the despot lord Thomas was attacking and besieging the territories of his own brother, Kalamata and Mantineia, and he found as collaborators the excellent protostrator, protostrator Nicholas Sevastopoulos, minister and kinsman of his own brother, and the much-desired kinsman by marriage, the greater Kydonides or Tzamblakon. 39.6 But the despot lord Demetrios in turn took Leontari and its environs and Pidima through George Palaiologos, the much-desired cousin and minister of the despot lord Thomas, and of his son-in-law Manuel Bochalis, even though the former had seemingly taken Kalamata and Leuctron and much of the mountain-ridge of Mani. 39.7 And as the despot lord Demetrios was coming to enter Leontari, when his brother learned this, he ran and, getting there first, entered it; and the despot lord Demetrios was left having accomplished nothing, with Palaiologos and the Bochales having only fled and gone to him when he returned to Mystras. 39.8 Moreover, the most wicked and simple-minded race of the Albanians, seizing an opportunity suitable for their reputation and rapacious disposition, what evil did they not do or what did they not work? For being faithless twice a week, they would go from one of the lords to the other; and they demanded castles, as *kephalatikia*, as their language calls it, otherwise, they would go to the other, and the others likewise to the other of the despots. In the meantime therefore, if they found anything belonging to the wretched so-called Romans, but indeed also of the Albanians and often their own relatives and households, they plundered and destroyed everything. And such and so many things happened, that who could worthily lament them? 39.9 But indeed also the Turks themselves, who were in Corinth and Mouchli and Patras, seizing a fitting opportunity, some they took captive, others they killed, and they mocked the lords and rulers, seeing them thrusting swords against themselves. 39.10 When I too considered these deeds, as I was in Arkadia, where they were being done, and observed their consequences, before the despot left Arkadia, I also left, inventing some pretexts, and went away to Pidasos, which is called Methone, around the end of the month of December of the same year. But indeed also the useful archon, both in knowledge and in action, George Raoul, having himself left both his lord and most of his own possessions, he also came to Methone. 39.11 And sitting both in the harbor we were watching expectantly hour by hour for the end of such a tempest, although because of God's longsuffering it was prolonged, so that the unintelligent might at some point understand and the foolish might at some point become wise and concord and peace might come about between them; and they might beseech God, and also the amir, and He will have mercy on them as a merciful God, and He will also command his executioner, the amir, and will let them live for a longer time. For he also has a place and rank in relation to God, such as his own executioners have in relation to him, who carry out his will and his command, but are hateful and abominable. 39.12 And while these aforementioned evils were taking place in the entire wretched land of the Morea, and a certain army came from outside, they overran the entire land, in order that they themselves might do whatever evils the inhabitants and lords and masters and rulers had left undone, not from choice but from inability, being enemies of one of the despots, and perhaps friends of the other. 39.13 Finding this despot and their enemy, lord Thomas, in the region of Leontari, and after routing him they drove him into the castle, having both killed and taken captive many of his men; then, bringing their encampment, that is, their tents, they placed them near the houses of Leontari. Then departing they went away to the region of Mystras and to their friend, the despot; and from there they departed as victors and with much booty of both animals and men. 39.14 Scarcely, then, at last understanding, the lords and brothers the evil of their own strife and

δεσπότης κὺρ Θωμᾶς παρέπιπτε καὶ ἐπολιόρκει τὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, Καλαμάταν καὶ Μαντίνειαν καὶ συνεργοὺς εὗρε πρω τοστράτορα τὸν ἄριστον, πρωτοστράτορα τὸν Σεβαστόπουλον Νικόλαον, μεσάζοντα καὶ σύγγαμβρον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ καὶ τὸν περιπόθητον γυ ναικοθεῖον, τὸν πλέον Κυδωνίδην ᾒ Τζαμπλάκωνα. 39.6 Ὁ δὲ δεσπότης κὺρ ∆ημήτριος πάλιν τὸ Λεοντάρι καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ Πίδημα διὰ τοῦ Παλαιολόγου Γεωργίου, περιποθήτου ἐξαδέλφου καὶ μεσάζοντος τοῦ δεσπότου κυροῦ Θωμᾶ καὶ τοῦ γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ Μπο χάλη Μανουήλ, εἰ καὶ ὁ μὲν τάχα ἀπῆρε τὴν Καλαμάταν καὶ τὸ Λεῦ κτρον καὶ πολὺ τοῦ τῆς Μάνης ζυγοῦ. 39.7 Τοῦ δὲ δεσπότου κυροῦ ∆ημητρίου ἐρχομένου ἐμβῆναι ἐν τῷ Λεονταρίῳ, ὡς ἔμαθε τοῦτο ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ἔδραμε καὶ προλαβὼν ἐσέ βη ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἀπέμεινεν ἄπρακτος ὁ δεσπότης κὺρ ∆ημήτριος, τοῦ Πα λαιολόγου καὶ τῶν Μποχαλέων φυγόντων μόνον καὶ ἀπελθόντων εἰς αὐ τὸν εἰς τὸν Μυζηθρᾶν ἐπαναστρέψαντα. 39.8 Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸ κάκιστον καὶ ἀφελέστατον γένος τῶν Ἀλβανιτῶν, καιροῦ λαβόμενον τῆς ὑπολήψεως καὶ ἁρπακτικῆς αὐτῶν γνώμης ἁρμο δίου, τί οὐκ ἔπραξαν ᾒ τί οὐκ εἰργάσαντο κακόν; Ἀπιστοῦντες γὰρ δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου, ἀπὸ τὸν ἕνα τῶν αὐθεντῶν εἰς τὸν ἄλλον ἀπήρχοντο· καὶ κάστρα, ὡς ἡ ἐκείνων γλῶσσα, εἰς κεφαλατίκια ἀπῄτουν, εἰ δ' οὖν, εἰς τὸν ἄλλον ἀπήρχοντο καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον τῶν δεσποτῶν ὁμοίως. ∆ιὰ μέσου οὖν, εἴ τι ἆρα καὶ εὕρισκον τῶν ἀθλίων τάχα Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τῶν Ἀλβανιτῶν καὶ συγγενῶν πολλάκις καὶ οἰκείων αὐτῶν, πάντα διηρπάζοντο καὶ ἠφάνιζον. Ἐγένοντο δὲ τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα, ὅτι τὶς ἀξίως αὐτὰ θρηνήσειεν; 39.9 Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ Τοῦρκοι, οἱ εἰς τὴν Κόρινθον καὶ τὸ Μουχλὶν καὶ τὴν Πάτραν εὑρισκόμενοι, καιροῦ λαβόντες δικαίου, τοὺς μὲν αἰχμαλώτιζον, τοὺς δὲ ἀπέκτεινον, τοὺς δ' αὐθέντας καὶ τοὺς ἄρχον τας κατεγέλων, βλέποντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ ξίφη ὠθοῦντας. 39.10 Ταύτας δὴ τὰς ἐργασίας κἀμοῦ ἐννοήσαντος, εὑρισκομένου μου εἰς τὴν Ἀρκαδίαν, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ ἐπράττοντο, καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν συμπεράσματα σκοπήσαντος, πρὸ τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν δεσπότην ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας, ἐξῆλθον κἀγώ, πλάσας αἰτίας τινάς, καὶ ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὴν Πίδασον, ἣν Μεθώνη καλεῖται, περὶ τὸ τέλος τοῦ ∆εκεμβρίου μηνὸς τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔτους. Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ χρήσιμος ἄρχων ἀπό τε γνώσεως καὶ πράξεως Γεώργιος ὁ Ῥα ούλ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀφεὶς καὶ αὐθέντην καὶ τὰ πλείω τῶν αὑτοῦ, ἦλθε καὶ αὐ τὸς ἐν τῇ Μεθώνῃ. 39.11 Καὶ καθήμενοι ἀμφότεροι ἐν λιμένι ἐκαραδοκοῦμεν καθ' ὥραν τὸ τῆς τοιαύτης τρικυμίας τέλος, εἰ καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμήσαντος ἐμάκρυ νεν, ἵνα οἱ ἀσύνετοί ποτε συνήσωσι καὶ οἱ μωροί ποτε φρονήσωσι καὶ ὁμόνοα καὶ εἰρήνη γένηται μέσον αὐτῶν· καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ δεηθῶσιν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἀμηρᾶ, καὶ ἐλεήσει μὲν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐλεήμων θεός, προστάξει δὲ καὶ τὸν δήμιον αὐτοῦ ἀμηρᾶν καὶ ἀφήσει αὐτοὺς ζῆσαι πλείονα χρόνον. Τόπον γὰρ καὶ τάξιν ἔχει καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς θεόν, οἵαν οἱ αὐτοῦ δήμιοι πρὸς αὐτόν, οἴτινες πληροῦσι μὲν τῷ θελήματι καὶ τῇ προστάξει αὐτοῦ, εἰσὶ δὲ μισητοὶ καὶ ἀποτρόπαιοι. 39.12 Καὶ τούτων δὴ τῶν προῤῥηθέντων κακῶν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα τοῦ Μορέως ἀθλίου τόπον γινομένων, ἐλθόντος καὶ φωσάτου μερικοῦ ἔξωθεν, κατέδραμον τὸν τόπον ἅπαντα, ἵνα, ἅπερ κακὰ παρέλιπον οἱ οἰκήτορες καὶ κύριοι καὶ αὐθένται καὶ ἄρχοντες, οὐκ ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ ἀδυναμίας, πράξωσιν αὐτοί, τοῦ μὲν ἑνὸς τῶν δεσποτῶν ἐχθροὶ ὄντες, τοῦ δ' ἄλλου τάχα φίλοι. 39.13 Ὃν δὴ δεσπότην καὶ ἐχθρὸν αὐτῶν κὺρ Θωμᾶν εἰς τὰ περὶ τὸ Λεοντάριν εὑρόντες καὶ διώξαντες κακῶς εἰσέβαλον εἰς τὸ κάστρον, πολ λοὺς τῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ σκοτώσαντες καὶ αἰχμαλωτίσαντες· ἔπειτα φέροντες τὸ κατουνοτόπιον, ἤτοι τὰς τένδας αὐτῶν, πλησίον τῶν ὁσπιτίων τοῦ Λεονταρίου ἔθηκαν. Εἶτα ἐξελθόντες ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ περὶ τὸν Μυζηθρᾶν καὶ τὸν φίλον αὐτῶν δεσπότην· καὶ ἀπ' ἐκεῖ διέβησαν νικηταὶ καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ κέρδους ζώων τε καὶ ἀνθρώπων. 39.14 Μόλις οὖν ποτε ἐννοήσαντες οἱ αὐθένται καὶ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ κακὸν τῆς ἑαυτῶν μάχης καὶ