Kephale as Archontship

Extracts from the TLG

noun: kephale^
13. Acta Monasterii Macrinitissae Acta, Eccl. et Legal., Joasaph Maliasenus Cypriano abbati monasterii sanctae Mariae permittit possessionem dimidii terrae Petrae donatae monasterio Macrinitissae a pincerna Raul (a. 1276). {5322.038} Line 2. (Browse)
Ἐπειδήπερ ὁ περιπόθητος ἐξάδελφος τοῦ κραταιοῦ καὶ ἁγίου ἡμῶν αὐθέντου καὶ βασιλέως, κεφαλὴ τῆς Μεγάλης Βλαχίας, ὁ πανευγενέστατος Ῥαοὺλ ὁ πιγκέρνης ὁ Κομνηνὸς, ἐποίησε γράμμα παραδοτικὸν αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν σεβασμίαν μονὴν τῆς πανυπεράγνου θεομήτορος τῆς Ὀξείας Ἐπισκέψεως τῆς Μακρινιτίσσης, ὡς ἵνα κατέχῃ ἡ τοιαύτη σεβασμία μονὴ τὴν ἅπασαν γῆν τῆς Πέτρας, τούτου γενομένου δι’ ἔργου, κἀγὼ, ὁ τῆς σεβασμίας μονῆς τῆς Πανυπεράγνου ἡγούμενος Κυπριανὸς ἱερομόναχος, φιλικῶς καὶ ἀδελφικὸς ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἑνωθεὶς μετὰ τοῦ πανευκλεεστάτου Ἀγγελοκομνηνοῦ Δούκα τοῦ Μαλιασηνοῦ καὶ κτήτορος τῆς σεβασμίας ἁγίας βασιλικῆς πατριαρχικῆς μονῆς τῆς Ὀξείας Ἐπισκέψεως τῆς Μακρινιτίσσης.

11. Acta Monasterii Iviron Acta, Eccl. et Legal., Cambitas possessionum monachorum Chortaiti. (c.a. 1320) {5303.076} Line 48.
διορίζεται δὲ τοῦτο γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ σεβασμιωτάτου (καὶ) θεοφιλοῦς π(ατ)ρ(ὸ)ς ἡμῶν τοῦ πανοσιωτάτου πρώτου τοῦ καθ’ ὑμᾶς Ἁγ(ίου) Ὄρους, συμπαραλαβόντο(ς) τόν τε πανιερώτ(α)τον μ(ητ)ροπολίτην Θεσσαλονίκης ὑπέρτιμον (καὶ) ἔξαρχον πάσης Θετταλί(ας) (καὶ) τ(ὸν) εἰς κεφαλὴν τῆς τοιαύτης πόλ(εως) εὑρισκόμενον οἰκεῖον τῶ κραταιῶ (καὶ) ἁγ(ί)ω ἡμ(ῶν) αὐθέντ(η) (καὶ) βασιλεῖ δομέστικον τῶν κ(α)τ(ὰ) Δύσιν σχολῶν τ(ὸν) Λάσκαριν.

38. Acta Monasterii Lavrae Acta, Eccl. et Legal., Actum Pauli Gazae et Georgii principis. (a. 1408){5309.161} (A.D. 9-15) Page 157 line 10.
ὥρισε πρός̣ τε τὸν αὐθ(έν)τ(ην) ἡμ(ῶν) καὶ περιπόθητ(ον) υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν πανευτυχέστ(α)τ(ον) δεσπότ(ην) κ(αὶ) τὸν οἰκεῖον τῆ κρατ(αιᾶ) κ(αὶ) ἁγία βασιλ(εία) αὐτοῦ λαμπρότατον κεφαλ(ὴν) Θεσσαλονίκης κῦρ Μανουὴλ τὸν Ἐσκαμματισμένον γενέσθαι κ(α)τ(ὰ) τὴν τοιαύτην ζήτησιν κ(αὶ) παράκλησιν τῶν εἰρημέν(ων) τιμιωτάτων ἱερομονάχων. Κ(αὶ) λαβόντες ἡμεῖς παρά τε τοῦ αὐθ(έν)τ(ου) ἡμῶν τοῦ πανευτυχεστάτου δεσποτου κ(αὶ) τοῦ εἰρημένου λαμπροτάτου κεφαλῆς Θεσσαλονίκης τὸν περὶ τούτου θεῖον κ(αὶ) προσκυνητ(ὸν) ὁρισμὸν τοῦ κρατ(αι)οῦ κ(αὶ) ἁγίου ἡμῶν αὐθ(έν)τ(ου)κ(αὶ) βασιλέ(ως),

verb: kephalatikeuw
Theodorus II Palaeologus Rhet., Argyrobulla. {3314.001}
ΔΙ’ ΟΥ ΧΟΡΗΓΕΙΤΑΙ Τῼ ΓΕΩΡΓΙῼ ΓΕΜΙΣΤῼ
ΤΟ ΚΑΣΤΡΟΝ ΚΑΙ Η ΧΩΡΑ ΦΑΝΑΡΙΟΥ].(anno 1427).
(104.) ☩ Ἡ βασιλεία μου τὸν παρόντα ἀργυρόβουλλον ὁρισμὸν αὐτῆς ἀπολύει, δι’ οὗ δὴ καὶ διορίζεται ὡς ἂν κρατῇ καὶ κεφαλατικεύῃ ὁ οἰκεῖος τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου κῦρ Γεώργιος ὁ Γεμιστὸς τὸ κάστρον καὶ τὴν χώραν τοῦ Φαναρίου μετὰ πάσης τῆς αὐτοῦ νομῆς καὶ συνηθείας καὶ περιοχῆς, λαμβάνων κατ’ ἔτος ἐντὸς τοῦ προσοδίου αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ δίκαια τοῦ κεφαλατικίου τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας, τὰς μύζας καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ὀφείλουσιν οἱ ἔποικοι τῆς αὐτῆς χώρας αὐθεντικὸν δικαίωμα χωρὶς μόνης τῆς τοῦ φλωριατικοῦ δόσεως, ἥτις ὀφείλει εἶναι τοῦ δημοσίου, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχῃ εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ παρά τινος τὴν τυχοῦσαν διενόχλησιν ἢ παρασάλευσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολαύῃ πάσης ἀνενοχλησίας καὶ δεφενδεύσεως τῇ ἰσχύι καὶ δυνάμει τοῦ παρόντος ἀργυροβούλλου ὁρισμοῦ τῆς βασιλείας μου, κρατῶν καὶ κεφαλιτικεύων αὐτό, ὡς ἄνωθεν εἴρηται, παρ’ ἅλην αὐτοῦ τὴν ζωὴν καὶ ἐκδουλεύειν ὀφείλων•

Michael Panaretus Hist., Chronica de imperatoribus Comnenis. {3299.001} p. 70 (circa 1390)
Τῷ αὐτῷ γοῦν ἔτει, τῷ ͵ϛωξʹ, Σεπτεμβρίου κβʹ, ἀπήλθαμεν μὲ τὴν δέσποιναν, τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν μητέρα, εἰς τὰ Λιμνία κατὰ τοῦ κεφαλατικεύοντος ἐκεῖσε Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Δωρανίτου, ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου τοῦ Πιλέλη, καὶ λείψαντες μῆνας γʹ πάλιν ἤλθαμεν.

A Short Extract on the History of the Latin Empire of Constantinople

All too frequently we always hear the Byzantine side of the story of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. Here I've translated from Old French an extract of a history by Baldwin of Avesnes on the Latin emperors as found in La Conquête de Constantinople pgs. 423-7 (which you can find online by clicking here).

Extract from the work of Baldwin of Avesnes

Now that we have spoken to you a little about the emperor Frederick and the land beyond the sea [Outremer], we shall tell you about the empire of Greece.

You have heard above how the emperor Henry went to the kingdom of Salonika and of the war that he waged against the Lombards who wanted to hold the land in opposition to him. When he had vanquished them, he made peace with Johennis the king of Vlachia [Kalojan, the king of Bulgaria 1197-1207] and Toldre l'Acres [Theodore Lascaris, emperor of Nicaea 1204/5-1221/2]. He took as his wife the daughter of Kalojan and gave him in marriage his niece, while he gave another one to Theodore Lascaris, and a third one to King Andrew of Hungary [Andrew II 1205-1235]. These three ladies were the daughters of Count Pieron d'Auchoirre [Peter of Courtenay] and the Countess Yolent [Yolanda], the emperor's sister. By means of these marriages, he obtained peace and aid, though he did not live much long afterwards and died without any direct heirs, which was a real shame since he had been very vigorous and great-minded. The barons in Constantinople immediately then sent messengers to Peter of Courtenay, whose wife was the sister of the emperor. They were the German cousins of King Phillip of France. He had two sons by his wife. The eldest was named Phillip to whom he had given the county of Namur which had come to him by way of his wife when Phillip of Namur [Phillip I the Noble 1195-1212] died without any direct heirs. The other was named Robert. He had more daughters than the three we have told you about who were married off. When the messengers came to Count Peter and he heard of the death of the emperor Henry and how the barons were asking him to become emperor, he set his affairs in order and set out with his wife. Along with them went the Count of Sansuerre and a large company of knights and sergeants. When they came to Rome, the Pope crowned them. From there, they went to Brandis [Brindisi] and took to the sea. The Emperor Peter then came to Duras [Durres], which was one of the chief cities in Greece across from Sezille [Sicily], while the empress his wife went ahead to Constantinople because she was pregnant. She had not been there long before she gave birth to a son named Baldwin.

The Emperor Peter, meanwhile, who had gone to Durres, was received there with great honor by its lord, who was named Toldres li Communies [Theodore Comnenus Angelos, despot of Epirus 1215-1224, emperor of Thessalonica 1224-1230]. Yet, he had hardly been there long before he was seized hold by him along with the count of Sansuerre and held there in prison until they died. The Empress Yolanda did not live much long after either before she died at Constantinople. And so the barons of the land sent an entreaty to Count Phillip of Namur asking him to come become emperor as it had so fallen to him. When Lascaris learned that the emperor Peter had died as well as the empress Yolanda, his wife, he tried to conquer the empire and commenced hostilities. And so, the barons in Constantinople sent a large party of their people against him. The commanders of them were Sir Gerard la Truie and Gryu who reconquered a large part of the land that the emperor Henry had gained before them. Meanwhile, the messengers that came to Count Phillip of Namur told him that the barons were asking him to be emperor. He had no desire to go, so he sent Robert, his brother. He traveled by way of Hungary where he was received with great honor by his sister and was the queen of that land, and by King Andrew. He passed the winter there in Hungary because the way forward was uncertain. He had with him a sergeant who was born in Lille in Flanders. No one would say he was the uncle of Robert who was going to become emperor. Yet, he had a beautiful lady as his daughter, so Robert of Courtenay dressed her up richly and said that she was his cousin opening discussions of marriage between her and the king of Serbia [Stefan II 1217-1228]. The king, who desired the lady he saw, agreed to the marriage and their marriage was celebrated with great ceremony. Through this marriage and the aid of the Vlachs, Robert of Courtenay arrived safely in Constantinople, where he was received with much joy. However, he did not bring the father of the lady with him so that the affair should not be known, but gave him money and sent him back to Flanders. When Gerard la Truie and his men learned that Robert had reached Constantinople, they went to him and crowned him at Saint Sophia. After this, they undertook to bring about peace between the emperor Robert and Lascaris, who was married to his sister. The lady herself made a great deal over it bringing an end to hostilities and finally Lascaris agreed to give the emperor his daughter [Eudocia] who he had by his first marriage as a wife and lots of land to go with her.

This was agreed to by both parties and all of the prisoners were released. However, to be brief, when Lascaris died, Robert no longer wanted to go through with the marriage. The barons of the land felt great contempt for the marriage too, so they recommenced hostilities. The Cumans were fighting on the opposing side and laid siege to a castle on a mountain. The emperor Robert sent his best men there to defend it, but they were defeated and were for the most part killed off. This proved a great loss for the emperor because little remained of the folk with which he might do great things. At length, talks were reopened and a marriage between him and the daughter of Lascaris. A great number of prisoners were released too who were in le Gryu’s custody. For a time, the emperor Robert kept the peace. Yet there was a woman in Constantinople who was the daughter of knight from Artois named Baldwin of Nueville. The emperor Robert was in love with her so much that he abandoned the marriage between Lascaris' daughter and himself. Instead, he married this lady shamelessly and had her join him in the his palace along with lady's mother too.

When the French people in Constantinople found out about it, they were distressed and distraught because the emperor was not doing what he was his duty. On this account, they made a joint resolution and went to the emperor's chamber. They took the lady's mother and sent her on board a boat to be drowned, while they cut off the girl's nose and her lips and went away. When they emperor saw what his people had done, he could not stand to remain there and so he boarded a galley and went to Rome where he complained to the Pope about the disgraceful acts that his people had done to him. The Pope comforted him and soothed him, and then asked him to go back to Constantinople. As he was going back, he stopped in the land of Joifroi de Vile Harduin [Geoffrey of Villehardouin], who received him with much honor, but there he took ill and died from it. When those in Constantinople found this out, they held a counsel over what should be done. Several of them were for leaving the city, but another part of them said that it would shameful to leave such a noble city just like that.

At length, in general agreement, they sent messengers to the Pope informing him about the condition of the realm and asking him to advise them what should be done. In addition, they asked him to speak to King John of Acre and get him to defend the empire because they could not bear in the least to ask for aid from others. The Pope, who took pity on the realm, sent a message to King John asking him to fulfill this need. King John responded that he would do so in no manner because there was still one son left of the emperor Peter, who was outside of the realm, and that he had no desire to put himself in such grave danger to make safe another realm. The Pope told him if he would go there, he would provide with people and aid. At length, he said that he would go if it was agreed that the heir to the throne marry one of his daughters and swear an oath that as long as the king was alive, he would not demand power for himself in the empire, that the peers of the realm pay him homage, and that all the land that he would conquer that had belonged to the child's ancestors, would continue to belong to the child. If he conquered any other land, it would belong to his descendants who would hold it as a fief from the emperor. The Pope agreed to this and informed the messengers from Constantinople of it who returned to Constantinople and reported to the knights all that they had heard. They held a counsel and because they saw that the child was still young and held little land outside Constantinople, it seemed that they had little to guarantee, so they gave their approval to the agreement.

And so, they responded to the Pope that they accepted the agreement as it had been set forth. When King John came to the Pope, he gave him a lot of aid and swore to him that he would help aid with men. Then the king went to Venice and took to the sea for Constantinople. The knights went to meet him and received with great honor. In short, not long after, Baldwin would become emperor, was married to the daughter of King John and swore an oath to keep the agreement that had been reached and all of the people paid him homage. Now that we have spoken a little of the empire of Greece, we shall speak of King Louis of France.

My Summer Objectives

Summary:So many summers past, I've just kind of done whatever not really paying attention to any objectives. I hope this summer will be different, which is why I've set myself objectives to reach before the start of the fall semester. I want to accomplish a lot, but a little ambition never hurt anyone, did it? To summarize my summer plans, the theme I have chosen since I'm stuck in scorching Phoenix is hell. I'm reading all of the underworld stories and seeing what I can get out of them as well as many other things. It's also going to be like hell because I have to relearn calculus this summer for next fall and it's been over a year since I did calculus. I'm also going to push my body to a fiery level of fitness because a healthy body makes for a healthy mind, which makes for a healthy human being.

Self Goals

1. Keep in contact with friends


2. Extend linguistic skills


3. Be the person I want to be, not the person I don't want to be


4. Relearn Calculus for Calc 2 next semester!


Work Goals

1. Make $5000 for the summer with U-Haul


2. improve professionalism and sales skills


Reading/Languages
Suggestions for other great books are always welcome!
Finished:

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel- wonderful book about a boy trapped on a lifeboat for 220 days with a Bengal tiger. A must read discussion of theology and zoology.


2. ΝΕΚΡΙΚΟΙ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΙ by Lucian- hilarious dialogues on issues in the underworld. Lucian's underworld largely resembles Christian one with punishments for bad people like Helen of Troy, King Midas, and King Croesus. It's not to be missed. It raises the question for me of cultural interchange in their ideas of heaven and hell. It seems like people's ideas and political thought at any time period are always similar in Euro-Asia as seen in the movement toward empire with Rome and the Han Dynasty in China. I'm really personally curious hence what Chinese ideas of punishment after death were.


3. ΕΤΑΙΡΙΚΟΙ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΙ by Lucian-Dialogues of prostitutes! What could be better?! Actually, a very realistic and just portrait of the life and anxieties that a prostitute/courtesan would feel in Ancient Greek society.


4. ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ Ο ΤΥΡΑΝΝΟΣ by Sophocles-No beating this classic for drama and katharsis!


5. O ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΩΝ-Very interesting perspective from a former Greek minister on conceptions of culture and Greekness.

To Read:
Greek
All of the Following by Lucian:

1. ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΟΥ Η ΤΕΧΝΗ Η ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΙΚΗ (As a teacher and scholar what could be more useful than to learn how to leach off rich people for patronage;)


2. ΑΛΕΧΑΝΔΡΟΣ Η ΨΕΥΔΟΜΑΝΤΙΣ


3. ΡΗΤΟΡΩΝ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΟΛΟΣ (for much needed relief in Prof Van den Burg's class next year)


4. ΑΝΑΧΑΡΣΙΣ Η ΠΕΡΙ ΓΥΜΝΑΣΙΩΝ


5. ΦΙΛΟΨΕΥΔΕΙΣ Η ΑΠΙΣΤΩΝ


6. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΥΠΝΙΟΥ ΗΤΟΙ ΒΙΟΣ ΛΟΥΚΙΑΝΟΥ


7. ΧΑΡΩΝ


8. ΕΡΩΤΕΣ (looks steamy! Also has an instance of statue abuse)


9. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΕΓΡΙΝΟΥ ΤΕΛΕΥΤΗΣ (already read it, but always worth a second time around)


10. ΣΚΥΘΗΣ Η ΠΡΟΞΕΝΟΣ


11. ΝΕΡΩΝ


12. ΔΡΑΠΕΤΑΙ


13. ΝΙΓΡΙΝΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑ (Lucian bashing philosophy for Brennan next year)


14. ΑΛΗΘΩΝ ΔΙΗΓΗΜΑΤΩΝ (already read it last year, but great story)

Also on the side:

15. TIMARION-(11 century Hell journey, very funny, involves characters from Byzantine court)
    
16. MAZARIS-(15 century Hell journey, makes fun of characters in Morea and Byzantine government)


17. Andronikos I section of Niketas Choniates


18. interesting sections of Dio Cassius


19. Plutarch?


20. ΡΩΜΑΝΟΣ Ο ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ by Kostas Kyriazis


21. the Modern Greek books purchased from Prof Van Steen

Other

1. L'inferno by Dante


2. Le vicomte de Brangelonne with l'homme au masque de fer by Alexandre Dumas


3. Historia de expeditione Frederici imperatoris in Orientibus partibus


4. Il nome della Rosa by Umberto Eco (already read in English, now time for Italian)
5. 
   
6. Other Latin novels or histories?


7. interesting English books? Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to keep in the classical vein?


Translation

1. rest of Logos Nouthetikos pros ton basilea


2. one of Lucian's works, probably a dialogue


3. sections from the historia de expeditione Frederici above that are interesting or related to Byzantium


4. Continue translating Vingt Ans Après by Alexandre Dumas from French to English


5. Byzantine Chrysobulls?


Writings/Creativity

1. comparison of versions of Hades and hell (?)


2. finish history of the empire of Trebizond (1204-1461)


3. expand Lord of the Rings story idea


4. build Latin scene with Legos for the Classics Department


Fitness/Health

1. Attain level 7 of the Lafay method


2. put on some weight (75kg-->80kg) (165lbs-->175lbs)


3. Begin training and learning about triathlons


4. more flexibility


5. mile time of 5 minutes 30 seconds


6. 600 yards continuous swim


7. more muscle, more tone, more ladies;)

Ctesias Extracts

Photios in the Library Codex 72 has an extensive section devoted to him and the chief differences between him and Herodotos. His account of Kroisos and his barbecue is rather interesting for the ethnic pride the Persians took in themselves don't you think? The pyre is gone! (Note all page numbers from TLG 4040.001) pp. 36A-B

Καὶ ὅτι στρατεύει Κῦρος ἐπὶ Κροῖσον καὶ πόλιν Σάρδεις, σύνεργον ἔχων Ἀμόργην. Ὅπως τε βουλῇ Οἰβάρα, Περσῶν εἴδωλα ξύλινα ἀνὰ τὸ τεῖχος φανέντα, εἰς δέος μὲν κατέστησε τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας, ἥλω δὲ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ πόλις. Ὅπως τε πρὸ τῆς ἁλώσεως δίδοται ὁ παῖς Κροίσου ἐν ὁμήρου λόγῳ, δαιμονίου φαντάσματος ἀπατήσαντος Κροῖσον. Ὅπως τε, δολορραφοῦντος Κροίσου, ὁ παῖς κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀναιρεῖται· καὶ ὅπως ἡ μήτηρ, τὸ πάθος ἰδοῦσα, ἑαυτὴν τοῦ τείχους ἀποκρημνίζει καὶ θνῄσκει. Ὅπως τε, ἁλούσης τῆς πόλεως,
πρὸς τὸ ἐν τῇ πόλει ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος καταφεύγει ὁ Κροῖσος, καὶ ὡς τρὶς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ πεδηθεὶς ὑπὸ Κύρου, λύεται τρίτον ἀοράτως, καίτοι σφραγίδων τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπικειμένων, καὶ τούτων τὴν φυλακὴν Οἰβάρα ἐμπεπιστευμένου. Ὅπως τε οἱ συνδούμενοι Κροίσῳ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀπετέμνοντο ὡς καταπροδιδόντες λύεσθαι Κροῖσον. Καὶ ὅτι ἀναληφθεὶς ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις καὶ δεθεὶς ἀσφαλέστερον, βροντῶν καὶ σκηπτῶν ἐπενεχθέντων, λύεται πάλιν καὶ τότε μόλις ὑπὸ Κύρου ἀφίεται. Ἐξ οὗ καὶ περιείπετο καὶ ἔδωκε Κῦρος Κροίσῳ πόλιν μεγάλην Βαρήνην, ἐγγὺς Ἐκβατάνων, ἐν ᾗ ἦσαν ἱππεῖς μὲν πεντακισχίλιοι, πελτασταὶ δὲ καὶ ἀκοντισταὶ καὶ τοξόται μύριοι.

Also from Artaxerxes' side of Cyrus's revolt. pp. 43A-44A

Ἐν δὲ τῇ ιθʹ ἱστορίᾳ, διαλαμβάνει ὡς Ὦχος ὁ Δαρειαῖος ἀπέθανεν ἀσθενήσας ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, ἔτη βασιλεύσας τριάκοντα πέντε.

Βασιλεύει δὲ Ἀρσάκης ὁ μετονομασθεὶς Ἀρτοξέρξης, καὶ ἐκτέμνεται Οὐδιάστης τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ ἐξελκύεται ταύτην ἐξόπισθεν, καὶ θνῄσκει. Ὁ δὲ παῖς αὐτοῦ Μιτραδάτης ἀντὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καθίσταται σατράπης. Ἐπράχθη δὲ ταῦτα σπουδῇ Στατείρας, καὶ ἠνιᾶτο Παρύσατις.

Διαβάλλεται Κῦρος ὑπὸ Τισσαφέρνους πρὸς Ἀρτοξέρξην τὸν ἀδελφόν, καὶ καταφεύγει Παρυσάτιδι τῇ μητρί, καὶ ἀπολύεται τῆς διαβολῆς. Ἀπελαύνει Κῦρος ἠτιμωμένος παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν σατραπείαν, καὶ μελετᾷ ἐπανάστασιν. Διαβάλλει Σατιβαρζάνης Ὀρόνδην ὡς Παρυσάτιδι μίγνυται, καίτοι λίαν αὐτῆς σωφρονούσης·καὶ ἀναιρεῖται Ὀρόνδης, καὶ ὀργίζεται ἡ μήτηρ τῷ βασιλεῖ.

Ὅτι Παρύσατις φαρμάκῳ διαφθείρει τὸν Τεριτούχμεω υἱόν. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ θάψαντος τὸν πατέρα διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς παρὰ τὸν νόμον· ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἔλεγχος Ἑλλανίκου καὶ Ἡροδότου, ὡς ψεύδονται.

Ἀπόστασις Κύρου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ συναγωγὴ ἑλληνικοῦ στρατεύματος καὶ βαρβαρικοῦ, καὶ στρατηγῶν Κλέαρχος Ἑλλήνων. Ὅπως τε Συέννεσις, ὁ Κιλίκων βασιλεύς, ἄμφω συνεμάχει Κύρῳ τε καὶ Ἀρτοξέρξῃ. Ὅπως τε Κῦρος τῇ ἰδίᾳ στρατιᾷ καὶ Ἀρτοξέρξης πάλιν τῇ οἰκείᾳ παρῄνεσαν. Κλέαρχος δὲ ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος, ὃς ἦρχε τῶν Ἑλλήνων,καὶ Μένων ὁ Θετταλός, οἳ μετὰ Κύρου ἦσαν, ἀεὶ διάφοροι ἀλλήλοις ἐτύγχανον διότι τῷ μὲν Κλεάρχῳ ἅπαντα ὁ Κῦρος συνεβούλευε, τοῦ δὲ Μένωνος λόγος οὐδεὶς ἦν.

Ηὐτομόλουν δὲ ἀπὸ μὲν Ἀρτοξέρξου πρὸς Κῦρον πολλοί, πρὸς δὲ Ἀρτοξέρξην ἀπὸ Κύρου οὐδείς·διὸ καὶ Ἀρβάριος, προσχωρῆσαι Κύρῳ μελετήσας καὶ διαβληθείς, εἰς τὴν σποδὸν ἐνεβλήθη.

Προσβολὴ Κύρου πρὸς τὴν βασιλέως στρατιὰν καὶ νίκη Κύρου, ἀλλὰ καὶ θάνατος Κύρου ἀπειθοῦντος Κλεάρχῳ, καὶ αἰκισμὸς τοῦ σώματος Κύρου ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἀρτοξέρξου· τήν τε γὰρ κεφαλὴν καὶ τὴν χεῖρα, μεθ’ ἧς τὸν Ἀρτοξέρξην ἔβαλεν, αὐτὸς ἀπέτεμε καὶ ἐθριάμβευσεν.

Ἀναχώρησις Κλεάρχου τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίου ἅμα τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ(44a.) Ἑλλήνων τῆς νυκτός, καὶ τῶν τῆς Παρυσάτιδος πόλεως μιᾶς κατάληψις. Εἶτα σπονδαὶ βασιλέως πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας.

Ὡς Παρύσατις εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἀφίκετο πενθοῦσα Κῦρον, καὶ μόλις ἐκομίσατο τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ἔθαψε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Σοῦσα.

Τὰ περὶ Βαγαπάτου, τοῦ ἀποτεμόντος προστάξει βασιλέως τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος Κύρου· ὅπως ἡ μήτηρ, μετὰ βασιλέως κύβοις ἐπὶ συνθήκαις παίξασα καὶ νικήσασα, ἔλαβε Βαγαπάτην· καὶ ὃν τρόπον τὸ δέρμα περιαιρεθεὶς ἀνεσταυρίσθη ὑπὸ Παρυσάτιδος, ὅτε καὶ τὸ πολὺ ἐπὶ Κύρῳ πένθος αὐτῇ ἐπαύσατο διὰ τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ Ἀρτοξέρξου δέησιν. Ὡς Ἀρτοξέρξης δῶρα ἔδωκε τῷ ἐνέγκαντι τὸν Κύρου πῖλον, καὶ ὡς τὸν Κάρα τὸν δοκέοντα Κῦρον βαλεῖν, Ἀρτοξέρξης ἐτίμησε, καὶ ὡς Παρύσατις τὸν τιμηθέντα Κάρα αἰκισαμένη ἀπέκτεινεν.

Ὡς Ἀρτοξέρξης παρέδωκεν αἰτησαμένῃ Μιτραδάτην Παρυσάτιδι ἐπὶ τραπέζης μεγαλαυχήσαντα ἀποκτεῖναι Κῦρον· κἀκείνη λαβοῦσα, πικρῶς ἀνεῖλεν.

Photios's typical assessment of the writer: p. 45A

Ἔστι δὲ οὗτος ὁ συγγραφεὺς σαφής τε καὶ ἀφελὴς λίαν· διὸ καὶ ἡδονῇ αὐτῷ σύγκρατός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος. Κέχρηται δὲ τῇ ἰωνικῇ διαλέκτῳ, εἰ καὶ μὴ διόλου, καθάπερ Ἡρόδοτος, ἀλλὰ κατ’ ἐνίας τινὰς λέξεις. Οὐδὲ πρὸς ἐκτροπὰς δέ τινας ἀκαίρους, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος, ἀπάγει τὸν λόγον. Τῶν μέντοι γε μύθων, ἐν οἷς ἐκείνῳ λοιδορεῖται, οὐδ’ οὗτος ἀφίσταται, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ἐπιγραφομένοις αὐτῷ Ἰνδικά. Ἡ δὲ ἡδονὴ τῆς ἱστορίας αὐτοῦ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐν τῇ τῶν διηγημάτων αὐτοῦ γίνεται διασκευῇ τὸ παθητικὸν καὶ ἀπροσδόκητον ἐχούσῃ πολύ, καὶ τὸ ἐγγὺς τοῦ μυθώδους αὐτὴν διαποικίλλειν. Καὶ (15)
διαλελυμένος δέ ἐστι πλέον τι τοῦ δέοντος αὐτῷ ὁ λόγος,ὡς καὶ εἰς ἰδιωτισμὸν ἐκπίπτειν. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ Ἡροδότου λόγος, ταύτῃ τε καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ τοῦ ἔπους δυνάμει καὶ
τέχνῃ, κανών ἐστιν ἰωνικῆς διαλέκτου.

There's a full Engish translation of the codex at
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm

In Harrio Pottero et Philosophi Lapide

Denique trias post hebdomadas librum Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis finivi. Liber optimus scilicet erat, etiam in linguam latinam a Petro Needham interpretatus. Multum studium liber mihi est, cum multa didicerim librum legens. Erroribus et difficultatibus interpretationis, autem, liber plenus est. Pagina CXXIII, interpretor scribet, "Noli aperire fasciculum ad mensam." Melius esset scribere, "Noli aperire fasciculum mensae", quod ad mensam significat mensam versus? Pagina CXLIX iocularior erat. Pro "Potter for President", Petrus Needham interpretatur "Potter praesideat." Difficultas erat pagina CXC ubi interpretatum est, "'Carolus,' inquit. 'tu quoque es mente alienata,' inquit Ronaldus. ego sum Ronaldus. meministine?" Latine perturbatio nulla est propter casus. Ronaldus dicere debet, "Quid in animo habes?", sed interpretatio est e lingua anglica, quae nullos casus habet, sic perturbatio possibilis est. Sicut illum exemplum est atque hoc: "non debetis die tali intus manere,'inquit, facie mire contorta subridens. 'eramus,' Harrius coepit." Quaestio est haec. Ambo imperfecto casu utuntur, sed melius esset 'em' dixisse, quia anglice dicendi "We were (going/leaving/exiting et cetera) intermissio est naturalis, sed non latine. Naturale est imperfecto casu uti, sed non eramus. Fortisse interpretatum sit "exibam..."

Liber melior erat. Ego volo alteros legere, si tempus et pecuniam habeam.

In Historia Apolloni Regis Tyri

In Historia Apolloni Regis Tyri
In hac hiemi, librum auctoris anonymi de tristi historia et peregrinationibus Apolloni legi. Omnia accidit Apollonio. Primum rex Antiochae (qui incidens in furorem nodum virginitatis filiae suae eripuerat), cuius filiam in matrimonium quaestionem suam respondendo petiverat, conatus est eum occidere. Postea, Apollonio effugito a malignitate regis naufragium accedit. Deinde Apollonius naufragus ad regiam Archistrati advenit, ibi filia regis ob sapientiam artium omnium adamoravit et patrem petivit ut Apollonius coniunx suus sit.

The Latin summary is unfinished, but we'll hopefully get to it soon.

I finally finished tonight the anonymous romance in Latin entitled Historia Apolloni Regis Tyri. The proposed author is Xenophon of Ephesus, which I agree with because that is where Apollonius recognizes his wife, first taking her for the goddess Diana and his stories seem to revolve around Ephesus especially Habrokome and Anthia. They also show how the goddess Diana reunites lovers. This would make it a translation into Latin from the Greek. Regardless of its authorship, it served its purpose for me. I learned a bit of Latin and as a teenager it soothed my love hungry heart as Nonnus in his pastoral Daphnis and Choe says a story of love can for the young.

What impressed me the most in the story was the importance placed on virginity, which is definitely lacking in our American society and makes me think that is why medieval western monks let it slide (Unfortunately for this reason, we have none of the more racy novels that must have existed:) as well as the total lack of it. The men take glee in breaking in a prostitute and getting her to cry, though luckily they don’t succeed with Tharsia. Also the eye for eye mentality is strange, For example the greedy brothel owner (leno) gets burned alive for trying to make men pierce Tharia’s nodus virginitatis, which is disgusting, but being burned alive!? Also the violent deaths of Dionysias and Stranguillionis for saying Tharsia was dead seem unmerited to my twenty-first century eyes, though Dionysias like the Wicked Queen in Snow White tried to have her done in.

As an adventure/love story for me this one was entertaining but not as compelling (or repetitive) as Habrokome and Anthia, though it had the divided lovers meeting again and living heavily ever after. I guess what did it for me in that story was the fisherman Aigaleus who mummified his recently dead wife so that they could still be together. It is twisted, but love endures ὅτι ἔρως ἀληθινὸς ὅρον ἡλικίας οὐκ ἔχει. The Latin story doesn’t have this sort of moral to it, which is why it does not work for me. Next I have to finish Harry Potter in Latin for which we’ll have our corrections and comments.

Michael Choniates to Theodore Doukas

In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was split by competing powers for control. The Latins divided up the empire into fiefs which crusaders then tried to take. They had a great measure of success in the west overrunning Thessalonike and the greater part of Achaia and the Peloponnese. Notable Byzantine resistance was put up at Corinth by Leo Sgouros. Interestingly, Michael Choniates, the brother of historian Niketas Choniates and bishop of Athens, preserves us an account of his story of life after Athens fell in a letter to Theodore Doukas, the infamous ruler of Epiros and future emperor of Thessalonike for a spell. This is a clever response to Theodore's request, more like command that Choniates retire to his dominion. The date of the letter is 1217 because he says its been 12 years since Athens fell in 1205 and his nephews referred to are the sons of his brother Niketas Choniates. The monastery is Saint Nicholas the Saver refferred to in Choniates letter 166, which I've not yet had time to research much about.

To the mighty lord Theodore Doukas,

Who am I, Lord, my Lord, that the greatness of Your Person, who is surrounded by attacking enemies, tugged at one end and the other by myriads of cares and military expeditions, and neither gratifies its eyes with sleep nor rest to your temples so that it might keep his God-entrusted government free from Italian tyranny, has kindly paid attention to me and remembered me addressing letters to me and summoning to itself me, a man long since dead and genuinely near forgotten by everyone like a corpse. When I was driven from Athens, I ought to have as the prophet says spread my wings and flown to the dawning sun to the furthest reaches of the sea to settle down, but I did not, and instead contrived something almost Promethean because I am such philathenian and an idiot. What exactly? I did not flee far from my flock like a total hired laborer (1) because of the attacking beasts, but instead I took up residence at the islands across from Attica to watch from them as from far off guard watchtowers the panathenian destruction and to be able to help. I have lived here in the neighborhood of Athens for twelve years now (1205-1217) finding not benefit because I have seen the pains, convulsions, wailing, and lamentation my children be consumed as my own heart is tormented suffering along with them as though a motherbird seeing her own chicks become dinner for snake can only fly around and shriek pitifully and may even be gotten herself, so have I run the risk nearly to suffer. Last year, I dared to come to Athens and if I had not high tailed it out of there, I would have myself been gobbled down by Italian teeth.

When I soon realized that I was doing no good for my flock and putting myself in serious danger, I got far from there and fled here brought in a coffin to the holy monastery here where I was entombed and I pass the time with the holy abbot and the brotherhood under him.

They pray excessively night and day for your succor, and I add my own excessive prayers that you be strengthened in the Lord and that he shade your divine head on war days as well as for you to be girded with power from on high, so as to purge completely the enemy encircling your dominion and keep untrodden all your inheritance by the Italians as well as inspire fear always in them and strike them before they strike you. Your Lordship has no greater of us living here. Should a worn down person ravaged by all sorts of hard time leave here who is so unable to move that he is worthy of a couch and corner? Being in this condition, believe me that even if because of your love of God to took to traveling in a litter, I would be hard pressed to fulfill your order.

At the present time too, there are many things hindering me and especially preventing me from coming, which I will recount, so that Your Lordship may forgive our unwilling, one might say, disobedience. It’s like this. When I came here from Euboia, it happened that at the same time, the heads of Greece was gathering, who when they head of our migration, they became suspicious that I would head no where else than straight for Your Person’s land and they became so embittered, as passersby have made clear, that they were ready to a good deal of harm to my nephews traveling together and to the monastery that has received me. On this account my close of kin and the most holy abbot are afraid due this suspicion they should look to their own defense, since all of the barbarians are ready to impale them and do far worse thing out of only a suspicion as they have already posted agents not far from the monastery of Komnenos should I make a move for it, and thus reassured themselves of a possible stumbling block. Since things have gone this way, were I to follow your injunction to come there, I would be of no help to Your Person and become responsible for disaster for my next of kin and would also nevertheless create trouble for this monastery, returning their friendship to me and welcome with poor signs of gratitude having provided an excuse for perfidy against it to the Italians, who are ever hovering over it and thirsting for the slightest excuse at all to do damage to it.

Wary of all this, I have to remain here until God-willing I end the few, wearisome remaining days of my despondent life, though I am exasperated, believe me, that I cannot carry out the will of Your Person, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for its kindness to me and its kind sympathy to Ligouros and its recalling me to the previous honor. You benevolent soul indeed has don a great deed worthy of itself. Either you have felt sympathy for a man who has stumbled or you have become an imitator of God who endures us sinners every day or innocently become the object of false slander and thus kept the holy commandment saying that, “You will not condemn an innocent and just person.” So please forgive me for our unwilling refusal to live here when your forgiving and kind person asked us to live in one of the monasteries under your control. Whatever you should do there, I pray excessively not only for you, but also with the most holy abbot and the sacred brotherhood under him making mention each day of Your Person as well as of your close of kin the founder.

Exert yourself then, follow the correct road, and become superior to anyone hostile to you, open or closed, oh adornment of the Komnenoi, glory of the Doukades, pride of the Romans. For all to see, I acknowledge through my present letter the greatness of Your Person (2). May the Lord be with you, championing, guarding, and preserving you from all evil accident.

1. illusion to John 10:1-16 where Jesus compares himself to a shepherd that his flock knows and who looks after his flock in comparison to a hired laborer.


2. This sentence resembles for some reason the formality of an imperial letter or chrysobull. A chrysobull began, “For all to see is set here our present pious seal.”