De capta thessalonica 3 a work by eustathios of thessalonica on its hopefully later capture, which had been weakened by a narrative of cachexia during

 Bearable and full of mourning and wanting springs of tears and some such things, but he who, as they say, was sown in a net and, like us, was caught u

 Most people raised their eyes as to mountains, to the acropolis, where they eagerly awaited help would be for them. but what especially accuses the gr

 Having practiced stretching out his hands like a woman to his pursuers, to slip into a fortress and to give trouble to those who ran after him, lest t

 David, who had lost his senses, whom i had previously blessed when he was in his right mind. and i thus also admired the emperor andronikos in other t

 Completely under age, not only unable to rule a very great empire by himself, but not even to be firmly disposed as boys are, of course, he had alread

 The protostrator alexios and john the eparch, and imprisonment held them and before that, things exceedingly dishonorable. but the boiling of anger on

 For should one measure things beyond measure?) a great disturbance of those of the palace, as much as was for god and the truth according to him, of

 But when the illusion proved false and the war was brought to an end in the late afternoon, having cast down many and filled the southern cemetery, th

 Thus men suffer for for the most part we multiply and magnify what we admire, as being unable to be precise because the soul is confounded by astound

 The present evils are fitting. and to recount the terrible things of that time, all that the latins saw, the fire which spread through their quarters,

 Kontostephanos, an energetic and sensible man, and countless others. but these things were unknown to the crowd and they did not know that he raged ag

 And he also sent them into exile into perpetual banishment. and after a short while, having divided those who had been imprisoned, he separated them i

 To be shamed but if not even so he should yield, being stubborn, to try even violence, and they say it is better for that one to suffer what he does

 Moreover and not enduring it if, having just found an opportunity, he would not take wing, like some demonic figure, he himself tries to surpass in ev

 Having said what seemed best, he was quiet. and for the rest, so that i may not chatter on about worldly unpleasantness, a rush of evils takes place t

 Manuel, and he curses, that he would not come to a worthy state of living in peace, that those alone would be grandeurs when his father died. and he b

 The marchese was left to remain in peace, just as neither was the kral of hungary and any other powerful neighbor. and generally, wherever there was m

 A certain boy, who appeared to be of a similar complexion and age to the emperor alexios. and that child was, they say, a peasant boy from somewhere i

 He annihilated the rest. and his knights were so boastful in their nature that each would stand against three hundred men in war, not at all unlike co

 About to happen, inferring it from many signs. we, at least, anticipating the enemy's attack, sent away those who were children of constantinople with

 For the man was truly master of his hands but he provoked the victorious one to exhaust his desire to laugh at the emperor, and drove the matter to a

 Laws of city-takers, in which, on account of their unwieldiness from size, no effect shone forth, but those around the eastern parts, and they were es

 Not to meddle further, unless they should choose to suffer evils. though he was obliged to supply sufficient grain for the city, he neglected it to su

 Having completely withdrawn his skill, lets the ship be dashed against a reef and sink to the bottom with its cargo and men. so too a guard of a fruit

 Of those seated around to release even one stone from a sling, then also to suggest to the sandal-stitchers on the walls to reproach the latins rounda

 The besiegers because the latins had entirely turned to resisting against choumnos, he, having with difficulty opened the gates and having allowed, fo

 To rebuke the general and to join in leading towards the good. and one might call these men, who had undertaken to remain in the city, no longer civil

 Stripping and running down the streets, known to those who saw them, thus giving proof that they were formerly conspirators. and there is no way that

 He wished, and as a result the enemy host was more emboldened, and even more so especially when, after choumnos had joined battle, though it was possi

 Very strongly fortified. we spoke thus, and the speech flowed away at random, itself as well. and the small stone-throwers were vexing the city, casti

 To the enemies. and with the soldiers shouting in a common cry, komnenos, halt and dismount, he, as if snorting back a final mount up and as you

 But i think this was stranger than that, that when rain poured down from what the enemies were scattering, plowing, indeed, but not sowing the beautif

 In blood, i was led about on horseback through heaps of others, the greater part of whom lay strewn before the wall, so densely packed, that my little

 Of the storm. and if it were made useless for the trees, and especially the fig trees, whose unripe fruit was unlawfully served to the savage beasts f

 But this would be judged as bordering on fighting against god. for the barbarians, rushing in even against each one of them, were committing all sorts

 They tore down when they arrived. and the ruler restrained the murders there, but there was no stopping the suffocation of those who fled into the chu

 By the command of the counts. and it was a sabbath, not having a flight, which one might evangelically pray to avert, but the destruction of so great

 Redness. it was therefore a task to recognize even one's dearest friend among them and each man would ask each other who on earth he might be, becaus

 Thus confounding good order and dissolving the sacred harmony. and i spoke reverently about this also to count alduin, if somehow order might be estab

 To crush the man, goading the horse to kick. thus did these men love us, frequently for every word and every deed putting forward as a justification f

 Of the longed for ones the executioners, or may they have pity. for something like this did indeed happen at times, as if a hungry and biting lion, th

 To relate moderate things out of countless ones but the events of the nights, not even they fail to rival these in contention. and for a time, with t

 They grieved those who kept treasure-houses by ransacking them for the sake of wealth, thus themselves implying that they understood hades as plouton.

 Through all of us and most provident. for it is reported to us that he ordered all-night vigils around the great churches, he jesting even then. for w

 They busied their swords upon them, and afterwards they left completely empty what it contained within, both things for healing and with which the suf

 They cast our people in, and declaring blessed not them but the disease, and now perhaps even death according to the people of gades, among whom hades

 Is fitting, but only by thanksgivings and glory to the most high, from whom and through whom are our affairs. what then prevents me from ceasing after

 Mercilessness towards those who offend in some small way, from which came the merciless thing that just now cast us down, a most just thing, since we,

thus confounding good order and dissolving the sacred harmony. And I spoke reverently about this also to Count Alduin, if somehow order might be established and divine things might not be mocked by the autonomy of their priests, but I was able to accomplish nothing, even though he otherwise seemed in no few matters to want to arrange Roman affairs so that they would not be destroyed. Who indeed, whether pretending or truly wishing to act justly both in judging and punishing the guilty and in distributing equality and with bruises and other torments, but also with impalement for some of the malefactors to be punished, and to the Holy Sepulchre he supplied silver and gold, sufficient for the restoration of what was lacking. And books too, although not the ones that had been taken away nor very useful ones, but at least as many as he was pleased he generously gave; and he also bestowed portable silver candlesticks for sacred processions, worthy of mention; and to us he distributed some provisions for life, along with books, which we did not greatly desire, 128 and divine images, the cared-for ones of which we in turn distributed to his men, having been asked and being unable to refuse; and also sacred furniture, for the truth must not be hidden, from which we shared out some adornment to many of the holy churches. Of this count, that was especially the good thing, even if he also had some evil mixed in, since nature places evil alongside good, having mixed such a bowl for him. For the Latin element was treacherously disposed towards our people and frequently muttered amongst themselves, as an anathema on those who on the day of the capture did not slaughter the entire citizenry and 'why do such heads sit upon such bodies' and that 'their blood does not mix with ours' and that 'we will entreat the king and all these will fall, and Latins alone will be settled in their place, and so all things will be well.' Therefore, following these were threats against us and a fanning of the count's anger from slanders as many times as it occurred and the outcry of those who slandered, 'tomorrow, tomorrow,' and all the people of God immediately around us. And it was necessary to toil and to speak, and we did so often, laboring in many ways. And with God's grace we persuaded him, and this very often because the ruler was inclined that way. And not long ago we did not let up, until at last becoming of all sorts (I do not say in conversation but in public address) and having justified ourselves and not even abstaining from flattery and having been charming and also having spoken something with gravity and having blamed the terribleness of the mixed crowd of Latins, but bringing forth timely praise for the Thessalonians and generally having adapted and managed our words in diverse ways towards savage men in a faint echo of scriptural reproof and rebuke and exhortation, who even in a time of peace concerning our own people were too timid to practice the evangelical precepts purely, so that we might not suffer unwillingly, we reassured the man and having established him in a firm state, we brought him to swear a solemn oath that indeed no longer would the fear of murder or any other evil be held over the captives. And from then on we were at rest, as much as was possible. But it was not entirely possible, at least among such Roman-hating Latins. But I must return again from the affairs of the count to what went before. Since the affairs of life are divided in two, into things of the day and things of the night, the days for us feigned gentleness because of the savagery among the Latins, which has been faintly 130 hinted at, who judge that the world is not spacious enough for them and for us; at any rate, when they met us they would spit, push, trip, and shower us with insults. Frequent for them as a refrain was "Come, Kaloyan," this was a sneer, as if we during the siege had boasted that King John would come to our aid shortly. And if one of the fellow captives walked the main road on foot (and who was not such then, when even we suffered thus, weary to exhaustion and our legs unsteady and disturbed and shaken like drunkards?), if, then, someone were thus travelling along a narrow street and happened to meet a Latin passing on horseback, that man would not refrain from trampling him and

συγχέοντες οὕτω τὸ εὔτακτον καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν ἁρμονίαν λύοντες. Καὶ ἐλάλησα μὲν εὐλαβῶς καὶ περὶ τοῦδε τῷ κόμητι Ἀλδουΐνῳ, εἴ πως γένηται τάξις καὶ μὴ γελῶντο τὰ θεῖα τῇ αὐτονομίᾳ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἱερέων, ἀνύσαι δὲ ἔσχον οὐδέν, εἰ καὶ ἄλλως ἐκεῖνος ἐῴκει ἐν οὐκ ὀλίγοις ἐθέλειν τὰ ῥωμαϊκὰ τάσσειν ὡς μὴ καταλύεσθαι. Ὅς γε καὶ δικαιοπραγεῖν εἴτε προσποιούμενος εἴτε καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν βουλόμενος ἔν τε τῷ κρίνειν καὶ κολάζειν τοὺς ὑπαιτίους καὶ ἰσότητα διανέμειν καὶ μώλωψι καὶ λοιπαῖς αἰκίαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκόλοψι τῶν τινὰς κακούργων τιμᾶσθαι, καὶ τῷ τοῦ ἁγίου τάφῳ ἄργυρον καὶ χρυσὸν ἐχορήγησε, τὸν ἀρκοῦντα εἰς ἀναποίησιν τοῦ ἐλλείψαντος. Καὶ βίβλους δέ, εἰ καὶ μὴ τὰς ἀφῃρημένας καὶ οὐδὲ πάνυ τι εὐχρήστους, ἀλλ' οὖν ὅσας εὐηρεστήθη ἐφιλοτιμήσατο δοῦναι· καὶ πήγματα δὲ κηρῶν ἀργύρεα μεταφορητὰ ἐν ἱεραῖς εἰσόδοις λόγου ἄξια ἐχαρίσατο· καὶ ἡμῖν δέ τινα ζωαρκῆ ἐπένειμε σύν γε καὶ βίβλοις, ἃς οὔτι λίαν ἐποθοῦμεν, 128 καὶ εἰκονίσματα θεῖα, ὧν τὰ πεφροντισμένα τοῖς ἐκείνου ἡμεῖς αὖθις ἐπεμερίσαμεν, αἰτηθέντες καὶ μὴ ἔχοντες ἀπανήνασθαι· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἱερὰ ἔπιπλα, μὴ γὰρ κρυπτέον τὸ ἀληθές, ἐξ ὧν ἐπικοσμήματός τι πολλαῖς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκκλησιῶν διεμοιρασάμεθα. Τοῦ δὲ κόμητος τούτου ἐκεῖνο μάλιστα τὸ καλόν, εἰ καὶ ἄλλως εἶχέ τι καὶ κακὸν συμμιγές, παρὰ καὶ καλῷ κακὸν θεμένης τῆς φύσεως, κρατῆρα τοιοῦτον κερασαμένης αὐτῷ. Εἶχε μὲν γὰρ τὸ Λατινικὸν ὑπούλως περὶ τοὺς καθ' ἡμᾶς καὶ συχνὸν αὐτοῖς ὑπ' ὀδόντας ὡς ἀνάθεμα τοῖς μὴ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς ἁλώσεως ἅπαν τὸ πολιτικὸν κατασφάξασι καὶ τὸ διὰ τί κεφαλαὶ τοιούτοις ἐπικάθηνται σώμασι καὶ ὅτι τὸ τούτων αἷμα οὐ ποιεῖ σύγκρασιν πρὸς τὸ ἡμέτερον καὶ ὅτι παρακλητεύσομεν τὸν ῥῆγα καὶ πεσοῦνται μὲν πάντες οὗτοι, ἀντεισοικισθήσονται δὲ καταμόνας Λατῖνοι, καὶ οὕτως ἅπαντα καλὰ ἔσονται. Οὐκοῦν ἀκόλουθοι τούτοις ἀπειλαὶ καθ' ἡμῶν καὶ ῥίπισμα ὅσαι ὧραι τοῦ κατὰ τὸν κόμητα θυμοῦ ἐκ διαβολῶν καὶ ἀναφώνησις τῶν ἐνδιαβαλλόντων τὸ αὔριον, αὔριον, καὶ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαὸς ἅπας εὐθὺς περὶ ἡμᾶς. Καὶ ἦν ἀνάγκη κοπιᾶν καὶ λαλεῖν, καὶ ἐποιοῦμεν οὕτω συχνά, πολυτρόπως πονούμενοι. Καὶ Θεοῦ χαριτοῦντος ἐπείθομεν, καὶ τοῦτο πλειστάκις διὰ τὸ τὸν ἄρχοντα ῥέπειν ἐκεῖσε. Καὶ οὐ πρῴην ἀνήκαμεν, ἕως τὸ τελευταῖον παντοῖοι (οὐ λέγω τὰ εἰς ὁμιλίαν ἀλλὰ δημηγορίαν) γενόμενοι καὶ δικαιολογησάμενοι καὶ οὐδὲ κολακείας ἀπεσχημένοι καὶ χαριεντισάμενοι καὶ ἐμβριθῶς δέ τι λαλήσαντες καὶ μεμψάμενοι μὲν τὴν τῶν συγκλύδων Λατίνων δεινότητα, ἔπαινον δὲ τῶν Θεσσαλονικέων προενεγκόντες καίριον καὶ ὅλως τοὺς λόγους πολυειδῶς ἁρμοσάμενοι καὶ οἰκονομήσαντες πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀγρίους κατά τι ἀμυδρὸν ἀπήχημα γραφικῆς ἐλέγξεως καὶ ἐπιτιμήσεως καὶ παρακλήσεως, οἱ καὶ κατὰ καιρὸν εἰρήνης ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἄτολμοι ὄντες ποιεῖν τὰ εὐαγγελικὰ εἰς ἄκρατον, ἵνα μὴ πάσχοιμεν ἀβούλητα, ἐβεβαιώσαμεν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ εἰς ἔμπεδον καταστήσαντες περιηγάγομεν διομόσασθαι ἦ μὴν μηκέτι φόβον ἐπαρτηθήσεσθαι φόνου ἤ τινος ἑτέρου κακοῦ τοῖς ἑαλωκόσι. Καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἀνεπαυόμεθα εἰς ὅσον ἦν ἐγχωροῦν. Ἐνεχώρει δὲ μὴ εἰς τὸ πᾶν παρά γε τοῖς οὕτω μισορωμαίοις Λατίνοις. Ἀλλ' ἐπανιτέον πάλιν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κόμητος ἐπὶ τὰ πρότερον. ∆ιχῇ διῃρημένων τῶν κατὰ βίον εἴς τε τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ τὰ νύκτερα, αἱ μὲν ἡμέραι ἡμῖν ἐψεύδοντο τὸ ἥμερον διὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς Λατίνοις ἀγριότητα, τὴν ἀμυδρῶς 130 ὑπολαληθεῖσαν, οἳ μὴ χωρητὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἡμῖν τὸν κόσμον εἶναι κρίνουσι· συναντῶντες γοῦν κατέπτυον, ὤθουν, ἐσκέλιζον, κατέβρεχον ὕβρεις. Συχνὸν ἦν αὐτοῖς ὡς εἰς ἐπῳδὸν τὸ «ἐλθὲ Καλοϊωάννης», μυκτὴρ οὗτος, ὡς ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ γαυρουμένων μικρὸν ὅσον τὸν βασιλέα Ἰωάννην ἐλθεῖν ἡμῖν ἐπίκουρον. Εἰ δέ τις τῶν συναιχμαλώτων πεζῇ τὴν λεωφόρον τρίβοι (τίς δὲ οὐ τοιοῦτος τότε, ὅτε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπάσχομεν οὕτω, κατάκοποι καὶ τὰ σκέλη παράφοροι καὶ τεταραγμένοι καὶ σεσαλευμένοι κατὰ μεθύοντας;), εἰ τοίνυν οὕτω τις περὶ στενωπὸν ὁδεύοι καὶ τύχοι Λατῖνον παρέρχεσθαι ἔφιππον, οὐκ ἂν ἐκεῖνος φείσαιτο καταπατῆσαι καὶ