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55 Having held a council, therefore, the majority said that it was necessary for him to cross the Hellespont; but those related to his grandfather, the emperor Theodore, Manuel and Michael Lascaris, to whom he paid more heed on account of both their legitimacy and their old age, advised that the emperor should not cross. At any rate, the counsel of the majority prevailed. Therefore, as quickly as he could, he reached Adrianople.

56 And he went out from there, and a certain Bulgarian scout, having seen the emperor leaving Adrianople, came running to the Bulgarian ruler who was encamped near the Hebrus, and he reported the event with oaths, that he had seen the emperor crossing the bridge of the river Hebrus which happens to be near the city. But when the emperor learned of the Bulgarian encampment, he hastened his march. And the vanguard captured the Bulgarian guards by the sword and by taking them alive—having learned of this from a certain fugitive, all of these fled further inland, and were torn to pieces in the thickets of trees. In the morning, the emperor, having found the place deserted, was grieved, but had nothing he could do. He proceeds towards Beroe and took the fortress by a single shout. And he would quickly have advanced against Haemus itself and the fortresses in it, if winter had not prevented him. For much snow had covered the face of the earth. At any rate, after holding out for six days, the emperor, having taken the booty of Beroe, returned to Adrianople.

57 And from there, having selected an army, he had sent it against the fortresses around Achrida 57 which had been seized by the Bulgarians, to see if they might somehow be brought under Roman rule again. Therefore, having arrived there, the Roman leaders easily overcame most of the fortresses. But when spring dawned, orders came to Alexios Strategopoulos in Serres, that they should go against Tzepaina. Which they also did. But having encountered no worthy enemies, alarmed by the sounds of horns blowing, they resorted to a disorderly flight, leaving all their baggage and most of their horses to the Bulgarians.

58 And the commander of the army of Melenikon, Dragotas by name, had planned an open rebellion, and having gathered a very large army, he besieged Melenikon. Guarding it were Theodore Nestongos and John Angelos, who also bravely resisted. But the emperor arrived at Serres, and since he had learned that the difficult pass of Roupelion, through which the Strymon flows, was being guarded by a Bulgarian army, who had also constructed gates in it, he arrived with haste in that area. Therefore, having detached a force of footsoldiers, he ordered them to march on the mountain above the heads of the Bulgarians, and he commanded the horsemen to make the attack straight at the gates. And when the Bulgarians saw them shooting arrows from above, and the battle in front being at close quarters, they turned to flight. And the imperial army pursued and made many the work of the sword. The rest reported the emperor's attack to the Bulgarians, who, being thrown into confusion, each fled as best they could. And since the night was moonless for the flight and the place was difficult, some fell from their horses, others trampled them, others were thrown from their saddles down cliffs, so that few were saved in Bulgaria. And Dragotas had his whole body crushed by the feet of horses, and on the third day he breathed out his soul. The emperor, at any rate, on reaching the city, was seen with pleasure.

59 And departing from there, he arrived at Thessalonica. and from there, having crossed the Vardar and passed by Vodena, he fell ill with a disease of the seat. But having stayed there for a short time, he set out for Prilep. From there he proceeded to Veles, and as soon as he arrived there its guards, having taken oaths, went out. And from there he made his way through Neustapolis. At any rate, having passed by the city of Strumitza

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55 Βουλὴν οὖν ποιησάμενος, οἱ μὲν πλείους διαπε ρᾶσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον δέον ἔλεγον· οἱ δὲ πρὸς πάππου αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδώρου, Μανουὴλ καὶ Μι χαὴλ οἱ Λασκάριες, οἷς προσεῖχε μᾶλλον τῇ τε γνησιότητι καὶ τῷ γήρει, οὐ χρεὼν διαπερᾶσαι τὸν βασιλέα ἐβούλευον. ἡ τῶν πλειόνων γοῦν ἴσχυσε βουλή. ὡς εἶχεν οὖν τάχους, τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ πέφθακε.

56 Κἀκεῖθεν ἔξεισι, καί τις τῶν Βουλγάρων κατοπτὴρ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Ἀδριανοῦ ἐξιόντα τεθεαμένος δρομαῖος πρὸς τὸν βουλγαράρχην ἀφίκετο περὶ τὸν Ἕβρον σκηνοῦντο, καὶ τὸ δρᾶμα διασαφεῖ ὅρκοις, ἰδεῖν τὸν βασιλέα τὴν πρὸς τῇ πόλει τυγχάνουσαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἕβρου γέφυραν δια βαίνοντα. γνοὺς δὲ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν τῶν Βουλγά ρων κατασκήνωσιν ἐπέτεινε τὴν ὁδόν. καὶ οἱ προάγοντες τοὺς φύλακας Βουλγάρων ξίφει καὶ ζωγρίᾳ ἑλόντες-ἔκ τινος φυγάδος διαμαθόντες πάντες ἔφυγον τούτων πρὸς τὰ ἐνδότερα, κατεδρύπτοντο δὲ τοῖς συνηρεφέσι τῶν δέν δρων. ἕωθεν δὲ τὸν τόπον ἔρημον φθάσας ὁ βασιλεὺς λελύπηται μέν, οὐκ εἶχε δ' ὅ, τι καὶ δράσειε. περὶ δὲ τὴν Βερρόην χωρεῖ καὶ αὐτοβοεὶ τὸ φρούριον εἷλε. καὶ τάχ' ἂν περὶ τὸν Αἷμον αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ φρούρια ἐκεχω ρήκει, εἰ μὴ χειμὼν ἐκώλυσεν αὐτόν. πολλὴ γὰρ χιὼν τῆς γῆς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐπηλύγασεν. ἡμέρας γοῦν ἓξ διακαρτε ρήσας ὁ βασιλεύς, λείαν τὰ Βερρόης ποιησάμενος εἰς τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ ὑπέστρεψε.

57 Κἀκεῖθεν ἐπιλεξάμενος στράτευμα περὶ τὰ ἐν Ἀχριδῷ 57 φρούρια ἐπεπόμφει τὰ κρατηθέντα ὑπὸ Βουλγάρων, εἴ πως καὶ αὖθις τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὑπαχθεῖεν ἀρχῇ. ἐκεῖσε οὖν ἀφιγμένοι οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγήτορες ῥᾷον τῶν φρουρίων περιεγένοντο τῶν πλείστων. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ἔαρ ἐπέλαμψε, προσ τάγματα ἧκον πρὸς τὸν Στρατηγόπουλον Ἀλέξιον ἐν Σέρραις, ἵνα κατὰ Τζεπαίνης ἀφίκοιντο. ὃ καὶ ἐποίησαν. ἀλλὰ μήτε πολεμίοις ἀξίοις ἐγκύρσαντες, κτύποις ἤχων κερατίνων δια θροηθέντες ἀκόσμως ἐχρήσαντο τῇ φυγῇ, πᾶσαν ἀποσκευὴν καὶ τοὺς πλείους τῶν ἵππων τοῖς Βουλγάροις ἀπολιπόντες.

58 Καὶ ὁ τοῦ Μελενικιωτικοῦ δὲ προεξάρχων στρα τεύματος ∆ραγωτᾶς τοὔνομα ἀποστασίαν φανερὰν μεμελέτηκε, καὶ συναγαγὼν στρατιὰν πλείστην παρεκάθισε Με λενίκον. ἐφύλαττον δὲ τοῦτον ὁ Νεστόγγος Θεόδωρος καὶ ὁ Ἄγγελος Ἰωάννης, οἳ καὶ γενναίως ἀντεῖχον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐς Σέρρας ἀφίκετο, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐκπέπυστο τὴν τοῦ Ῥουπελίου δυσχωρίαν, καθ' ἣν ὁ Στρυμὼν ῥεῖ, Βουλγαρικῇ φυλάττεσθαι στρατιᾷ, οἳ καὶ πύλας ἐν αὐταῖς κατεσκεύασαν, σπουδῇ περὶ τὸν ἐκεῖσε χῶρον ἀφίκετο. ἀποκόψας οὖν στρατιὰν πεζαιτέρων ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τῶν Βουλγάρων βαδίζειν εἰς τὸ ὄρος προστέταχεν, ἱππεῦσι δὲ κατευθὺ τῶν πυλῶν τὴν μάχην ποιεῖν ἐκέλευσε. καὶ ἐπεὶ κατεῖδον οἱ Βούλγα ροι ἐκ μὲν ἄνωθεν ὀϊστοὺς βάλλοντας, κατεναντίον δὲ στα δαίαν οὖσαν τὴν μάχην, εἰς φυγὴν ἐτράποντο. καὶ τὸ βασιλικὸν ἐφείπετο στράτευμα καὶ πολλοὺς σπάθης ἔργον ἐποίησαν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔφοδον τοῖς Βουλγάροις ἀπήγγειλαν, οἳ καὶ διαταραχθέντες ὡς εἶχον ἕκαστος ἔφυγον. ἐπεὶ δὲ νὺξ ἦν ἀσέληνος τῇ φυγῇ καὶ δυσχερὴς ὁ τόπος, ἔνιοι μὲν ἔπιπτον τῶν ἵππων, ἕτεροι δ' αὐτοὺς κατεπάτουν, ἄλλοι τῶν ἐφεστρίδων ἀπεσφενδονοῦντο κατὰ κρημνῶν, ὡς ὀλίγους διασωθῆναι ἐς τὴν Βουλγάρων. καὶ ὁ ∆ραγωτᾶς δὲ ἵππων ποσὶν ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα συν τέθλαστο, καὶ τριταῖος τὴν αὐτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐξεφύσησεν. ὁ γοῦν βασιλεὺς τὸ ἄστυ καταλαβὼν ἀσπάσιος ὤφθη.

59 Καὶ ἀπάρας ἐκεῖθεν ἐς Θεσσαλονίκην ἀφίκετο. κἀκεῖ θεν τὸν Βαρδάριον διαπεράσας καὶ τὰ Βοδηνὰ παραμείψας ἐνόσησε νόσημα ἑδρικόν. διακαρτερήσας δ' ἐκεῖθεν μικρὸν περὶ τὸν Πρίλαπον ὥρμησεν. ἐκεῖθεν ἐς Βελεσὸν ἐχώρει, καὶ ἅμα τῷ φθάσαι ἐκεῖσε οἱ φύλακες τούτου ὅρκους λα βόντες ἐξῄεσαν. κἀκεῖθεν διὰ τῆς Νευσταπόλεως τὴν πο ρείαν ἐποιεῖτο. τὸ γοῦν τῆς Στρουμίτζης παραμείψαντες ἄστυ