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Thus also will every city and rule be established, the one in charge being above the many. But the blind spoke freely and with greater frankness: “Let not such a great dominion and so many affairs be endangered,” they said, “for the sake of one infant, but the present state of affairs must be put in order, if we are to be saved. Do we not know to what a depth of misfortune the rule of the Romans has come, so that they were driven from their fatherland and lost everything, being confined to small borders, and this while they were emperors? But nevertheless, by not being ruled in a proper manner, they were shipwrecked from a wonderfully fair voyage. If, then, by not being ruled well and precisely so many difficulties have occurred, how great a danger is not being ruled at all? For us, therefore, let loyalty to the empire be considered a fine thing, but also fine is to be saved by abiding by the oaths; and if being saved is absent, loyalty is in vain. And in what way will it harm the empire, if the dignity is added to the regent? Rather, it will even be most advantageous; for by putting on a title of honor, he will strengthen the rule for the ruler more in the very conduct of affairs; for from a position of great superiority he might deal with ambassadors, converse with the peoples, and give orders to soldiers and rulers, and he would establish everything as is fitting, with all respecting his dignity. But if someone were to deal with his equals, even if he were to rule, he would not easily persuade them in what he commands, being able to censure those who resist in no way from a superior hand. And if anyone wished to administer the Roman state in any other way than by monarchy, 111 we would be astonished. Assuredly, let monarchy take precedence, even if the ruler is imperfect; for thus the customary practice will remain, even if it seems otherwise. But our state, having learned to be ruled by a monarch, will by necessity be ruled by the best, and one will rule over the rest, excelling in power and dignity, so that by being one he would represent monarchy, but in acting with many, being in danger of failing on account of being alone, he might prevail by his dignity. Thus it is absolutely necessary for the one chosen for the regency of the emperor to also bear a great dignity. And if the one appointed were from among us, this too would be added to him; but if not, let another be sought, since not even he himself ingloriously undertakes the cares for this easily. And even if that man should accept the presidency over affairs without a title of honor, yet the logic of necessity demands, as has been said, that the regency take place in this way.”

28. How the patriarch agreed with those speaking on behalf of Palaiologos. When these words had been spoken, since the chief priest also gave the greatest weight to those speaking on behalf of Palaiologos ... For he himself had also been predisposed to this man as one who would rule well, striving for a long time, and moreover he was carried away by many to do something greater. And it is clear from the fact that, when it was announced to him in Nicaea that the emperor had died, while the others did not yet know, he entrusted the news to one of his own men; this was Gemistos, who later in the city came to hold the office of great oikonomos; and since their conversation was about the administration of affairs, he proposed Palaiologos above all others. On these grounds, therefore, the patriarch, being predisposed, was immediately in agreement with what was said on behalf of Palaiologos and voted the despotate to him. And so Palaiologos was transformed from grand duke into despot, and the emperor, with the patriarch also consenting, bestowed the symbols of the despotate. Indeed, as despot he freely took charge of everything, and won over those in authority with all manner of honors and 113 with gifts from the public treasury; and from what he was doing then, he made his promises to them seem firm for the future, and he behaved more generously. And to those on the sacred roll he also supplied from a more generous hand, both secretly and openly, the one as if it were a necessity, in order for them to live, the other being sent secretly by night, and undermining and seeking what was greater, as if it were sufficient for him in this way, if he should be co-emperor with the emperor. For he was putting forward dangers and fears

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Οὕτω καὶ πόλις καὶ ἀρχὴ συσταθήσεται πᾶσα, τοῦ ἐφεστῶτος ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς ὄντος. Οἱ δέ γε τυφλοὶ καὶ ἠλευθεροστόμουν καὶ παρρησιαστικώτερον· «Μὴ διὰ βρέφος ἕν, ἔλεγον, ἀρχὴ τοσαύτη καὶ τόσα πράγματα κινδυνεύσειαν, ἀλλὰ καταστατέον εἰς ἀρχὴν τὰ παρόντα, εἰ μέλλοιμεν σῴζεσθαι. Ἦ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ἐς ὁπόσον δυστυχίας ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων προῆλθεν ἀρχή, ὥστε καὶ ἀπελαθῆναι τῆς πατρίδος καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀπολέσαι, μικροῖς περιγραφομένους ὁρίοις, βασιλέων ὄντων καὶ ταῦτα; Ἀλλ' ὅμως τῷ μὴ κατὰ τρόπον ἄρχεσθαι, ἐξ εὐπλοίας ὅτι θαυμαστῆς ἐναυάγησαν. Εἰ γοῦν τῷ μὴ καλῶς ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἄρχεσθαι τόσα συνέβη τὰ δυσχερῆ, τὸ μὴ ὅλως ἄρχεσθαι πόσον εἰς κίνδυνον; Ἡμῖν μὲν οὖν καλὸν μὲν καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν πιστὸν ἥγηται, καλὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῖς ὅρκοις ἐμμένοντας σῴζεσθαι· κἂν ἀπῇ τὸ σῴζεσθαι, μάταιον τὸ πιστόν. Κατὰ τί δὲ καὶ λυμανεῖται τῇ βασιλείᾳ, εἰ προσέσται τῷ φροντιστῇ τὸ ἀξίωμα; Μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν καὶ συνοίσει τὰ πλεῖστα· ὄνομα γὰρ τίμιον περιθέμενος, ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων κρατυνεῖ μᾶλλον τὴν ἀρχὴν τῷ κρατοῦντι· ἐκ γὰρ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος πρέσβεσι μὲν χρηματίσοι, λαοῖς δ' ὁμιλήσοι, ἐπιτάξοι δὲ στρατιώταις καὶ ἄρχουσι, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅ τι μὴ ὡς εἰκὸς καταστήσοι, δυσωπουμένων τὸ ἀξίωμα πάντων. Εἰ δέ τις τοῖς ἐξ ἴσου, κἂν ἄρχοι, προσφέροιτο, οὐ πείσει ῥᾳδίως ὅ τι προστάσσοι, μηδὲν ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χειρὸς ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς ἀνθισταμένοις δυνάμενος. Ῥωμαίων δὲ πολιτείαν εἰ καὶ ἄλλως ἢ κατὰ μοναρχίαν διοικεῖν 111 ἐθέλοι τις, θαυμάζοιμεν ἄν. Ἀμέλει τοι καὶ προηγείσθω μέν, κἂν ἀτελὴς ὁ κρατῶν εἴη, τὸ μοναρχεῖν· μενεῖ γὰρ καὶ οὕτως, κἂν δοκοίη, τὸ σύνηθες. Ἀρισταρχήσεται δὲ κατ' ἀνάγκην τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς μαθὸν μοναρχεῖσθαι, ἄρξει δ' εἷς τῶν λοιπῶν, δυνάμει προέχων καὶ ἀξιώματι, ὡς ἂν τῷ μὲν εἷς εἶναι τὸ μόναρχον εἰκονίζοιτο, τὸ δὲ σὺν πολλοῖς πράττειν, ἀδυνατεῖν κινδυνεύων τοῦ μονήρους χάριν, νικῴη τῷ ἀξιώματι. Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἐπάναγκες τὸν ἐκλελεγμένον εἰς ἐπιτροπείαν τῷ βασιλεῖ μέγα φέρειν καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα. Κἂν ὁ ταχθεὶς ἐξ ἡμῶν εἴη, αὐτῷ προσέσται καὶ τοῦτο· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἄλλος ζητείσθω, ὅτι μηδ' αὐτὸς ἀκλεῶς τὰς ἐπὶ τούτῳ φροντίδας εὐμαρῶς ὑπέρχεται. Κἂν ἐκεῖνος καὶ δίχα σεμνώματος καταδέχοιτο τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς πράγμασι προσεδρείαν, ἀλλ' οὖν ὁ τῆς ἀνάγκης λόγος οὕτως ἀπαιτεῖ, καθὼς καὶ λέλεκται, τὴν ἐπιτροπείαν γίγνεσθαι.»

κηʹ. Ὅπως ὁ πατριάρχης συνῄνει τοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Παλαιολόγου λέγουσιν. Τούτων ῥηθέντων τῶν λόγων, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ πρωτοθύτης τὴν πλείστην ῥοπὴν ἐδίδου τοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Παλαιολόγου λέγουσι ... Προκατείληπτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τούτῳ ὡς καλῶς ἄρξοντι, προσπαθῶν ἐκ πολλοῦ, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸ μεῖζόν τι πρᾶξαι ἐκ πολλῶν συνηρπάζετο. Καὶ δῆλον ἐξ ὧν, ἀγγελθὲν αὐτῷ ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὡς τεθνήκει ὁ βασιλεύς, οὔπω μαθόντων τῶν ἄλλων, ἐπίστευε μὲν τὸν λόγον τινὶ τῶν οἰκείων αὐτοῦ· ὁ Γεμιστὸς δ' οὗτος ἦν, ὃς καὶ μέχρι τοῦ μεγάλου οἰκονομάτου κατηντήκει κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐσύστερον· ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων διοικήσεως ὁ λόγος ἐκείνοις ἦν, τὸν Παλαιολόγον ἐκεῖνος προὐτίθει πάντων. Ἐπὶ τούτοις οὖν ὁ πατριάρχης, προκατειλημμένος ὤν, εὐθὺς συγκάταινος ἦν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Παλαιολόγου λεγομένοις καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν αὐτῷ ἐψηφίζετο. Καὶ δὴ ὁ μὲν Παλαιολόγος τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα εἰς τὸν δεσπότην μετεσκευάζετο, ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς παρεῖχε, συναιρομένου καὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου, τὰ τῆς δεσποτείας σύμβολα. Ἀμέλει καὶ ὡς δεσπότης ἐπεβάλλετο μὲν ἀνέδην τοῖς πᾶσιν, ὑπεποιεῖτο δὲ τοὺς ἐν τέλει φιλοτιμίαις ἁπάσαις καὶ 113 τοῖς ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν χαρίσμασι· βεβαίας δὲ καὶ τὰς πρὸς ἐκείνους ὑποσχέσεις παρεῖχε δοκεῖν ἐσύστερον, ἐξ ὧν ἐποίει τῷ τότε, καὶ φιλοτιμότερον προσεφέρετο. Τοῖς δέ γε τοῦ ἱεροῦ καταλόγου καὶ ἐκ φιλοτιμοτέρας χειρὸς ἐχορήγει, καὶ κρύφα καὶ φανερῶς, τὸ μὲν ὡς ἀνάγκης οὔσης, ἐφ' ᾧ διαζῆν ἐκείνους, τὸ δὲ κρύβδην νυκτὸς πεμπομένων, καὶ τὸ μεῖζον ὑπορύττοντος καὶ ζητοῦντος, ὡς οὕτως αὔταρκες ὂν ἐκείνῳ, εἰ συμβασιλεύοι τῷ βασιλεῖ. Προὐβάλλετο γὰρ κινδύνους καὶ φόβους