, since the Romans, having been scattered, were pursuing, making a sudden turn they reversed the victory; for this reason many were captured, and more became the work of the sword. And along with the others the Curopalates himself is also captured, and the whole camp was surrendered, plundered, and despoiled. And if the nearby city had not saved most of them, the Roman army, as much as had gathered for the campaign there, would have been endangered in its entirety. And when the report reached the emperor, much grief seized him. But before this was scarcely heard, another report came, much sharper and more piercing, announcing that the Turks had taken the city of Chonai by the sword and the very temple of the Archstrategos, famous for its miracles and votive offerings, and had filled everything there with slaughter and gore, and that many outrages had been drunkenly committed against the sanctuary, having made the all-holy temple a stable, and, what was more dreadful, that not even the tunnels of the chasm, into which the nearby rivers, channeled there through the ancient visitation and divine sign of the Archstrategos, have their unstable and very swift current as though through a precipice, were able to preserve those who fled there and to escape the danger, but, what had never happened before, the water overflowed and as it were surged up and belched forth and utterly submerged all who had fled and made them drown on dry land. Therefore these things, when related one after another, caused us much despair, as we considered the event to be a divine sign and the wrath and anger of God, so that not only the enemies, but also the elements were fighting against us. For previously such an attack and arrogance of the nations and the slaughter of those subject to the Romans 141 seemed to be the wrath of God, but against the heretics who inhabit Iberia and Mesopotamia as far as Lycandus and Melitene and the adjacent Armenia and who practice the Judaizing heresy of Nestorius and that of the Acephali; for these regions abound with such heresy. But when the terrible thing also touched the Orthodox, all those who practiced the Roman religion were at a loss, considering that their own measure, like that of the Amorites, was also fulfilled, and believing then that not only is right faith required, but also a life not opposing the faith. Therefore both, he who errs in faith, that is, and he who stumbles and is lame in life, are placed in equal punishment; but he who has both done and taught is praised and blessed. Having heard these things, the emperor had the eagerness to march out immediately and help his own country, but he was restrained both by his advisors and by his ignorance of the number of the enemy. These were both Nicephorus Palaeologus, the hypertemos and consul of the philosophers Constantine Psellus and above all the Caesar, the kinsman of the previous emperor, who, as far as it was up to them, preferred him not even to live; for he was oppressive to them and very much so to behold, as they hated him as a noble and spirited man who had rivals to the throne, I mean the sons of Doukas. Nevertheless, they were ashamed to openly advise him to his disadvantage. And after some days the Curopalates Manuel also arrived, bringing with him the Turk who had captured him, not unwillingly, but willingly having chosen servitude under the emperor. For since the sultan was hostile towards him because of certain accusations that had occurred, he sent out an army against him with a certain general, contriving to capture him by any means, shaken by fear of him, he fled to the emperor and was immediately honored as proedros. In appearance he was young, but almost a pygmy in stature and in his face a Scythian 142 and charmless. The emperor had arranged for him to join him against the Turks, hoping for his help in the upcoming campaign. And having made a list of the soldiers, just as spring was beginning, he crossed over and took up quarters in the palaces of Hieria and around the very day of the

, ἐπεὶ διασκεδασθέντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐδίωκον, ἐπιστροφὴν αἰφνίδιον ποιησάμενοι παλίντροπον τὴν νίκην εἰργάσαντο· διὸ καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἑάλωσαν, πλείους δὲ καὶ μαχαίρας ἔργον γεγόνασι. Συναλίσκεται δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κουροπαλάτης καὶ τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἁπάσης παράστασις καὶ ἁρπαγὴ καὶ διασκύλευσις γέγονε. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸ ἄστυ πλησίον ὂν τοὺς πλείστους διέσωσεν, ἐκινδύνευσεν ἂν πανστρατιᾷ ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡλικία, ὅση πρὸς τὴν ἐνταῦθα ἐκστρατείαν συνέδραμε. Τῆς φήμης δὲ καταλαβούσης τὸν βασιλέα πολλή τις ἀνία κατέσχεν αὐτόν. Μήπω δὲ σχεδὸν ταύτης ἠκουσμένης ἑτέρα ἐπῆλθεν ὀξυτέρα φήμη καὶ τομωτέρα πολλῷ, τοὺς Τούρκους ἀπαγγέλλουσα τὴν ἐν Χώναις πολιτείαν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν περιβόητον ἐν θαύμασι καὶ ἀναθήμασι τοῦ Ἀρχιστρατήγου ναὸν καταλαβεῖν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ, καὶ φόνου μὲν ἅπαντα τὰ ἐκεῖσε πληρῶσαι καὶ λύθρου, πολλὰς δὲ ὕβρεις τῷ ἱερῷ ἐμπαροινηθῆναι, ἱππῶνα τὸν πάνσεπτον ἐργασαμένους ναόν, καὶ τὸ δὴ σχετλιώτερον μηδὲ τὰς τοῦ χάσματος σήραγγας, ἐν ᾧπερ οἱ παραρρέοντες ποταμοὶ ἐκεῖσε χωνευόμενοι διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ἀρχιστρατήγου παλαιᾶς ἐπιδημίας καὶ θεοσημίας ὡς διὰ πρανοῦς ἀστατοῦν τὸ ῥεῦμα καὶ λίαν εὐδρομοῦν ἔχουσι, τοὺς καταφυγόντας διατηρῆσαι καὶ ὑπαλύξαι τὸν κίνδυνον ἰσχῦσαι, ἀλλ', ὅπερ οὐ γέγονέ ποτε, πλημμυρῆσαι τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ οἷον ἀναρροιβδῆσαι καὶ ἀνερεύξασθαι καὶ πάντας ἄρδην τοὺς καταπεφευγότας κατακλύσαι καὶ διὰ ξηρᾶς ὑποβρυχίους ποιήσασθαι. Ταῦτα τοιγαροῦν ἐπιδιηγηθέντα πολλὴν ἐνῆκαν τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἡμῖν λογιζομένοις θεοσημίαν εἶναι τὸ γεγονὸς καὶ μῆνιν καὶ χόλον Θεοῦ, ὡς μὴ μόνον τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν στοιχείων ἀντιμαχομένων ἡμῖν. Πρότερον μὲν γὰρ ἡ τοσαύτη τῶν ἐθνῶν ὁρμὴ καὶ ἔπαρσις καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίους 141 τελούντων κατακοπὴ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐδόκει, κατὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν δὲ οἳ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν καὶ Μεσοποταμίαν ἄχρι Λυκανδοῦ καὶ Μελιτηνῆς καὶ τὴν παρακειμένην οἰκοῦσιν Ἀρμενίαν καὶ οἳ τὴν ἰουδαϊκὴν τοῦ Νεστορίου καὶ τὴν τῶν Ἀκεφάλων θρησκεύουσιν αἵρεσιν· καὶ γὰρ πλήθουσιν αἵδε αἱ χῶραι τῆς τοιαύτης κακοδοξίας. Ἐπὰν δὲ καὶ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἥψατο τὸ δεινόν, ἐν ἀμηχάνοις ἦσαν πάντες οἱ τὰ Ῥωμαίων θρησκεύοντες, πεπληρῶσθαι καὶ τὸ αὐτῶν μέτρον, οἷα καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἀμορραίων, λογιζόμενοι καὶ πιστεύοντες τηνικαῦτα ὡς ἄρα οὐ μόνον πίστις ἀπαιτεῖται ὀρθή, ἀλλὰ καὶ βίος τῇ πίστει μὴ ἀνθιστάμενος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀμφότεροι, ὅ τε περὶ τὴν πίστιν σφαλλόμενος δηλαδὴ καὶ ὁ περὶ τὸν βίον ὑποσκάζων καὶ χωλεύων, ἐν ἴσῃ τιμωρίᾳ καθίστανται· ὁ δὲ ποιήσας καὶ διδάξας ἐπαινεῖται καὶ μακαρίζεται. Ταῦτα ἐνωτισάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς προθυμίαν μὲν εἶχεν ὡς αὐτίκα ἐξορμῆσαι καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ χώρᾳ βοηθῆσαι, ἀπείργετο δὲ τοῖς τε συμβούλοις καὶ τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἐναντίων. Ἦσαν δὲ ὅ τε Παλαιολόγος Νικηφόρος, ὁ ὑπέρτιμος καὶ τῶν φιλοσόφων ὕπατος Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Ψελλὸς καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὁ καῖσαρ, ὁ τοῦ προβεβασιλευκότος σύναιμος, οἳ τὸ ὅσον μὲν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ ζῆν ᾑροῦντο αὐτόν· βαρὺς γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς καὶ βλεπόμενος λίαν, αὐτῷ ἀπεχθανομένοις ὡς ἀνδρὶ γενναίῳ καὶ θυμοειδεῖ καὶ τοὺς ἐφέδρους τῆς βασιλείας ἔχοντι, τοὺς παῖδάς φημι τοῦ ∆ούκα. Ὅμως δ' οὖν ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς ᾐδοῦντο συμβουλεύειν αὐτῷ τὰ ἀσύμφορα. Μεθ' ἡμέρας δέ τινας ἧκε καὶ ὁ κουροπαλάτης Μανουὴλ ἐπαγόμενος μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν κατασχόντα αὐτὸν Τοῦρκον οὐκ ἄκοντα, ἀλλ' ἑκόντα τὴν ὑπὸ τὸν βασιλέα δουλείαν αἱρετισάμενον. ∆υσμενῶς γὰρ ἔχοντος τοῦ σουλτάνου πρὸς αὐτὸν διά τινα συμβάντα αἰτιάματα στρατιὰν κατ' αὐτοῦ μετά τινος στρατάρχου ἐξαπέστειλε παντὶ τρόπῳ ἑλεῖν αὐτὸν μηχανώμενος, οὗ τῷ φόβῳ κατασεισθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ προσπέφευγε καὶ πρόεδρος παραυτίκα τετίμηται. Ἦν δὲ τὸ μὲν φαινόμενον νέος, πυγμαῖος δὲ σχεδὸν τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν ὄψιν Σκύθης 142 καὶ ἄχαρις. ∆ιεῖπε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς συμβαλέσθαι αὐτῷ κατὰ τῶν Τούρκων ἐλπίζων ἐν τῇ προκειμένῃ στρατείᾳ. Κατάλογον δὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ποιησάμενος, ἄρτι τοῦ ἔαρος ὑπανοίγοντος διαπεραιωθεὶς εἰς τὰ τῶν Ἠρίων παλάτια κατάγεται καὶ περὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς