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sent to overtake him by the newly appointed Sultan Barkiyaruq. When Tatikios was assured of these things by others as well, since he did not have forces to oppose such great numbers, reconsidering what he had previously decided, he reckoned it desirable to preserve his entire hoplite force intact, and not, as one of a few fighting against overwhelming and stronger numbers, lose everything. Hence, he had the capital in mind and looked toward it, wanting to return by way of Nicomedia. 6.10.4 But Apelchasem, watching from atop the wall and seeing that he had turned towards Constantinople and was already on his way, came out and followed alongside, so that whenever he saw him encamped in an opportune place, he might attack. Having caught up with him as he was reaching Prenetus, he joined battle with him and furiously began the fight. Tatikios, quickly arranging his forces in battle formation, entrusted to the Celts the first cavalry charge against the barbarians and the engagement of the battle. And they, embracing their long spears and giving full rein, rushed like fire against the barbarians and, breaking through their phalanxes, put them to flight decisively. And so, Tatikios returned through Bithynia to the capital. 6.10.5 Apelchasem, however, was in no way willing to remain idle. For he was desirous of assuming the scepter of the Roman empire, or if not that, at least to have control of all the coastal regions and even the islands themselves. Reasoning thus, he first intended to construct pirate ships, having seized Cius (a Bithynian city situated by the sea), and he was proceeding, as he thought, with his plan as the ships were being completed. Nor did this escape the emperor's notice. And immediately equipping the available biremes and triremes and the rest of the naval vessels, he appointed Manuel Boutoumites as duke and sent him against Apelchasem, instructing him to hasten to burn the half-finished ships of Apelchasem, in whatever state he should find them. But he also sent Tatikios against him from the mainland with a sufficient force. 6.10.6 Both having thus set out from the city, when Apelchasem saw Boutoumites approaching across the sea with great speed, and had learned also about those approaching from the mainland, and reckoned that the place where he happened to be was not advantageous to him on account of its being rough and narrow and completely unsuitable for his archers, as it did not suffice for their cavalry charges against the Romans, he departed from there and resolved to station his forces in a more opportune location. He therefore took up a position in a place called Halycae by some, and by others Cyparission. 6.10.7 Boutoumites, having arrived across the sea quicker than words can tell, burned the ships of Apelchasem. On the next day, Tatikios also arrived from the mainland and stationed his army in opportune places, and from morning till evening did not let up, at times skirmishing, at times joining battle with Apelchasem for fifteen whole days. But as Apelchasem did not give way at all, but strongly resisted, the Latins lost heart, and although they did not have the advantage of the terrain, they nonetheless pressed Tatikios that they alone should undertake the battle with the Turks. And he, although the matter did not seem right to him, yet seeing Turkish forces joining Apelchasem each day, yielded to the Latins' counsel. And around sunrise, having drawn up his phalanxes, he joined battle with Apelchasem. Many of the Turks were then killed, and very many were captured, while the majority turned their backs in flight, not even taking thought for their own baggage. And Apelchasem himself, riding straight for Nicaea, barely escaped.

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ἐπι καταλαμβάνειν παρὰ τοῦ νεωστὶ γεγονότος σουλτὰν τοῦ Παργιαροὺχ ἀποσταλέντα. Ταῦτα ὁ Τατίκιος καὶ δι' ἑτέρων βεβαιωθείς, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τοσαῦτα πλήθη δυνάμεις τὰς ἀντι καθισταμένας οὐκ εἶχεν, ἀναλύων τὰ δόξαντα πρότερον ἀγαπητὸν ἐλογίζετο εἰ τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν σῶον διατη ρήσειε, καὶ μὴ πολλοστὸς πρὸς ὑπερπληθεῖς καὶ ἰσχυρο τέρους μαχόμενος τὸ πᾶν ἀπολέσειεν. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τὴν βασιλεύουσαν κατὰ νοῦν εἶχε καὶ πρὸς ταύτην ἑώρα διὰ τῆς Νικομήδους βουλόμενος ἐπαναστρέψαι. 6.10.4 Ὁ δὲ Ἀπελχασὴμ ἄνωθεν τοῦ τείχους θεασάμενος αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου ἀπονενευκότα καὶ ἤδη καὶ πορευόμενον ἐξεληλυθὼς παρείπετο, ἵν' ἐπὰν ἐν ἐπικαίρῳ τόπῳ τοῦτον στρατοπεδεύσαντα θεάσοιτο, προσβαλεῖ. Κατα λαμβάνοντα δὲ τοῦτον τὴν Πρένετον ἐφθακὼς ξυμμίγνυσί τε αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκθύμως τὴν μάχην ἀναρρήγνυσιν. Ὁ δὲ Τατίκιος θᾶττον τὰς δυνάμεις εἰς πολέμου τύπον κατα στησάμενος τοῖς Κελτοῖς τὴν πρώτην κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἱππασίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου συμβολὴν ἐπέτρεψεν. Οἱ δὲ δόρατα μακρὰ ἐναγκαλισάμενοι χαλάσαντες ὅλας ἡνίας ὡς πῦρ κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἵενται καὶ διακόψαντες τὰς φάλαγγας τρέπουσι κατὰ κράτος. Κᾆθ' οὕτως διὰ τῆς Βιθυνῶν πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν ὁ Τατίκιος ἐπανέρχεται. 6.10.5 Ὁ μέντοι Ἀπελχασὴμ οὐδαμῶς ἠρεμεῖν ἤθελεν. Ἐπιθυμητικῶς γὰρ εἶχε τὰ σκῆπτρα τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀναδή σασθαι ἀρχῆς, εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο, ἀλλά γε τῶν παρὰ θάλατταν πάντων καὶ αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν νήσων τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐσχηκέναι. Τοιαῦτα γοῦν λογιζόμενος πρότερον μὲν λῃστρικὰς νῆας κατασκευάζειν διενοεῖτο τὴν Κίον καταλαβών (πόλις δὲ αὕτη Βιθυνῶν παρὰ θάλατταν διακειμένη), καὶ προέβαινεν, ὡς ᾤετο, <τὰ> κατὰ σκοπὸν αὐτῷ ἀπαρτιζομένων τῶν νηῶν. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὸν αὐτοκράτορα διέλαθε. Καὶ παραχρῆμα τὰς παρατυχούσας διήρεις τε καὶ τριήρεις καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ναυτικῶν ἐξοπλίσας Μανουὴλ τὸν Βουτουμίτην δοῦκα προβαλόμενος κατὰ τοῦ Ἀπελχασὴμ ἀπέστειλεν ἐπισκήψας σπεῦσαι τὰς ἡμιτελεῖς τοῦ Ἀπελχασὴμ νῆας ἐμπρῆσαι, ἐν ὁποίᾳ καταστάσει ταύτας εὑρήσει. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Τατί κιον μετὰ ἀποχρώσης δυνάμεως ἠπειρόθεν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐκπέμπει. 6.10.6 Ἀμφοτέρων οὖν τῆς πόλεως ἐξεληλυθότων, ἐπεὶ τὸν Βουτουμίτην ὁ Ἀπελχασὴμ διαπόντιον μετὰ σφοδρᾶς τῆς ῥύμης ἤδη καταλαμβάνοντα ἐθεάσατο μεμα θήκοι δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐξ ἠπείρου ἐπικαταλαμβανόντων καὶ τὸν τόπον, ἐν ᾧ ἔτυχε, μὴ συμβαλλόμενον αὐτῷ λογί ζοιτο διὰ τὸ τραχὺ καὶ στενὸν καὶ τοῖς τοξόταις πάντη ἀκατάλληλον ὡς μὴ ἀποχρῶντα τούτοις πρὸς τὰς κατὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππασίας, ἀπάρας ἐκεῖθεν εἰς ἐπίκαιρον τόπον ἐβουλεύσατο τὰς δυνάμεις καταθεῖναι. Καταλαμ βάνει τοίνυν τόπον παρὰ μὲν τῶν Ἁλυκὰς ὀνομαζόμενον, παρὰ δὲ τῶν Κυπαρίσσιον. 6.10.7 Ἐφθακὼς δὲ ὁ Βουτου μίτης διαπόντιος θᾶττον ἢ λόγος τὰς τοῦ Ἀπελχασὴμ νῆας ἐνέπρησε. Τῇ δὲ μετ' αὐτὴν ἐξ ἠπείρου ἐληλυθὼς καὶ ὁ Τατίκιος ἐν ἐπικαίροις τὸ στράτευμα κατέθετο τόποις καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐας μέχρις ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἐνεδίδου πὴ μὲν ἀκροβολιζόμενος, πὴ δὲ μάχας συνάπτων μετὰ τοῦ Ἀπελχασὴμ ἐπὶ ὅλαις πεντεκαίδεκα ἡμέραις. Τοῦ δὲ Ἀπελχασὴμ μηδ' ὅλως ἐνδιδόντος, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρῶς ἀντι καθισταμένου ἐκκακήσαντες οἱ Λατῖνοι, κἂν μὴ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ τόπου εἶχον βοήθειαν, ὤχλουν ὅμως τὸν Τατίκιον ἵν' οὗτοι καὶ μόνοι τὴν μετὰ τῶν Τούρκων ἀναδέξωνται μάχην. Ὁ δέ, κἂν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐδόκει, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑκάστην ὁρῶν δυνάμεις Τουρκικὰς προσχω ρούσας τῷ Ἀπελχασὴμ ὑπεῖξε τῇ βουλῇ τῶν Λατίνων. Καὶ περὶ ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου τὰς φάλαγγας καταστήσας τὸν μετὰ τοῦ Ἀπελχασὴμ συνῆψε πόλεμον. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν Τούρκων τηνικαῦτα κτείνονται, πλεῖστοι δὲ καὶ ἁλίσ κονται, οἱ δὲ πλείους τὰ νῶτα διδόασι μηδὲ τῶν οἰκείων σκευῶν φροντίδα ποιησάμενοι. Καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀπελχασὴμ κατευθὺ Νικαίας ἐλάσας μόγις διασῴζεται.