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he began his defense concerning the embassy, and spoke as follows. "Nothing could so easily destroy both a democratic city and a monarchy as the absence of men who are intelligent and who deliberate on what is necessary. For if a city 2.449 is well-supplied with such citizens, or a monarchy with such rulers, even if by some chance they should fail, they would easily be able to restore their former fortune. But if they are once deprived of such men, there will be nothing to prevent them from very quickly arriving at the furthest point of misfortune. This is why I now especially lament the Roman dominion, because, although it was formerly well-supplied with many marvelous men, all-destroying time has now brought it to this point, that it has rulers of its affairs who are in no better condition than the masses. For that men, making an embassy on such important matters, and to me, who has already ruled them for a long time, and from whom, if it is not invidious to say, they considered it the greatest good fortune to enjoy even a kindly glance, should then, having neither investigated nor considered anything, write what occurred to them so thoughtlessly and brazenly, one might not so much accuse them of having done what was fitting for themselves, as lament that the formerly glorious and fortunate Roman dominion is, alas, led by such slaves. About them, therefore, I will say little, as they are worthy of doing such things and worse. But as for Apokaukos the parakoimomenos, one is moved to wonder not only at his wickedness and love of falsehood, but also his audacity and shamelessness, because, although he was about to be convicted most clearly of lying before so many, nevertheless, so as not to seem to have stirred up the war rashly and in vain, nor to be laboring to no purpose, he chose to exchange lifelong shame for short-lived glory. 2.450 And yet one ought not to consider his action very surprising. For a man whose whole life is villainy and perjury and deceit, and who would more easily breathe without air than without these things, it is no wonder if, after constantly lying to God, he chose to use falsehood towards men as well. But by me, who from the beginning have chosen the truth and to this day hold it in the highest regard, and who prefer what is true to all other human prosperity, the truth will be spoken, and this Synadenos will bear witness with me, who is privy to my words, being worthy of belief. For he has come from him; for while besieging the fortress of Empythion, he sent an embassy to me through this man, and said he wished to meet to discuss certain things, playing a part in this also maliciously and in a manner worthy of himself, as was clearly shown by his actions. And when I had agreed—for I thought he wished to discuss peace, which I especially desire, and I keep myself from meddling much in discussions about it, even if they are contrived for deceit—he said that he himself was not able to meet me when I was attired imperially; but that it was again more impossible for me to lay aside the imperial garb. To which he begged me to devise some plan. And I, as I said, because of my desire for peace, said, "But I could most easily solve the difficulty; for we will meet each other 2.451 armed, it being unknown whether we are wearing imperial or private clothes underneath." If, therefore, this is an agreement for one who has laid aside the imperial office to live as a private citizen, as he falsely asserts, you be the judge. But if it is otherwise than as I myself had said, let Synadenos, who is present, refute me. But he would not be able to. Therefore, against the so-called rulers, who would more justly be called slaves and servants, and the falsehood of the parakoimomenos, what has been said will be sufficient to expose their folly and baseness and his wickedness. But now I shall turn to my defense before the patriarch. But if by these words he himself is convicted of lying and perjury, and of being the cause of the bloodshed and murders and the myriad evils which have now held the wretched Romans for so long a time, evils of which he says in his letters that I became the cause by desiring the imperial office, let him not reckon the refutation and the shame from these words to me, but

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ἀπολογίαν καθίστατο τὴν περὶ τῆς πρεσβείας, καὶ εἶπε τοιάδε. «οὐδὲν οὕτω καὶ πόλιν δημοκρατουμένην καὶ βασιλείαν μάλιστ' ἂν ῥᾳδίως καταλύειν δύναιτο, ὡς ἀνδρῶν ἀπουσία συνετῶν καὶ τὰ δέοντα βουλευομένων. εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοιούτων ἢ πολιτῶν ἡ πό 2.449 λις, ἢ ἀρχόντων ἡ βασιλεία εὐποροίη, κἂν τύχῃ τινὶ σφαλῶσι, ῥᾳδίως δύναιντ' ἂν ἐπανασώζειν τὴν προτέραν τύχην. ἂν δ' ἅπαξ ἀποστερηθῶσι τῶν τοιούτων, οὐδὲν ἔσται κώλυμα, μὴ εἰς ἔσχατον κακοπραγίας τάχιστα ἀφῖχθαι. ὃ νῦν ἐγὼ τὴν Ῥωμαίων μάλιστα ὀδύρομαι ἡγεμονίαν, ὅτι πολλῶν καὶ θαυμασίων ἀνδρῶν πρότερον εὐποροῦσαν νῦν εἰς τοῦτο περιέστησεν ὁ πάντα καταλύων χρόνος, ὥστε ἡγεμόνας τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχειν μηδὲν ἄμεινον τῶν πολλῶν διακειμένους. τὸ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τηλικούτων πρεσβείαν ποιουμένους καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸν πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἄρξαντα αὐτῶν, καὶ οὗ, εἰ μὴ ἐπίφθονον εἰπεῖν, καὶ βλέμματος ἀπολαύειν προσηνοῦς ἐν μεγίστης ἦγον εὐτυχίας μέρει, ἔπειτα μηδὲν μήτε ἐρευνήσαντας, μήτε σκεψαμένους οὕτως ἀπερισκέπτως καὶ θρασέως τὰ ἐπελθόντα γράφειν, οὐκ ἐκείνων μάλιστ' ἄν τις κατηγορήσειε προσήκοντα εἰργασμένων ἑαυτοῖς, ἢ ὅσῳ τὴν περιφανῆ πρότερον καὶ εὐτυχῆ Ῥωμαίων θρηνήσειεν ἡγεμονίαν ὑπὸ τοιούτοις, φεῦ, ἀνδραπόδοις ἀγομένην. περὶ μὲν οὖν ἐκείνων ὀλίγος ἐμοὶ λόγος γένοιτ' ἂν, τοιαῦτα καὶ φαυλότερα πράττειν οὖσιν ἀξίοις. Ἀποκαύκου δὲ τοῦ παρακοιμωμένου οὐ τὴν μοχθηρίαν μόνον καὶ φιλοψευδὲς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἰταμότητα καὶ τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν ἔπεισι θαυμάζειν, ὅτι, καίτοι μέλλων ἐπὶ τοσούτων ἐλέγχεσθαι σαφέστατα ψευδόμενος, ὅμως ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ δοκεῖν εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην τὸν πόλεμον κεκινηκέναι, μηδ' ἀνήνυτα πονεῖν, εἵλετο τῆς ἐπ' ὀλίγον εὐδοξίας τὴν διὰ βίου αἰσχύνην ἀνταλ 2.450 λάττεσθαι. δέον μέντοι μηδὲ τὸ ἐκείνου πάνυ θαυμαστὸν ἡγεῖσθαι. ᾧ γὰρ ὁ βίος ὅλος πανουργία καὶ ἐπιορκία καὶ ἀπάτη, καὶ ῥᾷον ἂν ἀναπνεύσειε χωρὶς ἀέρος, ἢ τούτων, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν, εἰ θεὸν ψευδόμενος διηνεκῶς, εἵλετο καὶ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους τῷ ψεύδει χρῆσθαι. ἐμοὶ δ' ἐξαρχῆς τε ᾑρημένῳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ εἰς τόδε χρόνου περὶ πλείστου ποιουμένῳ καὶ πάσης ἄλλης ἀνθρωπίνης εὐημερίας προτιμῶντι τἀληθὲς εἰρήσεται, συμμαρτυρήσει δὲ καὶ Συναδηνὸς οὗτος, ὃς ἐμοὶ τοὺς λόγους σύνοιδεν, ἀξιόχρεως ὢν πρὸς πίστιν. παρ' ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀφῖκτο· τὸ γὰρ Ἐμπυθίου φρούριον πολιορκῶν πρεσβείαν τε πρός με διὰ τούτου ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ βούλεσθαι ἔλεγε συντυχεῖν περί τινων διαλεξόμενος, κακούργως καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἀξίως ἑαυτοῦ ὑποκρινόμενος, ὡς ἐδείκνυτο σαφῶς ἀπὸ τῶν πραττομένων. συνθεμένου δὲ ἐμοῦ, ᾠήθην γὰρ αὐτὸν περὶ εἰρήνης ἐθέλειν διαλέγεσθαι, ἧς ἐγὼ μάλιστα ἐπιθυμῶ, καὶ τῶν περὶ ἐκείνης λόγων, κἂν ὦσι πρὸς ἀπάτην συνεσκευασμένοι, ὀλίγα πολυπραγμονῶν ἐξέχομαι, μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτὸς ἔλεγε βασιλικῶς ἐσκευασμένῳ συντυγχάνειν· ἀδυνατώτερον δὲ εἶναι πάλιν, τὴν βασιλικὴν σκευὴν ἀποτίθεσθαι ἐμέ. πρὸς ἃ ἐπίνοιάν τινα ἐδεῖτο ἐξευρίσκειν. ἐγὼ δ', ὅπερ ἔφην, τῆς εἰρήνης τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἕνεκα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν, εἶπον, ῥᾷστα ἰασαίμην ἂν ἐγώ· ὡπλισμένοι γὰρ συμμίξομεν ἀλλή 2.451 λοις, ἀγνοούμενοι εἰ βασιλικὰς, ἢ ἰδιωτικὰς ἔνδον ἔχομεν ἐσθῆτας. εἰ οὖν τοῦτο συνθήκη τοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐστὶν ἀποθέμενον ἰδιωτικῶς ζῇν, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος καταψεύδεται, κρίνατε ὑμεῖς. εἰ δ' ἑτέρως, ἢ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς εἰρήκειν, ἔχει, ὁ Συναδηνὸς παρὼν ἐξελεγχέτω. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο. πρὸς μὲν οὖν τοὺς ὀνομαζομένους ἄρχοντας, οἳ δικαιότερον ἂν μᾶλλον ἀνδράποδα καὶ δοῦλοι καλοῖντο, καὶ τὴν παρακοιμωμένου ψευδολογίαν ἀρκέσει καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα, τήν τε ἄνοιαν ἐκείνων καὶ φαυλότητα καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου μοχθηρίαν ἀπελέγχειν. πρὸς δὲ τὴν πρὸς πατριάρχην ἀπολογίαν ἤδη τρέψομαι. ἂν δ' ὑπὸ τῶν λόγων ἀπελέγχηται ψευδόμενος καὶ ἐπιορκῶν αὐτὸς, καὶ τῶν αἱμάτων καὶ τῶν φόνων αἴτιος καὶ τῶν μυρίων κακῶν, ἃ τοὺς ταλαιπώρους Ῥωμαίους τοσοῦτον ἤδη κατέχει χρόνον, ὧν αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν αἴτιον ἐμὲ γεγενῆσθαι λέγει ἐπιθυμήσαντα τῆς βασιλείας, μὴ ἐμοὶ τὸν ἔλεγχον προσλογίζεσθαι καὶ τὴν αἰσχύνην τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ἀλλ'