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having joined with the army sent there by the emperor to make war on Palaeologus, he attacked those in Rhodope. And those in the cities, seeing that the country-dwellers had all at once been turned into enemies against them and that the army was pressing upon them, and fearing that they might also be destroyed by those within who were in revolt, changed their allegiance and attached themselves to the new emperor. And having bound the general, they held him under guard, until the emperor, upon learning about him, should pass sentence. And they themselves, along with Syrbanos, came to the emperor, some to receive rewards for their good will toward him; and as many as 1.147 had previously been attached to the elder emperor, to ask for pardon. The emperor moderately rebuked those who had revolted as having shown themselves ungrateful toward him who had treated them well, and commanded them no longer to be prone to rebellions and violations of oaths, and saying that he himself would grant amnesty for the wrongs they had committed, he deemed them worthy of pardon; and after a little while, having also treated them well, he ordered them to go home. But those who had remained steadfast in their loyalty to him he both praised and rewarded worthily with gifts, and sent them away, having appointed over them as general the domestic Tarchaneiotes, who had been instructed to send the grand stratopedarch as a prisoner to the emperor. On the next day, Syrbanos, standing before the emperor, seemed to wish to say something to the emperor. And the emperor, understanding, bade him say whatever he wished. And as soon as he was commanded, he cast himself to the ground and asked to obtain pardon, if he, being a swineherd and a barbarian and a rustic, dared to utter something to the emperor. And when the emperor ordered him to speak, fearing nothing, he pleaded on behalf of the grand stratopedarch, that he too, for the wrongs he had committed against the emperor by causing those in Rhodope to revolt, might receive pardon. And when the emperor asked whether he was pleading in irony or in truth; he said, in truth, and he added an oath for the sake of belief; and that it was necessary, if he had erred in any way, to deem him worthy of pardon as a kinsman. ‘Have you forgotten,’ said the emperor in turn, ‘how many evil 1.148 things he has done to you, depriving you of your property and children and wife, and even of your very teeth, and tearing your body with many tortures, and finally, like one of those caught in the most terrible crimes, branding your cheek with iron so that the scars cannot even be erased? Overall, what is it that has persuaded you to plead on his behalf?’ ‘What could be greater,’ he said, ‘O emperor, than that one who but yesterday and the day before was ranked among those who served him, should now come to such a state of distinction, through the benefaction of God and you, O emperor, as to be able to intercede for those related to the emperor by birth, and to deliver them from their expected evils?’ And the emperor, amazed at the barbarian’s forgetfulness of evils, said, ‘If you, who have been wronged so much by him and suffered badly, being a barbarian and of humble fortune, repay with the opposite, doing good as much as is possible, it is not just for me either, who have been wronged more moderately, and being an emperor, to be seen as inexorable in anger. Therefore, on account of your supplication also, overlooking his transgressions, I deem him worthy of pardon.’ And the barbarian, giving thanks for these things and praising the emperor many times, added a second request, that the same man should be deprived neither of his rank nor of his revenues and imperial gifts. And the emperor, admiring even more his zeal on behalf of the one who had wronged him, fulfilled this request also. And while he still lay at the emperor’s feet, the letters of pardon, having been written out and authenticated by the imperial hand, were given to him; and taking them 1.149 and kissing the ground on which the emperor stood, he went away rejoicing. 31. And on the same day a messenger came from Thessalonica and reported to the emperor that, a revolt having taken place in it, those attached to the new emperor gained the upper hand and secured Thessalonica for him; and that the Despot Constantine, having fled into the monastery of Chortaitos near it, they seized and are holding under guard. The emperor immediately sent men to Thessalonica to bring him, having them first under oaths

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βασιλέως ἐνταυθοῖ πεμφθείσῃ τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ πολεμεῖν συμμίξας στρατιᾷ, ἐπέθετο τοῖς ἐν τῇ Ῥοδόπῃ. ὁρῶντες δὲ οἱ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι τούς τε ἀγρότας ἐκπολεμωθέντας αὐτοῖς ὁμοῦ πάντας καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπικειμένην, καὶ δείσαντες μὴ καὶ τῶν ἔνδον ἀπόλωνται στασιασάντων, μεταβαλόντες προσέθεντο τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ. καὶ δήσαντες τὸν στρατηγὸν εἶχον ἐν φρουρᾷ, ἄχρις ἂν ὁ βασιλεὺς πυθόμενος περὶ αὐτοῦ ψῆφον ἐνέγκῃ. αὐτοὶ δ' ἅμα Συρμπάνῳ ἧκον ὡς βασιλέα, οἱ μὲν ἀποληψόμενοι γέρα τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἐννοίας· ὅσοι 1.147 δ' ἦσαν πρότερον τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ προστεθειμένοι βασιλεῖ, ἐξαιτήσοντες συγγνώμην. ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ τῶν μὲν ἀφεστηκότων καθαψάμενος μετρίως ὡς ἀγνωμόνων περὶ αὐτὸν εὖ δράσαντα φανέντων, παραγγείλας τε μὴ εὐχερεῖς ἔτι πρὸς τὰς ἀποστασίας καὶ τὰς παραβάσεις τῶν ὅρκων εἶναι, αὐτός τε ἀμνηστήσειν ὧν αὐτοῖς ἡμάρτηται εἰπὼν, ἠξίωσε συγγνώμης· μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ εὖ ποιήσας, οἴκαδε ἐπέταξεν ἀπιέναι. τοὺς δὲ τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμμείναντας πίστει ἐπαινέσας τε ἅμα καὶ δωρεαῖς ἀμειψάμενος ἀξίως, ἐξαπέστειλε μὲν αὐτοὺς, στρατηγὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσας τὸν Ταρχανειώτην δομέστικον, ᾧ ἐπετέτραπτο τὸν μέγαν στρατοπεδάρχην δεσμώτην ὡς βασιλέα ἀποστεῖλαι. εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν δὲ ὁ Συρμπάνος ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἑστηκὼς, ἐδόκει βούλεσθαί τι πρὸς βασιλέα εἰπεῖν. συνεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἴ τι βούλοιτο ἐκέλευε λέγειν. ὁ δ' ἅμα τῷ προσταχθῆναι πρὸς τοὔδαφος ἑαυτὸν καταβαλὼν, συγγνώμης ᾔτει τυχεῖν, εἰ συβώτης ὢν καὶ βάρβαρος καὶ ἀγροῖκος, ἐτόλμησε φθέγξασθαί τι πρὸς βασιλέα. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ προστάξαντος λέγειν δεδοικότα μηδὲν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεγάλου ἐδεῖτο στρατοπεδάρχου, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸν ἐφ' οἷς εἰς βασιλέα ἥμαρτε, τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ῥοδόπην ἀποστήσας, τυχεῖν συγγνώμης. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ ἐρομένου, εἰ πρὸς εἰρωνείαν ἢ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν τυχεῖν δεῖται· ὁ δ' ἔφασκε, πρὸς ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ὅρκον προσετίθει πίστεως χάριν· δέον δ' εἶναι, εἴ τι καὶ ἥμαρτε, προσήκοντα πρὸς γένους ἀξιῶσαι συγγνώμης. «ἐπιλέλησαι δ'« εἴρηκεν αὖθις ὁ βασιλεὺς «ὅσα σε εἴργασται κα 1.148 κὰ, ἀποστερήσας μὲν τῶν ὄντων καὶ παίδων καὶ γυναικὸς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὀδόντων αὐτῶν, πολλαῖς τε αἰκίαις καταξάνας τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τέλος ὥσπερ τινὰ τῶν ἐπὶ δεινοτάτοις ἑαλωκότων τὴν παρειὰν κατακαύσας σιδήρῳ ὡς μηδὲ τὰς οὐλὰς ἐξαλειφθῆναι δύνασθαι; ὅλως δὲ τί σε τὸ πεῖσάν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου δεῖσθαι;» «τί δ' ἂν εἴη μεῖζον» ἔφασκεν «ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἢ τὸν οὔπω χθὲς καὶ πρώην ἐν τοῖς δουλεύουσιν ἐκείνῳ τεταγμένον, νῦν εἰς τοσοῦτον ἥκειν περιφανείας, θεοῦ καὶ σοῦ, βασιλεῦ, εὐηργετηκότος, ὡς καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖ προσήκοντας κατὰ γένος ἐξαιτεῖσθαι δύνασθαι, καὶ τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἀπαλλάττειν κακῶν;» θαυμάσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς ἀμνηστίαν τοῦ βαρβάρου, «εἰ σύγε» ἔφη «τοσαῦτα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀδικηθεὶς καὶ κακῶς παθὼν, βάρβαρος ὢν καὶ φαῦλος τὴν τύχην, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμείβῃ ὅσον ἔξεστι ποιῶν εὖ, οὐδ' ἐμὲ δίκαιον μετριώτερα ἀδικηθέντα, βασιλέα τε ὄντα, ἀπαραίτητον ὀφθῆναι πρὸς ὀργήν. τοίνυν καὶ τῆς σῆς ἱκετείας ἕνεκα τὰ ἡμαρτημένα παρορῶν, ἀξιῶ συγγνώμης.» εὐχαριστήσας δὲ ὁ βάρβαρος ἐπὶ τούτοις, καὶ πολλάκις ἐπευφημήσας τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ δευτέραν δέησιν προσετίθει, τὸ τὸν αὐτὸν μήτε τῆς ἀξίας ἀποστερηθῆναι μήτε τῶν προσόδων καὶ τῶν δωρεῶν τῶν βασιλικῶν. ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἠδικηκότος σπουδὴν θαυμάσας ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ταύτην τὴν δέησιν ἐπλήρου. ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς πόδας βασιλέως κειμένου, τὰ τῆς συγγνώμης γράμματα διαχαραχθέντα καὶ τῇ βασιλικῇ πιστωθέντα χειρὶ ἐπεδόθησαν αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ λαβὼν 1.149 καὶ τὴν γῆν κατασπασάμενος, ἐφ' ἧς ὁ βασιλεὺς εἱστήκει, χαίρων ἀπῆλθε. λαʹ. Τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ἡμέρας ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης ἄγγελος ἐλθὼν ἀπήγγειλε βασιλεῖ, ὡς στάσεως ἐν αὐτῇ γενομένης, οἱ τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ προσκείμενοι ὑπερσχόντες, Θεσσαλονίκην περιεποίησαν αὐτῷ· τὸν δεσπότην δὲ Κωνσταντῖνον εἰς τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν φροντιστήριον τὸ Χορταίτου διαδράντα, κατασχόντες ἔχουσιν ἐν φρουρᾷ. ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ εὐθὺς τοὺς ἄξοντας αὐτὸν ἔπεμψεν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην, ὅρκοις πρότερον αὐτοὺς