BOOK VII. ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, BY SIMEON THE LOGOTHETE, FROM VARIOUS CHRONICLES AND HISTORIES.
A 1. On Light.
God eternal, bringing forth into time this world which did not exist before, "in the beginning created heaven and earth." With the earth, there subsisted simultaneously water and fire; and a clear proof of this is that from stone and iron, which are earthy, abundant fire leaps forth (and from springs and wells, rich water is poured forth). For since the earth itself was brought into existence from nothing, clearly so too were those things within it. All things, therefore, were made according to the will of God. But since the heaven, having been stretched out like a tent, darkened the space left behind, God said: "Let there be light," and straightway by the Word, this most beautiful substance of light was brought forth. It dissipated the darkness that had occurred due to the interposition of the celestial body and immediately revealed as most brilliant the air that had been obscure for this reason. That everything that existed before the constitution of this world was in light is evident; for neither the choirs of angels, nor all the heavenly hosts dwelt in darkness, but they fulfill the ministry appropriate to them in light and in all spiritual joy, from which they themselves were also brought into existence from nothing. Now, because that light, for the aforementioned reason, was enclosed above, God subsequently created the light that now shines and illuminates the interval between heaven and earth. These things were done on the first day of the creation of the world. On this day, therefore, Moses says in the *Microgenesis* that the heavenly powers were created.
C II. On the Firmament.
On the second day, when the immense and infinite abyss surrounded the earth, God commanded a "firmament" to be made in the midst of the waters, which He later called "heaven." And simultaneously with the command, the work was completed; and that work was called "firmament" because of the nature of the waters above or even below, which was thin and rare; but "heaven" because it seems comparable to a hide stretched out over one's head.
III. On the sea.
A On the third day, He commanded the waters gathered beneath the firmament to flow together into "one congregation," which He also called "sea," in order that the dry land might appear. Thus, certain deep hollows, having been formed, received it; and the earth was called dry land, for that name is adapted to its nature, since the earth is, properly speaking, dry. When it was relieved of the weight of the waters held within it, it was subsequently commanded to bring forth green herb, and seed according to its kind, and fruit-bearing wood. Immediately, being stirred toward fructification, it produced the myriad kinds of plants and vegetation, and appeared fair and delightful. For it was made beautiful not only by the production of crops, but was sufficiently adorned by cedars and cypresses along with a multitude of other trees that sprang up from it spontaneously.IV. On the luminaries.
Again, on the fourth day, He said that luminaries should come into existence; and there came to be the sun, and the moon, and the stars, as He who commanded wished. And that purest light which was created on the first day, He measured out among these heavenly bodies on that day, and provided a manifold utility to the world from them. The first is that they shine with their own splendor and abundantly illuminate the whole world; the second is that by their rising and setting they measure the times; B and the third is that, through certain signs, they benefit in various ways those who contemplate them piously and do not pry into them beyond measure, such as are often signified by the moon. For when it is thin and clear in its rays during the day, it proclaims stable fair weather; but when it appears thick-horned and reddish, it signifies that a violent rain or storm from the clouds is to follow. Likewise, when the sun becomes coal-colored and blood-red in its rays or brightness, it indicates that violent commotions are about to happen. Often, therefore, many sailors, farmers, and travelers have been helped by such signs.V. On fishes and flying creatures.
On the fifth day, God commanded the waters to "bring forth the reptile of living souls, and the winged creature flying under the firmament of heaven." And along with the command, the work was perfected, since the waters had the power of producing living souls. For immediately the sea brought forth various kinds of swimming creatures, and rivers and lakes were filled with fish C compliant with the nature proper to them. Again, the waters brought forth winged creatures, which have a certain conformity and affinity with the swimming things. For just as fish proceed in the waters by the movement of their fins, and govern their straight paths by the frequent turning of their tails, so too do the birds swim in the air, cleaving it and penetrating wherever they wish. DVI. On beasts and wild animals.
A On the sixth day, the earth was commanded to bring forth a living soul according to its kind: quadrupeds, reptiles, and beasts. And immediately it brought forth both wild and tame animals. It was commanded to bring forth a living soul so that from this the difference between the irrational soul and the human soul might be understood. For the soul of the irrational animals was generated from the earth, whereas the soul of men was formed by the divine breath. And that the soul of irrational animals is earthly may be known again from the Scripture itself, for it is said: "The soul of every beast is its blood." Now, blood coagulating is transformed into flesh, and corrupt flesh is dissolved into the earth. Therefore, the soul of the brute is truly earthly.
VII. On the formation of man.
B When all things had finally been adorned with their appropriate beauty—the heavens with the splendors of the stars, the sea and air with fish and birds, and the earth with the C manifold varieties of plants and cattle—the Maker of all things brought man into the world as if he were a king, whom He created last, not as an outcast, but so that he might reign from his very birth. For what does the Scripture say? "And God said: Let us make man to our image and likeness, and let him preside over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth." And while all other creatures were brought forth by a word alone, man had something exceptional in his formation compared to these. For he was created after a prior counsel, so that it might be shown from this that he is something precious. For that "Let us make man to our image and likeness" signifies nothing else but that the Father used his only-begotten Son as a counselor in his formation, who is, according to the Apostle, "the splendor of glory and the figure of his substance." For he could not have used any other counselor than his living and personal Word, who is his immutable image, consubstantial and coequal. Twenty-two works, as Moses says, God fashioned within six days: thus there are twenty-two letters, and as many books among the Hebrews, and twenty-two generations from Adam to Jacob.
VIII. On the phrase, "To the image."
D Since, therefore, as has been said, man was introduced into the world as a king, it follows consistently that he was made to the image of God. For it was necessary that he who was to rule over others should be a living image and likeness of the King, not manifesting his dignity in purple, scepter, and diadem—since the Archetype himself does not shine forth in these—but in being adorned with incorruption, immortality, and virtue. For, ennobled by these, man preserves the image and likeness of the exemplar.
A Moreover, it B C D clearly demonstrates the free will, the royal dignity, the sublimity, and the conformity of human nature with the divine image. And for this reason, man was fashioned by the hands of God because of the dignity of his formation; for the whole was worked out by divine counsel. Then, after this formation, what does the Scripture say? A "And God finished on the sixth day his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day... and he sanctified it, because in it he had rested from all his work which God had created to do." B
IX. On the Sabbath.
Why did God bless the seventh day alone, and not all of them? Because each of the others received a blessing from the work performed in it; but the seventh, with no work performed in it, was for that reason blessed by God.
X. On Paradise.
Again, Scripture says: "And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and he placed there the man whom he had formed. And the Lord God caused to spring forth from the ground every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Proposing to honor the rational substance, God prepares a splendid dwelling place, full of all delight, and establishes Adam there. And in this place, indeed, it is necessary here to wonder at the ineffable kindness of God, that he who possesses absolute authority and eternal power over the universe made himself a gardener for the sake of man. For he who created with a word such a magnitude of heaven and earth and sea was much more able to plant a paradise with a word and to fix the all-blessed grounds with roots by a single command; but, as it has been said, out of honor for man, he who without labor had brought this world from non-being into existence by his will alone becomes, in a certain mystical sense, a gardener.
XI. On the Naming of Animals.
Scripture adds: "And God brought all the animals, and the beasts of burden, and the reptiles D to Adam, to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called them, that was its name." Here, too, one must marvel at the dignity of man, which he possessed immediately from his very birth. For Adam sat as a kind of master of the herd; and God led to him the myriad kinds of wild beasts, beasts of burden, and birds, in order to establish him as king—he whom he had formed according to his own image. And he, being inspired by a divine and prophetic spirit...
A imposed proper names upon each of the irrational creatures; and the animals, as if having received a great honor from this naming, departed in pairs.
XII. Concerning the formation of the woman.
Since there was nothing among all these kinds similar to Adam, God said again, as the Scripture says: "It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make for him a helper corresponding to him." By "helper," he means the female, for the sake of procreation, intended to assist the husband for the increase and preservation of the race. And again it adds: "And God cast a trance upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh instead of it, and built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman." B The aim of the aforementioned Scripture is this: God, who made all things in wisdom, having decided to give Adam a helper corresponding to him, as He had promised, did not form the female from the earth, as He had the man, but rather He turned him into a sleep, having cast a heavy lethargy of spirit upon his mind and inviting the eyes of his soul to an insatiable vision, so that, being captivated by the fantasy of such beauty, he would not know what was occurring. Then He takes one of his ribs without exertion, having brought no sense of pain to him; and immediately, as a skillful craftsman and physician, He filled the remainder with flesh. For while He was gladdening his soul with the insatiable divine pleasure, He built the rib which He had taken into a woman, having mystically formed her into a rational animal, C adorned with incalculable beauty and a most seemly shape, and brings her to Adam. Then he, being a partaker of the divine spirit, knowing that she was from himself, says: "This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of her husband." Adam, therefore, looking upon the woman, did not feel as one looking at a woman, but as one looking at himself, he spiritually rejoiced, seeing this one similar in form to himself. In like manner also the woman, observing the man, greatly exulted, considering herself to be similar to him. D Therefore, as they were dwelling in the paradise of delight, God gives them a law as a benefit, to show that their nature was free and possessed of its own will, and at the same time to show that they were subject to the Master and Guardian, saying as follows: "From every tree in the paradise you shall eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat; for on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die by death," meaning, you shall be mortal. For thus Symmachus also interpreted it: "On the day that you eat from the tree, you shall be mortal."
A
XIII. Concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Let no one imagine that the tree was of such a nature as to provide knowledge of good and evil—for surely nothing harmful existed in paradise—but the boundary was set on the plant for the exercise of freedom. And that the tree did not become the cause of knowledge for Adam is clear: for the commandment was given as to those who already knew both, good and evil, obedience and disobedience, so that the knowledge preceded the commandment. It was given, as has been said, so that since the human being was moved by a power of free will, and had the freedom to partake from all the other trees, but was commanded by law to abstain from only one, he might acknowledge that he was under the authority of Him who had given the commandment. Adam and Eve, therefore, lived in this most pure place, enjoying in abundance the variety of immortal flowers.B
XIV. Concerning the devil and the serpent.
But the enemy of our nature, envying the great dignity of man and inciting jealousy within himself, undertook a war against him. He entered into the serpent and stood by the woman when Adam was absent, and cleverly turned her away from the good, and through her deceived Adam as well, making them both transgressors of the divine law. For Scripture says regarding this: "The serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals of the earth that the Lord God had made." The serpent was called "cunning" because he was about to deceive the human being, a rational animal and one excelling the others in intelligence. Then it adds, "And the serpent said to the woman, 'Why did God say, You shall not eat from any tree of paradise?'" And the woman said to the serpent, "'We eat from every tree of paradise; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the paradise, God said, You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" C But did the serpent indeed use articulated speech? By no means; but the first-formed beings, being immune to all malice, had most acute senses, far superior to ours, so that their hearing could perceive any voice whatsoever. It is also said that animals and beasts of burden were once of a single tongue, but when Adam was condemned, they then became mute; the serpent was deprived of its feet and crawled upon the ground, and poison was placed upon its tongue. Then Scripture continues, "The serpent said to the woman, 'You shall not surely die, for God knows that on whatever day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.'" D Therefore the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to look upon, and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave to her husband, and...they ate, and the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. A
XV. On that which is said: “The eyes of both were opened.”
It was not because the first-created beings were then first beginning to see that it was said, “The eyes of both were opened”; for it is shown that they were seeing even before they ate, since it is said: “And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and beautiful to the eyes to look upon.” Rather, it means that they had cast away their innocence through the transgression, and it rendered their nakedness a matter of indifference. It was said, however, that “the eyes of both were opened.” For every eye is accustomed to be urged by the reason toward those things which it beholds, for of itself it has no understanding; so that often, when the mind is occupied with other matters, we pass by certain things, even though they are very easy to know, as if we were blind; and when we are accused of this, we defend ourselves by pleading the preoccupation of the mind. Thus, therefore, Adam and Eve were awakened by the sensation of the mind toward the act of seeing; for the words, “They knew B that they were naked,” signify the revelation that occurred in the mind, not an opening of the eyes. Furthermore, add this: that before their disobedience, since there was no place for the procreation of children, no covering for their nakedness had been given by God, but they lived as if they were without flesh, not yet being excited to carnal affections. But after disobedience brought in mortality, it was fitting that shame for one another should thereafter be placed in them, and finally they perceived the difference in their sexes, provided for by God for the necessity of the succession of generations.
XVI. Concerning the leaves of the fig tree.
Therefore, Adam and Eve, perceiving that they were naked after the sin, made themselves coverings from the leaves of the fig tree, C hinting by this tree at the nature of sin. For just as the fruit of the fig is sweet, but the leaf is rough and most bitter, so every sin in the act seems sweet, but after the act, it brings pain to him who committed it. What then does Scripture say again? “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the paradise in the evening, and Adam and his wife hid themselves in the midst of the trees of paradise.” Having come to a consciousness of their fault after their daring act, they were seized by a fear of the Judge, and sought to hide from the all-seeing eye, and they shrank from His approach and avoided His presence. Seeing them thus shaken by fear, God, as D a tender-hearted father, calls out and says: “Adam, Adam, where art thou?” And he said to Him: “I heard Thy voice walking in the paradise, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself.”
XVII. On the condemnation of the first-created man and the serpent.
A It was possible, then, to see the field of Paradise, once abounding in delights, now turned into a tribunal and a most harsh and terrible seat of judgment. For God, bringing the accused and the tempter into the midst, and finding the serpent to have been the seducer, and Eve the one seduced, imposed upon each the fitting punishment. For, declaring the serpent accursed, He condemned it to crawl upon its breast and belly and to eat earth instead of edible food; He decreed that Eve should have sorrow as her companion and bring forth children in pains; and He condemned Adam to eat bread in the sweat of his face until he should return to the earth from which he was taken. Then again the Scripture says: “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of skins, and clothed them; and God said: Behold, Adam has become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” Why is man cast out of Paradise, and why is he clothed in coats of skins? It is possible, therefore, from what has been said, to think that man was able to live for ages even after the transgression; wherefore, B lest the evil in man should be immortal, God declared him mortal, clothing him in the mortal exuvium. For these coats of skins signify this, derived from the mortality of animals, so that through the dissolution of the body and the bond, all sin might be utterly abolished.XVIII. On the text: “Behold, Adam has become as one of us.”
It was said by God: “Behold, Adam has become as one of us, to know good and evil,” not because he had progressed through disobedience to the knowledge of virtue and vice, but because he had been so created from the beginning. For the Scripture had said previously: “God made man; to the image of God He made him.” But he who is formed to the image of God, it is manifest that he already had the notion of good and evil infused into his nature. Therefore, so that he might not use his own free will and take of the tree of life and become an immortal evildoer, he was cast out with Eve C into the land of his creation. For what does the divine Scripture say after all these things? “And the Lord God sent him out of the paradise of delight to till the earth from which he was taken; and He cast out Adam, and made him dwell over against the paradise of delight, and commanded the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turns about to guard the way to the tree of life.”XIX. On the Cherubim and the sword.
D After man had been cast out of the blessed region, invincible [index: entries preserved]unguards and exceedingly terrible ones were appointed to guard the way to the tree of life, so that no one might henceforth dare to cross that place with profane steps. For a flaming sword was placed there, so that anyone approaching, being composed of matter, might be consumed by fire and immediately perish. The sword turns, so that in the regeneration, when man shall again become an inhabitant of paradise, it may illuminate the righteous who pass through into the divine region of immortality, but consume the unrighteous, if they should approach. A Furthermore, the earth brought forth everything spontaneously before the transgression of Adam; but after the sin, the earth B was commanded to bring forth nothing without toil. Having therefore gone out of paradise with Eve and come together with her, Adam begat Cain, and then Abel.
BOOK VIII
XX. A compendium of history from Adam to the present time.
[α'] Adam begat Seth, Seth begat Enos, Enos begat Cainan, Cainan begat Malaleel, Malaleel begat Jared, Jared begat Henoch, Henoch begat Mathusale, Mathusale begat Lamech, Lamech begat Noe, Noe begat Sem. C There are, therefore, from Adam to the flood 2242 years.
[β'] After the flood, however, Sem the son of Noe begat Arphaxad, Arphaxad begat Cainan, Cainan begat Sale, Sale begat Heber, Heber begat Phaleg, Phaleg begat Ragau. In the days of Phaleg the earth was divided; in his time the building of the tower took place. After Phaleg, Ragau begat Sarug, Sarug begat Nachor, Nachor begat Thare, Thare begat Abraham. In total, the years (from Adam to Abraham) are 3312 years.
[γ'] Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Levi, Levi begat Caath, Caath begat Amram, D Amram begat Moses the prophet. Moses leads the people out of Egypt. From Abraham to the exodus, 519 years.
[index: entries preserved]
A From the exodus of the sons of Israel to David, 641 years.
[ɛ] David (being the king) begat Solomon, having held the kingdom for 40 years. Solomon begat Roboam, having reigned 40 years. Roboam reigned 17 years, (Abias 3 years), Asa 41 years, Josaphat 39 years. In his time, Michaeas and Elias and Elisseus prophesied. Joram reigned 9 years, Ochosias 1 year, Athalia his mother 7 years. Joas 40 years, Amazias 29 years, Azarias (also called Ozias) 59 years, Joatham 1 year, Achaz 16 years, Ezechias 29 years, Manasses 55 years. In his time Byzantium was founded. Amos 42 years, Josias 31 years, Joachaz 1 year, Joachim 11 years, Jechonias 1 year, SedeKIas 14 years. Nabuchodonosor put out his eyes and took him captive. And the temple was burned by Nabuzardan. From the beginning of the reign of Solomon to the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, there are 519 years.
[ς] Nabuchodonosor reigned in Babylon 24 years, Evilmerodach his son 5 years, Baltasar (who was also a son of Nabuchodonosor) 3 years. Darius (the Astyages who reigned first of the Persians) 17 years, Cyrus 32 years, Cambyses 19 years, another Darius 27 years, Artaxerxes 33 years, Darius 19 years, Artaxerxes Longimanus 34 years, Ochus 21 years, Arses 2 years, Darius son of Arsames 6 years. Alexander the Macedonian took him out and, having destroyed the empire of the Persians, reigned 12 years and died in Babylon at 35 years of age: he subjugated 22 nations of barbarians and 13 tribes of Greeks. B In total, from Adam to the death of Alexander, 5,188 years.
[ζ] After his death, Ptolemy reigned 24 years in Egypt and Alexandria, Ptolemy Philadelphus 30 years. In his time, the holy books among the Hebrews were translated into the Greek language. Ptolemy Evergetes reigned 25 years, Ptolemy Philopator 17 years, Epiphanes 23 years, C Philometor 35 years, another Evergetes 29 years, Physcon 17 years, Siderites 7 years, Alexander 3 years. Ptolemy Soter 8 years, Dionysius the younger 28 years, Cleopatra 22 years. D In the third year of her reign, Gaius Julius Caesar was the first to lawfully become monarch, from whom the subsequent emperors began to be called Caesars (he reigned in Rome 4 years), Augustus
A reigned 56 years. In the 15th year of his reign, he destroyed Cleopatra and took away the rule of the Ptolemies, who had reigned for 208 years. There are, therefore, in total from Adam to the beginning of the reign of Augustus, according to the accurate chronologists, 5,457 years. B In the 43rd year of his reign, our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary. Cyrinus, sent by the Senate into Judea, made a census of possessions and inhabitants. There are, therefore, from Adam to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 5,500 years.
[9] After Augustus, Tiberius reigned for 22 years. In the 15th year of his reign, our Lord Jesus Christ began his evangelical preaching. In the 19th year, our Lord suffered the voluntary passion for us. In total, from Adam to the saving passion and his holy ascension, 5,533 years.
[10] (4) After Tiberius, Gaius reigned for 4 years, (5) Claudius for 14 years, (6) Nero for 14 years (he fled and buried himself alive), (7) Vespasian for 10 years. In the 2nd year of his reign, the capture of Jerusalem C occurred by his son Titus, 40 years after the Lord’s ascension. (8) Titus reigned 3 years, (9) Domitian 15 years, (10) Nerva 1 year, (11) Trajan 18 years, (12) Hadrian 21 years, (13) Titus Antoninus (also called Pius) 20 years, (14) Marcus his son 16 years, (15) Antoninus (who was also) Verus 7 years, (16) Commodus 12 years (during his time, Leonides, the father of Origen, suffered martyrdom), (20) Alexander Mamalus 13 years, (21) Maximinus 6 years, (22) Philip 6 years, (23) Decius 1 year, (24) Aurelian 6 years, (25) Probus 7 years, (26) Carus 2 years, (27) Diocletian and (28) Maximian 20 years.
[11] D Beginning of the Christian reign: (29) Constantine the Great 32 years. In the 12th year of his reign, the Synod in Nicaea took place, in the year 318 from the incarnation of the Lord. Constantine the Great died at 69 years of age, leaving behind three sons: (30) Constans, (31) Constantine, and (32) Constantius. In Rome, Constans reigned, in the New Rome, Constantine, and in Antioch, Constantius, who reigned for 24 years. (33) Julian the Apostate...
A for two years, (34) Jovian for nine months, (35) Valentinian the Great for 16 years, (36) Valens for four years, (37) Gratian for one year, (38) Valentinian the Younger for 15 years, (39) Theodosius the Great for 16 years, under whom the second synod was celebrated at Constantinople; (40) Arcadius, son of Theodosius, for four years, (41) Theodosius the Younger for 42 years, under whom was the third synod at Ephesus; (42) Marcian for six years, under whom the fourth synod took place at Chalcedon; (43) Leo the Great for 18 years, (44) Leo the Younger for one year, (45) Zeno for 17 years, (46) Anastasius for 27 years, (47) Justin the Thracian for nine years. (48) Justinian the Great B for 39 years, (49) Justin the Second for 13 years, under whom the fifth synod was held at Constantinople; (50) Tiberius for four years, (51) Maurice for 20 years, (52) Phocas for eight years, (53) Heraclius for 30 years, (54) Constans, son of Heraclius, for 27 years, (55) Constantine, grandson of Heraclius, for 17 years, (56) Justinian, his son, for 10 years, (57) Leontius for three years, (58) Tiberius, also called Apsimar, for six years; Justinian (for the second time, for six years), (59) Philippicus for two years, (60) Anastasius for three years, (61) Theodosius for one year, (62) Leo, also called Conon, the first of the iconoclasts, for 25 years and three months, (63) Constantine, his son, for eight years, (64) Leo, son of Constantine, for five years, (65) Constantine, with his orthodox mother Irene, for 10 years (in the eighth year of these, the second synod of Nicaea took place). Constantine alone for eight years, (67) his mother Irene again for five years and two months, (68) Nicephorus for seven years and nine months, (69) Stauracius, his son, for one year and one month, (70) Michael for one year and nine months, (71) Leo for seven years and five months, (72) Michael for seven years and nine months, (73) Theophilus for 12 years and three months, (74) Theodora, his wife, and Michael, his son, for 26 years, (75) Basil the Macedonian for 20 years, (76) Leo, his son, for 27 years, (77) Alexander, brother of Leo, for one year and one month, (78) Constantine, son of Leo, with his mother Zoe, for seven years, (79) Romanus the Armeniac, father-in-law of that Constantine, for 17 years, (80) Constantine Porphyrogenitus, again emperor, for 15 years, (81) Romanus, son of Constantine, for three years and four months, (82) Basil and Constantine, sons of Romanus, with their mother Theophano, for four months, (83) Nicephorus Phocas the Cappadocian, pious and just, for six years and four months, (84) John Tzimiskes for three years, (85) Basil, son of Romanus, who carried out the equalizations and the Great Church, reigned again for 52 years; (86) Constantine, his D brother, for three years; Romanus Argyrus, suffocated in the bath of the Blachernae, for five years; Michael the Paphlagonian, with the help of John his brother and tutor, for seven years.
A Michael from Caesarea, his nephew the Calaphates, who was blinded in the Sigma by Nicholas the eparch and parakoimomenos and the other nobles, for nine months; Constantine Monomachus for twelve years and six months; Michael, son of Basil, for one year; Theodora the Porphyrogenita for two years.
[(93)] Isaac Comnenus reigned for three years, and being seized by sickness, he was tonsured after electing Constantine Ducas as emperor, and he himself lived as a monk among the Studites. [(94)] Constantine Ducas reigned for eight years and three months, and when dying, he left the empire to his wife and his children, having obtained dire oaths and signed writings from the synod and the senate. [(95)] Eudocia, wife of Ducas, reigned with her children for three years, and she took as a husband Diogenes, having proclaimed him emperor; [(96)] and he held power from the month of January of the year 6575; this same Romanus Diogenes reigned for three years; and having campaigned against the Persians in various ways, in his third expedition he was held prisoner by the Sultan of the Turks. [(97)] When Eudocia the mistress learned of this, she wrote to the themes and the fortresses not to receive him if he were to escape from captivity, but to despise and loathe him. [(98)] And Michael Ducas was again restored together with his mother Eudocia, [(99)] whom he also cast out of the palace and tonsured as a nun, having stayed himself as sole emperor. And having held the reign for sixteen years, he was deposed by Nicephorus Botaniates; who reigned for three years, and was deposed by the lord Alexius, [(100)] who also reigned from the second day of the month of April, 4th indiction, of the year 6589, and reigned for thirty-seven years and five months. [(101)] John the Porphyrogenitus, his son, reigned in the month of August, 11th indiction, of the year 6626, and reigned for twenty-five years.