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and also handed over the fortresses to Michael. And after seizing this, he invaded the land of the Romans with his whole army, and plundered all the upper parts of Thrace, coming as far as Bera in about twelve days. But he took not much booty, because the farmers had with foresight been shut up in the fortresses and the cities. But the young emperor, while staying in Didymoteichon, did not go out against the Mysians because he did not have an army gathered that was fit for battle. And he was seized by harsh grief because he was not able to defend against the enemies. And writhing and burning with anger, he sent a message to the returning Michael, saying, "You, indeed, with preparation, having gathered the army under you, invaded our land and did as much harm as you could. But since I am for the present unable to fight in a pitched battle, it would be most pleasing for me to fight one on one." But he answered that a blacksmith would have no 1.180 brain, if, when it was possible to touch the red-hot iron with the tongs, he should instead use his hand; and that he himself would incur great ridicule, if he should risk his own body instead of his army, which was both large and good; therefore he would not do what he was challenged to by him. But that he (the young emperor) was led to such things by his excessive anger; and after a little while, when a strong friendship had developed between them, they would fight other enemies together with each other. Having answered thus, Michael returned to Mysia. But the young emperor, having come from Didymoteichon to Byzantium, being full of grief on account of the invasion, said to his grandfather, "It is not right, when we have a large and good army, and are ourselves able to invade the land of the enemies and do harm to theirs in like manner, either to sit completely idle and inactive, or to proceed to treaties by sending ambassadors, confessing by our very actions that we are only fit to suffer harm, and no longer able to act against our enemies. For which reason, I beg you, emperor, to permit the expedition against them for us; and when we have punished the enemies for the injustice against us, then indeed, if it should seem profitable, we will make treaties with them, when they have learned precisely how unprofitable it is for them to attack us first." The young emperor said such things, urging the elder to the war against the barbarians. And the megas domestikos also being present as they were conversing, said, 1.181 "To be wronged and to suffer harm from anyone, while being equal in all cases, brings greater or lesser pain according to the rank of the wrongdoers. Therefore all men serve their superiors without grievance, but they think it right to defend themselves against their equals, if they are wronged; and indeed they rather choose danger for the sake of not being slaves and for good repute, than ease in the present moment for fear of not suffering more terrible things. But the Mysians now warring against us are not only not greater, but are also lesser than us by a great measure. For you, our emperors, far surpass their kings both in prudence and in courage and in experience in wars, and you have generals to use both more numerous and better than theirs; and you rule a country which is superior in every way, both in the multitude of its army and in the size and number of its cities and in annual revenues and in every other resource. It is absurd, therefore, for them, setting out from a lesser position, to harm us, but for you not to use your own power, but to leave them unpunished. This, therefore, I think is fitting for you, the emperors. And I, while otherwise eager to serve your commands, confess it is right to be so; but for this present war now, not only with my own hand, but also with my own money and servants, both for the benefit of my countrymen and for the glory of you, the emperors, I am ready to contribute what diligence and eagerness I can. And I think that not only myself, but also the others of the most distinguished men 1.182 are similarly disposed as I am. And if it seems good to you and you command this, we of the senate, by ourselves, having held an assembly, will deliberate what must be done concerning this war." 38.

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τε καὶ τὰ φρούρια παρέδοσαν Μιχαήλ. μετὰ δὲ τὸ ταύτην κατασχεῖν πανστρατιᾷ εἰσέβαλεν ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων, καὶ τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐληΐσατο πάντα ἄχρι Βήρας ἐπελθὼν ἐν ἡμέραις μάλιστα δυοκαίδεκα. ἐκράτησε δὲ λείας οὐ πολλῆς διὰ τὸ τοὺς γεωργοὺς ἐκ προνοίας τοῖς φρουρίοις καὶ ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐγκατακλεισθῆναι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ διατρίβων, οὐκ ἀντεπεξῆλθε Μυσοῖς διὰ τὸ μὴ στρατιὰν ἠθροισμένην ἀξιόμαχον ἔχειν. λύπῃ δὲ συνείχετο χαλεπῇ διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς πολεμίους. σφαδάζων δὲ καὶ ἐκκαιόμενος τῷ θυμῷ, ἐπανιόντι μηνύει τῷ Μιχαὴλ, ὡς «σὺ μὲν ἐκ παρασκευῆς τὴν ὑπό σε ἀθροίσας στρατιὰν, εἰσέβαλες εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν καὶ ἐκάκωσας ὅσον ἐξῆν. ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ νῦν ἔχον ἀδυνάτως ἔχοντι ἐκ παρατάξεως διαγωνίσασθαι, ἥδιστ' ἂν μόνῳ γένοιτο διαγωνίσασθαι πρὸς μόνον.» αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο μήτε ἐγκέφαλον ἂν 1.180 σχεῖν χαλκέα, εἰ ἐνὸν τοῦ πεπυρακτωμένου τῇ πυράγρᾳ ἅπτεσθαι σιδήρου, ὁ δ' ἀντὶ ταύτης τῇ χειρὶ χρῷτο· αὐτόν τε γέλωτα πολὺν ὀφλήσειν, εἰ μὴ τῇ στρατιᾷ πολλῇ τε καὶ ἀγαθῇ οὔσῃ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι διακινδυνεύοι· διὸ οὐδὲ πράξειν ἃ προκαλεῖται παρ' αὐτοῦ. αὐτὸν δὲ τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι πρὸς τοιαῦτα ἐξάγεσθαι τοῦ θυμοῦσθαι· μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ φιλίας αὐτοῖς γενησομένης ἰσχυρᾶς, ἅμα ἀλλήλοις ἑτέροις μαχοῦνται πολεμίοις. τοιαῦτα ἀποκρινάμενος ὁ Μιχαὴλ, ἐπανέζευξεν εἰς Μυσίαν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου εἰς Βυζάντιον ἐλθὼν, λύπης ἀνάπλεως ὢν διὰ τὴν εἰσβολὴν, «οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστιν» ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν πάππον «πολλήν τε καὶ ἀγαθὴν ἔχοντας στρατιὰν, καὶ δυναμένους καὶ αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἐσβαλόντας ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου τὴν ἐκείνων κακοῦν, ἢ ἀργοὺς καὶ ἀπράκτους καθῆσθαι παντελῶς, ἢ πρὸς σπονδὰς χωρεῖν πέμψαντας πρέσβεις, αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ὁμολογοῦντας, ὡς πάσχειν μόνον ἐπιτήδειοι κακῶς, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ ἀντιδρᾷν ἐσμεν τοὺς πολεμίους δυνατοί. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα δέομαί σου, βασιλεῦ, τὴν ἐπ' ἐκείνοις καὶ ἡμῖν ἐκστρατείαν ἐπιτρέψαι· τιμωρησαμένοις δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους τῆς ἀδικίας τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς, τότ' ἤδη, εἴγε φαίνοιτο λυσιτελεῖν, τὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ποιήσομεν σπονδὰς, ἐγνωκότας ἀκριβῶς ὡς ἀλυσιτελὲς αὐτοῖς τὸ προεπιχειρεῖν ἡμῖν.» τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ νέος εἴρηκε βασιλεὺς, τὸν πρεσβύτερον πρὸς τὸν κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων πόλεμον ἐξορμῶν. παρὼν δὲ καὶ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος αὐτοῖς διαλεγομένοις «τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι» εἶπε 1.181 «καὶ κακῶς πάσχειν ὑφ' ὁτουοῦν ἐν πᾶσιν ἴσον ὂν, μείζω ἢ ἐλάσσω τὴν ὀδύνην παρὰ τὸ ἀξίωμα τῶν ἀδικούντων φέρει. διὸ καὶ πάντες ἄνθρωποι τοῖς κρείττοσι μὲν δουλεύουσιν ἀνεπαχθῶς, ἀμύνεσθαι δὲ ἀξιοῦσι τοὺς ἴσους, ἂν ἀδικῶνται· καὶ μᾶλλόν τοι αἱροῦνται τὸν κίνδυνον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν καὶ τῆς εὐκλείας, ἢ τὴν ἐν τῷ αὐτίκα ῥᾳστώνην δέει τοῦ μὴ φοβερώτερα παθεῖν. οἱ νυνὶ δὲ πολεμοῦντες ἡμῖν Μυσοὶ οὐχ ὅπως μείζους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλάσσους ἡμῶν εἰσι πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ. οἵ τε γὰρ βασιλεύοντες ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς τῶν ἐκείνων βασιλέων καὶ φρονήσει καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πολέμους ὑπερέχετε πολλῷ, καὶ στρατηγοῖς ἔχετε χρῆσθαι καὶ πλείοσι καὶ βελτίοσιν ἐκείνων· χώρας τε ἄρχετε κατὰ πάντα ὑπερεχούσης καὶ πλήθει στρατιᾶς καὶ μεγέθει πόλεων καὶ ἀριθμῷ καὶ προσόδοις ἐτησίοις καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ πάσῃ κατασκευῇ. ἄτοπον οὖν ἐκείνους μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ὁρμωμένους ἡμᾶς κακοῦν, ὑμᾶς δὲ μὴ χρῆσθαι τῇ σφετέρᾳ αὐτῶν δυνάμει, ἀλλ' ἐᾷν αὐτοὺς ἀτιμωρήτους. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ὑμῖν προσήκειν ἡγοῦμαι τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἄλλως μὲν πρόθυμος πρὸς τὸ τοῖς προστάγμασιν ὑμῶν ἐξυπηρετεῖν δίκαιος εἶναι ὁμολογῶ· πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα νυνὶ πόλεμον τουτονὶ οὐκ αὐτοχειρίᾳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρήμασιν ἰδίοις καὶ οἰκέταις ὑπέρ τε τῆς τῶν ὁμοφύλων ὠφελείας καὶ τῆς εὐδοξίας τῶν βασιλέων ὑμῶν, τὴν δυνατὴν ἕτοιμός εἰμι εἰσφέρειν καὶ σπουδὴν καὶ προθυμίαν. οἴομαι δὲ οὐκ αὐτὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὁμοίως ἐμοὶ 1.182 τῶν ἐπιφανεστέρων διακεῖσθαι. εἰ δ' ὑμῖν δοκεῖ καὶ προστάττετε τοῦτο, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἡμεῖς, οἱ τῆς συγκλήτου, ποιήσαντες ἐκκλησίαν ὅ, τι χρὴ πράττειν βουλευσόμεθα περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου.» ληʹ.