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he promoted, for instance, the logothete of the herds Hagiotheodorites, promoting and calling him logothete of the 157 domestics, and Michael the Bad, whom he appointed protasekretis, he joined in marriage to a noble maiden of the Philanthropenos family, and, in short, he was much engaged in receiving the rulers.

14. How the emperor was zealous to take the city and how he took Selybria. Therefore, he was very zealous to take the city as well, and he was compelling, devising methods of battle against the Italians, and he hastened to seize its surrounding areas beforehand. And since Selybria was still held by the Italians, having sent men, he takes it by storm and makes the city Roman without a struggle. Furthermore, our men were advancing nearer and had the areas outside the city in their hands except for Aphameia, a strong fortress held by the Italians. But there were some inhabitants from Chryseia and beyond, having wavering opinions, whether they might wish to incline toward the Romans or the Italians, with the Romans attached to them as they were Romans, and the Italians trusting to have a guard from them due to their familiarity with them; for it was not possible to trust others. And as for driving out the inhabitants, there might be danger from the resulting desolation. At any rate, they were between the Romans and the Italians and for this reason they were also called *thelematarioi*, enjoying the fruits of the land outside the city and living from it and remaining at ease from both sides, as both needed their good will, so that they might not be harmed; for it was clear they would hold those who were not their own in hatred. For it was possible for the Italians to be harmed by their withdrawal from there, the place having been deserted, and for the Romans, if they attempted anything, not only not to be assisted, but also to be forcefully hindered by them on account of their hatred towards them, since they were clearly attached to the Italians. At any rate, after the capture of Selybria there was nothing between them and our men, but if they happened to meet one another anywhere, they were friendly towards them and they towards them, and neither side despoiled the other in a manner of war. 159 At any rate, it seemed good to the emperor, having crossed the Hellespont, to occupy the newly captured Selybria and, while sitting there, to work on the matter of how the city might be captured by the Romans. But the event concerning the church did not allow him to cross.

15. How the patriarch Arsenios withdraws from the patriarchate. For the patriarch Arsenios, whether considering what had been done regarding the emperor, how he himself had been deceived, while the scion of the empire remained without honor, being scorned, with all affairs being administered by Palaiologos, or whether pricked by another that he had been drowsy, having done very great and unforgettable things, or whether it was some other grieving matter—for he did not make clear why he was withdrawing—but he was fabricating reasons, that he was being despised and that he could accomplish nothing with the emperor, speaking on behalf of the duties of the church, at the same time as he spoke to the clergy, he also set out, he reaches the gate of the city of Nicaea on foot and, having shaken off the crowd around him as best he could, he rushes off without turning back, having few followers. And having settled at a certain monastery near the wall, that of the Statue, he entrusts his journey to the night and carrying himself off, he gives himself to the monastery of Paschasios, a monastery well-suited for tranquility, having the sea on one side, and on the other, being situated above the Drakon river, and there he sat in tranquility. And he, thus resting quietly in the place, did not touch upon any of the duties of the patriarchate, having left everything, speaking only to himself and to God. But the clergy and as many of the bishops as were visiting Nicaea considered the event terrible and they sent letters beseeching him, lest the emperor, on hearing it, might take what was done badly; and besides, that it was right, if someone were to cause grief, to remain right there in the patriarchate and indeed to rebuke the one causing trouble out of spite, reporting it also to the emperor; but if he himself alone was the one causing trouble, to admonish, rebuke, and exhort him, with them assisting

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προσανε βίβαζεν, ὡς καὶ τὸν λογοθέτην τῶν ἀγελῶν Ἁγιοθεοδωρίτην λογοθέτην τῶν 157 οἰκειακῶν ἐπαναβιβάζων ἐκάλει καὶ Μιχαὴλ τὸν Κακόν, πρωτασηκρῆτις ἀναδείξας, εὐγενεῖ συνήρμοττε κόρῃ ἐκ τοῦ τῶν Φιλανθρωπηνῶν γένους, καὶ ἁπλῶς πολὺς ἦν τοὺς ἄρχοντας δεξιούμενος.

ιδʹ. Ὅπως διὰ σπουδῆς εἶχεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν καὶ ὅπως Σηλυβρίαν εἷλεν. Ἦν οὖν αὐτῷ διὰ σπουδῆς μεγίστης καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν, καὶ προσηνάγ καζε, τρόπους ἐφευρίσκων μάχης πρὸς Ἰταλούς, καὶ τὰ κύκλῳ ταύτης προκαταλαβεῖν ἠπείγετο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἔτι παρ' Ἰταλῶν ἡ Σηλυβρία κατείχετο, πέμψας αἱρεῖ κατὰ κράτος καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ποιεῖται τὴν πόλιν ἀκονιτί. Ἔτι τε προσεχώρουν ἐγγύτερον οἱ ἡμέτεροι καὶ τὰ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐν χερσὶν εἶχον πλὴν Ἀφαμείας, ἰσχυροῦ φρουρίου κατεχομένου τοῖς Ἰταλοῖς. Ἦσαν δέ τινες κατοικοῦντες ἀπὸ Χρυσείας τε καὶ ἐπέκεινα, ἀνέτους τὰς γνώμας ἔχοντες, εἴτε πρὸς Ῥωμαίους εἴτε πρὸς Ἰταλοὺς ἐθέλοιεν ἀποκλίνειν, τῶν μὲν Ῥωμαίων προσκειμένων αὐτοῖς οὖσι Ῥωμαίοις, τῶν δ' Ἰταλῶνφυλακὴν ἐκ τούτων πιστευόντων ἔχειν διὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτοὺς σύνηθες· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέροις πιστεύειν. Τὸ δὲ καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐκδιῶξαι, μὴ καὶ κίνδυνος ἐκ τῆς ἐρημίας προσέσται. Ἦσαν γοῦν μεταξὺ Ῥωμαίων καὶ Ἰταλῶν καὶ διὰτοῦτο ἐκέκληντο καὶ θεληματάριοι, τὴν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως γῆν καρπιζόμενοι καὶ διαζῶντες ἐκεῖθεν καὶ παρ' ἀμφοτέρων εἰς ἄνεσιν μένοντες, χρῃζόντων ἑκατέρων τῆς ἐκείνων ἀγάπης, ὡς ἄν γε μὴ βλάπτοιντο· δῆλοι γὰρ ἦσαν διὰ μίσους τοὺς οὐκ οἰκείους ἕξοντες. Ἦν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς Ἰταλοὺς ἐκ τοῦ ἀναχωρεῖν ἐκεῖθεν ἐκείνους βλάπτεσθαι, ἐρημωθέντος τοῦ τόπου, καὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, εἰ ἐγχειροῖεν ἐπί τι, μὴ ὅπως γε συνεργεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ κράτος εἴργε σθαι παρ' αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ πρὸς ἐκείνους μῖσος καθαρῶς προσκειμένων τοῖς Ἰταλοῖς. Μετὰ γοῦν τὴν τῆς Σηλυβρίας ἅλωσιν οὐδὲν ἦν μέσον αὐτῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἀλλ' εἴ που συντύχοιεν ἀλλήλοις, φιλικῶς εἶχον αὐτοί τε πρὸς ἐκείνους κἀκεῖνοι πρὸς τούτους, καὶ τρόπον μάχης οὐδέτεροι θατέρους ἐσκύ λευον. 159 Ἐδόκει γοῦν τῷ βασιλεῖ δι' Ἑλλησπόντου περαιωθέντα τὴν Σηλυβρίαν ἄρτι ἁλοῦσαν καταλαβεῖν καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ πῶς ἂν ἡ πόλις Ῥωμαίοις ἁλῴη, ἐκεῖ καθήμενον, πραγματεύεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συμβὰν οὐκ εἴα τοῦτον διαπερᾶν.

ιεʹ. Ὅπως ὁ πατριάρχης Ἀρσένιος τοῦ πατριαρχείου ὑπεξίσταται. Ὁ γὰρ πατριάρχης Ἀρσένιος, εἴτ' ἐπιλογισάμενος τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ πραχθέν, ὡς ἐξηπάτηται μὲν αὐτός, ὁ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ὄρπηξ ἀγέραστος μένει περιφρονούμενος, τῶν πραγμάτων ὅλων ὑπὸ τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ διοικου μένων, εἴτε καὶ ἄλλου νύξαντος, ὡς ἐπινυστάξειε, μέγιστα πράξας καὶ ἄληστα, εἴτε τι καὶ ἄλλο τι τὸ λυποῦν ἦνοὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος δῆλον ἦν ποιῶν ἐφ' ᾧ ἐξεχώρει, αἰτίας δ' ἐπλάττετο, ὡς καταφρονοῖτο καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν παρὰ βασιλεῖ ἀνύτοι, λέγων ὑπὲρ τῶν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καθηκόντων, ἅμ' εἰπὼν πρὸς τὸν κλῆρον καὶ ἅμ' ὁρμήσας, τὴν πύλην τῆς πόλεως Νικαίας καταλαμβάνει πεζῇ καί, ὡς εἶχε τὸν περὶ αὐτὸν ὄχλον ἀποτιναξάμενος, ἀμεταστρεπτὶ ἵεται, ὀλίγους ἔχων τοὺς συνεπομένους. Καί τινι πρὸς τῷ τείχει, τῇ τοῦ Ἀγαλμά του, προσκαθίσας μονῇ, νυκτὶ τὴν πορείαν πιστεύει καὶ φέρων ἑαυτὸν τῇ τοῦ Πασχασίου μονῇ δίδωσι, μονῇ πρὸς ἡσυχίαν εὐθέτῳ, ἔνθεν μὲν ἐχούσῃ τὴν θάλασσαν, ἔνθεν δ' ὑπερανῳκισμένῃ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ∆ράκοντος, καὶ ἐφ' ἡσυχίας ἐκεῖσε καθῆστο. Καὶ ὁ μέν, οὕτως τῷ τόπῳ ἐνησυχάζων, οὐδενὸς τῶν καθηκόντων τῇ πατριαρχίᾳ ἥπτετο, πάντ' ἐάσας, ἑαυτῷ δὲ μόνῳ προσλα λῶν καὶ Θεῷ. Οἱ δὲ τοῦ κλήρου καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ἀρχιερέων τῇ Νικαίᾳ ἐπεδήμουν δεινὸν τὸ συμβὰν ἡγοῦντο καὶ προσεπέστελλον ἱκετεύοντες, μή που καὶ βασιλεὺς ἀκούσας ἐν δεινῷ τὸ πραχθὲν ποιήσοι· καὶ ἄλλως δίκαιον εἶναι, εἴ τίς που καὶ λυποίη, αὐτοῦ που τοῦ πατριαρχείου καθῆσθαι καί γε ἐλέγχειν τὸν κατ' ἐπήρειαν ἐνοχλοῦντα, προσαναφέροντα καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ· εἰ δ' αὐτὸς καὶ μόνος εἴη ὁ ἐνοχλῶν, αὐτὸν νουθετεῖν, ἐλέγχειν, παρακαλεῖν, συλλαμ βανόντων