To same man in the form of an encomium
Where ever are you going, most radiant sun, great light of truth? How also patiently you bear leaving behind the moon of the world, under which you are shown and which you shine brighter than? Was it love for us and desire to keep the Queen of Cities free of all vassalage and attack from barbarians that persuaded you to disdain you body, spirit, and dearest ones? O vivacious soul, o flaming heart, o noble sentiment, the luxury and enjoyment of imperial rule did not enchant you; nor did the decorum of rule and the remaining adornments of it as well as the beauty of the diadem overcome you. But as though God had raised you upon the throne, so we might revel and enjoy ourselves, while you look after us with many labors and plague yourself with many anxious thoughts as well as adorning your head with the diadem and the point of your spear against your enemies. O brave deed, o high state of mind, you did not stay here for the change of season, but in the middle of winter, when the sun is hidden beneath the clouds, when it is the most dim in the sky, as though hard steel capable of sustaining all [sorts of] blows and broken apart by nothing, not the terrible winter, not a great storm, and not the terrible cold, you set out from the Queen of Cities and advanced against the kingdom [τυραννίδος] of the enemy.
Such a course for an emperor to take at the beginning shows for us thus a good, thus a noble, thus a gentle, thus full of audacity emperor. Also that everything about you is beyond noble: birth, manner, life, the adornment of the body, the greatness of spirit, desire for God, the awesome love for us, the noble mind, the generous hand, free rightness, and spring of favors. O how sweet it is for us they we should have the good fortune to have you as emperor. O the pain of our opponent when we see you as though our sun advance on another world.
May you overpower completely the enemy and opponent in combat, may you crown your head with radiant routs. May you adorn yourself with noble deeds against the barbarians and may you render for your spear many victories. May the sun not burn during the day and the moon at night, but a column of light guide you, and the sea part for you, the rivers give way, and the angels sent forth light over all the land. May we behold you return with routs to us adorned with noble laurels, o imperial wonder, sight most worthy of the state, and most noble light of our moon.
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19. PS pg. 125 adds to composition of army: from Macedonian, Bulgarians, Cappadocians, Uz, and other nations, as well as the Franks and Varrangians
20. PS pg. 125: There was a paradox sight: the famous champions of the Romans, who had enslaved the east and west standing all together numbering only a few men born into poverty and lacking in complete armament, in place of blades and other weapons, as the Bible says, carrying hunting spears and scythes bereft of war mounts and other war items...
21. district between Libanus and Anti-libanus
22. PS pg. 126 changes statement: he left the road for the theme of Lycandus during the summer planning to...
23. PS pg. 127 adds: and Argaos for the mountains he marched through
24. PS pg. 128: Apsinalios
25. PS pg. 128 adds: The ancients had a maxim for this: it is better for a lion to rule deer than a deer to rule lions.| I think here the writer did what I did the first time reading through the text and took the ἐκεῖνοι to mean Romanus‘s own soldiers, but there he might for fall from right and truthful understanding. I am not even sure as to the meaning of this phrase.
26. PS pg. 129: Libellisius
27. PS pg. 129 adds: or Berroea
28. PS pg. 129: Turks
29. PS pg. 130: It was worthy of astonishment that this disaster and defeat of the Romans should causes not one of the remaining soldiers and officers to rise to avenge themselves, but instead all of them remain sitting down as though encamped on allied land desiring to keep to themselves stirred to no zeal or desire to fight.
30. PS pg. 131: Pharasmanes
31. PS pg. 132: Terchola
32. Z pg. 692: Angered that he was not able to do anything about it, he put his army in order so that they could pass the winter with any deficiencies and returned to the Queen of Cities feeling boastful that he had done much not only for others, but also for the empress. She on the contrary perceiving her expectations defeated was displeased and had her heart swollen up unable to bear the afflictions.
33. This next oration of Psellus does not have any clear place so I place it here after his first victory:
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