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to make war on us and from all sides gathers a force for himself against us, it was necessary to consider at length, lest, while he holds to peace, we should seem to have begun a war out of foolishness. But since this has become very clear to us from many things, and not even the emperor himself would deny that he himself has become the cause of the present war, it is necessary for us also to act from wherever some advantage may come.” And to the emperor himself it seemed best not to delay any longer, but to depart and prepare for the war, but he advised not to abandon even the last hope of peace, 1.254 but that they themselves, going to Byzantium, should ask for peace in person. And if, out of respect, they should end the war, what was sought would be accomplished; but if not, calling God and the Byzantines themselves to witness, that although seeking peace in every way, they are repulsed by them, they should withdraw. However, the Grand Domestic said, “To Byzantium we will go, just as you commanded, O Emperor; but I greatly wonder that, though we have negotiated so many and such things so that peace might not be broken, and have accomplished nothing more, you hoped that respect alone might ever be able to achieve this. Yet pardon this saying, for you suffer the same as those seized by a raging fever. For they always cross springs and rivers in their mind and demand that all things gush forth water for them and are vexed when this does not happen, although they know clearly that they demand impossible things; and so for you, being ardently inflamed for peace, it is no wonder that you also consider things entirely unattainable to be possible, and, as the saying goes, to devise ways out of difficulties. But I have despaired of peace for many other reasons, and because for so many days the patriarch has communicated nothing to you. For it is possible to suspect that because the city gates are securely guarded, not even he is permitted to send someone to us; but it seems to me that not so much for this reason as so that he might not become a messenger of bad news that he has embraced silence.” Thus they spoke such things, deliberating with one another. 1.255 51. And as it seemed best to go first to Byzantium, setting out from Rhegium together with the one thousand three hundred chosen men whom they were leading, they proceeded to Byzantium. And after they had crossed the bridge there, a letter came to the emperor from the emperor's friends in Byzantium, relating everything in detail, both how the ambassadors who had arrived were not even deemed worthy of a question from the elder emperor, and how many things the patriarch, displeased on account of this, said to the emperor and what replies he received, and finally, how he himself and those who participated with him in the defense before the emperor had been imprisoned. So to the one who sent the letter, the emperor, through the one who had brought it, sent back many thanks for his goodwill toward him, and he ordered those around him to put on their arms, thinking it was not safe nor a matter of military experience to proceed unprotected through enemy territory; and they all armed themselves as they were commanded. And when they were near the walls of Byzantium, the emperor halted the army further away; but he himself, together with the Grand Domestic and the Protostrator and taking along another thirty soldiers, came near the walls by the gate called Gyrolimne. Upon which were many other armed men and their commander, the domestic of the imperial table, Phokas Maroules, whom the emperor addressed himself in person. But he answered nothing, but only made obeisance in silence. For on the one hand, his fear of addressing him as his emperor and lord was not small, 1.256 as he was suspicious of harm from the elder emperor, and on the other, to treat him as a private citizen was not only terribly insolent, but also in no way fitting for him, since he was sufficiently educated in such matters. But the emperor ordered him to go to the emperor his grandfather and announce, that "your grandson the emperor beseeches you either to command him to come to you, or if this is difficult, then at least as a second option, to grant him this favor as a great act of kindness, that he, coming upon this very tower, might converse a little with you, or if not even this is possible, at least

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πολεμεῖν ἡμῖν καὶ πανταχόθεν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν συναθροίζει καθ' ἡμῶν, ἐχρῆν διασκέπτεσθαι ἐπιπολὺ, μὴ, αὐτοῦ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐχομένου, ἡμεῖς δόξωμεν ἐξ ἀβουλίας πολέμου ἦρχθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ πολλῶν ἡμῖν γεγένηται καταφανὲς, καὶ οὐδ' αὐτὸς ἂν ἀρνήσαιτο βασιλεὺς, μὴ οὐκ αὐτὸς αἴτιος γεγενῆσθαι τοῦ νυνὶ πολέμου, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ἡμᾶς ὅθεν ἄν τις ὠφέλεια ἥξει πράττειν.» βασιλεῖ δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ μὲν οὐκ ἐπιπλέον ἔτι ἐδόκει μέλλειν, ἀλλ' ἀπελθόντας παρασκευάζεσθαι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, παρῄνει δὲ μηδὲ τὴν τελευταίαν ἐλπίδα τῆς εἰρήνης 1.254 ἀπολιπεῖν, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς πρὸς Βυζάντιον ἐλθόντας, δι' ἑαυτῶν τὴν εἰρήνην αἰτεῖν. κἂν μὲν αἰδεσθέντες καταλύσωσι τὸν πόλεμον, τὸ ζητούμενον ἠνῦσθαι· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ, θεὸν ἐπιμαρτυραμένους καὶ αὐτοὺς Βυζαντίους, ὡς παντὶ τρόπῳ τὴν εἰρήνην αἰτοῦντες ἀπωθοῦνται ὑπ' αὐτῶν, ἀναχωρεῖν. ὁ μέντοι μέγας δομέστικος «πρὸς μὲν Βυζάντιον» εἶπεν «ἐλευσόμεθα, καθάπερ ἐκέλευσας, βασιλεῦ· πάνυ δὲ θαυμάζω, ὅτι τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα πρὸς τὸ μὴ καταλυθῆναι τὴν εἰρήνην πραγματευσαμένων ἡμῶν καὶ πλέον ἠνυκότων μηδὲν, τὴν αἰδῶ ἤλπισας μόνην τοῦτο ἄν ποτε δυνηθῆναι. συγγνώμη δ' ὅμως τοῦ λόγου, τοῖς ὑπὸ πυρετοῦ λαύρου κατεχομένοις πάσχοντι ταὐτόν. ἐκεῖνοί τε γὰρ ἀεὶ κρήνας διΐασι καὶ ποταμοὺς τῷ νῷ καὶ πάντα χρήματα ὕδωρ ἀναβλύζειν αὐτοῖς ἀξιοῦσι καὶ δυσχεραίνουσι τούτου μὴ γινομένου, καίτοι γε εἰδότες σαφῶς, ὡς ἀδύνατα ἀξιοῦσι· καὶ σοὶ τῆς εἰρήνης σφόδρα περικαῶς ἐχομένῳ, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν καὶ τὰ πάντη ἀνέφικτα ἡγεῖσθαι δυνατὰ, καὶ ἐξ ἀπόρων, τὸ λεγόμενον, πόρους ἐπινοεῖν. ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλλοις τε πολλοῖς ἀπηγόρευκα τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τῷ ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις μηδὲν τὸν πατριάρχην σοὶ μεμηνυκέναι. ἔστι μὲν γὰρ ὑπονοεῖν διὰ τὸ τὰς τῆς πόλεως πύλας ἀσφαλῶς φρουρεῖσθαι, μηδ' αὐτῷ ἐξεῖναί τινα πέμψαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἢ διὰ τὸ μὴ κακῶν ἄγγελος γενέσθαι ἀσπάσασθαι τὴν σιωπήν.» οἱ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους βουλευόμενοι εἶπον. 1.255 ναʹ. Ὡς δὲ ἐδόκει πρῶτον εἰς Βυζάντιον ἐλθεῖν, ἄραντες ἐκ Ῥηγίου ἅμα τριακοσίοις καὶ χιλίοις λογάσιν, οὓς ἦγον, τὴν ἐς Βυζάντιον ἐπορεύοντο. μετὰ δὲ τὸ τὴν αὐτόθι γέφυραν διελθεῖν, παρὰ τῶν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ βασιλέως φίλων ἧκε γράμματα πρὸς βασιλέα, πάντα κατὰ μέρος διεξιόντα, ὅπως τε οἱ ἀφιγμένοι πρέσβεις οὐδ' ἐρωτήσεως πρὸς βασιλέως ἀξιωθεῖεν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, ὅσα τε δυσχεράνας ὁ πατριάρχης τούτου ἕνεκα εἴποι πρὸς βασιλέα καὶ ὧν τύχοι τῶν ἀποκρίσεων, καὶ τελευταῖον, ὡς αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ συμμετασχόντες αὐτῷ τῆς πρὸς βασιλέα ἀπολογίας εἱρχθεῖεν. τῷ μὲν οὖν πέμψαντι τὰ γράμματα βασιλεὺς διὰ τοῦ κεκομικότος τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας ἀντέπεμπε χάριτας πολλὰς, τοῖς δὲ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἐκέλευε τὰ ὅπλα περιθέσθαι, νομίζων, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι οὐδ' ἐμπειρίας στρατιωτικῆς διὰ πολεμίας ἰόντας ἀφράκτους χωρεῖν· καὶ ὡπλίζοντο πάντες ᾗ προσετάχθησαν. ὡς δὲ πλησίον ἐγένοντο τῶν Βυζαντίου τειχῶν, τὴν στρατιὰν μὲν ἔστησε βασιλεὺς ἀπωτέρω· αὐτὸς δ' ἅμα τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ καὶ πρωτοστράτορι καὶ στρατιώτας ἑτέρους τριάκοντα παραλαβὼν, ἦλθεν ἐγγὺς τειχῶν παρὰ τὴν τῆς Γυρολίμνης προσαγορευομένην πύλην. ἐφ' ὧν ἄλλοι τε ἦσαν ὡπλισμένοι πολλοὶ καὶ ἄρχων αὐτῶν ὁ τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης δομέστικος Φωκᾶς ὁ Μαρούλης, ὃν αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ προσηγόρευεν ὁ βασιλεύς. ὁ δ' ἀπεκρίνατο μὲν οὐδὲν, προσεκύνει δὲ μόνον σιγῇ. τό,τε γὰρ ὡς βασιλέα καὶ δεσπότην ἑαυτοῦ δέος οὐ μικρὸν ἐνεποίει προσαγορεῦσαι, τὴν ἐκ βασιλέως τοῦ πρεσβυ 1.256 τέρου βλάβην ὑφορωμένῳ, καὶ τὸ ὡς ἰδιώτῃ προσενεχθῆναι, οὐ μόνον ἰταμὸν δεινῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ μηδαμῶς προσῆκον, ἅτε πεπαιδευμένῳ περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἱκανῶς. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκέλευεν αὐτὸν πρὸς βασιλέα τὸν πάππον ἐλθόντα ἀπαγγεῖλαι, ὡς «δεῖταί σου βασιλεὺς ὁ σὸς ἔγγονος ἢ αὐτὸν κελεῦσαι πρός σε ἐλθεῖν, ἢ εἰ τοῦτο δυσχερὲς, ἀλλὰ, τό γε δεύτερον, ἐν εὐεργεσίας μεγάλῳ μέρει ταύτην αὐτῷ χάριν καταθεῖναι, τὸ, ἐλθόντα αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ πύργου τουτουῒ, μικρὰ ἄττα διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς σὲ, ἢ εἰ μηδὲ τοῦτο δυνατὸν, τό γε