Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle II

to be active; but for the prosecutors (they called it a persecution, even if someone 65 grumbled a warning to the opponents, or indeed went after traitors and their collaborators) the penalty was to be perpetual inactivity, whether they were found inside or outside; but for the other clerics who had been censured, release was to be granted, except that they could not advance to a higher rank, however far they might advance in virtue. Having arranged and written these things, they returned.

23. But indeed in Lampsacus before this the case had also been idle for a very long time, delaying for the most part, as was customary, but for the leader of such men, the one from Sardis, even though he was not present when things were being done, it turned back against him, being from a higher hand. And indeed, it is reported by his own disciple, the monk Galaktion, that he was thinking and speaking the worst things against the emperor. Since he was suspected of the gravest offenses, he is subjected to many trials for treason. From then on, having been covered with all kinds of abuse and the fitting rebukes, because, though a monk, he had not shuddered at setting aside his habit and leaping to the rank of the high priests, and having suffered terrible things from many, finally, having been seized with fists and 66 shoves, he was cast out somewhere from the public assembly, at which time Nikandros of Larissa, being of John's ordination and for this reason deposed by him, being present there and watching him being dishonorably cast out, taking a monastic burial shroud placed it on him with much scorn and mockery. But he, having come to himself only for this (for he was mostly out of his mind), immediately throws off the covering, holding it as from a sling, and he gave his bare head to obey the sharp rays of the sun. But the other, picking it up again, put it on him, and again that one threw it off. And this having happened many times, laughter arose from those present, and mockery and no small censure. But the more attentive ones, raising their minds to what he himself had previously done to the high priests, perceived that providence was subjecting him to similar judgments.

24. Kotanitzes, however, wearing the habit of the monks and practicing asceticism in the monastery of the Peribleptos, and pretending all simplicity, as if he had loved the way of life from his soul and choosing to die with it, and having deceived the monks 67 with such deceits, he persuades them to allow him to occupy the great monastery in Prousa, from where indeed having arrived he contrives his escape to his own lands. For he writes in secret, while the emperor was occupied with other things, having found a suitable opportunity, and a fully equipped fishing boat, having been prepared by his own people, is sent carrying horses. And indeed, as the ship was putting into shore, those sailing it made known their arrival to Kotanitzes, and a night having been appointed, they themselves stationed the horses at the wall of the monastery and city, while he, having been let down by a rope and mounting a horse. reaching the shore, he sets sail that very night and arranges his flight as was likely.

25. The emperor, learning this and considering it a terrible thing, since Michael, the son of John Doukas the sebastokrator of the West, he learned had much activity, suspecting the one's rashness, he nevertheless postponed consideration about him for a time, but of the other's immediate activity being very suspicious as of one who would be an implacable enemy in whatever he might undertake, he both starts discussions about this and consults with his own first cousin, the queen Anna. And she, from what was possible, both gratifying the emperor 68 and pushing away a neighboring evil from herself, promised as best she could to pursue her cousin in every way, and to spare no effort to enslave him, and how she might be able to get him inescapably into her hands and send him to the emperor. And the emperor also ordered forces to arrive together with the protovestiarios Tarchaneiotes towards the west by land and to join up at Demetrias, so as to seize as much as they could of the things there by law of war and battle, and to be ready to receive Michael, sent by Anna, if she should succeed in capturing him. Having ordered these things

ἐνεργεῖν· διώκταις δὲ (διωγμὸν ἐκάλουν, κἄν τις 65 καὶ τοῖς διαφόροις ἔγρυξε παραινῶν, ἢ μὴν μετιὼν προδό ταις καὶ συνεργοῦσι) πρόστιμον εἶναι τὴν εἰσαεὶ ἀπραξίαν, κἂν ἐντὸς εὑρίσκοιντο κἂν ἐκτός· τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις τῶν κληρικῶν ἐπιτι μηθεῖσι τὴν λύσιν δίδοσθαι, πλὴν μὴ ἐς μείζω προκόπτειν βαθμόν, κἂν ἐς ὁπόσον προΐοιεν ἀρετῆς. ταῦτα τάξαντές τε καὶ γράψαντες ἐπανῄεσαν.

23. Οὐ μὴν δὲ κατὰ Λάμψακον πρὸ τοῦ καὶ ἡ δίκη ἐπὶ μήκιστον χρόνον ἀργὸς ἦν, ὡς εἴθιστο τὰ πολλὰ διαμέλλουσα, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀρχηγῷ τῶν τοιούτων, τῷ ἀπὸ Σάρδεων, κἂν οὐ πα ρῆν πραττομένων, παλίμπους οὖσα ἐξ ὑπερτέρας περιέστη χει ρός. καὶ δὴ παρὰ μαθητοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ μοναχοῦ προσαγγέλλεται Γαλακτίωνος χείριστα καὶ φρονῶν καὶ λέγων κατὰ βασιλέως. ὡς δὴ καὶ ὑποπτευθεὶς τὰ μέγιστα πρὸς πολλὰ δίκαις καθοσιώσεως καθυπάγεται. τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν ἁπάσαις τε λοιδορίαις περιβλη θεὶς καὶ ἐλεγμοῖς τοῖς εἰκόσιν, ὅτι καὶ μοναχὸς ὢν οὐκ ἔφριξεν ἀθετήσας τὸ σχῆμα καὶ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ἀρχιερέων μεταπηδήσας βαθμόν, καὶ τὰ δεινὰ παθὼν ἐκ πολλῶν, τέλος πυγμαῖς τε καὶ 66 ὠθισμοῖς ἀνάρπαστος γεγονὼς ἔξω που τοῦ κοινοῦ συνεδρίου πα ρέρριπται, ὅτε καὶ ὁ Λαρίσσης Νίκανδρος τῆς Ἰωάννου χειρο τονίας ὢν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παρ' ἐκείνου καθαιρεθείς, ἐκεῖσε παρὼν καί γ' ἀτίμως ἐκεῖνον ἐκριφθέντα θεώμενος, λαβὼν μοναχικὸν ἐπιτύμβιον μεθ' ὅσου μυκτῆρος καὶ χλευασμοῦ ἐπιτίθησιν. ὁ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο μόνον ἐν ἑαυτῷ γεγονὼς (τὰ γὰρ πλεῖστα ἔξω νοὸς ἦν) ἐρρίπτει τε παρευθὺς ἐπισχὼν τὴν καλύπτραν ἐκ σφενδονῶν, καὶ ταῖς ὀξείαις βολαῖς τοῦ ἡλίου γυμνὴν ἐδίδου καθυπακούειν τὴν κεφαλήν. ὁ δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἀναλαμβάνων ἐπετίθει, καὶ αὖ θις ἐκεῖνος ἀπέρριπτεν. καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις γεγονός, γέλως ᾔρετο παρὰ τῶν παρόντων καὶ χλεύη καὶ ἐπιτίμησις οὐ μικρά. οἱ δέ γε προσεκτικώτεροι, ἀνάγοντες τὸν νοῦν πρὸς ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος ἐποίει τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς πρότερον, ὁμοίαις δίκαις ὑποβάλλουσαν ἐκεῖνον κατενόουν τὴν πρόνοιαν.

24. Ὁ μέντοι γε Κοτανίτζης τὸ σχῆμα φέρων τῶν μονα χῶν κἀν τῇ τῆς Περιβλέπτου μονῇ ἀσκῶν, ὑποκρινόμενος δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν ἁπλότητα ὡς ἐκ ψυχῆς ἀγαπήσας τὴν πολιτείαν καὶ ταύτῃ συναποθανεῖν αἱρούμενος, καὶ τοιαύταις ἀπάταις τοὺς μοναχοὺς 67 ὑπελθών, πείθει ἐφεῖναι τούτῳ καταλαβεῖν τὴν ἐν Προύσῃ με γίστην μονήν, ᾗ δὴ ἀφιγμένος ἐκεῖθεν τεχνιτεύει τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ οἰ κεῖα δραπέτευσιν. γράφει γὰρ δι' ἀπορρήτων, ἐνασχολουμένου τοῦ βασιλέως τοῖς ἄλλοις καιρὸν εὑρηκὼς τὸν ἁρμόδιον, καὶ ἁλιὰς ἐνήρης παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων εὐτρεπισθεῖσα ἵππους φέρουσα πέμπεται. καὶ δὴ προσισχούσης αἰγιαλῷ τῆς νεὼς οἱ ταύτην ἄγοντες δηλοποιοῦσι τῷ Κοτανίτζῃ τὴν ἄφιξιν, καὶ ὁρισθείσης νυκτὸς αὐτοὶ μὲν τῷ τείχει τῆς μονῆς ἅμα καὶ πόλεως ἐφιστῶσι τοὺς ἵππους, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὑποχαλασθεὶς σχοίνῳ καὶ ἐπιβὰς ἵππου. καταλαβὼν τὸν αἰγιαλόν, αὐτονυχεὶ ἀνάγεται καὶ τὴν φυγαδείαν ὡς εἰκὸς διατίθεται.

25. Ὅπερ μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐν δεινῷ ποιησάμενος, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἰωάννου τοῦ ∆ούκα καὶ δυσικοῦ σεβαστοκράτο ρος υἱὸν Μιχαὴλ πολλὴν δραστηριότητα ἔχειν ἐμάνθανε, τοῦ μὲν τὸ θερμουργὸν ὑπονοῶν ὅμως εἰς καιρὸν ἐτίθει τὴν περὶ αὐ τοῦ σκέψιν, τοῦ δὲ τὸ αὐτίκα δραστήριον τὰ πολλὰ ὑποπτεύσας ὡς ἐσομένου πολεμίου ἀπαραιτήτου πρὸς ὃ δὴ καὶ ὁρμήσειε, λό γους τε κινεῖ περὶ τούτου καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτανεψίᾳ συσκέπτεται Ἄννῃ τῇ βασιλίσσῃ. ἡ δ' ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν καὶ βασιλεῖ χαριζο 68 μένη καὶ γειτονοῦν κακὸν ἑαυτῇ ὠθοῦσα, ὡς εἶχε καθυπισχνεῖτο παντοίως τὸν ἀνεψιὸν μετελθεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν ἀνεῖναι δουλαγωγῆ σαι, καὶ ὡς δυνηθείη ἐκεῖνον περισχεῖν ἀφύκτως εἰς χεῖρας καὶ πέμπειν τῷ βασιλεῖ. συνέταττε δὲ καὶ δυνάμεις ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀφι ξομένας συνάμα τῷ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ Ταρχανειώτῃ πρὸς δύσιν πεζῇ καὶ τῇ ∆ημητριάδι ἐπιμιξομένας, ὡς κατασχεῖν μὲν ὁπόσον καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ δυνηθεῖεν νόμῳ πολέμου καὶ μάχης, ἕτοιμον δ' εἶναι λαμβάνειν πεμπόμενον παρὰ τῆς Ἄννης, εἰ κατασχεῖν εὐο δοῖτο, τὸν Μιχαήλ. ταῦτα τάξας τε