78

that Prousa had fallen to the besieging barbarians. And I have recounted these things, not that I might simply be so ambitious, but that I might show with great abundance that if for the sake of one city in danger I was so inflamed and thought it necessary either to help it or to share its danger myself, much more would I be grieved now, seeing the entire dominion of the Romans in danger at once. For for us, who are justly the ones to fight on its behalf against the external enemies, to be broken against one another, one must consider 1.221 it nothing other than its most complete destruction. Wherefore I earnestly beseech you, emperor, if it is possible, to put an end to the enmity and to choose peace rather than war. But if the words of the sycophants have prevailed to such an extent that I, though pleading much for peace, accomplish nothing, I implore you as a second course, to come before you with two or three others and be judged. And if I am acquitted of the charges, it would be well; but if I am convicted of injustice and perjury, you will be rid of long toils, having the wrongdoer in your hands, and do not spare me, by God himself, but punish me according to my sins. But if this is not pleasing to you, for me myself to come before you and be judged, then at least let the grand domestic come and be judged on my behalf. And if he too is convicted, let him suffer the ultimate penalty; and in any case I will grieve no less than if I myself suffered the terrible things in my own body.” Such things the young emperor wrote to his grandfather and emperor; and the grand domestic also wrote such things, pleading for the same things: “Most mighty emperor, I believe you are clearly persuaded of both things concerning me: that I am well-disposed and friendly toward you and choose to serve you no less than anyone, with events in many cases providing clear proofs of these things, and that I would eagerly exchange not only my possessions but even my life itself for the common happiness of the Romans. But now, seeing you for no reason breaking the treaties and being set on making war, I am deeply grieved, almost to death, contemplating the disasters which 1.222 will befall the Romans from a war against one another; and I beseech you not to overlook your subjects falling into such evils, but to stop the disaster by being reconciled with the emperor your grandson, who, as far as I know, has offended you in nothing, neither in deeds nor in words, neither before nor now—and you know clearly that he neither says nor does anything without my knowledge; do not indeed prefer the slanders of those who delight in the common destruction to the common salvation, nor be persuaded by them as they incite you to war, having been taught accurately by experience itself that they attempt impossible things and wish to lift a burden exceeding their strength. Therefore, by ending the war, you will be taking counsel for what is necessary both for yourself and for us; but by doing the opposite, I do not know for which side you will be taking more unprofitable counsel. So then the emperor your grandson challenges that the accusations be resolved by a trial, and before you as judge, which all would agree with him is a just demand; or, as a second choice, if it is not your will for him to appear for the trial, for me myself to answer for the matters concerning him. If, then, you order him to come, I am clearly persuaded that upon being seen alone he will show the slanders to be weaker than spiders' webs; but if, as a second choice, you order me, I hope to prove him not only to have done no wrong, but also to be a lover of his father and to have shown fitting respect and obedience to the very end. But if you will scorn both of these options, persuaded by the slanderers, God will not overlook 1.223 us being wronged; but as for you, where matters will end, it is better for me to be silent, but experience will teach you clearly. Nevertheless, I ask that this present letter of mine be kept in a safe place, so that from the outcomes it may be shown whether I appear a good counselor.” 46. Thus they wrote such things to the elder emperor; but he, having read the letters, answered nothing more than that it was not easy to receive either his grandson or Kantakouzenos in Byzantium for a trial. And the young emperor, having heard the emperor's response, was grieved

78

γεγενῆσθαι τοῦ Προῦσαν ὑπὸ τοῖς πολιορκοῦσι βαρβάροις γεγενῆσθαι. ταῦτα δὲ διῆλθον, οὐχ ἵν' ἁπλῶς οὕτω φιλοτιμήσωμαι, ἀλλ' ἵν' ἐπιδείξαιμι ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος, ὅτι εἰ μιᾶς ἕνεκα πόλεως κινδυνευούσης οὕτω περιεκαιόμην καὶ δεῖν ἐνόμιζον ἢ βοηθεῖν αὐτῇ ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς συγκινδυνεύειν, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἂν ἀλγοίην νῦν, ὁμοῦ Ῥωμαίων σύμπασαν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν κινδυνεύουσαν ὁρῶν. τὸ γὰρ ἡμᾶς, τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω πολεμίους πολεμεῖν δικαίους ὄντας, συῤῥήγνυσθαι ἀλλήλοις οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἢ καταστροφὴν αὐτῆς τελεωτάτην οἴε 1.221 σθαι χρή. διὸ δὴ καὶ σφόδρα σου δέομαι, βασιλεῦ, εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε, καταλῦσαι τὴν ἔχθραν καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν πόλεμον ἑλέσθαι. εἰ δ' ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον οἱ τῶν συκοφαντῶν ἴσχυσαν λόγοι, ὥστ' ἐμὲ πολλὰ περὶ εἰρήνης δεόμενον ἀνύειν μηδὲν, τό γε δεύτερον ἱκετεύω, ἐπὶ σοῦ ἅμα δύο ἢ καὶ τρισὶν ἐλθόντα δικασθῆναι. κἂν μὲν ἀπολύσωμαι τὰς αἰτίας, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι· ἂν δ' ἀδικῶν ἁλῶ καὶ ἐπιορκῶν, τῶν μακρῶν ἀπαλλαγήσῃ πόνων, ἔχων ἐν χερσὶ τὸν ἀδικοῦντα, καὶ μὴ φείσῃ, πρὸς αὐτοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ κόλασον ἀξίως τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτό σοι ἀρεστὸν, τὸ αὐτὸν ἐμὲ ἐπὶ σοῦ ἐλθόντα δικασθῆναι, ἀλλ' ὁ μέγας δομέστικος γοῦν ἐλθὼν δικαζέσθω ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. κἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἁλῷ, τὰ ἔσχατα ὑπομενέτω· πάντως δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀλγήσω, ἢ εἰ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑφιστάμην τὰ δεινά.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν βασιλεὺς ὁ νέος ἐπέστελλε πρὸς τὸν πάππον καὶ βασιλέα· καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος τοιαῦτα ἔγραψε, δεόμενος περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν· «κράτιστε βασιλεῦ, ἀμφότερά σε οἴομαι σαφῶς πεπεῖσθαι περὶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι τε εὐνοϊκῶς διάκειμαι καὶ φιλίως περί σε καὶ οὐδενός σοι δουλεύειν ἧττον αἱροῦμαι, τούτων ἀποδείξεις σαφῶς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐν πολλοῖς παρασχομένων, καὶ ὅτι τὴν κοινὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων εὐδαιμονίαν οὐ τῶν ὄντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς ζωῆς προθύμως ἀλλαξαίμην ἄν. νυνὶ δέ σε ὁρῶν ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας λύοντα μὲν τὰς σπονδὰς, ὡρμημένον δὲ πολεμεῖν, σφόδρα μὲν ἀλγῶ καὶ παραπλήσιον θανάτου, τὰς συμφορὰς, αἳ 1.222 περιστήσονται Ῥωμαίους ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐννοῶν πολέμου· δέομαι δέ σου μὴ τοιούτοις κακοῖς τοὺς ὑπηκόους περιπεσόντας περιϊδεῖν, ἀλλὰ στῆσαι τὴν συμφορὰν, βασιλεῖ τῷ ἐγγόνῳ διαλλαγέντα, οὐδὲν, ὅσα γε ἐμὲ εἰδέναι, οὔτε ἐν πράγμασιν οὔτε ἐν λόγοις, οὔτε πρότερον προσκεκρουκότι οὔτε νῦν, οἶσθα δὲ σαφῶς, ὡς οὐδὲν οὔτε φθέγγεται οὔτε πράττει, μὴ συνειδότος ἐμοῦ· μὴ δὴ τὰς συκοφαντίας τῶν ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ ἡδομένων τῷ κοινῷ τῆς κοινῆς προθεῖναι σωτηρίας, μηδ' αὐτοῖς πεισθῆναι πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν ἐνάγουσιν, ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς πείρας ἀκριβῶς δεδιδαγμένος, ὡς ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειροῦσι καὶ ἄχθος ἆραι τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν ἐθέλουσιν ὑπερβαῖνον. καταλύων μὲν οὖν τὸν πόλεμον, τὰ δέοντα βουλεύσῃ καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ ἡμῖν· τοὐναντίον δὲ ποιῶν, οὐκ οἶδα ὁποτέροις μᾶλλον ἀλυσιτελέστερον βουλεύσῃ. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν ὁ σὸς ἔγγονος δίκῃ διαλύεσθαι τὰ ἐγκλήματα προκαλεῖται, καὶ παρὰ σοὶ δικαστῇ, ὃ πάντες ἂν αὐτῷ συμφαῖεν, ὡς δικαία ἡ ἀξίωσις· ἢ, τό γε δεύτερον, εἰ μὴ αὐτόν σοι κατὰ γνώμην πρὸς τὴν δίκην ἀπαντῆσαι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ἐμὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῷ διαφερόντων τὰς εὐθύνας παρασχεῖν. εἰ μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν κελεύσεις, πέπεισμαι σαφῶς, ὡς ὀφθεὶς μόνον ἀραχνίων ἱστῶν ἀδρανεστέρας ἀποδείξει τὰς συκοφαντίας· εἰ δὲ, τό γε δεύτερον, ἐμὲ, ἐλπίζω καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότα, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλοπάτορα καὶ τὴν προσήκουσα αἰδῶ καὶ εὐπείθειαν μέχρι παντὸς ἐπιδεδειγμένον ἀποδείξειν. εἰ δ' ἀμφοτέρων τούτων καταφρονήσεις, πεισθεὶς τοῖς συκοφαντοῦσιν, ἡμᾶς μὲν ὁ θεὸς οὐ περιό 1.223 ψεται ἀδικουμένους· ὑμῖν δὲ ὅποι τὰ πράγματα τελευτήσει, ἐμοὶ μὲν ἄμεινον σιωπᾷν, ἡ πεῖρα δὲ διδάξει σαφῶς. πλὴν τὰ παρόντα μοι γράμματα τηρεῖσθαι δέομαι ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ, ὅπως ἐκ τῶν ἀποβησομένων εἰ ἀγαθὸς σύμβουλος ἐγὼ φανῇ.» μϛʹ. Οἱ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ ἐπέστελλον βασιλεῖ· ὁ δὲ τὰ γράμματα ἀναγνοὺς, οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο πλέον, ἢ ὡς οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἐπὶ δίκῃ οὔτε τὸν ἔγγονον, οὔτε τὸν Καντακουζηνὸν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ δέχεσθαι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἀκούσας τὴν βασιλέως ἀπόκρισιν, ἤλγησε