58

he sent his brother-in-law George Palaeologus to Dyrrachium (an Illyrian city), urging him to use every device to expel Monomachatus from there without a fight, since he did not have sufficient force to drive him from there against his will, and to counter-scheme against Robert’s schemes, as far as he was able. 3.9.5 He also ordered him to build the battlements in a more novel fashion, leaving most of the timbers unnailed, so that if the Latins happened to ascend by ladders, as soon as they stepped on the timbers, these would overturn and they would fall with them to the ground. Moreover, he also sent many instructions by letters to the leaders of the coastal cities and to the islanders themselves not to be remiss nor to be negligent at all, but to be watchful and vigilant at all times, fortifying themselves and watching out for Robert, lest by a sudden attack he become master of all the coastal cities and of the islands themselves and later cause trouble for the empire of the Romans.

3.10.1 These matters, then, were thus managed by the emperor concerning Illyricum, and he was seen to have well secured for the time being the things before his face and at his feet against Robert; but neither was he negligent of those things rising up against him from behind. Therefore, sending letters first to Herman, the leader of Lombardy, then also to the Pope of Rome, and also to Ervius, the archbishop of Capua, to the princes, and indeed also to all the chiefs of the Celtic lands, he welcomed them with modest gifts and, with promises of many gifts and dignities, stirred them up to hostility against Robert; of whom some already abandoned their friendship with Robert, while others made promises, if they should receive more. 3.10.2 Knowing that the king of Germany was able above all these to accomplish whatever he wished against Robert, he sent letters to him once and twice, and won him over with gentle words and all sorts of promises; and when he knew him to be persuadable and promising to yield to his will, he sent Choirosphaktes again with other letters dictating the following. 3.10.3 "That the affairs of your mighty dominion are well and progressing for the better is a matter of prayer for my empire, most noble and truly most Christian brother. For how should it not be permitted for the piety of our majesty to pray for better and more profitable things for you, having learned of the piety in you? For this brotherly inclination and disposition of yours toward our empire and the labor agreed upon to be undertaken by you with the evil-scheming man, so that you may worthily pursue the criminal and sinful enemy of God and of Christians for his wickedness, reveals much of the goodwill of your soul, and this deed presents clear proof of your godly sentiment. 3.10.4 As for the affairs of our empire, other things are well, but it is unstable and troubled in a few matters, being buffeted by the affairs concerning Robert. But if one must trust in God and His just judgments, the swift destruction of this most unjust man will come to pass. For God will certainly not tolerate the rod of sinners to be laid upon His inheritance. However, the things agreed upon by our majesty to be sent to your mighty dominion, the one hundred forty-four thousand coins and the one hundred purple cloths, have now been sent through the protoproedros Constantine and katepano of the dignities according to the pleasure of your most faithful and noble count, Bulchard. And the said amount of what was sent was made up of both wrought silver and Romanatus coins

58

σύγγαμβρον αὐτοῦ Γεώργιον τὸν Παλαιολόγον πρὸς τὸ ∆υρράχιον ἐξαπέστειλε (πόλις δὲ τοῦτο Ἰλλυρική) παρακαλεσάμενος πάσῃ μηχανῇ χρήσασθαι, ὥστε ἀμαχητὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξεῶσαι τὸν Μονομα χάτον, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἀποχρῶσαν εἶχε δύναμιν, δι' ἧς τοῦτον ἄκοντα ἐκεῖθεν ἀπελάσει, πρὸς δὲ τὰς τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου μηχανὰς ἀντιμηχανᾶσθαι, ὡς δύναμις. 3.9.5 Παρεκελεύ σατο καὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις καινοπρεπέστερον κατασκευάσαι ἀνήλωτα τὰ πλείω τῶν ξύλων ἐάσαντα, ἵν' εἴ που διὰ κλιμάκων συμβαίη τοὺς Λατίνους ἀνελθεῖν, ἅμα τῷ τῶν ξύλων ἐπιβῆναι περιτρέπωνται ταῦτα καὶ σὺν τούτοις καταπίπτωσιν εἰς τοὔδαφος. Ναὶ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῶν παραλίων πόλεων καὶ αὐτοῖς δὴ τοῖς νησιώ ταις πολλὰ διὰ γραφῶν παρηγγυᾶτο μὴ ἀναπεπτωκέναι μηδὲ καταρρᾳθυμεῖν ὅλως, ἀλλ' ἐγρηγορέναι καὶ νήφειν διὰ παντὸς περιφραττομένους καὶ τὸν Ῥομπέρτον καρα δοκοῦντας, μὴ ἐξ ἐφόδου πασῶν τῶν παραλίων πόλεων ἐγκρατὴς γενόμενος καὶ αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν νήσων πράγματα ἐς ὕστερον τῇ βασιλείᾳ Ῥωμαίων παρέξει.

3.10.1 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὕτω παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως περὶ τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν ᾠκονόμητο, καὶ καλῶς τὰ τέως κατὰ πρόσωπον καὶ ἐν ποσὶ κείμενα τῷ Ῥομπέρτῳ κατοχυρώσας ὦπτο· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν κατὰ νώτων ἐκείνῳ προσισταμένων κατερρᾳ θυμηκὼς ἦν. Γράμματα τοίνυν πρῶτον μὲν πρὸς τὸν ἀρχηγὸν Λογγιβαρδίας Ἑρμάνον ἐκθέμενος, εἶτα καὶ πρὸς τὸν πάπαν Ῥώμης, πρὸς δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Καπούης Ἔρβιον, πρὸς τοὺς πρίγκιπας, ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς τῶν Κελτικῶν χωρῶν δώροις τε μετρίοις τούτους δεξιωσάμενος καὶ ὑποσχέσεσι πολλῶν δωρεῶν καὶ ἀξιωμάτων πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου ἔχθραν ἠρέθιζεν· ὧν οἱ μὲν τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ῥομπέρτον φιλίας ἤδη ἀπέστησαν, οἱ δὲ ὑπισχνοῦντο, εἰ πλείονα λάβοιεν. 3.10.2 Ὑπὲρ πάντας δὲ τούτους τὸν ῥῆγα Ἀλαμανίας γινώσκων δυνάμενον πᾶν ὅ τι καὶ βούλοιτο κατὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου καταπράξασθαι ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς γράμματα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκπέμψας καὶ διὰ μειλιχίων λόγων καὶ παν τοίων ὑποσχέσεων ὑποποιησάμενος, ἐπεὶ καταπειθῆ τοῦ τον ἐγνώκει καὶ τῷ αὐτοῦ ὑπεῖξαι θελήματι ὑπισχνού μενον, μεθ' ἑτέρων αὖθις γραμμάτων τὸν Χοιροσφάκτην ἐξέπεμψε τάδ' ὑπαγορευόντων. 3.10.3 «Τὰ κατὰ τὴν σὴν μεγαλοδύναμον ἐξουσίαν καλῶς ἔχειν καὶ προκόπτειν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον εὐχῆς ἔργον ἐστὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου, πανευγε νέστατε καὶ τῷ ὄντι Χριστιανικώτατε ἀδελφέ. Καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐξέσται τῇ τοῦ κράτους ἡμῶν θεοσεβείᾳ ἐπεύ χεσθαί σοι τὰ κρείττω τε καὶ λυσιτελέστερα τὴν ἐν σοὶ καταμαθούσῃ θεοσέβειαν; Ἡ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν βασιλείαν ἀδελφική σου αὕτη ῥοπὴ καὶ διάθεσις καὶ ὁ μετὰ τοῦ κακομηχάνου ἀνδρὸς συμφωνηθεὶς ἀναδεχθῆναί σοι κάματος, ἵνα τὸν παλαμναῖον καὶ ἀλιτήριον καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ πολέμιον καὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀξίως μετέλθῃς τῆς κακοφροσύνης αὐτοῦ πολλήν σοι τὴν ἀγαθοθέλειαν τῆς ψυχῆς διαδείκνυσι, καὶ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο φανερὰν τὴν πληροφορίαν παρίστησι τοῦ κατὰ Θεόν σου φρονήματος. 3.10.4 Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν βασιλείαν τἆλλα μὲν ἔχει καλῶς, ἐν ἐλαχίστοις δὲ ἀστατεῖ καὶ ταράττεται τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ῥομπέρτον κυμαινόμενα. Ἀλλ' εἴ τι δεῖ πι στεύειν Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου δικαίοις κρίμασι, ταχεῖα ἡ καταστροφὴ τοῦ ἀδικωτάτου τούτου ἀνθρώπου παρέσεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνέξεται πάντως Θεὸς ῥάβδον ἁμαρτωλῶν κατὰ τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐπαφίεσθαι. Τὰ μέντοι παρὰ τοῦ κράτους ἡμῶν συμφωνηθέντα ἀποσταλῆναι τῇ μεγα λοδυνάμῳ σου ἐξουσίᾳ, αἱ ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες τῶν νομισμάτων καὶ τὰ ἑκατὸν βλαττία, ἀπεστά λησαν νῦν διὰ τοῦ πρωτοπροέδρου Κωνσταντίνου καὶ κατεπάνω τῶν ἀξιωμάτων κατὰ τὴν ἀρεσκείαν τοῦ πιστο τάτου καὶ εὐγενεστάτου σου κόμητος τοῦ Βουλχάρδου. Καὶ τὸ ῥηθὲν ποσὸν τῶν ἀποσταλέντων ἀπεπληρώθη διά τε εἰργασμένου ἀργύρου καὶ Ῥωμανάτου