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having reached a rugged mountain (its name was Brochotos), which had a very beautiful palace (they call this Pronista) and parks and pleasures not unseemly, he did not want to yield to the wishes of God, but, gradually gathering a force, he stirred up the neighboring regions and was planning a rebellion and dreaming of ruling Bulgaria. This grieved the emperor not a little, and for this reason he abandoned the direct route and turned towards the south, and arrived at the aforementioned Diabolis, intending either to compel the rebel by all means to lay down his arms or to subdue him by war. And the emperor, tarrying in the said place, admonished Ibatres by letters, that he alone should not raise his hands now that all of Bulgaria had been subjugated, nor imagine the impossible, knowing that the enterprise would not end to his benefit. But he, receiving the letters and replying with others, and putting forward all sorts of pretexts, procrastinated and made excuses, so that the emperor was forced to stay in the place for fifty-five days, enticed by his promises. The facts of the matter became known to 2.471 the governor of Achrida, Eustathios Daphnomeles, that the emperor was concerned with the overthrow of Ibatres. And so, having found a suitable opportunity, and having conferred with two of his most faithful servants and revealed his plan, he undertook the deed. A public festival was being celebrated by Ibatres, the Dormition of the all-holy Theotokos. On this day he was accustomed to invite to a feast not only his country neighbors and those living nearby, but also many from as far away as possible. So Eustathios went uninvited to the festival, and meeting the guards at the passes he ordered them to announce who he was, and that he was present to celebrate with the ruler. When they announced this, Ibatres was amazed that a hostile man had come of his own accord and was delivering himself into enemy hands. Nevertheless, he ordered him to come, and when he arrived he received and greeted him with great joy. The morning hymn having just been completed, and all those who had gathered having been dispersed to their own lodgings, Eustathios approached Ibatres, and asked that the others withdraw for a short while as if he were about to discuss with him in private something most necessary and advantageous to him. But he, not perceiving the trick and the deceit, but truly supposing that he too wished to become one of those organizing the rebellion with him, ordered his servants to withdraw a little, and taking him by the hand, led him into a certain park, thickly shaded with trees and having a hollow, so that not even a voice could be heard through the dense foliage. Once inside, 2.472 Eustathios, having seized Ibatres now that he was alone, immediately threw him to the ground, and pressing his knee against his chest (for he was brave in hand-to-hand combat), he began to choke him, and he urged his two attendants to help with all speed. They, just as had been arranged, standing and watching for what was to come, when they heard their master's voice, immediately ran up, and seizing Ibatres and stuffing his tunic into his mouth, so that by shouting he would not bring a crowd upon them and render the deed unaccomplished, they blinded him, and having been blinded, they threw him out of the park into the courtyard. They themselves, running up to a high upper room and drawing their swords, awaited those who were about to approach. When the deed became known, an indescribable crowd ran together; for some held swords in their hands, some spears, some bows, some stones, some clubs, some burning torches, and others flammable material, they ran to help, shouting, "Let them be slaughtered, let them be burned, let them be cut limb from limb, let the murderers and sinners be buried under stones; let there be no mercy for the accursed." When Eustathios saw the rush of people, and had given up on his own safety, he for a time exhorted the good men around him

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δυσβάτῳ γενόμενος ὄρει (Βρο χωτὸς κλῆσις αὐτῷ) βασίλειά τε ἔχοντι περικαλλῆ (Προνίσταν ταῦτα καλοῦσι) καὶ παραδείσους καὶ ἀπολαύσεις οὐκ ἀπρεπεῖς, ὑπεῖξαι τοῖς θελήμασιν οὐκ ἐβούλετο τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ δύναμιν ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ μικρὸν συνεγείρων ἀνεστάτου τὰ παρακείμενα καὶ ἀπο στασίαν ἐμελέτα καὶ τὴν Βουλγαρικὴν ὠνειροπόλει ἀρχήν. τοῦτο οὐ μικρῶς ἐλύπει τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ κατ' εὐθεῖαν ἀφέμενος πορεύεσθαι ἀπέκλινε πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰρημένην ἐγένετο ∆ιάβολιν, ὡς ἢ καταναγκάσων πάντως τὸν ἀπο στάτην καταθεῖναι τὰ ὅπλα ἢ πολέμῳ τοῦτον κατεργασόμενος. καὶ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ῥηθέντι τόπῳ φιλοχωρῶν γράμμασιν ἐνουθέτει τὸν Ἰβάτζην, μὴ τῆς Βουλγαρίας πάσης ὑποταγείσης μόνον ἀνταίρειν χεῖρας αὐτὸν μηδὲ φαντάζεσθαι τὰ ἀτέλεστα, γινώσκοντα ὡς οὐκ εἰς ὄνησιν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐγχείρημα τελευτήσει. ὁ δὲ τὰ γράμματα δεχόμενος καὶ ἑτέροις ἀμειβόμενος, καὶ παντοίας προτιθεὶς ἀφορμάς, παρεῖλκε καὶ ἀνεδύετο, ὡς ἀναγκασθῆναι τὸν βασιλέα ἐπὶ πέντε καὶ πεντήκοντα ἡμέρας ἐνδιατρῖψαι τῷ τόπῳ, ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι δελεαζόμενον. ἐγνώσθη τὰ τοῦ πράγματος τῷ 2.471 τῆς Ἀχρίδος ἄρχοντι Εὐσταθίῳ τῷ ∆αφνομήλῃ, ὅτι μέλει τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡ τοῦ Ἰβάτζη καθαίρεσις. καὶ δῆτα καιρὸν ἐπιτήδειον εὑρηκώς, καὶ δυσὶ θεράπουσι τῶν πιστικωτάτων κοινολογησάμε νος καὶ τὸ βούλευμα φανερώσας, ἐγχειρεῖ τῇ πράξει. δημοτελὴς ἤγετο ἑορτὴ τῷ Ἰβάτζῃ, ἡ κοίμησις τῆς παναγίου καὶ θεομήτο ρος. κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ἡμέραν εἰώθει συγκαλεῖν εἰς εὐωχίαν οὐ τοὺς ἀγρογείτονας μόνον καὶ ἀγχιτέρμονας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὡς πορρωτάτω πολλούς. ἄπεισι γοῦν ὁ Εὐστάθιος αὐτόκλητος εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, καὶ τοῖς φυλάττουσιν ἐντυχὼν τὰς διόδους ἀπαγγέλ λειν ἐκέλευεν ὅστις εἴη, καὶ ὅτι πάρεστι τῷ ἄρχοντι συνευφραν θησόμενος. ἀπαγγειλάντων δὲ τούτων, ἐν θαύματι ὁ Ἰβάτζης ἐτίθει εἰ δυσμενὴς ἄνθρωπος αὐθαίρετος ἥκει καὶ χερσὶν ἐκδίδω σιν ἑαυτὸν πολεμίαις. ὅμως ἀφικέσθαι κελεύει, καὶ ἐλθόντα ἐδέξατό τε περιχαρῶς καὶ ἠσπάσατο. ἄρτι δὲ τελεσθέντος τοῦ ἑωθινοῦ ὕμνου, καὶ πάντων τῶν συνειλεγμένων εἰς τὰς ἰδίας σκε δασθέντων καταγωγάς, ὁ Εὐστάθιος πρόσεισι τῷ Ἰβάτζῃ, καὶ ἀξιοῖ τοὺς ἄλλους πρὸς μικρὸν ἐκστῆναι ὡς τάχα μέλλων αὐτὸς διαλέξασθαι κατ' ἰδίαν περί τινος ἀναγκαιοτάτου καὶ λυσιτελοῦν τος αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ τὸν δόλον καὶ τὴν ἀπάτην μὴ κατανοήσας, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὄντι ὑπολαβὼν ὡς βούλεται καὶ αὐτὸς εἷς γενέσθαι τῶν συνι στώντων αὐτῷ τὴν ἀποστασίαν, τοὺς θεράποντας μικρὸν ἀποστῆ ναι κελεύσας, τῆς χειρὸς ἐκείνου λαβόμενος ἔν τινι παραδείσῳ εἰσάγει συνηρεφεῖ δένδροις καὶ κοιλότητα ἔχοντι, ὡς μηδὲ φωνὴν ἐξηχεῖσθαι δύνασθαι διὰ τὴν συνδενδρίαν. οὗ ἐντὸς γενόμενος ὁ 2.472 Εὐστάθιος, καὶ μεμονωμένου λαβόμενος τοῦ Ἰβάτζου, εἰς γῆν τε αὐτὸν εὐθὺς καταβάλλει, καὶ τῷ στήθει προσερείσας τὸ γόνυ (ἦν γὰρ κατὰ χεῖρα γενναῖος) τοῦτον κατῆγχε, καὶ τοῖς δυσὶν ὑπηρέταις ἐνεκελεύσατο βοηθεῖν τὴν ταχίστην. οἱ δέ, καθάπερ συντεθειμένον ἦν, ἱστάμενοι καὶ καραδοκοῦντες τὸ μέλλον, ὡς ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ κυρίου, ἔδραμόν τε εὐθέως, καὶ τὸν Ἰβάτζην περισχόντες καὶ τῷ χιτῶνι ἀποφράξαντες αὐτοῦ τὸ στό μα, ὡς μὴ βοήσας περιστήσῃ πλῆθος αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄπρακτον ἀπο τελέσῃ τὸ ἔργον, ἀποτυφλοῦσι, τυφλωθέντα δὲ ἐκβάλλουσι τοῦ παραδείσου εἰς τὴν αὐλήν. αὐτοὶ δὲ εἴς τι ὑπερῷον οἴκημα ὑψη λὸν ἀναδραμόντες καὶ τὰ ξίφη ἑλκύσαντες ἐξεδέχοντο τοὺς μέλλον τας προσιέναι. γνωσθέντος δὲ τοῦ δράματος συνέρρει πλῆθος ἀμύθητον· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ξίφη κατέχοντες ἐν χερσίν, οἱ δὲ δόρατα, οἱ δὲ τόξα, οἱ δὲ λίθους, οἱ δὲ ξύλα, οἱ δὲ δαλοὺς καιομένους, ἄλλοι δὲ ὕλην εὔπρηστον, ἔθεον βοηδρομοῦντες καὶ κεκραγότες "σφαττέσθωσαν, καιέσθωσαν, μεληδὸν κατατεμνέσθωσαν, λίθοις καταχωννύσθωσαν οἱ παλαμναῖοι καὶ ἀλιτήριοι· μή τις φειδὼ γενέσθω τῶν ἀλαστόρων." συνδρομὴν δὲ θεασάμενος ὁ Εὐστά θιος, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀπεγνωκὼς σωτηρίας, παρεκάλει τέως τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς