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they were disposed contemptuously toward Robert. Then, having selected the fast-sailing ships, they sent them to Venice to report what had happened and how they had completely defeated Robert. But Robert, having learned these things from a certain Venetian called Peter Contarinus, who had just fled to him, became more despondent and could no longer bear it; but having recovered himself with better reasonings, he once again set out against the Venetians. The Venetians, stunned by the unexpectedness of his arrival, immediately tied their larger ships with cables around the harbor of Corfu and, having formed the so-called sea-harbor, drove their smaller ships into the middle; and all having put on their armor, they awaited his arrival. 6.5.7 And he, having arrived, engaged them in battle. The battle was terrible and fiercer than the previous ones, as they fought more furiously than before. So, as a fierce battle took place between them and neither side was giving way, but rather they were coming face to face, since the Venetians had already used up their provisions beforehand and nothing else besides the soldiers was on the ships, and these, due to their lightness, were floating high, as if supported by the waters, so that the water did not even reach the second strake, they all rushed to the other side towards the enemy and were then sunk; and they were about thirteen thousand. The other ships with their crews were captured. 6.5.8 But Robert, after that splendid victory, being cruelly disposed, treated many of the captured most savagely, maiming the sight of some, cutting off the noses of others, and taking away the hands or feet or both of some. As for the rest, sending to their countrymen, he announced that whoever wished to buy his own could come without fear for a price. At the same time he also asked them about peace; but they replied to him: "Know, Duke Robert, that even if we were to see our own wives and children being slaughtered, we would not renounce our treaties with the emperor Alexios, nor would we at all cease to aid him and to fight fiercely on his behalf." 6.5.9 And after a short time had passed, the Venetians, having prepared dromons and triremes and some other of the small and swift ships, came against Robert with a greater force. And indeed, finding him encamped near Butrinto, they joined battle with him and won a decisive victory, killing many and sinking more; and they almost captured his own legitimate son, Guy, and his wife. And having won a splendid victory over him, they reported everything to the emperor. 6.5.10 He, rewarding them with many gifts and honors, honored the Duke of Venice himself with the dignity of protosebastos along with the salary, and he also deemed the patriarch most honorable with a corresponding salary. But he also ordered a sufficient quantity of gold to be distributed annually from the imperial treasuries to all the churches in Venice. To the church in the name of the evangelist apostle Mark, however, he made all those from Amalfi who possessed workshops in Constantinople tributaries, and he donated the workshops extending from the old Hebrew landing stage to the so-called Vigla and the landing stages contained within this distance, and gifts of many other immovable properties both in the ruling city and in the city of Dyrrachium and wherever else they might have asked. But what was greater, he made their trade free of tax in all the lands under the authority of the Romans, so that they might trade freely and as they wished, nor indeed on account of the commercium or any other collection to the state

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καταφρονητικῶς πρὸς τὸν Ῥομπέρτον διετίθεντο. Εἶτα διελόντες τὰ ταχύ δρομα τῶν πλοίων ἀπέστειλαν εἰς Βενετίαν διηγησομένους τὰ ξυμπεσόντα καὶ ὅπως κατὰ κράτος τὸν Ῥομπέρτον ἤττησαν. Ὁ δὲ Ῥομπέρτος ταῦτα μεμαθηκὼς ἀπό τινος Βενετίκου, Κονταρίνου Πέτρου καλουμένου, ἄρτι προσπε φευγότος αὐτῷ ἐπὶ πλέον ἀθυμεῖ καὶ οὐκέτ' ἀνεκτῶς εἶχε· λογισμοῖς δὲ κρείττοσιν ἀναρρώσας ἑαυτὸν αὖθις κατὰ τῶν Βενετίκων ἵεται. Οἱ δὲ Βενέτικοι τῷ ἀπροόπτῳ καταπλα γέντες τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐλεύσεως εὐθὺς δεσμήσαντες τὰ μείζονα τούτων πλοῖα καλῳδίοις περὶ τὸν λιμένα τῆς Κορυφὼ καὶ συναπαρτίσαντες τὸν λεγόμενον πελαγολιμένα τὰ σμικρὰ τούτων ἐς μέσον ἤλασαν· σιδηροφορήσαντες δὲ ἅπαντες ἐκαραδόκουν τὴν τούτου ἔλευσιν. 6.5.7 Ὁ δὲ καταλαβὼν συμμίγνυται τούτοις πρὸς πόλεμον. Ὁ δὲ πόλεμος δεινὸς ἦν καὶ τῶν πρῴην ἰσχυρότερος ἐκθύμως μαχομένων ἢ πρό τερον. Καρτερᾶς οὖν μάχης ἀναμεταξὺ γεγονυίας καὶ μηδενὸς τῶν μερῶν νῶτα διδόντος, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κατὰ πρόσ ωπον ἐρχομένων, ἐπεὶ οἱ Βενέτικοι τὰ προσόντα τούτοις φθάσαντες προκατηναλώκεσαν καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ταῖς ναυσὶ παρῆν, αὗται δὲ τῇ κουφότητι ἐπεπό λαζον οἷον τοῖς ὕδασιν ἀνεχόμεναι, ὡς μηδ' ἄχρι δευτέρου ζωστῆρος τοῦ ὕδατος φθάνοντος, πανσυδὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν πλευρὰν τὴν ὡς πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους συρρεύσαντες τηνι καῦτα ἐβυθίσθησαν· ἦσαν δὲ ὡσεὶ χιλιάδες τρισκαίδεκα. Αἱ δ' ἄλλαι τῶν νηῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς πλωτῆρσι κατεσχέθησαν. 6.5.8 Ὁ δὲ Ῥομπέρτος μετὰ τὴν λαμπρὰν ἐκείνην νίκην ἀπηνῶς διατεθεὶς πολλοῖς τῶν κατασχεθέντων ὠμοτάτως ἐχρήσατο τῶν μὲν τὰς ὄψεις πηρώσας, τοὺς δὲ ῥινοτομή σας, τινῶν δὲ καὶ χεῖρας ἢ πόδας ἢ καὶ ἀμφότερα ἀφελόμε νος. Περὶ δέ γε τῶν λοιπῶν, ἀποστείλας πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοχώ ρους αὐτῶν, διεφήμισεν ἵν' ὁ βουλόμενος πρίασθαι τὸν ἴδιον τιμῆς ἀφόβως παραγίνοιτο. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ εἰρήνης αὐτοὺς ἠρώτα· οἱ δὲ μηνύουσι πρὸς αὐτόν· «Ἴσθι, δοὺξ Ῥομπέρτε, ὡς εἰ καὶ τὰς σφῶν ἡμῶν γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἀποσφαττόμενα θεασαίμεθα, οὐκ ἂν τὰς πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Ἀλέξιον συνθήκας ἀπαρνησώμεθα οὔτε μὴν τοῦ ἐπαρήγειν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἐκθύμως μάχεσθαι ὅλως ἐνδώσομεν». 6.5.9 Καιροῦ δ' ὀλίγου παρερρυηκότος δρόμωνάς τε καὶ τριήρεις εὐτρεπίσαντες οἱ Βενέτικοι καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ ταχυδρόμων νηῶν μετὰ πλείο νος δυνάμεως κατὰ τοῦ Ῥομπέρτου ἔρχονται. Καὶ δὴ κατα λαβόντες αὐτὸν περὶ τὸ Βοθρεντὸν αὐλιζόμενον τὸν μετ' αὐτοῦ συνάπτουσι πόλεμον καὶ κατὰ κράτος νικῶσι πολ λοὺς μὲν ἀποκτείναντες, πλείονας δὲ καὶ βυθίσαντες· μικροῦ δὲ δεῖν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν γνήσιον υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Γίδον καὶ τὴν ὁμευνέτιν κατέσχον. Καὶ νίκην κατ' αὐτοῦ λαμπρὰν ἀράμενοι δηλοῦσι πάντα τῷ βασιλεῖ. 6.5.10 Ὃς διὰ πολλῶν τούτους ἀμειψάμενος δωρεῶν καὶ τιμῆς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν δοῦκα Βενετίας τῷ τῶν πρωτοσεβαστῶν ἀξιώματι μετὰ τῆς ῥόγας ἐτίμησεν, ὑπέρτιμον δὲ καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην ἠξίωσε μετὰ τῆς ἀναλόγου ῥόγας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἐν Βενετίᾳ ἐκκλησίαις χρυσίου ποσότητα ἱκανὴν ἐτησίως διανείμασθαι ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλικῶν ταμιείων ἐκέλευσε. Τῇ μέντοι ἐπ' ὀνόματι τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ ἀποστόλου Μάρκου ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑποφόρους ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐκ Μέλφης ἐν Κων σταντινουπόλει ἐργαστήρια κατέχοντας πεποίηκε, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς Ἑβραϊκῆς σκάλας μέχρι τῆς καλουμένης Βίγλας διήκοντα ἐργαστήρια καὶ τὰς ἐντὸς τοῦ διαστή ματος τούτου ἐμπεριεχομένας σκάλας ἐδωρήσατο, καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν ἀκινήτων δωρεὰς ἔν τε τῇ βασιλευούσῃ καὶ τῇ πόλει ∆υρραχίου καὶ ὅποι ποτ' ἂν ἐκεῖνοι ᾐτήσαντο. Τὸ δὲ δὴ μεῖζον, τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῖς ἀζήμιον ἐποίησεν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν Ῥωμαίων χώραις, ὥστε ἀνέτως ἐμπορεύεσθαι καὶ κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῖς βουλητὸν μήτε μὴν ὑπὲρ κομμερκίου ἢ ἑτέρας τινὸς εἰσπράξεως τῷ δημοσίῳ