29

having spent time there, he ended his life there; for which reason I am ill-disposed even to the mere memory of the Peloponnese, since my mother also often related many things to me, how it would not be pleasing to her for me to rule that land, which had made me an orphan of such a father. For these reasons I ask to obtain pardon for not wishing to go there.” But this was an excuse, not the true reason for his refusing the governorship of the Peloponnese. Hearing these things, the emperor, and gently mocking him, as one who had used words not of a sensible man, nor feared a fear becoming of men, dreading the place on account of his father's death, again sent word back through the same man, saying, “It would have been better to carry out at once what was commanded, without any contradiction. But since you have some pretext in the Peloponnese, not a necessary one, but still, it exists, you are released from that duty, but I command you to go to Thessaly and to govern it, as the neighboring Catalans are attacking it and pressing it hard, 1.86 and for this reason it is in need of assistance and of a formidable and prudent general.” At this, the grand domestic, having nothing to say in opposition, supposedly accepted the governorship entrusted to him; however, seizing upon the emperor's statement as some kind of godsend, that the land of the Thessalians was being hard pressed by the Catalans and for this reason needed a strong hand for its assistance, he sent word back again, that he would indeed go to Thessaly as he had been commanded, but that it was necessary for him, having considered what he thought would be advantageous both for the defense against the enemy and for the security of the province, to ask for these things from the emperor and receive them; having this in mind, that either the emperor, growing dizzy at the difficulty of the requests, would refrain from sending him there, or, at the very least, as much time would be spent on the preparation, it would be possible to meet with the young emperor and deliberate together about what must be done, since matters were being pushed into such a tight corner. And when the elder emperor bade him ask for what he wanted, and the grand domestic had indicated to the emperor in a letter what he needed, and these were a formidable army and money sufficient for the sustenance of the soldiers, the emperor did not refuse a single one of the requests, but straightway ordered everything to be brought to completion. But as the emperor was hastening the departure for the grand domestic and not allowing him even to catch his breath, the one promised to depart after the fifth day; and this was the second day of what is called among us the Great Week; and the emperor, being satisfied, kept quiet. And on the same day an order arrived from the 1.87 emperor for the protostrator to depart again to the province of Prilepos, which he had also previously governed, to be its governor. And he, having promised to fulfill the emperor's order, and having been asked for a deadline for his departure, promised the sixth day of the same Great Week. Such things then they both said and promised to the elder of the emperors. 18. But having come together to the same place with the young one, and having related all that had happened, it seemed best no longer to wait, but having made preparations to depart from Byzantium. They also wrote to Syrgiannes, that he should make preparations with the army under his command to be found staying near Byzantium on the feast of Easter; for at that time it had been decided for them also to depart. These men, therefore, were preparing for their departure. But when the Monday of Great Week arrived, on which the grand domestic had promised to depart from the city, he was being compelled by those appointed for this purpose to fulfill his promise; but he, fabricating some reasons, postponed the departure. On the following day, he was instructed by the emperor to depart as quickly as possible; but he answered that he could not do so before the money was given to him, which he would use both for the pay of the army and for the garrisons of the towns in Thessaly. For if this were done, there would be no further delay for him to be seen outside the walls of Byzantium on the following day. The money, therefore, when the emperor ordered it, was provided on the same day by those in charge of the imperial 1.88 monies

29

ἐνδιατρίψας, τὸν βίον ἐτελεύτησεν ἐκεῖ· οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ πρὸς τὴν μνήμην μόνην ἀηδῶς διάκειμαι Πελοποννήσου, πολλὰ καὶ τῆς μητρὸς πολλάκις πρὸς ἐμὲ διειλεγμένης, ὡς οὐκ ἂν αὐτῇ γένοιτο καθ' ἡδονὴν ἐμὲ τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης, ἣ τοιούτου πατρὸς ἀπέδειξεν ὀρφανὸν, ἄρξαι. διὰ ταῦτα συγγνώμης αἰτῶ τυχεῖν, ἐκεῖ μὴ βουλόμενος ἀπελθεῖν.» τοῦτο δ' ἦν σκῆψις, οὐκ ἀληθὴς αἰτία τοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς Πέλοπος διωθεῖσθαι. τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πράως εἰς αὐτὸν ἀποσκώψας, ὡς οὐκ ἀνδρὸς συνετοῦ κεχρημένον λόγοις, οὐδ' ἀνδράσι πρέποντα φόβον πεφοβημένον, διὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτὴν τὸ χωρίον ὀῤῥωδοῦντα, διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἀντιμηνύει, ὡς, «ἦν μὲν ἂν βέλτιον μηδὲν ἀντιλέγοντα, τὸ προσταττόμενον εὐθὺς ἐκπληροῦν. ἐπεὶ δ' ἔστι σοί τις πρόφασις ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ, οὐκ ἀναγκαία μὲν, ἔστι δ' οὖν ὅμως, ἐκείνης μὲν ἀφείθης τῆς λειτουργίας, πρὸς Θετταλίαν δὲ ἀπελθεῖν ἐπιτάττω καὶ ταύτης ἐπιτροπεῦσαι, τῶν προσοίκων Κατελάνων ἐπικειμένων αὐτῇ καὶ δεινῶς πιεζόντων, 1.86 καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δεομένην ἐπικουρίας καὶ δεινοῦ καὶ σώφρονος στρατηγοῦ.» ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ μέγας δομέστικος οὐδὲν ἀντιλέγειν ἔχων, ὑπεδέξατο μὲν δῆθεν τὴν ἐγχειριζομένην ἀρχήν· πλὴν ὡς ἑρμαίου τινὸς λαβόμενος τοῦ λόγου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι δὴ παρὰ Κατελάνων ἡ Θετταλῶν πιέζοιτο, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συχνῆς πρὸς ἐπικουρίαν δεῖται χειρὸς, πάλιν ἀντεμήνυσεν, ὡς πρὸς Θετταλίαν μὲν ἀπελεύσεται καθὰ προσετάχθη, δέον δὲ σκεψάμενον ἃ λυσιτελεῖν νομίζοι καὶ πρὸς ἄμυναν τῶν πολεμίων καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ἀρχῆς, ταῦτ' αἰτήσαντα παρὰ βασιλέως λαβεῖν· τοῦτο θέμενος ἐπὶ νοῦν, ὡς ἢ πρὸς τὴν δυσχέρειαν τῶν ζητημάτων ἰλιγγιάσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀφέξεται τοῦ πέμπειν ἐκεῖσε, ἢ, τό γε δεύτερον, πολλοῦ πρὸς τὴν παρασκευὴν τριβομένου χρόνου, ἐξέσται καὶ βασιλεῖ συντυχεῖν τῷ νέῳ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ τί χρὴ πράττειν συνδιασκέψασθαι, οὕτως εἰς στενὸν κομιδῇ τῶν πραγμάτων συνωθούντων. τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου δὲ βασιλέως ἃ βούλοιτο αἰτεῖν κελεύσαντος, καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου διὰ γραμμάτων ὧν δέοιτο δηλώσαντος βασιλεῖ, ταῦτα δ' ἦν ἀξιόμαχός τε στρατιὰ καὶ χρήματα εἰς τροφὴν ἀρκέσοντα τοῖς στρατιώταις, πρὸς οὐδὲ ἓν τῶν ζητημάτων ἀνένευεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἐκέλευε πάντα πρὸς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν. ἐπιταχύνοντος δὲ τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ τὴν ἔξοδον βασιλέως καὶ οὐδ' ἀναπνεῖν ἀνιέντος, ὁ μὲν μετὰ πέμπτην ἡμέραν ὑπέσχετο ἐξελθεῖν· ἦν δ' αὕτη δευτέρα τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν μεγάλης ἑβδομάδος ὠνομασμένης· βασιλεὺς δὲ ἡσύχασεν ἀρκεσθείς. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ἡμέρας καὶ πρὸς πρωτοστράτορα παρὰ 1.87 βασιλέως ἀφῖκτο πρόσταγμα πρὸς τὴν ἐπαρχίαν Πριλλάπου, ἧς καὶ πρότερον ἦρχε, πάλιν ἐπιτροπεύσοντα ἀπελθεῖν. ὁ δὲ, τὸ ἐπίταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἐκπληρώσειν, καὶ προθεσμίαν αἰτηθεὶς τῆς ἐξόδου, τῆς αὐτῆς μεγάλης ἑβδομάδος ἐπηγγείλατο τὴν ἕκτην. πρὸς μὲν δὴ τὸν πρεσβύτερον τῶν βασιλέων τοιαῦτα εἶπόν τε καὶ ἐπηγγείλαντο. ιηʹ. Εἰς ταὐτὸν δὲ συνελθόντες τῷ νέῳ, καὶ πάντα διηγησάμενοι τὰ συμπεσόντα, οὐκέτι μένειν ἐδόκει, ἀλλὰ παρασκευασαμένους ἐξελθεῖν Βυζαντίου. γράφουσι δὴ καὶ Συργιάννῃ, παρασκευασάμενον ἅμα τῇ ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατιᾷ τῇ ἑορτῇ τοῦ πάσχα ἐγγὺς εὑρεθῆναι διατρίβοντα Βυζαντίου· τότε γὰρ καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐδέδοκτο ἐξελθεῖν. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν παρεσκευάζοντο πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον. τῆς μεγάλης δὲ καταλαβούσης δευτέρας, καθ' ἣν ὁ μέγας δομέστικος τῆς πόλεως ἐπηγγείλατο ἐξελθεῖν, ἠναγκάζετο μὲν παρὰ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο τεταγμένων τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐκπληροῦν· ὁ δ' αἰτίας τινὰς πλασάμενος, τὴν ἔξοδον ἀνεβάλλετο. τῇ δ' ἐπιούσῃ μηνύεται παρὰ βασιλέως ὡς τάχιστα ἐξελθεῖν· ὁ δ' ἀπεκρίνατο μὴ πρότερον δύνασθαι, πρὶν ἂν τὰ χρήματα δοθῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν, οἷς ἂν πρός τε τὸ μισθοφορικὸν χρήσηται τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν πολιχνίων τῶν ἐν Θετταλίᾳ φρουράς. εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο γένοιτο, μηδεμίαν ἀναβολὴν ἔτ' εἶναι πρὸς τὸ τειχῶν ἔξω τῶν Βυζαντίων εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ὀφθῆναι. τὰ μὲν οὖν χρήματα, βασιλέως προστάξαντος, αὐθημερὸν παρέσχον οἱ τῶν βασιλι 1.88 κῶν χρημάτων