Anonymous

must be numbered the commander of the Tana triremes, Diedo, whom, alongside the author of these Ephemerides and the commander of the fleet, the Genoese prefect of Pera later set free, as well as the one who reached the sea by breaking the chain of the harbor with his trireme. Furthermore, the trireme of Gerolamo Morosini escaped—as did the Trapezuntine, under the command of Dolphinus, who had succeeded to the post and who, on the 28th of April, had lost some of his men—along with the trireme of Gabriel Trevisanus, who had been captured by the Turks, and the three Cretan ships which escaped due to the absence of the Turks, who were dispersed in the upper regions of the city. Less is known regarding the ships of the Genoese that were saved, and the five imperial vessels that were left bare and fell as booty to the enemy. Mention is briefly made of the Venetian prefect who was handed over for execution. The number of captives, as Barbaro writes, is 60,000; the booty taken by the Turks is 200,000.

ANONYMOUS NARRATIVE ON THE LIFE OF MOHAMMED

^B The thrice-cursed and godless Mohammed—who among the Hagarenes, his subjects, is called Mahomet and is considered a great prophet and honored by them as if he were God—appeared in the days of Emperor Heraclius, having been born in a part of Ethiopia to Ethiopian parents. He grew up and progressed to this point, advancing for the worst in truth, in the following manner. A certain monk named Gerasimus, an extreme Arian and, as they say, a *Pneumatomachus*, hailing from Isauria—having been raised in Constantinople and in the city of the Romans, and having been pressured many times by those of the faith to renounce Arianism and the other heresies by which he was held—was not persuaded. Consequently, so that he might not be a scandal of perdition to many, he, being otherwise wise, was exiled by the Orthodox to the regions of Coele-Syria. Living there in a certain cave beside the royal road to beg for his sustenance, since he was shunned, he occupied himself for the most part with astronomy and the method of horoscopy. ^C Seeing those passing by, he saw one day, along with other travelers, a certain young man—the aforementioned Mahomet driving a few camels—who was descending from Mesopotamia for trade in Jerusalem. For this same Mohammed, having been orphaned while quite young, used to go around to every door, being fed by the leftovers of others. A certain widow, a very wealthy woman named Fatuma, seeing him, took him into her house to raise, and would send him to graze her own camels. Having reached manhood, the woman, having fallen in love with him, cohabited with him in fornication. When she was discovered, and wishing to escape the disgrace of the many, she openly made him her husband. She gave him a portion of her property and sent him out for trade. She was, however, distressed in another way, because he was subject to falling, which constantly caused her not a little disgrace; therefore, she ordered him to seek and inquire, wherever he might happen to arrive, if he could find some physician and healer to free him from the affliction. ^D Therefore, the aforementioned monk, sitting on the road and seeing Mohammed traveling, asked him from what city he was coming; after many questions, he asked him for what reason he was waiting by the road. But as the one questioned the other, once Mohammed heard, along with the others, that he occupied himself also with the medical art, he became, as it were, overjoyed; and, reporting his own falling sickness—since he heard that the monk was able to free him from such an affliction—he gave him a portion for his expenses, saying as he left: "Upon my return from Jerusalem, I shall take you up with me to my house in Mesopotamia for the sake of my own and many others' medical treatment, since the land is entirely lacking a physician, in order to collect money and lead a relaxed and painless life." Having descended to Jerusalem and conversed with some of the heretics—and especially with Jews and Nestorians, as he was very fond of learning, but indeed also with wise Jews...

σοφοῖς ^A περιτυχών, καὶ διδαχθεὶς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων μὲν μοναρ..., ἀπὸ Πνευματομάχων δὲ πνευματομαχίαν, ἐξ Ἡμεροβαπτιστῶν δὲ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην λούεσθαι, ἐπὶ ἀφέσει δῆθεν τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, κακῶς ἐξηγουμένων τὴν τοῦ Ἡσαΐου φωνήν, τὸ, «λούσασθε καὶ καθαροὶ γίνεσθε», ἐκ δὲ Νεστοριανῶν αὖ καὶ Ἀρειανῶν τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ Θεὸν τὸν Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ προφήτην μέγαν ἐλθόντα ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ κόσμου, ταύτας καὶ ἄλλας τῶν ἀσεβῶν σπορὰς συλλεξάμενος ἐκεῖθεν, νέος ὢν καὶ πυρσολάτρης ἔτι, ἐν τῷ ἐπανακάμπτειν αὐτὸν δυσὶ περιτυχὼν Ἰουδαίοις μετερχομένοις τὴν ἰατρικὴν συνοδοιπόροις τούτῳ ἐς Μεσοποταμίαν εἶναι προσειποῦσι, καὶ περιχαρὴς γεγονώς, ὡς μέλλων καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἰατρευθῆναι, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι διισχυρίσαντο, ἤνυε τὴν ὁδὸν μετὰ αὐτῶν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ τόπῳ γενόμενοι, ἔνθα τὸν ῥηθέντα μοναχὸν εὗρεν οἰκοῦντα παρὰ τὴν ^B ὁδὸν, ἀνελόμενος αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν σύνθημα καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καμήλου τοῦτον ἀναβιβάσας ἤνυον τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν· κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀναδιδάξαντες αὐτὸν ὁ μὲν μοναχὸς τελείως τὸν Ἀρειανισμόν, οἱ δὲ Ἑβραῖο τὴν περιτομὴν, ὡς σύνθημα ποιησάμενοι μετ' αὐτοῦ, ἑλέσθαι τὴν ἑαυτῶν θρησκείαν τὸν Μωάμεδ, μόνον εἰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἰατρευθείη. Ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ τοίνυν τούτου πατρίδι, τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ ἀνασωθέντες, λαβὼν τὸν μοναχὸν καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἐξένισεν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον, δοὺς τῷ μοναχῷ ἰδίως οἶκον σμικρότατον ἐγγὺς τοῦ αὐτοῦ οἴκου εἰς τὸ καταμένειν. Πολλῶν δὲ φιλονεικιῶν γεγονυιῶν μετ' ἀλλήλων, τοῦ μοναχοῦ μετὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ αἱ ἐκείνων πρὸς αὐτὸν διισχυριζομένων, καὶ ἀμφοτέρων, ὡς ἄρα ὁ Μωάμεδ ἐδιδάχθη τὴν σφετέραν θρησκείαν, ὁ μοναχὸς ἠθέλησε τοῦ Μωάμεδ χωρισθῆναι. Ὡς δὲ παρεκλήθη προσμεῖναι καὶ ὅ, ἂν αὐτὸς εἴπῃ πρᾶξαι, θεμάτιον ὁ μοναχὸς ποιησάμενος περὶ τοῦ Μωάμεδ, καὶ εὑρὼν ἐν αὐτῷ ὡς μέγας γενήσεται Μωάμεδ καὶ αὐξήσει, εἰ αἵρεσίν τινα καὶ θρησκείαν ἐπαναλάβηται, προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν Μωάμεδ, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· «Εἰ ἀκούσεις μου τῆς συμβουλῆς, ὅσον οὔπω μέγας γενήσῃ». Τοῦ δὲ ὑπακούειν συνθεμένου, ἔφη αὐτῷ· «Ὅτε πίπτων εἰς τὴν γῆν σεληνιάζῃ, ἀνιστάμενος λέγε, ὅτι τὸν ἄγγελον Γαβριὴλ ὁρῶν πρὸς ἐμὲ ἐρχόμενον καὶ ὁμιλοῦντα, μὴ δυνάμενος ἀντοφθαλμῆσαι τῇ λαμπρότητι τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, πίπτω, ὡς ὁρᾶτε, ἐς γῆν». Καὶ ὁ μοναχὸς, ἰδὼν τοὺς ἐγχωρίους τελείως βαρβάρους καὶ δεισιδαίμονας καὶ ἑτοίμους δέξασθαι ἃς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐρεῖν φλυαρίας ἐσκαιωρήσατο, ἔλεγε τοῖς παροῦσι καὶ ὁρῶσι τὸν δαιμονιζόμενον· «Θεωρεῖτε ἃ γίνεται, βλέπων τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὁ Μωάμεδ ἔνθεος γίνεται». Ὡς δὲ ἀνίστατο οὗτος, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑποθήκην τοῦ μοναχοῦ ἔλεγεν ὡς ἄγγελον θεωρῶν πίπτει, ὁ δὲ μοναχὸς προφήτην τοῦτον ἐκάλει, πλανῶν τοὺς ἀκούοντας. Ὡς δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ Μωάμεδ ἤχθετο, ὡς ^C καταφάγοι τὸν αὐτῆς ἅπαντα πλοῦτον, ὁ μοναχὸς ἀπολογούμενος αὐτῇ ἔλεγε· «Μὴ δυσχέραινε, καθότι ὁ Μαχούμετ μέγας προφήτης ἐστί». Ἀκούουσα δὲ ταῦτα καὶ πιστεύουσα, οἷα γυνή, ταῖς ἄλλαις τῶν γυναικῶν ἐνουθέτει καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν, ὡς ὅτι μέγας προφήτης ἐστὶν ὁ Μωάμεδ· ἐκ δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν εἰς ἄνδρας διελθοῦσα ἡ πλάνη, βαρβάρους ὄντας καὶ λίαν ἀμαθεῖς, ἐπιστεύετο εἶναι ὁ ῥηθεὶς προφήτης Θεοῦ. Ὡς δὲ εἶδεν ὁ μοναχὸς προκόπτον τὸ αὐτοῦ βούλημα, ᾠήθη δεῖν καὶ πίστιν καὶ νόμον ἐκείνοις δοῦναι ἐπὶ συστάσει δῆθεν τοῦ Ἀρειανισμοῦ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν αἱρέσεων, ὧν εἵνεκα ἐξόριστος ἦν· καὶ καθίσας ἔγραψε βιβλίον, τὸ λεγόμενον Κοῤῥάν, ὅ ἐστι Θεοῦ νόμος, ἐγκατασπείρας ἐν αὐτῷ ἅπασαν τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσέβειαν, διδάσκων μὴ ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν μήτε Λόγον μήτε Πνεῦμα, καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν οὐ Θεὸν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μέγαν προφήτην, καὶ ἄλλας πλείστας φλυαρίας συνεγράψατο· δοὺς δὲ τῷ ἰδίῳ μαθητῇ Μωάμεδ, ἐξεφώνησε τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ἐκείνοις κατεληλυθέναι τῷ Μαχούμετ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου Γαβριὴλ κοιμωμένῳ· οἱ δὲ ἐπίστευον οὕτως ἔχειν, ὡς ὁ μοναχὸς ἡσφαλίσατο περὶ τοῦ νέου νόμου. Οἱ δὲ προῤῥηθέντες Ἰουδαῖοι δυσχεράναντες τῷ Μωάμεδ καὶ μὴ θέλοντες αὐτὸν λατρεύειν ὡς μὴ ἐξακολουθήσαντα τῇ αὐτῶν θρησκείᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ ταῖς ὑποθήκαις τοῦ μοναχοῦ, θέλων καὶ αὐτοὺς ἱκανοποιῆσαι, παρεδέξατο ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν ἠθῶν τήν τε περιτομὴν καὶ τὸ ὑπονομάζειν μόνον τοὺς προφήτας· τὰ δὲ γεγραμμένα ὑπό τε Μωσέως καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν προφητῶν, ὡς τῷ μοναχῷ ἔδοξε, πέπραχε περὶ τούτων. Τούτων οὕτως γενομένων καὶ τῶν ἐγχωρίων πιστευσάντων τῷ νέῳ νόμῳ τοῦ Μωάμεδ, ἀποροῦντες ἀρχῆς, ἐξ ὑποθήκης τοῦ μοναχοῦ ἄρχοντα τοῦτον ἑαυτοῖς ἐποιήσαντο, ὡς εἶναι ὁμοῦ καὶ νομοθέτην καὶ προφήτην καὶ βασιλέα· τότε καὶ στρατιωτικὸν σύστημα ποιησάμενος, ἐληίζετο τὰς πέριξ κωμοπόλεις. Ἀκουσθεὶς δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἡρακλείῳ, ἀπέστειλε στρατὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ παραγενόμενοι οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκεῖσε ἄρδην τοὺς ὑπουργοὺς Μωάμεδ ἀποκτείνουσιν· αὐτὸς δὲ φυγὼν μετ' ὀλίγων τινῶν στέλλει πρὸς βασιλέα πρεσβείαν, καλῶν ἑαυτὸν δοῦλον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀξιῶν ἵνα ἐάσῃ τοῦτον ἀναπαύεσθαι ἐν ἑνὶ μέρει τῆς Αἰθιοπίας, διδόναι τῷ βασιλεῖ φόρον· ὁ δὲ πεισθεὶς εἴασε. ^D Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν Ἡρακλείου, συγχύσεων οὐκ ὀλίγων παρὰ τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν γεγονυιῶν, εὑρὼν ὁ Μωάμεδ ἄδειαν ἐληίζετο τὴν Συρίαν· εἶτα ἐξ ὀλίγου ἢ ἐκ μηδενὸς εἰς πολὺ ἀποκαταστὰς διὰ τὰς ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίας, διέφθειρε τὸ πολὺ τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον οἱ διάδοχοι αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ὑπόλοιπον τελείως ἀπώλεσαν καὶ διέφθειραν καὶ ἠφάνισαν. Τοῦτο μὲν ἐν συνάψει εἴρηται περὶ τούτου ἅπαν τὸ ἀληθές. Τέλος.