the curtain, a most unerring proof and accuser regarding what had been said. Whom the general, upon seeing, was struck dumb and stood speechless for a long time; and so, scarcely coming to himself, he clasps the emperor's feet with weeping, and becomes a pitiable suppliant, confessing his sin. What then did the emperor do? He designates the woman with her children as equal siblings and heirs of that man's property, but he relieves him of his command and gives him to perpetual exile. Thus he was hateful towards acts of robbery and those wishing to grow rich from injustice.

The same emperor was also devoted to building projects, and showed the greatest care for the city walls, tearing down the lower parts and raising them up and making them impassable to the enemy; which also stand now, bearing his name in inscriptions. Moreover, having driven out prostitutes from certain 2.108 buildings, and having cleansed that whole area, he made a hospice bearing his name, and he constructed it to be most beautiful in beauty and very large, which is now a convent for women. Thus was his attitude towards prostitution. Except that they say that he, once captivated by the beauty of a handmaiden who was serving the empress, had intercourse with her, living carelessly at that time. And when he realized he had slipped, and knew also that Theodora had become entirely aware of the affair and was dejected, they say

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τικτομένας ἰδὼν ὁ ∆ένδερις ἐκ τούτου μορφὰς ἐλθὼν ἀπήγ γειλεν ἀφρόνως τὰ μηνυθέντα." καὶ τὸν μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως θυμὸν τοῖσδε κατεπράϋνε τοῖς λόγοις, τὸν ∆ένδεριν δὲ παιδείᾳ καθυπέβαλε πρεπούσῃ, πείσασα μή ποτε λέγειν περὶ τῶν νινίων τινί. διὸ τῆς δεσποίνης κατεπαιρόμενός ποτε ὁ Θεόφιλος ἠρώτα τὸν ∆ένδεριν εἰ πάλιν ἄρα τὰ καλὰ νινία ἡ μάννα ἠσπάζετο· ὁ δὲ 2.106 τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐπιθεὶς τὴν δεξιὰν "σίγα σίγα περὶ τῶν νινίων" ἀντέφησεν, "ὦ βασιλεῦ." καὶ ταῦτα μὲν συνεκύρησεν ὧδε. Στρατιώτου δέ τινος χεῖρά τε νεανικὴν καὶ ἵππον ἔχοντος δεξιόν, ὁ στρατηγὸς ὑφ' ὃν οὗτος ἐτέλει, ἔρωτι κατασχεθεὶς τοῦ ἵππου ὑφ' οὗ πολλάκις ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ πολέμου ἐρρύσθη, ἐζήτει τοῦτον, καθυπισχνούμενος δώσειν πολλά. ἀπαναινομένου δὲ ἐκείνου καὶ βίαν προσῆγε. μηδ' οὕτω δὲ πείθων ἀποδοθῆναί οἱ τὸν ἵππον, ἀνανδρίας ἔγκλημα προσάψας εἰς βασιλέα μετεκίνησε τοῦτον ἧς μετῄει στρατείας. ἐγένετο ζήτησις παρὰ Θεοφίλου περὶ ἵππου ἀκροφυοῦς, καὶ διατάγματα ἐπέμποντο πανταχοῦ τοιόνδε ἵππον εὑρεθῆναι καὶ πεμφθῆναι αὐτῷ. τοῦτο δραξάμε νος ἀφορμῆς ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀφαιρεῖται καὶ ἄκοντι τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἵππον, καὶ πρὸς βασιλέα ὡς οἰκεῖον ἐκπέμπει κτῆμα. χρείας δὲ γενομένης ἐν πολέμῳ πλειόνων στρατιωτῶν, καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως κε λεύσαντος ἁπαξαπλῶς πάντα στρατεύεσθαι τὸν ὅπλα κινεῖν δυνά μενον, ἐστρατεύσατο καὶ ὁ ῥηθεὶς στρατιώτης, τροπῆς δὲ γενο μένης ἔπεσε μὴ ἔχων ἵππον τὸν σῶσαι δυνάμενον αὐτόν. ἔπεσε δὲ γυναῖκα καταλελοιπὼς καὶ τέκνα· ἥτις τὸ φιλοδίκαιον τοῦ βασι λέως ἀκούσασα, ἐκκαιομένη δὲ καὶ τῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φίλτρῳ, καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ἐπιχορηγεῖν ἀτονοῦσα τὰ ἀναγκαῖα, τὴν βασιλίδα καταλαμβάνει. καὶ τὸν Θεόφιλον καθ' ἣν ἡμέραν εἴθιστο ἀπιέναι πρὸς τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις θεῖον ναόν, ἔποχον τῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἵππῳ κατιδοῦσα δρόμῳ πολλῷ τὸν χαλινὸν κατέχει τοῦ ἵππου, οἰκεῖον εἶναι τοῦτον λέγουσα, καὶ μὴ ἄλλον τινὰ αἴτιον ἀλλ' αὐ 2.107 τὸν ὑπάρχειν τὸν βασιλέα τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς σφαγῆς. ἐκπλα γεὶς οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς τέως μὲν αὐτὴν προσμένειν διωρίσατο ἄχρι τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ἀνάκτορα ἐπανόδου αὐτοῦ, ἤδη δὲ ἐπαναδραμὼν εὐ θέως αὐτὴν παρεστήσατο, καὶ διεπυνθάνετο σαφέστερόν τι περὶ τῶν λεγομένων μαθεῖν. ἀναλαβοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ τὰ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἄχρι τέλους ἀναδιδάσκει τὸν βασιλέα. παρεστήσατο γοῦν εὐθέως τὸν στρατηγόν, καὶ ζήτησιν ποιεῖται περὶ τοῦ ἵππου νεανικήν, τῆς γυναικὸς τέως προστάξει βασιλικῇ κρυπτομένης. ἐνισταμένου δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ οἰκεῖον εἶναι τὸν ἵππον καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς κτη θέντα αὐτῷ, ἐξάγει παραχρῆμα τοῦ παραπετάσματος τὴν γυναῖκα, ἔλεγχον ἀψευδέστατον καὶ κατήγορον τῶν λεγομένων. ἣν ὁ στρα τηγὸς θεασάμενος ἀπεπάγη καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἵστατο ἐνεός· μόλις δ' οὖν εἰς ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος τῶν ποδῶν ἅπτεται τοῦ βασι λέως μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ, καὶ ἱκέτης ἐλεεινὸς γίνεται, τὴν ἁμαρτάδα ἐξαγορεύσας. τί οὖν ὁ βασιλεύς; τὴν μὲν γυναῖκα μετὰ τῶν παίδων ἀδελφοὺς ἐξ ἴσου καὶ κληρονόμους τῆς ἐκείνου δείκνυσιν ὑποστάσεως, αὐτὸν δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς παραλύει καὶ ὑπερορίᾳ διηνεκεῖ δίδωσιν. οὕτω φιλαπεχθήμων ἦν πρὸς τὰς ἁρπαγὰς καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἀδικίας πλουτεῖν ἐθέλοντας.

Ἐνέκειτο δὲ καὶ ταῖς οἰκοδομαῖς ὁ αὐτὸς βασιλεύς, καὶ τῶν τειχῶν τῆς πόλεως μεγίστην ἐνεδείξατο ἐπιμέλειαν, τὰ χθαμα λώτερα καταστρέψας καὶ ἀνυψώσας καὶ ἄβατα πεποιηκὼς τοῖς ἐχθροῖς· ἃ καὶ νῦν ἵστανται, τὴν ἐκείνου προσηγορίαν ἐν γράμ μασιν ἔχοντα. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ πόρνας ἀπελάσας ἐξ οἰκημάτων 2.108 τινῶν, καὶ καθάρας ὅλον ἐκεῖνον τὸν χῶρον ξενῶνα πεποίηκε τὴν ἐκείνου προσηγορίαν φέροντα, κάλλει τε κάλλιστον καὶ μέγιστον κατεσκεύασεν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄρτι γυναικεῖον μοναστήριον. οὕτως ἐκεῖνος εἶχε πρὸς τὴν πορνείαν. πλὴν ὅτι γέ φασιν αὐτὸν κάλλει ποτὲ θεραπαινίδος ἁλόντα, ὑπηρετούσης τῇ βασιλίδι, συμφθα ρῆναι αὐτῇ, ῥᾳθύμως τότε βιοῦντα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ᾔσθετο ὠλισθηκώς, ἔγνω δὲ καὶ τὴν Θεοδώραν ὅλην γενομένην τοῦ πάθους καὶ κατη φιῶσαν, φασὶν