Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle I

ruling in public speeches often during the day, and then later also bestowing honors on the many, he threw silver coins with both hands into their midst; and they, gathering them up, supposedly praised their benefactor, bidding farewell to the child and his interests, not even knowing what an evil thing had befallen them; for the plot of the one against the other began from this. What then remained? While the ink of the writings was still wet, they themselves neglected not to draw the sword contrary to what had been sworn. But the men of the church, even if the clergy were negligent, at least those bearing the archiepiscopal dignity, having nothing with which to defend themselves, so bound the people with dreadful oaths that of necessity one of two things would befall them: either to give way to civil wars and be slaughtered, or indeed to sin most greatly against God by committing perjury. But it seems that what is proclaimed by many is true, that what is fated to be also opposes reason. He, therefore, after he had delivered his public speech, would ride and play with the rulers with lances and balls, and what was done was a delight to those who watched. And addressing the multitude, he turned them to such relaxation and held out to them such good hopes that they would live well in the future, that he even reminded them of ancient civic privileges, bearing the symbol of freedom. And these were to spin out their beards while combing them and to rejoice freely; and 149 some spun them apart, and I saw them delighting that the emperor commanded this, promising ease in their affairs. But there were some, I know not from whence, inspired prophets of the future, who commanded them to spin it out while rejoicing in what was hoped for, as they would have to drag it out while grieving over what was happening, should they later go hungry. But they paid no attention to what was said, as if it were said in vain, but were of good hopes, even if someone spoke of fears. Whether the prophecies were true, time has shown, and we shall speak in the proper place, adding nothing to the constitution of the truth. Then, therefore, having spent some days in Nicaea, since it was necessary to return to Nymphaeum, taking leave of the patriarch and taking the child, he who had promised to be his guardian departed together with the officials and the army.

10. How, having returned to Nymphaeum with the boy, he received ambassadors from all quarters. And he, having reached Nymphaeum, received ambassadors and gifts from the Persians and promised the sultan, who was buffeted by a reverse tide of affairs, that if he came over to the Romans he would be received with open arms and in due time sent back again in safety, when his affairs had quieted down. For Melik had come over, and there was a fear for the sultan that he might return with a sufficient force and one which he could not withstand. And he gave guarantees that he need not fear him, on account of their former familiarity. And the Italians in the great city also sent ambassadors to him, and he granted a truce to the war against them, on the grounds that he would make a stronger treaty with them after a short while, if they fulfilled certain of his proposals; moreover, he also dealt with the ambassadors, who were Romans and of Roman descent, as he was able, and, having nothing in the city, he granted what they sought, if he should have it, and with 151 golden-sealed words he secured what was given. And from this he dealt with them as his own and, giving and taking proof, he delayed the treaties, expecting something greater from what he was learning while conversing with the ambassadors.

11. How the emperor's own brother John received the dignities. And he had also turned his attention to the western parts; whence he also sends his own brother John, who was still grand domestic, together with very large forces, who, having come upon the western parts, seemed to breathe terror upon them, at once on account of the heat of his youth, and at the same time being buoyed up by the army around him. And with wingless speed he takes the fortress near Kanina, and he takes the one near Berat and Polog and Koloneia, and he subdues Kastoria and Pelagonia and Devol, and Tzernikon and Diabolis and Prilep, and Vodena and Vostron, an island in a lake, Petra, and Prespa

βασιλεύων ἐν δημηγορίαις τῆς ἡμέρας συχνάκις, εἶθ' ὕστερον καὶ προσφιλο τιμούμενος τοὺς πολλούς, κατὰ μέσον σφῶν ἐρρίπτει καὶ ἀμφοτέραις ἀργύ ρια· οἱ δὲ προσσυλλέγοντες ἀνύμνουν δῆθεν τὸν εὐεργέτην, παιδίον καὶ τὰ κατ' ἐκεῖνο χαίρειν ἐῶντες, μηδ' οἷ κακοῦ εἰδότες γεγόνασιν· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θατέρου ἐπιβουλὴ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἐντεῦθεν ἤρχετο. Τί γοῦν λοιπόν; Ὑγρῶν οὐσῶν ἔτι τῶν γεγραμμένων, αὐτοὶ κατημέλουν μὴ ξίφος κατὰ τὰ ὀμωμο σμένα κινεῖν. Οἱ δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, κἂν ὁ κλῆρος ἠμέλει, ἀλλ' οἵ γε τὸ ἀρχιερατικὸν ἀξίωμα φέροντες, τὶ μὴ ἔχοντες ἀμύνειν, τὸν λαὸν οὕτως κατενεπέδουν φρικώδεσιν ὅρκοις ὥστ' ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἓν τῶν δύο τούτοις ἐπι συμβαίνειν, ἢ ἐμφυλίοις ἐνδιδόναι πολέμοις καὶ σφάττεσθαι, ἢ μὴν τὰ μέγιστα εἰς Θεὸν ἁμαρτάνειν ἐπιορκοῦντας. Ἀλλ' ὡς ἔοικε τὸ παρὰ πολλοῖς ὑμνούμενον ἀληθές, ὡς τὸ μέλλον γενέσθαι ἀντιπράττει καὶ τῷ φρονεῖν. Ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν, μεθὸ καὶ δημηγορήσειε, κοντοῖς καὶ σφαίραις τοῖς ἄρχουσι συνιππάζετό τε καὶ συνέπαιζε, καὶ τρυφὴ ἦν τοῖς βλέπουσι τὰ πραττόμενα. Εἰς τόσον δὲ τὸ πλῆθος δημηγορῶν εἰς ἄνεσιν ἔτρεπε καί σφιν χρηστὰς τὰς ἐλπίδας ὑπέτεινεν, ὡς καλῶς εἰς τοὐπιὸν βιώσουσιν, ὥστε καὶ χαρίτων ἀρχαίων πολιτικῶν ὑπεμίμνῃσκεν, ἐλευθερίας φερουσῶν σύμβολον. Ἦσαν δ' ἐκεῖναι προσκλώθειν τὰς γενειάδας πέκοντας καὶ χαίρειν ἀνέδην· καί 149 τινες προσέκλωθον δίχα, καὶ σφᾶς ἑώρων ἐγὼ γαννυμένους ὅτι τοῦτο κελεύοι ὁ βασιλεύς, τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων εὐμάρειαν ὑπισχνούμενος. Ἦσαν δέ τινες οὐκ οἶδ' ὁπόθεν τῶν μελλόντων προφοιβασταὶ καὶ κλώθειν προσέταττον χαίρουσι τοῖς ἐλπιζομένοις, ὡς συροῦσι λυπουμένοις τοῖς πραττομένοις, εἰ πεινῷεν ἐσύστερον. Οἱ δ' ὡς εἰκαίως λεγομένοις οὐ προσεῖχον, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἦσαν ἐλπίδων, κἂν φόβους τις λέγοι. Εἰ γοῦν ἀληθῆ τὰ φοιβάσματα, ἔδειξεν ὁ καιρός, καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ τόπον ἐροῦμεν, μηδὲν προσθέντες εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας σύστασιν. Τότε τοίνυν, ἐφ' ἡμέραις τισὶ διατρίψας κατὰ τὴν Νίκαιαν, ἐπεὶ παλι νοστεῖν ἔδει πρὸς Νύμφαιον, τῷ πατριάρχῃ συνταξάμενος καὶ τὸ παιδίον παραλαβών, ὁ κηδεύειν ὑποσχὼν ἑαυτὸν ἔξεισιν ἅμα τοῖς ἐν τέλει καὶ τῷ στρατῷ.

ιʹ. Ὅπως, ὑποστραφεὶς εἰς Νύμφαιον μετὰ τοῦ παιδός, πρέσβεις ἐδέχετο πανταχόθεν. Καὶ ὁ μέν, καταλαβὼν τὸ Νύμφαιον, Περσῶν μὲν ἐδέχετο πρέσβεις καὶ δῶρα καὶ τῷ σουλτάν, καταιγιζομένῳ ἐκ παλιρροίας πραγμάτων, ὑπισχνεῖτο προσχωρήσαντα τῇ Ῥωμαίων ὑπτίαις τε δέχεσθαι χερσὶ καὶ εἰς καιρὸν πέμπειν αὖθις μετ' ἀσφαλείας, τῶν πραγμάτων ἡσυχασάντων. Ὁ γὰρ Μελὴκ προσκεχωρήκει, καὶ δέος ἦν τῷ σουλτὰν μήπως ἐκεῖνος ἐπανήξοι μεθ' ἱκανῆς καὶ ὅσην οὐκ ἦν ὑποστῆναι δυνάμεως. Ἐγγύας δ' ἐδίδου τοῦ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν πάλαι συνήθειαν. Ἐπρεσβεύοντο δὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον καὶ οἱ κατὰ τὴν μεγαλόπολιν Ἰταλοί, καὶ ἀνακωχὴν ἐδίδου τῇ πρὸς ἐκείνους μάχῃ, ὡς καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον κραταιότε ρον σπεισόμενος σφίσιν, εἰ προτενοῦντός τινα ἐκπληροῖεν· πλὴν καὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις Ῥωμαίους καὶ ἐκ Ῥωμαίων ὄντας ὡς εἶχε μετεχειρίζετο καί, μηδὲν ἔχων ἐν τῇ πόλει, ζητούντων ἐδίδου, εἰ ἕξει, καὶ χρυσοβουλλείοις 151 λόγοις κατησφαλίζετο τὰ διδόμενα. Κἀντεῦθεν προσεφέρετο ὡς ἰδίοις καί, πεῖραν διδοὺς καὶ λαμβάνων, ἀνήρτα τὰ τῶν σπονδῶν, προσδοκῶν τι μεῖζον ἐξ ὧν ἐμάνθανε, τοῖς πρέσβεσιν ὁμιλῶν.

ιαʹ. Ὅπως ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτάδελφος Ἰωάννης τὰ ἀξιώματα ἐλάμβανε. Τοῖς δὲ δυτικοῖς καὶ προσετετήκει· ὅθεν καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννην, μέγαν ἔτι δομέστικον ὄντα, συνάμα πλείσταις δυνάμεσι πέμπει, ὅς, τοῖς δυτικοῖς ἐπιστάς, φοβερὸν ἔδοξε πνέειν ἐκείνοις, ἅμα μὲν τῷ θερμῷ τῆς νεότητος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῷ περὶ ἐκεῖνον στρατεύματι κουφιζόμενος. Καὶ ἀπτέρῳ τάχει αἱρεῖ μὲν τὸ περὶ τὰ Κάνινα φρούριον, αἱρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰ Βελλάγραδα καὶ Πόλογον καὶ Κολώνειαν, χειροῦται δὲ καὶ Καστορίαν καὶ Πελαγονίαν καὶ ∆εύρας, Τζέρνικόν τε καὶ ∆ιάβολιν καὶ τὴν Πρίλαπον, Βοδεεινά τε καὶ Βόστρον, ἔλλιμνον νῆσον, Πέτραν, Πρέσπαν τε