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of those who would say that I have come to a point of necessity; but to bring perjury upon myself, when it was possible safely and with great advantage to escape the trial, I have considered neither holy nor tolerable. Therefore I will also try to show that I, as much as possible, have kept both the treaties and the oaths intact especially until now; but if through these things I reveal that he has broken both the oaths and the treaties, I ask you to condemn in me neither audacity nor rashness, but to reckon the accusation to the necessity of the matter. First, then, I would say this, that I am not the only one who swore the oaths on the agreements, but the emperor as well, and that the same necessity existed for both of us to keep them inviola 1.232 te; but if they are broken by one party, the other is no longer liable to the charges, if he defends himself. Which indeed the emperor himself has already judged well. For he says that since I have broken the oaths and the treaties, he himself is liable to no charge, if he does any harm in defending himself. And you also, I suppose, would agree to the same, if I were to speak correctly and justly. And I received it very gladly, that Cocalas the great logariastes is also present with you. For he will contribute not a few things to my defense for testimony, though he will be vexed by what I am about to say; and yet, being himself a kinsman-by-marriage of the protovestiarios my uncle, he has come to hear both what I am accused of and what sort of defenses I will make, so that he may be able to report the truth when writing to his kinsman-by-marriage. But I especially approved of his being present. Consider, therefore, which of us first transgressed the oaths. And I shall offer not plausible words for my defense, nor corrupt men as witnesses, whom one might be permitted to disbelieve and object to, but the emperor's own letters will bear witness that for a long time and with care and forethought he has set in motion the war against me. And first let the emperor's order be read to us, which he sent to the protovestiarios my uncle, in the month of July of the tenth indiction, having it word for word thus: «Most desired nephew of my majesty, protovestiarios lord Andronicus Palaiologos. The report, which you reported to my majesty 1.233, has been delivered, and from it I have learned as much as you wrote and reported. I have therefore much approved your zeal and diligence and your struggle for this; and again in the future take care that it be accomplished. For you know well, that you were not sent to the kephalatikion there for any other reason than for this very service. Since, therefore, even before your report the Krales also sent his apocrisiarius here, and he declared to my majesty, how he has already come to an agreement with you, and is found ready to help us with all his power, not only with his army, but also by being present himself, my majesty was again confirmed in this yet more from your report. Therefore perform your service with great speed, because my majesty also acts diligently, and take care lest we get ahead of you.» This, then, is as such. And I shall also provide a second testimony, an order from the emperor to the same person, written in September of the eleventh indiction: «Most desired nephew of my majesty, protovestiarios lord Andronicus Palaiologos; you know how much my majesty has commanded you concerning the services with which you were charged, and that you must make haste, lest my majesty get ahead of you; and behold, as I see, so it is about to happen. For I am awaiting nothing else than a message from there. Where, then, is your diligence? Where is your promise? For since the month of July I have learned nothing for certain from there 1.234, but only from rumor, and let me know with all speed, that, as has been said above, we are awaiting nothing else than your message.» And this Cocalas here, writing to the protovestiarios his son-in-law, condemns his great neglect and laziness, and rebukes him for not fulfilling his promises, saying that the emperor is grieved by these things, and that he himself is ashamed, who had promised him with all diligence and speed

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οἰσόντων εἰπεῖν εἰς ἀνάγκην τι ἐλθεῖν· τὸ δὲ ἐπιορκίαν ἐμαυτῷ προστρίψασθαι, ἐνὸν ἀσφαλῶς καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τὴν δίκην διαφυγεῖν, οὔθ' ὅσιον ἥγημαι οὔτ' ἀνεκτόν. διὸ καὶ πειράσομαι ἐμαυτὸν ὡς οἷόν τε τάς τε σπονδὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους ἀκεραίους ἄχρι νῦν μάλιστα διατετηρηκότα ἀποδεῖξαι· ἂν δ' ἐκεῖνον διὰ τούτων ἀποφαίνω καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους λελυκότα καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς, μηδεμίαν ἐμοῦ καταγινώσκειν ἰταμότητα μήτε προπέτειαν ἀξιῶ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ πράγματος λογίζεσθαι ἀνάγκῃ τὴν κατηγορίαν. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμι, ὡς τοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς συνθήκαις ὅρκους οὐκ αὐτὸς ὀμώμοκα μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλεὺς, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνάγκην ἑκατέροις ἀπαραβά 1.232 τους τηρεῖν εἶναι· ἂν δὲ ἐξ ἑνὸς παραβαθῶσι, μηκέτι τὸν ἕτερον, ἂν ἀμύνηται, ἐνέχεσθαι ταῖς αἰτίαις. ὃ δὴ καὶ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς ἐδίκασε καλῶς φθάσας. λελυκότος γὰρ ἐμοῦ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς, οὐδεμιᾷ φησιν αὐτὸς ἐνέχεσθαι αἰτίᾳ, ἄν τι βλάπτῃ ἀμυνόμενος. καὶ ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὑπολαμβάνω, τὸ αὐτὸ συμφαίητε ὀρθῶς ἂν ἔγωγε εἴποιμι καὶ δικαίως. πάνυ δὲ ἡδέως ἐδεξάμην, ὅτι καὶ Κωκαλᾶς ὁ μέγας λογαριαστὴς συμπάρεστιν ὑμῖν. συμβαλεῖται γὰρ ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀπολογίαν οὐ μικρά τινα ἐπὶ μαρτυρίαν, ἀχθησόμενος ὧν μέλλω λέγειν· καίτοι γε αὐτὸς κηδεστὴς ὢν πρωτοβεστιαρίου τοῦ θείου τοῦ ἐμοῦ, ὅ,τι τε κατηγοροῦμαι καὶ ὁποίας ποιήσομαι τὰς ἀπολογίας παρεγένετο ἀκοῦσαι, ὡς ἂν εἰδέναι ἔχῃ πρὸς τὸν κηδεστὴν γράφων ἀπαγγέλλειν τἀληθές. ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι μάλιστα ἀπεδεξάμην. σκέψασθε τοίνυν ὁπότερος πρότερος παραβέβηκε τοὺς ὅρκους. παρέξομαι δὲ οὐ λόγους εὐπρεπεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀπολογίαν, οὐδὲ μάρτυρας ἀνθρώπους διεφθαρμένους, οἷς ἄν τινι καὶ ἀπιστεῖν καὶ παραγράφεσθαι ἐξεῖναι, ἀλλ' αὐτὰ τὰ βασιλέως γράμματα μαρτυρήσειεν ἐκ πολλοῦ καὶ μετ' ἐπιμελείας καὶ φροντίδος τὸν πρὸς ἐμὲ πόλεμον κεκινηκώς. καὶ πρῶτον ἀναγνωσθήτω ἡμῖν τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως πρόσταγμα, ὃ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ ἀπέστειλε τῷ ἐμῷ θείῳ, Ἰουλίῳ μηνὶ τῆς δεκάτης ἰνδικτιῶνος, ἔχον ἐπὶ λέξεως οὑτωσί· «περιπόθητε ἀνεψιὲ τῆς βασιλείας μου πρωτοβεστιάριε κύριε Ἀνδρόνικε Παλαιολόγε. ἡ ἀναφορὰ, ἣν ἀνέφερες τῇ βασιλείᾳ 1.233 μου, ἀπεσώθη καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγνώρισα ὅσον ἔγραψες καὶ ἀνέφερες. ἀπεδεξάμην γοῦν πολλὰ τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὸν εἰς τοῦτο ἀγῶνά σου· καὶ πάλιν εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπιμελήθητι ἵνα τελεσθῇ. καλὰ γὰρ γινώσκεις, ὅτι οὐ δι' ἄλλο τι ἀπεστάλης εἰς τὸ αὐτόθι κεφαλατίκιον παρ' ὃ διὰ τὴν δουλείαν αὐτήν. ἐπεὶ γοῦν καὶ πρὸ τῆς σῆς ἀναφορᾶς ἀπέστειλε καὶ ὁ Κράλης ἀποκρισιάριον αὐτοῦ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ἐδήλωσε πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν μου, ὅπως ἤδη κατεστάθη μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ εὑρίσκεται ἕτοιμος, ἵνα κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν βοηθήσῃ ἡμῖν, μὴ μόνον μετὰ τοῦ φωσάτου αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς παρὼν, πάλιν ἐπιστώθη τοῦτο ἡ βασιλεία μου ἔτι πλέον ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς ἀναφορᾶς. ποίει γοῦν τὴν δουλείαν σου μετὰ πολλῆς συντομίας, ὅτι καὶ ἡ βασιλεία μου ἐπιμελῶς πράττει, καὶ πρόσεξαι μή πως προλάβωμεν ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς.» τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτον. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ δευτέραν παρέξομαι μαρτυρίαν, πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν πρόσταγμα βασιλέως, Σεπτεμβρίῳ γραφὲν ἑνδεκάτης ἰνδικτιῶνος· «περιπόθητε ἀνεψιὲ τῆς βασιλείας μου πρωτοβεστιάριε κύριε Ἀνδρόνικε Παλαιολόγε· οἶδας ὅσον διωρίσατο πρός σε ἡ βασιλεία μου περὶ τῶν δουλειῶν ὧν ἀνετέθης, καὶ ὅτι δέον σε σπουδάσαι, μή πως προλάβῃ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία μου· καὶ ἰδοὺ, ὡς βλέπω, οὕτω μέλλει γίνεσθαι. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἐκδέχομαι ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτόθι μήνυμα. ποῦ γοῦν ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιμέλειά σου; ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ σὴ ὑπόσχεσις; ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνὸς οὐδὲν ἐγνώρισά τι ἀκριβῶς ἀπὸ τῶν αὐ 1.234 τόθι, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἀπὸ τῆς φήμης, καὶ ἂς γνωρίσω κατὰ πᾶσαν συντομίαν, ὅτι, ὡς ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐκδεχόμεθα, ἢ τὸ μήνυμα ὑμῶν.» καὶ Κωκαλᾶς δὲ οὑτοσὶ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ τῷ γαμβρῷ γράφων, ἀμέλειαν αὐτοῦ πολλὴν καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν καταγινώσκει, καὶ ὡς μὴ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐκπληροῦντι ἐπιπλήττει, ὡς λυπουμένου μὲν βασιλέως διὰ ταῦτα, αἰσχυνομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, ὃς ἐπηγγείλατο μετὰ πάσης ἐπιμελείας αὐτὸν καὶ ταχυτῆτος