The Book of Emperors

Myers, Henry A.

Published by West Virginia University Press

Myers, A..
The Book of Emperors: A Translation of the Middle High German Kaiserchronik.
Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2013.
Project MUSE., https://muse.jhu.edu/.

For additional information about this book

https://muse.jhu.edu/book/25199

Access provided at 13 Sep 2019 03:49 GMT from Universidad de Los Andes
 Then the fabled Justinian, Roman judge, increased his abilities and
his successes until he was very mighty indeed. He had such willing support
from all his men that no one could resist his authority. He also became
quite good at playing the lyre and added many other achievements to his
name. He kept this up as long as he lived.
But, finally, it happened that King Justinian seduced a lady and se-
cretly slept with her. Her husband was named Marcellus; his brother was
called Theodosius. When Marcellus found out that his wife was unfaith-
ful to him, he spoke with great feeling. “By my love of God the Good! He
will sorely regret this day what he has done!” He then crept stealthily and
all alone to where the king was with his men who had arrived at his court.
He approached the king, who was surrounded by his men, and ran him
through with his sword, shouting defiantly, “The devil betrayed you, lur-
ing you into seducing my wife, but you will never seduce another wom-
an! My honor was very dear to me so long as I could maintain it. [It is
gone, but] this is also your last day!” For a fact, Justinian had the Empire
for just seven and a half years and twelve days more, and then this lord
killed him.

XXXIV
Theodosius

Early in his reign, Theodosius I, “the Great” (r. 379–395), estab-

lished what became Roman Catholicism as the Roman state religion
and, after some disputes with Saint Ambrose, accepted the prin-
ciple that the emperor should be guided by the church in matters
where church and state interests crossed. He was also a man of the
utmost piety, who prayed long and fervently before battles and gave
God full credit for his victories. His wife, Plakilla, as mentioned in
the introduction to the previous chapter, may be the model for our
author’s Tharsilla.

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 The fact that a Council of Ephesus figures prominently in the ac-
count below, however, would point to Theodosius II as our author’s
subject figure, since he convoked the first Council of Ephesus in 434
and the second in 448.
Coping with heretics through councils or synods and debate—
rather than simply trying to annihilate them—was part of church
policy in the fourth and fifth centuries. In our author’s own day
the handling of heresy was heading towards the prompt, physical
elimination of offenders, and it is of some interest that the Book
of Emperors defends the earlier policy of debate with heretics
against the more recent policy of wiping them out.
Arius taught, we recall, that there must have been a time when
there was a God the Father but no God the Son. This teaching de-
nies Jesus as co-eternal with God the Father and contradicts the
opening passage in the book of John, which portrays Jesus as God’s
Word, given at the dawn of eternity, that became flesh. Arius was
accused of making Jesus into a separate, lesser divinity, and the
Arian controversy rocked the church during the time of Constan-
tine, who dealt with it at the Council of Nicaea. Arius died unex-
pectedly of unknown causes in 336. The story below that he died
in a privy was widespread by the twelfth century.
Theodosius II lived a century after Arius, and the Councils of
Ephesus dealt with different questions. Debated at Ephesus was the
Monophysite idea that Christ had only one (divine) nature—and
not a human one—rather than the Arian heresy or the idea of the
Resurrection.
Saint Eusebius of Caesarea was the foremost chaplain of Con-
stantine I, in whose service he distinguished himself as a Christian
orator and historian in the 320s and 330s. The story of the devil
entrapping a young man with a beautifiul statue was probably in-
spired by an account of Roman mirabilia. William of Malmes-
bury’s Deeds of the Kings of England contains a more elaborate
version some twenty-five years before the Book of Emperors was
completed. The two accounts are similar enough that they may well
descend from a common source that has been lost.

Theodosius 295
 he Book tells us that Theodosius, born a Greek, then held the
t Empire. He stood completely in the fear of God when he was
chosen judge. He did many good works and devoted all his thoughts to
how he might serve Holy Christ. He prayed to him silently but fervently,
which brought him great honor.
It came to pass that King Theodosius adopted the custom for him-
self—which was to benefit him greatly—of staying away from the crowd
and never saying a word in the morning until he could set his eyes upon the
Holy Cross, falling on his knees in prayer before it. In his prayers he was
mindful of God’s wounds.
At the same time there were two brothers of a distinguished family in
Rome who paid no attention to matters of the soul. Instead, they struggled
to find ways of showing love for idols. They became obsessed with material
splendor, and did not recognize the true God.
The king frequently instructed men whom he sent to these brothers to
tell them and plead with them to be aware that they should stop worshiping
idols before Christianity, for the honor of the holy faith. The young nobles
scorned this advice.
It happened then that one of the brothers, named Astrolabius, and
some of his companions were playing with a ball. He threw the ball and it
landed in an old walled-up place. I know that he just could not resist being
led by pride and curiosity to climb after it, when suddenly the young man
saw a beautiful statue that greatly appealed to him. He was overcome by
the thought that if he could get to it he would feel better than ever before.
I know that he did not turn back. He jumped down on the other side of
the high stone wall and stood before the statue. The devil pursued his work
within the statue and signaled with his hand for him to come closer. On the
spot the youth was so fervently enraptured that it transformed all his senses.
He fell in love with the statue, which had been made in honore Veneris [to
honor Venus]. The devil then told him what to do: he took a ring from his
finger and put it on the finger of the statue as a bridal gift. In an extravagant
promise, he assured the image that he would love it as long as he would live.
His good friends were waiting for him nearby on the street, but he
seemed to them to have been gone a long time, and they were worried that

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he might have fallen somewhere. They asked the heathen priests if they
would open the gate for them. The priests gave all of them the same an-
swer—that Emperor Constantine had forbidden this gate to be opened for
any Christian man for all time.
The youths became angry at hearing this. They hit the priests and
stabbed at them, becoming violent until they had broken open the gate.
They found Astrolabius. Although things stood very badly with him, he
concealed from his friends the grave misfortune that had befallen him.
His comrades led him back to where the ball lay, but they could do
nothing to help him. He had fallen so deeply in love with the statue that he
was possessed by the devil. He could not eat or drink anything, nor could he
sleep by day or by night: he would imagine having the statue lie beside him.
His body seemed very heavy to him, and his skin turned pale and sickly. He
looked very close to death, as friends and relations said, as well as anyone
else who saw him.
One day it happened that the boy Astrolabius was standing all by
himself, when he began to cry bitterly. Then he pulled himself together and
said, “This thing is not good for me in any way, and I can’t stand it anymore.
My life is no longer good for anything. No doctor can give me any advice
about what to do. If I knew someone I could flee to, and if he could make
my life worthwhile again, I would gladly become a Christian.
He had heard it said that the emperor had a chaplain named Euse-
bius, whose fame for knowledge and wisdom was widespread, and Astrola-
bius wondered if that man could tell him something to help him out of his
dire straits, once he had explained his sufferings to him. When he finally
convinced himself that this was what he should do, he hesitated no longer,
but secretly made his way straight to Eusebius. There, falling at his feet,
he said, “Milord, I seek your mercy. For a long time now I have been held
by great sorrows. I call your goodness to mind. Please help me out of my
misery. No one has been able to do anything for me, but I would like to have
your advice about it. I will listen to you and follow whatever you tell me to
do or not to do.”
That same priest had a strong fear of God. When he realized what had
happened to the youth, he burst into tears himself and he reminded Our

Theodosius 297
Lord that he might want to think of his own honor and restore sanity to
this youth. Eusebius the priest kept the words of the Holy Apostle [Paul] in
mind: “If you want to have God’s protection, you should help each other car-
ry your burdens.” He was determined to help Astrolabius and promised him
that he would never let him down, and that he would help him regain his
strength again and return to his senses if he would only put his faith in God.
The Book goes on to tell us that when he was still a youth, good Eu-
sebius the priest had read in the black [magic] books, from which he dili-
gently learned much that stayed in his memory. He knew that with the devil
having taken it so far, no one could restore things to the way they were
without getting back the ring, which only Our Lord could do.
Very early one morning with the young man present, Eusebius read
aloud from a book, and it did not take long before the devil came to them.
He urgently implored the devil to clear up what was causing this; that is,
who was making the youth so miserable? Could it be that he had some part
in it?
“Look now, Lord Eusebius,” the devil responded. “You took an oath to
stick to Christian ways. You have now perjured yourself. I never felt such
torment—in hell it never was so hot as I feel in your presence. Just let there
be a pause in the words you are saying and let me go back to hell again; I
will take care of what you want me to do.”
“I command you under pain of God’s ban,” said God’s vassal, “to bring
the ring to me. There is no other possibility for you. Hurry off to where it
is and return quickly to me. I am telling you as a fact: if you do not return
quickly, you will have very good cause to regret it.”
“See here,” the devil responded to him. “Why are you talking to me like
that? You would consider it very unfair if your servant or someone else of
yours would be taken from you, as you are now doing to me. Look, the fact
that he is in my possession proves that he is rightfully mine. My having his
ring is proof of the same thing.”
“You are not telling it as it was,” said God’s vassal. “You were after him
early and late with your temptations. You trapped him into doing what he
did with your evil counsel. You do not have a proper seal on your contract.
You must bring me the ring, or you will never get away from me here.”

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 “Beyond any doubt,” the devil answered him, “even if I must burn here
forever, I still can’t bring back the ring. It was not entrusted to me alone. It
is impossible for me to take back anything given to all my colleagues, and
there is many a squadron of them.”
“Then you can take me where they are,” said God’s vassal. “I command
you to do that under pain of God’s ban, so that I can see the ring, and do not
lead me off the path that heads straight to there. Your comrades have been
given no power over me.” How these words were hurting the devil! “Unless
you take me there, if I keep on living, things will not stay what they are for
you. I shall break apart your home and drive you out of it, since your power
is not all that great. Come now, I can’t wait any longer. I must have that
ring, and you are to serve as my companion in finding it.”
The devil was sore afraid of him. In a short time he traveled with him
three hundred [German] miles [approximately 1,500 English miles] down
through the bottom of a swamp. That dog gnashed his teeth and shouted
at Eusebius, “There are two of these rings. If you touch the wrong ring, that
will make you a robber, and if you do us that injustice, my companions will
tear you apart as they would a chicken.”
“Tell me the name of the stone that is mounted onto the ring,” said
God’s vassal. “I command that in verbo domini [by God’s word].”
“Jasper is its name. You seem to want me to tell you everything there
is under heaven. You make a bad traveling companion.”
It was a difficult time for the devil when God’s true vassal took back
the ring. “Now, bring me back to the place from which you took me!” Eu-
sebius commanded, and the devil set him down in the city of Rome, where
the devil asked to take leave, saying, “Let me travel back, and you may have
my willing service always.”
“Don’t be in any rush to go!” said God’s priest. “You must still be burn-
ing here tomorrow at this time unless you tell me about the original cause
of all those bad things that happened to this youth.”
“Well, I am forced to tell you: the heathens fashioned a statue in
honore Veneris. We were there when they did it. Herbs are buried under
it, and—I will tell you the truth—they have such power as to make the
statue irresistible so long as they stay beneath it. Whoever sees the statue

Theodosius 299
above them will fall in love with it forever. That is the way they honored
Venus.”
“Now you may take your leave—be off in God’s hate!” said God’s vas-
sal. “We will take care of things from here on. In God’s love we will have an-
other kind of house here.” He asked people to move the column [on which
the statue stood] just one foot away [and he removed the herbs from under
it]. The youth was relieved of all his afflictions, and he believed in the true
God.
Eusebius the priest brought it about that the column was dedicated to
honor good Saint Michael. It towers over the city of Rome and can be seen
to this day.
They baptized the young man, and even the heathens who happened
to be there and had witnessed the great miracles became obedient unto
God. King Theodosius rejoiced that Priest Eusebius was winning so many
souls for God. Our Lord has also rewarded him, giving him the inheritance
he justly deserved. He does not forget anyone who comes to him in great
humility with great needs.
A heresy spread itself in Emperor Theodosius’ days: Arians arose—I
feel sure there is a record of this in Rome to this day—and they sought to
bring shame upon Christianity. They taught that there was no resurrection
and that when the body dies the spirit dissolves in the air, the body turns to
earth, and no living thing ever returns from the air. With that kind of false
teaching, they saddened Christendom greatly.
Those who had charge of Christendom were particularly grieved by
this and complained about it to the king, saying, “It is disgraceful that
throughout your lands teachers of error have arisen. Because of them we
will lose God’s care and protection and must be prepared to give up the
worldly honor as well, which our forefathers won with their warshields in
battle and bequeathed to us. They are confusing our faith. Sire, you should
declare them outlaws, proclaiming your ban against them among all your
peoples.”
The emperor made the sign of the cross. “O Holy Ghost,” he began.
“Keep me from taking anyone’s life before just cause has been shown. I
am called the Roman ruler and because of that I am hailed as judge. It is

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expected that I judge justly both the lord and his serving man. Now we hear
the books tell us that the sinner should be summoned and pursued with
death upon the wheel, but let no one tell me to follow that advice. If he
has preached mistakes, that is still no reason to kill him. We also hear the
books tell us that our own forefathers proposed synods and let the argu-
ments come to an end in them. Whether we are dealing with rich or poor, we
should show patience and kindness, and—yes—God himself showed great
humility; therefore, let us gain souls by harvesting them in his love.”
When the bishops heard what the emperor was saying, they told
their subordinates that all who were concerned with this factional teaching
should come together, and they included Archbishop Arius with the rest.
Emperor Theodosius chose to call the Council at Ephesus, saying that he
would be glad to hear their heresy; he owed Christendom an answer to it.
Arius then sent messengers from land to land, and the Book reveals
to us that more than fifty thousand responded to him. They were all set
against Christianity, and they were taking advantage of the great free-
dom they enjoyed rather than being concerned about truth for the sake
of their souls.
And so the Council was set to be held in Ephesus. The Roman ruler
attended as did many a foreign guest. Most of them wanted to come in or-
der to hear what the heresy was. Arius and those close to him had no desire
to avoid conflict; they wanted to speak publicly in Ephesus, and there was a
great horde of their followers. The emperor provided lodging for them, and
throughout the night the Christians were worried.
Very early the next morning they all gathered at the assembly place.
All those who had come rushed to be in the front of the crowd. Those from
each faction consulted together about what they were going to say; how-
ever, they really had no need of preparation since the Holy Ghost was to
become the comfort and the help for all of them.
Arius was still at the inn. His people missed him and were very wor-
ried. He was still not in attendance by mid-morning; the emperor thought
this showed a lack of respect and ordered that he be brought before him.
The men he sent went quickly. They wanted to seize Arius; however, God
exacted vengeance for his Christendom: Arius was sitting dead on the inn’s

Theodosius 301
privy, where he had expelled his insides. That was how the synod turned
out: the heretics learned that their master was sitting dead, and they fell at
the emperor’s feet, saying that they wanted to do penance from then on for
what they had done to injure Christianity.
“Now, be obedient to God,” he said. “Keep the right faith, and keep
God before your eyes! This is better than having you killed and your souls
go to the devil. But if I hear any more of this heresy, I will hold you respon-
sible and punish you severely.”
When the synod was ended, its members raised high their hands, say-
ing that God in heaven was a just judge, and that he had well shown his
power. It happened that on that very same day the emperor was told as a
matter of greatest interest that one of the Seven Sleepers had come into
the city. His name was Serapion, and he wanted to buy some bread. Every-
one came walking and running so that they could see him. The fabled king
asked him how he made his living—what sort of work he was looking to do.
“Great need brings me to this place,” said Serapion. “It has been four
days now since Decius went after us with a vengeance. He decreed that all
Christians should die, and so we fled to the hills. Ever since then we have
been hiding there in a cave. It seems to me, however, that I have brought
about my own death. I understand now that I came out too soon. Decius
surely will not let us go yet. Mighty Christ! Even if I suffer martyrdom today
for your sake, help me remain among the just to the very end.”
Lord Theodosius fell to the earth upon his knees. He smote his breast
and prayed to Christ. “Lord God, you are worthy of all praise. With those
devoted to you, you are wondrously kind, and you punish your enemies
severely. To the good, you are sweet; to the evil, bitter. Coming to the aid
of Christendom, you took Arius out of the world today; and now, Lord, I
bring to mind your sublime resurrection. Reveal to us this hidden wonder
in a way that will give people no choice but to believe. Forgive us our sins
and show us the proof of the final Resurrection, for you are the beginning
and the end. I am not asking this, Lord, for my own sake, but for the sake
of these people unsure in their faith so that they will know truly that at the
end of time you will return in a way that all will fear; then our Resurrection
will take place following your mercies.”

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 “Amen,” said all the Christians there.
“I don’t know how I got here,” said Serapion, the holy man, astound-
ed. “When we heard it told that bans had been proclaimed over the city
of Ephesus we fled from there—I just do not know where I am now—to
Mount Celeon. If you would like to see proof of that—I am assuming that
you are Christians—Why don’t I reveal them to you? I left them early this
morning, and, if you like, I will show all of them together to you. Milord,
what is this land called and how did I get here? That mountain called Ce-
leon—is it anywhere close by? Is there anyone here who might know?”
The crowd greatly rejoiced at hearing this. The crowd was quite large,
with both men and women. The people praised God [who is] from heaven,
put on woolen garments and went barefoot all in the same spirit. They car-
ried crosses, and hordes of people followed them. The emperor led the way.
What was happening provided great consolation for Christendom.
When they came close enough that they could see the cave, they heard
flint stones splitting apart and very soon the wall in which the men had
been sealed came tumbling down. They saw six fine-looking men come out
of the cave. Nothing about them had changed. Their hair was the same
color. Their clothes were the same. There was no blemish upon them, and
their faces shone like the morning sun. The people saw this, and Serapion
spoke. “Here we are on Celeon Mountain! Now you may be convinced that
I have been telling you the truth. Here you see, my brothers.”
The emperor fell to his knees in prayer, and the whole crowd did
the same. Malchus told them to get up again. “God made this happen for
love of you. I proclaim to you the true resurrection. You see health in this
body. Render praise and honor to the Heavenly Lord—that is, the Holy
Christ, who is Our Redeemer. Practice goodness to the end. Judge the
people fairly, taking no bribes, and have pity on the poor! Help widows
and orphans get along. Strengthen the faith and keep God before your
eyes. Then God will reward you with a heavenly crown and admit you into
his Kingdom. You and all those dear to you should prepare for eternal life.
We commend you to God and pray that you remain in good health.” With
that the six turned around and lay down again. God in heaven was telling
them to do that.

Theodosius 303
 Emperor Theodosius began to chant Te deum laudamus [“We praise
you, Lord].” They sang and gave praise with hearts and mouths. Praise and
joy abounded there. They said that no one can survive without God. This is
an example of why you should always sing and read about the miracles that
God himself wrought in answer to the emperor’s prayers. That is what Da-
vid the Psalmist spoke of in saying, “To him who desires justice, everything
shall be granted.”
The lordly Theodosius kept serving God more and more ever after-
wards. With great commitment he judged the Empire twenty-six years and
seven months, as the Book tells us truly. Angels from heaven summoned
his soul.

XXXV
Constantine Leo

The Byzantine Emperor Constantine V (r. 741–755), son of Leo

III (r. 717–741), is the most likely historic emperor—if indeed there
is one—behind the figure of Constantine Leo, since father and son
lived roughly at chronologically appropriate times and were distin-
guished by a desire to defend the purity of the faith in their own
way. Constantine V and Leo III were heavily involved in fighting the
veneration of images in the Eastern empire’s “Iconoclastic Strug-
gle;” sometimes this Constantine is surnamed “the Iconoclast.”
On the other hand, Constantine V ruled as an arbitrary tyrant
and, apart from trying to suppress image-worship, did not distin-
guish himself as a Christian emperor, so that “Constantine Leo”
may simply be a made-up name for a figure whose reign covers
a long period of time.1 Our author presents only a few, somewhat

1. Ohly, op. cit., p.216.

304