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he had raised up men sufficient for kings. Therefore, having arrived there, they began to test the wall, not by means of city-takers or engines or any stone-throwing instruments, since the time did not allow for it, but by means of peltasts and archers and spearmen and men in full armor.

2.9.1 But Botaneiates, seeing the revolt of the Komnenoi to be very numerous and gathered from all sorts of men, and already hastening to approach the gates of the city, and Nikephoros Melissenos, having already reached Damalis, having a force not inferior to theirs and likewise laying claim to the empire, being at a loss what to do and unable to contend against both parties, being both chilled by old age and rather timid, although in his youth he had been most courageous, at that time breathed only so much as the circuit of the wall girded him, and was more inclined to give up the empire. Hence, indeed, consternation and confusion seized everyone, and everything seemed liable to be captured from all sides. 2.9.2 But since the capture of the city appeared difficult to the Komnenoi (for the forces were gathered from various foreign and native troops; and wherever there is a diverse multitude, there also a diversity of opinion appears), Alexios, who had newly put on the sandal, seeing the impregnability of the city and suspecting the fickle nature of the soldiers, turned to another plan, so that by some flatteries and by winning over some of those guarding the walls and stealing their loyalty, he might thus take the city. 2.9.3 Having planned these things throughout the whole night, he arrived at the Caesar's tent early in the morning, reporting what he had considered and asking him to follow along with him and to spy out the walls and examine the battlements and the guards (for they were of various nationalities), and to find out how it was possible for the city to be captured. But he took the command badly, as he was not one who had recently put on the monastic habit and understanding that he would be laughed at by those standing around the wall and on the battlements, if he thus shrank from approaching the walls. And this is just what he suffered. For when, having been compelled, he followed Alexios, immediately those who saw him from the walls mocked him as 'the abbot', with some insulting addition. But he, knitting his brow and feeling insulted, considered it as nothing, but kept his whole mind on the purpose before him. For those who have a steadfast mind are accustomed to abide by what they have decided, and to scorn external happenings. 2.9.4 He inquired, therefore, who might be the ones guarding the towers in each place. And when he learned that here were stationed the so-called Immortals (this is a special regiment of the Roman force), and there the Varangians from Thule (I mean these axe-bearing barbarians), and elsewhere the Nemitzi (this too a barbarian nation and one that had served the empire of the Romans from of old), he spoke to Alexios, advising to attack neither the Varangians nor the Immortals. For the former, being natives, and having necessarily a great loyalty to the emperor, would sooner betray their own lives than be persuaded to plot any evil against him. And the latter, who brandish the swords on their shoulders, receiving their loyalty to the emperors and the protection of their persons one from another as a tradition of their fathers and a kind of trust and inheritance, maintain their loyalty to him unshaken and will absolutely not tolerate even a mere word about betrayal. But by making an attempt on the Nemitzi, perhaps you will not shoot far from the mark, but will secure an entry from the tower guarded by them. 2.9.5 Therefore, from that point, Alexios was persuaded by the Caesar's words, receiving them as if from a divine oracle

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ἀποχρῶντα βασιλεῦσιν ἀνήγειρεν. Ἐκεῖσε τοίνυν γενόμενοι πέμποντες ἀπεπειρῶντο τοῦ τείχους οὐ δι' ἑλεπόλεων ἢ μηχανῶν ἢ πετροβόλων τινῶν ὀργάνων, ἐπεὶ μηδ' ὁ καιρὸς ἐδίδου, ἀλλὰ διὰ πελταστῶν καὶ ἑκηβόλων καὶ δορυφόρων καὶ καταφράκτων ἀνδρῶν.

2.9.1 Ὁ δέ γε Βοτανειάτης τὴν τῶν Κομνηνῶν ἀποστα σίαν ὁρῶν πολυπληθῆ τε καὶ ἐκ παντοίων συνειλεγμένην ἀνδρῶν καὶ πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις τῆς πόλεως ἐπειγομένην ἤδη ἐγγίσαι, τὸν δέ γε Μελισσηνὸν Νικηφόρον περὶ τὴν ∆άμαλιν φθάσαντα οὐχ ἥττω τούτων δύναμιν ἔχοντα καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ὡσαύτως ἀντιποιούμενον, μὴ ἔχων ὅ τι καὶ δράσειε μήτε ἀντιπαλαμᾶσθαι δυνάμενος πρὸς ἄμφω τὰ μέρη, ὑπὸ τοῦ γήρως ὑπόψυχρός τε ὢν καὶ μᾶλλον περι δεής, κἂν ἐν νεότητι ἀνδρικώτατος ἦν, τοσοῦτον τότε μόνον ἀνέπνει, ὁπόσον αὐτὸν ἡ τοῦ τείχους περιβολὴ διεζώννυε, καὶ ἀπενενεύκει μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκστῆναι. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ ἔκπληξις κατεῖχε καὶ θόρυβος ἅπαντας καὶ ἁλώσιμα πάντα ἐδόκει γενήσεσθαι πάντοθεν. 2.9.2 Ὡς δὲ δυσχερὴς ἡ τῆς πόλεως ἅλωσις τοῖς Κομνηνοῖς κατεφαίνετο (αἱ δὲ δυνάμεις ἐκ διαφόρων ξενικῶν τε καὶ ἐγχωρίων συνελέγοντο· ὅπου δὲ πληθὺς διάφορος, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώμης διάφορον καταφαίνεται), βλέπων ὁ τὸ νέον ἐνδεδυκὼς πέδιλον Ἀλέξιος τὸ δυσάλωτον τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν παλίμβολον ὑποτοπάζων εἰς ἑτέραν ἐτράπετο γνώμην, ἵνα θωπείαις τισὶ καὶ ὑπο ποιησάμενός τινας τῶν φυλασσόντων τὰ τείχη καὶ κλέψας αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην οὕτως αἱρήσει τὴν πόλιν. 2.9.3 Ταῦτα δι' ὅλης νυκτὸς μελετήσας εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ καίσαρος ἅμα πρωῒ παραγίνεται ἀπαγγέλλων τὰ σκοπη θέντα καὶ ἀξιῶν ἅμα συνέψεσθαί οἱ καὶ κατασκοπῆσαι τὰ τείχη καὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἀναθεωρῆσαι καὶ τοὺς φυλάσ σοντας (ἦσαν γὰρ ἐκ διαφόρων), καὶ διαγνῶναι ὅπως δυνατόν ἐστιν ἁλῶναι τὴν πόλιν. Ὁ δὲ βαρέως τοὐπί ταγμα ἔφερεν, ἅτε τὸ μοναχικὸν οὔπω πρῴην περιβεβλη μένος ἄμφιον καὶ συνεὶς ὅτι καταγελῷτο ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἱσταμένων καὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις, εἰ οὕτως τὸν πλησιασμὸν τῶν τειχῶν ἀνεδύετο. Ὅπερ καὶ πέπονθεν. Ὡς γὰρ βιασθεὶς τῷ Ἀλεξίῳ συνηκολούθηκεν, εὐθὺς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἑωρακότες τὸν ἀββᾶν μετά τινος προσθήκης ὑβριστικῆς διετώθαζον. Ὁ δὲ ἐπισυνάξας τὸ ἐπισκύνιον καὶ ἔνδοθεν ὑβριζόμενος παρ' οὐδὲν ἐλογίζετο, πρὸς δὲ τὸν προκείμενον σκοπὸν ὅλον εἶχε τὸν νοῦν. Εἰώθασι γὰρ οἱ φρόνημα στάσιμον ἔχοντες ἐμμένειν ἐφ' οἷς ἂν κρίνωσι, τῶν δ' ἔξωθεν ἐπισυμβαινόντων καταφρο νεῖν. 2.9.4 Ἐπυνθάνετο οὖν, τίνες ἂν εἶεν οἱ ἑκασταχοῦ τοὺς πύργους φυλάσσοντες. Ὡς δὲ ἐνθαῦθα μὲν ἐφεστάναι τοὺς ἀθανάτους λεγομένους ἐμάνθανε (στράτευμα δὲ τοῦτο τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς δυνάμεως ἰδιαίτατον), ἐκεῖσε δὲ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Θούλης Βαράγγους (τούτους δὴ λέγω τοὺς πελεκυφόρους βαρβάρους), ἀλλαχόσε δὲ τοὺς Νεμίτζους (ἔθνος δὲ καὶ τοῦτο βαρβαρικὸν καὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ Ῥωμαίων δουλεῦον ἀνέκαθεν), φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξιον παραινῶν μήτε τοῖς Βαράγγοις ἐμβαλεῖν μήτε τοῖς ἀθανάτοις προσεμβαλεῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτόχθονες ὄντες τῷ βασιλεῖ πολλὴν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔχοντες εὔνοιαν θᾶττον ἂν τὰς ψυχὰς προδοῖεν ἢ πονηρόν τι κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετῆσαι πεισθήσονται. Οἱ δέ γε ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων τὰ ξίφη κραδαί νοντες πάτριον παράδοσιν καὶ οἷον παρακαταθήκην τινὰ καὶ κλῆρον τὴν εἰς τοὺς αὐτοκράτορας πίστιν καὶ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων αὐτῶν φυλακὴν ἄλλος ἐξ ἄλλου διαδεχόμενοι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν πίστιν ἀκράδαντον διατηροῦσι καὶ οὐδὲ ψιλὸν πάντως ἀνέξονται περὶ προδοσίας λόγον. Τῶν δέ γε Νεμίτζων ἀποπειρώμενος ἴσως οὐ πόρρω βαλεῖ σκοποῦ, ἀλλ' εὐτυχήσει τὴν εἴσοδον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτῶν τηρουμένου πύργου. 2.9.5 Πείθεται τοίνυν τὸ ἐντεῦθεν Ἀλέξιος τοῖς τοῦ καίσαρος λόγοις ὥσπερ ἐκ θείας ὀμφῆς τούτους δεξά