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of his and the Romans' land, bringing a large army. And the emperor, having encamped for one day in Kastoria, departed from there and came to Ochrid. And he ordered the wife of the protovestiarios to take whatever money she had and come to Thessalonica, as she was to arrive at Didymoteichon along with the others. But she, suspecting that what was said was not true, and fearing for her money, entrusted it to friends to keep; she herself insisted she had nothing. She was therefore brought to Thessalonica just as she was, along with other women. And after a short time, some women's ornaments and other items belonging to her were found hidden with someone, worth a value of twenty thousand gold pieces; and a few days later, someone approached the grand domestic and, reminding him of some old favor he had received from him, said it was right for him too to repay the kindness as he could, and he informed him that he knew where a great deal of the protovestiarios' money was hidden. And the grand domestic sent one of his most trusted servants, guided by the informant, and the money was brought to him in two chests, in which there was a certain vessel made of bronze, containing twelve thousand gold pieces, and belts and cups made of gold 1.279 and unmarked silver and women's ornaments and other items worth forty thousand gold pieces. Therefore, the grand domestic acknowledged his thanks to the one who had informed on the money both in words and he treated him well in deeds; and approaching the emperor, he reported that the money had been found, and he also revealed the amount. When the emperor said, "Therefore, it is right for you who found it to have it;" "But," he himself said, "neither before in times of war did I take more or less money from anyone, as you yourself also know; nor would I be seen to be overcome by these things now." "But it is not at all surprising," said the emperor, "if, having had much taken from you by them, and especially by this protovestiarios, you should profit by some few things from his possessions." "Indeed, this would be more surprising," he said, "if, having suffered much at their hands, especially during the second war, when the opportunity arose I was unwilling to retaliate in kind, and now for the sake of a little money I should corrupt my character from the beginning and appear overcome by unjust gain and profit; but rather command that these things be distributed to the soldiers and to others whom you may wish." The emperor, therefore, was persuaded by what he said, and commanded that all the gold be distributed to the army; and whatever furniture there was and some of the vessels of the patricians were distributed to some, and the remainder was brought to the imperial treasury. And after the emperor had spent eight days in Ochrid, the Albanian nomads inhabiting Deabolis and 1.280 those of Koloneia, and also those near Ochrid, came and did obeisance and eagerly promised to serve. But those settled far away on the frontiers of the Roman dominion, imperial letters summoned to come to Thessalonica to do obeisance there; and not long after, they came. However the Kral, with all the army under his command, being on the borders of his and the Romans' dominion, was daily urged by the Roman fugitives to come against the emperor and join battle, but he would not listen at all, fearing that matters might not go according to his plan. He was waiting for Hreles, who was in Pherai, allied with the Romans against the new emperor, for he was still away, wishing to learn from him about the emperor and the army under his command, whether he should attack or not. And when he arrived, the Kral inquired of him whether he should make war against the emperor. But he advised rather to keep the peace and not to bring a non-existent war upon himself and his subjects. For he said that he himself had seen the emperor in Pherai leading an army that was not very large, but so well-trained in warfare and so splendidly arrayed with both horses and arms as to cause astonishment from its mere appearance; and following its leaders so quietly and orderly that it seemed not to be many, but one man listening to the commands and carrying out the orders with zeal. "And they possess so much manliness and daring, that,

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αὐτοῦ καὶ Ῥωμαίων γῆς, στρατὸν ἐπαγόμενος πολύν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἡμέραν μίαν αὐλισάμενος ἐν Καστορίᾳ, ἄρας ἐκεῖθεν, ἦλθεν εἰς Ἀχρίδα. καὶ ἐκέλευσε τὴν πρωτοβεστιαρίου γαμετὴν ὅσα ἔχει χρήματα λαβοῦσαν, εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ἐλθεῖν, ὡς ἅμα ταῖς ἄλλαις ἀφιξομένην εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον. ἡ δὲ ὑποπτεύσασα, μὴ οὐκ ἀληθῆ τὰ λεγόμενα ᾖ, καὶ δείσασα περὶ τοῖς χρήμασι, τοῖς φίλοις παρακατέθετο φυλάττειν· αὐτὴ δὲ ἰσχυρίζετο μηδὲν ἔχειν. ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν ὡς εἶχεν ἅμα καὶ ἑτέραις γυναιξὶν ἤχθη εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην. καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν εὕρηνται αὐτῆς παρά τινι κεκρυμμένα κόσμοι τε γυναικεῖοι καὶ ἕτερ' ἄττα, χρυσίων δισμυρίων ἄξια τιμῆς· ὀλίγαις δὲ ὕστερον ἡμέραις προσελθών τις τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ καὶ ἀναμνήσας παλαιᾶς τινος εὐεργεσίας, ἣν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἦν πεπονθὼς, ἔλεγε δίκαιον εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸν ὅ, τι ἂν δύναιτο ἀντευποιεῖν, καὶ ἐμήνυεν αὐτῷ, ὡς εἰδείη τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου χρήματα ὅπου κρύπτοιτο πολλά. πέμψας δὲ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος τῶν πιστοτάτων οἰκετῶν τινα, ὑφηγουμένου τοῦ μεμηνυκότος, τὰ χρήματα ἤχθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν δυσὶ κιβωτίοις, ἐν οἷς ἦν ἀγγεῖόν τι ἐκ χαλκοῦ πεποιημένον, δισχιλίους καὶ μυρίους ἔχον χρυσοῦς, καὶ ζῶναι καὶ ἐκπώματα ἐκ χρυσοῦ πεποιημέ 1.279 να καὶ ἄργυρος ἄσημος καὶ γυναικεῖοι κόσμοι καὶ ἕτερ' ἄττα τετρακισμυρίων ἄξια χρυσίων. τῷ μὲν οὖν τὰ χρήματα μεμηνυκότι λόγοις τε ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ὡμολόγει χάριτας καὶ ἔργοις ἐποίει εὖ· βασιλεῖ δὲ προσελθὼν, τά τε χρήματα ἐμήνυεν ὡς εὕρηνται, καὶ ἐδήλου καὶ τὸν ἀριθμόν. βασιλέως δὲ «οὐκοῦν» εἰπόντος «σὲ τὸν εὑρηκότα δίκαιον ἔχειν·» «ἀλλ' οὔτε πρότερον» εἶπεν αὐτὸς «ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου καιροῖς οὔτε πλείω οὔτ' ἐλάττω χρήματα ἀφειλόμην τινὸς, ὥσπερ οἶσθα καὶ αὐτός· οὔτε τούτων ἂν ὀφθείην ἥττων νῦν.» «ἀλλ' οὐδὲν» ἔφη «θαυμαστὸν» ὁ βασιλεὺς «εἰ πολλὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀφῃρημένος καὶ μάλιστα πρωτοβεστιαρίου τουτουῒ, ὀλίγα ἄττα ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ ὠφεληθήσῃ.» «αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο μᾶλλον» εἶπε «θαυμαστὸν, εἰ πολλὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον πόλεμον ζημιωθεὶς, καιροῦ παρασχόντος, οὐκ ἠθέλησα ἀμύνασθαι τοῖς ἴσοις, νυνὶ δὲ ὀλίγων ἕνεκα χρημάτων τό, τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἦθος διαφθερῶ καὶ ἥττων ἀδίκου λήμματος καὶ κέρδους ἂν φανῶ· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον αὐτὰ στρατιώταις καὶ ἄλλοις οἷς ἂν ἐθέλῃς κέλευσον διανεμηθῆναι.» βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν ἐπείθετο εἰπόντι, καὶ τὸν χρυσὸν ὅσος ἦν ἐκέλευσε διανεμηθῆναι τῇ στρατιᾷ· ὅσα δὲ ἦν ἔπιπλα καί τινα ἐκ τῶν σκευῶν τῶν εὐπατριδῶν διεδόθη τισὶ, καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα τῷ βασιλικῷ προσήχθη ταμιείῳ. ὀκτὼ δὲ ἡμέραις τῇ Ἀχρίδι ἐνδιατρίψαντα βασιλέα οἵ τε τὰς ∆εαβόλεις νεμόμενοι Ἀλβανοὶ νομάδες καὶ 1.280 οἱ τὰς Κολωνείας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ οἱ Ἀχρίδος ἐγγὺς, προσεκύνησαν ἐλθόντες καὶ δουλεύειν ἐπηγγείλαντο προθύμως. τοὺς δὲ πόῤῥω κατῳκισμένους πρὸς ἐσχατιαῖς τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας γράμματα ἐκάλει βασιλικὰ πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην ἐλθεῖν, ὡς προσκυνήσοντας ἐκεῖ· καὶ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἦλθον. ὁ μέντοι Κράλης ἅμα στρατῷ παντὶ τῷ ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἐν μεθορίοις τῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ὢν, ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν φυγάδων Ῥωμαίων ὁσημέραι παρεκαλεῖτο κατὰ βασιλέως ἐλθεῖν καὶ μάχην συνάπτειν, ὑπήκουε δὲ οὐδαμῶς, δεδιὼς μὴ οὐ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ τὰ πράγματα χωρήσῃ. περιέμενε δὲ τὸν Χρέλην, ὃς ἦν ἐν Φεραῖς, Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως συμμαχῶν, ἔτι γὰρ ἀπῆν, παρ' αὐτοῦ περὶ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατιᾶς βουλόμενος πυθέσθαι, εἰ ἐπιχειρητέα εἴη ἢ μή. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφῖκτο, ἐπυνθάνετο αὐτοῦ ὁ Κράλης, εἰ πρὸς βασιλέα πολεμητέον εἴη· ὁ δὲ συνεβούλευεν, εἰρήνην μᾶλλον ἄγειν καὶ μὴ τὸν οὐκ ὄντα πόλεμον ἑαυτῷ καὶ ὑπηκόοις ἐπάγειν. βασιλέα γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν ἐν Φεραῖς ἑωρακέναι ἄγοντα μὲν στρατὸν οὐ πάνυ πολὺν, τοσοῦτον δὲ τὰ πολέμια ἐξησκημένον καὶ ἵπποις τε καὶ ὅπλοις διακεκοσμημένον ἐκπρεπῶς, ὡς ἔκπληξιν καὶ ἀπὸ μόνης ὄψεως παρέχειν· οὕτω δὲ ἀθορύβως καὶ εὐτάκτως ἑπόμενον τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν, ὡς δοκεῖν οὐ πολλοὺς, ἀλλ' ἕνα ὄντα τῶν τε παραγγελμάτων ἀκούειν καὶ σπουδῇ τὰ κελευόμενα ποιεῖν. «ἀνδρίας δὲ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς περίεστι καὶ τόλμης, ὡς,