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he said to the fugitives: "You see what opinion the powerful men with me have about the war. And even if I were eagerly prosecuting the war on account of some private disputes with the emperor, I would have held back, seeing them disposed as they are now; but as it is, I myself have no less the same opinion as they about the matter. Therefore I would not choose, when it is possible to be out of danger and to rule our own land securely, to seem to do wrong and to place myself in uncertain 1.284 danger, especially since not all of my army has been assembled. But I would bring to you whatever assistance I can for your salvation, and, if you wish, having sent an embassy to the emperor, I will ask for a reprieve from his anger on your behalf. For he is gentle, as I hear, and ready for reconciliation with those who have offended him, and he would grant a pardon and lighten your misfortunes not moderately. But if this is not tolerable to you, I will send you to Michael, the king of the Mysians, who is my kinsman by marriage, so that through him you may be saved and reach Byzantium. And if this is not to your liking, it is possible to turn to another. For having arrived in Venice, it will be easy to obtain passage back to Byzantium by triremes or merchant ships. And in addition to these, I will suggest to you another hope of salvation. For since you hold Prosekon and Prillapon and Strimbitza with garrisons, having divided these cities among yourselves, which are difficult to capture because of the strength of their walls, hold out in them, until the war between the emperors comes to some end." At this, helplessness seized the fugitives, and no escape from their troubles appeared from the situation. Nevertheless, after considering the present circumstances, they chose rather to be shut up in the aforementioned cities and to endure the siege. 1.285 And the protovestiarios, together with some others, took possession of Prillapon, while Michael Asanes took Prosekon, and the rest held Strimbitza. And Nikephoros Basiliskos, governor of Melenikon, at the same time acquired rule for himself, declaring that he would side with neither of the emperors until the war was concluded. 56. The protovestiarios, then, struck by the unexpectedness of the disaster, as it was said, and not bearing his misfortune, died a short time after. And when he died, the survivors handed over both themselves and Prillapon to the emperor; but the Triballi took Prosekon from Asanes by stealth. The emperor, coming from there to Thessalonica, and having spent some days there on some necessary matters, when it seemed necessary to go to Strimbitza, set out on campaign again. And having arrived there, he attempted to persuade those who held it to surrender themselves and the city, for it was not possible to take it by force of war because of the strength of its walls. But since they were not persuaded, but insisted that they would hold the city themselves until the war between the emperors was resolved; since he was making no progress, he departed from there and came to Melenikon. And since Nikephoros Basiliskos gave the same answer, and since it was impossible to turn to a siege, as other more pressing matters were urgent, he returned to Thessalonica. And when he arrived there, it was reported to him from the protostrator governing Thrace that the elder 1.286 emperor had sent against him the army he had in Byzantium and another not small one which he had procured, under the general Constantine Asanes, encamped by the Melas river. And when the engagement took place there and the battle had remained closely fought for a long time, the soldiers of the young emperor nevertheless prevailed, and they routed their opponents and pursued them as far as Byzantium. And they killed some of them, and took others alive, except for a few who escaped to the city; and the general was also captured. And having won a brilliant victory, they returned home. When these things were announced, the emperor gave thanks to God for the victory; but turning to those present, and there were many, he said that he was not more pleased at the victory of his own men than he was grieved at the defeat of his opponents. "For not only because

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φυγάδας εἶπε· «τὴν μὲν διάνοιαν τῶν παρ' ἐμοὶ δυνατῶν ὁρᾶτε οἵαν ἔχουσι περὶ τοῦ πολέμου. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ εἰ διὰ σπουδῆς τὸν πόλεμον ἦγον ἰδίων τινῶν ἕνεκα πρὸς βασιλέα διαφορῶν, ἀπεσχόμην ἂν, ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς οὕτως, ὥσπερ νῦν, διακειμένους· νυνὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἧττον αὐτῶν τὴν ἴσην ἔχω γνώμην περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων. διὸ οὐδὲ ἑλοίμην ἂν, ἐξὸν ἔξω τε κινδύνων εἶναι καὶ βεβαίως ἄρχειν τῆς σφετέρας, ἀδικεῖν τε δοκεῖν καὶ ἐν ἀδήλῳ καθί 1.284 στασθαι κινδύνῳ, ἄλλως τε οὐδὲ τοῦ στρατεύματος ἐμοὶ παντὸς συνηθροισμένου. ὑμῖν δὲ πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν βοήθειαν εἰσενέγκοιμι ἂν ὅση. δυνατὴ, καὶ, εἴγε βούλεσθε, πρὸς βασιλέα πρεσβείαν πέμψας, παραιτήσομαι ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀργὴν ἐγώ. πρᾷος δὲ ὢν, ὡς ἀκούω, καὶ τοῖς προσκεκρουκόσιν ἕτοιμος πρὸς διαλλαγὰς, συγγνώμην τε ἂν παράσχοι καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς οὐ μετρίως κουφιεῖ. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ὑμῖν οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ πρὸς Μιχαὴλ τὸν βασιλέα Μυσῶν κηδεστὴν ὄντα ἐμὸν ὑμᾶς πέμψω, ὡς ἂν δι' αὐτοῦ πρὸς Βυζάντιον διασωθῆτε. καὶ τούτου δὲ ὑμῖν οὐ κατὰ γνώμην ὄντος, καὶ ἑτέραν ἔξεστι τραπέσθαι. εἰς Βενετίαν γὰρ ἀφιγμένοις, ῥᾳδίως ἐξέσται τριήρεσιν ἢ ὁλκάσιν ἐπανόδου πρὸς Βυζάντιον τυχεῖν. καὶ ἑτέραν δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑποθήσομαι ὑμῖν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας. ἐπεὶ γὰρ Πρόσεκόν τε καὶ Πρίλλαπον καὶ Στρίμβιτζαν κατέχετε φρουραῖς, διανειμάμενοι τὰς πόλεις ταύτας, δυσαλώτους οὔσας διὰ καρτερότητα τειχῶν, καρτερεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς, ἄχρις ἂν ὁ πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῶν βασιλέων εἴς τι πέρας πόλεμος ἀφίκηται.» ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀμηχανία τε εἶχε τοὺς φυγάδας, καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴ κακῶν ἐφαίνετο ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων οὐδεμία. ὅμως δὲ σκεψάμενοι ἐκ τῶν παρόντων εἵλοντο μᾶλλον ταῖς προειρημέναις ἐγκατακλεισθῆναι πόλεσι καὶ τὴν πολιορ 1.285 κίαν ὑπομένειν. καὶ πρωτοβεστιάριος μὲν ἅμα τισὶ τὸν Πρίλλαπον κατέσχε, τὸν δὲ Πρόσεκον Ἀσάνης ὁ Μιχαὴλ, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ Στριμβίτζης ἐκράτουν. καὶ Βασιλικὸς ὁ Νικηφόρος Μελενίκου ἐπιτροπεύων, ὑπὸ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους ἑαυτῷ περιεποίησεν εἰς ἀρχὴν, φάσκων, οὐδενὶ προσθήσεσθαι τῶν βασιλέων, ἄχρις ἂν ὁ πόλεμος καταλυθῇ. νϛʹ. Πρωτοβεστιάριος μὲν οὖν τῷ ἀδοκήτῳ πληγεὶς, ὡς ἐλέγετο, τῆς συμφορᾶς, καὶ μὴ φέρων τὴν κακοπραγίαν, ἐτελεύτησε μετὰ μικρόν. καὶ ἀποθανόντος αὐτοῦ, οἱ περιλειφθέντες ἑαυτούς τε καὶ Πρίλλαπον ἐνεχείρισαν βασιλεῖ· Ἀσάνην δὲ τὸν Πρόσεκον ἀφείλοντο οἱ Τριβαλοὶ κλοπῇ. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ἐλθὼν, καὶ ἀναγκαίων τινῶν πέρι ἡμέρας τινὰς αὐτῇ ἐνδιατρίψας, ὡς ἐδόκει ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι πρὸς Στρίμβιτζαν ἐλθεῖν, ἐξεστράτευσε πάλιν. καὶ γενόμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, τοὺς κατασχόντας ἐπεχείρει πείθειν, βιάζεσθαι γὰρ οὐκ ἦν πολέμῳ διὰ καρτερότητα τειχῶν, ἑαυτοὺς παραδιδόναι καὶ τὴν πόλιν. μὴ πειθομένων δὲ, ἀλλ' ἰσχυριζομένων τὴν πόλιν αὐτοὶ καθέξειν, ἄχρις ἂν ὁ πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῶν βασιλέων πόλεμος διαλυθῇ· ἐπεὶ οὐ προσεχώρει, ἄρας ἐκεῖθεν, ἦλθεν εἰς Μελένικον. τὰ ἴσα δὲ καὶ Νικηφόρου ἀποκριναμένου τοῦ Βασιλικοῦ, ἐπεὶ πρὸς πολιορκίαν τρέπεσθαι ἀδύνατος ἦν, ἄλλων ἀναγκαιοτέρων ἐπειγόντων, ἐπανέζευξεν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην. γενομένῳ δὲ ἐκεῖ ἠγγέλθη ἐκ πρωτοστράτορος ἐπιτροπεύοντος τῆς Θρᾴκης, ὡς βασιλεὺς ὁ πρεσβύτε 1.286 ρος ἥν τε εἶχε στρατιὰν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ καὶ ἑτέραν οὐκ ὀλίγην προσεκπορισάμενος, ἐκπέμψειε κατ' αὐτοῦ, ὑπὸ στρατηγῷ Ἀσάνῃ τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ, παρὰ τὸν Μέλανα ποταμὸν στρατοπεδευομένου. γενομένης δὲ ἐκεῖ τῆς συμβολῆς καὶ τῆς μάχης ἀγχωμάλου ἐπιπολὺ διαμεινάσης, οἱ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως ὅμως ὑπερσχόντες, ἐτρέψαντό τε τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους καὶ τὴν δίωξιν ἐποιήσαντο ἄχρι Βυζαντίου. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτῶν, τοὺς δὲ καὶ εἷλον ζῶντας πλὴν ὀλίγων ὅσοι διεσώθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν· ἑάλω δὲ καὶ ὁ στρατηγός. καὶ νικήσαντες περιφανῶς, ἀνεχώρησαν ἐπ' οἴκου. τούτων δὲ ἀγγελθέντων, τῆς μὲν νίκης ἕνεκα ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐχαριστηρίους εὐχὰς ἀπεδίδου θεῷ· ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας, πολλοὶ δὲ ἦσαν, οὐ μᾶλλον ἥδεσθαι ἔφη κρατησάντων τῶν σφετέρων, ἢ ὅσον ἀνιᾶται ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων ἥσσῃ. «οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὅτι