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envy, however, is at rest. but if they should make any such accusation, from which she herself might perceive the falsehood from what was said, she should send them away in anger and hate the slanderers. But if it touches her soul and creates doubt, lest the accusations might be true, she should not condemn me immediately, nor proceed to punish me, but should summon me to trial and provide time for a defense. And if I am convicted of injustice and perjury, I should pay the penalty, but if I am acquitted of the charges, the accusers should be considered for what 2.455 they are, slanderers. The empress, therefore, was not persuaded by these words, nor did she say that there would be a need for trials and convictions against me, but she offered me authority without accountability. But when I did not let up, but insisted on the promise concerning a trial, she was persuaded under compulsion, and we exchanged oaths with each other in the presence of the patriarch, that she would never issue any decision against me, persuaded by slanderers, but would summon me to trial and hold inquiries into the wrongdoings; and I, that I would never act ungratefully towards her, nor plot against her and her children for the throne, but would do everything whatsoever for their sake and for the common benefit of the Romans. But even with these arrangements made, still fearing female weakness, lest she might not be able to display such magnanimity and abundance of reasoning, but, led astray by deceitful and meddlesome words and slanders, the empress might rush into war against me, I took the patriarch alone, and having reminded him of the many benefactions that had been begun by me, I then begged him to uphold my rights and advise the empress, since he was going to be with her all the time, residing in Byzantium, not to be persuaded by slanderers, nor to condemn me before a trial, as the benefit from this would not pass to me alone, but to all Romans in common; for all of whom it was right for him 2.456 to provide, having been ordained by God as their shepherd and guardian and teacher. And he immediately rose and swore that no less than a father would provide for a legitimate child, he would so uphold my rights, as if he himself were present, and that the slanderers, if any should appear, he would most certainly refute as liars, and with all his strength would keep me safe from the harm that comes from them. But if not, at least he would absolutely safeguard this for me: that I not be condemned before a trial. And when it was necessary to discuss the same things twice and three times, he swore the same oath that many times, an oath befitting not only priests, but also private citizens. This admirable guardian, therefore, and protector of justice, before ten days had passed after my departure from Byzantium, being persuaded by the slandering *parakoimomenos* that I wanted to depose him from the throne and bring in Palamas instead, he himself stirred up the civil war, knowing most clearly that he was being slandered. And taking vengeance on me for my ingratitude toward him, as he thought, he also deceived the empress, who could not have suffered this from any other, and he stirred up the war, alas, he who provides peace to others and is a disciple of the peaceful and meek one, showing no reverence for the oaths which he had sworn yesterday and the day before, nor coming to any thought of the disaster of the Romans, which they were about to experience because of the war, but looking to one thing only, how he might destroy me who had done no wrong. And not even now has he had his fill of plots 2.457 and slanders, but even after such great shedding of blood and the captivity of the unfortunate Romans and the plundering and the looting and the common utter destruction, so to speak, he was not bent toward mercy, nor did he take any pity on the unfortunate, but all things were more bearable to him than peace with me. But perhaps he will say, as indeed I learn he does say, wishing to provoke the empress more to war, that as long as he saw me using right and just reasonings and counseling what was advantageous for the emperor's children, he himself was also well-disposed and abided by his oaths. But since I turned aside from my duties and chose to do wrong, he, doing what is just, takes vengeance on behalf of the emperor's children. And what of these is the

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γε ὁ φθόνος ἠρεμεῖν. ἀλλ' εἰ μέν τι τοιοῦτον κατηγοροῖεν, ὁποῖον ἂν καὶ αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων τὸ ψεῦδος συνιδεῖν, ἀποπέμπεσθαι πρὸς ὀργὴν καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς συκοφάντας. ἂν δ' ἐφάπτηται τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἀμφιβολίαν ἐμποιῇ, μὴ ἄρα ἀληθῆ τὰ κατηγορημένα εἴη, μὴ καταψηφίζεσθαι αὐτίκα, μηδὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀμύνεσθαι χωρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν δίκην καὶ καιρὸν παρέχειν πρὸς ἀπολογίαν. κἂν μὲν ἀδικῶν καὶ ἐπιορκῶν ἐλέγχωμαι, διδόναι δίκας, ἂν δ' ἀπολύωμαι τὰ ἐγκλήματα, τοὺς κατηγόρους τοῦθ' 2.455 ὅπερ εἰσὶν ἡγεῖσθαι, συκοφάντας. ἡ βασιλὶς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τοὺς λόγους οὐκ ἐπείθετο, οὐδὲ δικῶν ἔφασκε καὶ ἐλέγχων πρὸς ἐμὲ δεήσεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀνυπεύθυνον παρείχετο τὴν ἀρχήν. ἐμοῦ δὲ οὐκ ἀνιέντος, ἀλλὰ βιαζομένου τὴν περὶ τῆς δίκης ἐπαγγελίαν, ἐπείθετο ἀναγκασθεῖσα, καὶ ὅρκους ἀλλήλοις παρειχόμεθα ἐπὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου, τὴν μὲν μηδεμίαν κατ' ἐμοῦ ἀπόφασιν ἐξενεγκεῖν ποτε, πεισθεῖσαν συκοφάνταις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν δίκην καλεῖν καὶ ἐλέγχους ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἀδικημάτων· ἐμὲ δὲ μηδέποτε περὶ αὐτὴν ἀγνωμονήσειν, μηδ' ἐπιβουλεύσειν αὐτῇ καὶ τοῖς παισὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ὑπέρ τε αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς κοινῇ Ῥωμαίων ὠφελείας πράττειν. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τούτων οὕτω κατεσκευασμένων, ἔτι τὴν γυναικείαν δεδιὼς ἀσθένειαν, μὴ οὐχ οἵατε ᾖ οὕτω μεγαλοφροσύνην καὶ λογισμῶν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι περιουσίαν, ἀλλ' ἀπατηλοῖς καὶ περιέργοις λόγοις καὶ συκοφαντίαις παραχθεῖσα πρὸς τὸν κατ' ἐμοῦ πόλεμον ὁρμηθῇ ἡ βασιλὶς, τὸν πατριάρχην μόνον παραλαβὼν καὶ πολλῶν ὑπομνήσας εὐεργετημάτων ὑπηργμένων παρ' ἐμοῦ, ἔπειτα ἐδεόμην τῶν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ δικαίων ἔχεσθαι καὶ βασιλίδι παραινεῖν, ἐπεὶ συνεῖναι τὸν πάντα χρόνον μέλλει Βυζαντίῳ ἐνδιατρίβων, μὴ πείθεσθαι τοῖς συκοφάνταις, μηδὲ πρὸ δίκης ἐμοῦ καταψηφίζεσθαι, ὡς τῆς ἐκ τούτου ὠφελείας οὐκ εἰς μόνον ἐμὲ διαβαινούσης, ἀλλ' εἰς ἅπαντας κοινῇ Ῥωμαίους· ὧν δίκαιον αὐ 2.456 τὸν ἁπάντων προνοεῖν, ποιμένα καὶ κηδεμόνα καὶ διδάσκαλον ὑπὸ θεοῦ κεχειροτονημένον. ὁ δ' αὐτίκα ὤμνυεν ἀναστὰς, ὡς οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ πατὴρ παιδὸς προνοήσειε γνησίου καὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ δικαίων οὕτως ἀνθέξεται, ὡσπερανεὶ αὐτὸς παρῆν, καὶ τοὺς συκοφάντας, εἴ τινες ὀφθεῖεν, μάλιστα μὲν ἀπελέγξειν ψευδομένους, καὶ παντὶ σθένει τῆς ἐκ τούτων βλάβης ἀπείρατον διατηρήσειν. εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε πάντως ἐμοὶ φυλάξειν τὸ μὴ πρὸ δίκης καταψηφισθῆναι. δεῆσαν δὲ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαλεχθῆναι, τοσαυτάκις ὤμνυε τὰ ἴσα οὐχ ἱερεῦσι μόνον πρέποντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδιώταις ὅρκον. ὁ οὖν θαυμαστὸς οὗτος κηδεμὼν καὶ τοῦ δικαίου φύλαξ, πρὶν δέκα ἐξήκειν ἡμέρας μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀναχώρησιν, τῷ παρακοιμωμένῳ πεισθεὶς συκοφαντήσαντι, ὅτι βούλομαι κατάγειν αὐτὸν τοῦ θρόνου καὶ ἀντεισάγειν Παλαμᾶν, ἐκίνει τὸν ἐμφύλιον πόλεμον αὐτὸς, σαφέστατα εἰδὼς, ὡς συκοφαντεῖ. ἀμυνόμενος δὲ ἐμὲ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν, ὡς ᾤετο, ἀγνωμοσύνης, καὶ βασιλίδα ἐξηπάτα ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου δυναμένην τοῦτο πάσχειν, καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐκίνει, φεῦ, ὁ τὴν εἰρήνην τοῖς ἄλλοις παρέχων καὶ τοῦ εἰρηνικοῦ καὶ πρᾴου μαθητὴς, μήτε ὅρκους αἰδεσθεὶς, οὓς χθὲς καὶ πρώην ὀμωμόκει, μήτε τῆς Ῥωμαίων συμφορᾶς, ἧς ἔμελλον διὰ τὸν πόλεμον πειράσεσθαι, εἰς ἔννοιαν ἐλθὼν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἓν μόνον βλέπων, ὅπως ἐμὲ ἀνέλῃ τὸν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα. καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι νῦν κόρον ἔσχηκε τῶν ἐπι 2.457 βουλῶν καὶ συκοφαντιῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην τῶν αἱμάτων χύσιν καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῶν δυστυχῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ τὰς διαρπαγὰς καὶ τὰς λεηλασίας καὶ τὴν κοινὴν πανωλεθρίαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, οὐ πρὸς ἔλεον κατεκάμφθη, οὐδὲ οἶκτον ἔλαβέ τινα τῶν ἀτυχούντων, ἀλλὰ πάντα μᾶλλον φορητότερα αὐτῷ, ἢ ἡ πρὸς ἐμὲ εἰρήνη. ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ, ὥσπερ δῆτα πυνθάνομαι καὶ λέγειν, βουλόμενος βασιλίδα μᾶλλον ἐρεθίζειν πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ὡς, ἕως μὲν ὀρθοῖς ἑώρα καὶ δικαίοις ἐμὲ χρώμενον λογισμοῖς καὶ τὰ συνοίσοντα τοῖς βασιλέως βουλευόμενον παισὶν, εὔνους ἦν καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἐνέμενε τοῖς ὅρκοις. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐξετράπην τῶν δεόντων καὶ εἱλόμην ἀδικεῖν, δίκαια ποιῶν αὐτὸς ἀμύνεται ὑπὲρ τῶν βασιλέως παίδων. καὶ τίς τούτων ἡ