Михаил Псел: ХРОНОГРАФИЈА

 

THE CHRONOGRAPHIA OF MICHAEL PSELLOS A.D. 976 – 1077

 

Книга IV

МИХАИЛ ЧЕТВРТИ – 1034-1041

 

The Emperor’s Bulgarian Expedition

 

43. This thought afflicted the emperor much more than physical suffering, and the harm it produced in him was quite different, for whereas the disease caused his body to swell, the mental agony he endured over this revolt had the opposite effect and wasted him. So he was thorn between two evils, which afflicted him in exactly opposite ways. His first battle, however – a battle in which he was victorious – was against his own intimate friends, before he ever came to grips with the barbarians, and the first trophy of the war was set up to commemorate his triumph over his own kinsmen and his associates – and himself. Bodily weakness, in his case, was more than compensated by strength of purpose, and in this strength he commited his cause to God.

So preparations for the war began. The move was to take counsel, determined on his objects, and directed his efforts to the attainment of his goal. The enterprise was certainly not taken in hand rashly, or without due precautions. I need not to go into details, but the military preparations were adequate. Actually not all the army was mobilized and mere numbers were discounted. The best soldiers were selected and generals with most experience in the filed. With them he set out to meet the Scyths.

44. Camp was pitched in a suitable spot when the expedition arrived at the enemy borders. A council of war was held, and after it, the emperor decided to engage the Bulgarians – an extraordinary plan, about which even his commanders who were there with him, had contrary opinions. Nor is this surprising, for during the night he was under medical treatment and nearly dead. Yet at daybreak, he immediately got up, some power apparently giving him new strength, mounted his horse, sat firm in the saddle, and managed the animal with clever use of his bridle. Than, an object of wonder to all who saw him, he rode to the rear and formed up the various divisions of his army into one coherent force.

 

The escape of Alousianus to Bulgaria

 

45. The war had not yet broken out when a most astonishing thing happened, - something nearly as amazing as the emperor’s action. The more agreeable of Aaron’s sons (Aaron had been king of Bulgars), one Alusianus by name, a man of gentle character, with a fine intellect, and a position of considerable distinction, proved chiefly responsible for Michael’s victory. This was not because of any desire on his part to help the emperor; in fact, it was quite the reverse. The truth is, God moved him to do what he did, and thus brought about the emperor’s triumph, in despite of his enemies.

46. Now this Alousianus was by no means in favor at court. He was neither consulted on matters of policy nor honored in any way with the others. Indeed, an order was issued that he must remain in his own home and he was forbidden to enter Byzantium except by express command of the emperor. Naturally this restriction irritated and depressed man, but for the moment he was powerless. However, the events in Bulgaria were reported to him, and he knew that the people there had supported of an illegitimate pretender to their throne for one reason only – because no one else in the country was of royal blood. Under these circumstances, he ventured on rather a childish expedition. Ignoring the claims of his own children and forgetting the love of his wife – none of them were aloud to know anything of his plans – he boldly marched from the extreme east to the west, with a handful of servants, men whom he knew to be reckless dare-devils, ready for anything. To avoid recognition the city, he adopted a through disguise. It was not matter of discarding some of his clothes and retaining others, but he dressed himself as a common mercenary soldier, and so escaped detection altogether.

47. On two or three occasions he visited my informant in the Great City. The latter gentleman told me about it afterwards. ‘The fellow was quite well-known to me’ he said, ‘and he greeted me in a friendly way, but even so I failed to recognize him, and so did all the other he visited’. Thus he escaped the vigilance of John the Orphanotrophus, him of the many eyes – no mean triumph. Yet his sudden disappearance had roused suspicion, arid the authorities were on the watch to find and arrest him, if they could. However, to cut a long story short, he evaded them all and reached Bulgaria in safety. Now he did not make himself known to his people at once, but first approached certain individuals, on different occasions. He referred to his father in an impersonal way, as though he himself was a member of another family. He than proceeded to speak with pride of his father ancestry, and made some tentative inquiries; if any of his sons turned up in the country, would the rebels chose the legitimate hair as their king, rather than the pretender? Or, now that the latter had already assumed the leadership, was the rightful heir completely forgotten?

48.

…

 

(1017-1078 – Michael Psellos: CHRONOGRAPHIA)