72. And Vitalian, whom we have just mentioned, raised a revolt against the emperor Anastasius, and seized Thrace and Scythia 206 and Mysia, and mustered a numerous army. 73. And the emperor sent against him a general named Hypatius. And when they fought together, he was vanquished by Vitalian and taken prisoner. And on the payment of a large ransom he was set free. 74. But immediately on his return to the emperor, the latter removed him from his command, and appointed in his room another general, named Cyril, of the province of Illyria. 75. And he also gave battle to Vitalian, and there was great slaughter on both sides. Cyril the general retired into the city named Odyssus, and stayed there while Vitalian withdrew into the province of Bulgaria. 76. And he gave large sums of money to the guards who kept the gates of Odyssus, and then, marching by night, he put Cyril the general to death and captured the city. 77. And he attacked also the province of Thrace, and plundered all its wealth, and likewise the cities of Europe, and Sycae, and the region over against Constantinople and Sosthenium, and he established himself in the church of the holy Archangel Michael, devising by what means he could make himself master of the empire of Byzantium.
78. And the emperor Anastasius sent to the philosopher Proclus in order that he might render help to Marinus. 79. And the emperor informed him regarding the rebel Vitalian and the audacity he had shown. But Marinus encouraged the emperor, saying: 'I will overcome this rebel by the might of God ; only give orders that I may be accompanied by soldiers and the philosopher Proclus. Procure for me also unpurged sulphur resembling powdered antimony.' 80. And the emperor gave him the sulphur. And Marinus |131 ground it into a + hard powder +,207 and said publicly : 'If you cast (this) on a house or on a ship, it will take fire when the sun rises and melt it like wax.' 81. And Marinus took with him many ships, and he mustered all the soldiers he could find in Constantinople, and he proceeded to wage war against Vitalian as the emperor had commanded. 82. And when the rebel saw Marinus he took all the ships he could find and manned them with a large force of Scythian and Gothic archers, and sailed in the direction of Byzantium, believing that he should get the better of his opponents. 83. But Marinus and his companions, through the mighty help of God, got the better of this enemy, and the design of this shameless rebel failed of accomplishment, and thereupon Vitalian, the cause of civil strife, took to flight.
84. And Marinus gave the unpurged sulphur to the sailors, and commanded them to cast it on the ships of the rebel foe in order that they might be burnt. And when the fleets of Marinus and of this rebel encountered each other, they (the sailors) cast the sulphur into the ships of Vitalian about the third hour of the day, and immediately the ships burst into flames and sank in the depths.
85. And when Vitalian saw this he was stupefied, and his remaining forces turned back and fled. And the general Marinus put all the rebels he could find to the sword, and pursued them till they came to the church of S. Mamas. And as night was approaching Marinus encamped there and guarded the route. 86. But Vitalian after his defeat marched throughout the night and fled with his followers in fear and terror to a place named Anchialus. And he traversed that night a space of sixty miles, as he feared lest Marinus should pursue him and make him a prisoner. On the morrow every one forsook him and left him alone.
87. And the emperor Anastasius distributed many alms amongst the poor and destitute in the district of Sosthenium. And he set out from the imperial city and stayed in the church of S. Michael, praying and giving thanks to God for all the benefits He had bestowed upon him and for the victory which He had given him over his adversaries, and displaying an irreproachable (and) orthodox faith. 88. Next the emperor Anastasius ordered that a large sum of gold should be given to the philosopher Proclus. But he refused |132 to take the money and, saluting the emperor, he requested him (to let him go back to Athens), saying: + Whoever loves money is not worthy to be a philosopher, and the contempt of money likewise in those that cultivate philosophy is honourable.' And the emperor let him go, and held him in high honour.
89. And all the orthodox believers who had accepted the Henoticon of the righteous emperor Zeno were highly esteemed by the emperor. And at that time appeared from the city of Nikius208 John priest and monk; for the patriarch had refused to accept him. 90. Now the priest John209 was wise and Godloving and well versed in the Scriptures, and he lived in the convent of Par. 91. And the inhabitants of the city of Sa and those of the city of Akela came to be at variance with each other. Thereupon the bishops of the two cities arose and went to the emperor Anastasius, and besought him to ordain for them suitable canons, to hold a Council, and expel the Chalcedonians and blot out their remembrance from the church and that of all bishops who agreed with the abominable Leo who proclaimed the two natures,
92. But the emperor in his goodness did not force them contrary to their inclinations, but (suffered) each (to) act according to his own inclination. And the emperor Anastasius paid great honour to those who agreed with him in the orthodox faith and distributed numerous alms and virtuously completed his work.
93. And subsequently the emperor fell ill. Now he was an old man, and at the age of ninety years he went to his rest in great honour, as saith the Scriptures: 'All the glory of man is but as grass: as soon as the sun ariseth, the grass withereth, the flower thereof fadeth, the beauty of the appearance thereof perisheth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever.' 210
CHAPTER XC. 1. And after the blessed Godloving orthodox emperor Anastasius went to his rest, Justin the terrible, the consort of the empress Euphemia, ascended the throne, and was crowned with the imperial crown in pursuance of the decision of the trusty councillors of the emperor. 2. Some say regarding him that he was + chief over the seventh assemblage in Byzantium +.211 But all the officers |133 did not approve of him ; for he was unlettered, but he was a soldier and a valiant man. 3. Now there was a man named Amantius whom the officers wished to make emperor over them after the emperor Anastasius, and the councillors had given large sums of money to Justin to distribute among the civilians and the soldiers, in order that they might proclaim his name and spread abroad the rumour that God had named him emperor. But these refused to do so. And so the councillors were thereupon obliged to make Justin emperor.212
4. And when Justin became emperor he put to death all the eunuchs, however guiltless they were, because they had not approved of his elevation to the throne; for he thought they would plot evil against him.
5. And in the beginning of the reign of Justin there rose in the east a fearful and terrible comet. And for this reason the emperor Justin sent and recalled Vitalian who had been the enemy of the emperor Anastasius, and appointed him a master of the forces.213 6. And he changed the orthodox faith of the emperor Anastasius, and the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno was rejected: communion with the Chalcedonians was restored, and the letter of Leo was accepted and enrolled amongst the writings of the Eastern Church.
And for this reason the emperor Justin sent and recalled Vitalian who had been the enemy of the emperor Anastasius, and appointed him a master of the forces. 213 6. And he changed the orthodox faith of the emperor Anastasius, and the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno was rejected: communion with the Chalcedonians was restored, and the letter of Leo was accepted and enrolled amongst the writings of the Eastern Church.
7. In the first year of his reign the great Severus, the patriarch of the great city of Antioch, + appeared +. When he heard of the change of faith and the return of Vitalian and his reception at the court of the emperor Justin, he became afraid and fled into Egypt and abandoned his (patriarchal) throne. 8. Now Vitalian hated him and wished to cut out his tongue because he had written (and delivered) in the church long and short homilies, full of knowledge and invective directed against the + emperor +214 Leo because of his corrupt faith. 9. And Paul was appointed patriarch of Antioch in the room of Severus, and this Paul was in communion with the Chalcedonians. And a schism then arose and none associated with him save the magistrates of the emperor only. 10. The people turned away from him because of his being a |134 Nestorian and refused the sacerdotal benediction and baptism save at the hands of the priests ordained in secret by the great Severus. 11. Now he who wished to cut out the tongue of the great Severus soon died of a violent death. Now Vitalian's death was brought about by his plotting, after his appointment by the emperor Justin, to raise a revolt (against him) as he had done against the emperor before him. 12. And thereupon (Justin) gave orders for his execution. For God punished him speedily, even as Severus had prophesied regarding him that he should die a violent death.
13. And the patriarch Severus (composed) a treatise full of wisdom and the fear of God, and sent it to the patrician Godloving Caesaria; for she was a chosen vessel, of the imperial family of Rome, and she was strong in the orthodox faith in which she had been instructed by the holy patriarch Severus. And this teaching prevails to the present day among the Egyptian monks. 14. And subsequently Paul the Chalcedonian, of Antioch, died, who had been appointed after Severus, and another was appointed in his room, named Euphrasius, of Jerusalem. This man hated the Christians attached to the teaching of Severus. And many of the orthodox were put to death on account of the faith which he taught. 15. And he stirred up civil war throughout all the Roman empire, and there was much shedding of blood. And in the city of Antioch there were great tumults during five years. And no one could speak owing to fear of the emperor.
16. And there arose many men belonging to the people who in Constantinople *and the cities of Hellas215 loudly accused the patrician Justinian his brother's son. Now Justinian helped the Blue Faction to commit murder and pillage among the various nations. 17. And (the emperor) appointed a prefect named Theodotus, (formerly count) of the east to punish all who had been guilty of crime, and he made him swear that he would show no partiality. 18. And beginning with Constantinople he punished many guilty persons, and subsequently had Theodosius arrested and put to death. And he was very rich. And next he had Justinian the patrician arrested, and wished to put him to death. But when he fell ill, he let him go. 19. And the emperor on hearing these things was wroth with the prefect and stripped him of his dignities and sent him in exile from Constantinople into the east. And fearing lest he should be |135 put to death there, he went to the holy places of Jerusalem and lived there in seclusion.
20. And subsequently all the soldiers and people assembled together in Byzantium and disowned their allegiance to the emperor. And they besought God saying: 'Give us a good emperor like Anastasius or else remove the emperor Justin whom Thou hast given us.' 21. And there arose a man amongst them named Qamos, who said unto them: 'Thus saith the Lord: see, I love you: wherefore do ye supplicate Me. Behold him whom I have given unto you—I will give you no other;—for if he did according to that which is written, supplications would arise amongst the adversaries of the emperor. For it is owing to the sins of this city that I have appointed this emperor who is a hater of the virtuous.' Thus saith the Lord : 'I will give you rulers according to your own hearts.' 22. And the emperor was grieved when he heard these words. However, he sought to gain the affection of the people, as he feared lest the wise should admonish him according to the laws of this world. 23. And so on his own initiative he chose and appointed in the room of Theodotus and Theodore prefects of the imperial city : and the names of those who were appointed were Theodore and Ephraim of Amida. These, indeed, by great efforts and severity, put an end to civil war amongst the citizens, made feuds to cease, and established peace.
24. But these means were not yet sufficient to turn away the wrath of God from the earth owing to the declension of the emperor. For there came an earthquake from God and fire fell from heaven on the city of Antioch, extending from the church of S. Stephen to the house of the chief of the army, in breadth and length, and as far as the bath called Tainadonhus and the bath of the Syrian nation. 25. And about the same time also fires burst out in the countries of the east and along all the routes for six months, and no one could pass in this direction or that. And there were conflagrations in the city and many souls perished in the flames, and the fire descended from above the houses and they were destroyed to their foundations. 26. And likewise in the days of that emperor, the great city of Antioch in Syria was sorely afflicted and was devastated six times. The people who remained wasted away in their houses and became as soulless bodies. 27. Burning coals of fire like thunderbolts fell from the air and set fire to everything |136 they touched, and the city was overthrown to its foundations. 28. And the fire pursued those who wished to flee, whilst those who remained in the houses were consumed by the fire. And the beauty of the city of Antioch was destroyed, and none could escape the fire. No more did the houses on the heights216 escape this visitation. And many edifice sacred to the martyrs were devastated, and some of them were cloven in twain from the top to the bottom, and the great church which had been built in the days of the emperor Constantine was destroyed. 29. And weeping and lamentation were multiplied throughout the city, and the number of men, women, young people and babes that died was 250,000 souls.
30. And when the festival of the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ arrived, many people assembled in the church called Karadaum, in order to make intercession because of this terrible event. 31. And many who had survived the visitation went out to bury their dead, and others drew forth (from the debris) certain women with their babes which had escaped. 32. Moreover, the unfortunate Euphrasius, who had been unfitted for the patriarchate, perished in the fire. And they appointed by lot as his successor a man named <Ephraim>, of Amida in Mesopotamia, And he also was a Chalcedonian, and persecuted the orthodox as his predecessors had done. 33. And the cities of Seleucia and Daphne and all the towns within a radius of twenty miles <were destroyed>. And all who saw (these things) said: 'All these calamities have taken place because the orthodox faith has been forsaken, and also because of the unjust expulsion of the patriarch Severus, and the evil deeds perpetrated by the emperor Justin and his abandonment of the faith of the Godloving emperors that preceded him. These are the causes alike of this affliction and this tribulation.' 34. And when the emperor Justin heard these things, <he put off> his imperial crown and garments and wept and lamented, and ceased to visit the theatre. And under the pressure of strong necessity he went from the imperial court to the church |137 on the fifth day of the Easter festival, walking on the ground with bare feet. And all the people and the Senate wept and lamented with abundant tears. And he gave much money in order to rebuild the churches and towns which had been destroyed: no emperor before him gave in the same measure.
35. And in his reign the Lazaeans, who had been under the sway of the Persians, and had embraced the cult of their idols, came to him and became Christians. 36. It was on the occasion of the death of the king of the Persians that they received grace from heaven, that is, faith in the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. 37. And thereupon they came to the city of Constantinople to the emperor Justin, saying: 'We wish thee to make us Christians like thyself, and we shall then be subjects of the Roman empire.' And he received them gladly, and had them baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the con substantial Trinity. 38. And he honoured their chief exceedingly, and clothed him after his baptism with a robe of honour, and rendered to him imperial honours, and gave him for his spouse the daughter of a great official, who was named Ionics,217 and he sent him back to his own country with great honours. 39. And when Cabades, the king of the Persians, heard these things he was greatly grieved, and sent ambassadors to the emperor Justin with the following message: 'Heretofore there have been friendship and peace between us: but behold now thou hast created enmity and hast + received+ 218 the king of the Lazaeans, who from the earliest times has been subject to our sway, and not to that of Rome.' 40. And when the emperor Justin heard this message, he wrote a reply in the following terms : 'We have not taken from thee any of thy subjects; but when a man named Tzathius came to us, humbly begging us to deliver him from the error wherein he walked, namely, the errors of demons and of pagans, and from impure sacrifices, and besought us that he might be made a Christian, how could I forbid one who desired to return to the true God, the Creator of all things ? 41. And when he became a Christian, and was deemed worthy to receive the holy mysteries, we permitted him |138 to return to his own country.' And for this reason there was enmity between the Romans and the Persians.
41. And when he became a Christian, and was deemed worthy to receive the holy mysteries, we permitted him |138 to return to his own country. ' And for this reason there was enmity between the Romans and the Persians.
42. And the emperor Justin (requested) Ziligdes, king of the Huns, to be his ally in the war, and he gave him numerous presents, and made him swear a solemn oath that he would deal truly and fairly with him. 43. But Ziligdes proved false to his oath, and set out to join Cabades, king of Persia, with 20,000 soldiers, and formed an alliance with him, and joined him. But the Christians had the help of God, who always wars against their enemies. 44. For when the Persians went forth to give battle the emperor Justin sent the following message to the king of Persia : 'Behold, it is fitting that we should be brothers in friendship, and not be mocked by our enemies. And behold we wish to inform thee that Ziligdes the Hun has received large sums from us with a view to helping us in the time of war, and behold now he has gone to thee with treacherous intent, and in the time of war he will come to our side and slay the Persians. And now, as thou sayest, let there be no enmity between us, but peace.' 45. And when Cabades, king of Persia, heard this, he asked Ziligdes and said unto him: 'Is it true that thou hast received moneys from the Romans to help them against the Persians?' And he answered, 'Yes.' And Cabades was enraged, and immediately commanded his head to be cut off; for he thought that he had done this with treacherous intent. 46. And he sent soldiers to fight against the 20,000 troops who had come with him, and he put them to the sword, and only a few escaped, who returned in great shame to their own country. And from that day friendship prevailed between Cabades, king of Persia, and Justin, the emperor of Rome.
47. But the reign of Justin did not last long after the conclusion of this friendship, and in the ninth year of his reign he fell into a grievous illness, for he had a wound in his head,219 which had been struck by an arrow in battle. The wound reopened, and remained incurable for a long time. 48. And during his illness he appointed his brother's son emperor, and placed upon him the imperial crown, and put all the affairs of the empire in his hands. And thereupon he died.
49. And Justinian, after he had taken the empire into his hands, resided in Constantinople with his wife Theodora. And he |139 practised every virtue, and all shameless persons concealed themselves from his notice. 50. And he built churches everywhere, and hospices for strangers, and asylums for old men, and hospitals for the sick, and orphanages, and many other like establishments. 51. And he restored many cities which had been destroyed, and gave large sums of money to the people. None of the emperors that preceded him had done as he did.
52. And Cabades, king of Persia, wished to make war upon <the king of> the Lazaeans, because he had given aid to Rome, and had become a Christian, and had embraced their faith. And (the latter) wrote to the emperor Justinian (requesting him) to give him aid because of his faith in Christ. And he sent thereupon to him numerous forces under three commanders, whose names were Belisarius,220 Cerycus, and Irenaeus, in order to help him. 53. But when they engaged in battle many of the Romans <fell>; for (the generals) were at variance with each other. And when the emperor heard (this news) he was very wroth, and sent Peter to be commander with a large force of archers. And this Peter placed himself at the head of the Roman generals,221 and, forming a junction with the Lazaeans, they attacked the Persians, and put a great number of the Persians to the sword on that occasion.
54. And the emperor Justinian loved God with all his heart and mind. Now there was a magician named Masides, who resided in the city of Byzantium, and there dwelt with him a band of demons, who served him. And all the faithful shunned him, and had no intercourse at all with him. And this magician commanded the demons to inflict evil plagues on men. 55. And those who lived without using remedies for the soul and became remiss, attending the theatre and the races, and particularly certain nobles in the city, i.e. Addaeus and Aetherius, patricians, held this enemy of God in high honour. 56. And these same patricians spoke of this magician to the emperor, and said unto him : 'This man has caused the destruction of the Persians, and will give victory to the Romans. And he will be serviceable to the Roman empire by his practices, |140 and he will see to the administration of the nations, and cause the taxes to be collected excellently, and he will send demons against the Persians, and make their stout warriors weak through manifold plagues separate and distinct, and he will make them (the Romans) victors without a battle.' 57. But being firm of purpose he mocked the words of these servants of demons, and yet he wished to become acquainted with their impure devices. And so Masides carried out his evil practices as these patricians had told him. 58. And when the emperor became acquainted (with these practices) he mocked them (the patricians) and said unto them: 'I do not desire the magic and sorcery which thou dost practise, thinking that thou canst benefit the state. 59. Am I, Justinian, a Christian emperor, to conquer by the help of demons ? Not so, my help cometh from God and my Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.' And accordingly he drove away this magician and his assistants, for his hope was always in God,
60. And some time later the emperor received the victory from God, and he commanded that the magician should be burnt.
Am I, Justinian, a Christian emperor, to conquer by the help of demons ? Not so, my help cometh from God and my Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. ' And accordingly he drove away this magician and his assistants, for his hope was always in God,
60. And some time later the emperor received the victory from God, and he commanded that the magician should be burnt.
61. And the Persians, renewing hostilities against Rome, requested the Huns to send 20,000 warriors to fight against Rome. Now there was there a certain valiant woman amongst the + outer + Huns, named queen Boa, in the language of the barbarians. 62. And this woman, who was a widow, was wise. And she had two young sons, and thousands of Hunnish warriors were under her sway. And she exercised a vigorous rule since the death of her husband, who was named Balach. 63. And this woman arose and went to the Christian emperor Justinian, and brought him a great quantity of gold and silver and precious stones.222 And the emperor commanded her to attack the two chiefs who wished to make an alliance with the Persians and to fight against the Romans. And these are their names, Astera and Aglanos.223 64. And when this woman had overtaken these chiefs, who were making terms with the Persians, she gave them battle and defeated them, and slew Airlands and his followers on the field of battle. 65. And Astera |141 she took alive, and seized him, and sent him in chains to Constantinople. And they hanged him on a tree, and fixed him (thereto) with nails.
66. And subsequently there came a man of the Huns named Jaroks224 to the emperor Justinian, and he was baptized and became a Christian. And the emperor Justinian was his sponsor at the baptism, and he gave him abundant honours, and sent him back to his own country. Now this man became a vassal of the Roman empire. 67. And when he returned home he told his brother regarding the gifts which the emperor had given him. And he also became a Christian. This Jaroks took all the idols which the Huns worshipped and brake them in pieces, and took the silver wherewith they were covered and burnt them with fire. And all the people of the country of the Huns who were barbarians were wroth, and they rose against him and slew him. 68. And when the emperor Justinian heard of this, he arose and went to war against them, and he sent many ships by the sea of Pontus and many warriors of the Scythians and Goths. And he set Tulilan,225 a valiant general, over the ships. 69. But as for the cavalry he dispatched them by land, and there was a numerous army with Baduarius as commander. And when the inhabitants of the country of the Huns heard (of these forces) they took to flight, and concealed themselves. And the emperor seized their country and made peace with them anew.
70. And in those days there reigned in the country of the Huns a man named Grepes (text—Akraids),226 and he went to the emperor Justinian and became a Christian, he and all his kindred and officers. And the emperor gave him large sums of money, and sent him back to his own country with honour as a vassal of the Roman empire.
71. And in the days of the emperor Justinian the Indians were at war with the Ethiopians. And the name of the king of the Indians was Endas. He worshipped the star called Saturn. Now the country of the Ethiopians was not far distant from Egypt: it comprised three Indian states and four Abyssinian states, and they were situated on the border of the Sea [of Salt] towards the east. |142 72. Now the Christian merchants who travelled through the country of the star-worshippers and through the Homeritae,1 whom we have mentioned and previously described, had to submit to seven trials. Damnus,227 the king of the Homeritae,1 used to slay the Christian merchants who came to him, and to take their goods, saying: 'The Romans used to oppress and slay the Jews, and on this account I also will slay all the Christians I find.' 73. And for this reason commerce ceased and came to an end in the interior of India. 74. And when the king of Nubia heard these tidings, he sent to the king of the Homeritae1 the following message: 'Thou hast done an evil deed in that thou hast slain Christian merchants and inflicted injuries on my kingdom and on the kingdoms of other (kings) who live near at hand and far off from me.' 75. And when (Damnus) heard these words he went forth to fight. And when they encountered each other the king of Nubia 228 opened his mouth and said: 'If God give me the victory over this Jewish Damnus, I shall become a Christian.' 76. And then he gave battle to this Jew, and conquered him and slew him, and made himself master of his kingdom and of his cities. And at that time he sent messengers to Alexandria + in reference to the Jews and the pagans + requesting the Roman governors to send from the empire of Rome a bishop to baptize and instruct in the holy Christian mysteries all the inhabitants of Nubia and the survivors of the Jews. 77. And when the emperor Justinian was apprised of these facts, he gave orders that they should do for him all he requested, and should send to him some priests and a bishop +from amongst the clergy of the holy patriarch John+.229 He was a chaste and pious man. 78. Such was the origin of the conversion of the Ethiopians in the days of the emperor Justinian.
77. And when the emperor Justinian was apprised of these facts, he gave orders that they should do for him all he requested, and should send to him some priests and a bishop +from amongst the clergy of the holy patriarch John+. 229 He was a chaste and pious man. 78. Such was the origin of the conversion of the Ethiopians in the days of the emperor Justinian.
79. In his days also the king of Hedjaz, named Alamundar, arose and invaded Persia and Syria, and committed great depredations |143 as far as Antioch, and put many people to the sword, and burned the city named Chalcis and other cities in the province of Sirmium and Cynegia. 80. Thereupon the army of the east went forth to meet them, but they did not await the attack, but seizing much booty retired into their own country.
81. In the days also of the emperor Justinian there was a great earthquake in the land of Egypt, and many cities and villages were swallowed in the abyss. And those who lived in the country made prayers and many intercessions with tears, being grieved on account of the destruction that had been wrought. 82. And after a year the wrath (of heaven) ceased and the earthquakes which had prevailed in every place were stayed. And the Egyptians celebrate the memorial of this day every year on the 17th of Teqemt.230 83. And the remembrance of this calamity has been preserved for us by our fathers, the divinely-influenced Egyptian monks. For these earthquakes were due to the change in the orthodox faith brought about by the emperor Justinian, who had hardened his heart more than his father's brother, who had preceded him.
84. And this Justinian commanded the Orientals to inscribe the names of the (bishops of the) Council of Chalcedon on the diptychs of the church, although they had sent the patriarch Severus into exile—a custom which had hitherto not existed and which is not mentioned in the Apostolic Canons nor in the Councils of the Fathers who came later: none of the Councils should be mentioned in public worship. 85. Now it was this emperor Justinian alone who established this custom throughout every province of his empire, and had the names of the (bishops of the) Council of Chalcedon inscribed. And Anthimus, patriarch of Constantinople, and Acacius who had been patriarch in the days of the emperor Zeno, and Peter, patriarch of Alexandria, were excommunicated. 86. And he caused their names to be removed from the diptychs, and abolished the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno : he proscribed the name of the patriarch Abba Severus throughout all the province of Antioch and the adjoining districts, enjoining that it should not be mentioned in the diptychs of the church, but |144 cursed; and he caused the inhabitants of Alexandria to thirst after the waters of the doctrine of Dioscoras, who was succeeded by the patriarch Timothy. 87. Now the emperor Justinian had given the patriarchal chair to the Chalcedonians, but as the empress Theodora, his wife, besought him on behalf of Timothy, patriarch of Alexandria, he permitted him on her account. Now she called him 'spiritual father'.
88. And in the days of this father, the emperor Justinian sent numerous forces to Alexandria, and these encompassed the city and wished to shed much blood. But Timothy the patriarch sent many anchorites and ascetics to the emperor to intercede on behalf of the church, and avert a massacre in the city and the shedding of innocent blood, and to get permission (for its people) to abide by the faith of its fathers. 89. And when the emperor heard these petitions, he granted them on the intercession of the empress Theodora, who was near (?) to him, and he sent orders to the army to return to the province of Africa. 90. And the patriarch Timothy continued to reside in his palace, true to the orthodox faith. And again subsequently the emperor sent to Alexandria a chief eunuch, named Calotychius. In that year the Roman empire had reached its 1287th year.
And the city continued tranquil for a short period. And the illustrious father Timothy died full of honour.
90. And the patriarch Timothy continued to reside in his palace, true to the orthodox faith. And again subsequently the emperor sent to Alexandria a chief eunuch, named Calotychius. In that year the Roman empire had reached its 1287th year. And the city continued tranquil for a short period. And the illustrious father Timothy died full of honour.
CHAPTER XCI. 1. And likewise in the days of this patriarch Timothy there took place in the city of Alexandria an event, great and very terrible and strange exceedingly. 2. Now there was a house in the eastern quarter of the city, in a place called Arutiju, to the right of the church of the holy Athanasius. And in this house there dwelt a Jew, named Aubaruns, and he had a chest in which were the mandil and towel of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherewith He girded Himself when He washed the feet of His disciples. 3. His kindred gave it (the chest) to this Jew. He indeed did not open it; for though he often wished to open it he could not. For when he touched it, (fire) descended threatening to consume him who wished to open it. 4. And he heard the voices of angels singing the praises of Him who was crucified on the cross, the Lord, the King of Glory. 5. And as this Jew was terrified, he, his mother, and wife, and children went to the patriarch Timothy and told him (regarding it). And forthwith he |145 proceeded with crosses, and gospels, censers and lighted waxen candles, and he came to the place in which the chest was. 6. And forthwith the lid of the coffer opened, and he took with great veneration the notable mandil and towel and conveyed them to the patriarchal palace, and placed them in the Church of the Tabenniosites, in a holy place. 7. And an angel descended from heaven and closed until this day the lid of the brazen coffer wherein the mandil and towel had been. 8. And all the inhabitants of Alexandria were indignant, and went to the Persians (?) and besought them to open the lid of the coffer, but they could not. 9. That Jew indeed and all his household became Christians then as was befitting.
7. And an angel descended from heaven and closed until this day the lid of the brazen coffer wherein the mandil and towel had been. 8. And all the inhabitants of Alexandria were indignant, and went to the Persians (? ) and besought them to open the lid of the coffer, but they could not. 9. That Jew indeed and all his household became Christians then as was befitting.
CHAPTER XCII. 1. And after the death of the venerable father Timothy, the deacon Theodosius, who had been (his) secretary, was appointed in his stead. Whilst he was going to occupy his pontifical chair, an Ethiopian wished to kill him. He fled and came to the city Konus and lived there in solitude. 2. Then the foolish populace seized Gainas and made him patriarch in the room of Theodosius, thus transgressing the holy canons. 3. And there was strife in the city; some said: 'We are Theodosians'; and others said: 'We are Gainites', even unto this day. 4. And when the emperor heard of these events—now there was in the city a prefect named Dioscorus, and Aristomachus, moreover, was commander of the troops—the emperor Justinian ordered the military commander to proceed to Alexandria and bring back the (holy) father Theodosius from his exile. 5. And <Aristomachus> established him in his (patriarchal) chair and sent Gainas into exile . . .231 And when he had taken possession of the Church he gave it to Paul the Chalcedonian, who had been a monk among the Tabenniosites, and he made him patriarch. 6. And joining the Chalcedonian faith, he furnished letters in his own hand (to this effect) and sent (them) to all the churches. And forthwith there arose an uproar among the Alexandrians, and they fought with one another; for there was none who supported Paul, as he was an apostate and a Nestorian. 7. And it was not only Alexandria, but every city that disapproved of him; for he was a persecutor, and loved to shed blood. And the emperor Justinian deposed this Paul from his office, as he was found committing the abominable crime of sodomy with a deacon |146 in a bath, and he appointed in his room a monk, named Zoilus of the city of Aksenja. And him also the inhabitants of the city refused to receive. 8. And Zoilus, seeing that the inhabitants of the city were hostile to him, sent a letter to the emperor Justinian, resigning the patriarchal dignity. 9. Then the emperor appointed a reader, named Apollinaris, of the convent of Salama, in the city of Alexandria. And he was o£ gentle disposition, and a member of the Theodosian party. 10. And they persuaded him to be patriarch in the place of Zoilus, and they promised him great gifts with a view to his re-establishing the faith of the Church. And Ga'inas died in exile before Theodosius.
11. And the emperor Theodosius assembled a great number of bishops from every country, and Vigilius, patriarch of Rome. And after painful exertions many accepted the orthodox faith, but others followed the wicked Nestorian and Chalcedonian creed, and of Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia. 12. And (the Council) anathematized the blasphemer Nestorius, who spoke of the two natures. Now Theodoret232 had opposed the words and teaching of our holy father Cyril. 13. And when the Nestorians had grown strong through the help of the new Marcian, i. e. Justinian, John of the city of Antioch (?)233 helped our holy father Cyril. 14. And the emperor Justinian believed in the Chalcedonian creed which says Christ had two natures in one person—while they preach Him, as they say, according to Theodoret the Nestorian, who contended against John of the city of Antioch in the Council of Chalcedon. 15. And Asturaljus the prefect wrote a letter establishing the one nature of Christ, the Word who became incarnate through union with the flesh, and submitted to the passion, and wrought true miracles : 16. And (showing) that the holy Virgin Mary bare God, Him who was crucified, one of the Holy Trinity, the Lord of glory. And this is the pure faith and the holy orthodox teaching. 17. And they wrongfully put to death the holy Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria. 18. And Justinian believed in the Chalcedonian creed, and accepted the letter of Leo which declared that Christ had two natures, distinct in all His |147 actions, as the two Nestorian bishops, i. e. Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, and Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia taught.
19. And after the visitations which God had made to fall on the country, Justinian made peace with the Persians and conquered the Vandals; 20. And these great victories have been carefully recorded by Agathias, one of the renowned scholars of the city of Constantinople, and likewise by a learned man named Procopius the patrician. He was a man of intelligence and a prefect, whose work is well known. 21. It was he (Justinian) that took all the imperial edicts of his predecessors, and duly arranged and re-edited them, and set them in the place of judgement, which went back to the ancient Romans, and they had left them as a memorial to those that came after.
CHAPTER XCIII. 1. There was a man named Romulus who had founded the great city of Rome; and likewise another who came after him named Numa, who adorned the city of Rome with institutions and laws, and subsequently established three orders in the empire. 2. And so also subsequently did the great Caesar and Augustus also after him. And it was through these that the virtues of the Romans were shown forth, and these institutions are maintained among them until this day, 3, And subsequently came the empress Theodora, the consort of the emperor Justinian, who put an end to the prostitution of women, and gave orders for their expulsion from every place.234
4. And there was a Samaritan brigand chief who assembled all the Samaritans, and raised a great war, and assumed the royal crown in the city of Nablus, and said : 'I am king.' 5. And he seduced many of his people by his lying statement when he declared: 'God hath sent me to re-establish the Samaritan kingdom'; just as <Je>roboam the son of Nebat who, reigning after the wise Solomon the son of David, seduced the people of Israel and made them serve idols.
6. And whilst he was at Nablus there were three horsemen who were leading in a race, a Christian, a Jew, and a Samaritan. And the Christian conquered in the race, and immediately dismounted and bowed his head to receive the prize. 7. And he asked saying: 'What is he who was first in the race?' And they replied: 'A |148 Christian.' And thereupon they cut off his head with the sword. 8. And for this reason they named their troops troops of the Philistines. And troops from Phoenicia, Canaan, and Arabia, and many other Christian forces, mustered and made war on that wretched Samaritan and slew him and his companions and his officers. 9. And they cut off his head and sent it to Constantinople to the emperor Justinian, in order to strengthen his empire. And (the emperor) thereupon distributed alms to the poor and wretched.
CHAPTER XCIV. 1. And there was discussion as to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and much controversy in the city of Constantinople as to its being corruptible or incorruptible. 2. And they were agitated in the city of Alexandria regarding this controversy which had arisen between the two factions, the Theodosians and the Gainians. 3. And the emperor Justinian sent to Eutychius the patriarch of the city of Constantinople at that time and asked him regarding this matter. He agreed on doctrinal views with Severus and Theodosius. 4. Accordingly, he answered and said unto him : 'The body of our Lord which submitted to suffering on behalf of our salvation is living, imperishable, incorruptible, and unchangeable. We believe that He suffered voluntarily. And after the resurrection He was incorruptible and unchangeable in all aspects and ways.' 5. But the emperor did not accept this pronouncement. Now the true solution of this question is to be found in the letter sent by the holy Cyril to Successus.235 6. But the emperor inclined to the views of Julian, a bishop of the Gainian party who had the same doctrine ; for they said : 'He was a man like us, and the holy Scriptures say : "Christ suffered for us in the body.'' ' 7. And the emperor Justinian was wroth with the patriarch Eutychius because he had not sent him a reply such as he desired, but a pronouncement like that of Severus and Anthimus ; 'These (he said) had deceived the inhabitants of Constantinople, and this (Eutychius) likewise had deceived them.' 8. And thereupon he sent a letter to Agathon the prefect of Alexandria, with orders to appoint Apollinaris, count of the Monastery of Banton,236 to be patriarch of the Chalcedonians in the city of Alexandria and the |149 other cities of Egypt. 9. But the inhabitants of this city were strongly attached to the incorruptibility dogma, and followed the teaching of our fathers, written in books, which declares : 'The holy body of our Lord was incorruptible before the resurrection, and He submitted to suffering of His own will unto death, but since the resurrection it has become immortal and impassible.' Such was the declaration of Gregory the theologian. 10. Wherefore it behoves us, touching the proposition of the incorruptibility, to set aside the salutary suffering which He endured in the body of His own free will and power, and accomplished on behalf of our salvation.
11. And the emperor Justinian deposed and exiled Eutychius the patriarch of Constantinople, and appointed John of the city of + Jûdans +,237 who promised to give the emperor an autograph letter signifying his agreement with him in the faith, and likewise to write a synodal letter. 12. But when he received the (patriarchal) dignity, he set at naught the command of the emperor and refused to write as he had promised him. He had indeed been formerly a layman, and was unacquainted with the Scriptures, and had no thorough knowledge of the holy faith; but when he became a priest he studied unintermittingly the holy Scriptures, and acquainted himself with the pains and troubles which our holy fathers sustained on behalf of Christ, and he learnt the orthodox doctrine, and forsook the perverse doctrine of the emperor. 13. Now it was this John the patriarch that wrote the Mystagogia, which set forth the one nature of Christ, the Word of God, which became flesh. And its testimony agrees with the testimony of the apostolic Athanasius who said : 'There is one hypostasis, divine and human.'
14. And a man, named Menas, who had previously been patriarch of Constantinople, wrote to Vigilius, patriarch of the city of Rome, to the following effect: 'There is only one will and one volition in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And we believe in God in perfect fear of heart, instructed as we are in the teaching of our fathers.' And all this discourse was in the hands of John, patriarch of Constantinople. 15. And so the emperor wished to depose John, |150 but, being troubled regarding this matter, because of Eutychius whom he had already driven forth without recourse to canonical judgement, he feared the outbreak of a tumult. Now while matters were in this train, the emperor Justinian died in an advanced old age in the thirty-ninth year of the reign. His consort, the empress Theodora, had died before him.
16. And the Romans deposed all the bishops. And subsequently the Romans abandoned their ancient institutions because of the heathen 238 who dwelt among them. Now the heathen concerted together and put the Romans to the sword at midday and seized the cities and a multitude of captives.
17. And the Samaritans dwelling in Palestine took up arms and rebelled. And the emperor Justinian [before he died] sent against them a monk of high rank named Photion and a numerous army under him. And he fought against them and conquered them, and put many of them to torture, and others be drove into exile, and he inspired them with a great fear.
18. And in those days there was a pestilence in all places, and a great famine, And when the emperor saw that all the nations were troubled when he published his edict on the faith in all the province of Alexandria, and stirred up a severe persecution in the land of Egypt, his mind was affected through the greatness of his grief, and he kept traversing the apartments of the palace in mental bewilderment. 19. And he longed for death but failed to find it; for God was wroth against him. And when he betrayed his madness before all the people they took from him the imperial crown, and placed it on Tiberius and made him emperor in his stead. And our Lord Jesus Christ gave power and strength to the latter. Now this Tiberius was a young man, very fair to look upon, virtuous, generous, and resolute. 20. And when he became emperor he put a stop to the persecution, and showed (due) honour to the priests and monks. And so they accused him of being a Nestorian; but their accusation was false. On the contrary, he was a very good man and never failed to show favour to the orthodox, and to those who believed in the one nature of Christ, perfect God and man of one essence, the Word that became flesh. |151 Let us worship and give praise to Him who gives help and power to kings. 21. Now this emperor never permitted any persecution throughout his reign. And he presented many gifts to all his subjects, and he built many edifices in honour of the martyrs and houses in which the monks could pursue their religious exercises, and + pulpits + and convents for the virgins. 22. And he presented many alms to the poor and destitute. And God caused peace to prevail throughout his days as a recompense for his good deeds, and preserved the imperial city through special mercies.
23. And John patriarch of Constantinople died in his reign at the close of a very prosperous career. And the emperor brought Eutychius back from exile and restored him to his (patriarchal) throne in the place of John who had died. 24. And Apollinaris bishop of the Chalcedonians died in Alexandria, and a man, named John, an ex-military man, was appointed in his stead, And he had a goodly presence and forced none to forsake his faith. But he glorified God in His Church in the midst of all the assembled people, and they gave thanks to the emperor for the noble acts he had done.
25. And Christ was with him (the emperor), and he conquered the Persians and the nations by force of arms, and he made peace with all the nations subject to him, And he died in peace in the third year of his reign. It was owing to the sins of men that his days were so few; for they were not worthy of such a Godloving emperor, and so they lost this gracious and good man. 26, Before he died he gave orders that his son-in-law, named Germanus, should be raised to the imperial throne. Now he had formerly been patrician. But owing to his humility of heart he refused to be emperor. Thereupon Maurice, who was of the province of Cappadocia, was made emperor.
CHAPTER XCV. 1. Now Maurice who became emperor in succession to the Godloving Tiberius was very avaricious. He had previously been in command in the province of the east, and had subsequently married + the daughter of Domentiolus +,239 named Constantina, and made her his wife. 2. And straightway he gave orders to the city of Constantinople that all the cavalry should muster and proceed with Commentiolus 240 to the province of the east. 241 3. And he sent also to Aristomachus in the province of Egypt. Now he was a |152 citizen of Nikiu, a son of the prefect Theodosius. And he was a proud and powerful man, and his father before he died had admonished him, saying : 'Be content with what thou hast and do not desire a different career: but be content with that which befits thee that thy soul may have peace; for thou hast wealth in abundance, sufficient for thee. ' 4. But when the child grew up he sought after the (great) things of this world, and arrayed a numerous force with + rustic + arms which attended upon him, and so forgot the advice of his father. 5. Moreover he built vessels by means of which he could visit all the cities of Egypt with pleasure and delight. And so he became proud and forced 242 all the military officers to be subject to the emperor; for he had received the command in the reign of the emperor Tiberius. 6. And by reason of this command he became more and more presumptuous, and made all the troops submit to his orders, and led a fearless life. And he posted cavalry in the city of Nikiu without any authorization of the emperor. 7. And all the troops under his command were without means, and he seized all the houses of those who were richer than he, and he esteemed them of no account. And when men of high or low degree came to him from the emperor, he let them remain at the door and did not admit them for a longtime. 8. And when the emperor Tiberius was informed, before he died, of the actions of Aristomachus, he sent to the city of Alexandria an officer named Andrew243 to effect his arrest by wise measures, avoiding the shedding of blood, and to bring him back alive to him. 9. And the emperor Tiberius likewise sent orders to all the forces in Egypt to render him assistance in the war against the barbarians. And when the message of the emperor reached Aristomachus, he proceeded to the city of Alexandria with only a few attendants; for he was not aware of the treacherous device they had prepared against him. 10. And when the patriarch and Andrew saw him, they were delighted, and got ready a light ship on the sea close at hand to the Church of St. Mark the Evangelist. Then they celebrated divine service on the 30th of Mijazja,244 the festival of St. Mark the Evangelist. 11. And at the close of the divine service, Andrew went forth accompanied by Aristomachus and |153 walked towards the seashore. And thereupon Andrew made a signal to his attendants and to the soldiers to seize Aristomachus and to cast him into the vessel. And immediately they seized him, and, bearing him on their shoulders, cast him into the vessel, without his being aware (of the reason), and loosing thence they set sail to go to the emperor. 12.
And when the gracious emperor saw him, he said: 'This face is not the face of a criminal: let us do him no injury of any kind. ' And he gave orders for him to be kept in the city of Byzantium till he had examined into his conduct. And after a few days, finding no fault in him, he restored him to his command, and sent him back to the city of Alexandria. And he was beloved by all the people. 13. And he vanquished the barbarians in the province of Nubia and Africa, who are named Mauritanians, and others named Marikos. He destroyed them and laid waste their country, and took their possessions as a booty and brought them all in chains by the river Gihon into the land of Egypt; for the engagement had taken place on the banks of the river. 14. Now the chroniclers have recounted the victory he won. And there he reflected after this manner: 'Some envious person will go to the emperor and slander me, but I will forestall him and send a message to the emperor. ' And forthwith he sent the following message: 'May I come to have interview with thee? ' And the emperor Maurice replied: 'Yes. ' 15. And he arose at once with haste, and went to the emperor, and brought him many gifts. And the latter accepted all that he presented, and thereupon appointed him prefect of the imperial city. And the empress Constantina appointed him controller of all her house and loaded him with honours, until he was second only in rank to the emperor, and he became a very great personage in the city of Byzantium. 16. And he constructed aqueducts throughout all the city, for its inhabitants complained greatly of the want of water. And he had a reservoir of bronze made for them by a clever engineer, such as had never been made previously. And so the water flowed into the reservoir of bronze which had been appointed. 17. And the city was thus delivered from disquiet through the abundant supply of water; and when a fire broke out in the city, they went to the reservoir and extinguished the fire. 18. And all the people loved and respected him. And he was fond of constructing public works, and his deeds were noble. And then there arose against him |154 certain envious persons who were foolish and aimed at delivering him over to death through their devices. And whilst they were engaged in such designs a prefect who knew astrology came forward, and likewise another person named Leon, the logothete, and, observing a star which had appeared in the heaven, they said that this star which had appeared portended the assassination of the emperor. 19. And they went and made this announcement to the empress Constantina and said unto her: 'Learn what thou shouldst do and take measures that thou and thy children may escape destruction; for this star which has appeared is a presage of a revolt against the emperor. ' 20. And they brought many accusations against Aristomachus, and they bound her by an oath not to tell the emperor. And she went at once and told the emperor. And he imagined that Aristomachus intended to slay him and take his wife. And the emperor became hostile forthwith to Aristomachus, and he robbed him of every hope, and exposed him to numerous humiliations, and sent him in exile to the island of Gaul where he had to remain till he died.
21. Now the emperor Maurice welcomed many false, turbulent persons, owing to his greed for money. And he sold all the grain of Egypt and converted it into gold, and likewise the grain for Byzantium he sold for gold. 22. And every one hated him and said : 'How is it that the city of Constantinople puts up with such a wicked emperor? And how is it that five sons and two daughters have been born to one who has wrought such wickedness to the end of his reign ?'
23. And Hormisdas, named Chosroes, the king of Persia at that epoch, was the son of the great Cabades. It is said that his father had been a Christian, and believed in Christ our true God, but that through fear of the Persians had concealed his true faith. 24. But in his latter days he had gone into a bath with faithful attendants, and after he had been exhorted and admonished by a Christian bishop regarding the faith he was to believe in secret, he renounced Satan whom he had worshipped and was baptized in a font belonging to the bath in the name of the Holy Trinity. 25. And when he was baptized he gave orders for the destruction of the font in which he had been baptized. Then he took his son Hormisdas and made him king in his stead. 26. This unhappy man was addicted to the worship of demons; moreover he compelled the Christians to |155 worship fire and the sun. And the horses also that pastured on grass were objects of his worship.
CHAPTER XCVI. 1. And there was once a noble woman who was a Nestorian and she was called in the Persian language Golanduch.245 And as she journeyed by sea, she was seized by the Persians and cast into prison. 2. And they put a chain246 upon her neck after the manner of the Assyrians, and when a prisoner died, the (jailers) showed the king the chain still locked upon his neck. 3. Now while she was so situated an angel appeared to her and addressed her, and seized the chain that was upon her neck, and removed it without unlocking it, and placed it with the jailers in order that they might suffer no injury at the hands of their judges. 4. And she heard a mighty voice which said unto her: 'It is for the sake of the orthodox faith of our Lord Jesus Christ that thou hast been delivered.' And she arose and fled and she came to the territory of Rome, and abode in the city of Hierapolis on the river Euphrates. 5. And she went and recounted to the metropolitan Domitian all that had befallen her. Now he was the son <of the paternal uncle> 247 of the emperor Maurice, and he went and told the emperor regarding this woman whom we have already mentioned. 6. And he gave orders that they should conduct her to him, and he prevailed on her to forsake the Nestorian faith and become a believer in the orthodox Christian faith. And she believed as he told her.
7. And our Lord Jesus Christ, though long-suffering and beneficent, did not remain indifferent and unmoved regarding the persecution which was brought upon His saints by Hormisdas the king of Persia. 8. And God was roused to anger against him and his house was destroyed from the top to the bottom, and the king's son, the new Chosroes,248 arose and slew him.
And she believed as he told her. 7. And our Lord Jesus Christ, though long-suffering and beneficent, did not remain indifferent and unmoved regarding the persecution which was brought upon His saints by Hormisdas the king of Persia. 8. And God was roused to anger against him and his house was destroyed from the top to the bottom, and the king's son, the new Chosroes,248 arose and slew him.
9. And at the time of the emperor's death there were grave dissensions amongst the troops, and two parties were formed. And when the younger249 Chosroes saw what had befallen, he took to flight and reached the Roman territory. And having made himself known to the Roman officials, he sent ambassadors to the emperor Maurice with the request that he should be permitted to remain under the Roman sway, and that he should make war on the |156 Persians and seize their kingdom, and make it (part of) the Roman empire. 10. And the emperor Maurice betook himself to John, patriarch of the city of Constantinople, in order to deliberate with him. And this John was an ascetic and eat no (animal ?) food whatever, and drank no wine, but supported himself sufficiently on the produce of the field and on green vegetables. 11. And there came together to him all the magistrates and officers in order to deliberate with him regarding Chosroes, king of Persia, who had come to them. 12. And John cried aloud to them all and said unto them : 'This man who has murdered his father cannot benefit the empire. Nay it is Christ, our true God, who will war on our behalf at all times against all the nations that attack us. And as for this man who has not been faithful to his father, how will he be faithful to the Roman empire.' 13. But the emperor Maurice did not accept the advice of the patriarch wherewith he advised him, and likewise his officers, and he wrote forthwith to Domitian, (the son of) his father's brother, who was bishop of Melitene, and to Narses, commander of the forces in the east, and commanded him to take all the Roman troops and set out and establish Chosroes, king of Persia, and to annihilate all his adversaries. 14. And he gave them the royal insignia and magnificent garments befitting his rank. Now this Chosroes used to go to Golanduch to ask her if he should become king of Persia or not. And she said unto him : 'Thou shalt conquer and shalt certainly become king of the Persians and the Magi; but the Roman empire has been given to the emperor Maurice.'
14. And he gave them the royal insignia and magnificent garments befitting his rank. Now this Chosroes used to go to Golanduch to ask her if he should become king of Persia or not. And she said unto him : 'Thou shalt conquer and shalt certainly become king of the Persians and the Magi; but the Roman empire has been given to the emperor Maurice. '
15. And Narses did as he had commanded, and he conducted the accursed Chosroes back to the Persians, and he made war upon them, and conquered them, and delivered the kingdom of the Magi into the hand of this wretch. 16. And when he was established on the throne he proved ungrateful to the Romans, who had been his benefactors, and devised evil against the Romans. 17. And all the magicians assembled by night in his house in order to prepare poison to put in the food of the Roman troops and in the food of their horses, with a view to destroying them all together with their commander Narses. 18. But our Lord Jesus Christ inspired the hearts of the members of the court with pity, and they went and disclosed the matter to Narses the Roman commander. When he was acquainted with this plot he gave orders to all the troops, and |157 said unto them : 'When they offer you food do not eat it, but give it to the dogs, and as for the fodder give it to other animals.' 19. And when the dogs had eaten they burst asunder in the midst, and the cattle died. And when Narses saw this he was very wroth against Chosroes, and arose forthwith and marched and brought back the Roman forces to their rulers (?). And all the Romans hated the emperor Maurice because of the calamities which had befallen in his days.
' 19. And when the dogs had eaten they burst asunder in the midst, and the cattle died. And when Narses saw this he was very wroth against Chosroes, and arose forthwith and marched and brought back the Roman forces to their rulers (? ). And all the Romans hated the emperor Maurice because of the calamities which had befallen in his days.
CHAPTER XCVII. 1. There were three brothers in a city, in the north of Egypt, named Aikelah, i. e. Zawja. And the names of the three brothers were Abaskiron, Menas, and Jacob. 2. Now this Abaskiron was the eldest, and he was a Nasaha.250 And he had a son named Isaac. 3. Now John the prefect of the city of Alexandria had made them governors over many cities in Egypt. Their own city Aikelah was near the city of Alexandria. 4. And these four men were in the enjoyment of great wealth, but not being able to bear (it) they attacked the Blue Faction, and sacked the two cities of Bena and Busir, without the permission of the governor of the province. Now the latter was a good, excellent, and chaste man. 5. And these four men whom we have already mentioned, shed much blood, and burnt the city of Busir and the public bath. And the governor of the city of Busir fled by night; for the inhabitants of the city of Aikelah wished to kill him. 6. And he succeeded in making his escape from them, and proceeded to the city of Byzantium to the emperor Maurice, shedding many tears, and he informed him of the death which the four men had prepared for him. And a second dispatch came to the emperor from the governor of the city of Alexandria announcing these events. 7. And when the emperor Maurice was apprised of these things, he was very wroth, and gave orders to John the prefect of the city of Alexandria to remove them from (their) office. Now these men mustered a large force of daring men provided with horses and swords and weapons of war, and they seized a large number of ships, in which grain was carried to the city of Alexandria, and there arose a great famine in the city. And (its inhabitants) suffered greatly and sought to kill the prefect John. But the faithful who loved Christ fought on his behalf because of his good conduct. |158