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Macrenus; for he was convicted of having often, when he chanced to be behind the emperor, attempted to draw his sword and strike a fatal blow; and he subjected certain others to minor punishments. But most of them he let go after imprisoning them for a time, and he confined the very instigator of the plot who was also aiming for the throne, Andronicus Nestongus, in the fortress of Magnesia; so much did the bond of affection prevent the emperor from harming this man. Who also escaped after a little while, as some said, by the will of the emperor, who had encouraged him to walk more freely and, as it were, had planned for him to steal his salvation. He fled by night and made for the lands of the Muslims, and lived there until his death. From then on the emperor handled affairs more cautiously and did not maintain his former openness, and he stationed guards and sentries around him, attending to him night and day. Empress Irene was especially instrumental in these matters, having a more masculine character and dealing with all things in a more regal manner.

24 The Italians, wishing to come to terms, sent an embassy to the emperor and the city of Pegae. And so Emperor John made peace with them, with the Latins ceding to him all the lands to the south, while still holding the lands to the north that were near Constantinople and approached the city of Nicomedia. And something of this sort happened before this. For the inhabitants of Adrianople sent an embassy to the emperor, asking that he send them an army and free them from the hand of the Italians. And he sent out the protostrator Ises, giving him an army; and with him was John Cammytzes. They crossed the Hellespont and, passing through Macedonia, arrived at Adrianople, and entering the city they remained there. And Emperor John had hope on account of this of gaining control of the surrounding areas as well. But Theodore Comnenus, whom the account has already mentioned, having gained control of all the nearby lands except, however, for the Rhodope mountains, which is also named Achridos, and the cities in it and Melenicus—for Slav ruled these, being a kinsman of Tsar Asan and honored as despot by the emperor of Constantinople, Henry, whose daughter, born to him from a concubine, he took as a wife. This Slav, to interrupt the flow of the narrative for a moment, having found Melenicus to be a strong fortress and almost impregnable to all opponents, was an independent ruler, subject to none of the surrounding lords. For at times he was an ally of the Italians, being joined with them by marriage, at other times he was in accord with the Bulgarians through kinship, and at other times with Theodore Comnenus; and he was never either subject to anyone or entering into true loyalty and concord. After the death of his wife, he was married to the daughter of Petraliphas, the brother-in-law of Theodore Comnenus, about whom the account will relate below. However, as I had said, apart from the lands subject to this Slav, all had come under Theodore Comnenus. Therefore, since Mosynopolis and Xantheia and Gratianous itself were subject to him, crossing the mountain of Stageira, which most call Makre, he overran the regions on the other side of the Hebrus, finding them all undefended and not fortified by any fortress. Thus, having arrived at Didymoteichon, in no long time he was acclaimed emperor of these parts. And arriving at Adrianople, he found inside the aforementioned protostrator Ises and Cammytzes with the army of Emperor John. Having won over the inhabitants with deceitful words, saying that he would enrich them exceedingly and elevate them above the other Romans, he persuaded them to lead the emperor's army out and to lead him in. is led out

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Μακρηνόν· ἐξελήλεκτο γὰρ ὡς πολλάκις ἐφώρμησε κατὰ νῶτον τυγχάνων τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφελκύσαι τὴν σπάθην καὶ καταρράξαι καιρίαν· καὶ ἄλλους δέ τινας μικραῖς ποι ναῖς καθυπέβαλε. τοὺς δὲ πλείστους ἀφῆκεν εἱρκταῖς μέχρι τινὸς περικλείσας, καὶ αὐτὸν δὴ τὸν πρωτουργὸν τῆς ἐπι βουλῆς τὸν καὶ βασιλείας ἐφιέμενον, τὸν Νεστόγγον Ἀνδρό νικον, ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ τῆς Μαγνησίας συνέκλεισε· τοσοῦτον ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης σχέσις τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι τοῦτον ἐκώλυσεν. ὃς καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον ἀπέδρα, ὡς μέν τινες ἔφασκον, θελήσει τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλευθερώτερον βαίνειν τοῦτον παρακελευσαμένου καὶ οἷον κλέψαι τοῦτον τὴν σωτηρίαν βουλευσαμένου. ὃς καὶ νυκτὸς φυγὼν περὶ τὰ τῶν Μουσουλμάνων ἐφώρμησε, καὶ διῆγεν ἐκεῖσε μέχρι τῆς αὐτοῦ τελευτῆς. ἐντεῦθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς προσεκτικώτερον ἐχρῆτο τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἐλευθεριότητος οὐκ ἀντεποιεῖτο, φύλακάς τε περὶ αὐτὸν ἔστησε καὶ φρουρούς, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τοῖς ἐκείνου προσέχοντας. μάλιστα δὲ περὶ ταῦτα συνέτεινεν ἡ βασιλὶς Εἰρήνη, ἀρρενωπότερον τὸ ἦθος ἔχουσα καὶ τοῖς πᾶσι βασιλικώτερα ἐντυγχάνουσα.

24 Εἰς συνθήκας δὲ θελήσαντες οἱ Ἰταλοὶ ἐλθεῖν ἀπ έλυσαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸ τῶν Πηγῶν ἄστυ. καὶ οὕτω δὴ μετ' αὐτῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης εἰρήνευσε, πάν των τῶν πρὸς νότον ὑποχωρησάντων αὐτῷ τῶν Λατίνων, ἔτι δὲ κρατούντων τὰ πρὸς βορρᾶν τὰ πλησίον ὄντα τῆς Κωνσταντίνου καὶ τῇ τοῦ Νικομήδους πόλει ἐγγίζοντα. συνέβη δέ τι καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ τοιοῦτον. οἱ γὰρ τῆς Ἀδρια νουπόλεως οἰκήτορες πρεσβείαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐστείλαντο, ὅπως ἀποστείλῃ πρὸς αὐτοὺς στράτευμα καὶ τῆς Ἰταλῶν ἐλευθερώσῃ χειρός. ὁ δὲ τὸν πρωτοστράτορα Ἰσῆν στρά τευμα δοὺς αὐτῷ ἐξαπέστειλε· συνῆν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Καμμύτζης Ἰωάννης. οἳ καὶ διαπεράσαντες τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον καὶ διὰ τῆς Μακεδονίας διελθόντες εἰς Ἀδριανούπολιν ἀφί κοντο, ἐντὸς δὲ γενόμενοι τῆς πόλεως διῆγον ἐκεῖσε. ἐλπὶς δὲ ἦν τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἰωάννῃ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν πέριξ ἐγκρατῆ γενέσθαι. ἀλλ' ὁ Κομνηνὸς Θεόδωρος, ὃν φθάσας ὁ λόγος ἐδήλωσε, τῶν ἐγγὺς πάντων γενόμενος ἐγκρατὴς ἄνευ μέν τοι τοῦ τῆς Ῥοδόπης ὄρους, ὅπερ καὶ Ἀχριδὸς ὠνόμασται, καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτῳ ἄστεων καὶ τοῦ Μελενίκου-τούτων γὰρ ἦρχεν ὁ Σθλάβος, προσγενὴς ὢν τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀσὰν καὶ δεσπότης τετιμημένος ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Κωνσταντίνου Ἐρῆ, οὗ καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα ἐκ παλλακῆς αὐτῷ γεγεννημένην ἠγάγετο εἰς γυναῖκα. οὗτος δὴ ὁ Σθλάβος, ἵνα μικρόν τι τὸν εἱρμὸν τοῦ λόγου διέλωμαι, φρούριον τὸν Μελενίκον εὑρὼν ὀχυρὸν καὶ σχεδὸν πᾶσιν ἐναντιουμένοις ἀνάλωτον αὐτοκρατὴς ἦν, μηδενὶ τῶν πέριξ ἀρχόντων ὑποπεσών. ἐνίοτε μὲν γὰρ Ἰταλοῖς ὑπῆρχε ξύμμαχος ἐκ κήδους αὐτοῖς συναγόμενος, ἐνίοτε δὲ Βουλγάροις ἐκ συγγενείας ὁμοφρονῶν, ἐνίοτε δὲ τῷ Κομνηνῷ Θεοδώρῳ· καὶ ἦν οὐδέποτέ τινι οὔτε ὑποτασσόμενος οὔτ' εἰς ἀληθῆ πίστιν καὶ ὁμοφροσύνην συνερχόμενος. τούτῳ συνεζύγη μετὰ θάνατον τῆς αὐτοῦ γαμετῆς ἡ τοῦ Πετραλίφα θυγάτηρ, τοῦ γυναικαδέλφου τοῦ Κομνηνοῦ Θεοδώρου, περὶ ἧς παρακατιὼν ὁ λόγος δη λώσει. ἄνευ μέντοι, καθὼς εἰρήκειν, τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων τῷ τοιούτῳ Σθλάβῳ χωρῶν τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ τὸν Κομνηνὸν ἐγε γόνει Θεόδωρον. ἐπεὶ γοῦν Μοσυνούπολις καὶ Ξάνθεια καὶ ἡ Γρατζιανοὺς αὐτὴ ὑπὸ τοῦτον ἐτέλει, τὸ τῆς Σταγεί ρας ὑπερβὰς ὄρος, ὃ δὴ Μάκρην ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ πολλοί, τὰ ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ Ἕβρου κατέδραμεν, ἄνετα εὑρὼν πάντα καὶ μηδενὶ φρουρίῳ περιφραγνύμενα. ἔνθεν τοι καὶ περὶ τὸ ∆ιδυμότειχον γεγονὼς ἐν οὐ πολλῷ χρόνῳ βασιλεὺς ἐπεφη μίζετο τούτων. ἀφικόμενος δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν Ἀδριανούπολιν εὗρεν ἐντὸς τὸν δηλωθέντα Ἰσῆν τὸν πρωτοστράτορα καὶ τὸν Καμμύτζην μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰωάννου. ἀπατηλοῖς δὲ λόγοις τοὺς οἰκήτορας ὑπελθών, ὡς πλουτίσειε τούτους ἄκρως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ῥωμαίων ὑπερυψώσειε, πεί θει τὸ μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐξαγαγεῖν στράτευμα ἔξω, αὐτὸν δὲ εἰσαγαγεῖν. ἐξάγεται