Chapters of the Madrid Skylitzes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapters

Chapter I: Michael I. Rangabe (811-813), fol. 10r-17v

Proclamation of Michael I as emperor (Fol. 10v)
Top: The Bulgarian ruler Krum assembling his army. Bottom: The Byzantine soldiers urging Michael I to fight (Fol. 11r)
The proclamation of Leo V (Fol. 12v)
Argument between Leo V and Michael the Stammerer (Fol. 13r top)

Chapter II: Leon V the Armenian (813-820), fol. 18r-26va

18va
26va

Chapter III: Michael II. Travlos (820-829), fol. 26vb-42ra

Martyrdom of Euthymius of Sardeis (Fol.28vb
Thomas the Slav flees to the Arabs (Fol. 29v)
(Fol. 30r)
(Fol. 30v)
(Fol. 31r)
The fleet of Thomas sails from Abydos (Fol. 31v top)
General Olbianos executes Thomas' adoptive son (Fol. 31v bottom)
The iron chain prevents the fleet of Thomas from entering the Golden Horn (Fol. 32r)
The troops of Thomas attack the walls of Constantinople (Fol. 32v top)
The troops of Thomas attack the walls at Blachernae (Fol. 32v bottom)
Theophilos and the Patriarch lead a procession for the salvation of the city (Fol. 33r)
The fleet of Thomas is beaten back from the sea walls of Constantinople (Fol. 33v)
(Fol. 34v)
(Fol. 35r)
(Fol. 35v)
(Fol. 36v)
The capture and punishment of Thomas the Slav by Emperor Michael II (Fol. 37r)
Choireas and Gazarenos abandon their forts and escape, but are captured and executed (Fol. 38r top)
The Arabs of Iberia address their leader Apochaps (Fol. 38r bottom)
The Saracen fleet sails against Crete (Fol. 38v)
Apochaps orders the torching of his fleet (Fol. 39r)
The Cretan Saracens defeat the Byzantines under Damianos (Fol. 39v top)
A monk shows the Cretan Saracens where to build Chandax (Fol. 39v bottom)
Byzantines under Krateros defeat the Cretan Saracens (Fol. 40v top)
The Cretan Saracens slay the sleeping Byzantines (Fol. 40v bottom)
Byzantines under Ooryphas ambush and defeat the Cretan Saracens (Fol. 41r top)
Cretan Saracens pursue Krateros and capture and hang him at Kos (Fol. 41r bottom)
Death of Michael II (Fol. 42r top)

Chapter IV: Theophilos (829-842), fol. 42rb-62ra

The accomplices of Michael II step forth to be honoured (Fol. 42r bottom)
42v
43ra
43rb
44v
47r
47v
48v
49v
50va
50vb
51r
54r
Byzantines driving the Arabs to flight (Fol. 54v)
Arab captive displays his skill with two spears at Theophilos' triumph in Constantinople (Fol. 54ra)
Emperor Theophilos in discussion with Theodore Krateros (Fol. 54rb)
55v
56r
59v
60
The head of Theophobos is brought to Emperor Theophilos on his deathbed (Fol. 62r top)
Mamun sends an envoy to Theophilos (Fol. 75v)

Chapter V: Michael III. (842-867), fol. 62rb-80vb

Coronation of Emperor Michael III (Fol. 62rb)
68r
The baptism of the Bulgarian ruler, Boris, with Emperor Michael as his godfather (Fol. 68v)
69r
Michael III with Theodora and Theoktistos (Fol. 70r)
Empress Theodora confers with the Senate (Fol. 71r)
The imperial army besieges Samosata (Fol. 72r)
Battle at Lalakaon and death of Amer (Fol. 73v top)
Petronas with John the monk, who foretold his victory at Lalakaon (Fol. 73v bottom)
76r
76va
77v
Emperor Michael III receives a message (Fol. 78r top)
The dream of Caesar Bardas (Fol. 79r)
Murder of the Caesar Bardas (Fol. 80r top)
Coronation of Basil the Macedonian as co-emperor (Fol. 80r bottom)
Michael III proclaims his new favourite, Basilikinos, as co-emperor (Fol. 80v top)
Assassination of Michael III by Basil the Macedonian's men (Fol. 80v bottom)
Koutragon executes Christians (Fol. 82r top)
Koutragon surrenders Byzantine captives, and holds the little Basil in his hands (Fol. 82r bottom)
85va

Chapter VI: Basileios I (r. 867–886), fol. 81r–105vb

Fol. 96r
Fol. 97r
The Saracens capture the city of Syracuse (Fol. 100v)
Admiral Adrianos is informed of the fall of Syracuse by demons (Fol. 101r, top)
Refugees confirm the fall of Syracuse to admiral Adrianos (Fol. 101r, bottom)
Byzantines under Nikephoros Phokas capture Amantia (Fol. 101v)
The widow Danielis goes to Constantinople to meet with Emperor Basil (Fol. 102r, top and middle)
The widow Danielis visits emperor Leo VI (Fol. 102r, bottom)
The archon of the Russians is told of the miracles from the Gospel (Fol. 103v, top)
The Miracle of the Gospel before the archon of the Russians (Fol. 103v, bottom)
Emperor Basil I sends a messenger to the two magistroi (Fol. 104r)
Santabarenos the monk advises prince Leo to carry a knife (Fol. 104v, top)
Santabarenos the monk betrays Leo to Emperor Basil I (Fol. 104v, bottom)
Prince Leo offers a knife to his father, Emperor Basil I (Fol. 105r)
Emperor Basil I hosts a banquet for the senators (Fol. 105v, top)
Emperor Basil I orders the hair of his son Leo to be cut (Fol. 105v, bottom)

Chapter VII: Leon VI. the Wise (886-912), fol. 106r-116va

Emperor Leo VI receives an audience (Fol. 106r)
The relics of Michael III are transferred to the Holy Apostles (Fol. 106v)
The interrogation of Patriarch Photios (Fol. 107r top)
Santabarenos the monk throws himself at the feet of Patriarch Photios (Fol. 107r bottom)
The Lombards under Agion defeat the Byzantines (Fol. 107v)
Bulgarians defeat Byzantines under Krenites and Kourtikios (Fol. 108r)
(Fol. 108v)
The Bulgarians defeat the Byzantines under Katakalon (Fol. 109r)
Samonas informs the Emperor Leo of a plot to kill him (Fol. 109v)
Two messengers inform Emperor Leo VI of a Saracen attack (Fol. 111r)
Sack of Thessalonica by Arabs under Leo of Tripoli (Fol. 111v)
Emperor Leo calls Constantine Doukas as a witness (Fol. 112r top)
Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos baptizes Constantine Porphyrogennetos (Fol. 112r bottom)
Consecration of Patriarch Euthymius I of Constantinople (Fol. 112v)
Samonas incites Emperor Leo against Andronikos Doukas (Fol. 113r)
Ouzer intercepts Leo's message to Andronikos Doukas (Fol. 113v top)
Constantine Doukas escapes from Arab captivity (Fol. 113v bottom)
Leo admonishes Constantine Doukas (Fol. 114r)
Leo shows the holy vessels of Hagia Sophia to the Arab ambassadors (Fol. 114v top)
Coronation of Constantine VII (Fol. 114v bottom)
The eunuch Constantine is tonsured at the Monastery of St. Tarasios at Samonas' orders (Fol. 115r)

Chapter VIII: Alexandros (912-913), fol. 116vb-118r

Emperor Alexander deposes Patriarch Euthymios (Fol. 116v)
Emperor Alexander receives the Bulgarian envoys (Fol. 117v)
Emperor Alexander, on his deathbed, passes imperial power to his nephew Constantine (Fol. 118r)

Chapter IX: Konstantinos VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–920), fol. 118va–126va

Constantine VII dining with Tsar Symeon of Bulgaria (Fol. 120r)
Constantine VII recalls his mother from exile (Fol. 120v)
121r

Chapter X: Romanos I Lakapenos (r. 920–944), fol. 126vb–131v

The Byzantines under John Kourkouas capture Melitene (Fol. 127r, top)
Death of Patriarch Stephen II of Constantinople (Fol. 127r, bottom)
The Byzantine fleet repels the Russian attack (Fol. 130r)
The surrender of the Mandylion of Edessa to the Byzantines (Fol. 131r)

Chapter XI: Konstantinos VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 944–959), fol. 132r–139rb

The priest Themel puts the Arabs to flight using his semantron
Leo Phokas sents the captive Arab general Apolasaeir to Constantinople
Constantine Phokas dies poisoned in Aleppo, and his father Bardas orders the execution of all Arab prisoners
Leo Phokas defeats the Arabs in 950, escape of Chalkoutzes
Consecration of Patriarch Polyeuctus
Saracens of Crete defeat the Byzantine army
Constantine VII is poisoned by Theophano
Constantine VII on his deathbed

Chapter XII: Romanos II (r. 959–963), fol. 139v–142rb

Coronation of Basil II as co-emperor by Patriarch Polyeuctus (Fol. 139v)
Byzantines under Nikephoros Phokas besiege Chandax (Fol. 140r)
Leo Phokas defeats Hambdan at Adrassos (Fol. 140v, top)
Ioannikios betrays to Romanos II a plot to murder him (Fol. 140v, bottom)
Workers building a palace find a marble ox head (Fol. 141v, top)
Romanos II tries to expel his mother and sisters from the palace (Fol. 141v, middle)
Death of Helena Lekapene (Fol. 141v, bottom)
Capture of Berroia by the Byzantines (Fol. 142r, top)
Death of Romanos II (Fol. 142r, bottom)

Chapter XIII: Basileios and Konstantinos (963), fol. 142va-145va

Triumphal entrance of Nikephoros Phokas into Constantinople (Fol. 145r)

Chapter XIV: Nikephoros II. Phokas (963-969), fol. 145va-157vb

148ra
151v
153r
155r
156rb

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XV: Ioannes Tzimiskes (969-976), fol. 158r-173v

159r
166r
167r
168r
172rb
172v
173ra

Chapter XVI: Basileios II. (976-1025), fol. 174r-196va

174r
176
178ra
184v
185r
186r
195v

Chapter XVII: Konstantinos VIII. (1025-1028), fol. 196vb-198r

Chapter XVIII: Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034), fol. 198v-206va

Emperor Romanos III receives the embassy of Berroia (Fol. 201r)
Emperor Romanos III encamps at Azazion (Fol. 201v)
The Arabs drive the Byzantines to flight at Azazion (Fol. 202r top)
A Byzantine eunuch attacks the Arabs (Fol. 202r bottom)
General Georgios Maniakes slaughters the Arabs (Fol. 202v)
Emperor Romanos III receives Pinzarach, Emir of Tripolis (Fol. 203r)
Tonsure of Prousianos (Fol. 203v)
Romanos III receives an Arab delegation led by Amer (Fol. 204r top)
Empress Zoe tonsures her sister Theodora (Fol. 204r bottom)
Arab captives are brought before Emperor Romanos III (Fol. 204v)
The Arabs attack the city of Edessa (Fol. 205r top)
Georgios Maniakes sends the letter of Christ to Romanos III (Fol. 205r bottom)
The widow Alde visits Emperor Romanos III (Fol. 206r)
The murder of Romanos III in his bath (Fol. 206v top)

Chapter XIX: Michael IV. Paphlagon (1034-1042), fol. 206vb-218r

The wedding of Zoe and Michael the Paphlagonian (Fol. 206v bottom)
John the Orphanotrophos sends Ergodotes to Constantine Dalassenos (Fol. 207r)
John the Orphanotrophos sends Phagitzes with relics to Constantine Dalassenos (Fol. 207v)
A Thracesian woman kills a Varangian (Fol. 208r)
John the Orphanotrophos exiles Constantine Dalassenos (Fol. 208v)
The Christian widow of the caliph of Egypt sends a letter to Michael IV (Fol. 210r)
Litany with the emperor's brothers, Ioannes, Konstantinos and Georgios (Fol. 210v)
Zoe asks Sgouritzes to poison John the Orphanotrophos (Fol. 212r top)
The Byzantines under Georgios Maniakes land at Sicily and defeat the Arabs (Fol. 212r bottom)
Varasvatze of Edessa hosts the Arab leaders (Fol. 212v top)
Varasvatze orders the death of the Arabs (Fol. 212v bottom)
Georgios Maniakes reproaches admiral Stephanos (Fol. 213v top)
Georgios Maniakes is brought captive to Constantinople (Fol. 213v bottom)
The Arab siege of Messina (Fol. 214r)
215r
215v
Alusian appears before Peter Delyan and the Bulgarian camp (Fol. 217r, top)
The Thessalonians pursue the Bulgarian besiegers under Alusian (Fol. 217r bottom)
Alusian has Delyan blinded at a banquet (Fol. 217v top)
Michael IV and his men in front of the Bulgarian barricade (Fol. 217v bottom)
Tonsure and death of Michael IV (fol. 218r)