Chronographia (Michael Psellus)

On the rebellion of Bardas Phokas.

X. Now, Bardas Phokas returned to the Emperor of the Romans original: "βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων" (basilei Rhōmaiōn). This refers to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II. and, having enjoyed a triumphal procession, was counted among those close to the Emperor. In this 5 manner, the first usurpation: An illegal seizure of power, referred to in the Greek text as a "tyrannis." was dissolved, and Emperor Basil seemed to be rid of his troubles; however, this supposed resolution happened to be the beginning of many great travails. For Phokas, having first been granted great honors and later less significant ones, saw his hopes slipping away. At 10 the same time, believing he had not betrayed the loyalty that had been pledged and maintained on specific terms, he raised a heavier and more dangerous rebellion against Basil, supported by the strongest part of the army. Having secured the support of the leading noble families of that time and having separated into an opposing faction, he selected for himself an 15 Iberian: Referring to the Kingdom of Iberia in the Caucasus, modern-day Georgia. army. These were men who 324 stood | ten feet tall Psellos uses hyperbole here to emphasize the intimidating physical presence of these Georgian mercenaries. and carried themselves with an arrogant air. No longer acting in secret, he donned the rebel’s dress along with p. 9 the imperial tiara and the | purple original: "ἐπισήμου χρώματος" (the distinguished color). Purple was the color reserved strictly for the Emperor..
20 XI. Then, something of this sort occurred: a war against a foreign tribe overtook the Babylonian: A classical nickname used by Psellos for the Abbasid Caliph or his ministers in Baghdad., with whom Skleros and his followers had taken refuge. As the story has already made known, they found their hopes reversed; the war was heavy and terrible, requiring many hands and forces to resist it. 25 And since the Babylonian could not trust in his own army alone, he placed his hopes in the fugitives. He immediately released them from their bonds, led them out of prison, armed them stoutly, and set them directly against the opposing phalanx. Being noble and warlike men, and knowing the formations of heavy infantry, 30 they stood apart on either side, then suddenly charged out on horseback. Raising the war cry: Specifically the "Enyalios" shout, an ancient Greek invocation to a god of war., they killed some on the spot and turned the rest to flight. Having driven them as far as the palisade, they utterly destroyed them all. Then, turning back as if by a shared impulse of the soul, they took to 35 flight themselves; for they feared the barbarian again, as he had not treated them kindly...