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into the aforesaid harbor, and as he was unwilling to use oars during the calms or to venture against an opposing wave, while the Agarenes were pressing the siege more fiercely, it happened that the city 2.235 was taken and that there was a great slaughter of those within it, and that the rest were taken captive, and that the city was razed to the ground, and the divine temples within it were burned, a city that had been renowned and illustrious until now and had shaken off many barbarian wars, but in an instant of time had lost all its glory.

Adrianos became aware of what had happened in this way. There is a place in the Peloponnese called Helos, having received this name because of the dense covering of the wood there. In this place the Roman fleet was anchored. Indeed, one night the shepherds heard the daemons who lived there conversing with one another that Syracuse had been captured the day before and had been razed. As the story was passed from one to another, the account reached Adrianos as well. And he, summoning the shepherds and investigating closely, found that what had been heard was confirmed by their words. Wishing to be an ear-witness himself, he went to the place with the shepherds and, having put a question to the daemons through them, heard that Syracuse had indeed been captured. Seized by distress and grief, he recovered himself again and consoled himself, judging that one should not believe the deceitful words of daemons. Nevertheless, he noted the day. And after the tenth day, messengers from the fugitives arrived, recounting the misfortune that had occurred. Having been fully informed by them, Adrianos immediately set out, and quickly reached the queen of cities 2.236 with the fleet, and took refuge as a suppliant in the great church. But his refuge did not help him to a complete escape; for he was dragged away from there and exiled. And Stephen, surnamed Maxentius, the Cappadocian, was sent out, with chosen men from Thrace, Macedonia, and Cappadocia, as general of Langobardia. And having reached it and, through cowardice and luxury, having accomplished nothing worthy of mention, he was relieved of his command. And in his place was sent Nikephoros, surnamed Phokas, a man both noble and energetic. He brought with him a sufficient force and a detachment of Manichaeans, who had as their leader Chrysocheir Diakonitzes. Therefore, having reached the place and having been united with the forces that were with Stephen, he set up many praiseworthy trophies against the Saracens; for first, having drawn up his forces against them, he routed the enemy, and after this he subdued the city of Amantia and Tropae and Saint Severina, and in many other battles and engagements he overcame his opponents. Such and so many were the military deeds that occurred in the times of Basil. And he splendidly adorned the church of Diomedes, greatest among martyrs, with most precious treasures and brilliant dedications, and honored it with a grant of revenue-producing properties, and in every way exalted and enriched it. And the son of Danielis, whom he had adopted through the bond of spiritual brotherhood, he honored with the rank of protospatharios and granted him the greatest freedom of speech. And he summoned to himself Danielis, 2.237 the old woman, who, since she was not able to be carried on horseback, reclined herself on a litter and, having selected three hundred of her young and strong servants, undertook the journey, being carried by them as they took turns lifting the litter. And having reached the queen of cities, when a reception had been held as was customary in the Magnaura, she was brought honorably before the emperor, bringing also costly gifts; to describe each of which would introduce a piece of writing of bad taste. And having been received in a manner worthy of her eagerness, and having stayed in the queen of cities as long as was pleasing to her, she returned back to her own land. It happened that she again entered the queen of cities; for of the

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κατὰ τὸν εἰρη μένον λιμένα, καὶ μὴ βουλομένου κατὰ τὰς νηνεμίας εἰρεσίαις χρῆσθαι μηδὲ πρὸς ἐναντίον παραβάλλεσθαι κῦμα, τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν σφοδρότερον ἐπικειμένων τῇ πολιορκίᾳ συνέβη τὴν πόλιν 2.235 ἁλῶναι καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ φόνον γενέσθαι πολύν, τοὺς δὲ λοι ποὺς αἰχμαλωτισθῆναι, κατασκαφῆναι δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ πυρποληθῆναι θείους ναούς, περιβόητον καὶ λαμ πρὰν μέχρι τοῦδε γενομένην καὶ πολλοὺς βαρβαρικοὺς ἀποσεισα μένην πολέμους, ἐν ἀκαρεῖ δὲ χρόνῳ πᾶσαν ἀποβεβληκυῖαν τὴν εὔκλειαν.

Τοῦ δὲ συμβάντος αἴσθησιν ἔλαβεν ὁ Ἀδριανὸς τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον. τόπος ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον Ἕλος προσαγορευό μενος, διὰ τὸ συνηρεφὲς τῆς ἐκεῖσε ὕλης ταύτην λαχὼν τὴν προσ ωνυμίαν. ἐν τούτῳ τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ηὐλίζετο ναυτικόν. μιᾷ γοῦν τῶν νυκτῶν τῶν ἐκεῖσε κατοικούντων δαιμόνων πρὸς ἀλλή λους διαλεγομένων ἤκουσαν οἱ νομεῖς ὡς ἑάλω τὴν χθὲς ἡμέραν Συράκουσα καὶ κατέσκαπται. ἐξ ἑτέρου δὲ πρὸς ἕτερον δια πορθμευομένου τοῦ λόγου, ἔφθασε καὶ πρὸς Ἀδριανὸν τὸ διή γημα. ὁ δὲ τοὺς ποιμένας μετακαλεσάμενος καὶ πολυπραγμο νήσας εὗρε τὰ ἀκουσθέντα τοῖς ἐκείνων ἐπιβεβαιούμενα λόγοις. βουληθεὶς δὲ καὶ αὐτήκοος γενέσθαι, μετὰ τῶν ποιμένων ἐν τῷ τόπῳ γενόμενος καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἐρώτησιν τοῖς δαίμοσι προσαγηοχὼς ἤκουσεν ὡς ἤδη ἑάλω Συράκουσα. ἀδημονίᾳ δὲ καὶ λύπῃ ληφθεὶς πάλιν ἀνέφερε καὶ παρεμυθεῖτο ἑαυτόν, μὴ χρῆναι πιστεύειν κρί νων λόγοις δαιμόνων ἀπατηλοῖς. ἐσημειώσατο δὲ τέως τὴν ἡμέ ραν. καὶ μετὰ δεκάτην ἧκον αὐτάγγελοι τῶν φυγάδων τὸ γεγονὸς ἀτύχημα διηγούμενοι. ἀφ' ὧν πληροφορηθεὶς ὁ Ἀδριανὸς εὐθὺς ἀνεζεύγνυ, καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα ταχέως μετὰ τοῦ στόλου καταλαμ 2.236 βάνει, καὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἱκέτης προσέφυγεν. ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτὸν εἰς παντελῆ ἀποφυγὴν ὤνησεν ἡ καταφυγή· ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἀποσπασθεὶς ἐξωρίσθη. Ἀποστέλλεται δὲ Στέφανος ὁ τὴν προσηγορίαν Μαξέντιος ὁ Καππαδόκης, μετά τε Θρᾳκῶν καὶ Μακεδόνων καὶ Καππαδοκῶν ἐπιλέκτων, στρατηγὸς Λαγγοβαρδίας. καὶ ταύτην καταλαβὼν καὶ δι' ἀνανδρίαν καὶ τρυφὴν μηδὲν ἄξιον λόγου διαπραξάμενος παραλύεται τῆς ἀρχῆς. ἀποστέλλεται δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Νικηφόρος ὁ κατὰ τὸν Φωκᾶν προσαγορευόμενος, ἀνὴρ γενναῖός τε καὶ δρα στήριος. ἐπήγετο δὲ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ δύναμίν τε ἱκανὴν καὶ τάγμα Μανιχαίων, ἔξαρχον ἔχον τὸν Χρυσόχειρον ∆ιακονίτζην. κατα λαβὼν οὖν τὸν τόπον καὶ ταῖς μετὰ τοῦ Στεφάνου δυνάμεσιν ἑνω θεὶς πολλὰ καὶ ἀξιέπαινα κατὰ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν ἐστήσατο τρόπαια· πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀντιταξάμενος ἐτρέψατο τοὺς ἐχθρούς, ἐχειρώ σατο δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ τὴν πόλιν Ἀμαντίαν καὶ τὰς Τρόπας καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν Σεβηρίνην, καὶ μάχαις ἄλλαις πολλαῖς καὶ ἀντιπαρα τάξεσι κατηγωνίσατο τοὺς ἀντιπάλους. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τοῦ Βασιλείου γεγονότα πολεμικὰ ἔργα τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα. Ὁ δὲ τὸν μέγιστον ἐν μάρτυσι ∆ιομήδην κειμηλίοις πολυτι μοτάτοις καὶ ἀναθήμασι λαμπροῖς λαμπρῶς κατεκόσμησε καὶ κτη μάτων ἐπιδόσει εὐπροσόδων ἐφιλοτιμήσατο καὶ παντοίως ὑπερῆρε καὶ κατεπλούτισε. καὶ τῆς ∆ανιηλίδος τὸν υἱόν, ὃν ἀδελφότητος συνδέσμῳ πνευματικῆς ᾠκειώσατο, τῷ τῶν πρωτοσπαθαρίων ἐτί μησεν ἀξιώματι καὶ παρρησίας μεγίστης μετέδωκε. καὶ ∆ανιηλίδα 2.237 τὴν γραῦν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μετεστείλατο, ἥτις ἐπεὶ μὴ οἵα τε ἦν ἵππῳ ἔποχος γενέσθαι, ἐπὶ σκίμποδος ἑαυτὴν ἀνακλίνασα καὶ τριακο σίους τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀπολέξασα νέους καὶ ἰσχυρούς, βασταζομένη τῆς πορείας εἴχετο ἀμοιβαδὸν αἰρόντων τὸν σκίμποδα. καταλα βοῦσα δὲ τὴν βασιλίδα τῶν πόλεων, δοχῆς γενομένης ὡς ἔθος ἐν τῇ Μαγναύρᾳ, εἰσήχθη πρὸς βασιλέα ἐντίμως, εἰσαγαγοῦσα καὶ δῶρα πολυτελῆ· ὧν ἕκαστον διεξιέναι ἀπειροκαλίας γραφὴν παρ εισάγει. ἀποδεχθεῖσα δὲ ἀναλόγως τῆς προθυμίας, καὶ ἐνδιατρί ψασα τῇ βασιλίδι ἐφ' ὅσον αὐτῇ φίλον ἦν, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χώ ραν ἀνθυπενόστησε. συνέβη δ' αὐτὴν καὶ πάλιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα· τοῦ γὰρ