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and honored Nicephorus as despot. But a report came to him, that Palaeologus Michael the grand constable, who administered Bithynia, had gone as a fugitive to the territory of the Muslims, and the emperor was disturbed at these things.

65 But when Palaeologus arrived at the homes of the Turcomans, they, having encountered him as a godsend, plundered his possessions. But he, having with difficulty escaped naked, arrived at the court of the Persian commander. And he gladly received him, and letters were sent, so that the things plundered from him might be brought back to him. But when the Tacharians plundered the greater part of the Muslim lands and encamped around Axara, Comnenus Michael, having taken command of the Roman armies and having been restored by divine grace, set out for battle, and he defeated the Tacharians, being the first to strike their leader. And a certain amirachures, taking the army under him, rushed against the Tacharians, and thereupon the pursuers fled. Indeed, many Persians fell. So the victors made the pursuit over long distances. Comnenus Michael, therefore, having thus met with the greatest general of the Persian armies, whom the Persians are accustomed to call peklarpakes, went with him along the road, and they journeyed for several days with the enemy following. But since the house of the so-called peklarpakes was around Kastamon, they arrived there. And the race of the Tacharians overran the entire country under the Muslims.

66 But when the emperor Theodore learned of what had happened, he hastened to return to the east, and having left in Thessalonica and the western parts for their defense his maternal uncle Lascaris Michael with a small army, numbered at about three hundred, and for Prilep and the armies around it the man he had as scutarius, named Xyleas, and for Velesos and its environs Kalampakes Theodore, whom they also called tatas of the court, and Chabraron Constantine for the command of Albanon, and myself to be in charge of all.

67-68 And having passed through the lands of Chunavia and the mountain Kake Petra, Mates, Debre, Kytzabis, I was brought to Prilep. Then I occupied Albania; I came to Achrida, Prespa, Siderokastron, and attended to Prilep.

69 And the emperor, having crossed the Hellespont with all speed, proceeded to the regions of Lydia and pitched his tents around Sardis. And the sultan, having left his own country, came as a fugitive to the emperor. And he welcomed him with gifts and caused him to return to his own land, giving him also an army of four hundred picked men, setting over them as commander Isaac Ducas Murtzuphlus. And the Persian commander granted the city of Laodicea to the emperor; but it was in Roman hands for only a short time. The sultan, therefore, since he was not strong enough to resist the Tacharians, came to terms with them under tribute, by which they are tributary to this day. And Michael Palaeologus, having received an oath from the emperor, returned to him.

70 And he sent him with an army against the apostate Michael. And he, having crossed the Vardarius, which the ancients call Naxeion, and having united with Lascaris Michael, plundered Berroia. But the Serbs, having passed by Kytzabis, were plundering the environs of Prilep. But the scutarius, having engaged them in a disorderly fashion, was defeated.

71 And the apostate Michael, having sent out an army, setting over them as general his bastard son Theodore, in an instant routed those who were there. Having learned this, Palaeologus Michael rushed against them, and having clashed with the general of the apostate, the bastard Theodore, he threw him from his horse and accepted him as a suppliant begging not to be killed.

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καὶ δεσπότην τὸν Νικηφόρον τετίμηκεν. ἧκε δ' αὐτῷ γραφή, ὡς ὁ Παλαιολόγος Μιχαὴλ ὁ μέγας κονοστάβλος τὴν Βιθυνίαν διέπων φυγὰς ᾤχετο περὶ τὴν τῶν Μουσουλμάνων, καὶ ἐταράχθη ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ βασιλεύς.

65 Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ Παλαιολόγος ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν Τουρ κομάνων ἀφίκετο, τούτῳ ὡς ἑρμαίῳ ἐντυχόντες τὰ αὐτοῦ διηρπάκασιν. οὗτος δὲ μόγις διεκφυγὼν γυμνὸς περὶ τὸν περσάρχην ἀφίκετο. ὁ δὲ ἀσμένως τοῦτον προσήκατο, καὶ γραφαὶ στέλλονται, ἵνα τὰ ἐσκυλευμένα ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐπικομι σθεῖεν αὐτῷ. ἐπεὶ δ' οἱ Ταχάριοι τὰ πλείω τῶν Μουσουλ μάνων ἐληΐζοντο καὶ περὶ τὰ Ἄξαρα ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, ὁ Κομνηνὸς Μιχαὴλ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν εἰληφὼς στρατιῶν καὶ χάριτι θείᾳ ἀναρρωσθεὶς πρὸς μάχην ἐξώρ μησε, καὶ τοὺς Ταχαρίους νενίκηκε, πρῶτος τὸν πρῶτον τούτων βαλών. καί τις ἀμηραχούρης τὸ ὑπ' αὐτὸν συλλα βὼν στράτευμα τοῖς Ταχαρίοις προσώρμησε, κἀντεῦθεν οἱ διώκοντες ἔφευγον. ἔπιπτον γοῦν Πέρσαι συχνοί. μέχρι μὲν οὖν μακρῶν διαστημάτων τὴν δίωξιν οἱ νενικηκότες πεποίηνται. ὁ γοῦν Κομνηνὸς Μιχαὴλ συμβὰν οὕτω τῷ μεγίστῳ στρατοπεδάρχῃ τῶν Περσικῶν στρατευμάτων, ὃν πεκλάρπακιν οἴδασι Πέρσαι καλεῖν, ξυνῄει κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πλείους ἡμέρας ἐφεπομένων τῶν πολεμίων. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ τοῦ λεγομένου πεκλάρπακι οἰκία περὶ τὴν Καστά μοναν ἦν, ἐκεῖσε ἐγεγόνεισαν. τὸ δὲ τῶν Ταχαρίων γένος πᾶσαν τὴν ὑπὸ τοὺς Μουσουλμάνους κατέδραμε χώραν.

66 Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Θεόδωρος ἐπεὶ περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων ἐπύθετο, ἔσπευσε πρὸς τὴν ἕω παλινοστῆσαι, καὶ ἀφεὶς ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ δυσμὴν μέρεσιν εἰς φύλαξιν τὸν πρὸς πάππου θεῖον αὐτοῦ τὸν Λάσκαριν Μιχαὴλ μετὰ μικροῦ στρατεύματος, ὅσον εἰς τριακοσίους ἠριθμημένου, τοῦ δὲ Πριλάπου καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν στρατευμάτων τὸν ὃν εἶχε σκουτέριον Ξυλέαν ὠνομασμένον, εἰς δὲ τὸν Βελεσσὸν καὶ τὰ περὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Καλαμπάκην Θεόδωρον, ὃν καὶ τατᾶν τῆς αὐλῆς κατωνόμαζον, τὸν δὲ Χαβάρωνα Κωνσταντῖνον εἰς ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ Ἀλβάνου, ἐμὲ δὲ πάντων προΐστασθαι.

67-68 Καὶ διελθὼν τὰ τῆς Χουναβίας καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὴν Κακὴν Πέτραν, τὴν Μάτην, τὴν ∆έβρην, τὴν Κύτζαβιν, εἰς Πρίλαπον ἤχθην. εἶτα τὴν Ἀλβανίαν κατέλαβον· ἦλθον εἰς Ἀχρίδαν, τὴν Πρέσπαν, τὸ Σιδηρόκαστρον, καὶ τῷ Πρι λάπῳ προσέσχον.

69 Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διαπεραιωθεὶς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἐπὶ τοὺς τῆς Λυδίας τόπους κεχώρηκε καὶ περὶ τὰς Σάρδεις τὰς σκηνὰς ἔπηξεν. ὁ δὲ σουλτάνος τὴν αὐτοῦ χώραν καταλιπὼν φυγὰς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀφίκετο. ὁ δὲ δώροις τοῦτον ἐδεξιώσατο καὶ πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπαναζεῦξαι πεποίηκε, δοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ στρατὸν τετρακοσίων ἐπιλέκτων, στήσας αὐτοῖς ἡγεμόνα Ἰσαάκιον ∆ούκαν τὸν Μούρτζουφλον. ὁ δὲ περσάρχης τὸ ἄστυ τῆς Λαοδικείας τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐχαρί σατο· ἀλλ' ἐπ' ὀλίγον ἦν Ῥωμαίων. ὁ μὲν οὖν σουλτάνος, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐξίσχυε τοῖς Ταχαρίοις ἀνθίστασθαι, εἰς ξυμβάσεις αὐτοῖς συνῆλθεν ὑπὸ τέλει φόρων, ἐξ οὗ ἕως νῦν φορολο γοῦνται. ὁ δὲ Μιχαὴλ ὁ Παλαιολόγος ὅρκον πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως λαβὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπανέζευξε.

70 Καὶ στέλλει τοῦτον κατὰ τοῦ ἀποστάτου Μιχαὴλ μετὰ στρατεύματος. ὁ δὲ διαβὰς τὸν Βαρδάριον, ὃν οἱ παλαιοὶ Να ξειὸν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ τῷ Λάσκαρι Μιχαὴλ ἑνωθεὶς τὴν Βέρ ροιαν ἐληΐσαντο. οἱ δὲ Σέρβοι τὴν Κύτζαβιν παραμείψαντες τὰ πέριξ Πριλάπου ἐσκύλευον. ὁ δὲ σκουτέρης ἐμπλακεὶς τούτοις ἀσυντάκτως ἥττηται.

71 Καὶ ὁ ἀποστάτης Μιχαὴλ στρατιὰν ἐκπέμψας, στρατηγὸν ἐπιστήσας αὐτοῖς τὸν νόθον υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Θεόδωρον, τοὺς ὄντας ἐκεῖσε ἐν ἀκαρεὶ ἐτρέψατο. ὃ γνοὺς ὁ Παλαιολόγος Μιχαὴλ κατ' αὐτῶν ὁρμᾷ, καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ τοῦ ἀποστάτου νόθῳ Θεοδώρῳ συρρήξας βάλλει τοῦτον τοῦ ἵππου καὶ ἱκέτην ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ θανεῖν δέχεται.