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having gathered as much of an army as he was able, he marched against the east, and put in at the harbor of Lampsacus, just when the emperor John was returning from the battle against the Caesar Gabalas, whom he had fought on account of a rebellion.

28 The emperor, therefore, making his camp around the parts of Stadaea, after handing over the armies and generals to Andronicus Palaeologus, whom he had as Grand Domestic, and about whom I spoke a little earlier, and sending him around the island of Rhodes with sufficient triremes and other ships, to see if he might attack the apostate more forcefully and damage him with the tactics he knew of strategy—and when these things turned out thus and the matters concerning the Caesar went according to the plan for the emperor John, and he heard also that the king was coming out of Constantinople and had a plan to put ashore at Lampsacus and disembark there and make war on the Romans, with whom the emperor happened to be—and these were few, since the greater part of the army, worn out by the battle and the winter season, was heading for home—he proceeded toward Lampsacus and pitched his tents in the region of Sigrene.

29 At that time I too was sent by my parents from Constantinople to the emperor, being sixteen years old and having now been released from the general education, which most people call grammar. My father also wished me to slip secretly from the hand of the Latins; for he was strongly held by them both by the lavishness of their expenditures and by their receptions, and the fact that he had much service around him, both children, male servants, and female servants, made no small impediment for him. But it was in his mind at that time, as he might have the ability, if necessary, to risk the departure and fulfill his zealous desire. For this reason, indeed, he sent me ahead to the emperor. But a severe illness prevented him; for having become nearly half-dead and half-withered, nailed to his bed for about two years, he departed from life, and I myself was left in the palace, deemed worthy of the emperor's care.

30 As we said, then, King John, who was also called emperor of Constantinople, having occupied Lampsacus, anchored his ships around the place called Holcus. But the emperor John, since he did not have with him an army fit for battle to prevent his exit for the reasons I have mentioned, with the few he had he hindered the movements of the enemy with strategic methods. The Latins and their king John therefore came out and marched along certain coastal places; for they were not able to get far from their ships, for the emperor commanding against them followed and was skilled at holding back the enemy with a very small force. The emperor, therefore, made his marches along the foothills of the mountains, while the Italians were along the shores. Having therefore spent a short time in the emperor's coastal territory—for not yet had four months passed—and having trod a small area—for they came from Lampsacus as far as Kechreai—having caused little or no damage—for the emperor had managed to save all the necessities in the higher places—they proceeded to the city of Pegae, having captured only one fortress, which is called Keramidas, situated somewhere around the mountains of Cyzicus. And they had their ships ready to return to Constantinople, and they would have departed filled with shame and loss, if they had not overcome the city of Pegae by stealth. For a certain man skilled at climbing to the tips of rocks found a way, by which he brought armed Latins up to the acropolis by night; who, suddenly falling upon the guards, both killed them and took the city. This for a short time brought the Romans into cowardice

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στράτευμα συναθροίσας ὅσον εἶχε πρὸς δύναμιν, κατὰ τῆς ἕω ἐχώρησε, καὶ περὶ τὸ τῆς Λαμψάκου ἐλλιμενίζει νεώριον, προσεχῶς τῷ τότε τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰωάννου ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ καίσαρος Γαβαλᾶ μάχης ὑποστρέψαντος, ὃν διὰ νεωτερισμὸν ἐμαχέσατο.

28 Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεύς, περὶ τὰ τῆς Σταδείας μέρη τὰς σκηνώσεις ποιούμενος, τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ Ἀνδρονίκῳ, ὃν μέγαν δομέστικον εἶχε, περὶ οὗ καὶ μικρὸν πρόσθεν εἰρήκειν, τὰ στρατεύματα καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς παραδοὺς καὶ περὶ τὴν νῆσον Ῥόδον τριήρεσιν ἱκαναῖς καὶ λοιπαῖς ἐξαποστείλας ναυσίν, εἴ πως βριαρώτερον ἐπιτεθείη τῷ ἀποστάτῃ καὶ κατα βλάψειεν οἷς οἶδε λόγοις τῆς στρατηγίας-ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα οὕτω συμβαίη καὶ κατὰ σκοπὸν Ἰωάννῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ περὶ τὸν καίσαρα γένοιτο, ἀκούσοι δὲ καὶ ὡς ὁ ῥὴξ ἐξῄει τῆς Κωνσταντίνου καὶ βουλὴν ἔχει προσοκεῖλαι τῇ Λαμψάκῳ κἀκεῖ ἐξελθεῖν καὶ Ῥωμαίοις πολεμῆσαι, μεθ' ὧν ἔτυχε διά γειν ὁ βασιλεὺς-ὀλίγοι δὲ ἦσαν οὗτοι, ἐπεὶ τὸ πολὺ τῆς στρατιᾶς τῇ μάχῃ καὶ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ χειμῶνος τεταλαιπωρηκὸς περὶ τὰ οἴκοι ἐφέρετο-χωρεῖ πρὸς τὴν Λάμψακον καὶ τοῖς τῆς Σιγρηνῆς μέρεσι τὰς σκηνὰς πήγνυσι.

29 Τότε καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τῶν γονέων ἐκ τῆς Κωνσταν τίνου ἀπεστάλην τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἑκκαιδεκέτης ὢν καὶ νῦν τῆς ἐγκυκλίου ἀπηλλαγμένος παιδεύσεως, ἣν γραμματικὴν κατονο μάζουσιν οἱ πολλοί. ἐβούλετο δέ μοι καὶ ὁ πατὴρ λάθρα τῆς τῶν Λατίνων ἀπολισθῆσαι χειρός· ἰσχυρῶς γὰρ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκεκράτητο ταῖς τε τῶν ἀναλωμάτων δαψιλείαις καὶ ταῖς σφῶν δεξιώσεσι, καὶ τὸ πολλὴν ἔχειν περὶ αὐτὸν ὑπη ρεσίαν τέκνα τε θεράποντάς τε καὶ θεραπαινίδας οὐκ ὀλίγον ἐποίει τούτῳ τὸ ἐμποδών. ἀλλ' ἦν αὐτῷ κατὰ νοῦν τῷ τότε, καθὼς ἂν ἄρα δυνάμεως σχοίη, εἰ δεήσει, παρακινδυνεῦσαι πρὸς τὴν ἐξέλευσιν καὶ ἀποπλῆσαι τὸ σπουδαζόμενον. διά τοι τοῦτο κἀμὲ πρὸς τὸν κρατοῦντα προπέπομφε. κεκώλυκε δὲ τοῦτον νόσος βαρεῖα· ἡμιθνὴς γὰρ σχεδὸν καὶ ἡμίξηρος γεγονώς, περὶ δύο που ἔτη τῇ κλίνῃ προσπεπατταλευμένος, ἀπέλιπε τὸ βιοῦν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐναπελείφθην τοῖς ἀνακτόροις προμηθείας βασιλικῆς ἀξιούμενος.

30 Ὡς γοῦν ἔφημεν, καταλαβὼν ὁ ῥὴξ Ἰωάννης, ὁ καὶ βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως φημιζόμενος, τὴν Λάμ ψακον, περὶ τὸν οὕτω πως ὀνομαζόμενον τόπον Ὁλκὸν τὰς νῆας τούτου καθώρμισεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ στρατὸν ἀξιόμαχον κωλῦσαι τούτῳ τὴν ἔξοδον δι' ἃς εἰρήκειν αἰτίας, μεθόδοις στρατηγικαῖς μεθ' ὧν εἶχεν ὀλίγων τὰς τῶν πολεμίων κινήσεις ἐκώλυεν. ἐξῆλ θον οὖν οἱ Λατῖνοι καὶ ὁ τούτων ῥὴξ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐβάδισαν μὲν τόπους τινὰς παραιγιαλίους· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδύ ναντο μακρότερον τῶν νηῶν αὐτῶν ἀποστῆναι, ὁ γὰρ ἀντι στρατηγῶν αὐτοῖς βασιλεὺς ἐπηκολούθει καὶ ὑπῆρχε δεινὸς μετὰ μικρᾶς πάνυ δυνάμεως ἀναχαιτίσαι τοὺς ἐναντίους. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς περὶ τὰς τῶν βουνῶν ὑπωρείας ἐποιεῖτο τὰς πορείας, περὶ δὲ τὰς ἠϊόνας οἱ Ἰταλοί. ὀλίγον οὖν χρόνον διαβιβάσαντες ἐν τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως παραιγιαλίῳ χώρᾳ-οὔπω γὰρ παρέδραμον τέτταρες μῆνες-καὶ ὀλίγον τόπον πατήσαντες-ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς Λαμψάκου μέχρι καὶ τῶν Κεχρεῶν ἀφίκοντο-μικρὸν ἢ μηδὲν λυμήναντες -προύφθασε γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ χρειώδη πάντα τοῖς ὑψη λοτέροις τόποις διασώσασθαι-περὶ τὸ τῶν Πηγῶν ἐχώ ρησαν ἄστυ, ἓν μόνον φρούριον χειρωσάμενοι, ὃ Κεραμιδᾶς ὀνομάζεται, περί που τοὺς βουνοὺς διακείμενον τῆς Κυζίκου. εἶχον δὲ τὰς ναῦς αὐτῶν ἑτοίμους εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου παλινοστῆσαι, καὶ ᾤχοντο ἂν αἰσχύνης καὶ ζημίας πεπληρω μένοι, εἰ μὴ τοῦ τῶν Πηγῶν ἄστεος περιεγένοντο τῇ κλοπῇ. ἀνὴρ γάρ τις δεινὸς ἀναρριχᾶσθαι πρὸς ἀκρωνυχίας πετρῶν ὁδὸν ἐφεῦρε, δι' ἧς ὡπλισμένους Λατίνους εἰς τὴν ἀκρό πολιν νυκτὸς ἀνεβίβασεν· οἳ καὶ τοῖς φύλαξιν αἴφνης ἐπεισ πεσόντες αὐτούς τε ἐφόνευσαν καὶ εἷλον τὸ ἄστυ. τοῦτο πρὸς βραχὺ μὲν Ῥωμαίους εἰς δειλίαν