Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle II

they would surrender if demanded. 210 9. So when the frontiers were being afflicted, so that not only the areas around the Maeander and those belonging to that mountain range but also those within were already being wiped out by frequent raids of the Persians, the second son of the aforementioned *protovestiarios* Tarchaneiotes, Alexios Philanthropenos from his maternal grandfather, after his elder brother had been honored as *protosebastos*, was honored as *pinkernes* to the emperor, and was appointed commander of the regions of Asia, the one called Minor, and also Lydia and Kelbianon as far as the sea itself, while the *protovestiarios* Libadarios was still commanding the regions around Neokastra. So the *pinkernes*, holding the command for some time, and also leading the Cretan force and all the eastern armies, with the quickness of his nature and his zeal assisted by a fitting strategy and by what is called fortune by many (for let this also be said, a common term among the ancients, by which the Scipios and Crassi and Caesars, and also the Themistocleses and Timotheoses and Cleons performed brave deeds, and they set up temples to fortune as to other gods), both established order and secured the eastern regions, partly by battles in which he was victorious, but mostly by intelligence and indeed by generosity both towards his enemies and towards his friends, for the former curbing their 211 rage against our people and making the enemy gentler, and for the latter increasing their honors and strengthening their zeal, not only allowing each to profit from whatever came into his hands from enemy spoils, but also adding most things from his own resources, for his virtue combined with fortune brought the wealth from the enemy into his hands. For in addition to other things, he also happened to capture by war a certain fortress near Melanoudion of the two hills, formerly ours but then the enemy's, which I believe was anciently called Didymion of the Milesians, in the following way. For since the first of the wives of Salampaki the Persian, after he had departed from this life, was being kept there, and all kinds of wealth had been stored up, it was for the time impossible to overcome the fortress by the law of war, but he decided to outwit the woman, so that sending word, as if in secret, he promised to take her as his wife. So when, after sending many times, he could not persuade her, he brought up the boats of the lake and bound them with ropes, and putting very large timbers on them, he constructed wooden towers. And filling the other vessels 212 with soldiers, he set up siege engines on these and fought (for he himself was not celebrated among the enemy by chance, but he attained a name at once fearsome and yet also beloved, so that many came over to him and were pleased to be placed under his command); thus he took the fortress, and acquired from there wealth not easily counted, and made life prosperous for his own men, and indeed also for those who came over to him. Wherefore also many who had been enslaved by him rejoiced, and were arrayed under him against whomever they might be ordered, as they had settled with their wives and children out of affection. From this, those arrayed under him, and especially the Cretans, loving him more than was likely, began to court him both in deeds and words beyond what was fitting for him, and were inciting him to rebellion from the emperor. But he, being young besides and puffed up with the greatest pride, at first, his thoughts 213 wavering, was insistent in beseeching the emperor to be transferred from his command. But he did not persuade him. For I know this, having learned it from hearing Emperor Michael speak to us and talk about both brothers, and how he considered it a matter of great praise that his brother's judgment concerning the other was urging the termination of his command. For when that one sought to be released from his command, even through intermediaries, and was insistent in this request, the first of the *sebastoi* and his brother, hearing his importuning, was grieved and found fault, and in the emperor's own presence judged the matter to be near to faithlessness, if someone appointed to a command, before the emperor, moved of his own accord, should command it, should himself seek and try to force his release, the emperor the speech

καταπρόοιντ' ἂν ἀπαιτούμενοι. 210 9. Τῶν γοῦν ἀκρῶν κακουμένων, ὡς μὴ μόνον τῶν κατὰ Μαίανδρον καὶ τὰ τῷ ζυγῷ ἐκείνῳ προσήκοντα ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τῶν ἐντὸς ἐξαφανιζομένων ἐξ ἐπιδρομῶν συχνῶν τῶν Περσῶν, ὁ τοῦ προρρηθέντος πρωτοβεστιαρίου τοῦ Ταρχανειώτου δεύτερος παῖς, ὁ Φιλανθρωπηνὸς ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς μητρὸς πάππου Ἀλέξιος, τοῦ προτέρου εἰς πρωτοσεβαστὸν τιμηθέντος πιγκέρνης τῷ βασιλεῖ τιμηθείς, τῶν περί τε τὴν Ἀσίαν τὴν μικρὰν καλουμένην, ἔτι δὲ Λυδίαν καὶ Κελβιανὸν μέχρι καὶ αὐτῆς δὴ τῆς θαλάσσης ἡγε μὼν ἀναδείκνυται, τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίτου ἔτι Λιβαδαρίου τῶν περὶ τὰ Νεόκαστρα καθηγεμονεύοντος. ὁ γοῦν πιγκέρνης ἐπὶ χρόνοις τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχων, ἔχων δὲ καὶ τὸ Κρητικὸν καὶ τὰς κατ' ἀνατολὴν ἁπάσας δυνάμεις ἐπιφερόμενος, φύσεώς τε τάχει καὶ σπουδῇ στρατηγίᾳ πρεπούσῃ συναιρομένης καὶ τῆς παρὰ πολ λοῖς λεγομένης τύχης (λεγέσθω γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο, καθωμιλημένον τοῖς παλαιοῖς, καθ' ἣν Σκηπίωνές τε καὶ Κράσσοι καὶ Καίσαρες, ἔτι τε Θεμιστοκλεῖς καὶ Τιμόθεοι καὶ Κλέωνες ἠνδραγάθουν, καὶ τύχης ὡς καὶ θεῶν ἄλλων ἱερὰ ἀνιδρύοντο) τὰ κατ' ἀνατολὴν καθίστα τε καὶ προσησφαλίζετο, τὰ μὲν καὶ μάχαις καθ' ἃς ἐνίκα, τὰ πλεῖστα δὲ συνέσει καί γε φιλοδωρίᾳ πρός τε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἅμα καὶ πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, τοῖς μὲν ὑποκόπτων τὴν 211 κατὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων λύσσαν καὶ καθιστῶν τὸ πολέμιον ἡμερώτε ρον, τοῖς δὲ τὰς τιμὰς ἐπαύξων καὶ τὰς προθυμίας ἐπιρρων νύων, μὴ μόνον ἐφιεὶς ἑκάστῳ κερδαίνειν ὅπερ ἐς χεῖρας ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων σκύλων ἐτύγχανε γεγονός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ προσ τιθεὶς τὰ πλεῖστα, τὸν ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν πλοῦτον ἡ μετὰ τύχης ἀρετὴ εἰς χεῖρας ἦγεν ἐκείνῳ. πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις καί τι φρού ριον πρὸς τὸ Μελανούδιον τῶν δύο βουνῶν, πάλαι μὲν ἡμέτε ρον τότε δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ὃ πάλαι οἶμαι τὸ Μιλησίων ∆ιδύμιον ἐφημίζετο, ἔτυχε πολέμῳ κρατήσας τοιῷδε τρόπῳ. ὡς γὰρ ἡ πρώτη τῶν γυναικῶν τοῦ Σαλάμπακι Πέρσου, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐκεί νου γεγονότος, ἐκεῖ πεφύλακτο, τεθησαύριστο δὲ καὶ πλοῦτος παντοδαπός, τὸ μὲν πολέμου νόμῳ τοῦ φρουρίου περιγενέσθαι ἀδύνατα τέως εἶχεν, ἔγνω δὲ σοφίσασθαι τὴν γυναῖκα, ὥστε καὶ πέμπων ὡς δῆθεν ἐν ἀπορρήτοις ἀγαγέσθαι ταύτην σύζυγον ὑπισχνεῖτο. ὡς γοῦν πολλάκις πέμπων οὐκ ἔπειθεν, ἐπισχὼν τοὺς τῆς λίμνης καράβους συνδεῖ σχοίνοις, καὶ ξύλα μέγιστα ἐνιεὶς ἐπ' ἐκείνων κατασκευάζεται μόσυνας. τὰ δ' ἄλλα πλοῖα 212 πληρώσας πολεμιστὰς ἐν τούτοις ἑλεπόλεις ἱστὰς καὶ μαχόμενος (οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ τὸ τυχὸν καὶ αὐτὸς παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐκλεΐζετο, ἀλλ' ὀνόματος ἐπέβαινεν ἅμα μὲν φοβεροῦ ἅμα δέ γε καὶ ἐρασμίου, ὡς καὶ πολλοὺς προσχωρεῖν καὶ ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ ἀγαπᾶν τάττεσθαι) αἱρεῖ μὲν οὕτω τὸ φρούριον, πλοῦτον δ' ἐκεῖθεν οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἀρι θμητὸν περιβάλλεται, τοῖς δ' ἰδίοις, ἀλλά γε καὶ τοῖς προσχω ροῦσιν εὔπορον καθίστα τὸν βίον. ὅθεν καὶ πολλοὶ ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ δεδουλωμένοι ἔχαιρον, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῷ τεταγμένοι ἦσαν καθ' ὧν περ καὶ προσταχθεῖεν, ὡς κατ' ἀγάπην ἅμα γυναιξὶ μετῳκημέ νοι καὶ τέκνοις. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἀγαπήσαντες οἱ ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ ταττόμενοι, καὶ μᾶλλον οἱ Κρητικοί, ἤρξαντο θεραπεύειν καὶ τρόποις καὶ λόγοις ὑπὲρ ὃ προσῆκεν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ εἰς ἀποστα σίαν τὴν ἀπὸ βασιλέως ὑπέκνιζον. ὁ δὲ νέος ὢν ἄλλως καὶ φυ σηθεὶς ἐκ μεγίστου φρονήματος, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα τοὺς λογισμοὺς 213 κραδαινόμενος πολὺς ἦν προσλιπαρῶν βασιλέα τῆς ἀρχῆς μετατί θεσθαι. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔπειθεν. οἶδα δ' ἔγωγε γνοὺς τῷ πυθέσθαι τοῦ βασιλέως Μιχαὴλ ἡμῖν ὁμιλοῦντος καὶ περὶ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν αὐταδέλφων λέγοντος καὶ ὥς τι τῶν εἰς ἔπαινον τιθεμένου μέγαν τὴν τἀδελφοῦ περὶ θατέρου κρίσιν τὴν τῆς ἀρχῆς παράλυσιν ἐπισπεύδοντος. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μὲν καὶ ὑπὸ μεσίταις ἐζήτει τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀφεθῆναι καὶ πολὺς ἦν εἰς τοῦτο δεόμενος, ὁ δὲ πρῶ τος τῶν σεβαστῶν καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἐκείνου δυσωποῦντος ἀκούων πε ριήλγει καὶ κατεμέμφετο, καὶ αὐτοῦ κατέναντι βασιλέως ἀπιστίας ἐγγὺς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔκρινεν, ἤν τις κατασταθεὶς εἰς ἀρχήν, πρότε ρον ἢ βασιλέα ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ κινηθέντα κελεύειν, αὐτὸς ζητοίη καὶ προσαναγκάζοι τὴν ἄφεσιν, βασιλεὺς τὸν λόγον