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34 And King John, having survived for a short time, departed from men, leaving the city of Constantine to his son-in-law Baldwin as an inheritance. But Asan, appearing regretful about the emperor's treaties, sought a way by which he might snatch his little daughter away from her husband. For he was very afraid of the success of the Romans. Therefore he devised a pretext and sent to the empress, saying that since she had drawn near Adrianople, he and his wife wished to see their little daughter and embrace her in a fatherly way. So the emperors, although they recognized the plot, nevertheless sent their daughter to Asan, having said this, that if he should keep their daughter, God would be an avenger. And the Bulgarian took his daughter and departed, having made all those accompanying her turn back. And having crossed the Haemus, he proceeded towards Tarnovo, while his daughter was weeping and lamenting; at which time they say that Asan took her, struck her on the temple, and threatened her terribly.

35 At that time also the race of the Scythians, when the Tartars had overrun them, as many as escaped their sword, crossing the Ister on skins and leaping over the Haemus together with children and women, and against the will of the Bulgarians—for there were many thousands—occupied the regions of Macedonia, some making their pastures around the Hebrus and the plains there, others around the Maritsa. Therefore they plundered everything in Macedonia, and whatever towns were easy to capture, they overcame by war, and many were killed, and all were despoiled, and they were taken captive and sold in Adrianople, Didymoteichon, Bizye, Kallipolis, and the larger cities.

36 Since, therefore, these things happened thus, the race of the Latins first won over Asan and made a treaty, and then with him also the barbarian Scythians, both wanderers and new-comers, with some small gifts, but with greater promises, they drew to themselves and made them partners in their deeds. And so, having gathered so great an alliance, they advanced together against the emperor. And since the city of Tzurulon happened to be near them, they set the battle against it, with Asan also present with so many thousands of Scythians and Bulgarians and with Italian engines of war. And Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes was guarding Tzurulon, the then *epi tes trapezes* and later Grand Domestic; and he was the son-in-law of the Grand Domestic Palaiologos, a fine soldier and enjoying much assistance from God. And when they encamped by the city, they had made engines and siege-towers, both many and strong, such as to be able not only to overcome such a city, but also cities with higher walls and greater size. Then the *epi tes trapezes*, with those with him, brilliantly displayed his noble spirit and strategic method; but the whole was of God's assistance. For Tarchaneiotes inside contrived against the engines outside, and against so large a multitude of the army. And the Emperor John was at a loss, knowing that if this city should be captured, all his possessions in the west would be gone. For the time being, therefore, he was content that the enemy was rather occupied with this, and that much of their impetus was being blunted there. For he cared more about the things in the east, which, being free from battle, gave him more cause for gladness. While the city of Tzurulon was being besieged, then, a message came to Asan that his wife from Hungary had departed from men; and at the same time had died both his child and the bishop of Tarnovo. Considering these things, therefore, to be divine wrath, he destroyed the siege-towers with fire, and as fast as he could, he came to Tarnovo. The Italians, therefore, being left alone, since they were not sufficient for the siege of the city, they also, having abandoned the battle against it, went to the city of Constantine. Therefore the city was freed from the

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34 Ὁ δὲ ῥὴξ Ἰωάννης μικρὸν ἐπιβιώσας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο, τῷ γαμβρῷ Βαλδουίνῳ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου ὡς κλῆρον καταλιπών. ὁ δὲ Ἀσὰν μετάμελος ἐπὶ ταῖς συνθήκαις τοῦ βασιλέως φανεὶς τρόπον ἐζήτει, δι' οὗ τὸ θυγάτριον τοῦ συζύγου ἀποσπάσει. τῶν γὰρ Ῥωμαίων ἐδεδίει πάνυ τὴν προκοπήν. σκέπτεται γοῦν αἰτίαν καὶ στέλλει πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα, ὡς ἐπεὶ πλησιάσειε τῇ Ἀδριανοῦ, βούλεται αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ σύζυγος τὸ θυγάτριον ἰδεῖν καὶ πατρικῶς περιπτύ ξασθαι. οἱ οὖν βασιλεῖς καίτοι ἐπιγνόντες τὴν σκευωρίαν, ὅμως πέμπουσι πρὸς τὸν Ἀσὰν τὴν θυγατέρα, τοῦτ' εἰρη κότες, ὡς εἰ τὴν θυγατέρα κατάσχοι, ἔσται θεὸς τιμωρός. καὶ ὁ Βούλγαρος λαβὼν τὴν θυγατέρα ᾤχετο, τοὺς ἑπομέ νους αὐτῇ πάντας ὀπισθορμήτους ποιήσας. καὶ τὸν Αἷμον διαβὰς ἐχώρει περὶ τὸν Τρίνοβον, κλαιούσης μὲν τῆς αὐ τοῦ θυγατέρος καὶ ὀλοφυρομένης· ὅτε φασὶ τὸν Ἀσὰν προσλαβόμενον αὐτὴν τύψαι κατὰ κόρρης καὶ ἐπαπειλῆσαι δεινῶς.

35 Κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ καὶ τὸ τῶν Σκυθῶν γένος, τῶν Ταρτάρων καταδραμόντων αὐτῶν, ὁπόσοι τὸ ξίφος ἐκείνων ἐξέφυγον, ἀσκοῖς τὸν Ἴστρον διαπεράσαντες καὶ τὸν Αἷμον ὑπερπηδήσαντες τέκνοις ἅμα καὶ γυναιξί, καὶ ἀκόντων Βουλγάρων-πολλαὶ γὰρ ὑπῆρχον χιλιοστύες-τοὺς τῆς Μακεδονίας χώρους κατέλαβον, οἱ μὲν περὶ τὸν Ἕβρον καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖσε πεδία τὰς νομὰς ποιούμενοι, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὴν Μαρίτζαν. ἐλήιζον γοῦν τὰ ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἅπαντα, καὶ πολιχνίων δὲ ὁπόσα ὑπῆρχον εὐχείρωτα, πολέμῳ περιεγέ νοντο, καὶ ἐφονεύοντο μὲν πολλοί, ἐσκυλεύοντο δὲ πάντες, καὶ ᾐχμαλωτίζοντο καὶ ἀπεμπολοῦντο ἐν Ἀδριανουπόλει ∆ιδυμοτοίχῳ Βιζύῃ Καλλιουπόλει καὶ τοῖς μείζοσιν ἄστεσιν.

36 Ἐπεὶ γοῦν οὕτω ταῦτα συνέβη, τὸ τῶν Λατίνων γένος πρῶτα μὲν τὸν Ἀσὰν ὑποποιοῦνται καὶ σπένδονται, ἔπειτα δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς Σκύθας βαρβάρους, ἀλήτας τε καὶ ἐπήλυδας, μικροῖς τισι τοῖς χαρίσμασι, μείζοσι δ' ὑποσχέ σεσιν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἕλκουσι καὶ συμπράκτορας τῶν ἔργων ποιοῦσι. καὶ δὴ συμμαχίαν τοσαύτην συνηθροικότες ὁμόσε κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως χωροῦσιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ σφίσιν ἐκ τοῦ σχε δὸν τὸ τῆς Τζουρουλῶ ἄστυ ἐτύγχανε, κατ' ἐκείνου τὴν μάχην ἱστῶσι, παρόντος καὶ τοῦ Ἀσὰν μετὰ τοσούτων χιλιο στύων τῶν Σκυθικῶν καὶ Βουλγαρικῶν καὶ τῶν Ἰταλικῶν μηχανημάτων. ἐφρούρει δὲ τὴν Τζουρουλὼ ὁ Ταρχανειώτης Νικηφόρος, ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης τότε καὶ ὕστερον μέγας δομέστικος· γαμβρὸς δὲ ἦν τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου τοῦ Παλαιολόγου, ἀνὴρ στρατιώτης καλὸς καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύων τῆς παρὰ θεοῦ ἀντιλήψεως. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῷ ἄστει παρεκαθί σαντο, μηχανήματα μὲν καὶ ἑλεπόλεις ἐγεγόνεισαν πολλαί τε καὶ ἰσχυραί, ὡς μὴ μόνον τηλικοῦδε ἄστεος περιγενέσθαι ἰσχύουσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑψηλοτέρων τειχῶν καὶ εὐμεγεθεστέρων πόλεων. τότε τὸ γενναῖον φρόνημα καὶ τὴν στρατηγικὴν μεθοδείαν μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης λαμπρῶς ἐνεδείξατο· ἦν δὲ τὸ ὅλον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀντιλήψεως. ἀντε μηχανᾶτο γὰρ ἔνδον ὁ Ταρχανειώτης τοῖς ἔξωθεν μηχανή μασι, καὶ τῇ τοσαύτῃ πληθύι τῆς στρατιᾶς. ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ δὲ ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης εἰδώς, ὡς εἰ τὸ ἄστυ τοῦτο ἁλῴη, φροῦδα πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ δύσει τούτῳ τυγχάνοντα. τέως οὖν ἠγάπα ἐν τούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐπτοῆσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους, καὶ τὸ πολὺ τῆς ῥύμης σφίσιν ἐναποκόπτεσθαι. ἔμελε γὰρ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον τὰ ἐν τῇ ἕῳ, ὧν ἐλευθέρων ὑπαρχόντων τῆς μάχης πλεῖον αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς εὐφροσύνης ὑπῆν. Πολιορκουμένου γοῦν τοῦ ἄστεος Τζουρουλοῦ ἐπῄει μνή νυμα τῷ Ἀσάν, ὡς ἡ σύζυγος αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐξ Οὔγγρων ἐξ ἀνθρώ πων ἐγένετο· τετελεύτηκε δὲ κατ' αὐτὸ καὶ τὸ παιδίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ Τρινόβου ἐπίσκοπος. θεομηνίαν τοίνυν ἡγησάμενος ταῦτα πυρὶ ἀφανίζει τὰς ἑλεπόλεις, καὶ ὡς εἶχε δρόμου περὶ τὸν Τρίνοβον ἵκετο. μόνοι γοῦν ἀπολελειμμένοι οἱ Ἰταλοί, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἀποχρώντως εἶχον εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἄστεος πολιόρκησιν, κᾀκεῖνοι τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν μάχην ἀπολελοιπότες ἐς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου ᾤχοντο. ἠλευθέρωτο γοῦν τὸ ἄστυ τῆς τῶν