REVOLUTION WITHIN THE CITY. 337 to any attack on the occupant of the throne. It is probable that, as foreign mercenaries, they were by no means favor- ably regarded by the people. The very fidelity for which, as we have seen, they were so justly esteemed by the im- perial family, even in the time of Anna, made their opposi- tion on the present occasion the more probable. The object of Mourtzouphlos was now to secure the person of Alexis, either by inducing him to leave the palace or by withdraw- ing the AVarings themselves. The latter course was found to be the easier. The Warings were therefore deceived, and led to believe that in leaving the palace they were to fight for Alexis. The guards being thus withdrawn, Mourtzouphlos undertook to secure Alexis. As Protovestiarios, he had the right of entrance to the palace. This he made use of, entered, and, according to the narrative of Nicetas, told the young emperor that there was a mob coming to the palace and ready to tear him in pieces on account of his proposal to in- troduce the Crusaders into the cit}^ Alexis fell into the trap. His only thought was to save himself, and instead of remaining in his palace and awaiting the return of the AVar- ings, he wrapped himself up so as not to be recognized, and followed Mourtzouphlos out of the palace walls. When he reached the tent of the leader he was immediately put in irons and sent to prison. Mourtzouphlos seized the imperial insignia, assumed the vermilion' buskins, and was saluted as einperor. Kanabos was abandoned, and the elect of the citizens was Mourtzou- crowned with the usual formalities in Ilagia So- crowued. phia. Isaac, already very weak, died on hearing the news of his son's arrest. Alexis did not survive him Death of bc^'oud a fcw days. He was imprisoned, and on Alexis. the 1st of February he also died. Whether his death was a natural one, as his successor affirmed, or whether,
- Vermilion and not purple was the imperial color in the New Rome.
The oecumenical patriarch still signs with vermilion ink, maintaining in this as in several other matters the traditions of the empire. The Western writers generally speak of vermilion, though sometimes also of scarlet, tents, etc., as if no distinction were made between the two colors. 22
