Apparently, certain seditious and troublesome persons — and here he mentioned individuals who, as we ourselves know quite well, had insinuated themselves into favour with the Senate — these persons, he said, had first thrown the city into a turmoil and thoroughly upset the government, threatened peaceful citizens with burning and other misfortunes, stolen into the sacred precincts of Santa Sophia and dared to violate its sanctuary, and then, after enlisting the sympathies of the patriarch, without any opposition from him, had made him the leader of their faction.**190 After which, with wild shouts of exultation, they called down curses on the emperor, uttered all kinds of slander to discredit him, and hailed Isaac as alone worthy of ruling the Empire. That, said he, was all his informant knew, but if anything further had happened since, no doubt we should soon hear of it.
37. At this news we determined to make our way to the Caesar’s tent, to see if there was any further news to be learnt from him. So we gathered there, and found him dictating his letter to Michael. What he had to tell us was the same as before: the stories were, to him, just incredible. But while he was in the open air with us — the sun had not yet set — there came another messenger, panting for breath while he was still some distance away, and when he had almost reached us he fell down (on purpose, I fancy), and his words came in gasps.
Equipped for Isaac
Then, pretending to collect his wits, he told us the emperor had abdicated, the city was making preparations to receive his successor, already an imperial galley had been equipped for Isaac, and his escort were standing by with their torches. He assured us that he himself had witnessed these things. He had seen Michael, who only that morning had been our sovereign, become an ordinary citizen and soon afterwards he had been dressed in the coarse cowl of a monk, with no outward sign of imperial rank.
The fellow’s account was still unfinished when another messenger came up, and after him a third, all with the same story. Finally, there reached us one of the more intelligent and educated class, and he too gave us a dramatic account of the whole scene. The emperor believed him — the only courier he did believe. We were thereupon ordered to remain quiet by our tents. The reign of Isaac had begun.
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