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having something to say in opposition, if any hardship should happen concerning him, it would not be our fault, who were forced, but that of those who drove us into this necessity. Therefore, since it seemed beneficial to all in common to do the same things, and we have no blame to bring against what has been decided, it is necessary to do what seems best to all.” The protostrator also spoke in support of these things; and the great domestic having said that he did not consider himself wiser than all the others, so as to be the only one to speak against what seemed best to all, they rose up. But late at night, the emperor took the great domestic alone, and again they deliberated about the same things; and it seemed to them that the 1.100 army held to right reasonings. For since the rebellion had already been clearly kindled, all were in suspense at the rumors, and they were strangely eager for a change. However, their arrival at Byzantium would bring the utmost danger to the emperor, since everyone would immediately join the new man. And as they were considering how this might not happen, and having gone through many twists of reasoning, it seemed best to go rather to Thessalonica, so that in the intervening time the emperor, having arranged his affairs well at his leisure, might resist the war, and not be destroyed by a sudden attack. Having thus ratified this plan, they turned to sleep. On the following day, when all the officials and members of the senate had assembled, with the aforesaid Latins also present, the emperor asked publicly if anyone had found anything newer than what had been decided yesterday; “For since the deliberation was left unfinished, and all of you have been occupied with it, it is likely that someone has conceived of something more;” But when Palaiologos the great stratopedarch said that he had neither conceived of anything more himself, nor heard of it from another, and the knight Framberin Tempiniol, as 1.101 representative of the Latins, said that nothing was truer or more necessary than what was said yesterday, and all the others in turn voted for what had been said, and were urging the arrival at Byzantium, as it would surrender as soon as they appeared, and finally resorted to supplication to do these things, the emperor, after a short pause: “But to me,” he said, “the saying of Solomon seems well spoken, that, ‘in much counsel there is safety’; and having often deliberated much about the same things, something more than what has been said has been found, which it seemed right to bring forward, so that, if it is good, it may be approved. When I arrived at this city of Adrianople, they all together showed much good will towards me, and all the other cities throughout Thrace as far as Christopolis came over to our side; not only that, but also whatever military force was established in the Thracian towns, to whom I confess I owe much thanks as they have freely shown themselves good towards me. However, the many and famous cities below Christopolis, as far as Acarnania and Dalmatia, subject to the Romans, and having a not-to-be-despised army and many and good generals, not one has come over to us. which has filled me with disturbance, as it did not turn out according to my expectation. Nor do I think it is profitable to despise any of them, but 1.102 to make much of their alliance and fellowship. For this reason, it seems necessary to me to first take the road leading to them. And when they have come over, we shall march to the city of Constantine with confidence, having neither left enemies behind, and having acquired double the force.” So the emperor said such things, trying to persuade them to choose the way to the west; but they, again holding to their former reasonings, said they must go to Byzantium and nowhere else, as it would be no trouble to take it, and not to prolong the war, but to bring it to a close. 21. While the great domestic said nothing in these matters, they said, “And you, why do you not also offer an opinion on the present matters, but maintain silence as if nothing new were happening?” “Because

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ἔχοντα ἀντειπεῖν, εἴ τι καὶ περὶ ἐκεῖνον συμβαίη τῶν δυσχερῶν, οὐχ ἡμῶν τῶν ἠναγκασμένων, ἀλλ' ἐκείνων ἂν εἴη τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀνάγκην συνελασάντων. τοιγαροῦν ἐπεὶ κοινῇ πᾶσι τὰ αὐτὰ ἔδοξε λυσιτελεῖν, ἡμεῖς τε οὐδεμίαν τοῖς βεβουλευμένοις μέμψιν ἔχομεν ἐπιφέρειν, τὰ κοινῇ δοκοῦντα πράττειν ἀνάγκη.» Τούτοις συνεῖπε καὶ ὁ πρωτοστράτωρ· τοῦ μεγάλου τε δομεστίκου μὴ συνετώτερον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι νομίζειν τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων εἰπόντος, ὥστε τοῖς κοινῇ δοκοῦσιν αὐτὸν μόνον ἐναντία λέγειν, ἀνέστησαν. βαθείας δὲ νυκτὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ὁ βασιλεὺς μόνον παραλαβὼν, καὶ αὖθις ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν· ἐδόκει δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς ὀρθῶν μὲν ἔχεσθαι τὴν 1.100 στρατιὰν λογισμῶν. τοῦ νεωτερισμοῦ γὰρ ἤδη λαμπρῶς ἐξαφθέντος, πάντες ἦσαν μετέωροι πρὸς τὰς φήμας, καὶ μεταβολῆς ἀτόπως ἤρων. κίνδυνον μέντοι τὸν ἔσχατον τὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον αὐτῶν ἄφιξιν φέρειν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὡς πάντων εὐθὺς τῷ νέῳ προσθησομένων. ὃ δὴ καὶ σκοπουμένοις αὐτοῖς, ὅπως ἂν μὴ γένηται, καὶ πολλὰς ἑλίξεις λογισμῶν διελθοῦσιν, ἐδόκει βέλτιστον εἶναι πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην μᾶλλον ἐλθεῖν, ὡς ἂν ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνῳ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν κατὰ σχολὴν εὖ διαθέμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς, πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἀντίσχῃ, καὶ μὴ ἀπόληται ἐπιχειρούμενος ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου. ταύτην δὴ κυρώσαντες τὴν βουλὴν, ἐτράποντο εἰς ὕπνον. τῆς δὲ ἐπιγενομένης ἡμέρας, τῶν τε ἐν τέλει πάντων καὶ τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου συνελθόντων, παρόντων καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων Λατίνων, εἴ τι καινότερον τῶν χθὲς βεβουλευμένων ἐξεύρηταί τινι, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπυνθάνετο κοινῇ· «ἀτελοῦς γὰρ τοῦ βουλεύματος καταλειφθέντος, καὶ ὑμῶν πάντων περὶ αὐτὸ ἠσχολημένων, εἰκός τινα καὶ προσεπινοῆσαί τι πλέον·» Παλαιολόγου δὲ τοῦ μεγάλου στρατοπεδάρχου μήτ' αὐτόν τι προσεπινενοηκέναι πλέον, μήτ' ἄλλου ἀκηκοέναι φαμένου, καὶ καβαλλαρίου φραμπέριν τεμπινιὸλ, ὡς ἐκ 1.101 προσώπου τῶν Λατίνων μηδαμῶς εἶναι τῶν χθὲς εἰρημένων μήτ' ἀληθέστερα μήτ' ἀναγκαιότερα εἰπόντος, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἑξῆς ἁπάντων τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπιψηφισαμένων, καὶ τὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον ἄφιξιν ἐπισπευδόντων, ὡς ἅμα τῷ φανῆναι προσχωρῆσον, καὶ τέλος εἰς ἱκετείαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ταῦτα πράττειν καταληξάντων, ὁ βασιλεὺς, μικρὸν ἐπισχών· «ἀλλ' ἔμοιγε» εἶπε «τὸ Σολομώντειον καλῶς εἰρῆσθαι δοκοῦν, τὸ, εἶναι σωτηρίαν ἐν πολλῇ βουλῇ· καὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν βουλευσαμένῳ, ἐξεύρηταί τι καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων πλέον, ὃ δὴ καὶ δεῖν ἔδοξεν εἰς μέσον θεῖναι, ὡς ἂν, εἰ καλῶς ἔχει, δοκιμασθῇ. ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ τήνδε πόλιν ἀφιγμένῳ, αὐτοί τε πολλὴν ἐπεδείξαντο τὴν εὔνοιαν κοινῇ πάντες περὶ ἐμὲ, καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι πᾶσαι κατὰ τὴν Θρᾴκην ἄχρι Χριστουπόλεως προσεχώρησαν πόλεις· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσον ἦν στρατιωτικὸν ἐν ταῖς Θρᾳκικαῖς κώμαις καθιδρυμένον, οἷς καὶ πολλὴν ὀφείλειν τὴν χάριν ὁμολογῶ ὡς ἀγαθοῖς περὶ ἐμὲ προῖκα γεγενημένοις. αἱ μέντοι κατωτέρω Χριστουπόλεως πολλαὶ καὶ περιφανεῖς οὖσαι πόλεις ἄχρι καὶ Ἀκαρνανίας καὶ ∆αλματίας ὑπήκοοι Ῥωμαίοις, καὶ στρατιὰν οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἔχουσαι καὶ στρατηγοὺς πολλούς τε καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, οὐδεμία προσεχώρησεν ἡμῖν. ὅπερ ἐμὲ ταραχῆς ἐνέπλησεν οὐκ ἀπαντῆσαν κατὰ γνώμην. οὐδ' εἶναι νομίζω λυσιτελὲς ὡς οὐδενῶν καταφρονῆσαι, ἀλλὰ 1.102 περὶ πλείστου ποιήσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων συμμαχίαν καὶ κοινωνίαν. τούτου χάριν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνα φέρουσαν πρῶτον ἑλέσθαι. προσχωρησάντων δὲ ἐκείνων, πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου βαδιούμεθα θαῤῥοῦντες, οὔτ' ὀπίσω πολεμίους καταλιπόντες, καὶ διπλασίῳ τὴν δύναμιν προσκτησάμενοι.» βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα εἶπε, τὴν πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἑλέσθαι πείθειν ἐπιχειρῶν· οἱ δ' αὖθις τῶν προτέρων ἐχόμενοι λογισμῶν, πρὸς Βυζάντιον ἔλεγον ἀπιέναι δεῖν καὶ ἄλλοσε μηδαμῆ, ὡς οὐδὲν ὂν ἔργον αὐτὸ κατασχεῖν, καὶ μὴ παρατείνειν τὸν πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ συναιρεῖν. καʹ. Ἐν τούτοις τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου φθεγγομένου μηδὲν «σὺ δ'« ἔφασαν «ἀνθ' ὅτου μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τῶν παρόντων γνώμην εἰσάγεις, ἀλλ' οὕτως ὡς καινοῦ μηδενὸς γινομένου σιωπὴν ἀσκεῖς;» «ὅτι