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as they were advancing and at the same time having to hunt what lay before their gates, for these reasons and despairing of such things, sending he advised the ruler to use some truces, especially since the eastern parts were also suffering under the attack of the Persians and were in need of sufficient assistance. To make peace by concluding truces seemed a good and most excellent thing both to the emperor and to the council around him. But they suspected the barbarian's character, being prone to the breaking of treaties, would immediately dissolve the concord on any given pretext. The emperor, therefore, choosing here also to act in ways that would please even his neighbor, wished to keep his oath with him as much as possible. However, he judged that the Serb's changeability would not otherwise suffice for trust, according to what was possible, unless he were bound by a marriage alliance. But that man had the daughter of Terter by the sister of Asan, having taken her as his wife under 273 secure pledges. He had another before, the daughter of the western sebastokrator John, and before her another whom he had rejected for no good reason, and having put aside that one, his lawful wife in every way, he was united with the daughter of John. But while his lawful wife was still alive, having sent this one back to her father, with no just cause having occurred for her divorce, he brought in the daughter of Terter, and had this one as his third after his lawful wife; for the first, being alive, proved the subsequent ones to be unlawful. The emperor therefore tried, since the barbarian was now inclined to a truce, since it was heard that the first one had died and from now on the status of lawful wife was granted to the one who would cohabit with him after the first, the intervening ones being repudiated as illegitimate, if he, by putting away the daughter of Terter, should wish to become his son-in-law, and for the time being by his own sister Eudokia, who was already in the city, widowed of John. And he, delaying not at all, but as if he were about to receive the greatest things, was ready on agreements and treaties to renounce the daughter of Terter and to accept the emperor’s sister; for he was eager for the hopes from the emperor, and as if he would obtain great things, he wanted the contract, since his rule was being shaken by his brother Stephen, who was both senior in age and preferred by right, even though he was lame and bore a blemish on his body, and furthermore wished to live in inactivity, having cut off for himself a sufficient land he left the business of 274 rule to him, to preserve the rule for his own children after his death. So for these reasons also he was in every way compliant to the emperor's will, and he begged to become a friend and a kinsman. And he even promised very much to hand over Kotanitzes; for it was not likely that one who was giving up his wife would spare a foreigner. The emperor assented to these things, and he now in every way tried to win over his sister, confirming that the contract was lawful; for the lawful wife had died, who indeed, while still living, rendered the succeeding ones illegitimate and unlawful, but having died, from then on she grants to the next one the status of lawful and worthy besides of her dignity. But though saying many things, he did not persuade her; for she wished, as it seemed, to keep her vows to her husband even after he had died, and not only not to enter a second marriage bed with the kral of Serbia, but not even with one much greater than he. She judged the emperor's entreaties to be otherwise sufficient and persuasive, but perhaps for another, 275 not indeed for herself, though she said that for great personages, immovable affection towards their spouses was more fitting than an easy disposition toward alienation. Nevertheless, since she was not concerned with the contract, she judged it superfluous to hold unreserved frankness for inglorious memories, and was silent.

(31) But the emperor, despairing from there of his attempt with his sister, judged the kral of Serbia too inglorious for an alliance through his own daughter, but again too great to be despised. For this reason, adding time to what was lacking, he made her more worthy for the marriage with his daughter. This little daughter, then, was very charming, not yet having passed her sixth year, beloved by him, beloved

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προβαινόντων καὶ ἅμα θηρεύειν ἐχόντων τὰ κατὰ θύρας προ κείμενα, διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀπογινώσκων, σπονδαῖς τισὶ χρῆσθαι πέμπων συνεβούλευε τῷ κρατοῦντι, καὶ μᾶλλον καὶ τῶν ἀνατολικῶν κακουμένων ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Περσῶν ἐπιδρομῆς καὶ χρῃζόντων τῆς ἱκανῆς ἀντιλήψεως. τό τε σπονδὰς ἀποτεμνομέ νους εἰρηνεύειν καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῇ περὶ αὐτὸν βουλῇ καλὸν ἐδό κει καὶ τῶν καλλίστων. τὸ δὲ τοῦ βαρβάρου ἦθος εὔκολον ὂν πρὸς σπονδῶν συγχύσεις διαλύων αὐτίκα ἐκ τυχούσης αἰτίας τὴν ὁμόνοιαν ὑπώπτευον. ὁ γοῦν βασιλεὺς κἀνταῦθα ποιεῖν προαι ρούμενος ἐξ ὧν ἀρέσειεν ἂν καὶ τῷ γε ὁμορεῖν ἔχοντι, ἠβούλετο καὶ μετ' ἐκείνου ὡς οἷόν τε εὐορκεῖν. μὴ μέντοι γε ἀρκέσειν πρὸς πίστιν τὴν τοῦ Σέρβου παλιμβουλίαν ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν ἔκρινεν ἄλ λως, εἰ μὴ κήδει τῷ κατὰ γάμον συνδέοιτο. ἐκεῖνος δ' εἶχε τὴν τοῦ Τερτερῆ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἀσὰν ἀδελφῆς θυγατέρα, λαβὼν ὑπ' 273 ἀσφαλέσι πίστεσι σύζυγον. εἶχε δ' ἑτέραν πρώην, τὴν τοῦ δυ σικοῦ σεβαστοκράτορος Ἰωάννου θυγατέρα, καὶ πρὸ ταύτης ἄλ λην ἣν ἀποστέρξας παρ' οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὔλογον, ἀφεὶς ἐκείνην τὴν νόμιμον πάντως, τῇ τοῦ Ἰωάννου συμπλέκεται θυγατρί. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσέτι τῆς νομίμου ζώσης ἀπολύσας ταύτην πρὸς τὸν πα τέρα, οὐδὲν συμπεσὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ταύτης διαζυγῆναι δίκαιον, τὴν τοῦ Τερτερῆ ἐπηγάγετο, καὶ εἶχε ταύτην τρίτην ἀπὸ τῆς νομίμου λαβών· ζῶσα γὰρ ἡ προτέρα τὰς ἐπιγενομένας παρανόμους ἀπή λεγχεν. ἐπείρα τοίνυν καὶ μόνον βασιλεὺς τοῦ βαρβάρου πρὸς σπονδὰς ἤδη κλιθέντος, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ προτέρα τεθνηκυῖα ἠκούετο καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τῇ συνοικησούσῃ νομίμῳ εἶναι μετὰ τὴν πρώ την ἐδίδοτο, τῶν ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ὡς νόθων ἀπηλλοτριωμένων, εἴπερ ἀπολύων τὴν τοῦ Τερτερῆ ἐπιγαμβρεύεσθαί οἱ βούλοιτο καὶ τέως ἐπ' αὐταδέλφῃ τῇ Εὐδοκίᾳ ἤδη κατὰ τὴν πόλιν οὔσῃ κεχηρωμένῃ τοῦ Ἰωάννου. ὁ δὲ μηδὲν μελλήσας, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ μέγιστα καὶ ληψόμενος, ἕτοιμος ἦν ἐφ' ὁμολογίαις τε καὶ συνθή καις τὴν τοῦ Τερτερῆ ἀποπροσποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως δέχεσθαι ἀδελφήν· ἔσπευδε γὰρ τὰς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλπίδας, καὶ ὡς μεγάλων ἐπιτευξόμενος ἤθελε τὸ συνάλλαγμα, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκραδαίνετο τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Στεφάνου προήκοντός τε τῷ χρόνῳ καί γε τῷ δικαίῳ προτιμωμένου, εἰ κἀκεῖνος ἐπίχω λος ὢν καὶ μῶμον φέρων ἐν σώματι, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ συζῆν ἐθέλων, χώραν τὴν ἱκανὴν ἀποτεμόμενος ἑαυτῷ τὴν τῆς 274 ἀρχῆς ἀσχολίαν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἠφίει, τοῖς παισὶν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἀρ χὴν φυλάξοντα μετὰ θάνατον. ὥστε καὶ διὰ ταῦτα παντοίως ὑπῆκτο τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως θελήματι, καὶ προσελιπάρει φίλος γε νέσθαι καὶ συγγενής. τὸν δέ γε Κοτανίτζην καὶ λίαν καθυ πισχνεῖτο παραδιδόναι· τὸν γὰρ γαμετῆς προϊέμενον οὐκ εἰκὸς εἶ ναι ἀλλοτρίου φείδεσθαι. τούτοις κατανεύει καὶ βασιλεύς, καὶ ἤδη τὴν ἀδελφὴν παντοίως ὑπέρχεται, νόμιμόν τε τὸ συνάλλαγμα βεβαιούμενος· ἡ γὰρ νόμιμος ἐτεθνήκει, ἣ δὴ ταῖς μὲν ἐπιούσαις περιοῦσα ἔτι τὸ νόθον εἰργάζετο καὶ παράνομον, τῇ δὲ ἐφεξῆς ἔκτοτε τελευτήσαντα νόμιμον δίδωσι καὶ ἄξιον προσέτι ἀξίᾳ. ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλλ' ἄττα λέγων οὐκ ἔπειθεν· ἠβούλετο γάρ, ὡς ἐῴκει, ἐκείνη τῷ ἀνδρὶ φυλάττειν τὰς πίστεις καὶ τελευτήσαντι, καὶ μὴ ὅτι γε κράλῃ Σερβίας, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ καὶ τούτου πολλῷ μεί ζονι εἰς λέχος δεύτερον συνιέναι. τὰς δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως θεραπεύ σεις ἱκανὰς μὲν ἔκρινεν ἄλλως καὶ πιθανάς, ἄλλῃ δέ γ' ἴσως, 275 οὐ μὴν ἑαυτῇ, εἰ καὶ πρέπειν ἔλεγε τοῖς μεγέθεσι στοργὴν πρὸς τὰς συνοικούσας ἀμετακίνητον μᾶλλον ἢ εὐκολίαν πρὸς ἀλλοτρίω σιν. ὅμως δ' ἐπεὶ οὐ μέλον ἦν ταύτῃ τοῦ συναλλάγματος, τὸ πρὸς τὰς ἐπ' ἀδόξοις ἀναμνήσεις ἀταμίευτον ἔχειν τὴν παρρησίαν περισσὸν ἔκρινε, καὶ ἐσίγα.

(31) ἀπογνοὺς δ' ἐκεῖθεν ὁ βασι λεὺς τῆς μετὰ τῇ ἀδελφῇ πείρας, τὸν κράλην Σερβίας ἀδοξότε ρον ἢ πρὸς οἰκειότητα τὴν ἐξ ἰδίας θυγατρὸς ἔκρινε, μείζονα δ' αὖθις ἢ καταφρονεῖσθαι. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν καιρὸν τῷ ἐλ λείποντι προστιθεὶς ἀξιώτερον ἐποίει πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ συ ζυγίαν. ἦν οὖν πάνυ ἀστεῖον τοῦτο τὸ θυγάτριον, οὔπω τὸν ἕκτον παραλλάττον ἐνιαυτόν, ἀγαπητὸν μὲν ἑαυτῷ, ἀγαπητὸν