13

they name, they join the armies. And the young Angelos Theodoros is defeated, who is captured, and not a few of his relatives and of those in authority and of the elite, and all their possessions became booty for the Bulgarians. But Asan, being more humanely disposed, frees most of the soldiers, perhaps demonstrating his humanity, and perhaps also working out what was advantageous to him. For he wished to be master of such men, which he also achieved. For when he advanced against them, all submitted to him without bloodshed, and Adrianople came under him, and almost Didymoteichon too, then all of Boleron, Serres, Pelagonia and Prilep; and he overran the areas around these, and he takes possession of Great Vlachia and also of Elbanon, and he takes booty as far as Illyricum. And when he had accomplished much of his plan and arranged matters as he liked, he returned to his own places, leaving some of the fortresses to be ruled by the Romans, but placing the majority under himself and stationing soldiers and generals in them. He therefore seemed to all at that time both admirable and blessed. For he did not use swords nor was he stained with murders; for this reason he was also loved by the Romans.

26

Angelos Theodoros was therefore guarded kindly by Asan, and when he was discovered plotting a revolt, Asan blinds him. But his brother, Manuel the Angelos, whom he had also honored as despotes, took to flight and went to the region of Thessalonica, and calling himself despotes, he ratified his documents with red letters. At whom one of the ambassadors sent from the emperor John mocked, saying "to you even more the psalm chanted to Christ, 'you the king and master.'" And from this time on, Angelos Manuel was in control of the remaining lands and cities in the western parts, not being troubled at all by the Bulgarians, since he was cohabiting with the daughter of Asan by a concubine.

27

But Robertos, the emperor of Constantinople, having reached the Euripos, died. His brother Baldwin was left behind, being still a minor. They therefore send an embassy to John, the so-called king of Jerusalem, so that he might come and be proclaimed emperor of Constantinople. after arranging a marriage alliance for him with this man—for he also had a little daughter—and so that after his death, he himself might reign again. For this king was about eighty years old, and past his prime. So the king takes Constantinople. And not having a battle-worthy force, he was not readily able to go out, recognizing that Emperor John was a most skillful general, and he blamed himself for the undertaking, and said that those who told him to oppose the emperor were thinking badly. He therefore spent two years within it, and having prepared triremes and an army, he proceeded towards the east, and puts into port at the dockyard of Lampsakos, just as Emperor John was then returning from the battle against Caesar Gabalas, whom he had fought because of a revolt.

28 - 29

The emperor, therefore, making his camp in the region of Stadeia, handed over the armies to Andronikos Palaiologos, whom he had as megas domestikos, and sent him with triremes and ships to the island of Rhodes, to see if he might somehow more forcefully harm the apostate. And when these things happened according to the emperor's plan, he himself proceeds to Lampsakos and pitches his tents near Sigrene.

30

The king, therefore, having taken Lampsakos, anchored his ships near Holkos. But Emperor John, since he did not have a battle-worthy force with him, hindered the movements of the enemy by strategic methods with the few he had. So the Latins and their king John came out and proceeded to some places along the coast. For they could not move further away from their ships. For the

13

ὀνομάζουσι, ξυμβάλλουσι τὰ στρατεύματα. καὶ νικᾶται ὁ Ἄγγελος νέος Θεόδωρος, ὃς συλλαμβάνεται, καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγοι τῶν συγγενῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐν τέλει τε καὶ λογάδων, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων πάντα λεία τοῖς Βουλγάροις ἐγένοντο. φιλαν θρωποτέρως δὲ ὁ Ἀσὰν διατεθεὶς τοὺς πλείους τῶν στρα τευμάτων ἐλευθεροῖ, τάχα μὲν καὶ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ἐνδει κνύμενος, τάχα δὲ καὶ τὸ συμφέρον τούτῳ πραγματευόμενος. ἐβούλετο γὰρ δεσπόσαι τῶν τοιούτων, οὗ καὶ τετύχηκεν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐχώρει, πάντες ἀναιμωτὶ τούτῳ ὑπέ πιπτον, καὶ γίνεται μὲν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἡ Ἁδριανοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ ∆ιδυμότοιχον, εἶτα Βολερὸν ἅπαν, Σέρραι, Πελαγονία καὶ Πρίλαπος· καὶ τὰ πέριξ τούτων κατέδραμε, καὶ τῆς μεγάλης Βλαχίας ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Ἐλβάνου κατακυ ριεύει, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ τὰς λείας ποιεῖ. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολὺ τοῦ βουλεύματος κατειργάσατο καὶ ὡς ἠγάπα τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν διέθετο, εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους ἐπανέζευξε τόπους, τινὰ μὲν τῶν φρουρίων καταλελοιπὼς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων δεσπόζεσθαι, τὰ πλείω δ' ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ποιησάμενος καὶ στρατιώτας ἐν τούτοις τάξας καὶ στρατηγούς. ἔδοξεν οὖν τοῖς πᾶσι τότε καὶ θαυμαστὸς καὶ μακάριος. οὐ γὰρ ἐχρᾶτο μαχαίραις οὐδ' ἐχραίνετο φόνοις· ἔνθεν τοι καὶ παρὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐφιλεῖτο.

26 Ἐφρουρεῖτο οὖν ὁ Ἄγγελος Θεόδωρος παρὰ τοῦ Ἀσὰνφιλοφρόνως, καὶ ἐπεὶ νεωτερίζεσθαι πεφώραται, ἐκτυφλοῖ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἀσάν. ὁ δὲ ἀδελφὸς τούτου Μανουὴλ ὁ Ἄγγελος, ὃν καὶ δεσπότην τετίμηκε, φυγῇ χρησάμενος περὶ τὴν Θεσσαλονίκην ἀπῄει, καὶ δεσπότης ὀνομαζόμενος ἐρυθροῖς γράμμασι τὰς αὐτοῦ γραφὰς ἐπεκύρου. πρὸς ὃν καὶ ἀπέ σκωψέ τις τῶν πρέσβεων παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰωάννου ἀποσταλείς, ὡς «εἰς σὲ καὶ μᾶλλον τὸ εἰς Χριστὸν ψαλτῳ δούμενον, σὲ τὸν βασιλέα καὶ δεσπότην.» καὶ ἦν μὲν τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε ὁ Ἄγγελος Μανουὴλ τῶν ἐναπολειφθεισῶν πρὸς τὰ δυτικὰ μέρη χωρῶν καὶ πόλεων ἐγκρατής, μὴ παρὰ τῶν Βουλγάρων τὸ σύνολον ἐνοχλούμενος, ἐπεὶ τῇ ἐκ παλλακίδος τοῦ Ἀσὰν συνεκοιτάζετο θυγατρί.

27 Ὁ δὲ Ῥομπέρτος ὁ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου βασιλεὺς τὸν Εὔριπον καταλαβὼν τετελεύτηκεν. ἐναπελείφθη δὲ ὁ ἀδελ φὸς αὐτοῦ Βαλδουῖνος ἔτι ἀφῆλιξ ὤν. στέλλει οὖν πρε σβείαν πρὸς Ἰωάννην τὸν ὀνομαζόμενον ῥῆγα τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, ὡς ἂν ἀφίκοιτο καὶ βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως φη μισθείη. ἐπιγαμβρεύσας ** δὲ τοῦτον αὐτῷ-εἶχε γὰρ καὶ θυγάτριον-καὶ ἵνα μετὰ τὴν τούτου ἀποβίωσιν βασιλεύσῃ πάλιν αὐτός. ἦν γὰρ ὁ ῥὴξ οὗτος περί που τὰ ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ πρὸς ἔτη, καὶ ὑπερωμίας. καταλαμβάνει οὖν τὴν Κων σταντίνου ὁ ῥήξ. καὶ μὴ ἔχων λαὸν ἀξιόμαχον οὐκ εὐχερῶς εἶχεν ἐξιέναι, ἐπιγνοὺς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰωάννην στρατηγικώτα τον ὄντα, ἐμέμφετο δὲ τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως ἑαυτόν, καὶ κακῶς ἔφασκε νοεῖν τοὺς λέγοντας αὐτὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀντιφέρεσθαι. δύο οὖν ἐνιαυτοὺς ἐντὸς αὐτῆς διήνυσε, καὶ τριήρεις οἰκο νομήσας καὶ στράτευμα κατὰ τὴν ἕω ἐχώρησε, καὶ περὶ τὸ τοῦ Λαμψάκου ἐλλιμενίζει νεώριον, προσεχῶς τῷ τότε τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰωάννου ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ καίσαρος Γαβαλᾶ μάχης ὑποστρέψαντος, ὃν διὰ νεωτερισμὸν ἐμαχέσατο.

28 - 29 Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς περὶ τὰ τῆς Σταδείας μέρη τὰς σκηνώσεις ποιούμενος τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ Ἀνδρονίκῳ, ὃν μέγαν δομέστικον εἶχε, τὰ στρατεύματα παραδούς, καὶ περὶ τὴν νῆσον Ῥόδον τριήρεσι καὶ ναυσὶ στείλας, εἴ πως βριαρώτερον τὸν ἀποστάτην καταβλάψειε. καὶ ἐπεὶ ταῦτα κατὰ σκοπὸν συνέβη τῷ βασιλεῖ, χωρεῖ αὐτὸς πρὸς τὴν Λάμψακον καὶ περὶ τὴν Σιγρηνὴν τὰς σκηνὰς πήγνυσι.

30 Καταλαβὼν οὖν ὁ ῥὴξ τὴν Λάμψακον, περὶ τὴν Ὁλκὸν τὰς νῆας τούτου καθώρμισεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ λαὸν ἀξιόμαχον, μεθόδοις στρατηγικαῖς μεθ' ὧν εἶχεν ὀλίγων τὰς τῶν πολεμίων κινήσεις ἐκώλυεν. ἐξῆλθον οὖν οἱ Λατῖνοι καὶ ὁ ῥὴξ αὐτῶν Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐβάδισαν μὲν τόπους τινὰς παραιγιαλίους. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδύ ναντο μακρότερον τῶν νηῶν αὐτῶν ἀποστῆναι. ὁ γὰρ