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he used his authority more generously, lavishly pouring out money on them. And one could see the multitude of the Romans, of whatever rank, fortune, or occupation they happened to be, filled with great pleasure and rejoicing at the state of affairs. For just as someone might emerge from a deep dizziness into the purest light of the sun, or from a surge to a calm, or from winter to spring, or from a storm to a stillness, and from great sorrow be changed to pleasure, so everyone was radiant and leapt for joy, having forgotten their former more painful and bitter way of life. The Latins in Constantinople, therefore, and Baldwin who was reigning there, sent an embassy to the emperor, seeking certain excessive things that were close to being absurd; for being contemptuously disposed toward the emperor as one who had just now taken up rule, they made heavy demands. And first they began to make the demand for the city of Thessalonica, that the emperor should hand this over to them and all the other territory up to Constantinople itself. But the emperor, having heard such things, made a rather witty defense to them, saying, 'This city happens to be my homeland, as it were; for there my father, whom you also know, was governor—I mean the Grand Domestic. But also in it he measured out his life, and his body is buried there. How then is it right for this city to be outside my rule?' Having heard this, the envoys' ears began to itch, hoping that the emperor might perhaps grant them something of what they were asking, and changing their tune they said, 'Well then, O emperor, concede to us to hold the rest of the lands from Serres onwards.' And the emperor said: 'You are not making a proper request of me in this either. For it was there that I first began to govern territories for the late emperor, my uncle, and it was there I first held a command, and I love the place as a familiar ground. It is not right, therefore, to give up this city either.' So the envoys nimbly jumped from place to place, and having nothing, ready to be content if they might receive anything, as though they had gained something, they replied, 'O emperor, give us the lands from Boleron up to our own.' And the emperor said: 'In these places I have often hunted, and I have almost learned to be a good hunter in these parts, and it does not seem right to me to give up this region, where I love to hunt again and take pleasure in the pursuit of animals.' 'What then do you give us?' the envoys replied to the emperor. 'I, for my part,' said the emperor, 'nothing. But if you wish to have peace from me—for you know me well and understand my fighting from when I held the command of Bithynia and Tarsia, how I know how to fight you—I am willing for the Latins in Constantinople to pay tribute to the rule of the Romans, namely half of their commercial tax and likewise the corresponding income from their goldsmithing. If you should promise to provide me with these things, I will enter into peace. But if not, then let there be war, which, to speak with God's help, will be more profitable to the Romans.' Thus the envoys of the Latins, put to shame, returned to Constantinople with nothing accomplished.

79 And the emperor also sent an embassy to the apostate Michael through Theodore Philes, who had been blinded by the emperor Theodore. And the embassy was gentle, and the emperor, [yielding], conceded to the apostate many of the appropriate cities and regions, drawing him toward friendship, while he reclaimed a few things and such as it was not reasonable to overlook. But the apostate was hard toward hearings and abrupt in his words; for not only did he not accept the embassy, but he also gave improper replies. For he was puffed up not only by his marriage connection with Manfred, the king of Sicily, but also with William, the prince of Achaea; for he had already fulfilled such a marriage alliance; thence

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φιλοτιμότερον ἐχρήσατο τῇ ἀρχῇ, ἀφειδῶς ἐπιχέων τούτοις τὰ χρήματα. καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πλῆθος, κἂν οἱουδήτινος ἔτυχε τάγματος κἂν οἱασδήτινος τύχης καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματος οἱουδή τινος, πολλῆς τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐμφορούμενον καὶ ἐπιχαῖρον τοῖς πράγμασιν. ὥσπερ γάρ τις ἐκ σκοτομήνης βαθείας εἰς καθαρώτατον ἡλίου φέγγος ἐπέλθοι ἢ καὶ ἀπὸ κλύδωνος εἰς γαλήνην ἢ ἐκ χειμῶνος εἰς ἔαρ ἢ εἰς νηνεμίαν ἐκ λαίλα πος κἀκ τῆς πολλῆς ἀνίας μεταμειφθείη εἰς ἡδονήν, οὕτως ἅπαντες ἐπεγάννυντο καὶ ἐσκίρτων ὑφ' ἡδονῆς, τῆς προ τέρας ἐπιλελησμένοι ἀλγεινοτέρας καὶ πικρᾶς διαγωγῆς. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει Λατῖνοι καὶ ὁ ἐν αὐτῇ τάχα βασιλεύων Βαλδουῖνος πρεσβείαν ἔστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὑπέρογκά τινα ζητοῦντες καὶ ἀτόπων ὄντα ἐγγύς· καταφρονητικῶς γὰρ διατεθέντες πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ὡς νῦν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἁψάμενον βαρείας τὰς ζητήσεις ἐποίουν. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως Θεσσαλονίκης ποι εῖσθαι τὴν ζήτησιν, ἵνα παράσχῃ ταύτην τούτοις ὁ βασι λεὺς καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄλλην χώραν ἄχρι καὶ τῆς Κωνσταν τίνου αὐτῆς. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν τοιούτων ἀκροασάμενος ἀστειότερον πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τὸν ἀπόλογον ἐποιήσατο, ὡς «ἡ πόλις αὕτη πατρίς μου οἷον τυγχάνει· ἐκεῖσε γὰρ ὁ ἐμὸς πατὴρ ἡγεμόνευεν, ὃν καὶ ὑμεῖς οἴδατε, τὸν μέγαν λέγω δομέστικον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ οὗτος τὸ ζῆν ἐξεμέ τρησε, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖσε τέθαπται. πῶς οὖν δέον ἐστὶ ταύτην τὴν πόλιν ἔξω τῆς ἐμῆς τυγχάνειν ἀρχῆς;» ταῦτ' ἀκηκοότες οἱ πρέσβεις ὑποκνηστιῶσαν ἔσχον τὴν ἀκοήν, ὡς τάχα τινὰ τῶν ζητουμένων παράσχῃ τούτοις ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ μεταβαλόντες τὸν λόγον «οὐκοῦν» ἔφησαν, «ὦ βασιλεῦ, παρα χώρησον ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν Σερρῶν αὐτῶν κατασχεῖν τὰ λοιπά.» καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς· «οὐδ' αὐτήν μοι προσήκουσαν ποιεῖσθε τὴν ζήτησιν. πρώτως γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πρὸς τοῦ μακαρίτου βασιλέως τοῦ θείου μου ἡγεμονεύειν χώρας ἠρξάμην, καὶ πρώ τως ἐν αὐτῇ ἐστρατήγησα, καὶ φιλῶ τὸν τόπον ὡς σύνηθες ἔδαφος. οὐ χρεὼν γοῦν οὐδὲ ταύτην τὴν πόλιν κατα λιπεῖν.» εὐχερῶς γοῦν οἱ πρέσβεις ἐκ τόπου μετεπήδων εἰς τόπον, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχοντες, εἰ καί τι λάβοιεν, ἀγαπᾶν ὡς κερδήσαντες καὶ «ὦ βασιλεῦ,» ἀντεῖπον, «καὶ δὸς ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ Βολεροῦ τὰ μέχρις ἡμῶν.» καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς· «ἐν τούτοις τοῖς τόποις ἐθήρευσα πολλάκις, καὶ σχεδὸν τὸ καλῶς χρᾶ σθαι ταῖς θήραις ἐν τούτοις μεμάθηκα, καὶ οὔ μοι κέκριται ἄξιον τοῦτον ἀφεῖναι τὸν χῶρον, ἔνθα καὶ πάλιν ἀγαπῶ θηρεύειν καὶ ἄγραις ζώων ἐφήδεσθαι.» «τί γοῦν ἡμῖν δί δως;» ἀντέφησαν οἱ πρέσβεις τῷ βασιλεῖ. «ἐγὼ μέν,» ἔφη ὁ βασιλεύς, «οὐδέν· ἀλλ' εἴπερ ἐθέλητε τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ εἰρήνην λαβεῖν-καλῶς γάρ με ἐπίστασθε καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐμοῦ μάχην ξυνίετε, ἡνίκα τὴν ἡγεμονίαν Βιθυνίας καὶ Ταρσίας εἶχον, ὅπως ὑμῖν οἶδα μαχέσασθαι-ἐθέλω τοὺς ἐν τῇ Κων σταντινουπόλει Λατίνους πρὸς τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τελεῖν ἀρχὴν μερίδα μὲν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ κομμερκίου αὐτῶν τὴν ἡμί σειαν κἀκ τοῦ χρυσεψητείου αὐτῶν τὴν ἀνάλογον ὡσαύτως εἴσοδον. εἰ ταῦτά μοι παρασχεῖν ὑποσχοίητε, εἰς εἰρήνην συνέρχομαι. εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἔστω μάχη, ἥτις σὺν θεῷ φάναι μᾶλλον λυσιτελήσει Ῥωμαίοις.» οὕτως καταισχυν θέντες οἱ τῶν Λατίνων πρέσβεις ἄπρακτοι πρὸς τὴν Κων σταντινούπολιν ὑπενόστησαν.

79 Καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀποστάτην δὲ Μιχαὴλ ἐστείλατο πρεσβείαν ὁ βασιλεὺς διὰ τοῦ Φιλῆ Θεοδώρου τοῦ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδώρου τετυφλωμένου. καὶ ἡ πρεσβεία πραεῖα, καὶ πολλὰ [ὑπενδιδοῦσα] τῶν προσηκόντων ἄστεων καὶ χωρῶν παρεχώρει τῷ ἀποστάτῃ ὁ βασιλεύς, πρὸς ἀγάπην ἐφέλκων αὐτόν, ὀλίγα δὲ ἄττα ἀνεκαλεῖτο καὶ οἷα οὐκ ἦν εἰκὸς παριδεῖν. ἀλλ' ἦν ὁ ἀποστάτης πρὸς τὰς ἀκροάσεις σκληρὸς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λόγους ἀπόκροτος· οὐ μόνον γὰρ τὴν πρεσβείαν οὐ κατεδέξατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις οὐ προσηκούσας ἐποιεῖτο. ἐφύσα γὰρ αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ ῥηγὶ τῆς Σικελίας τῷ Μαφρὲ κῆδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ πρίγκιπι τῆς Ἀχαΐας τῷ Γουλιέλμῳ· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀγχιστείαν πεπλήρωκεν· ἐντεῦθεν