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to invite them for the sake of friendship, or for them to come out to him for the same reason. But these things, he said, have been spoken by me more in jest, for the sake of ease. The emperor announces to you that my grandfather and emperor, being provoked by those who slandered me to him, having dissolved the treaties which we had made with each other for the sake of peace, has stirred up this war against me, who have neither done any wrong nor transgressed the treaties. And although I many times beseeched him and moved every stone so that the peace might not be broken, he would not consent, it seems to me, looking to you and hoping that he could easily overcome me in the war through you. But since, as you see, matters have not turned out as he expected, but even the hope which he already surely had in you has been taken away, I beg you, taking pity on the commonality of all 1.265 the Romans, who are being so terribly destroyed by each other through our war against one another, to send someone to the emperor to teach him the truth concerning the affairs here. For I think that if he learns how matters here have proceeded, he will rather relent from his anger towards me and will be willing to lay down the war, no longer having the same hopes for the war as before. And I, for my part, will first sit idle, stirring nothing for whatever time we agree upon, until the one sent to the emperor returns. And if the emperor does not again accept the peace, to take up the war; but if, with God's approval, he is willing to lay down the war, I will give you strong securities through an oath not to bear a grudge against anyone, even if someone seemed to have been most responsible for the present war, but being well-disposed to all, to offer security and amnesty for past evils.” Such things did Loukas say to them from the young emperor. But they, having sent him away for a short while, so that they might deliberate by themselves, calling him back again, said that they were not able to do any of the things which the emperor proposed. For to receive him into the city was completely out of season; and they themselves would not go out to be decided by battle against him. For if they were going to, the battle would have been joined on the previous day as soon as he arrived; and if anyone should come against them, they would necessarily defend themselves from the walls. As for sending someone to Byzantium to the emperor to report 1.266 concerning the affairs here, it was not fitting for them. For being subjects of the emperor, both now they were doing what they had been commanded and in the future they would do whatever events and opportunity might suggest; but it was for him to do whatever he wished and considered advantageous for himself. Such things did the generals of the elder emperor reply. And when Loukas came and reported these things to the young emperor, having gathered all those in authority, he deliberated on what they should do. The megas domestikos advised to withdraw, and not to toil rashly and in vain, accomplishing none of the necessary things. For it was not possible for them to take Pherai by storming the walls; and the army besieged inside with its generals would not themselves deny that they would never dare to come to blows with them in a pitched battle. And yet one might say that one must not trust the words of enemies who always say the opposite of what they intend to do; but I conjecture from the facts themselves, and not from what they say, that they prefer to be besieged rather than to fight with us. Since, therefore, it is not possible either to take them by force, being within their walls, nor by any device or strategy to draw them away from the walls and compel them to fight us, it is not necessary to waste time here in which it will be possible to do something of what is needed, and to wear out the army with unprofitable labors. But having led them away from here, to encamp where they will have an easy transport of provisions; then, in succession, to do what seems advantageous from the present circumstances. When the megas domestikos had offered such counsel, both the emperor 1.267 praised the counsel and all those in authority voted with him. And turning back from there, they encamped again in

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αὐτοὺς φιλοφροσύνης ἕνεκα καλεῖν, ἢ αὐτοὺς ἔξω πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκα αἰτίας. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐμοὶ παίζοντι μᾶλλον, ἔφη, λέλεκται ῥᾳστώνης χάριν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὑμῖν μηνύει, ὡς, ὁ ἐμὸς πάππος καὶ βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν διαβαλλόντων ἐναχθεὶς, τὰς μὲν συνθήκας, ἃς πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῆς εἰρήνης ἕνεκα ἐθέμεθα, διαλύσας, τὸν πόλεμον τουτονὶ κεκίνηκε κατ' ἐμοῦ μηδὲν μήτε ἀδικήσαντος, μήτε παραβεβηκότος τὰς συνθήκας. καὶ πολλὰ πολλάκις ἐμοῦ δεηθέντος καὶ πάντα κάλων κινήσαντος ὥστε μὴ λυθῆναι τὴν εἰρήνην, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο αὐτὸς, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ἀποβλέπων πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐλπίζων, ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἐμὲ κατεργάσεσθαι ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ δι' ὑμῶν. ἐπεὶ δὲ, ὡς ὁρᾶτε, οὐχ ᾗ αὐτὸς προσεδόκα τὰ πράγματα ἀπέβη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἣν εἶχε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἤδη βεβαίως περιῄρηται ἐλπὶς, δέομαι ὑμῶν, τοῦ κοινοῦ παν 1.265 τὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἔλεον λαβόντας, οὕτω δεινῶς ὑπ' ἀλλήλων φθειρομένων διὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, πέμψαι πρὸς βασιλέα τινὰ διδάξοντα περὶ τῶν ἐνταυθοῖ πραγμάτων τἀληθές. οἴομαι γὰρ, ἂν πύθηται τὰ ἐνταῦθα πράγματα οἷ κεχώρηκε, μᾶλλον ὑφήσειν τῆς πρὸς ἐμὲ ὀργῆς καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐθελήσειν καταθέσθαι, οὐκέθ' ὁμοίως ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον τὰς πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἐλπίδας ἔχων. ἐγὼ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἄπρακτος καθεδοῦμαι, μηδὲν κινῶν ὅσον ἂν συμβῶμεν χρόνον, ἕως ἂν ὁ πεμφθεὶς πρὸς βασιλέα ἐπανήξῃ. κἂν μὲν αὖθις ὁ βασιλεὺς μὴ προσδέξηται τὴν εἰρήνην, ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου· ἂν δὲ, θεοῦ συνευδοκοῦντος, τὸν πόλεμον ἐθελήσῃ καταθέσθαι, παρέξομαι ὑμῖν ἐγὼ πίστεις ἰσχυρὰς δι' ὅρκον τοῦ μηδενὶ μνησικακήσειν, εἴ τις καὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἔδοξεν αἰτιώτατος γενέσθαι πολέμου, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν εὐμενῶς διατεθεὶς, ἀσφάλειαν καὶ ἀμνηστίαν παρέξειν τῶν κακῶν.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Λουκᾶς ἐκ βασιλέως εἶπε τοῦ νέου. οἱ δὲ μεταστήσαντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ μικρὸν, ὥστε βουλεύσασθαι ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν, πάλιν μετακαλεσάμενοι, μὴ δύνασθαι μηδὲν εἶπον ὧν βασιλεὺς προκαλεῖται πρᾶξαι. τό,τε γὰρ ἐκεῖνον εἰς τὴν πόλιν δέξασθαι παντελῶς ἔξω καιροῦ· αὐτοί τε οὐκ ἐξελεύσονται μάχῃ διακριθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. εἰ γὰρ ἔμελλον, τῇ προτεραίᾳ ἂν ἅμα τῷ αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ἡ μάχη συνήφθη· ἂν δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐπίῃ, ἀμυνοῦνται ἀναγκαίως ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν. τό γε μὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον πρὸς βασιλέα ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν ἀπαγγελοῦντα 1.266 περὶ τῶν ἐνταυθοῖ πραγμάτων οὐ προσήκειν αὐτοῖς. ὑποχείριοι γὰρ ὄντες βασιλέως, νῦν τε ἃ προσετάχθησαν ποιεῖν καὶ εἰς τοὐπιὸν ἅττα ἂν τὰ πράγματα καὶ ὁ καιρὸς ὑφηγεῖται πράξειν· αὐτῷ δὲ ἐξεῖναι ἃ βούλοιτο καὶ νομίζοι λυσιτελοῦντα ἑαυτῷ ταῦτα καὶ ποιεῖν. τοιαῦτα μὲν οἱ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου βασιλέως ἀπεκρίναντο στρατηγοί. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Λουκᾶς ἐλθὼν ἀπήγγειλε ταῦτα τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ, συναγαγὼν τοὺς ἐν τέλει πάντας, ἐβουλεύετο ὅ,τι δέοι ποιεῖν αὐτούς. συνεβούλευε δὲ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἀναχωρεῖν, καὶ μὴ πονεῖν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην, τῶν δεόντων πράττοντας οὐδέν. οὔτε γὰρ αὐτοὺς Φερὰς δυνατὸν παραστήσασθαι τειχομαχίᾳ· ἥ τε ἔνδον ἅμα στρατηγοῖς πολιορκουμένη στρατιὰ οὐδ' ἂν αὐτοὶ ἀρνηθεῖεν τὸ μὴ οὐκ ἐκ παρατάξεως τολμῆσαι ἄν ποτε εἰς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς ἰέναι. καίτοι γε εἴποι τις ἂν, ὡς οὐ χρὴ πιστεύειν τοῖς τῶν πολεμίων λόγοις ἀεὶ τἀναντία λεγόντων ὧν διανοοῦνται πράττειν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξ ὧν ἐκεῖνοι λέγουσι, στοχάζομαι πολιορκεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ μάχεσθαι ἡμῖν αἱρουμένους. ὅτε τοίνυν οὔτε βίᾳ ἑλεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐγχωρεῖ τειχήρεις ὄντας, οὔτε μηχανῇ τινι καὶ στρατηγίᾳ τῶν τειχῶν ἀποστήσαντας ἀναγκάσαι μάχεσθαι ἡμῖν, οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἐνταῦθα τόν τε χρόνον παραναλίσκειν ἐν ᾧ τῶν δεόντων ἐξέσται τι πρᾶξαι, καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀνονήτοις κατατείνειν πόνοις. ἀλλ' ἀπαγαγόντας ἐντεῦθεν, ὅπου τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τὴν ἀποκομιδὴν ἕξουσι ῥᾳδίαν στρατοπεδεῦσαι· εἶθ' ἑξῆς ἃ δοκεῖ λυσιτελεῖν ἐκ τῶν παρόντων πράττειν. τοιαῦτα τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου βουλευσαμένου, ὅ,τε βασιλεὺς τὴν 1.267 βουλὴν ἐπῄνει καὶ οἱ ἐν τέλει συνεπεψηφίζοντο πάντες. καὶ ἀναστρέψαντες ἐκεῖθεν, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο πάλιν ἐν