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ending in rocky hills. And around the neck both towers and curtain walls have been built in the manner of a fortress, which is also named Kastoria. The emperor, having overtaken Bryennios there, judged it necessary to first make an attempt on the towers and the curtain walls with siege engines. But since it was not possible otherwise than from some base of operations to bring the soldiers close to the walls, he first set up a palisade, then constructed wooden towers and bound their joints with iron, and from these, as from some fort, he organized the wars against the Celts. 6.1.2 Accordingly, having set up the siege engines and the stone-throwing machines outside, fighting through every night and day and shaking the circuit of the wall, since those within resisted more stoutly (they did not give in even when the wall was breached), and since it was no longer possible for him to achieve his objectives, he devised a plan both noble and clever, so that from both sides, from the mainland and from the lake, bringing in some brave men by means of ships, he might make war at the same time. Since there were no ships, he loaded some small skiffs on wagons and brought them through the isthmus into it. And seeing that the Latins ascending from one side ascended quickly, while those descending from the other side spent more time in descending, he embarked George Palaiologos with valiant men in them and ordered him to moor at the foothills near the hills, having instructed that, whenever he should see the signal given to him, he should then seize the ridge from their rear and enter through the uninhabited and easier part; and whenever he should see the emperor from the land taking up the war with the Latins, he himself should also hasten as best he could, so that they might not be able to fight equally on both sides, but with the intensity of the battle relaxed on one side, they might then be captured from that same side. 6.1.3 So George Palaiologos, having moored at the shores of the aforementioned hill, stood armed, having posted a lookout above to watch for and see the signal given to him by the emperor, and he instructed that, whenever he should see this, he should in turn signal it to him. And as the day was already dawning, the emperor's men sounded the battle-cry and hastened to join battle with the Latins from the land. And the lookout, having seen the given signal, indicated it to Palaiologos by another signal. And he immediately with those with him quickly seized the ridge and stood with shields locked. 6.1.4 At any rate, Bryennios, seeing the siege from outside and Palaiologos roaring against them, did not give in even so, but ordered the counts to resist more bravely. But they, behaving more shamelessly toward him, said: "You see how evil upon evil is established; it is therefore possible for each of us henceforth to secure his own safety, and for some to go over to the emperor, and for others to return to their own country." And immediately setting to work, they asked the emperor for one standard to be set up at the precinct of the great martyr George (for this church had previously been built there in the name of this martyr), and the other towards Avlon, so that "as many of us as might wish to serve your majesty, may go to the one inclined toward the precinct of the martyr, and as many as wish to return to their own country, may proceed to the one facing toward Avlon." Having said these things, they immediately came over to the emperor. But Bryennios, being a noble man, by no means wished to come over, but swore an oath never to take up arms against him, if only he would give him men who would escort him safely as far as the borders of the Roman empire and thus release him to his own

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πετρώδεις βουνοὺς ἀπο τελευτῶν. Περὶ δὲ τὸν τράχηλον καὶ πύργοι καὶ μεσο πύργια ᾠκοδόμηνται κάστρου δίκην, ὅπερ καὶ Καστορία ὀνομάζεται. Ἐκεῖ καταλαβὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βρυέννιον δέον ἔκρινε τῶν πύργων καὶ τῶν μεσοπυργίων πρώτως δι' ἑλεπόλεων ἀποπειρᾶσθαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄλλως οὐκ ἐνῆν εἰ μὴ ὡς ἔκ τινος ὁρμητηρίου τοὺς στρατιώτας τοῖς τείχεσι προσπελάζειν, χάρακα μέντοι πρώτως ἐπήξατο, εἶτα πύργους ξυλίνους κατασκευάσας καὶ σιδήρῳ τὰ τούτων συνδήσας περισφίγματα ἐκ τούτων ὡς ἔκ τινος φρουρίου τοὺς κατὰ τῶν Κελτῶν συνίστατο πολέμους. 6.1.2 Τὰς γοῦν ἑλεπόλεις καὶ τὰ πετροβόλα μηχανήματα ἔξωθεν καταστήσας διὰ πάσης νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας μαχόμενος καὶ κατασείσας τὸν τοῦ τείχους περίβολον, ἐπεὶ καρτερώτερον οἱ ἐντὸς ἀνθίσταντο (οὐκ ἐνεδίδουν οὐδὲ τοῦ τείχους καταρραγέντος), ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐνῆν αὐτῷ ἔτι τῶν κατὰ σκοπὸν τυχεῖν, βουλὴν βουλεύεται γενναίαν ἅμα καὶ συνετήν, ἵν' ἐξ ἑκατέρου ἔκ τε τῆς ἠπείρου καὶ τῆς λίμνης διὰ πλοίων εἰσαγαγὼν γενναίους τινὰς ἐν ταὐτῷ τὸν πόλεμον ποιή σηται. Πλοίων δὲ μὴ ἐνόντων ἐν ἁμάξαις ἐπιφορτίσας ἀκάτιά τινα μικρὰ διὰ τοῦ μολισκοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ εἰσήγαγεν. Ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἀνιόντας τῶν Λατίνων ἐξ ἑνὸς μέρους ταχέως ἀνιόντας, τοὺς δ' ἐξ ἑτέρου κατιόντας πλείονα χρόνον τρίβοντας ἐν τῷ κατιέναι τὸν Παλαιολόγον Γεώρ γιον μετὰ ἀλκίμων ἀνδρῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰσελάσας εἰς τοὺς περὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς πρόποδας προσορμίσαι προσέταξε παραγγείλας, ὁπηνίκα τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῷ σημεῖον θεάσοιτο, τηνικαῦτα τὴν ἀκρολοφίαν καταλαβόντα ἐξ ὀπισθίων αὐτῶν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀοικήτου καὶ ῥᾳδιωτέρας εἰσελθεῖν· καὶ ὁπηνίκα τὸν αὐτοκράτορα θεάσεται ἀπὸ τῆς χέρσου τὸν μετὰ τῶν Λατίνων πόλεμον ἀναδεξάμενον, καὶ αὐτὸν σπεῦσαι ὡς δύναμις, ἵνα μὴ ὡσαύτως πρὸς ἑκάτερα μάχε σθαι δυνάμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἑνὸς μέρους τοῦ τόνου τῆς μάχης χαλάσαντος ἁλώσιμοι τηνικαῦτα ἐκ ταὐτοῦ μέρους γένων ται. 6.1.3 Ὁ μὲν οὖν Παλαιολόγος Γεώργιος ταῖς ἀκταῖς τοῦ ἤδη ῥηθέντος βουνοῦ προσορμίσας ὁπλισάμενος εἱστή κει σκοπὸν ἄνωθεν ἐπιστήσας τὸν τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιτηροῦντα ἰδεῖν σύνθημα καὶ παρήγγειλεν ὡς, ὁπηνίκα τοῦτο θεάσοιτο, αὖθις αὐτὸ τούτῳ ἐπισημή νασθαι. Αὐγαζούσης δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἤδη τὸ ἐνυάλιον ἀλλάξαντες οἱ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν Λατίνων ἀπὸ τῆς χέρσου συναίρειν ἠπείγοντο. Ὁ δὲ σκοπὸς τὸ δοθὲν σημεῖον θεασάμενος δι' ἑτέρου σημείου δηλοῖ τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ. Ὁ δ' εὐθὺς μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀκρολοφίαν θᾶττον καταλαβὼν συνησπικὼς ἵστατο. 6.1.4 Τὴν γοῦν ἐκτὸς πολιορκίαν ὁ Βρυέννιος ὁρῶν καὶ τὸν Παλαιο λόγον κατ' αὐτῶν βρύχοντα οὐδ' οὕτως ἐνεδίδου, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κόμητας ἐκέλευε γενναιότερον ἀντικαθίστασθαι. Οἱ δὲ ἀναισχυντότερον αὐτῷ προσφερόμενοι ἔλεγον· «Ὁρᾷς ὡς κακὸν ἐπὶ κακῷ ἐστήρικται· ἔξεστιν οὖν ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν τοῦ λοιποῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν πραγματεύσασθαι καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῷ βασιλεῖ προσελθεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκείαν πατρίδα ἐπαναζεῦξαι». Καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔργου ἁψάμενοι ἐξαιτοῦνται τὸν αὐτοκράτορα μίαν μὲν σημαίαν πρὸς τῷ τοῦ μεγαλομάρτυρος Γεωργίου τεμένει στῆναι (ἔφθασε γὰρ ἐπ' ὀνόματι τούτου τοῦ μάρτυρος ἐκεῖσε ἀνοικοδο μηθῆναι ὁ ναὸς οὑτοσί), τὴν δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὸν Αὐλῶνα, ἵν' «ὁπόσοι μὲν ἡμῶν τῇ σῇ βασιλείᾳ θητεῦσαι βούλοιντο, τῇ πρὸς τὸ τέμενος τοῦ μάρτυρος ἀπονενευκυίᾳ προσέλ θωσιν, ὁπόσοι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν πατρίδα ἐπαναζεῦξαι, τῇ πρὸς τὸν Αὐλῶνα ἀφορώσῃ προσχωρήσωσι». Ταῦτ' εἰπόντες παραχρῆμα προσῆλθον τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ὁ δὲ Βρυέν νιος γενναῖος ὢν ἀνὴρ προσεληλυθέναι μὲν οὐδαμῶς ἠβούλετο, ἐπώμνυτο δὲ μηδέποτε κατ' αὐτοῦ ὅπλα κινῆσαι, εἰ μόνον δοίη τοὺς τοῦτον μέχρι τῶν ὁρίων τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλείας ἀκινδύνως διασώσοντας καὶ οὕτω πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπολῦσαι