65

of Robert's tent. And at the same time, upon approaching the land, they leapt out and joined another battle with Robert. Seeing them, Palaiologos also came out from the fortress of Dyrrachium and was fighting with them. Indeed, when the battle had become fierce and reached as far as Robert's camp, many were driven out from there, and many also became food for swords. 4.2.6 And the Venetians, having taken much plunder, returned and entered their own ships, while Palaiologos went back into the fortress again. So, after resting for some days, the Venetians send ambassadors to the emperor reporting what had happened. And he, having treated them kindly, as was fitting, and deemed them worthy of countless benefactions, dismissed them, sending with them sufficient money for both the duke of Venice and the rulers under him.

4.3.1 But Robert, being most warlike, decided it was necessary not to desist from the war, but to fight steadfastly. But since it was winter, it was not possible for him to launch his ships into the sea; and both the Roman and the Venetian fleets, carefully guarding the strait between, kept back both those coming from Lombardy and those bringing him necessities from there. But when spring had now arrived and the sea's surge had ceased, first the Venetians, casting off their stern-cables, set out against Robert; and following them, Maurix sailed out with the Roman fleet. And from this a very heavy battle arose, and Robert's men turned their backs; then Robert decided it was necessary to drag his entire fleet onto the land. 4.3.2 The islanders and the small towns on the coast of the mainland and all the others who paid tribute to Robert, taking courage because of what had befallen him, were not readily giving the imposed burdens, having learned of his defeat at sea. He therefore decided it was necessary to use more elaborate warfare and to fight again both by sea and by land. But since it was not possible to carry out his plans, fearing shipwreck as great winds were then blowing, he persevered for two months around the harbor of Jericho and made preparations, wanting to fight from both sea and land, and he equipped the instruments of battle. And the Venetian and Roman fleets, as far as possible, were guarding the strait, and whenever the sea offered a slight calm for those wishing to sail, it kept back those from there who were attempting to cross over to Robert. And since it was not easy even from the mainland to bring in necessities for them as they were encamped around the Glykys river, with those from Dyrrachium preventing those who went out from Robert's trench for the sake of foraging or other collecting, it happened that from this they began to starve. But also the unaccustomed nature of the place greatly afflicted them; thus in the course of three months, as it is said, a destruction of men amounting to ten thousand occurred. And this disease, also overtaking the cavalry forces with Robert, destroyed many. For from the horsemen, counts and picked men, most valiant men up to five hundred, became a prey to disease and famine, and of the lower-ranking horsemen, a countless number. 4.3.3 And when his ships had anchored in the Glykys river, as has been said, this having become shallow because of the lack of water now after the winter and the ensuing spring as the summer grew hotter, and not even having as much water as is accustomed to flow down in the torrent-beds, he was at a loss, not being able to drag them again into the sea. But being a most resourceful and profound man, he ordered stakes to be fixed on both sides of the river, and for these to be bound together by thick withies, and then, cutting huge trees from the roots, to lay them down behind them, sprinkling sand on top, so that the water would be collected into one place

65

τῆς τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου σκηνῆς. Ἅμα δὲ τῷ τῇ χέρσῳ πελάσαι εἰσπηδήσαντες ἄλλον πόλεμον μετὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου συνάπτουσι. Τούτους θεασάμενος ὁ Παλαιο λόγος ἐξελθὼν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ κάστρου ∆υρραχίου μαχόμενος ἦν μετ' αὐτῶν. Καρτεροῦ γοῦν γεγονότος πολέ μου καὶ μέχρι τῆς τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου παρεμβολῆς φθάσαντος ἐκεῖθεν ταύτης πολλοὶ ἐδιώχθησαν, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ παραν άλωμα ξιφῶν γεγόνασιν. 4.2.6 Οἱ δὲ Βενέτικοι λείαν πολλὴν ἀφελόμενοι εἰς τὰ ἴδια πλοῖα παλινοστήσαντες εἰσῄεσαν, ὁ δὲ Παλαιολόγος εἰς τὸ κάστρον αὖθις εἴσεισιν. Ἡμέρας γοῦν τινας οἱ Βενέτικοι διαναπαυσάμενοι ἀπο στέλλουσι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα πρέσβεις διαμηνύοντες τὰ γεγονότα. Ὁ δὲ φιλοφρονησάμενος αὐτούς, ὡς εἰκός, καὶ μυρίων εὐεργεσιῶν ἀξιώσας ἀπέλυσεν ἀποστείλας μετ' αὐτῶν χρήματα ἱκανὰ πρός τε τὸν δοῦκα Βενετίας καὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἄρχοντας.

4.3.1 Ὁ δὲ Ῥομπέρτος μαχιμώτατος ὢν δεῖν ἔγνω μὴ ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ πολέμου, ἀλλὰ καρτερῶς μάχεσθαι. Χειμῶ νος δὲ ὄντος οὐκ ἐνῆν αὐτῷ τὰ πλοῖα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καθελκύσαι· ἀπεῖργε δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Λογγιβαρδίας ἐρχο μένους καὶ τοὺς τὰ πρὸς χρείαν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖθεν κομίζοντας ὅ τε Ῥωμαϊκὸς καὶ ὁ τῶν Βενετίκων στόλος τὸν ἀναμε ταξὺ πορθμὸν ἐπιμελῶς τηροῦντες. Ὡς δὲ τὸ ἔαρ ἤδη παρῆν καὶ ὁ θαλάττιος κλύδων ἐπέπαυτο, πρῶτον μὲν οἱ Βενέτικοι λύσαντες τὰ πρυμνήσια κατὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου ἐξώρμησαν· ἐχομένως δὲ τούτοις ὁ Μαύριξ μετὰ τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ ἀπέπλευσε στόλου. Καὶ συναίρεται πόλεμος ἐντεῦθεν βαρύτατος καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου τὰ νῶτα διδόασιν· εἶτα δεῖν ἔγνω ὁ Ῥομπέρτος ἅπαντα τὸν αὐτοῦ στόλον ἑλκύσαι εἰς τὴν χέρσον. 4.3.2 Οἱ δὲ νησιῶται καὶ τὰ παρὰ θάλατταν τῆς ἠπείρου πολίχνια καὶ ὁπόσοι ἄλλοι φόρους παρεῖχον τῷ Ῥομπέρτῳ, τεθαρρηκότες διὰ τὰ συμπεσόντα αὐτῷ οὐχ ἑτοίμως τὰ ἐπιτεθέντα βάρη ἐδί δουν τὴν αὐτοῦ κατὰ θάλατταν μαθόντες ἧτταν. ∆εῖν οὖν ἔγνω πλείονι περιεργίᾳ πολέμου χρήσασθαι καὶ διά τε θαλάττης καὶ ἠπείρου αὖθις μάχεσθαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἐνῆν τὰ κατὰ γνώμην εἰς ἔργον προάγειν, δεδιὼς τὸ ναυάγιον ἀνέμων μεγάλων τηνικαῦτα πνεόντων ἐγκαρτερήσας ἐπὶ δυσὶ μησὶ περὶ τὸν λιμένα τῆς Ἱεριχὼ ηὐτρεπίζετο βου λόμενος ἀπό τε τῆς θαλάττης καὶ ἠπείρου μάχεσθαι καὶ τὰ τῆς μάχης ἐξήρτυεν. Ὁ δὲ στόλος ὅ τε Βενέτικος καὶ ὁ Ῥωμαϊκὸς ὡς ἐνὸν τὸν πορθμὸν ἐτήρει, καὶ ὁπηνίκα μικρὸν ἡ θάλασσα τοῖς βουλομένοις πλεῖν νῶτα ὑπεῖχε, τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὸν Ῥομπέρτον ἐπιχειροῦντας διαπε ρᾶν ἀπεῖργεν. Ὡς δὲ οὐδ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἠπείρου ῥᾳδίως ἐνῆν τὰ πρὸς χρείαν κομίζεσθαι περὶ τὸν Γλυκὺν ποταμὸν αὐλιζομένοις αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐκ τοῦ ∆υρραχίου ἀπειργόντων τοὺς χορταγωγίας χάριν ἢ συγκομιδῆς ἑτέρας ἐξιόντας τῆς τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου ταφρείας, λιμώττειν ἐντεῦθεν τούτοις συνέβαινεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἄηθες τοῦ τόπου μεγάλως αὐτοὺς ἐλυμαίνετο· διὰ παραδρομῆς τοίνυν μηνῶν τριῶν, ὡς λέγεται, φθορὰ γέγονεν ἀνδρῶν εἰς χιλιάδας δέκα ποσουμένων. Ἡ δὲ νόσος αὕτη καὶ τὰς μετὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου ἱππικὰς δυνάμεις καταλαβοῦσα πολλοὺς διέφθειρεν. Ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἱππέων κόμητες καὶ λογάδες ἀλκιμώ τατοι ἄνδρες μέχρι τῶν πεντακοσίων νόσου καὶ λιμοῦ παρανάλωμα γεγόνασι, τῆς δὲ χθαμαλωτέρας τύχης ἱππεῖς ἀναρίθμητοι. 4.3.3 Τῶν δὲ πλοίων αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν Γλυκὺν ἐνορμισθέντων ποταμόν, ὡς εἴρηται, τούτου ὀλιγωθέντος διὰ τὴν ἀνυδρίαν ἤδη μετὰ τὸν χειμῶνα καὶ τὸ ἐπιγεγονὸς ἔαρ τοῦ θέρους θερμότερον ἐπιβάλλοντος, καὶ μηδ' ὁπόσον ταῖς χαράδραις εἴωθε καταρρεῖν ὕδωρ ἔχοντος ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν μὴ δυνάμενος αὖθις αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἑλκύσαι. Ἀλλ' οἷα μηχανικώτατος ὢν καὶ βαθύνους ἀνὴρ πασσά λους ἑκατέρωθεν ἐκέλευε πήγνυσθαι τοῦ ποταμοῦ, συνδε δέσθαι δὲ τούτους διὰ λύγων πυκνῶν, εἶτα δένδρα παμμε γέθη κόπτοντας ῥιζόθεν ὄπισθεν αὐτῶν καταστρωννύειν ψάμμον ἐπιπάττοντας ἄνωθεν, ὡς εἰς ἕνα τὸ ὕδωρ συλλείβεσθαι