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and called him Despot; for he was a despot and had been honored by the emperor. But since, as we have hastened to say concerning this matter, the youth was reckless and it was fitting for him to be occupied with games and the amusements of youths, certainly not to preside over sensible men and to rule a state and govern lawfully, certain men contrived a plot against him, of whom the most famous and well-known were Spartenos and Kampanos, Iatropoulos and Koutzoulatos, and of the notables, both Michael Laskaris and Tzyrithon, whom the emperor John had honored as grand chartoularios. The other accomplices in the plot are not yet clear, as they themselves became involved in the affair with the multitude, but they remained uncondemned by the majority. At any rate, having conspired together, they all send one of these aforementioned men, Kampanos, to the emperor John, on the pretext of business, but in truth to obtain a common chrysobull, containing the customs and rights which had from the beginning belonged to Thessalonica and providing for their freedom. The emperor, therefore, had both accomplished everything for them according to their plan and makes written promises of gifts to those who would serve in the affair. Having thus securely arranged these things, the emperor, setting out from the regions of Melenikon, made for Thessalonica, having first sent ambassadors to Demetrios, so that he might come to him according to his instructions and pay his debt of allegiance; for so he had agreed and sworn. But he—for he was not able to think for himself—using the conspirators as advisors, was persuaded to remain at home; for they said that the emperor's summons was a plot against him. And being light-minded, he went along with their words, wherever they might lead. And in these circumstances something happened, which I will add to my account as a kind of seasoning. Certain men reported that Kampanos—and we have already said that he was one of the conspirators in the plot—was not loyal to Demetrios, since he had also returned from the emperor. And he was brought before Demetrios and was accused by those who spoke the truth against him, that "he is plotting in secret and is sounding out the people and letters are being sent by him to the emperor and mysterious words are being conveyed." And Kampanos was subjected to such an examination. Spartenos, at any rate, being an accomplice in the deeds, having learned of such things, hastens there, and breathless and in a hurry says, "What are some people accusing this sinner of, despot, who if he were caught being such, would be judged worthy of many deaths?" And Demetrios—for he greatly trusted this man as faithful and considered him most well-disposed, in the words of the comedian, even if not the most thievish—"They say this man is a traitor, Spartenos, those who are prosecuting him." But he strikes Kampanos on the jaw with his wrist, using great force in the blow, and taking hold of his jaw says, "I myself, despot, taking him to my house, having first tortured him to his last breath, will force this man to make public all the things he is secretly plotting." He said these things, and as fast as he could, he went away to his house. So from then on, a bed held Kampanos and a high couch for rest and things invented more for luxury, in which men who have practiced committing such deeds especially rejoice. And as some have said, Spartenos, having inflated a wineskin and filled it with air, then tied it so that all the air was trapped inside with no outlet for it, hung it up and began to beat "Kampanos" with rods, perhaps, examining him to reveal his secrets. But it was a wineskin, not Kampanos, that was being beaten. But when sufficient time had passed that could have produced a worthy torture and made known even the unspoken thing lying in the deepest recesses, Spartenos arrived at Demetrios's as fast as his feet could carry him and says to him: "Despot, I will convince you of the matter with an oath: by your and all of our Demetrios, the guardian and patron of Thessalonica"—and this is the

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δεσπό την καὶ κατωνόμαζε· δεσπότης γὰρ ἦν καὶ πρὸς τοῦ βασι λέως τετιμημένος. ἐπεὶ δέ, ὡς προπεφθάκαμεν περὶ τούτου ἐρεῖν, ἀτάσθαλον ἦν τὸ μειράκιον καὶ παιδιαῖς ἐνσχολάζειν προσῆκον καὶ μειρακίων ἀθύρμασι, μή τοι γε ἀνδρῶν προΐ στασθαι συνετῶν καὶ πολιτείας κατάρχειν καὶ νομίμως ἐπιστατεῖν, ἐπιβουλὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ τινες ἐξαρτύουσιν, ὧν οἱ ὀνομαστοί τε καὶ γνώριμοι Σπαρτηνὸς ἦσαν καὶ Καμπανός, ὁ Ἰατρόπουλός τε καὶ ὁ Κουτζουλάτος, οἱ δὲ τῶν ἐπισήμων ὅ τε Μιχαὴλ ὁ Λάσκαρις καὶ ὁ Τζυρίθων, ὃν καὶ μέγαν χαρτουλάριον ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης τετίμηκεν. ἄλλοι δὲ οἱ τοῦ σκέμματος κοινωνοὶ οὔπω δῆλοι, ὡς αὐτοὶ σφίσι τοῦ πράγματος σὺν τῷ πλήθει γεγόνασιν, ἀλλ' ἔμειναν ἀκατάγνω στοι τοῖς πλείοσιν. ἕνα γοῦν τούτων τῶν εἰρημένων, τὸν Καμπανόν, οἱ πάντες συσκευασάμενοι εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἰωάννην ἐκπέμπουσι πραγματείας μὲν προφάσεως χάριν, τῇ δ' ἀληθείᾳ κοινοῦ χρυσοβούλλου ἐπευμοιρῆσαι, τῶν ἀνέκαθεν προσαρμοσάντων Θεσσαλονίκῃ ἐθίμων τε καὶ δικαίων περι εκτικοῦ καὶ τῆς σφῶν ἐλευθερίας παρεκτικοῦ. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασι λεὺς πάντα τε τούτοις κατὰ σκοπὸν ἐπεπράχει καὶ δωρεῶν ὑποσχέσεις τοῖς ὑπηρετήσουσι τῇ πράξει καὶ ἐγγράφους τίθησι. Ταῦτα δὴ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς οἰκονομήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπά ρας τῶν Μελενίκου χωρίων περὶ τὴν Θεσσαλονίκην ἐφέ ρετο, πρότερον ἐξαποστείλας πρέσβεις εἰς τὸν ∆ημήτριον, ὡς ἂν κατὰ τὰς αὐτοῦ ὑποθήκας ἀφίκοιτο εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀφοσιώσοι τὸ ὄφλημα· οὕτω γὰρ συνέθετο καὶ κατώμοσεν. ὁ δὲ-οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχε νοεῖν οἴκοθεν-τοῖς ἐπιβούλοις συμβούλοις χρώμενος οἴκοι καταμένειν ἐπείθετο· σκευωρίαν γὰρ ἔφασκον εἶναι κατ' αὐτοῦ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως μετάκλησιν. κοῦφος δὲ ὢν οὗτος τὰς φρένας τοῖς αὐτῶν λόγοις συν εφέρετο, ὅποι καὶ νεύοιεν. ξυνέβη δὲ κἀν τούτοις, ὅπερ ὡς ἥδυσμά τι παραθήσω τοῖς λόγοις. τὸν Καμπανὸν- ἕνα δὲ τοῦτον τῶν συνιστόρων τοῦ δόλου προείπομεν εἶναι-τὰ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ∆ημητρίου φρονοῦντα ἀπήγγειλάν τινες, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐκ βασιλέως ἐπανέζευξε. καὶ ὃς παρέστη τῷ ∆ημητρίῳ καὶ κατηγορεῖτο πρὸς τῶν ἀληθῆ κατ' αὐτοῦ φασκόντων, ὡς «ῥᾳδιουργῶν κρύφα καὶ ἀποπειρᾶται τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ γραφαὶ πρὸς αὐτοῦ τῷ βασιλεῖ πέμπονται καὶ λό γοι μυστηριώδεις διαμηνύονται.» καὶ ἦν πρὸς τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἐξετάσει ὁ Καμπανός. ὁ γοῦν Σπαρτηνός, συμμύστης ὢν τῶν πραττομένων, περὶ τῶν τοιούτων μεμαθηκὼς τάχος ἐκεῖσε φέρεται, καὶ ὡς εἶχεν ἄσθματος καὶ σπουδῆς «τί» φησι «περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ ἀλιτηρίου κατηγοροῦσί τινες, δέσποτα, ὃς εἰ ἁλῴη τοιοῦτος, πολλῶν θανάτων κριθείη ἂν ἄξιος;» καὶ ὁ ∆ημήτριος- ἐθάρρει γὰρ μάλα τούτῳ ὡς πιστῷ καὶ πάνυ τοῦτον εὐνούστατον κατὰ τὸν κωμικὸν ὄντα εἰ καὶ μὴ κλεπτίστατον ἥγητο-»προδότην τοῦτον, Σπαρτηνέ, φασὶν εἶναι οἱ τοῦτον διώκοντες.» ὁ δὲ παίει τὸν Καμπανὸν κατὰ τῆς σιαγόνος τῷ καρπῷ, σφόδρα χρησάμενος τῇ βολῇ, καὶ λαβόμενος τούτου τῆς γένυος «ἐγὼ αὐτόν» φησιν «ἐν τοῖς οἴκοι ἀπαγαγών, δέσποτα, ἐτασμοῖς ἐκπνεύσας τὸ πρῶτον, πάντα τοῦτον καταναγκάσω ἔκφορα ποιῆσαι τὰ κρύβδην τού τῳ ῥᾳδιουργούμενα.» ταῦτ' εἶπε, καὶ ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἐς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπῄει. Τὸν μὲν οὖν Καμπανὸν τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε κλίνη εἶχε καὶ στιβὰς ὑψηλὴ πρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ τὰ εἰς τρυφὴν μᾶλ λον ἐφευρημένα, οἷς καὶ μᾶλλον χαίρουσιν ἄνθρωποι οἱ τοιαῦτα μεμελετηκότες διαπράττεσθαι πράγματα. ὡς δὲ καί τινες ἔφασαν, ἀσκὸν διαφυσήσας ὁ Σπαρτηνὸς καὶ πλη ρώσας τοῦ πνεύματος, εἶτα δεσμεύσας ὡς ἐντὸς ἅπαν ἐνα ποληφθῆναι πνεῦμα μή τινος οὔσης τούτῳ τῆς ἐκροῆς, ἀπαιωρήσας ἔτυπτε ῥάβδοις τάχα τὸν Καμπανόν, ἐτάζων ἀποκαλύψαι τὰ κρύφα. ἀσκὸς δὲ ἦν, οὐ Καμπανός, ὁ τυπτόμενος. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ ἀρκοῦσα ὥρα παρῄει ἡ καὶ ἄξιον ἐτασμὸν δεδυνημένη ποιήσασθαι καὶ ἔκπυστον θεῖναι καὶ τὸ ἐν μυχοῖς βαθυτάτοις ἐγκείμενον ἄρρητον, ὡς εἶχε ποδῶν ὁ Σπαρτηνὸς ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὸν ∆ημήτριον καὶ οἵ φησι· «δέσποτα, ὅρκῳ σε πιστώσω τὸ πρᾶγμα· μὰ τὸν σὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἁπάντων ∆ημήτριον, τὸν κηδεμόνα τῆς Θεσσα λονίκης καὶ πολιοῦχον»-οὗτος δὲ ὁ