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they proposed to take counsel from some, as the assembly of high priests dissolved those agreements like a spider's web; for such a thing was not a most evil plot against the reigning emperor, but rather a cooperation with the empire and its perpetual preservation, with the one in power assisting at the opportune moment the young man in need of help; that the resulting agreements of the oaths should have such strength and be so indissoluble that the previous ones should be included with these, so that Palaiologos would be bound by both, if he should ever plot against the young man. But he also sought for the curse to be laid and the oaths to be taken in the opposite way, if the young man should ever contrive and act against him, so that he would of necessity be bound by the same things. These things proceeded, and the oaths were secured in writing; and the writer, appointed as protasekretis, was Kakos.

γʹ. How the Romans swore an oath of servitude to both, and with what stipulations. It was also ordered that those anywhere in the Roman empire should swear an oath of servitude to both, according to custom. However, there was added to the agreements, for the greater security of both, that the subject people must be ready to attack with murderous hand whoever should plot against the other; for they swore to this along with the other things, out of fear, I think, or real necessity; but if so, 137 one could condemn nothing more in those who did these things than causing civil wars for the commonweal, if this should ever happen. Nevertheless, these things were decided, and the plans proceeded to action. Therefore they laid a hand, and swore upon the holy gospels that they would indeed serve both and carry these things out.

δʹ. How Palaiologos swore for the boy and the magnates. Meanwhile the appointed day arrived, which was, as was said, the new moon of Hekatombaion. And first he who was being advanced to the emperorship himself swore the appropriate oaths on behalf of the boy and emperor, except not as one who would serve, but as one who would counsel him and contrive no irreparable harm by plotting. And the magnates also swore, both that they would serve both and that they would immediately defend the one plotted against, if anyone should plot. And when the oaths were thus completed, he who was being prepared for the emperorship sat on the imperial shield, first having fitted his two feet into the imperial insignia; and raised by the hands of the high priests on one side and the magnates on the other, he was magnified and acclaimed by all with imperial paeans and applause.

εʹ. How Palaiologos, having been established in the emperorship, bestowed the greatest honors. Thenceforth the members of the senate were dignified with appropriate offices. And to some, some things were given, while others were in promise; his own brother John, who was still megas domestikos, he deemed worthy to be honored with the dignity of sebastokrator and arranged for him the daughter of Constantine Tornikios for the fellowship of marriage, even though the dignity was in abeyance; his other brother Constantine he still kept as a private citizen, being eager to honor him as kaisar at the opportune time, and he also arranged for him in marriage 139 the daughter of Branas, who was well-born, doing something wise and winning over the men in power by marriage ties. And thus he magnificently courted the members of the senate, increasing and adding to their provisions, and letting all rejoice, some receiving good things, others hoping for them. The military and the populace, some he benefited with daily honors and fulfilled what was promised to them with golden bulls and made them more cheerful for the future, as they would have immortal provisions for life and the given grain allowances for their children, while others he courted, opening prisons and releasing from public debts those who owed, giving more abundantly to the needy the necessities of life and defending the wronged and bestowing honors more lavishly, so that as soon as one brought up some matter, an imperial letter would at once go forth

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βουλεύσασθαι παρά των προὐτείνοντο, ὡς ἱστὸν ἀράχνης ὁ τῶν ἀρχιερέων σύλλογος τὰς συνθήκας ἐκείνας διέλυον· μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον κατὰ τοῦ βασιλεύοντος κάκιστον βούλευμα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον συνεργίαν τῆς βασιλείας καὶ συντήρησιν ἀδιάδοχον, κατὰ καιρὸν συναιρομέ νου τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ νέῳ βοηθείας χρῄζοντι· τὰς τοὐντεῦθεν δὲ τῶν ὅρκων συμβάσεις ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον τὸ ἰσχυρὸν ἔχειν καὶ ἀδιάλυτον ὥστε καὶ τὰς προτέρας συνεῖναι ταύταις, ὡς καὶ ἀμφοτέραις τὸν Παλαιολόγον ἐνέχεσθαι, εἴ ποι τῷ νέῳ ἐπιβουλεύοι. Οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιστρόφως ἐζήτει τὴν ἀρὰν τίθεσθαι καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους γίνεσθαι, εἴ που καὶ ὁ νέος κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετήσας διαπρά ξοιτο, ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐνέχεσθαι. Προβαίνει ταῦτα, καὶ γραφαῖς οἱ ὅρκοι κατασφαλίζονται· καὶ ὁ γράφων ὁ εἰς πρωτασηκρῆτις τεταγμένος Κακὸς ἦν.

γʹ. Ὅπως ὤμνυον καὶ ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις δουλείας ὅρκον Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐν ποίοις διορισμοῖς. Τάττεται δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὁπουδήποτε τῆς Ῥωμαΐδος ὀμνύειν ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις ὅρκον δουλείας κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες. Πλὴν προσέκειντο τοῖς συντεθειμένοις, ἐπ' ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ ἀμφοτέρων μείζονι, ἦ μὴν ἕτοιμον εἶναι τὸ ὑπήκοον ἐπ' ἐκεῖνον ὁρμᾶν φονώσῃ χειρὶ ὃς ἂν ἐπιβουλεύσοι θατέρῳ· ὡρκωμότουν γὰρ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο, κατὰ φόβον, οἶμαι, ἢ χρείαν ἀληθινήν· εἰ δ' οὖν, 137 ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἂν καταγνοίη τις μεῖζον τῶν ταῦτα πραττόντων ἢ τὸ ἐμφυλίους πολέμους τῷ κοινῷ προξενεῖν, εἴ ποτε τοῦτο συμβαίη. Ὅμως ἐδόκει ταῦτα, καὶ εἰς ἔργον τὰ βουλευόμενα προὔβαινον. Χεῖρα τοιγαροῦν ἐτίθουν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελίων ὤμνυον ἦ μὴν καὶ ἀμφοτέροις δουλεύειν καὶ ταῦτ' ἐκτελεῖν.

δʹ. Ὅπως ὤμνυεν ὁ Παλαιολόγος ἐπὶ τῷ παιδὶ καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες. Τέως δ' ἡ κυρία παρῆν, ἥτις ἦν, ὡς ἐρρέθη, ἑκατομβαιῶνος νουμηνία. Καὶ πρῶτος αὐτὸς ὁ εἰς βασιλείαν προβιβαζόμενος ὤμνυε τὰ εἰκότα ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδός τε καὶ βασιλέως, πλὴν οὐχ ὡς δουλεύσων, ἀλλ' ὡς συμβουλεύσων ἐκείνῳ καὶ μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον μελετήσων κατ' ἐπιβουλήν. Ὤμνυον δὲ καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνες, καὶ ὡς δουλεύσοντες ἀμφοτέροις καὶ ὡς ἀμυνοῦντες αὐτίκα, ἤν πού τις ἐπιβουλεύοι, τῷ ἐπιβουλευθέντι. Καὶ οὕτως τελεσθέντων τῶν ὅρκων, ἀσπίδι βασιλικῇ ἐνιζάνει ὁ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν ἑτοιμαζόμενος, πρῶτον τὼ πόδε τοῖς βασιλικοῖς συμβόλοις ἐναρμοσθείς· καὶ χερσὶν ἔνθεν μὲν ἀρχιερέων, ἔνθεν δὲ μεγιστάνων ἀρθείς, ἀνακτορικοῖς παιάνοις καὶ κρότοις παρὰ πάντων ἐμεγαλύνετό τε καὶ ἐφημίζετο.

εʹ. Ὅπως ὁ Παλαιολόγος καταστὰς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο τὰ μέγιστα. Τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν οἱ μὲν τῆς γερουσίας προσήκουσιν ὀφφικίοις ἐνεσεμνύνοντο. Καὶ ἄλλοις μὲν ἄλλα τὰ μὲν ἐδίδοντο, τὰ δ' ἐν ὑποσχέσεσιν ἦσαν· τὸν δ' αὐτάδελφον Ἰωάννην, μέγαν δομέστικον ἔτι ὄντα, τῷ τοῦ σεβαστοκράτορος σεμνύνειν ἀξιώματι ἐδικαίου καί οἱ τὴν τοῦ Τορνικίου Κωνσταντίνου θυγα τέρα πρὸς γάμου κοινωνίαν συνήρμοττε, κἂν ἐν ἀναβολαῖς ἦν τὸ ἀξίωμα· θάτερον δὲ τῶν ἀδελφῶν Κωνσταντῖνον ἔτι εἶχεν ἐν ἰδιώταις, κατὰ καιρὸν τιμᾶν αὐτὸν καίσαρα προθυμούμενος, συνήρμοττε δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ πρὸς γάμον 139 τὴν τοῦ Βρανᾶ παῖδα, εὐγενῆ γε οὖσαν, σοφόν τι ποιῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐν τέλει τοῖς κήδεσι προσποιούμενος. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῆς γερουσίας οὕτω μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἐθεράπευε, προνοίας τούτοις ἐπαύξων καὶ προστιθείς, καὶ χαίρειν ἐφιεὶς τοῖς πᾶσι, τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μὲν λαμβάνουσι, τὰ δ' ἐλπίζουσι. Τὸ δὲ στρατιωτικόν τε καὶ τὴν πληθύν, τοὺς μὲν καθημεριναῖς φιλοτιμίαις ὤφελλε καὶ χρυσοβούλλοις τὰ ὑπεσχημένα τούτοις ἐπλήρου καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον εὐθυμοτέρους καθίστα, ὡς ἀθανάτους τὰς τῆς ζωῆς προνοίας καὶ τὰ διδόμενα σιτηρέσια τοῖς παισὶν ἕξοντας, τοὺς δ' ἐθεράπευεν, ἀνοιγνὺς φυλακὰς καὶ χρεῶν δημοσίων ἀπολύων τοὺς ὠφληκότας, ἀπορουμένοις τε τὰ πρὸς ζωὴν διδοὺς ἀφθονώτερα καί γε τοῖς ἠδικημένοις ἀμύνων καὶ φιλοτιμούμενος δαψιλέστερον, ὥστ' εἶναι ἅμα μὲν ἀνενεγκεῖν περί τού τινα καὶ ἅμα προβαίνειν γράμμα βασιλικὸν