the arrival of ambassadors, and some of those closest to the emperor persuade him to cast off the peace, as it was false in its effect and deceptive rather than desiring what was advantageous; for they supposed that the sultan was afraid because he did not have a considerable force and was waiting for those who would arrive later and was suspending time with the pretext of peace. Therefore, those around the sultan, among themselves, upon the return of the ambassadors, were speaking about the peace and were working this out completely, but the emperor, without a herald's announcement, sounding the war-signal, unexpectedly stirred up the fray. And the news, reaching the enemy, astounded them. For the time being, therefore, having armed themselves, they drove the useless multitude to the rear, while they themselves behind them gave the appearance of a battle-line; but for the most part a kind of flight possessed them when they saw the phalanxes of the Romans drawn up in the order and array of a battle-line. And so they proceeded to the rear, but the emperor with his whole army pursued after them, until at length the time of late afternoon arrived. But since the emperor did not have the enemy opposing and fighting against him, and he knew that the camp was stripped of soldiers and infantry guards because he did not have a sufficient multitude, so as to even 149 leave divisions in it—the regiments having already been depleted as was previously related—he decided not to extend the pursuit further, so that the Turks might not attack it while it was unguarded, and at the same time considering that if he were to be drawn out much further, night would overtake him, and then the Turks, being archers, would make their flight a retreat. For these reasons, indeed, turning back the royal standard, he gave the order to think of return. But the soldiers who had their divisions far off, seeing the standards turning back, suspected the affair to be a royal defeat. Moreover, one of those lying in reserve for him, Andronicus, the son of the Caesar and cousin of the emperors, having a premeditated plot, himself on his own initiative sowed such a rumor and taking the soldiers around him quickly returned to the camp. Whom the rest also imitated, and one by one they embraced flight without a fight. But the emperor, seeing the unexpected event, tried to stop the flight of his own men, calling out, as was his custom. But there was no one who listened. And of the enemy, those standing on the hills, seeing the unexpected and sudden misfortune of the Romans, report what was seen in haste to the sultan and urged him to turn back, as he himself was already fleeing and had become far from his own camp. Therefore, as soon as he returned, a sudden battle broke out against the emperor. And commanding those around him not to give in nor to suffer anything cowardly, but to show themselves to be good men, he defended himself vigorously for a long time. Meanwhile, as the flight of the others flooded outside the palisade, no clear report was heard, as different people at different times related different things, some announcing a rout, others a victory, and telling things obscure and unrecognizable, until even some of the Cappadocians themselves began to desert him by brotherhoods and companies. And many of the royal 150 grooms were returning with the horses, insisting that they had not seen the emperor. And there was something like an earthquake and wailing and inescapable fear, and the Turks pouring in from all sides. Wherefore each person, as he had impulse, sought his own safety. And the enemy, pursuing, killed some, took others captive, and trampled others. And the affair was exceedingly painful and surpassing all lamentation and mourning. But the enemies, having surrounded the emperor, did not get him easily at once, but as he was knowledgeable of military and warlike matters and had been conversant with many dangers, he defended himself stoutly, and having killed many, he was finally struck on the hand with a sword, and when his horse was killed by a javelin, standing on his feet he fought on. But growing weary toward evening, he was captured—alas for the suffering!—and the renowned emperor of the Romans becomes a prisoner. And on that night, equally with the

πρέσβεων ἄφιξις, καί τινες τῶν ἐγγυτάτων τῷ βασιλεῖ πείθουσιν αὐτὸν ἀποβαλέσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην ὡς ψευδομένην τὸ ἔργον καὶ ἀπατῶσαν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ συμφέρον ἐθέλουσαν· δεδιέναι γὰρ ὑπελάμβανον τὸν σουλτάνον διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀξιόλογον ἔχειν δύναμιν καὶ περιμένειν τοὺς κατόπιν ἀφιξομένους καὶ τῷ προσχήματι τῆς εἰρήνης μετεωρίζειν τὸν χρόνον. Οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν σουλτάνον κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτούς, ἐπανελθόντων τῶν πρέσβεων, τὰ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ὡμίλουν καὶ ταύτην ὁλοσχερῶς ἐπραγματεύοντο, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀκηρυκτὶ σαλπίσας τὸ ἐνυάλιον τὸν μόθον παραλόγως ἐκρότησε. Καταλαβοῦσα δ' ἡ φήμη τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐξέπληξε. Τέως δ' οὖν καθοπλισάμενοι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸ ἄχρηστον πλῆθος εἰς τοὐπίσω προσήλαυνον, αὐτοὶ δὲ κατόπιν ἐδίδουν φαντασίαν πολεμικῆς παρατάξεως· τὸ δὲ πλεῖον φυγή τις κατεῖχεν αὐτοὺς συντεταγμένας ἰδόντας τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὰς φάλαγγας ἐν τάξει καὶ κόσμῳ πολεμικῆς παρατάξεως. Καὶ οἱ μὲν προῄεσαν εἰς τοὐπίσω, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πανστρατιᾷ κατόπιν αὐτῶν ἐπεδίωκεν, ἕως ἄρα καιρὸς δείλης ὀψίας κατέλαβεν. Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους οὐκ εἶχε καὶ ἀντιπολεμοῦντας, τὴν δὲ παρεμβολὴν ἐψιλωμένην στρατιωτῶν καὶ πεζοφυλάκων ἐγίνωσκε διὰ τὸ μηδ' εὐπορεῖν ἱκανοῦ πλήθους, ὥστε καὶ 149 παρατάξεις ἐν ταύτῃ καταλιπεῖν ἤδη προεξαντληθέντων τῶν ταγμάτων ὡς προδιείληπται ἔγνω μὴ πλεῖον ἐπιτεῖναι τὴν δίωξιν, ἵνα μὴ ταύτῃ ἀφυλάκτῳ οἱ Τοῦρκοι ἐπίθωνται, καὶ ἅμα διασκοπῶν ὡς, εἰ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐκμακρυνθείη, καταλήψεται αὐτὸν ἡ νύξ, καὶ τηνικαῦτα οἱ Τοῦρκοι παλίντροπον θήσουσι τὴν φυγὴν ἑκηβόλοι τυγχάνοντες. ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν σημαίαν ἐπιστρέψας νόστου ἐπιμνησθῆναι παρήγγειλεν. Οἱ δὲ πόρρω τὰς φάλαγγας ἔχοντες στρατιῶται, τὰς σημαίας ἰδόντες ὀπισθορμήτους ἧτταν εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα βασιλικὴν ὑπετόπασαν. Μᾶλλον δέ τις τῶν ἐφεδρευόντων αὐτῷ, Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ τοῦ καίσαρος μὲν υἱός, τῶν δὲ βασιλέων ἐξάδελφος, προβεβουλευμένην ἔχων τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν τοιοῦτον λόγον ὑπέσπειρε καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν στρατιώτας ἀναλαβὼν ταχὺ τῇ παρεμβολῇ ἐπεφοίτησεν. Ὃν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ μιμησάμενοι εἷς καθεὶς τὴν φυγὴν ἀμαχητὶ ἠσπάσαντο. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἰδὼν τὸ παράλογον ἔστη τὴν τῶν οἰκείων φυγήν, ὡς ἔθος, ἀνακαλούμενος. Ἦν δὲ ὁ ἐπακούων οὐδείς. Τῶν δ' ἐναντίων οἱ ἐπὶ λόφων ἱστάμενοι τὸ παράλογον ἰδόντες ἐξαίφνης τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀτύχημα τῷ σουλτάνῳ σπουδῇ ἀπαγγέλλουσι τὸ ὁρώμενον καὶ τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν αὐτῷ κατεπείγουσι, φεύγοντι καὶ αὐτῷ ἤδη καὶ μακρὰν τῆς οἰκείας γενομένῳ ἐπαύλεως. Εὐθὺς οὖν ἐπανελθόντος αὐτοῦ μάχη τις ἀθρόα τῷ βασιλεῖ προσρήγνυται. Κελεύσας δὲ τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν μὴ ἐνδοῦναι μηδὲ μαλακόν τι παθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς φανῆναι, ἠμύνατο μὲν ἐρρωμένως μέχρι πολλοῦ Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων φυγῆς περιαντλησάσης ἔξω τὸν χάρακα λόγος σαφὴς οὐκ ἠκούετο, ἄλλων ἄλλοτε ἄλλα ἀφηγουμένων, τῶν μὲν τροπήν, τῶν δὲ νίκην ἀπαγγελλόντων καὶ καταλεγόντων ἄσημά τε καὶ ἀδιάγνωστα, ἕως καὶ τῶν Καππαδοκῶν τινες ἤρξαντο αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀποφοιτᾶν κατὰ φατρίας καὶ συμμορίας. Πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν 150 ἱπποκόμων σὺν τοῖς ἵπποις ὑπέστρεφον, μὴ ἰδεῖν τὸν βασιλέα διενιστάμενοι. Καὶ ἦν σεισμὸς οἷον καὶ ὀδυρμὸς καὶ φόβος ἀκίχητος, καὶ οἱ Τοῦρκοι πανταχόθεν ἐπιρρέοντες. Ὅθεν καὶ ἕκαστος, ὡς εἶχεν ὁρμῆς, ἑαυτῷ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπραγματεύετο. Ἐπιδιώκοντες δὲ οἱ ἐναντίοι οὓς μὲν ἀνῄρουν, οὓς δὲ ζωγρίᾳ εἷλον , ἑτέρους δὲ συνεπάτουν. Καὶ ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα λίαν ἐπώδυνον καὶ πάντα θρῆνον ὑπερβάλλον καὶ κοπετόν. Τὸν δὲ βασιλέα περιστοιχίσαντες οἱ πολέμιοι οὐκ εὐχείρωτον ἔσχον εὐθύς, ἀλλ' ἅτε στρατιωτικῶν καὶ πολεμικῶν εἰδήμων καὶ κινδύνοις προσομιλήσας πολλοῖς καρτερῶς ἠμύνατο, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνελὼν τέλος ἐπλήγη φασγάνῳ τὴν χεῖρα, τοῦ τε ἵππου κατακοντισθέντος ἐκ ποδὸς ἱστάμενος διεμάχετο. Καμὼν δ' ὅμως πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἁλώσιμος φεῦ τοῦ πάθους καὶ αἰχμάλωτος ὁ περιώνυμος βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίων γίνεται. Καὶ τῇ μὲν νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ ἐπ' ἴσης τοῖς