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of the diligence concerning geometry, "I desire to hear of this," said the young man, "and of his teachers, and to understand the zeal which they have for geometry." Mamoum learned this, and with great joy he summoned the youth, and when he had arrived he inquired if he had knowledge of 2.167 such a power. But when he agreed, the barbarian disbelieved, and insisted that there was no one else besides his teachers who was an expert in the science of geometry at that time. And when the young man said that he desired to make a trial of his teachers, they appeared more quickly than one can say, and drew triangular and quadrangular figures, and the rules of the elementary writer were set forth in their midst, teaching, on the one hand, that this figure bears this name and that one that name, but they in no way gave a cause and a reason and the "why." When, therefore, the young man saw them exulting and being very proud of the drawing of the figures, "In every argument and matter, O sirs," said the young man, "the 'why' has the authority; but you, stating only the existence, and running past the reasons, seem to me to be erring not a little, being ignorant of the most important part."

And when they were perplexed and called upon him to explain and teach the causes of these things, since they found him interpreting and clarifying them, showing that this has its said name and form on account of this, and that on account of that, and at the same time their mind was opened and they understood what was being said, then, seized with amazement, they asked if Byzantium also had others like him. And when he said that there were very many in it, and that he himself was the last of the students but not of the teachers, they inquired again about the teacher, who he was and if he was still alive. And he answered who he was, and that he was still alive, leading a life without possessions and having his mind fixed on nothing else but only on 2.168 the sciences. Mamoum therefore immediately wrote a letter to him, having this meaning: "From the fruit we have known the tree, and from the student, the teacher. Since, therefore, being so great in the knowledge of things, you are unknown to your fellow citizens, not reaping the fruit of your knowledge and wisdom, do not refuse to come to us and to share your wisdom. For if you come, the entire race of the Saracens will bow its neck to you, and you will be deemed worthy of wealth and gifts of which no man has ever been deemed worthy." Giving this letter to the young man and having treated him kindly with gifts, he sent him to the teacher. And he, having been saved and come to the capital city, and having found the philosopher alive, delivered this letter. But he, reckoning it not to be without danger if he should receive a letter from the enemy without the Emperor's knowledge, went to the Logothete of the Drome (this was Theoktistos, who was later killed by Bardas) and he related how the captive student had come to him, and how he had brought him a letter from the amermoumnes, and at the same time, taking out the letter, he gave it into his hands. This was the cause of the philosopher Leo's introduction and intimacy with the emperor, and the said student made public the wisdom of Leo, which was still hidden; for the emperor summoned him as quickly as possible and enriched him and urged him to teach publicly, having assigned to him as a dwelling the holy church of the forty triumphant martyrs. But Mamoum, despairing of the philosopher's arrival, sent out problems 2.169 of geometrical and astronomical questions and of certain other studies, requesting that the solutions be clarified for him. And as Leo suitably solved each problem, he added for the sake of astonishment also some prognostic signs of future events, and sent this to him, then indeed the amermoumnes, upon taking it in his hands, was smitten with love for him, and cried out loudly, greatly admiring the man for his wisdom. Immediately, therefore, an embassy to

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τῆς περὶ τὴν γεωμετρίαν ἐπιμελείας, "ἀκοῦ σαι τούτου" εἶπεν ὁ νεανίας "ἐπιθυμῶ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ διδασκά λων, καὶ ἣν ἔχουσι περὶ τὴν γεωμετρίαν κατανοῆσαι σπουδήν." ἔμαθε τοῦτο ὁ Μαμούμ, καὶ μετὰ περιχαρείας εἰσκαλεῖται τὸν νέον πολλῆς, καὶ παραγενόμενον ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ γνῶσιν ἔχει τῆς 2.167 τοιαύτης δυνάμεως. συγκαταθεμένου δ' ἐκείνου ἠπίστει ὁ βάρ βαρος, καὶ διετείνετο μηδένα ἕτερον εἶναι πλὴν τῶν ἐκείνου διδα σκάλων τῆς γεωμετρικῆς ἐπιστήμης εἰδήμονα κατὰ τὴν τότε ἡμέ ραν. ἱμείρεσθαι δὲ φήσαντος τοῦ νεανίσκου τῶν αὐτοῦ διδασκά λων πεῖραν λαβεῖν, θᾶττον ἢ λόγος οὗτοι παρίστανται, καὶ διε χαράττοντο σχήματα τρίγωνα καὶ τετράγωνα, καὶ κανόνες εἰς μέ σον προυτίθεντο τοῦ στοιχειωτοῦ, τὸ μέν, ὅτι τὸ σχῆμα τόδε τήνδε φέρει τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ τόδε τήνδε, διδάσκοντες, αἰτίαν δὲ καὶ λό γον καὶ τὸ διότι ἀπεδίδοσαν οὐδαμῶς. ὡς οὖν ἑώρα γαυρουμέ νους αὐτοὺς ὁ νεανίας καὶ μέγα φρονοῦντας ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν σχημάτων καταγραφῇ, "ἐπὶ παντὸς λόγου, ὦ οὗτοι," ὁ νεανίας ἔφη "καὶ πράγματος τὸ διότι τὸ κῦρος ἔχει· ὑμεῖς δὲ τὴν ὕπαρξιν μόνην λέγοντες, τοὺς δὲ λόγους παρατρέχοντες οὐχ ἥκιστά μοι διαμαρ τάνειν δοκεῖτε, τὸ κυριώτερον ἀγνοοῦντες."

Tῶν δὲ διαπορησάν των καὶ τὰς αἰτίας τούτων διευκρινεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν παρακαλούν των, ἐπεὶ διερμηνεύοντα καὶ σαφηνίζοντα ταύτας εὕρισκον, ὡς τόδε μὲν διὰ τόδε τόδε δὲ διὰ τόδε τὴν εἰρημένην κλῆσίν τε καὶ γραφὴν ἔχει, καὶ ἅμα ὁ νοῦς αὐτῶν διηνοίγετο καὶ τῶν λεγομένων συνίεσαν, θάμβει λοιπὸν συσχεθέντες, εἰ καὶ ἄλλους ἔχει τοιού τους τὸ Βυζάντιον ἐπηρώτων. εἰρηκότος δὲ τούτου πλείστους ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι, καὶ ἑαυτὸν τὸν ἔσχατον τῶν μαθητῶν ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν διδασκόντων, περὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου πάλιν διεπυνθάνοντο, τίς τε εἴη καὶ εἰ περίεστιν. ὁ δὲ ὅστις τε εἴη ἀπεκρίνατο, καὶ ὡς ἔτι περίεστιν ἀκτήμονα βίον ἄγων καὶ μηδέ τισιν ἄλλοις ἀλλ' ἢ μόναις 2.168 ταῖς ἐπιστήμαις προσηλωμένον ἔχων τὸν νοῦν. γράμματα γοῦν εὐθὺς ὁ Μαμοὺμ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον διαχαράττει, τόνδε τὸν νοῦν ἔχοντα "ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μαθητοῦ ἔγνωμεν τὸν διδά σκαλον. ἐπεὶ γοῦν τηλικοῦτος ὢν περὶ τὴν τῶν ὄντων ἐπιστήμην ἄγνωστος εἶ τοῖς συμπολίταις, τῆς γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας καρπὸν μὴ δρεπόμενος, μὴ ἀπαξιώσῃς ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ τῆς σῆς με ταδοῦναι σοφίας. ἐρχομένῳ γάρ σοι αὐχένα ὑποκλινεῖ γένος ἅπαν τὸ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν, καὶ πλούτου καὶ δωρεῶν ἀξιωθήσῃ ὧν οὐδ' εἶς πώποτε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠξίωται." ταῦτα τὰ γράμματα δοὺς τῷ νεανίσκῳ καὶ δώροις φιλοφρονησάμενος ἐκπέμπει πρὸς τὸν δι δάσκαλον. ὁ δὲ διασωθεὶς πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν καὶ ζῶντα τὸν φιλόσοφον εὑρηκὼς ἐπιδίδωσι ταῦτα τὰ γράμματα. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον εἶναι λογισάμενος εἰ γραφὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δέξοιτο εἰδήσεως ἄνευ βασιλικῆς, πρόσεισι τῷ λογοθέτῃ τοῦ δρόμου (Θεόκτιστος οὗτος ἦν, ὁ παρὰ τοῦ Βάρδα μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναιρεθεὶς) καὶ διηγεῖται ὅπως τε ἀφίκετο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ αἰχμάλωτος μαθητής, καὶ ὅπως γράμμα αὐτῷ προσκεκόμικεν ἐκ τοῦ ἀμερμουμνῆ, καὶ ἅμα τὴν γραφὴν ἐκβαλὼν εἰς χεῖρας δίδωσιν. αὕτη ἡ αἰτία τῷ φιλοσόφῳ Λέοντι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα γνῶσις γίνεται καὶ οἰκείωσις, καὶ ὁ λεχθεὶς μαθητὴς τὴν τοῦ Λέοντος σοφίαν ἔτι κρυπτομένην ἐδημοσίευσε· προσκαλεῖται γὰρ ὡς τάχος αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πλουτίζει καὶ δημοσίᾳ διδάσκειν προτρέπεται, κατοικητήριον ἀφο ρίσας αὐτῷ τὸν θεῖον ναὸν τῶν τεσσαράκοντα καλλινίκων μαρτύ ρων. ὁ δὲ Μαμοὺμ ἀπογνοὺς τὴν τοῦ φιλοσόφου ἄφιξιν ἀπορίας 2.169 ἐκθέμενος γεωμετρικῶν καὶ ἀστρονομικῶν ζητημάτων καί τινων ἄλλων μαθημάτων ἐκπέμπει, τὰς λύσεις σαφηνισθῆναί οἱ ἐξαιτη σάμενος. ὡς δ' ἑκάστην ὁ Λέων ζήτησιν διελύσατο ἁρμοδίως, προσέθετο δὲ καταπλήξεως χάριν καί τινα τῶν μελλόντων σημεῖα προγνωστικά, καὶ τούτῳ ἐξέπεμψε, τότε δὴ ἐπὶ χεῖρας λαβόντα τὸν ἀμερμουμνῆν τρωθῆναι τῷ τούτου ἔρωτι, μέγα τε ἀνακραγεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα τῆς σοφίας ὑπεραγάμενον. εὐθὺς οὖν πρεσβείαν πρὸς