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as grace according to worth is readily extended to those who will bear it worthily. Then the sultan, while those around him were even more shaken, partly because of the appearance of the nation of the Tochars, and partly for the sake of his own affairs, and having nothing that he could do, with everyone aroused, decided together with his wife and children, and also his aged mother, who was a Christian to the utmost degree, and his sister, to flee to the emperor, as from there alone would he have help and in due time return again by a superior hand and strength; for he did not trust his safety to anyone else, since the aforementioned Melik, having deserted some time before, was held by the emperor, and he suspected daily that this same man, if released, might appear with a multitude and from that point his path to the throne would become impossible. And he trusted in those old 185 friendly demonstrations towards the emperor and was confident that by appearing he would accomplish what was on his mind. Therefore, having gathered a quantity of gold not easily counted and taking with him the wealth of the Persians, together with his wife and children, with Pissidias leading the way, he goes to the emperor. And he, having received him gladly as was likely, did not know what to do with him; however, having been very friendly towards him and giving him courage that in due time he would return and take back his rule, with his own cooperation, he allowed him to live as was customary for him at home while ruling Persia. Hence he also sat beside the emperor on imperial thrones and had formidable bodyguards around him and used the symbols of rule, wearing a red-dyed boot. And he had pledges for success through the recent favor which, by giving it at the right time, he hoped to receive better things from the one who had received it; but this was, in fact, not a stable hope for those who think more deeply. But then, making use of the occasion, the emperor sends those around him, and especially his wife and children, under guard to Nicaea, on the pretense of providing safety for them, so that they might not be harmed, being unprotected; for it did not seem good for them to campaign with the emperor, being unaccustomed and from the women's quarters; and on the other hand, for them to remain in the east, with the emperor departing, lest it also become a danger. But by taking the sultan along with him with due honor, he concealed the deed concerning his family, which, on the pretense, as has been said, he ordered for their safety, but in truth, by holding them as security, he was contriving for the sultan to be in a secure position and not be opposed. For he was anticipating peace with the ruler of the Tochars, Chalaou, so that the latter would from there have a free hand in the affairs of Persia, with the sultan not even being named in it. And because of this, as days were spent upon days, the affairs of the Persians were yielding to the Tochars, so that even some whom one might call tent-dwellers and alienated from the state, not wishing to be subjugated, were on their own, having seized our fortifications, but also suspecting the danger from there 187 if they should attack openly, were, on the one hand, generally and universally at peace with the emperor, but on the other, lying in wait by night, one by one, they made use of thefts from our people; which indeed, with our people doing the same to them, was no trouble. And in every way the emperor, keeping in mind the nation of the Tochars as having an irresistible impulse, as it seemed likely, having just been set in motion, was greatly courting the Persians in the fortresses, hoping to use them as battlements, if the others should press on; and he was minded to make a treaty with the others also through marriage; for it seemed so fearful even to think of war against them alone that until then he considered even their name alone a cause for fear and was afraid.

25. How the former emperors felt about the Tochars when they were heard of. For formerly John Doukas only heard the fame of them and fortified the fortresses with grain and weapons, of which he ordered the former to be stored for years, sealing what was available to the inhabitants with lead seals, and commanding them to bring in supplies from outside.

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ὡς ἡ κατ' ἀξίαν χάρις τοῖς ἀξίως οἰσομένοις ἐξ ἑτοίμου προτεινομένη. Τότε καὶ ὁ σουλτάν, ἔτι μᾶλλον τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν κραδαινομένων, ἅμα μὲν διὰ τὸ φανὲν τῶν Τοχάρων ἔθνος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἰδίων πραγμάτων ἕνεκα, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων ὅ τι καὶ δράσειε, τῶν ἁπάντων διεγηγερμένων, ἔγνω ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις, πρὸς δὲ καὶ γηραιᾷ μητρί, χριστιανῇ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα οὔσῃ, καὶ ἀδελφῇ, καταφεύγειν εἰς βασιλέα, ὡς ἐκεῖθεν καὶ μόνως ἕξων βοήθειαν καὶ κατὰ καιρὸν ἐπανήξων αὖθις ἐξ ὑπερτέρας χειρὸς καὶ ἰσχύος· μηδὲ γὰρ πιστεύειν ἔχειν ἑτέρῳ τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ προρρηθεὶς Μελήκ, πρὸ χρόνων αὐτομολήσας, παρὰ βασιλέως κατείχετο, ὃν δὴ καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπώπτευεν ὁσημέραι μὴ λυθεὶς ἐπιστῇ μετὰ πλήθους καὶ οὐκ ἀνυστά οἱ τὰ εἰς ἀρχῆς κράτος ἐντεῦθεν γένοιτο. Ἐπίστευε δὲ καὶ ταῖς ἐς βασιλέα παλαιαῖς ἐκείναις 185 φιλοφρονήσεσι καὶ ἐθάρρει φανεὶς ἀνύσαι τὰ πρὸς θυμοῦ. Συμφορήσας τοιγαρ οῦν πλῆθος χρυσίων οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἀριθμητὸν καὶ τὸν Περσῶν πλοῦτον περιβαλ λόμενος, ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις, τοῦ Πισσιδίας προαγωγοῦντος, ὡς βασιλέα χωρεῖ. Ὁ δέ, ὡς εἰκὸς ἀσμένως δεξάμενος, οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι χρήσαιτο τούτῳ· πλὴν μάλα φιλοφρονησάμενος πρὸς ἐκεῖνον καὶ θαρρεῖν διδοὺς ὡς κατὰ καιρὸν ἐπανήξοι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναλάβοι, αὐτοῦ συνεργοῦντος, ἐφῆκε διάγειν ὥς οἱ σύνηθες ἦν αὐτῷ οἴκοι τῆς Περσίδος ἄρχοντι. Ὅθεν καὶ σέλμασι βασι λικοῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ παρηδρίαζε καὶ φοβεροὺς περὶ αὐτὸν εἶχε σωματοφύλακας καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀρχῆς συμβόλοις ἐχρᾶτο, ἐρυθροβαφὲς πέδιλον ὑποδούμενος. Τὰ πιστὰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ εὖ πράξειν εἶχε διὰ τὴν ἐξ ὑπογύου χάριν ἣν κατὰ καιρὸν διδοὺς ἤλπιζε παρὰ τοῦ λαβόντος τὰ κρείττω· τὸ δὲ ἦν ἄρα οὐ σταθερά τις ἐλπὶς τοῖς νοοῦσι βαθύτερον. Ἀλλὰ τότε, τὸν καιρὸν θεραπεύων, ὁ βασι λεὺς τοὺς μὲν περὶ αὐτόν, καὶ μᾶλλον γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα, κατὰ συντήρησιν πρὸς Νίκαιαν πέμπει, τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐκείνοις παρέχων, ἐφ' ᾧ μὴ βλαβεῖεν, ἀφύλακτοι ὄντες· οὐδὲ γὰρ καλὸν ἐδόκει συνεκστρατεύειν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἀήθεις ὄντας καὶ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος· τὸ δὲ πάλιν σφᾶς διατρίβειν ἐπ' ἀνατολῆς, ἀναχωροῦντος τοῦ βασιλέως, μὴ καὶ εἰς κίνδυνον γένοιτο. Τὸν δέ γε σουλτὰν συμπεριάγων αὐτῷ σὺν προσηκούσῃ τιμῇ, τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου συνεσκίαζε πρᾶξιν, ἣν τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν, ὡς εἴρηται, ὑπὲρ ἀσφαλείας ἐκείνων προσέταττε, τῇ δ' ἀληθείᾳ δι' ἐκείνων τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐχόντων τὸ ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τὸν σουλτὰν εἶναι καὶ μὴ συνισχημένον πραγματευόμενος. Προκατελάμβανε γὰρ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Τοχάρων ἄρχοντα Χαλαοὺ εἰρήνην, ὡς ἐνευκαιρήσοντος ἐντεῦθεν ἐκείνου τοῖς τῆς Περσίδος, μηδ' ὀνομαζομένου τοῦ σουλτὰν ἐν ταύτῃ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἡμερῶν ἐφ' ἡμέραις τριβομένων, τὰ τῶν Περσῶν ὑπεκλίνοντο τοῖς Τοχάροις, ὡς καί τινας οὓς ἂν εἴποι τις σκηνί τας καὶ τῇ πολιτείᾳ ἀπηχθημένους, μὴ θέλοντας ὑποτάττεσθαι, καθ' αὑτοὺς εἶναι, ἐπειλημμένους τῶν ἡμετέρων ὀχυρωμάτων, πλὴν καὶ τὸν ἐντεῦθεν ὑπο 187 τοπάζοντας κίνδυνον, εἰ φανερῶς ἐπιτιθεῖντο, κατὰ μὲν τὸ κοινὸν καὶ καθόλου ἐνσπόνδους εἶναι τῷ βασιλεῖ, καθ' ἕνα δὲ νυκτὸς λοχῶντας, τοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων κλέμμασι χρῆσθαι· ἃ δὴ καί, τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐξ ἴσου πρὸς ἐκείνους ποιούντων, οὐ πόνος ἦν. Ἐκ παντὸς δὲ τρόπου τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Τοχάρων δι' ἐννοίας ἔχων ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἀνυπόστατον τὴν ὁρμὴν κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς δοκοῦν ἔχειν, ἄρτι κινῆσαν, τοὺς μὲν κατὰ τὰ ὀχυρώματα Πέρσας καὶ λίαν ὑπε ποιεῖτο, ὡς θριγγοῖς ἐλπίζων χρᾶσθαι, εἰ ἐπιβρίσειαν ἐκεῖνοι· ἐκείνοις δ' εἶχε διὰ μελέτης καὶ ἄλλως σπένδεσθαι διὰ κήδους· ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γὰρ φοβερὸν ἐδόκει καὶ μόνον πρὸς ἐκείνους πόλεμον ἐννοεῖν ὥστε καὶ ἕως ἐκείνου καὶ τοὔνομα μόνον εἰς φόβον ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ δεδιέναι.

κεʹ. Ὅπως εἶχον οἱ πρὶν βασιλεῖς περὶ Τοχάρους ἀκουομένους. Πρώην μὲν γὰρ ὁ ∆ούκας Ἰωάννης κλέος μόνον ἐκείνων ἤκουε καὶ κατωχύ ρου τὰ φρούρια σίτῳ καὶ ἅρμασιν, ὧν τὸν μὲν καὶ εἰς χρόνους προσέταττεν ἀποτίθεσθαι, βούλλαις μολυβδίναις τὸν ἐνόντα τοῖς ἐποίκοις σφραγίζων, φέροντας δ' ἔξωθεν ἐπιτάττων