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openly, the one as if it were a necessity, for them to survive, the other sent secretly by night, and undermining and seeking the greater thing, as if it were thus sufficient for him, if he were to be co-emperor with the emperor. For he put forward the dangers and fears hanging over him and brought up the case of the Mouzalons, saying that they too had perished thus out of envy, and he pointed out the terror of suspicion, as if he would be in danger at once, if he did not pay heed. But he who has been entrusted to guard another, being on guard against many himself, will not have constant application for the one being guarded, fearing mostly for himself; for it is more permissible for anyone than for a guard to be in need of a guard.

29. How Palaiologos, by winning over the many, demanded through them also the greatest thing. Putting forward these and such things, he was insistent and demanding the greater thing as well. Of course, also those whom he held in suspicion, both being discontented with the present and being likely to oppose him in the future, having taken strength from this and holding the greatest power, he removed from the way, some withdrawing voluntarily and living by themselves, and others he himself imprisoned, so that some were elsewhere, and he sent Tzamantouros to Prousa and placed a guard on him as if on a condemned man. But those who were attached to him also had very good hopes and freely cooperated as much as possible. And the other of his brothers, John, with the dignity of megas domestikos, supposedly given by the emperor, he made conspicuous and very powerful in affairs of state. Then indeed, inflamed by even greater hopes, going before the patriarch and the synod, they said they would not desist, unless the despotes should also take hold of the greater thing; for he was the only one after the emperor by birth worthy to rule and with him, and that things being so they needed a full emperor, for whatever he might do. Therefore, to await the coming of age of the minor, lest someone in need of guardianship should be removed from the scene before the one who would benefit 115 him should reach full age. And for the guardian in charge of affairs not to act as emperor, lest the favor be uncertain and unstable. The officials said these things and persuaded the patriarch, who was softening; for neither did he neglect his duties and those things by which the holy assembly might be softened. Therefore, the day of the proclamation was set, the first of Hekatombaion of the then current second indiction.

30. How the despotes in the West, Michael, was incited by the state of affairs. Meanwhile, also the despotes in the West, Michael, the nephew of Theodore who had previously reigned there, having heard how things were in the East and that, Laskaris being out of the way, his son John was a mere boy, and the empire of the Romans lay as plunder for anyone who wanted it, raised his thoughts to his uncle Theodore, how he too, being of noble birth and first among the nobles, when that first confusion befell the Romans, took it upon himself and, having proven his valor in very many wars against the Italians, had taken hold of the empire, having been crowned by Jacob of Achrida, and having taken the western regions from the Italians, he acquired them, appearing great in affairs of state, until, having encountered a sinister fate and being captured by Asan, he was deprived of his eyes. Michael, therefore, taking these things to mind and becoming boastful since affairs were in a weak state, since also the Italian power in the city was weak in its own affairs, he formed a plan that was exceedingly bold and worthy of his noble birth. And the plan was this: having gathered as many forces as possible and having approached the city, 117 to lay siege to it and try to capture it, and thus be proclaimed emperor of the Romans; for there was nothing against him, neither Laskaris nor any other whatsoever sufficient for the empire, since he was of noble birth and of the Angeloi. And indeed, since he had as sons-in-law both Mafre, the king of Apulia, who was also the brother of the despoina of the Romans, Anna, whom the emperor John had married in his old age ... So he had him for his daughter

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φανερῶς, τὸ μὲν ὡς ἀνάγκης οὔσης, ἐφ' ᾧ διαζῆν ἐκείνους, τὸ δὲ κρύβδην νυκτὸς πεμπομένων, καὶ τὸ μεῖζον ὑπορύττοντος καὶ ζητοῦντος, ὡς οὕτως αὔταρκες ὂν ἐκείνῳ, εἰ συμβασιλεύοι τῷ βασιλεῖ. Προὐβάλλετο γὰρ κινδύνους καὶ φόβους ἐπηρτημένους αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ τῶν Μουζαλώνων εἰσῆγεν, ὡς κἀκείνων οὕτως ἀπολωλότων ἐκ φθόνου, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑποψίας δεινὸν ὑπεδείκνυ, ὡς αὐτίκα κινδυνεύσων, εἰ μὴ προσέχοι. Ὁ δὲ φυλάττειν ἄλλον ἐπιτραπείς, αὐτὸς πολλοὺς φυλαττόμενος, οὐκ ἔμμονον ἕξει τῷ φυλαττομένῳ τὴν ἀσχολίαν, περὶ ἑαυτῷ δεδοικὼς τὰ πλεῖστα· παντὶ δ' ἐγχωρεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ φύλακι δεῖσθαι φύλακος.

κθʹ. Ὅπως ὑποποιούμενος ὁ Παλαιολόγος τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀπῄτει δι' αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ μέγιστον. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα προτείνων, πολὺς ἦν καὶ τὸ μεῖζον προσαπαιτῶν. Ἀμέλει τοι καὶ ὅσοις ὑπόπτως εἶχε καὶ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν δυσχεραίνοντας καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον προσστησομένους, ἰσχὺν ἐντεῦθεν λαβὼν καὶ κράτος ἔχων τὸ μέγιστον, ἐκποδὼν ἐποίει, τοὺς μὲν ἑκουσίους ὑποχωροῦντας καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς διάγοντας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς καθειργνύς, ὡς ἄλλους μὲν ἀλλαχοῦ, τὸν δὲ Τζαμάντουρον εἰς Προῦσαν ἐξαποστεῖλαι καί οἱ φυλακὴν ὡς κατακρίτῳ ἐγκαταστῆσαι. Οἱ δέ γε προσκείμενοι τούτῳ καὶ λίαν ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἦσαν χρησταῖς καὶ ἀνέδην συνήργουν ἐς ὅτι μάλιστα. Θάτερον δὲ τῶν ἀδελφῶν Ἰωάννην τῷ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἀξιώματι, τοῦ βασιλέως διδόντος δῆθεν, περιφανῆ καθίστα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μέγα δυνάμενον. Τότε τοίνυν καὶ μείζοσι θερμανθέντες ἐλπίσι, παρὰ τὸν πατριάρχην γενό μενοι καὶ τὴν σύνοδον, οὐκ ἀνήσειν ἔφασκον, εἰ μή γ' ὁ δεσπότης καὶ τοῦ μείζονος ἐπιλήψαιτο· αὐτὸν γὰρ εἶναι καὶ μόνον τὸν μετὰ τὸν ἐκ γένους βασιλέα ἄξιον ἄρχειν καὶ σὺν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ δεῖν οὕτως ἔχουσι βασιλέως ἐντελοῦς, ἐς ὅ τι καὶ πράξοι. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀναμένειν τὴν τοῦ ἀφήλικος ἡλικίαν, μὴ καὶ φθάσῃ τις κηδεμονίας δεόμενος ἐκποδὼν γεγονὼς πρὶν ἢ ὁ εὖ δράσων 115 ἐκεῖνον τελείαν λάβῃ τὴν ἡλικίαν. Τὸ δ' ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ὄντα τὸν κηδεμόνα μὴ ὡς βασιλέα πράττειν, μὴ καὶ ἀβέβαιος ἡ χάρις καὶ ἄστατος ᾖ. Ταῦτ' ἔλεγον οἱ ἐν τέλει καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην μαλακιζόμενον ἔπειθον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἠμέλει τῶν καθηκόντων καὶ οἷς ὁ ἱερὸς μαλάσσοιτο σύλλογος. Ὥριστο μὲν οὖν ἡ ἡμέρα τῆς ἀναρρήσεως, ἑκατομβαιῶνος νουμηνία τῆς τότε τρεχούσης δευτέρας ἐπινεμήσεως.

λʹ. Ὅπως ὁ ἐν τῇ δύσει δεσπότης Μιχαὴλ κατεπήρθη τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν τῇ δύσει δεσπότης Μιχαήλ, τοῦ προβεβασι λευκότος ἐκεῖσε Θεοδώρου ἀνεψιός, ἀκούσας τὰ κατ' ἀνατολὴν ὡς εἶχον καὶ ὅτι, ἐκποδὼν γεγονότος τοῦ Λάσκαρι, ἐν μειρακυλλίοις μὲν ὁ ἐξ ἐκείνου Ἰωάννης τελεῖ, εἰς προνομὴν δὲ ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλεία κεῖται τῷ βουλομένῳ, ἀνάγει τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὸν θεῖον Θεόδωρον, ὅπως κἀκεῖνος, εὐγενὴς ὢν καὶ τὰ πρῶτα τῶν εὐγενῶν, τῆς πρώτης ἐκείνης συγχύσεως ξυμπεσούσης Ῥωμαίοις, ἑαυτὸν ἀναλαμβάνει καί, πλείστοις ὅσοις τοῖς κατ' Ἰταλῶν πολέμοις ἐνανδραγαθήσας, τῆς βασιλείας ἐπείληπτο, στεφθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ Ἀχριδῶν Ἰακώβου, καὶ τὰ κατὰ δύσιν τοὺς Ἰταλοὺς ἀφελόμενοςπροσεκτήσατο, μέγας ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων φανείς, μέχρι καί, μοίρᾳ λαιᾷ προσκρούσας καὶ κατασχεθεὶς τῷ Ἀσάν, ἀφῃρέθη τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ὁ Μιχαὴλ ἐν νῷ θέμενος καὶ καταλαζονευθεὶς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀρρώστως ἐχόντων, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ κατὰ πόλιν Ἰταλικὸν ἠσθένει τοῖς καθ' αὑτὸ πράγμασι, βουλὴν βουλεύεται ὡς λίαν νεανικὴν καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ εὐγενείας ἀξίαν. Ἡ δὲ βουλή· πλείστας ὅσας συναθροίσας δυνάμεις καὶ τῇ πόλει 117 προσσχών, περικαθίσαι καὶ πειραθῆναι κατασχεῖν, καὶ οὕτως βασιλεὺς ἀναγορευθῆναι Ῥωμαίων· μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι πρὸς αὐτὸν μηδὲν μήτε Λάσκαριν μήτ' ἄλλον ὁντιναοῦν αὐτάρκη πρὸς βασιλείαν, εὐγενῆ γε ὄντα καὶ τῶν Ἀγγέλων. Καὶ δὴ ἐπεὶ γαμβροὺς ἐπὶ θυγατράσιν εἶχε τόν τε ῥῆγα Πουλείας Μαφρέ, τὸν καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης τῶν Ῥωμαίων Ἄννης αὐτάδελφον, ᾗ πρὸς τῷ γήρᾳ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης ἡρμόσατο ... Εἶχε μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνον ἐπὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ