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The tyrant, otherwise enraged against Raoul, since his brother Roger had deserted to the Romans and had revealed everything concerning the war being prepared, wished to do some harm to Raoul, threatening him with immediate death. But he, not being at all neglectful about his escape, fled to Bohemond as if having devised for himself a refuge from his predicament. 1.15.6 And Raictor also made a tragic scene with the most bloodthirsty threats against the brother of Raoul who had deserted to the Romans, shouting loudly and striking his thigh with his right hand and demanding of Robert and saying, "This one thing and only this I ask, that if I should seize the empire and be restored to the throne, you hand over Roger to me, and if I do not immediately deliver him to a most wretched death by crucifying him in the middle of the city, may I suffer such and such things from God." But in the midst of these narrations, laughter comes over me at these men and their folly and frivolity, or rather at their boasting against each other. For Robert indeed had this impostor as a pretext and a bait and a kind of screen for his father-in-law and emperor and he would show him to the cities and incite them to rebellion, whichever he might come to and be able to persuade, having in mind that, whenever the affairs of war and fortune should go his way, he would send him away with a slap on the neck and a laugh; for after the hunt the bait is laughed at. But he himself was also nourished by deceptive hopes, if by chance it might happen that he should partake of some power, as often is accustomed to happen unexpectedly. But that he for his part would seize the empire tenaciously, since the Roman people and army would not have accepted the barbarian Robert for the empire, but for the time being he would use him as an instrument for the whole management of the conspiracy. As I consider these things, a smile comes over me and laughter runs to my lips as I drag my pen by lamplight.

1.16.1 Robert, however, having gathered all his force at Brundisium, both his ships and his soldiers (for the ships numbered one hundred and fifty, and the soldiers amounted to a total of thirty thousand, each ship taking on two hundred men with arms and horses) and with his preparations being thus, whenever they should put in, they would encounter these armed men and cavalry, he was about to set sail for the city of Epidamnus, which we call Dyrrachium according to the custom that now prevails. For he had considered crossing from Otranto to Nicopolis and to seize Naupactus and all the surrounding lands and forts. But since the sea from there to here was open to a much greater width than that from Brundisium to Dyrrachium, he preferred this voyage to that one, both choosing the quickest route, and at the same time securing ease for his fleet. For it was the winter season and the sun, being driven toward the southern circles and approaching Capricorn, was shortening the length of the days. Therefore, lest setting sail from Otranto at the beginning of the day he might have to sail by night and encounter some rough seas, he decided to be carried to Dyrrachium from Brundisium under full sail. For the lengths of the distance of the journey were shortened by the narrowing of the Adriatic sea there. He did not, however, leave his son Roger behind, as he had previously wished, having appointed him lord of Apulia, but, I know not how, changing his mind again, he had him accompanying him. 1.16.2 But during the voyage to Dyrrachium he seized by dispatch both the most fortified city of Corfu and other of our fortresses. And having taken hostages from both Longobardia and Apulia and having levied money and imposed taxes on the entire country

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ἄλλως ἐξωργισμένος ὁ τύραννος κατὰ τοῦ Ῥαοὺλ, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ῥογέρη πρὸς Ῥωμαίους αὐτομολήσαντος καὶ διαμεμηνυκότος ἅπαντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν παρασκευαζόμενον πόλεμον, ἠβουλήθη κακόν τι δρᾶσαι τῷ Ῥαοὺλ τὸν παραυ τίκα θάνατον ἀπειλήσας. Ὁ δὲ μηδ' ὅλως πρὸς τὴν φυγὴν ἐρρᾳθυμηκὼς πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ἐδραπέτευσεν ὥσπερ τι κρησφύγετον ἐκ τοῦ σχεδὸν αὐτὸν ἐφευράμενος. 1.15.6 Ἐτραγῴδει δὲ καὶ ὁ Ῥαίκτωρ τὰς παλαμναιοτάτας ἀπειλὰς τἀδελφῷ τοῦ Ῥαοὺλ τῷ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους αὐτομολήσαντι μεγάλα τε κεκραγὼς καὶ τὸν μηρὸν τῇ δεξιᾷ πλήττων καὶ ἐξαιτούμενος τὸν Ῥομπέρτον καὶ λέγων «ἓν τοῦτο καὶ μόνον αἰτῶ, ὡς εἰ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιδραξοίμην καὶ ἀποκατασταίην τοῖς θρόνοις, παραδοῦναί μοι τὸν Ῥογέρην, καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτον οἰκτίστῳ θανάτῳ παραδοίην αὐτίκα ἐν μέσῃ τῇ πόλει ἀνασταυρώσας, τάδε καὶ τάδε πείσομαι ἐκ Θεοῦ». Ἀλλὰ μεταξὺ τῶν διηγήσεων τούτων γελᾶν ἔπεισί μοι τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους καὶ τῆς ἀπονοίας καὶ τῆς κουφότητος, μάλλον δὲ τῆς κατ' ἀλλήλων ἀλαζο νείας. Ὁ μὲν γάρ τοι Ῥομπέρτος πρόφασιν εἶχε τὸν ἀπατεῶνα τοῦτον καὶ δέλεαρ καὶ οἷόν τι πρόσχημα τοῦ συμπενθέρου καὶ βασιλέως καὶ διεδείκνυ τοῦτον ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ πρὸς ἀποστασίαν ἐπῆρεν, ἐφ' οὓς ἂν παρα γένοιτο καὶ συμπείθειν ἠδύνατο, ἐν νῷ ἔχων, ἐπειδὰν κατὰ ῥοῦν αὐτῷ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῆς τύχης ἐπέλθοι, ἐπὶ τοῦ τραχήλου ῥαπίσας ἀποπέμψαι σὺν γέλωτι· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν θήραν καταγελᾶται τὸ δέλεαρ. Ὁ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλπίσιν ἠπατημέναις ἐτρέφετο, εἴ που συμβαίη καὶ μετά σχοι κράτους τινός, οἷα φιλεῖ πολλάκις γίνεσθαι παραλόγως. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν τῆς βασιλείας ἀπρὶξ ἐπιδράξοιτο, ὡς οὐκ ἂν τὸν βάρβαρον Ῥομπέρτον προσηκαμένου εἰς βασι λείαν τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ δήμου καὶ τοῦ στρατεύματος, αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ τέως ἀποχρῷτο καθάπερ ὀργάνῳ εἰς τὴν ὅλην τῆς σκευωρίας οἰκονομίαν. Ταῦτα ἐνθυμουμένῃ μοι μειδιᾶν ἐπέρχεται καὶ γέλως ἐπιτρέχει τοῖς χείλεσι πρὸς λύχνον ἐπισυρούσῃ τὸν κάλαμον.

1.16.1 Ὁ μέντοι Ῥομπέρτος πᾶσαν δύναμιν συναγηοχὼς κατὰ τὸ Βρεντήσιον τάς τε ναῦς αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς στρατιώ τας (αἱ μὲν γὰρ νῆες εἰς ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα συνη ρίθμηντο, οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται εἰς τριάκοντα χιλιάδας ξύμπαντες ἐτύγχανον συμποσούμενοι, ἑκάστης νηὸς ἄνδρας ἀπολαμβανούσης διακοσίους μεθ' ὅπλων καὶ ἵππων) καὶ οὕτως ἐχόντων παρασκευῆς, ἐπειδὰν οἷς προσοκείλειαν, ὡπλισμένοις τούτοις καὶ ἱππόταις περι τύχοιεν, ἔμελλε διαφεῖναι πρὸς τὴν Ἐπίδαμνον πόλιν, ἣν ∆υρράχιον κατὰ τὸ νῦν ἐπικρατῆσαν ἔθος προσονομά ζομεν. Ἐδόκει μὲν γὰρ ἐξ Ὑδροῦντος πρὸς τὰς Νικοπόλεις διαπερᾶν καὶ τήν τε Ναύπακτον καὶ τὰ ξυμπαρα κείμενα χωρία καὶ φρούρια πάντα κύκλῳ περιλαβεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ εἰς πολὺ πλάτος ἠνέῳκτο τὸ ἐκεῖθεν ἐνθάδε πέλαγος ἢ τὸ ἀπὸ Βρεντησίου πρὸς τὸ ∆υρράχιον, προεί λετο μᾶλλον τοῦτον τὸν κατάπλουν ἐκείνου ἅμα μὲν καὶ τὴν ταχίστην κέλευθον προαιρούμενος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὴν ῥᾳστώνην τῷ στόλῳ περιποιούμενος. Καὶ γὰρ χειμέριος ἦν ἡ ὥρα καὶ ὁ ἥλιος πρὸς τοὺς νοτίους κύκλους ἀπελαυ νόμενος καὶ τῷ αἰγοκέρωτι πλησιάζων ὑπετέμνετο τὰ ἡμερήσια διαστήματα. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ ἐξ Ὑδροῦντος ἀφεὶς ἀρχομένης ἡμέρας νυκτοπλοήσειε καὶ κλύδωσί τισι προσ πελάσειεν, ἐπὶ τὸ ∆υρράχιον ἐκ Βρεντησίου ὅλοις ἱστίοις ἀπενεχθῆναι ἐβουλεύσατο. Τὰ μήκη γὰρ τοῦ διαστήματος τῆς ὁδοῦ συνετέμνετο ἐπιστενουμένου τοῦ Ἀδριαντικοῦ πελάγους ἐκεῖθι. Οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ τὸν υἱὸν Ῥογέρην κατό πιν ἀπέλιπε, καθάπερ βεβούλητο πρότερον, Ἀπουληΐας αὐτὸν κεχειροτονηκὼς κύριον, ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως μετα δόξαν αὐτὸν πάλιν συνεφεπόμενον εἶχε. 1.16.2 Μεταξὺ δὲ τοῦ πρὸς τὸ ∆υρράχιον κατάπλου τήν τε Κορυφὼ πόλιν ὀχυρωτάτην καὶ ἄλλα τα ἡμέτερα φρούρια ἐξ ἀποστολῆς κατέσχε. Καὶ ὁμήρους ἔκ τε Λογγιβαρδίας καὶ Ἀπουληΐας ἀναλαβόμενος καὶ τὴν χώραν ἀργυρολογήσας ἅπασαν καὶ φορολογήσας