he hastened to the queen of cities in order to take up the gold and ransom his brother. Therefore, having collected this in a few days, he went away towards Ancyra and, hastening to arrive quickly, he rode for the greater part of the night and all of the day. And arriving at Ancyra late in the evening and finding the city gates closed, he sought to have them opened for him; but those inside the city, fearing lest they be ambushed by enemies because the Turks were still encamped not very far away, demanded they say who they were, and Alexios's men immediately explained who he was, and from this something happened that gives pleasure to those who love to listen, not only to them then, but also now. For while Alexios Comnenus was going away to bring the ransom for his brother, Isaac Comnenus, fearing that if he got too far from the Roman borders it would be more difficult to be freed from captivity, sent messengers to the surrounding cities and explained his situation, how he was captured and how the barbarians wanted to sell him for a price, and he asked each to contribute as much as he could toward the ransom before the barbarians got far from the Roman borders, and he promised to repay them all the contributions with interest. So many of the wealthy sent him gold, and he paid off part of the price, and for the rest leaving hostages, he was released from his bonds and reached Ancyra, the metropolis of the Galatians. So it happened that both brothers reached the city on the same day, but the one, having arrived first, was resting in some dwelling above the gates, having closed the gates and holding the keys himself; and when he heard his brother calling from outside, he leaped from his bed and, taking the keys, ran to the gates. Opening them, therefore, he led everyone inside the city; and the most admirable Alexios, seeing him unexpectedly—for he had not yet heard about him—leaped from his horse and, embracing him, kissed him. Therefore, filled with the greatest joy, they went up to the room, and the one dined, having been completely without food, while the other recounted what he had suffered during his captivity, and their dinner was one of pleasure and tears. 2.9 So, having rested themselves and their pack animals for three days, since they learned about the Turks that they had gotten far from the Roman borders, they set out from there and journeyed to the queen of cities. And having crossed the Sangarius, they were hastening to reach Nicomedia. And as they were passing through the place called Dectes, one of their acquaintances met them and invited them to come to his house and rest themselves for a little while. So, yielding to the man's entreaties, they went off and, dismounting from their horses, they went up to the room, and while they rested, their host very gladly prepared dinner, because he had received such guests. But while these things were being done, it happened that about two hundred Turks came down on a raid, who were also proceeding along the road, hastening onward and paying no mind to the Romans along the way. But a certain farmer, who was plowing, saw them and, thinking them to be part of the advance guard, shouted and called to them and promised to show them the Grand Domestic; but they, having come to him, since they learned that he was staying as a guest with a few men, rode forth and surrounded the house and watched the exits; but they did not attempt to sack it, fearing those inside. When what had happened became known to those inside, some of them, as many as were the most noble and bravest, were immediately in arms, but others took to flight, since they were a mixed crowd and mostly hirelings, while to others, who also differed from the others in size of body and boasted greatly in an army, it seemed better not to engage in combat with the enemy at all, but, throwing down their arms, to desert to the barbarians, having received oaths from them that they would not be killed. Therefore, a great clamor arose over the proposal, with some praising the decision, and others being of two minds; but the noble Alexios, having quieted the uproar, to them with such words

βασιλίδα τῶν πόλεων ἔσπευδεν ἐφ' ᾧ τὸ χρυσίον ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν πρίασθαι. Ἡμέραις οὖν ὀλίγαις τοῦτο συναγαγὼν ἀπῄει ὡς ἐπὶ Ἄγκυραν καὶ σπεύδων ταχέως καταλαβεῖν τό τε πλεῖστον τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας τὸ πᾶν ἤλαυνε. Περὶ ἑσπέραν δὲ βαθεῖαν φθάσας εἰς τὴν Ἄγκυραν καὶ τὰς τῆς πόλεως πύλας εὑρὼν κεκλεισμένας, ἐζήτει ταύτας ἀνοιχθῆ ναί οἱ· οἱ δ' ἐντὸς τοῦ ἄστεος, δεδιότες μήπως ὑπ' ἐχθρῶν ἐνεδρεύοιντο διὰ τὸ μὴ πάνυ τι πόρρω τοὺς Τούρκους ἔτι στρατοπεδεύειν, ἀπῄτουν οἵτινες εἶεν εἰπεῖν καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀλέξιον εὐθὺς ὅστις εἴη ἀνεδίδασκον κἀντεῦθεν συνέβη τι ἡδονὴν παρέχον τοῖς φιλακροάμοσιν, οὐκ ἐκείνοις τότε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν. Ἐν ὅσῳ γὰρ ὁ Κομνηνὸς ἀπῄει Ἀλέξιος τὴν τιμὴν ἄξων τῷ ἀδελφῷ, δείσας ὁ Κομνηνὸς Ἰσαάκιος μὴ πόρρω τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ὁρίων γενόμενος δυσχερέστερον τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπαλλαγείη, πρὸς τὰς κύκλῳ διεπέμπετο πόλεις καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἀνεδίδασκεν ὡς ἁλῴη καὶ ὡς βούλοιντο τιμῆς αὐτὸν ἀποδιδόναι οἱ βάρβαροι, ἠξίου τε τῆς τιμῆς κομίζειν ὁπόσον ἕκαστος δύναιτο πρὸ τοῦ πόρρω τοὺς βαρβάρους τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ὁρίων γενέσθαι καὶ ὑπισχνεῖτο πάντα σὺν τόκῳ ἀποδοῦναι σφίσι τὰ κομισθησόμενα. Πολλοὶ γοῦν τῶν εὐπόρων χρυσίον πεπόμφασιν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀπέδοτο τοῦ τιμήματος, τοῦ λοιποῦ δὲ χάριν ὁμήρους καταλιπὼν τῶν δεσμῶν ἀπολέλυτο καὶ τὴν τῶν Γαλατῶν μητρόπολιν κατέλαβεν Ἄγκυραν. Ξυνέπεσε γοῦν ἄμφω τὼ ἀδελφὼ εἰς μίαν ἡμέραν τὴν πόλιν καταλαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν προφθάσας ἐπί τινος οἰκήματος τῶν πυλῶν ὄντος ἄνωθεν ἀνεπαύετο, τὰς πύλας κλείσας καὶ τὰς κλεῖς κατέχων αὐτός· ὡς δ' ἠκηκόει τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ φωνοῦντος ἔξωθεν, ἀνήλατό τε τῆς κλίνης καὶ τὰς κλεῖς λαβὼν ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας ἔθεεν. Ἀνοίξας οὖν εἰσῆγε πάντας ἔνδον τῆς πόλεως· ὁ δὲ θαυμασιώτατος Ἀλέξιος αὐτὸν ἀπροσδοκήτως θεασάμενοςοὔπω γὰρ πέπυστο περὶ αὐτοῦ, κατεπήδησέ τε τοῦ ἵππου καὶ περιπλακεὶς κατησπάζετο. Θυμηδίας οὖν ὅτι πλείστης πλησθέντες ἀνῄεσαν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ δωμάτιον, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐδείπνει ἄσιτος ὢν τὸ παράπαν, ὁ δὲ ἃ πάθοι κατὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπήγγειλε, καὶ ἦν ὁ δεῖπνος ἐκείνοις μετὰ ἡδονῆς καὶ δακρύων. 2.9 Τρισὶν οὖν ἡμέραις ἀναπαύσαντες ἑαυτούς τε καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια, ἐπεὶ περὶ τῶν Τούρκων ἐπύθοντο ὡς πόρρω γένοιντο τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ὁρίων, ἄραντες ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλίδα τῶν πόλεων ἐπορεύοντο· περαιωθέντες δὲ τὸν Σαγγάριον, τὴν Νικομήδους καταλαβεῖν ἠπεί γοντο. ∆ιιοῦσι δὲ τούτοις τὸ χωρίον ὃ ∆έκτη καλεῖται τῶν συνήθων τις ὑπηντίαζε καὶ παρεκάλει παρὰ τῇ οἰκίᾳ τούτου γενέσθαι καὶ ἑαυτοὺς βραχύ τι διαναπαῦσαι. Εἴξαντες οὖν ταῖς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παρακλήσεσιν ἀπῄεσαν καὶ τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες ἀνῄεσαν ἐπὶ τὸ δωμάτιον, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀνεπαύοντο, ὁ δ' ἑστιάτωρ τὸ δεῖπνον ηὐτρέπιζε μάλα ἀσμένως, ὅτι τοιούτους ὑπεδέξατο δαιτυμόνας. Ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ταῦτα ἐπράττετο, ξυνέβη Τούρκους περί που διακοσίους κατιέναι ἐπὶ προνομῇ, οἳ καὶ διώδευον τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω σπεύδοντες καὶ μηδένα λόγον τῶν κατὰ πάροδον Ῥωμαίων ποιούμενοι. Ἀγρότης δέ τις ἀροτριῶν αὐτοὺς θεασάμενος καὶ οἰηθεὶς τοῦ μέρους εἶναι τῶν προκληθέντων, ἐφώνει καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐκάλει καὶ τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐπιδεικνύειν ἐπηγγέλλετο· οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφικόμενοι, ἐπειδήπερ ἐμάνθανον ξὺν ὀλίγοις τοῦτον ἐπιξενίζεσθαι, ἐξελάσαντες τὴν οἰκίαν τε ἐκύκλουν καὶ τὰς διεξόδους ἐτήρουν· πορθεῖν δὲ ταύτην οὐκ ἐπεχείρουν δεδιότες τοὺς ἔσωθεν. Ὡς δ' ἐγνώσθη τὰ συμβάντα τοῖς ἔσωθεν, οἱ μὲν τούτων ἦσαν ἐν ὅπλοις εὐθὺς ὅσοι γενναιότατοι καὶ ἀλκιμώτατοι, οἱ δὲ πρὸς δρασμὸν ἐχώρουν ἅτε πλῆθος ὄντες σύμμικτον καὶ θητικὸν τὸ πλεῖον, τοῖς δὲ ἐδόκει βέλτιον οἳ καὶ μεγέθει σωμάτων τῶν ἄλλων διέφερον καὶ μεγάλως ηὔχουν ἐπὶ στρατὸν μηδαμῶς εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντας αὐτομολῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους, ὅρκια λαβόντας ἐκεῖθεν ὥστε μὴ θανεῖν. Θροῦς οὖν ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ἤρθη πολύς, τῶν μὲν ἐπαινούντων τὸ δόγμα, τῶν δ' ἀμφιβόλως ἐχόντων· ὁ δὲ γενναῖος Ἀλέξιος κατασιγάσας τὸν θόρυβον τοιῶνδε πρὸς αὐτοὺς