User:Tintero21/Chronographia of Kodinos

The chrogoraphia of Pseudo-Kodinos

Arguably the last Byzantine universal chronicle, as well as the latest example of a list of emperors made by the Byzantine themselves. The text is filled with corruptions; for a comparison of the different manuscripts see the chronike 14 in Kleinchroniken. A German translation of the period 842–1204 (emperors Michael III to Alexios V) is given in Kleinchroniken vol. 3. The editio princeps was published by Peter Lambeck in 1729 (see here) and was later published in 1843 as part of the Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae (vol. 15) and in 1866 as part of the Patrologia Graeca (vol. 157).

Chronicle about the years since the creation of the world until the reign of Constantine the Great's empire, and about those who ruled in the Queen of cities until it was captured by the Hagarenes.

• From Adam to the flood there are 2242 years.
• From the flood to the building of the Tower are 525 years.
• From the building of the Tower to Abraham there are 530 years.
• From Abraham to the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt are 430 years.
• From the exodus to the building of Solomon's Temple there are 700 years.
• From the building of the Temple to the captivity of the Israelites there are 424 years.
• From the captivity to Alexander the Macedonian there are 318 years.
• From Alexander to the descent of Christ there are 331 years.
• In total, until the time when Christ assumed human nature, there are 5500 years.
• It should be known that the salvific crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ took place in the year of the world 5534, in the 18th solar cycle, on the fifth day of the moon, on a Friday, at the ninth hour, in the 18th year of Emperor Tiberius.
• And from Christ to Constantine the Great there are 325 years. In total, from the creation of the world to Constantine the Great there are 5825 years.

Then follows the list of emperors.

1. Constantine the Great took power in the aforementioned year 5825, and in the 12th year of his reign he built Constantinople. He ruled both Rome and Constantinople for 33 years.
2. Constantius, his son, reigned 24 years and 11 days.
3. Julian the Apostate, profane and opposed to God, ruled 2 years and 5 days.
4. Valentinian, pious and devotee, with
5. Valens, the impious and arian; they ruled 14 years.
6. Gratian, son of the aforementioned Valentinian, ruled 16 years.
7. Theodosius the Great, a native of Spain, most pious and hater of evil, ruled for 17 years.
8. Arcadius and Honorius, his children, ruled 13 years.
9. Theodosius the Younger, the Calligrapher, son of Arcadius, most pious and lover of virtue, ruled 42 years.
10. Marcian, elected by God, full of all virtues, ruled 6 years and a half.
11. Leo the Butcher, pious and devotee, ruled 18 years.
12. Leo the Younger, his grandson, son of Zeno, ruled 1 year.
13. Zeno the Kneecapless, the father of Leo the Younger, reigned 2 years ½ and 24 days.
14. Basiliscus ruled 2 years and 8 months.
    • Zeno once more ruled 2 years and 15 days.
15. Anastasius Dicorus, former silentiarius, reigned 27 years, 4 months and 3 days. He was a heretic and was burned by lightning.
16. Justin the Thracian, powerful, pious and generous, reigned 5 years.
17. Justinian the Great, his nephew from his sister, the founder of the Great Church, ruled 38 years ½.
18. Justin, former kouropalates, Justin's nephew from his brother, the most just, ruled 13 years.
19. Tiberius the Thracian ruled 5 years.
20. Mauricie, his son-in-law, most pious and honest, reigned 20 years and 4 months.
21. Phocas the Cappadocian, a bloodthirsty and impious tyrant, reigned 8 years ½ and 8 days.
22. Heraclius, the strategos of Africa, ruled 30 years.
23. Constantine, his son, ruled 1 year.
24. Constantine, the grandson of Heraclius, impious and murderous, ruled 27 years.
25. Constantine the Bearded, his son, from Dyrrhachium, the most pious and gentlest, ruled 17 years.
    • From the creation of the world to the reign of Justinian the Slit-Nosed there are 6121 years.
26. Justinian the Slit-Nosed, the son of Constantine the Bearded, impetuous and tyrannical in spirit, ruled 10 years.
27. Leontius ruled 3 years
28. Apsimar, also Tiberius, ruled 7 years.
    • Justinian again ruled 6 years.
29. Philippicus, also Bardanes, ungodly impure and criminal, ruled 2 years.
30. Anastasius, also Artemius, most pious, protosecretarius and a philosopher, ruled 2 years.
31. Theodosius of Adramyttium, most pious, protosecretarius and merciful, ruled 1 year.
32. Leo Konon the Isaurian, born impure, an enemy of God and the saints, ruled 24 years ½ and 5 days.
33. Constantine the Dug-Named, his impure and impious son, who died eaten by worms, ruled 34 years.
34. Leo of Khazaria, his son, profane and abominable, ruled 5 years.
35. Constantine, the son of Leo and Irene, who was blinded by his mother, ruled 16 years.
36. Irene alone ruled 5 years.
37. Nikephoros of Seleucia, merciful, just, former logothete, ruled 9 years.
38. Staurakios, his son, ruled 1 year and 4 months.
39. Michael Rangabe, son-in-law of Nikephoros, honest and pious, ruled 2 years.
40. Leo of Armenia, impious and fierce, with his son Constantine, ruled 7 years and 5 months.
41. Michael the Stammerer, the Armenian, mad, foolish and a hater of images; with his son Theophilos, ruled 8 years and 3 months.
42. Theophilos, his son, ruled 12 years and 3 months.
43. Michael the Drunkard, his son, with his most pious and orthodox mother Theodora, ruled 15 years, then he ruled for 10 years. His reign began in the year 6349.
    • The same Michael then ruled with Basil the Macedonian for 1 year and 1 month.
44. Basil the Macedonian, who was made emperor in the year 6374, ruled alone for 19 years.
45. Leo the Wise, his son, ruled from the year 6397 alongside
46. Alexander; they ruled 27 years and 8 months.
47. Constantine the first Porphyrogennetos, son of Leo the Wise, reigned with his mother for 8 years, from the year 6422.
48. Romanos the Elder, the son of Abastaktos Lekapenos; father-in-law of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, ruled with him and his sons for 26 years.
    • This Romanos was created emperor on the 11th of December, indiction 8, in the year 6428. After ruling 2 years, that is, in the 1st indiction, year 6430, he published a law (novel) concercning the right of pre-emption (Περὶ προτιμήσεως). In the 2nd indiction, year 6437, issued a new law concerning the powerful individuals (dynatoi) inheriting the assets of the poor, which also references the great famine of the 1st indiction. Emperor Constantine confirmed the same law in the 5th indiction, year 6455. The remaining 18 years, which the Dekapolitan mentions, are counted from the 1st indiction of the year 6437; from the 1st indiction of the year 6430, or the time of the famine, to which this constitution also refers, until the reign of Emperor Constantine.
    • Constantine Porphyrogennetos, again, ruled with Stephen and Constantine, who were deposed and exiled. Therefore, as aforesaid, Constantine Porphyrogennetos reigned with his mother 7 years, again with Stephen and Constantine, his wife's brothers, for 42 days, and alone with his son Romanos beginning in the 3rd indiction, year 6437, ruling 15 years and 19 days.
49. Lord Romanos the Younger, his son, together with his sons Basil and Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who were children, ruled for 3 years and 4 months.
50. Nikephoros Phokas, who was killed by Tzimiskes, ruled for 6 years.
51. John Tzimiskes, 6 years and 1 month.
52. Lord Basil Porphyrogennetos reigned with his brother Constantine Porphyrogenitus for 52 years and 11 months. Of course, Lord Basil ruled 50 years and was succeeded by his brother, who ruled 2 years and 11 months.
53. Constantine Porphyrogennetos, his brother, ruled 2 years and 11 months.
54. Romanos Argyropoulos with Zoe, daughter of the aforesaid Constantine, ruled 5 years and 6 months.
55. Michael the Paphlagonian was called to rule by the same Zoe in 6541; he ruled for 7 years and 9 months.
56. Michael the Caulker, his nephew, was made caesar in Sicily and then reigned 4 months and 19 days. Rejected by this government, he took refuge in the Monastery of Stoudios, and was dragged from there by the people and blinded at Sicily by the commander Nikephoros.
57. Lady Zoe and Lady Zoe, the sisters augustae, ruled alone for 3 months.
58. They sought Constantine Monomachos, who was in exile in the island of Mitylene; Zoe married him and made him emperor on the 11th of June, 10th indiction, year 6550. He ruled 13 years and 7 months.
59. Lady Theodora Porphyrogenita reigned alone for 1 year, 8 months and 20 day; afterwards he declared the old Lord Michael the Stratiotikos emperor, and lived with him for 5 days, but died on the 22nd of August of the 9th indiction, in year 6564.
60. Lord Michael the Old and Stratiotikos, became emperor on the 22nd of August of the 9th indiction, in the year 6564, but was deposed after having ruled 1 year and 11 days.
61. Lord Isaak Komnenos ruled with his wife Catherine for 2 years, 2 months and 24 days.
62. Lord Constantine Doukas ruled 7 years and 6 months.
    • He was succeeded by his wife Eudokia Augusta and their sons Michael and Constantine (Constantius) Porphyrogennetos; they ruled 7 months and 10 days. After this, the Patriarch and Senate married her with Romanos Diogenes and named him emperor on the month of March, indiction 5, year 6575.
63. Lord Romanos Diogenes and Eudokia ruled 3 years and 8 months.
    • He attacked the Persians in several campaigns, but in the third he himself was captured by the Sultan of the Turks. Michael Doukas was made emperor in his place, and together with his mother Euokia ruled for 1 month. Afterwards, however, he pushed her into a monastery and ruled alone.
64. Thus ruled Lord Michael Doukas, the son of L. Constantine and L. Eudokia, with his wife Maria for 6 years ½. Then, by the betrayal of his wife, he was deposed by Botaneiates and was exiled to the Monastery of Stoudios. After this he became the metropolitan of Ephesus.
65. Lord Nikephoros Botaneiates ruled 3 years ½. His rule ended on the 1st of April, 4th indiction, 6589. He was confined in the Monastery of Deipara, called the Admirable.
66. Lord Alexios Komnenos, powerful and blessed one, ruled for 37 years and 4 months. He died on the 15th of August, on the Day of Assumption, indiction 11, year 6626.
67. Lord John Komnenos Porphyrogennetos, his son, became emperor on the 15th of August, indiction 11, year 6656, and ruled 24 years, 7 months and 23 days.
68. Lord Manuel Porphyrogenitus became emperor on the 1st of April and ruled 37 years, 5 months and 23 days. He died on the 24th of September, indiction 14, year 6689, at the third hour, after becoming a monk and changing his name to Matthew.
69. Alexios Komnenos Porphyrogennetos, his most beautiful son, was born on the 10th of September, indiction 3, year 6678, his 28th year.
    • He was crowned by his father in the 5th indiction, year 6680. On the 17th of September, 10th indiction, year 6685, Manuel Komnenos was defeated. On the 2nd of March, on Sunday, Lord Alexius married Lady Anna, the daughter of the noble king of France, in the presence of of Lord Theodosios, patriarch of Antioch. Of course, on the 24th of September, 14th indiction, year 6689, at the third hour, his father went to heaven. The emperor ruled piously with his mother, the Lady Maria, who, after assuming the monastic order, was named "Xene" or peregrina. He then ruled with Lord Andronikos Komnenos, protosebastos and protovestiarios, for 1 year, 11 months and 3 days.
70. The tyrant Andronikos put the poor Lady (Maria) to death and ruled as he wished for 1 year, 11 month and 24 days, until he finally strangled Alexios Porphyrogennetos and ruled alone for 1 year, 10 months and 10 days.
    • He went to the Great Palace with his guards, some relatives and the patriarch himself, Lord Basil Kamateros, and there he took power. Andronikos, although he had put himself to flight, was hindered by the force of adverse winds, and was caught in the great sea of Pontus, and he suffered what he himself he made others suffer; it was not fitting for Christians and Romans to act.
71. Lord Isaac Angelos then ruled for 9 years.
    • During his time, the war of the Wallachians and Bulgarians against the Roman Christians began in Zagorje, in which every soul was taken away by plundering, and almost the entire western region was devastated. But the Romans eventually launched an expedition against them, assembling a moderate army. However, they once more proceeded with their usual laziness and timidity, as when they arrived at at Cypsela, the emperor's brother Lord Alexius, having won for himself the favor of the army and of some of those who were in charge of him, began to accuse his brother of those things which he himself, after he had obtained the throne, had committed much more, and having been proclaimed emperor, he occupied the throne without much trouble. Hearing this, the emperor Isaac, who had gone hunting, attempted to flee.
72. Lord Alexios reigned for 7 years.
    • For the emperor lived like Sardanapalus, neither he nor his ministers were focused on military discipline or governance. Many regions and camps in the west and along the coast fell under the control of the Wallachians and the Cumans. Numerous places were completely occupied by Ioannitsa, and finally, the Queen of cities herself, Constantinople, which remained the only stronghold under the emperor's power, was betrayed to the Latins through his shameful and useless flight. For when his nephew, Lord Alexios, the son of Lord Isaac, who had fled to Germany to marry his sister to Philip, gathered troops from all sides and returned with a large fleet of Latins to fight for his stolen throne. At first, it seemed that the emperor would continue the war against the Latins. However, eventually, during the night, he fled like a slave for sale.
73. Lord Alexios, his nephew, entered the palace of Blachernae at night and was proclaimed emperor alongside his father Isaac; they ruled 5 months. On an assembly at the Great Church, the crowd made Lord Nicholas Kanabos their emperor, but he only remained in sorrow at the church for a few days. Lord Alexios was deposed after this, and in his place Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos was made emperor. A little after, Kanabos was captured and Alexios was saluted at the palace;
74. Lord Alexios Doukas ruled 2 months.
    • Then the Latins began to besiege Constantinople, once the Queen of cities, more seriously and more openly, and soon the it was too late. The city was captured and the emperor was reduced to slavery and all sorts of miseries: for the sacred things were profaned, and the holy images were trampled upon, and the temples consecrated to God were changed into stables for horses, and to sum up everything, the daughter of Zion is forsaken as a booth in the vineyard and as a hut in the cucumber, empty of all good and filled with all miseries.
75. Theodore Laskaris, a noble and powerful man, and his successors until the first Palaiologos Lord Michael, having been driven away by the Latins, set up the seat of their empire in Asia, in the region of Constantinople. Theodore Laskaris ruled for 19 years.
76. Lord Theodore Laskaris the Second, his son Porphyrogennetos, ruled for 3 years ½.
77. Michael the first Palaiologos succeeded him and expelled the Latins from Constantinople, restoring it to its former splendor. He reigned 24 years, 2 months and 20 days.
78. Andronikos, his son, most pious and of incomparable spirit, ruled 45 years and 6 months.
79. Michael, his son, the second of that name from the Palaiologioi, in name and in fact emperor himself, reigned for 13 years and 22 days.
80. Andronikos Porphyrogennitos, his son, a compendium of graces, ruled 31 years and 3 months.
81. Manuel (John) Porphyrogennitos, his son, the flower of soldiers and the honor of emperors, ruled 41 years.
82. John Kantakouzenos, who later became a monk under the name Joasaph, ruled 14 years.
    • John Porphyrogennitos, the second of that name, the sixth of the Palaeologoi, after the monk Joasaph, reigned 2 years ½.
83. Manuel the Second, son of John Porphyrogennitos, ruled 12 years, 4 months and 25 days.
84. John, the third of that name, the son of Manuel Porphyrogennetos, who convened the Council of Florence and was forced to incline to the Latins together with the Lord Mark himself, the metropolitan of Ephesus. He ruled 23 years, 3 months and 10 days.
85. Constantine, the last of the Palaiologoi, the brother of John Porphyrogennetos, the most just, was first the lord of the whole Peloponnese. After the death of his brother John, he was raised to the rulership of the empire; he ruled 4 years and 5 months.
    • Under this emperor, in the year 6961, Constantinople was attacked by the impious Hagarenes, and she who had previously been the "Queen of all cities" was taken into the hands of the enemy. The emperor himself, together with almost all the nobles, was slain by them during the desolation of the city, and obtained the crown of martyrdom, since he would neither betray the emperor's palace to the wicked, nor escape the danger, even though he could.