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authority. For either we shall break through one of the city gates on the landward side and escape by night, or when the Emperor’s Genoese friends have manned one or even two triremes, we shall embark, and we shall be brought safely to the coastal cities of Thrace—and these are ours, because Syrgiannes is their governor; and thus having become far from the dangers, we shall afterwards do what seems advantageous. But for the present, we must use all courage and zeal, and even, if necessary, readily giving up our very lives, so as to snatch the emperor from the dangers that surround him, and not to look on while he is destroyed along with justice. For we see that the most experienced physicians and generals stand more firmly against the most pressing of diseases and wars.” This plan having been judged by the protostrator also to be the best, 1.61 it was decided to carry it to completion; and the protostrator immediately sent and summoned as many of his household and friends as possible; and they arrived with speed. And the grand domestic departed, and having gathered as many as possible of the imperial and his own men, and having ordered those who were scattered to go to the palace when they returned, he came back with speed. While these things were being done with such haste, since it was Sunday, and a custom had long prevailed that on this first day of the week both the Genoese and the Latins from Venice would come to the palace for the sake of honor and in acknowledgement of being subject to the emperor of the Romans, doing nothing else but rendering obeisance, and then going home again. The Genoese came then also to do what was customary, among whom the grand domestic, finding the two aforesaid friends of the emperor, and reminding them of their promises, and further teaching them the most urgent need for their help, sent them off to arm the triremes. And they, departing and using haste appropriate to the occasion, manned three triremes within twenty hours. The protostrator, seeing these things, and already having good hopes, was overjoyed and filled with impetus, seeing many of the imperial and his own men gathering around them. However, none of those who gathered knew the reason for the assembly except Apokaukos; for to him alone did they communicate the reason 1.62 for what was being done; but the others suspected that the summons was for some great purpose, and took as a sign that they were ordered to go to the palace with their horses, but they could know nothing for certain, except what the rumor was spreading about Katharos—for it had already been spread to all—they hoped to see and hear something new. They were engaged in these things. 13. But the young emperor, feigning a pain in his stomach and going out to the outer buildings of the palace, was looking for the grand domestic. And having found him, with pain and despondency of soul he asked, “And you, my good man, where have you been until now?” And he answered with great emotion: “Where I did not wish to be, but the necessity of the situation compelled me.” Then, having reported all that they had planned and all that they had done up to that point, the emperor expressed his gratitude to them for their plan and their actions. And being asked what they should do, he said that the trial would undoubtedly take place. But up to now nothing had been said to any of those arriving to his grandfather and emperor. “It is possible, however, that even now the emperor might postpone what is planned, being diverted by my presence, just as indeed happened a few days ago, when it was our custom for the service of the great canon to be sung.” And it is worthwhile to relate what happened then as well. The grand logothete Metochites, it being wintertime, because of the shortness of the day, was accustomed to visit the palace not twice a day, but once 1.63 and to spend the whole day there, and on the very day of the great canon he had spent the day at the palace, and when night had already fallen and he had gone home, the emperor summoned him in haste, contrary to previous custom. But when the sons of the grand logothete, Demetrios and Nikephoros, saw this and the unusual [summons] of their father concerning some new matters

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ἐξουσίαν. ἢ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου μίαν τῶν τῆς πόλεως πυλῶν διατεμόντες ἐκπεσούμεθα νυκτὸς, ἢ τῶν ἐκ Γεννούας τοῦ βασιλέως φίλων τριήρη μίαν ἢ καὶ δύο πληρωσάντων ἐπιβησόμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὰς παραλίους τῆς Θρᾴκης πόλεις αὗται δ' εἰσὶν ἡμέτεραι διὰ τὸ τὸν Συργιάννην αὐτῶν ἐπιτροπεύειν, διασωθησόμεθα· καὶ οὕτω μακρὰν γενόμενοι τῶν κινδύνων, ἃ δοκεῖ συμφέρειν ἐν ὑστέρῳ πράξομεν. τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον, πάσῃ δεῖ χρήσασθαι καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ προθυμίᾳ, καὶ αὐτὴν, εἰ δέοι, τὴν ζωὴν προθύμως προϊεμένους, ὥστε τῶν περισχόντων ἐξαρπάσαι κινδύνων τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ μὴ περιϊδεῖν αὐτὸν ἅμα τῷ δικαίῳ διαφθαρέντα· καὶ ἰατρῶν γὰρ τοὺς ἐμπειροτέρους ὁρῶμεν καὶ στρατηγῶν πρὸς τὰ κατεπείγοντα μᾶλλον ἱσταμένους τῶν νοσημάτων καὶ τῶν πολέμων.» Ταύτης τῆς βουλῆς καὶ πρωτοστράτορι βελτίστης εἶναι κριθεί 1.61 σης, ἐδέδοκτο πρὸς τέλος ἐξάγειν· καὶ πρωτοστράτωρ μὲν εὐθὺς πέμψας, μετεκαλέσατο τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ τῶν φίλων ὅσους ἐνῆν· οἱ δὲ παρῆσαν σὺν τάχει. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ἀπελθὼν, ὅσους ἐνῆν τῶν βασιλικῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων συναγαγὼν, τοὺς δὲ διεσκεδασμένους ὅταν ἐπανήξωσι παραγγείλας ἰέναι πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια, ἐπανῆλθε σὺν τάχει. τούτων δ' οὕτω σὺν σπουδῇ πραττομένων, ἐπεὶ κυριακὴ ἦν, ἔθος δ' ἐπεκράτησεν ἐκ πολλοῦ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ταύτῃ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμέρᾳ Γεννουΐτας τε καὶ τοὺς ἐκ Βενετίας Λατίνους ἀφικνουμένους εἰς τὰ βασίλεια τιμῆς τε ἕνεκα καὶ ὁμολογίας τοῦ ὑπὸ βασιλεῖ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τετάχθαι, ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν, μόνην δὲ προσκύνησιν ἀπονέμοντας, πάλιν οἴκαδε ἀπιέναι. ἧκον καὶ τότε οἱ ἐκ Γεννούας πράξοντες τὰ εἰωθότα, ἐν οἷς ὁ μέγας δομέστικος τοὺς δύο τῶν εἰρημένων τοῦ βασιλέως φίλων εὑρὼν, καὶ τῶν τε ὑποσχέσεων ἀναμνήσας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαιοτάτην τῆς βοηθείας χρείαν ἀναδιδάξας, ἐξαπέστειλε τὰς τριήρεις ἐφοπλίζειν. οἱ δ' ἀπελθόντες καὶ σπουδῇ χρησάμενοι τῷ καιρῷ προσηκούσῃ, ἐντὸς ὡρῶν εἴκοσι τρεῖς πληροῦσι τριήρεις. ταῦτα καὶ πρωτοστράτωρ ὁρῶν, καὶ ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἤδη χρησταῖς γενόμενος, ὑπερήδετό τε καὶ ὁρμῆς ἐπληροῦτο, πολλοὺς περὶ αὐτοὺς τῶν τε βασιλικῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἀθροιζομένους ὁρῶν. οὐδεὶς μέντοι τῶν συναθροιζομένων τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς συνόδου συνῄδει πλὴν Ἀποκαύχου· ἐκείνῳ γὰρ μόνῳ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκοινώ 1.62 σαντο τῶν πραττομένων· οἱ δ' ἄλλοι τινὸς μὲν ἕνεκα μεγάλου τὴν μετάκλησιν ὑπενόουν εἶναι, καὶ τεκμήριον ἐποιοῦντο τὸ τοὺς ἵππους ἔχοντας ἰέναι πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια κελευσθῆναι, εἶχον δὲ εἰδέναι σαφὲς οὐδὲν, πλὴν τὰ περὶ τοῦ Καθαροῦ τῆς φήμης διαθρυλλούσης, διεδέδοτο γὰρ ἤδη πρὸς πάντας, ἰδεῖν τι καὶ ἀκοῦσαι καινότερον ἤλπιζον. οἱ μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἦσαν. ιγʹ. Βασιλεὺς δ' ὁ νέος νύξιν ὑποκριθεὶς τῆς γαστρὸς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐξωτέρω τῶν βασιλείων ἐξελθὼν οἴκους, τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἀνεζήτει· εὑρὼν δὲ, σὺν ἄλγει καὶ ἀθυμίᾳ ψυχῆς «σὺ δ', ὦ ἀγαθὲ» ἤρετο «ὅπου μέχρι νῦν ἦς;» ὁ δὲ περιπαθέστερον ἀπεκρίνατο· «ὅπου μὲν οὐκ ἠβουλόμην, ἡ δ' ἀνάγκη τῶν πραγμάτων συνώθει.» εἶτ' ἐξαγγείλας ὅσα τε ἐβουλεύσαντο καὶ ὅσα ἔπραξαν ἄχρι τότε, τῆς μὲν βουλῆς αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τῶν πραττομένων χάριτας ὡμολόγει· ἐρωτηθεὶς δ' ὅ, τι δέοι πράττειν αὐτοὺς, τὴν μὲν δίκην ἔφησε γενήσεσθαι μέλλειν ἀναμφιβόλως· μέχρι δὲ νῦν μηδὲν εἰρῆσθαι πρὸς μηδένα τῶν ἀφικνουμένων τῷ πάππῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ. «ἐνδέχεσθαί γε μὴν καὶ νῦν ὑπερθέσθαι τὸν βασιλέα τὰ μελετώμενα, τῇ παρουσίᾳ τῇ ἐμῇ διασκεδασθέντα, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ πρότερον ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις συμβέβηκεν, ὅτ' ἔθος ἡμῖν τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου κανόνος ψάλλεσθαι ἀκολουθίαν.» ἄξιον δὲ διηγήσασθαι καὶ τὸ τότε συμβάν. τοῦ μεγάλου λογοθέτου τοῦ Μετοχίτου ἐν ὥρᾳ μάλιστα χειμῶνος, διὰ τὴν σμικρότητα τῆς ἡμέρας, οὐ δὶς τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀλλ' ἅπαξ 1.63 εἰωθότος τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐπιδημεῖν καὶ διημερεύειν, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου κανόνος ἡμέραν διημερεύσαντος τοῖς βασιλείοις, καὶ ἤδη νυκτὸς ἐπελθούσης οἴκαδε ἀπελθόντος, ὁ βασιλεὺς κατὰ τάχος μετεκαλέσατο παρὰ τὸ πρότερον εἰωθός. τοῦτο δὲ οἱ τοῦ μεγάλου λογοθέτου παῖδες, ∆ημήτριος καὶ Νικηφόρος, ἰδόντες καὶ περί τινων καινοτέρων τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀήθη