De capta thessalonica 3 a work by eustathios of thessalonica on its hopefully later capture, which had been weakened by a narrative of cachexia during

 Bearable and full of mourning and wanting springs of tears and some such things, but he who, as they say, was sown in a net and, like us, was caught u

 Most people raised their eyes as to mountains, to the acropolis, where they eagerly awaited help would be for them. but what especially accuses the gr

 Having practiced stretching out his hands like a woman to his pursuers, to slip into a fortress and to give trouble to those who ran after him, lest t

 David, who had lost his senses, whom i had previously blessed when he was in his right mind. and i thus also admired the emperor andronikos in other t

 Completely under age, not only unable to rule a very great empire by himself, but not even to be firmly disposed as boys are, of course, he had alread

 The protostrator alexios and john the eparch, and imprisonment held them and before that, things exceedingly dishonorable. but the boiling of anger on

 For should one measure things beyond measure?) a great disturbance of those of the palace, as much as was for god and the truth according to him, of

 But when the illusion proved false and the war was brought to an end in the late afternoon, having cast down many and filled the southern cemetery, th

 Thus men suffer for for the most part we multiply and magnify what we admire, as being unable to be precise because the soul is confounded by astound

 The present evils are fitting. and to recount the terrible things of that time, all that the latins saw, the fire which spread through their quarters,

 Kontostephanos, an energetic and sensible man, and countless others. but these things were unknown to the crowd and they did not know that he raged ag

 And he also sent them into exile into perpetual banishment. and after a short while, having divided those who had been imprisoned, he separated them i

 To be shamed but if not even so he should yield, being stubborn, to try even violence, and they say it is better for that one to suffer what he does

 Moreover and not enduring it if, having just found an opportunity, he would not take wing, like some demonic figure, he himself tries to surpass in ev

 Having said what seemed best, he was quiet. and for the rest, so that i may not chatter on about worldly unpleasantness, a rush of evils takes place t

 Manuel, and he curses, that he would not come to a worthy state of living in peace, that those alone would be grandeurs when his father died. and he b

 The marchese was left to remain in peace, just as neither was the kral of hungary and any other powerful neighbor. and generally, wherever there was m

 A certain boy, who appeared to be of a similar complexion and age to the emperor alexios. and that child was, they say, a peasant boy from somewhere i

 He annihilated the rest. and his knights were so boastful in their nature that each would stand against three hundred men in war, not at all unlike co

 About to happen, inferring it from many signs. we, at least, anticipating the enemy's attack, sent away those who were children of constantinople with

 For the man was truly master of his hands but he provoked the victorious one to exhaust his desire to laugh at the emperor, and drove the matter to a

 Laws of city-takers, in which, on account of their unwieldiness from size, no effect shone forth, but those around the eastern parts, and they were es

 Not to meddle further, unless they should choose to suffer evils. though he was obliged to supply sufficient grain for the city, he neglected it to su

 Having completely withdrawn his skill, lets the ship be dashed against a reef and sink to the bottom with its cargo and men. so too a guard of a fruit

 Of those seated around to release even one stone from a sling, then also to suggest to the sandal-stitchers on the walls to reproach the latins rounda

 The besiegers because the latins had entirely turned to resisting against choumnos, he, having with difficulty opened the gates and having allowed, fo

 To rebuke the general and to join in leading towards the good. and one might call these men, who had undertaken to remain in the city, no longer civil

 Stripping and running down the streets, known to those who saw them, thus giving proof that they were formerly conspirators. and there is no way that

 He wished, and as a result the enemy host was more emboldened, and even more so especially when, after choumnos had joined battle, though it was possi

 Very strongly fortified. we spoke thus, and the speech flowed away at random, itself as well. and the small stone-throwers were vexing the city, casti

 To the enemies. and with the soldiers shouting in a common cry, komnenos, halt and dismount, he, as if snorting back a final mount up and as you

 But i think this was stranger than that, that when rain poured down from what the enemies were scattering, plowing, indeed, but not sowing the beautif

 In blood, i was led about on horseback through heaps of others, the greater part of whom lay strewn before the wall, so densely packed, that my little

 Of the storm. and if it were made useless for the trees, and especially the fig trees, whose unripe fruit was unlawfully served to the savage beasts f

 But this would be judged as bordering on fighting against god. for the barbarians, rushing in even against each one of them, were committing all sorts

 They tore down when they arrived. and the ruler restrained the murders there, but there was no stopping the suffocation of those who fled into the chu

 By the command of the counts. and it was a sabbath, not having a flight, which one might evangelically pray to avert, but the destruction of so great

 Redness. it was therefore a task to recognize even one's dearest friend among them and each man would ask each other who on earth he might be, becaus

 Thus confounding good order and dissolving the sacred harmony. and i spoke reverently about this also to count alduin, if somehow order might be estab

 To crush the man, goading the horse to kick. thus did these men love us, frequently for every word and every deed putting forward as a justification f

 Of the longed for ones the executioners, or may they have pity. for something like this did indeed happen at times, as if a hungry and biting lion, th

 To relate moderate things out of countless ones but the events of the nights, not even they fail to rival these in contention. and for a time, with t

 They grieved those who kept treasure-houses by ransacking them for the sake of wealth, thus themselves implying that they understood hades as plouton.

 Through all of us and most provident. for it is reported to us that he ordered all-night vigils around the great churches, he jesting even then. for w

 They busied their swords upon them, and afterwards they left completely empty what it contained within, both things for healing and with which the suf

 They cast our people in, and declaring blessed not them but the disease, and now perhaps even death according to the people of gades, among whom hades

 Is fitting, but only by thanksgivings and glory to the most high, from whom and through whom are our affairs. what then prevents me from ceasing after

 Mercilessness towards those who offend in some small way, from which came the merciless thing that just now cast us down, a most just thing, since we,

about to happen, inferring it from many signs. We, at least, anticipating the enemy's attack, sent away those who were children of Constantinople with us to their own people, not only bestowing abundant travel provisions but also something for the sake of a deeper goodwill, as we ourselves were about to perish by death. And to some of those in Thessaloniki, who had no business but only fear, when they asked for counsel, we did not hide what we had come to fear and urged them to be on their guard, and they were kept safe. And this course of action was desirable for us, too, as for those who would save their own lives, but we were restrained for two reasons, as it seems: for neither was the general eager for us to be saved, for a reason which it is granted for him alone, as a man of wise counsel, to know; 68 and the people of God here, saying they would not be left behind if we too should run off as fugitives, thus closed for us the gates of wanting to be saved. And this was the apparent reason; but what God willed here was different, first to chastise us for the ways we had offended Him, and second to show His loving-kindness by casting us into the hands of Andronikos. For it became clear that, if we had left this city even a little while before, we would not have lived, but the dregs of his wrath would have been vomited out upon us. And if there was also a third plan of God here, that our remaining would turn out for some good for the brothers who were saved, those who experienced it were taught this with God's help. And this remaining of ours was not like that earlier time, when some rebellious Latin ships, authors of evil, sailed against us from Byzantium, they too having conspired against Andronikos, while we remained. But that event was a rehearsal for the present, testing how the Latins would strive to ride us down, and it held no great fear, whereas the present events, alas, turned out for us to be exceedingly agonizing and fearful. But these things have been written as in some digression of the account. But the army, both the cavalry and that on the ships, held the city as if in its arms, and the general’s stupidity was especially apparent here, not that it was unclear before, as the narrative will show in brief. For at first, when the enemy was not far off, some of the soldiers, forcing themselves to act like men—for the general was terrific at sleeping—set out and seized a certain man, and after splendidly dressing him in military attire not from his own things, for he was unarmed, but from their own, they paraded him through the middle of the city and boasted as if they had taken some great person. And immediately a letter from the general and duke to the emperor, that matters of battle were turning out fortunately for us. A second day after this and still others are sent out and they capture no longer even a man, but two miserable ponies and a soldier's sun-hat; for the man who had it had escaped, having thrown it to his pursuers as a sort of ransom. And immediately there were triumphs again in the city and the captive ponies were stared at, as if it were a great thing that they had captured them, and the little sun-hat was raised on a standard as if some chief spoil of war. And again a letter from the hapless warrior to the emperor, that we were succeeding in matters of war. But when the land enemies, provoked by this, like some wasps, quickly flew against us—for before this they were delaying, awaiting the fleet according to some signal—and running without a truce from the great gates on the west up to the entire 70 acropolis, they surrounded the city, a sally took place there of two Latin horsemen from the nation of the Prebentzounoi, a large and bold contingent which accompanied the Sicilian army, and more from our own side; for they were over ten. And no one falls, but the Latins in their agony escape falling. And again a third report to the emperor, that ‘by the imperial prayer and good fortune we have won the third war,’ I know not over whom they had prevailed. And the general wished to include these three victories of his in a single short letter out of thriftiness for the expense and the courier horses;

μέλλον, πολλαχόθεν αὐτὸ τεκμαιρόμενοι. Ἡμεῖς γοῦν, φθάσαντες τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἔφοδον, τοὺς ὅσοι μεθ' ἡμῶν τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἦσαν τέκνα ἐξεστείλαμεν εἰς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν, οὐ μόνον ὁδοιπόριον ἐνδαψιλευσάμενοι ἀλλά τι καὶ τῶν ἐς χάριν βαθυτέρας γνώμης, ὡς αὐτοὶ θανάτῳ ἀπολούμενοι. Καὶ τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ δέ τινας, οἷς οὐδὲν ἦν ἔργου, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον φόβος, βουλὴν αἰτήσαντας, οὐκ ἐκρυψάμεθα ὃ δειλιᾶν ἡμῖν ἐπῆλθε καὶ παρωρμήσαμεν φυλάξασθαι, καὶ ἐφυλάχθησαν. Καὶ ἦν μὲν τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ἡμῖν ἐφετόν, οἷα ἐθελοψυχοῦσιν, ἐπεσχέθημεν δὲ δυοῖν ἕνεκεν, ὡς δοκεῖν· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ στρατηγὸς προεθυμήθη σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς δι' αἰτίαν, ἣν ὡς θυμοσόφῳ ἐκείνῳ εἰδέναι μόνῳ 68 κεχάρισται· ὁ λαὸς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἐνταῦθα μὴ ἂν ὑπολιπέσθαι εἰπών, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκδράμωμεν φυγαδίαι, ἔκλεισεν ἡμῖν οὕτω τὰς πύλας τοῦ σωθῆναι βούλεσθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον· ἃ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐνταῦθα ἤθελεν ἕτερα ἦν, ἓν μὲν τὸ παιδεύσειν ἡμᾶς ἀνθ' ὧν αὐτῷ προσεκρούομεν, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ φιλανθρωπεύσασθαι εἰς τὰς τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου χεῖρας βαλεῖν ἡμᾶς. Ἐφάνη γὰρ ὡς, εἴγε τῆς πόλεως ταύτης εἰς ὅσον βραχύ τι προεποδίσαμεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐζήσαμεν, ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ τρυγίας ἐναπηρεύχθη ἂν εἰς ἡμᾶς. Εἰ δέ τι καὶ τρίτον ἦν Θεοῦ ἐνταῦθα σκέμμα, τὸ ἡμᾶς παραμείναντας πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἀποβῆναι τοῖς περισεσωσμένοις ἀδελφοῖς, ἐδιδάχθησαν οἱ πεπειραμένοι σὺν Θεῷ. Καὶ ἦν ἡμῖν τουτὶ τὸ παράμονον οὐ κατ' ἐκεῖνο τὸ παλαιότερον, ὅτε νῆες μὲν ἀποστατικαὶ λατινικαί τινες ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀρχέκακοι ἐπλωίσαντο, κατὰ τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου καὶ αὐταὶ συμπεπνευκυῖαι, ἡμεῖς δὲ παρεμένομεν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν καὶ πρόβαν ἐνέφαινε τῶν ἄρτι, δοκιμάζουσαν οἷα οἱ Λατῖνοι ἐπαγωνίσονται ἡμῶν καθιππάσασθαι, καὶ φόβον εἶχεν οὐ πολύν, τὰ δὲ νῦν οἴμοι ὡς ἡμῖν ἀπέβαινεν ὑπερλίαν καὶ ἐναγώνια καὶ φοβερά. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς ἐν παρεκδρομῇ τινι λόγου γεγράφαται. Τὴν δὲ πόλιν συνεῖχεν ὡς οἷον ἐν ἀγκάλαις ὅ τε καθ' ἵππους ὅ τε κατὰ τὰς νῆας στρατὸς καὶ ἡ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἀβελτηρία ἐνταῦθα μάλιστα διεφαίνετο, μηδὲ τὰ πρῴην ἄδηλος οὖσα, ὡς ἡ συγγραφὴ ἐν ὀλιγίστῳ διαδείξεται. Τὰ πρῶτα μὲν γάρ, τῶν πολεμίων οὐ μακρὰν ὄντων, βιασάμενοί τινες τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀνδρίσασθαι, ὁ γάρ τοι στρατηγὸς δεινὸς ἦν κοιμᾶσθαι, ἀφώρμησαν καὶ συνέσχον ἕνα τινά, ὃν καὶ λαμπρῶς περιδύσαντες τὰ στρατιωτικὰ οὐκ ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου, ψιλὸς γὰρ ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς, ἐπόμπευόν τε διὰ μέσης τῆς πόλεως καὶ ὡς μέγαν τινὰ ἑλόντες ἐκύδαινον. Καὶ γραφὴ εὐθὺς τοῦ καὶ στρατηγοῦ καὶ δουκὸς εἰς τὸν βασιλέα, ὡς εὐτυχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ εἰς μάχην φέρεται. Ἡμέρα μετὰ ταύτην δευτέρα καὶ μετεξέτεροι στέλλονται καὶ αἱροῦσιν οὐκέτι οὐδ' ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ δύο ἱππάρια δυστυχῆ καὶ σκίασμα στρατιώτου κεφαλῆς· ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔχων διεκπέφευγε, προηκάμενος οἷον εἰς λύτρον αὐτὸ τοῖς ἐπιδιώκουσιν. Καὶ αὐτίκα θρίαμβοι πάλιν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τὰ αἰχμάλωτα ἱππαρίδια περιεβλέποντο, οἷα μέγα ὃν ὅτι περ αὐτὰ εἷλον, καὶ τὸ σκιάδιον ἐπὶ σημαίας ᾔρετο καθά τι κορυφαῖον σκύλευμα. Καὶ γράμμα πάλιν τοῦ δυσαριστέως παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα, ὡς εὐτυχοῦμεν τὰ κατὰ πόλεμον. Ὡς δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ἐρεθισθέντες οἱ κατὰ γῆν πολέμιοι, καθὰ καί τινες σφῆκες, ταχὺ καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπτερύξαντο, τὰ γὰρ πρὸ τούτων ἀνεβάλλοντο, καραδοκοῦντες τὸ ναυτικὸν κατά τι σύνθημα, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐκ τῶν δυσμόθεν μεγάλων πυλῶν ἕως καὶ ἐς ὅλην τὴν 70 ἀκρόπολιν ἀκηρυκτεὶ ἐπιδραμόντες ἐκυκλώσαντο, γίνεταί τις ἐκεῖ ἐκδρομὴ δύο μὲν Λατίνων ἱππέων ἐκ τοῦ τῶν Πρεβεντζούνων ἔθνους, ὃ δὴ πολὺ καὶ τεθαρρημένον τῷ Σικελικῷ στρατῷ παρείπετο, πλειόνων δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἡμεδαπῶν· ὑπὲρ τοὺς δέκα γάρ. Καὶ πίπτει μὲν οὐδείς, ἐναγώνιοι δὲ οἱ Λατῖνοι διεκφεύγουσι τὸ πεσεῖν. Καὶ πάλιν ἀναφορὰ εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τρίτη, ὡς «τῇ βασιλικῇ εὐχῇ τε καὶ εὐτυχίᾳ νενικήκαμεν καὶ τὸν τρίτον πόλεμον», οὐκ οἶδα τίνων περιγενόμενοι. Καὶ ἤθελε μὲν ὁ στρατηγὸς τὰς τρεῖς ταύτας αὐτοῦ νίκας ἑνὶ ἐπιστολίῳ περιλαβεῖν φειδοῖ δαπάνης καὶ δρομικῶν ἵππων·