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And chosen men followed the emperor, Demetrios Tornikes, who administered public affairs and mediated in cases, Andronikos Palaiologos, who was girded with the power of grand domestic, directing the affairs of the armies, and several others appointed as commanders, both Alexios Raoul being protovestiarios, Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes, the epi tes trapezes, Kontostephanos who held the rank of protosebastos, Petraliphas named megas chartoularios, and not a few others of the distinguished men. So the emperor John, sitting by, did whatever was necessary to do against the city. But those inside did not shrink from acting, but they too, going out from the gates, made sorties against the emperor's men. Not many days passed, and the nation of the Tachars, having advanced against the Muslims and joined battle against them, was victorious. And the news reaches the emperor, reported by his son the emperor Theodore; for he had left him to stay in the region of Pegai, leaving with him also John Mouzalon, who was a mystikos when he was ranked among the laymen, but at that time was a monk, a man of sharp mind and energetic, and more distinguished than others in imperial affairs, and Michael Libadarios, who was megas hetaireiarches. So when the emperor learned of the news, having ordered those who knew to keep silent and to share it with no one, he proceeds to negotiations with the John inside, taking as envoy in these matters John's father, Theodore Angelos. So when forty days were completed, the treaties were made and the oaths were sworn; for he put off the red sandals and the pearl-adorned pyramid, upon which a red stone is also set, these being imperial symbols, and he was honored by the emperor with the despotic rank, and appeared loyal to the emperor. Having accomplished these things, the emperor returns to the east, leaving the emperor a despot and a subordinate, having bound him with the customary oaths and welcomed him with fitting gifts and treated with kindness all those under him with money. And he had left with him also his father Theodore.

41 So the emperor John had reached the east. Then having passed the winter season at Nymphaion, as was his custom, he departed from there and went towards Lampsakos; and having spent the summer and the autumn season there, when winter began, he moved from that place and proceeded to the region of Pegai. And he experienced a very great winter on the way, which began when the emperor encamped at Sigrene; and for two days he suffered from its severity and the most violent fall of snow, until he arrived at the city of Pegai. Indeed, many men and women had died on the way; indeed, up to three hundred, as those who counted them said, were buried by the snow, unable to withstand the force of the wind. Indeed, no one of those who saw it said they knew such a winter to have ever occurred. At that time the month of December was on its eighteenth day, and the year was, I think, the sixty-seven hundred and forty-first. So the emperor, having spent some days in the city of Pegai, until the worst of the winter should abate, departing from there went away to Nymphaion, and was there until the dawning of spring. So when, as we have said, the army of the Muslims was destroyed by the Tachars, and a sultan ruled them, whose name was Iathatines, son of the sultan Azatines, a bad ruler sprung from a good one; for he delighted in drinking-bouts and licentiousness and strange and unnatural unions, and was always in the company of wretched men who knew neither reason nor human nature at all. But his father was not such a man, but was overcome, though not greatly, by licentiousness; for which reason he also commanded better than his predecessors and was on friendly terms with the emperor. But this one, in the things he delighted, indulged in them to satiety. he had expe

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ἔγκριτοι δὲ τῷ βα σιλεῖ παρείποντο ἄνδρες, ὁ Τορνίκης ∆ημήτριος, τὰ κοινὰ διέπων καὶ μεσιτεύων ταῖς ὑποθέσεσιν, Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ Παλαιο λόγος, ὃς τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου περιεζώννυτο δύνα μιν, τὰ τῶν στρατευμάτων διεξάγων πράγματα, καὶ ἄλλοι πλείους εἰς ἡγεμόνας ἀποτεταγμένοι, ὅ τε Ῥαοὺλ Ἀλέξιος πρωτοβεστιάριος ὤν, ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης Νικηφόρος ὁ Ταρ χανειώτης, ὁ Κοντοστέφανος ὁ τὴν πρωτοσεβαστοῦ ἔχων ἀξίαν, ὁ Πετραλίφας μέγας χαρτουλάριος ὠνομασμένος, καὶ ἄλλοι τῶν ἐπιφανῶν οὐκ ὀλίγοι. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης παρακαθήμενος ὅσα ἦν εἰκὸς ποιεῖν ἐποίει κατὰ τῆς πόλεως. οἱ δὲ ἐντὸς οὐκ ἀπώκνουν ἐργάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτοι ἐκδρομὰς τῶν πυλῶν ἐξιόντες κατὰ τῶν τοῦ βασι λέως ἐποίουν. οὐ συχναὶ παρῆλθον ἡμέραι, καὶ τὸ τῶν Ταχαρίων ἔθνος κατὰ τῶν Μουσουλμάνων χωρῆσαν καὶ πόλεμον κατ' αὐτῶν συρρῆξαν νενίκηκε. καὶ ὁ λόγος φθά νει πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, διαμηνυθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ υἱέος αὐτοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδώρου· τοῦτον γὰρ καταλελοίπει περὶ τὰ μέρη τῶν Πηγῶν διατρίβειν, ἀφεὶς μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν Μουζάλωνα Ἰωάννην, μυστικὸν μὲν ὄντα ὅτε τοῖς κοσμικοῖς συνετάττετο, τότε δὲ μοναχὸς ἦν, ἀνὴρ ὀξύνους καὶ δραστή ριος καὶ βασιλικοῖς τῶν ἄλλων πλέον ἐμπρέπων πράγμασι, καὶ τὸν Λιβαδάριον Μιχαήλ, μέγαν ἑταιρειάρχην ὄντα. ὡς γοῦν τῆς φήμης ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾔσθετο, σιωπὴν παραγγεί λας τοὺς εἰδότας ἄγειν καὶ μηδενὶ περὶ τούτου κοινωνεῖν, εἰς συμβιβάσεις μετὰ τοῦ ἐντὸς Ἰωάννου χωρεῖ, πρέσβιν ἐν τούτοις λαβὼν τὸν Ἰωάννου πατέρα τὸν Ἄγγελον Θεόδωρον. πληρουμένων γοῦν ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἐγένοντο αἱ σπον δαὶ καὶ οἱ ὅρκοι προέβησαν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐρυθρὰ πέδιλα ἀπεβάλλετο καὶ τὴν περιμάργαρον πυραμίδα, εἰς ἣν καὶ λί θος ὑπερκάθηται κόκκινος, βασιλικὰ ταῦτα σύμβολα, τετίμη ται δὲ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως τῷ δεσποτικῷ ἀξιώματι, καὶ εὔνους ἀνεφάνη τῷ βασιλεῖ. ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ὁ βασι λεὺς παλινοστεῖ πρὸς τὴν ἕω, καταλιπὼν δεσπότην τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ὑποχείριον, ὅρκοις συνδήσας τοῖς εἰωθόσι καὶ δώροις εἰκόσι δεξιωσάμενος καὶ πάντας τοὺς ὑπ' ἐκεῖνον φιλοφρονησάμενος χρήμασι. καταλελοίπει δὲ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν πατέρα τούτου Θεόδωρον.

41 Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης κατειλήφει τὴν ἕω. τὴν γοῦν χειμερινὴν τότε παραμείψας ὥραν ἐν τῷ Νυμφαίῳ, ὡς ἔθος ἦν αὐτῷ, ἀπάρας ἐκεῖθεν περὶ τὴν Λάμψακον ᾔει· κἀκεῖσε τὸ θέρος διαβιβάσας καὶ τὴν τῆς ὀπώρας ὥραν, ἐπεὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἤρξατο, τοῦ χώρου μεταβὰς περὶ τὰ τῶν Πηγῶν ἐχώρει μέρη. μεγίστου δὲ χειμῶνος πεπείραται καθ' ὁδόν, ἀρξαμένου μὲν ἐπὰν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν Σιγρη νὴν ἐσκήνωσεν· ἡμέρας δύο δὲ τῇ δριμύτητι τούτου καὶ τῇ σφοδροτάτῃ φορᾷ τῆς χιόνος τεταλαιπώρηκε, μέχρις ἂν κατηντήκει ἐς τὸ τῶν Πηγῶν ἄστυ. πολλοὶ γοῦν καθ' ὁδὸν ἐτεθνήκεισαν καὶ πολλαί· μέχρι γοῦν τριακοσίων, ὡς οἱ ἀριθμήσαντες ἔφασκον, ὑπὸ τῆς χιόνος κατεχώσθησαν, μὴ δυνάμενοι ἀντωπῆσαι τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος φορᾷ. οὐδεὶς γοῦν τῶν ἰδόντων ἔλεγε γινώσκειν γεγενῆσθαί ποτε τοιοῦ τον χειμῶνα. ἦγε δὲ τῷ τότε ὀκτωκαιδεκάτην μὴν ὁ ∆εκέβριος, ἔτος δὲ ἦν ἐπὶ τῷ ἑξακισχιλιοστῷ καὶ ἑπτακοσι οστῷ τὸ τεσσαρακοστὸν οἶμαι πρῶτον. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ τῶν Πηγῶν ἄστει διημερεύσας, μέχρις ἂν τὸ πολὺ τοῦ χειμῶνος λωφήσῃ, ἐξιὼν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὸ Νύμφαιον ἀπῄει, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖσε μέχρι καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἔαρος ἐπιλάμψεως. Ἐπεὶ γοῦν, ὡς εἰρήκειμεν, ἡ τῶν Μουσουλμάνων παρὰ τῶν Ταχαρίων καταλέλυται στρατιά, σουλτὰν δὲ ἦρχεν αὐτῶν, οὗ κλῆσις Ἰαθατίνης, υἱὸς τοῦ σουλτὰν Ἀζατίνη, φαῦλος ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ ἀρχὸς γεγονώς· πότοις γὰρ ἔχαιρε καὶ ἀσελγείαις καὶ κοίταις ἀλλοκότοις τε καὶ ἀτόποις, καὶ συνῆν ἀεὶ ἀν θρωπίσκοις οὐκέτι λόγον εἰδόσιν οὐδ' ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν τὸ σύνολον. ὁ πατὴρ δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ τοιοῦτος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἡττᾶτο μέν, οὐ σφόδρα δέ, τῶν ἀσελγειῶν· διὸ καὶ βέλτιον τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἐστρατήγει καὶ φιλίως πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα διέκειτο. ἀλλ' οὗτος, οἷς ἔχαιρε, πλησμίως τούτων ἀπώνατο. πεπεί