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of him, within the holy sanctuary they made them a work of the sword and mocked the emperor, because he had entrusted the rule of the Romans to insignificant little men.

76 And so, having come together with the sacred clergy and the patriarch, they deliberated as to who would be worthy for the administration of common affairs. At any rate, the Romans were asked, then the Latins, then the Scythians, and they all chose Michael Komnenos Palaiologos to be both guardian of the boy and administrator of common affairs. And in a short time they bound him with the despotic diadem, and after a little while he was raised to the imperial eminence.

77 Since Karyanites was one of the magnates, who had also voted for the murder of the Mouzalones, the emperor Michael, so that he would not cause any revolt, put him in prison. But he, having escaped, went to the lands of the Persians, but having been seized by the Turkomans, he was killed. And there was left among the illustrious men John Angelos the protostrator, who was in the west. The emperor, sending for him, wished to bring him, but on the way, having been wounded by an arrow, he died. For the emperor, having appointed his own brother megas domestikos and having handed the armies over to him, sent him to the west against the apostate Michael. But when he was proclaimed, he sent him to be sebastokrator. And with him were also Alexios Strategopoulos and the protovestiarios John Raoul. And he honored Strategopoulos as megas domestikos, and he honored his brother by another mother, Constantine, as caesar and sent him to the parts of Paphlagonia.

78 And there was joy as from a moonless night into light, or from a tempest into calm, or from winter into spring, or from a storm into stillness, or from sorrow into pleasure. But the Latins in the city and he who was reigning in it sent an embassy to the emperor, making a request from Thessaloniki, that he should give this to them and all the other land up to Constantinople. But the emperor answered them rather wittily, saying "in Thessaloniki my father died while ruling; therefore, as my fatherland, I wish to rule it." Having heard these things, the ambassadors felt their ears tingling and said, "concede to us from Serres itself." And he said, "There I first began to rule, and it is not right for me to abandon it." And they said, "And give us from Boleron the parts up to our territory." And he says, "many times have I hunted there, and it has not been judged worthy by me to give up this place." "What then do you give us?" the ambassadors replied. "I," he said, "nothing. But if you wish to receive peace from me, I am willing for the Latins in Constantinople to pay to the rule of the Romans a half share from the customs duties and from the gold-working likewise. If not, then let there be battle."

79 And to the apostate Michael he sent an embassy through Theodore Philes, offering many of the appropriate towns and regions. But he was harsh in his replies; for he was puffed up not only by his marriage-alliance with Manfred, king of Sicily, but also by that with William, prince of Achaia. And the emperor sent ambassadors to Manfred, king of Sicily, the son-in-law of the apostate, through Nikephoros Alyates, the epi tou kanikleiou, whom he even detained with him for nearly two years. And he sent an embassy to the prince of Achaia; but he also did not yield.

80 But having sent out his brother, the sebastokrator, against the apostate, he ordered him to make his march straight on, until he should encounter the army of the apostate. And the apostate was encamped in the region of Kastoria. But suddenly a shout came to him, that the Roman armies, having crossed the pass of Vodena, were advancing against them. And seized with terror, he departed, and many were harmed on the way. And Theodore Petraliphas, the brother-in-law of the apostate

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αὐτοῦ, ἐντὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ βήματος ξίφους ἔργον τούτους ἐποίησαν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἔσκωπτον, ὅτι ἀνδραρίοις οὐτιδανοῖς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἐνεπίστευσε.

76 Καὶ οὕτω συνελθόντες ἅμα τῷ ἱερῷ καταλόγῳ καὶ τῷ πατριάρχῃ σκέψιν ἔθεντο τὸ τίς ἂν εἴη ἄξιος περὶ τὴν τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων διοίκησιν. ἠρωτοῦντο γοῦν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, εἶτα Λατῖνοι, εἶτα Σκύθαι, καὶ πάντες τὸν Κομνηνὸν Μιχαὴλ τὸν Παλαιολόγον ἐπέλεγον καὶ τοῦ παιδὸς ἐπίτροπον εἶναι καὶ τῶν κοινῶν διοικητήν. καὶ ὡς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ταινίᾳ δεσποτικῇ αὐ τὸν ἀναδοῦσι, καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν εἰς βασίλειον ἀνήχθη περιωπήν.

77 Ἐπεὶ δ' ἀπὸ τῶν μεγιστάνων ὁ Καρυανίτης ἦν, ὃς καὶ φόνον κατεψηφίσατο τῶν Μουζαλώνων, τοῦτον ὁ βασι λεὺς Μιχαήλ, ἵνα μή τι νεωτερίσῃ, ἐν εἱρκτῇ ἔθετο. ὁ δὲ ἀποδρὰς περὶ τὰ τῶν Περσῶν ᾤχετο, κατασχεθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Τουρκομάνων πεφόνευται. ἐναπολέλειπτο δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν περιωνύμων ὁ Ἄγγελος Ἰωάννης ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ, ὃς κατὰ τὴν δυσμὴν ἦν. τοῦτον πέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤθελεν ἀγα γεῖν, καθ' ὁδὸν δὲ βέλει τρωθεὶς ἐτεθνήκει. ὁ γὰρ βασι λεὺς τὸν αὐτάδελφον αὐτοῦ μέγαν χειροτονήσας δομέστικον καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα παραδοὺς αὐτῷ εἰς δύσιν ἐκπέπομφε κατὰ τοῦ ἀποστάτου Μιχαήλ. ὡς δ' ἀνηγορεύθη, σεβαστο κράτορα εἶναι τοῦτον πέπομφε. συνῆν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Στρα τηγόπουλος Ἀλέξιος καὶ ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος Ῥαοὺλ Ἰωάννης.τετίμηκε δὲ καὶ τὸν Στρατηγόπουλον μέγαν δομέστικον, τὸν δὲ ἐξ ἑτέρας μητρὸς ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Κωνσταντῖνον καίσαρα τετίμηκε καὶ εἰς τὰ τῆς Παφλαγονίας ἔστειλε μέρη.

78 Καὶ ἦν χαρὰ ὡς ἐκ σκοτομήνης εἰς φέγγος ἢ ἐκ κλύδωνος εἰς γαλήνην ἢ ἐκ χειμῶνος εἰς ἔαρ ἢ ἐκ λαίλαπος εἰς νηνεμίαν ἢ ἐξ ἀνίας εἰς ἡδονήν. Οἱ δ' ἐν πόλει Λατῖνοι καὶ ὁ ἐν αὐτῇ βασιλεύων πρε σβείαν ἔστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης ποι ούμενοι ζήτησιν, ἵνα δοίη ταύτην αὐτοῖς καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄλλην χώραν ἕως Κωνσταντίνου. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀστειότερον πρὸς σφᾶς ἀπελογήσατο, ὡς «ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ ὁ ἐμὸς πατὴρ ἡγεμονεύων ἐτεθνήκει· ὡς οὖν πατρίδος θέλω ἄρχειν αὐ τῆς.» ταῦτ' ἀκηκοότες οἱ πρέσβεις ὑποκνηστιῶσαν ἔσχον τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ «παραχώρησον ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν Σερρῶν αὐτῶν» ἔφησαν. καὶ ὃς «ἐκεῖ πρῶτον ἡγεμονεύειν ἠρξάμην, καὶ οὐ χρεὼν ταύτην καταλιπεῖν με.» οἱ δὲ «καὶ δὸς ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ Βολεροῦ τὰ μέχρις ἡμῶν.» καὶ ὃς «πολλάκις» φησὶν «ἐκεῖσε ἐθήρευσα, καὶ οὔ μοι κέκριται ἄξιον ἀφεῖναι τοῦ τον τὸν χῶρον.» «τί οὖν ἡμῖν δίδως;» οἱ πρέσβεις ἀντ έφησαν. «ἐγὼ μὲν» ἔφη «οὐδέν. ἀλλ' εἴπερ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν θέλετε εἰρήνην, ἐθέλω τοὺς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου Λατί νους πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων τελεῖν ἀρχὴν μερίδα μὲν ἐκ τοῦ κομμερκίου ἡμίσειαν κἀκ τοῦ χρυσεψητείου ὡσαύτως. εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἔστω μάχη.»

79 Καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀποστάτην δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἐστείλατο πρε σβείαν διὰ τοῦ Φιλῆ Θεοδώρου, πολλὰ ὑπενδιδοὺς τῶν προσηκόντων ἄστεων καὶ χωρῶν. ἀλλ' ἦν πρὸς τὰς ἀπο κρίσεις σκληρός· ἐφύσα γὰρ αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον τὸ τῷ ῥηγὶ Σικελίας Μαφρὲ κῆδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ πρίγγιπι Ἀχαΐας τῷ Γουλιέρμῳ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα Σικελίας τὸν Μαφρὲ τὸν τοῦ ἀποστάτου γαμβρὸν πρέσβεις ἔστειλε διὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ κανικλείου Νικηφόρου τοῦ Ἀλυάτου, ὃν καὶ κατεῖχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐγγύς που δύο ἐτῶν. καὶ πρὸς τὸν πρίγγιπα Ἀχαΐας διεπρεσβεύσατο· ἀλλ' οὐδ' οὗτος εἶξε.

80 Τὸν δὲ ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν σεβαστοκράτορα κατὰ τοῦ ἀποστάτου ἐκπέμψας προσέταξε κατευθὺ τὴν πορείαν ποιή σασθαι, μέχρις ἂν τῷ τοῦ ἀποστάτου ἐντύχοι στρατεύματι. ὁ δὲ ἀποστάτης περὶ τὰ τῆς Καστορίας μέρη ἐστρατοπέδευεν. ἄφνω δ' ἐπῆλθε τούτῳ βοή, ὡς τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ στρατεύματα τὰ τῶν Βοδηνῶν τέμπη διαβάντα κατ' αὐτῶν χωροῦσι. καὶ πτοίᾳ ληφθεὶς ᾤχετο, πολλοὶ δὲ καθ' ὁδὸν ἐσίνοντο. καὶ ὁ Πετραλίφας δὲ Θεόδωρος, ὁ αὐτοκασίγνητος τῆς τοῦ ἀποστάτου