9

customary. However, it was only possible to guard against the approaching evil and not to go over to them any longer, nor to be overcome, nor to seek to harm them by raiding their territory, 35 but to preserve themselves by remaining in their own land, so that they would fight when the enemy carried the war into the midst of our territory, but not fight if the enemy did not wish to make war. But since the rulers were also stingy about these things, and the amount given was with difficulty, overdue, and less than the ancient custom, on which account the successive commanders of the troops also introduced themselves as partners from their thefts, the multitude of them perished, some becoming the work of the sword, others going over to the enemy, and still others migrating elsewhere somewhere, since the terrible things were not avoidable for those who remained there, and living their lives as they could, and in the great absence of anyone to prevent them, the enemy seized the strongholds, from which they were also able to make raids, whenever they wished, and to do harm not only to the neighbors—for these they had at hand—but also to those from whom they were far away. And they caused no small trouble for the Roman armies, which were inclined to hold back against them forever and abandon other matters, needing no little assistance, and especially those in the west, which indeed, with the eastern regiments having been emptied there before these things happened, not only did they further damage the eastern parts, but they were also in a helpless state by themselves, with the western powers turning sometimes against us, sometimes against them, and by the instability of their opinion causing attrition for both sides, so that, when the armies were present, they would submit without compulsion, but when a truce occurred for a short time, they would easily turn again to the other side, if only they came against them with arms. Such being the state of the east and such being the approach of difficulties, to what point of fortune the affairs there later advanced we will speak of again, adding also the causes; for the time being, however, taking up the account again, we will establish the beginning, from which it is not worse to begin. 37

VII. How, in the reign of the emperor John, Michael Palaiologos was secured in his loyalty to the emperors. While Theodore Laskaris was already reigning as autokrator after his father, Michael Palaiologos, the son-in-law of his first cousin on his daughter's side, was distinguished by the dignity of megas konostaulos—and this dignity had the ancient privilege for its holder to command all the military and subject forces from Italy—was always suspected of aiming at the imperial throne and it was clear, from the way he conducted himself secretly, that he would start a revolution, if he got the opportunity, but he had given pledges to the father of the ruler with secure oaths and had indeed been bound by hierarchical curses excommunicating him from the faithful, if he should ever choose to revolt and be disloyal at all to the reigning emperors. And these things were done when, having been entrusted with the command of the western regions by the emperor, he was accused of making secret treaties with the despot of the western regions, Michael Angelos, on the condition that the despot would betroth his own daughter to him in marriage, and he himself would hand over the emperor's territory and, having come under his authority, would naturally collaborate in the rule with the despot and his father-in-law. Having been accused of this to the emperor by a servant, to whom indeed he also communicated matters of counsel, as the accuser said, he was seized immediately, deprived of his command, and thrown into prison in iron chains. Since the accusation could not be made clear, it being uncertain whether the accuser was telling the truth, as he insisted, or was slandering, as Palaiologos, arguing in turn, was ready to fight a duel for the truth according to some ancient custom that prevailed for the 39 emperors in cases of uncertain accusations, nevertheless he could not escape the suspicion and completely evade the charge of disloyalty, but was held a prisoner in custody for a considerable time, and the suspicion remained. And since no one else ought to dare and intercede with the emperor on his behalf, Manuel, who was patriarch at that time, for many months

9

σύνηθες. Πλὴν φυλάσσεσθαι μόνον ἦν τὸ κακὸν ἐπιὸν καὶ μὴ προσχωρεῖν σφᾶς ἔτι, μηδὲ περιγίγνεσθαι, μηδ' αὐτοὺς ζητεῖν κακοῦν τὴν ἐκείνων κατατρέχοντας, 35 ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς συντηρεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας μένοντας, ὡς μαχουμένων μέν, ὅτ' ἐκεῖνοι ἐπὶ μέσου τῆς ἡμετέρας τὸν πόλεμον ἐξενέγκαιεν, μὴ μαχουμένων δέ, εἰ μὴ ἐκεῖνοι θέλοιεν πολεμεῖν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ περὶ ταύτας οἱ ἄρχοντες ἐγλισχρεύοντο, καὶ μόλις καὶ ὑπερήμερον καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἀρχαῖον μεῖον ἦν τὸ διδόμενον, ἐφ' ᾧπερ καὶ οἱ κατὰ καιροὺς τῶν στρατευμάτων ἡγεμόνες μερίτας ἐκ κλεμμάτων ἑαυτοὺς εἰσῆγον, ἀπώλετο μὲν ἡ πληθὺς ἐκείνων, τῶν μὲν ἔργον μαχαίρας γεγονότων, τῶν δὲ καὶ προσχωρησάντων τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ἄλλων δὲ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ που, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖσε προσμένουσι φευκτὰ τὰ δεινά, μετοικησάντων καὶ ὡς εἶχον διαγαγόντων τὸν βίον, κατὰ πολλὴν δὲ τοῦ κωλύσοντος ἐρημίαν κατέσχον οἱ ἐναντίοι τὰ ὀχυρώματα, ἐξ ὧν καὶ κατατρέχειν οἷοί τ' ἦσαν, ὁσάκις ἦν αὐτοῖς βουλομένοις, καὶ κακῶς ποιεῖν οὐχ ὅπως τοὺς προσχώρουςτούτους γὰρ εἶχον αὐτόθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧν ἐς μακρὰν ἀπεῖχον. Τοῖς δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατεύμασιν ἀσχολίαν παρεῖχον οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, πρὸς ἐκείνους ἐφ' ᾧπερ ἐπίσχειν ἐς ἀεὶ ῥέπουσι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀφεμένοις, οὐκ ὀλίγης χρῃζόντων ἐπικουρίας, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν πρὸς δύσιν, ἃ δὴ καὶ κενωθέντων τῶν ἀνατολικῶν ἐκεῖσε τάξεων πρότερον ἢ ταῦτα γενέσθαι, μὴ ὅτι γε τὰ ἑῷα προσεζημίουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' αὑτὰ ἀπόρως εἶχον, τῶν δυτικῶν ποτὲ μὲν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ποτὲ δ' ἐπ' ἐκείνους τρεπομένων, καὶ τῇ τῆς γνώμης ἀστασίᾳ τριβὴν ἐμποιούντων καὶ ἀμφοτέροις, ὡς, παρόντων μὲν τῶν στρατευμάτων, χωρὶς ὑποκλίνειν ἀνάγκης, ἀνακωχῆς δὲ γενομένης ἐπὶ σμικρόν, πρὸς θάτερα αὖθις ῥᾳδίως τρέπεσθαι, εἰ μόνον ἴοιεν μεθ' ὅπλων ἐπ' αὐτούς. Οὕτω δ' ἐχόντων τῶν τῆς ἀνατολῆς καὶ οὕτω τῶν δυσχερῶν ἐπιόντων, ἐς ὃ τύχης ὕστερον τἀκεῖθι πράγματα προὔβησαν ἐσαῦθις ἐροῦμεν, προσθέντες καὶ τὰς αἰτίας· τέως δ' οὖν ἐπαναλαβόντες τὸν λόγον, τὴν ἀρχήν, ἐξ οὗπερ καὶ οὐ χεῖρον ἄρχεσθαι, καταστήσομεν. 37

ζʹ. Ὅπως ἐπὶ βασιλέως τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἐπὶ τῇ εἰς βασιλεῖς πίστει ὁ Παλαιολόγος Μιχαὴλ κατησφαλίζετο. Ἤδη μὲν αὐτοκρατοῦντος μετὰ πατέρα τοῦ Λάσκαρι Θεοδώρου, ὁ ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ αὐτανεψίου ἐκείνου γαμβρὸς ὁ Παλαιολόγος Μιχαὴλ τῷ τοῦ μεγάλου κονοσταύλου διέπρεπεν ἀξιώματιτὸ δ' ἀξίωμα προνόμιον εἶχεν ἐκ παλαιοῦ εἰς χεῖρας ἄγειν τὸν ἔχοντα τοῦτο ἅπαν τὸ ἐξ Ἰταλῶν στρατιωτικὸν καὶ ὑπήκοον, ὕποπτος μὲν εἰς βασιλείαν ἀεί ποτ' ὢν καὶ δῆλος, ἐξ ὧν ὑποκαθημένως εἶχε, νεωτερίσων, εἰ καιροῦ λάβηται, τὰ πιστὰ δὲ δοὺς τῷ τοῦ κρατοῦντος πατρὶ ἀσφαλέσιν ὅρκοις καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀρχιερατικαῖς ἐμπεδωθεὶς ἀφοριζούσαις τῶν πιστῶν ἐκεῖνον ἀραῖς, εἴ που καὶ ἀποστατεῖν προαιροῖτο καὶ δυσνοεῖν ὅλως τοῖς βασιλεύουσι. Καὶ ταῦτ' ἐπράττετο, ὅτε, τὴν τῶν δυσικῶν ἐμπεπιστευμένος παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀρχήν, αἰτίαν ἔσχε τοῦ συνθήκας ποιεῖν δι' ἀπορρήτων πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην τῶν δυσικῶν Μιχαὴλ τὸν Ἄγγελον, ἐφ' ᾧ κατεγγυῆσαι μὲν τὸν δεσπότην ἐκείνῳ τὴν ἰδίαν παῖδα πρὸς γάμον, αὐτὸν δὲ παραδοῦναι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως χώραν καί, ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ γενόμενον, συμπράττειν ὡς εἰκὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ πενθερῷ. Προσαγγελθεὶς δ' ἐπὶ τούτῳ πρὸς βασιλέα πρὸς οἰκέτου, ᾧ δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς βουλῆς, ὡς ἐκεῖνος κατηγορῶν ἔλεγε, προσανετίθετο, ἀνήρπαστό τε τὴν ταχίστην, παραλυθεὶς τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ τῇ φυλακῇ σιδη ρόδετος ἐρριπτεῖτο. Μὴ δήλου δὲ γενέσθαι δυναμένου τοῦ κατηγορήματος, ἄδηλον ὂν εἴτ' ἀληθεύοι ὁ προσαγγέλλων, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἰσχυρίζετο, εἴτε συκοφαντοίη, ὡς ὁ Παλαιολόγος ἀντεπιφέρων ἕτοιμος ἦν ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας μονομαχεῖν κατά τι κρατῆσαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀδήλοις τῶν προσαγγελιῶν ἀρχαῖον ἔθος τοῖς 39 βασιλεῦσιν, ὅμως τὴν ὑποψίαν οὐκ εἶχε διολισθαίνειν καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀπιστίας ἔγκλημα εἰς τέλος διαδιδράσκειν, ἀλλ' ἐφ' ἱκανὸν χρόνον τῇ φυλακῇ κατείχετο δέσμιος, καὶ ἡ ὑποψία προσῆν. Ὡς δ' οὐ χρῆν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ἄλλον τολμᾶν καὶ πρεσβεύειν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὁ τηνικάδε πατριαρχεύων Μανουήλ, ἐπὶ μησὶ πλείστοις