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of a flowing river. When he heard that the country was called Lalakaon, the place Ptoson, and the river Gyris, he at once became a bad omen to himself and was divinely inspired that the names signified both a misfortune and a fall for his people, and that it was necessary for us to be routed by the Romans. But nevertheless, he says one must not hesitate, but must be roused, and he said to those present that one must act like a man in the war that would take place tomorrow. And when day was just beginning to shine, since he realized he was shut in on all sides and that the exit was unassailable, he judged it advantageous to proceed towards that part where he saw Petronas on guard. And so with a clash and a shout they charged the enemy. But when he realized he was attempting the impossible, having drawn back a little, he again charged forcefully with his power, contriving an escape for himself. But failing again, and having attempted this method three times, he fell into despair. When he saw the Romans appearing and leaping out from all sides, both from the south and from the northern parts, and understood that his situation was inescapable, then, despairing of his safety, he fell upon those opposite him all at once with a fierce assault. There, having been struck a fatal blow, he himself falls, and not one of his men is saved. When his son, who had been sent out for plunder with a part 2.165 of the army, learned of the defeat, he immediately fled toward Melitene. But the kleisourarch of Charsianon pursued and captured him with his troops and gives him to the general Petronas. And Petronas, having set up such a trophy over Amer, reached the capital, bringing with him also the monk who had prophesied the victory for him, extolling his virtue, and praising and magnifying him to the emperor and Bardas his own brother. He is accordingly honored as domestic of the scholae, but a short time later he also died. And before him Manuel had also died, having been overcome by some disease. But Bardas, being left alone, plundered everything, and continually changed his honors from the emperor, and he rose to the glory and honor of Caesar, while Michael cared for none of the political affairs other than the theaters and the horse races. And what was worst, he was not content to be merely a spectator, but also to be a charioteer himself and to be set before all as a plaything and a laughingstock. And while he was engaged in these things, Bardas managed political affairs and aimed at the imperial power, intending to seize it at an opportune moment. He also took care of secular learning (for it had for a long time been in decline and had come to absolutely nothing due to the boorishness and ignorance of the rulers) having set apart schools for each of the sciences, for the others wherever it happened, but for philosophy, which presides over all, in the palace itself in the Magnaura; and thus from that time 2.166 the sciences began to flourish again. This deed, being most excellent and renowned, was not able to wash away the other stains that were on Bardas. Now the teacher of philosophy was that great man and philosopher Leo, who was the nephew of John the patriarch, who had also obtained the throne of Thessalonica, but when the iconoclasts were recently deposed, he was also deposed with them, and being at leisure he was promoted to this school. He had previously become known to the emperor Theophilos in the following way. For having mastered all the sciences as no other man had mastered even one, dwelling in a humble lodging, he initiated those who wished into whichever one each desired. As time went on and many were making progress in the sciences, it happened that a certain young man who had reached the pinnacle of the science of geometry became the secretary of a certain general. When this man went on some campaign, he followed him, and when a rout occurred, he is captured alive and is given in slavery to one of the nobles. Now at this time the ruler of the Ishmaelites, Mamoun, was occupied with other Greek studies and was especially attached to geometry. And when the conversation was once raised by the master who had the young man concerning the amermoumnes' zeal for studies and

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παραρρέοντος ποταμοῦ. ὡς δὲ τὴν μὲν χώραν Λαλακαίωνα ἤκουσε λέγεσθαι, τὸν δὲ τόπον Πτώσοντα καὶ Γύρην τὸν ποταμόν, εὐθὺς κακὸς οἰωνὸς ἑαυτῷ γενόμενος ἐξε φοίβασε λαοῦ τε κάκωσιν σημαίνειν καὶ πτῶσιν τὰ ὀνόματα, καὶ ὡς ἀνάγκη γυρισθῆναι ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων. ἀλλ' ὅμως μὴ ἀποκνητέον φησίν, ἀλλὰ διεγερτέον καὶ πρὸς τὸν αὔριον γενησό μενον πόλεμον ἀνδριστέον ἔφη πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας. ἡμέρας δὲ ἄρτι διαλαμπούσης, ἐπεὶ πάντοθεν συγκεκλεῖσθαι ἔγνω καὶ ἀνεπι χείρητος ἦν ἡ ἔξοδος, συμφέρον ἔκρινε κατ' ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος χωρεῖν ὅπου τὸν Πετρωνᾶν εἶδε φυλάττοντα. καὶ δὴ κρότῳ καὶ βοῇ τοῖς πολεμίοις προσέρραξαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνηνύτοις ἔγνω ἐπιχειρῶν, μι κρὸν συσταλεὶς αὖθις σὺν ῥύμῃ ἐπεβάρει μετὰ δυνάμεως, ἀπό δρασιν ἑαυτῷ μηχανώμενος. πάλιν δὲ ἀποτυχὼν καὶ τρὶς τοῦτον ἐπιχειρήσας τὸν τρόπον εἰς ἀμηχανίαν ἐνέπιπτεν. ὡς δὲ πάντοθεν ἀναφανέντας καὶ ἐκπηδῶντας εἶδε τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἔκ τε μεσημ βρίας καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἄρκτον μερῶν, καὶ ἄφυκτα κατενόησε τὰ περὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι, τότε δὴ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἀπογνοὺς ἐμπίπτει τοῖς κατὰ μέτωπον ἀθρόως μετὰ σφοδρᾶς προσβολῆς. ἔνθα καιρίαν πλη γεὶς αὐτός τε πίπτει, καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ διασώζεται οὐδὲ εἷς. πυθό μενος δὲ τὴν ἧτταν ὁ τούτου υἱός, εἰς προνομὰς μετὰ μέρους 2.165 ἀποσταλεὶς τοῦ στρατοῦ, εὐθὺς πρὸς Μελιτηνὴν ἀπεδίδρασκεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον ὁ τοῦ Χαρσιανοῦ καταδιώξας κλεισουράρχης χει ροῦται μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ δίδωσι Πετρωνᾷ. ὁ δὲ Πετρωνᾶς τοιοῦτον κατὰ τοῦ Ἄμερ στήσας τρόπαιον τὴν βασιλίδα καταλαμβάνει, ἐπαγόμενος καὶ τὸν τὴν νίκην αὐτῷ προθε σπίσαντα μοναχόν, τήν τε ἀρετὴν ἐκθειάζων αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ Βάρδαν τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀδελφὸν ἐξυμνῶν τοῦτον καὶ με γαλύνων. τιμᾶται γοῦν δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν, μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ ἀπεβίω. ἐτελεύτησε δὲ πρὸ τούτου καὶ ὁ Μανουήλ, νόσῳ δή τινι κρατηθείς. Μονωθεὶς δὲ ὁ Βάρδας ἦγε καὶ ἔφερε πάντα, καὶ τὰς ἐκ βασιλέως ἤμειβε συνεχῶς τιμάς, ἀνῄει δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν Καίσαρος δόξαν τε καὶ τιμήν, τοῦ Μιχαὴλ μηδενὸς ἑτέρου φροντίζοντος τῶν πολιτικῶν ἀλλ' ἢ θεάτρων καὶ ἵππων ἁμίλλης. καὶ τὸ δὴ χείριστον, οὐκ ἠγάπα θεατὴς εἶναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡνιο χεῖν καὶ παίγνιον τοῖς πᾶσι προκεῖσθαι καὶ γέλως. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἦν, ὁ Βάρδας δὲ διεῖπε τὰ πολιτικὰ καὶ τῆς βασιλείας κατεστοχάζετο ὡς αὐτὴν εὐκαίρως παραληψόμενος. ἐπεμελήθη δὲ καὶ τῆς ἔξω σοφίας (ἦν γὰρ ἐκ πολλοῦ χρόνου παραρρυεῖσα καὶ πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν ὅλως χωρήσασα τῇ τῶν κρατούντων ἀγροικίᾳ καὶ ἀμαθίᾳ) διατριβὰς ἑκάστῃ τῶν ἐπιστημῶν ἀφορίσας, τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ὅπῃ περ ἔτυχε, τῆς δ' ἐπὶ πασῶν ἐπόχου φιλοσοφίας κατ' αὐτὰ τὰ βασίλεια ἐν τῇ Μαγναύρᾳ· καὶ οὕτως ἐξ ἐκείνου 2.166 ἀνηβάσκειν αἱ ἐπιστῆμαι ἤρξαντο. τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον κάλλιστον καὶ περιβόητον ὂν οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἀποπλῦναι τὰς ἐνοῦσας ἄλλας τῷ Βάρδᾳ κηλῖδας. τῆς μὲν οὖν φιλοσοφίας ἐξηγεῖτο Λέων ἐκεῖνος ὁ μέγας τε καὶ φιλόσοφος, ἀνεψιὸς ὢν Ἰαννῆ τοῦ πατριάρχου, ὃς καὶ τὸν θρόνον ἔλαχε τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης, ἄρτι δὲ τῶν εἰκονο μάχων καθαιρεθέντων συγκαθῃρέθη καὶ αὐτός, καὶ σχολάζων εἰς ταύτην προεβιβάζετο τὴν σχολήν. ἐγένετο δὲ πρότερον γνώριμος Θεοφίλῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον. πάσας γὰρ κατορθώσας τὰς ἐπιστήμας ὡς οὐδὲ μίαν ἕτερος, ἐν εὐτελεῖ τινὶ καταλύματι διάγων τοὺς βουλομένους ἐμυσταγώγει ὁποίαν ἕκαστος βούλοιτο. ὡς δ' ἤδη χρόνος παρετείνετο καὶ πολλοὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐπιστήμας προέκοπτον, συνέβη τινὰ νεανίαν τῆς γεωμετρικῆς ἐπιστήμης εἰς ἄκρον ἐληλακότα ὑπογραφέα γενέσθαι τινὸς στρατηγοῦ. οὗ γενο μένου κατά τινα πόλεμον εἵπετο καὶ αὐτός, καὶ τροπῆς γενομένης ζωγρεῖται καί τινι τῶν ἐπιφανῶν εἰς δουλείαν ἐκδίδοται. ὁ δὲ κατὰ τόνδε τὸν καιρὸν τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν κατάρχων Μαμοὺμ ἄλ λοις τε μαθήμασιν Ἑλληνικοῖς σχολάζων καὶ δὴ καὶ γεωμετρίας διαφερόντως ἐξεχόμενος ἦν. λόγου δέ ποτε κινηθέντος παρὰ τοῦ τὸν νεανίαν ἔχοντος δεσπότου περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ μαθήματα σπουδῆς τοῦ ἀμερμουμνῆ καὶ