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However, the emperor, pretending to be ignorant of what he meant by the apology, having thanked them as well, dissolved the assembly. And from that day to the seventh, the emperor, with the grand domestic and the protostrator, persuading both those in high rank and the chosen men of the army, and through them the entire multitude, were scarcely able to make the peace based on the stated terms acceptable to all. It was possible, therefore, for the emperor to ratify the peace with a few of the distinguished men, but it seemed better for it to be done by a common vote. And for this reason, such things were managed. 33. But when it had been ratified by all, the emperor, having summoned the protos of the Holy Mountain, who was also the ambassador at that time, said, “You yourself, having seen the army’s objection to the peace, and our own zeal for this, and the methods and contrivances by which we have persuaded all to make it acceptable, will report to my lord and emperor; and from me you will say such things to him, that I make the all-seeing eye of God and the incorruptible judgment of conscience a witness to my words, that neither before nor now am I conscious of having done anything of a sort worthy to make you, my lord and father, so hostile towards me. Therefore, when you previously mentioned peace, I myself, without saying anything against it or being meddlesome, 1.164 but even considering myself to be benefited, fulfilled 1.164 your command; and now, although the army was very displeased, concerning which I tried to persuade them, as you will learn accurately from the ambassador, I have, with God's help, brought to completion what you have commanded. So in the treaties at the conclusion of the former war, I acquired for my own rule the area from Christopolis to Selybria, not because I needed it myself, but for the reasons which I then said were necessary. But now, having realized that the peace based on such terms became the beginning of a second war; for the sycophants and common enemies and unseen destroyers of the fortune of the Romans, having found material and having fabricated many accusations and slanders, were enraged against me and rushed to war for no apparent reason, fearing lest, having again appropriated the former portion of the empire or even something more, I should again provide opportunities to those wishing to slander, and having fabricated slanders, they should provoke you to war against me again, which is more grievous to me than death; I bring and surrender everything under your authority, not only cities and land and public taxes, but also myself with all whom I lead, and from now on it will be your concern to provide for the administration of all things, having considered each matter. However, having increased the pay of the mercenary part of the army, I also provided to each man plethra of land and ten gold coins. Therefore, concerning 1.165 the increase of pay, you yourself would know how it must be done; however, I ask that the soldiers not be deprived of the land, on the one hand, because no loss has occurred to the public revenues from this distribution, and on the other, because due to its smallness, it causes no distraction for the soldiers from being ready for campaigns and seems to provide some benefit. In addition to this, also that the gold designated for their pay, which was previously delivered to me, be distributed by me to the soldiers; for so I promised them, when I was making speeches to them about the peace, as they were not easily persuaded. And concerning my household, how it will be managed, it is necessary for me to obey as you yourself should judge to be well. But my uncle the despotes will not now be released from prison, as I believe it to be advantageous for certain reasons; but after a short time he will be released and will live with me, being cared for. Therefore I ask to receive pardon for this.” Having commanded the ambassador, Protos Isaac, to say such things to the emperor and his grandfather, the young emperor sent him to Byzantium. And when he arrived, he reported both that the peace had been ratified and its terms, and also the objection of the army in such matters, and the zeal of the young emperor and the management by which he was able to persuade everyone to the peace

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μέντοι βασιλεὺς τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὅ, τι νοεῖ ὑποκρινάμενος ἀγνοεῖν, εὐχαριστήσας καὶ αὐτοῖς, διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. ἐξ ἐκείνης δὲ καὶ εἰς ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ ἅμα καὶ πρωτοστράτορι τούς τε ἐν τέλει καὶ τοὺς λογάδας πείθοντες τῆς στρατιᾶς, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος, ἴσχυσαν μόλις εὐπαράδεκτον πᾶσι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις εἰρήνην καταστῆσαι. ἐξῆν μὲν οὖν καὶ βασιλεῖ σὺν ὀλίγοις τῶν ἐπιφανῶν τισι τὴν εἰρήνην κυροῦν, ἐδόκει δὲ βέλτιον γενέσθαι ψήφῳ κοινῇ. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ τοιαῦτα ᾠκονομεῖτο. λγʹ. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἐκεκύρωτο παρὰ πάντων, τὸν τοῦ ἁγίου ὄρους πρῶτον, ὅστις καὶ ἐπρέσβευε τότε, μετακαλεσάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς, «τὴν μὲν πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην ἔνστασιν» εἶπε «τῆς στρατιᾶς, τήν τε ἡμετέραν πρὸς τοῦτο σπουδὴν καὶ τοὺς τρόπους καὶ τὰς περινοίας, δι' ὧν αὐτὴν εὐπαράδεκτον πᾶσι πεπείκαμεν γενέσθαι, αὐτὸς ἰδὼν ἀπαγγελεῖς τῷ ἐμῷ κυρίῳ καὶ βασιλεῖ· ἐξ ἐμοῦ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν τοιαῦτα ἐρεῖς, ὡς, μάρτυρα τῶν ἐμῶν ποιοῦμαι λόγων τὸν πάντ' ἐφορῶντα ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ συνειδότος ἀδέκαστον κρίσιν, ὡς οὔτε πρότερον οὔτε νῦν ἐμαυτῷ τι σύνοιδα εἰργασμένῳ οἷον ἄξιον εἶναί σε τὸν ἐμὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα οὕτως ἐκπολεμωθῆναι ποιῆσαι πρὸς ἐμέ. διόπερ πρότερόν τε ἅμα τε ἐμνήσθης εἰρήνης, καὶ αὐτὸς μηδὲν ἀντειπὼν μηδὲ πολυπραγμο 1.164 νήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ νομίζων εὐεργετεῖσθαι, τὸ ἐπίταγμα ἐπλή1.164 ρουν τὸ σόν· καὶ νῦν, καίτοι γε τῆς στρατιᾶς πολλὰ δυσχεραινόντων, ἐφ' οἷς ἐπεχείρουν πείθειν, ὡς ἀκριβῶς παρὰ τοῦ πρέσβεως μαθήσῃ, ὃ προστέταχας, καὶ θεοῦ συναιρομένου, ἤγαγον πρὸς πέρας. ἐν μὲν οὖν ταῖς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ προτέρου πολέμου καταθέσει σπονδαῖς τὸ ἀπὸ Χριστουπόλεως ἄχρι Σηλυβρίας εἰς ἰδίαν ἀρχὴν περιεποιησάμην, οὐ δεόμενος αὐτὸς, ἀλλὰ δι' ἃς εἶπον αἰτίας τότε οὔσας ἀναγκαίας. νυνὶ δὲ συνιδὼν, ὡς ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις εἰρήνη ἀρχὴ κατέστη δευτέρου πολέμου· οἱ γὰρ συκοφάνται καὶ κοινοὶ πολέμιοι καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης ἀφανεῖς λυμεῶνες ὕλης εὐπορήσαντες καὶ πολλὰς αἰτίας πλασάμενοι καὶ διαβολὰς, ἐξώργισαν κατ' ἐμοῦ καὶ πρὸς πόλεμον ἐξώρμησαν ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας ἐμφανοῦς, δείσας μὴ καὶ αὖθις τὴν προτέραν μοῖραν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἢ καὶ πλεῖόν τι ἰδιοποιησάμενος, ἀφορμὰς πάλιν τοῖς συκοφαντεῖν ἐθέλουσι παράσχω, καὶ πλασάμενοι διαβολὰς, πρὸς τὸν κατ' ἐμοῦ πόλεμόν σε ἐρεθίσωσιν αὖθις, ὅπερ ἐπαχθέστερον ἐμοὶ θανάτου· φέρων ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν ἐξουσίαν παραδίδωμι πάντα, οὐ πόλεις μόνον καὶ χώραν καὶ δημοσίους φόρους, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐμὲ μετὰ πάντων ὧν ἄγω, καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε σοὶ περὶ τῆς διοικήσεως πάντων μελήσει ἕκαστα σκεψαμένῳ. τοῦ μέντοι μισθοφορικοῦ τῆς στρατιᾶς τὸν μισθὸν αὐξήσας, παρέσχον καὶ γῆς ἑκάστῳ πλέθρα χρυσίων δέκα. περὶ μὲν 1.165 οὖν τῆς αὐξήσεως τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτὸς ἂν εἰδείης ᾗ χρὴ γενέσθαι· τῆς μέντοι γῆς τοὺς στρατιώτας δέομαι μὴ ἀφαιρεθῆναι, τοῦτο μὲν, ὅτι στέρησις οὐδεμία ταῖς δημοσίαις προσόδοις ἀπὸ τῆς διανομῆς γεγένηται ταύτης, τοῦτο δ', ὅτι καὶ διὰ τὴν ὀλιγότητα οὐδεμίαν ἀσχολίαν παρέχουσα τοῖς στρατιώταις πρὸς τὸ εἰς τὰς ἐκστρατείας εὐκόλους εἶναι ὠφέλειάν τινα δοκεῖ παρέχειν. πρὸς τούτοις καὶ τὸ ἀποτεταγμένον εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν μισθοφορὰν χρυσίον πρὸς ἐμὲ πρότερον ἀποκαθιστάμενον, παρ' ἐμοῦ διανέμεσθαι τοῖς στρατιώταις· οὕτω γὰρ ἐπηγγειλάμην αὐτοῖς, ὅτε τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐποιούμην λόγους οὐ ῥᾳδίως πειθομένοις. περί γε μὴν τῆς οἰκίας τῆς ἐμῆς ὅπως διοικηθήσεται, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸς κρίναις εὖ ἔχειν, ἐμοὶ πείθεσθαι ἀνάγκη. ὁ δέ γε θεῖος ὁ ἐμὸς ὁ δεσπότης νῦν μὲν οὐκ ἀπολυθήσεται τῆς εἱρκτῆς, οὕτως ἐμοῦ λυσιτελεῖν δι' αἰτίας οἰομένου τινάς· μετὰ δὲ χρόνον τινὰ μικρὸν ἀπολυθήσεταί τε καὶ σὺν ἐμοὶ διάξει θεραπευόμενος. διὸ καὶ δέομαι τούτου χάριν τυχεῖν συγγνώμης.» Τοιαῦτα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πάππον ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς τὸν πρεσβεύοντα πρῶτον Ἰσαὰκ κελεύσας εἰπεῖν, ἀπέστειλεν εἰς Βυζάντιον. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφῖκτο, τήν τε εἰρήνην ὅτι κεκύρωτο καὶ ἐφ' ὁποίοις τισὶν ἀπήγγειλε, τήν τε ἔνστασιν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ τὴν τοῦ νέου βασιλέως σπουδὴν καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν οἷς ἴσχυσε πάντας πεῖσαι τὴν εἰρήνην