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Having considered it myself, since I also learned your will, I will accomplish these things, which would appear most pleasing to you as well.” Having spoken thus to the ambassadors, and having raised their spirits with good hopes, the emperor ordered them to return to Byzantium. And they, having arrived before the emperor, and having reported both the zeal and enthusiasm of the army for the young emperor, and its impulse and fury against them, caused no little disturbance; then again, using the words of the young emperor, they prepared them to hope for better things. Within Byzantium itself, however, the cause of the young emperor grew exceedingly and 1.97 gained no small strength; while that of the elder was gradually declining and proving to be weaker. But such were the affairs in Byzantium. 20. But the young emperor on the next day, having called together all the officials and the commanders of the regiments, and also the army, and having blamed yesterday's disorder as having occurred improperly and unseemly, for nothing good can come from what is base, then adding that for now he would pardon the authors of the disturbance, as they did not know that he was displeased with such things, but if they should dare similar things again, he would inflict a fitting penalty on the disorderly; he laid the plan before them, saying, “The words from the emperor my grandfather and his demand are that he himself would welcome peace, and wishes us to; and for this reason, we are to ask what we want, and he is happy to bring it to pass. It remains, therefore, for each of you to say what he thinks will be advantageous.” To this they all, as if by agreement becoming a single voice, said that they would not accept peace, nor did they wish to deliberate about this at all. “For behold, O emperor, as we hear, having come to the utmost danger, and having with difficulty, with God's help, escaped death, you are eager to fall into the same 1.98 or even worse evils. We beg you therefore to turn away from such reasonings; nevertheless, since, as you say, your grandfather and emperor has said that he is prepared to fulfill whatever you yourself wish to ask, we say that he should abdicate the empire and live by himself wherever he wishes, and allow you to direct the rule of the Romans; and if he is not willing, we must go against him to Byzantium. For we think that the Byzantines will not even wait for us at the walls, but while we are still farther away, they will come out to meet you and would surrender the city. If, therefore, you yourself are also persuaded by what we propose, O emperor, let us delay no longer, but let us get to work now. But if you have decided otherwise, at least tell us plainly, so that each man, as he is able, may save himself.” When these things were said by all as if from a single tongue, the emperor, seeing that it was very inopportune to attempt to persuade them otherwise, for the army was unrestrained in its impulses, and especially the Latin mercenaries from among the Germans, among whom were also some of their nobles, and he himself was still unacquainted with everyone, except for a few, and it was not easy to speak with strangers as was useful for the occasion, after acknowledging many thanks to them for their goodwill toward him, and saying that it was necessary to give the matter more consideration and not proceed to so great an undertaking unadvisedly; “for we are not deliberating about small matters, but about almost everything;” 1.99 he dissolved the assembly, postponing the conclusion of the deliberation to the next day. When they had been dismissed, the emperor again took counsel with the three about the matters before them, ordering each to say what he thought would be expedient. Syrgiannes therefore spoke first: “What we deliberated on before, O emperor, when we were in Byzantium, we did not utter out of any private enmity for your grandfather and emperor, nor did we consider it of the greatest importance that he suffer ill, but being concerned for your safety, we were necessarily brought to this; for the success of one appears to be the ruin of the other; which indeed is also happening now. For with the entire army eager to go against him, and they are holding to right reasonings, and it is not possible for anyone with sense

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ἐμαυτὸν διασκεψάμενος, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν σὴν βούλησιν ἐπυθόμην, ταῦτα καταπράξομαι, ἅπερ ἂν ἥδιστα καὶ αὐτῷ σοὶ φανείη.» τοῖς μὲν δὴ πρέσβεσι τοιαῦτα διαλεχθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ χρησταῖς ἐλπίσι μετεωρίσας, ἐς Βυζάντιον ἐκέλευεν ἀναστρέφειν. οἳ δὴ καὶ ἀφικόμενοι πρὸς βασιλέα, καὶ τήν τε τῆς στρατιᾶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως σπουδήν τε καὶ προθυμίαν, καὶ τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ὁρμὴν καὶ μανίαν ἀπηγγελκότες, οὐκ ὀλίγην ἐνεποίησαν ταραχήν· εἶτ' αὖθις καὶ τοῖς τοῦ νέου βασιλέως χρησάμενοι λόγοις, παρεσκεύασαν χρηστότερα ἐλπίζειν. ἔνδον μέντοι καὶ αὐτοῦ Βυζαντίου τὰ μὲν τοῦ νέου βασιλέως ηὔξανε σφόδρα καὶ 1.97 ἰσχὺν προσελάμβανεν οὔτοι μετρίαν· τὰ δὲ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ὑπέῤῥει τε κατὰ μικρὸν καὶ ἀσθενέστερα ἀπεδείκνυτο. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Βυζάντιον τοιαῦτα. κʹ. Ὁ νέος δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν τοὺς ἐν τέλει πάντας καὶ τοὺς τῶν ταγμάτων ἡγεμόνας συγκαλεσάμενος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν καὶ τὴν χθὲς ἀταξίαν καταμεμψάμενος ὡς οὐ καλῶς οὐδὲ προσηκόντως γεγενημένην, μηδὲ γὰρ ἐκ φαύλου ἀγαθόν τι δύνασθαι ἐκβῆναι, εἶτα ἐπειπὼν, ὡς νῦν μὲν ἂν συγγνοίη τοῖς αἰτίοις τῆς ταραχῆς ὡς οὐκ εἰδόσιν αὐτὸν ἀηδῶς ἔχοντα πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἂν δ' αὖθις παραπλήσια τολμῶσι, δίκην ἐπιθήσει πρέπουσαν τοῖς ἀτακτοῦσιν· εἰς μέσους παρέθηκε τὴν βουλὴν, φήσας, ὡς «οἱ μὲν παρὰ βασιλέως τοὐμοῦ πάππου λόγοι καὶ ἡ ἀξίωσις, ὡς αὐτός τε ἀσπάζοιτό, εἰσι, τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἡμᾶς βούλοιτο· καὶ τούτου χάριν ἡμᾶς μὲν ἃ βουλοίμεθα αἰτεῖν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἡδέως ἔχειν εἰς πέρας ἄγειν. λοιπὸν τοίνυν ὑμᾶς ἕκαστον ἃ ἂν οἴηται συνοίσειν λέγειν.» Πρὸς ταῦθ' ἅπαντες ὥσπερ ἀπὸ συνθήκης μία γενόμενοι γλῶσσα, μὴ δέχεσθαι ἔφασαν τὴν εἰρήνην, μηδὲ βούλεσθαι ὅλως βουλεύεσθαι περὶ τούτου. «ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ὡς ἀκούομεν, βασιλεῦ, εἰς ἔσχατον ἀφιγμένος κινδύνου, καὶ μόγις θεοῦ συναιρομένου τὸ ἀποθανεῖν διαφυγὼν, τοῖς αὐτοῖς 1.98 ἢ καὶ χείροσι κακοῖς περιπεσεῖν φιλονεικεῖς. δεόμεθα δή σου τοῦ τοιαῦτα λογίζεσθαι ἀποτρέπεσθαι· ὅμως ἐπείπερ, ὡς σὺ φῂς, ὁ σὸς πάππος εἴρηκε καὶ βασιλεὺς, ὡς ὅπερ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐθέλῃς αἰτεῖν, ἐκεῖνον ἐκπληροῦν παρεσκευάσθαι, τῆς βασιλείας λέγομεν ἀποστάντα καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὅποι βούλοιτο διάγειν, σὲ δὲ ἐᾷν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἰθύνειν· ἂν δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο, πρὸς Βυζάντιον ἰτέον ἐπ' αὐτόν. οἰόμεθα γὰρ οὐδὲ μέχρι τειχῶν περιμενεῖν ἡμᾶς τοὺς Βυζαντίους, ἀλλ' ἔτι ποῤῥωτέρω ὄντων, εἰς ὑπάντησίν τε σὴν ἐξελθεῖν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἂν παραδοῦναι. εἰ μὲν οὖν οἷσπερ βουλευόμεθα πείθῃ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μηκέτι μέλλωμεν, ἀλλ' ἔργου ἐχώμεθα ἤδη. εἰ δ' ἄλλως αὐτὸς βεβούλευσαι, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν γε φανερῶς φράσον, ὅπως ἕκαστος, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ᾖ, διασώζῃ ἑαυτόν.» Τούτων οὕτως ἀπὸ πάντων ὥσπερ ἀπὸ μιᾶς εἰρημένων γλώττης, πολλὴν ὁρῶν ἀκαιρίαν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ μεταπείθειν ἐπιχειρεῖν, ἥ τε γὰρ στρατιὰ ἀκάθεκτοι ταῖς ὁρμαῖς ἦσαν, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ἐκ Γερμανῶν μισθοφόροι Λατῖνοι, ἐν οἷς ἦσαν καί τινες τῶν εὐπατριδῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς, αὐτός τε ἀήθως ἔτι εἶχε πρὸς ἅπαντας, πλὴν ὀλίγων τινῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾴστου πρὸς ἀγνῶτας διαλέγεσθαι, ὥσπερ ἦν χρήσιμον τῷ καιρῷ, πολλὰς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας αὐτοῖς χάριτας ὁμολογήσας, καὶ δεῖν εἶναι εἰπὼν πλείονι διασκέψει δοῦναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ μὴ ἐφ' οὕτω μεγάλην πρᾶξιν ἀπερισκέπτως χωρεῖν· «οὐ γὰρ περὶ μικρῶν τινων βουλευόμεθα, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ σύμπαντος σχεδόν·» 1.99 διέλυσε τὸν σύλλογον, εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν τὸ πέρας τῆς βουλῆς ἐξαρτήσας. τούτων δὲ διαλυθέντων, ἅμα τοῖς τρισὶ πάλιν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐβουλεύετο περὶ τῶν προκειμένων, ἃ συμφέρειν ἕκαστος οἴεται κελεύσας εἰπεῖν. εἶπεν οὖν πρῶτος ὁ Συργιάννης· «ἡμεῖς ἃ καὶ πρότερον ἐβουλευσάμεθα, βασιλεῦ, ὄντες ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, οὐκ ἰδίᾳ τι ἐχθραίνοντες ἐφθεγξάμεθα τῷ σῷ πάππῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ, οὐδὲ περὶ πλείστου τὸ κακῶς αὐτὸν ποιούμενοι παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῆς σῆς κηδόμενοι σωτηρίας, ἀναγκαίως ἐφερόμεθα πρὸς τοῦτο· ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἑνὸς εὐδοκίμησις τοῦ ἑτέρου εἶναι φαίνεται καταστροφή· ὃ δὴ καὶ νυνὶ συμβαίνει. τῆς γὰρ στρατιᾶς ἁπάσης ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἰέναι προθυμουμένης, ἔχονται δὲ ὀρθῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδένα νοῦν