19

to the Bulgarians and whether it would be easy for him to take the city of Serres. And some were dissuading him from this. But Palaiologos, the megas domestikos, said they should make an attempt on Serres, and if we should not succeed, what is the harm? The emperor, accepting this advice, arrived at Serres. He found, then, the city breached, but the acropolis fortified, and a certain Dragotas as its guard. So the emperor, gathering the Tzouloukones, incited them to seize it. They, taking their bows and improvising planks as shields, were able to seize it in not much time, and they plundered what was found. As many of those inside as were able came as suppliants to the emperor. And Dragotas sent an embassy to the emperor, and having received money and clothing, he gave up the city; and he promised to give Melenikon also.

44 And finding the ephor of the city, Litoboon, bedridden, and Nikolaos Manglabites ...... The emperor, therefore, was encamped around the place Balabisda, and the people of Melenikon arrived and handed the city over to him. The emperor also took Stenimachos and Tsepaina and the towns and market towns of Rhodope, and made the Hebros his boundary. And from the northern regions he took Stoubion and Chottobon and Belebousdion, Skopia and Belessos and the lands as far as Prilapos and Pelagonia, Neustapolis and Prosakon, and having accepted a truce from the Bulgarians, so that it should stand up to these points, he held back.

45 And news came to the emperor that some of the Thessalians were plotting against the despot Demetrios, of whom the well-known ones were Spartenos and Kampanos, Iatropoulos and Koutzolatos, and of the notable men, Michael Laskaris and Tzyrithon. They sent one of these, then, Kampanos, to the emperor, and the emperor had accomplished for them what they intended by means of a written chrysobull. And departing from Melenikon he made for Thessalonica, having sent envoys to Demetrios, so that he might come to him according to his instructions. But he—for he was unable to understand—remained at home, having been persuaded by his advisors. But something happened which I will set forth as a kind of relish. Some people reported that Kampanos—and this man was one of the conspirators in the plot—was plotting against Demetrios. And he was brought before Demetrios and was being examined, and was at such an inquiry. So Spartenos, being a fellow-conspirator with this man, rushes there quickly and says, "what is this that some are accusing this vagabond of, despot? If he should be caught as such, he would be judged worthy of many deaths." And Demetrios—for he trusted this man very much as a loyal subject—"They say this man is a traitor, Spartenos." But he strikes Kampanos and, taking hold of his jaw, says, "I, having taken him away to my house, despot, by pressing him with tortures, will compel this man to make everything public." He said these things, and as fast as he could he went away to his house. From then on, a bed held Kampanos. But Spartenos, having inflated a wineskin and bound it and hung it up, was beating it as if it were Kampanos, to reveal the secrets, forsooth. But it was a wineskin, not Kampanos, that was being beaten. Then Spartenos came as fast as his feet could carry him to Demetrios and says to him: "Despot, I will confirm the matter for you with an oath: by your and all of our Demetrios, the guardian and patron saint of Thessalonica, Kampanos is such a man as Spartenos, and is so disposed towards you as is also Spartenos, whom you have recognized as loving you more than all men." But the emperor proceeds to Thessalonica and encamped around it. For it was not possible for him to besiege it, but he sent embassies and sought for Demetrios to come out to him, as had been sworn by him, and also to make a market outside the city, so that the armies might be able to buy necessities. But he, using treacherous advisors, was not permitted to do any such things. And after very few days had passed, with a small part of the army standing near the little gate by the sea, because of not

19

Βουλ γάροις καὶ εἰ εὐχερὲς ἁλῶναί οἱ τὸ τῶν Σερρῶν ἄστυ. καί τινες μὲν ἀπέτρεπον τοῦτο. ὁ δὲ Παλαιολόγος ὁ μέγας δομέστικος καὶ ἀποπειρᾶσθαι Σερρῶν ἔφη, εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ περιγενοίμεθα, τίς ἡ ζημία; τοῦτο δεξάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐς τὴν βουλὴν εἰς τὰς Σέρρας ἀφίκετο. εὗρεν οὖν τὴν μὲν πόλιν διερρηγμένην, τὴν δ' ἀκρόπολιν τετειχισμένην, καὶ φύλακα ἐπ' αὐτῇ ∆ραγωτᾶν τινα. τοὺς Τζουλούκωνας οὖν ἀθροίσας ὁ βασιλεὺς κρατῆσαι ταύτης ἠρέθισε. οἳ τὰ τόξα λαβόντες καὶ σανίδας αὐτοσχεδιάσαντες ὡς ἀσπίδας, ἐν οὐ πολλῷ κρατῆσαι ταύτης ἴσχυσαν, καὶ σκυλεύουσι τὰ παρευ ρημένα. ὅσοι δ' ἴσχυσαν τῶν ἐντός, ἱκέται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἧκον. καὶ ὁ ∆ραγωτᾶς διαπρεσβεύεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ χρήματα καὶ ἐσθῆτας δεξάμενος τὸ ἄστυ δέδωκεν· ὑπέσχετο δὲ δοῦναι καὶ Μελενίκον.

44 Καὶ εὑρὼν τὸν μὲν τοῦ ἄστεος ἔφορον Λιτόβοον κλι νήρη, τὸν δὲ Μαγκλαβίτην Νικόλαον ...... ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς ἐσκηνοῦτο περὶ τὸν Βαλαβίσδαν τόπον, καὶ οἱ Μελενικιῶται ἀφικόμενοι τὸ ἄστυ τούτῳ παρέσχον. ἐκρά τησε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Στενιμάχου καὶ Τζεπαίνης καὶ τῶν τῆς Ῥοδόπης πολιχνίων καὶ κωμοπόλεων, καὶ ὅρον τὸν Ἕβρον πεποίητο. κατέσχε δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν πρὸς βορρᾶν Στούμπιόν τε καὶ Χοττοβὸν καὶ Βελεβουσδίον, Σκόπιά τε καὶ Βελεσσὸν καὶ τὰ μέχρι Πριλάπου καὶ Πελαγονίας χωρία, Νευστάπολίν τε καὶ Πρόσακον, καὶ σπονδὰς ἐκ Βουλγάρων δεξάμενος, ὡς μέχρι τούτων στῇ, ἀνέσχεν.

45 Ἵκετο δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀγγελία, ὡς ἐπιβουλήν τινες τῶν Θετταλῶν κατὰ τοῦ δεσπότου ∆ημητρίου ἱστῶσιν, ὧν οἱ ὀνομαστοὶ Σπαρτηνὸς ἦσαν καὶ Καμπανός, Ἰατρόπουλός τε καὶ ὁ Κουτζολάτος, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἐπισήμων Μιχαὴλ ὁ Λάσκα ρις καὶ ὁ Τζυρίθων. ἕνα γοῦν τούτων, τὸν Καμπανόν, εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ἔπεμψαν, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ κατὰ σκοπὸν τού τοις ἐπεπράχει δι' ἐγγράφου χρυσοβουλλίου. καὶ ἀπάρας Μελενίκου περὶ Θεσσαλονίκην ἐφέρετο, πρέσβεις πρὸς ∆ημήτριον πέμψας, ὡς ἂν κατὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ ὑποθήκας ἀφί κοιτο εἰς αὐτόν. ὁ δέ-οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχε νοεῖν-οἴκου κατέ μεινεν ἐκ τῶν συμβούλων πεισθείς. ξυνέβη δέ τι ὅπερ ὡς ἥδυσμά τι παραθήσω. τὸν Καμπανόν-εἷς δ' οὗτος τῶν συνιστόρων τοῦ δόλου-ἀπήγγειλάν τινες κατὰ ∆ημη τρίου φρονεῖν. καὶ ὃς παρέστη τῷ ∆ημητρίῳ καὶ ἀπηλέγχετο, καὶ ἦν πρὸς τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἐξετάσει. ὁ γοῦν Σπαρτηνὸς συμ μύστης ὢν τούτῳ τάχος ἐκεῖσε φέρεται καὶ «τί φησι » περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀλητηρίου κατηγοροῦσί τινες, δέσποτα; ὃς εἰ ἁλῴη τοιοῦτος πολλῶν θανάτων κριθείη ἂν ἄξιος. καὶ ὁ ∆ημήτριος-ἐθάρρει γὰρ μάλα τούτῳ ὡς πιστῷ-«προ δότην τοῦτόν φασιν εἶναι, Σπαρτηνέ.» ὁ δὲ παίει τὸν Καμπανὸν καὶ λαβόμενος τούτου τῆς γένυος «ἐγώ» φησιν «αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς οἴκοι ἀπαγαγών, δέσποτα, ἐτασμοῖς ἐκπιέσας πάντα τοῦτον καταναγκάσω ἔκφορα ποιῆσαι.» ταῦτ' εἶπε, καὶ ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἐς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπῄει. τὸν μὲν οὖν Καμπανὸν τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε κλίνη εἶχεν. ἀσκὸν δὲ διαφυσήσας ὁ Σπαρτηνὸς καὶ δεσμεύσας καὶ ἐπαιωρήσας ἔτυπτεν ὡς Καμπανόν, ἀποκαλύψαι δῆθεν τὰ κρύφα. ἀσκὸς δὲ ἦν, οὐ Καμπανὸς ὁ τυπτόμενος. εἶτα ἀφίκετο ὡς εἶχε ποδῶν ὁ Σπαρτηνὸς πρὸς ∆ημήτριον καί οἵ φησιν· «δέσποτα, ὅρκῳ σε πιστώσω τὸ πρᾶγμα· μὰ τὸν σὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἁπάντων ∆ημήτριον τὸν κηδεμόνα Θεσσαλονίκης καὶ πολιοῦχον, τοι οῦτός ἐστιν ὁ Καμπανὸς ὁποῖος ὁ Σπαρτηνός, καὶ οὕτως διάκειται περί σε καθὰ καὶ ὁ Σπαρτηνός, ὃν ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων πλέον σε φιλοῦντα ἐπέγνωκας.» Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Θεσσαλονίκης χωρεῖ καὶ περὶ ταύτην ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο. πολιορκῆσαι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ, πρε σβείας δὲ ἐποίει καὶ ἐζήτει ἐξελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν ∆ημή τριον, καθὼς ἦν ὠμοσμένον αὐτῷ, ἔτι δὲ ποιῆσαι καὶ ἀγο ρὰν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, ὡς ἂν ἔχοιεν ὠνεῖσθαι τὰ χρειώδη τὰ στρατεύματα. ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἐπιβούλοις συμβούλοις χρώμενος οὐδέν τι τῶν τοιούτων ποιῆσαι παρεχωρεῖτο. πάνυ δὲ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν παραδραμουσῶν, ὀλίγου τινὸς στρατεύματος πλησίον ἱσταμένου τῆς μικρᾶς πύλης τῆς περὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ, διὰ τὸ μὴ