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you wish to make use of him; but certainly he had not forgotten, since little time had passed, all the things he had come and requested concerning peace, advising to choose this rather than war, and not to be persuaded by those who were urging war, as they would gain nothing in the actual deeds, of which he himself did not wish to be found a prophet; however, it turned out as he had foretold. If you should now wish to lay down the war again, he will both consider those things as if they had never happened from the beginning and is so disposed in mind and preparation, as to do all things, whatever you yourself may command. Pepanos, on the one hand, coming to the 1.290 elder emperor, reported all that he had been ordered by the young emperor. And returning a little later, he reported to the young emperor, that the emperor commands him to withdraw from here to wherever he wishes and not to waste time idly and in vain, intending to accomplish nothing of what he is planning. And when the young emperor asked if the emperor had ordered him anything more, "Nothing," said Pepanos. "Therefore," he said, "fulfilling the emperor's command, I will go wherever God may lead." And breaking camp from there, he spent the night in the meadows beside the bridge of the Kamelos, and on the next day, coming again to the same gates, he begged the emperor to accept peace and to end the war. But as no one listened, he turned back and rode toward the Melas river, where the protostrator was encamped with the rest of the army. The emperor, then, was going at the head of the army, but the grand domestic was left behind on account of some business. And someone in torn clothes like those of the poor, approaching him, said he had something to discuss with him in secret. And having gone forward a sufficient distance so as not to be seen from the walls, he ordered him to say whatever he wished. And he, having also called over another man who shared in his plans, with no one else present with them, said that they themselves were the greatest of friends to one another from of old and had neighboring dwellings; and seeing how many injustices the young emperor suffers and is driven away for no reason, they felt unbearable pain and were eager, if 1.291 it were possible, to give what help they could to him who was being wronged, and especially since at Rhegion the emperor, defending himself, cleared himself of every charge, for they themselves were also present then, and having arrived here, he used many entreaties and supplications to his grandfather, not to start the war. They said, therefore, that they were of such a mind and preparation; but since their power was less than their zeal, they were seeking an opportunity, in which it might be possible for them to also do in deed what they had chosen; which, they said, had now conveniently arrived. For after the young emperor had marched out to the west, those entrusted with the guard of the city, with God thus preparing beneficial things from afar, assigned them to the walls at the gates called of Saint Romanos, so that they had to keep watch at night along with eight others in rotation. So, as soon as this happened, the thought came to them that they might one day be useful to the emperor. And when they learned that he was about to arrive at Byzantium, they, "casting the die" as they say, discussed with their companions about betraying the city to the young emperor, and had persuaded them, as they seemed to speak things both just and advantageous for all the Romans; and now they were ready to lead the emperor up to the wall with ladders, having waited for the night on which the succession of the guard was theirs. So they said such things; but the grand domestic immediately sent the one to report to the emperor to wait, and he asked those who had spoken what they were called and if they asked anything from the emperor, as they were deserv- 1.292 ing to be well treated on account of their loyalty to the emperor. And they said that they were called Kamaris and Kastelianos, and that they asked nothing, but had undertaken the enterprise freely for the sake of what is noble and for the common good. And when he again permitted them to ask for what they wanted, they insisted on asking for nothing, taking them with him, he led them to the emperor. And meeting with him, he said, "God, to whom you a short while ago offered what you had, what he wishes

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βούλει χρήσασθαι αὐτῷ· πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἐπιλελῆσθαι, ὀλίγου τοῦ παρῳχηκότος ὄντος χρόνου, ὅσα ἐλθὼν ἐδεῖτο περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, ταύτην ἀντὶ τοῦ πολέμου μᾶλλον ἑλέσθαι συμβουλεύων, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἐνάγουσι πείθεσθαι πολεμεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲν ὀνήσουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων, ὧν αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐβούλετο προφήτης εὑρεθῆναι· ὅμως δὲ ἐξέβη ᾗ προείρηται αὐτῷ. ἐὰν δὲ νῦν καταθέσθαι τὸν πόλεμον πάλιν ἐθελήσῃς, ἐκεῖνά τε ὡς μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν γεγενημένα λογιεῖται καὶ γνώμης οὕτως ἔχει καὶ παρασκευῆς, ὡς πάντα πράξων, ἅττα ἂν αὐτὸς κελεύῃς. Ὁ μὲν Πεπανὸς τῷ 1.290 πρεσβυτέρῳ βασιλεῖ ἀπήγγελλεν ἐλθὼν ὅσα ἦν παρὰ τοῦ νέου προστεταγμένος βασιλέως. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον ἐπανελθὼν, ἀπήγγελλε τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι βασιλεὺς κελεύει τῶν τῇδε ὅποι βούλοιτο ἀποχωρεῖν καὶ μὴ κατατρίβειν τὸν καιρὸν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην, μέλλοντα οὐδὲν ἀνύειν ὧν διανοεῖται. ἐρομένου δὲ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως, εἰ μηδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον προστάξειε βασιλεὺς, «οὐδὲν» εἶπεν ὁ Πεπανός. «οὐκοῦν» ἔφη «τὸ βασιλέως πρόσταγμα πληρῶν, ὅποι ἂν ὁ θεὸς ἡγοῖτο βαδιοῦμαι.» καὶ ἀναζεύξας ἐκεῖθεν, ἐν τοῖς λειμῶσι τοῖς παρὰ τὴν γέφυραν τῆς Καμήλου ηὐλίσατο τὴν νύκτα, καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν πάλιν παρὰ τὰς αὐτὰς πύλας ἐλθὼν, ἐδεῖτο βασιλέως προσδέξασθαι τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τὸν πόλεμον καταλῦσαι. ὡς δ' ἐσήκουεν οὐδεὶς, ἀναστρέψας ἤλαυνε πρὸς τὸν Μέλανα ποταμὸν, ἔνθα πρωτοστράτωρ ἦν μετὰ τῆς ὑπολοίπου στρατιᾶς ἐστρατοπεδευμένος. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν ᾔει ἡγούμενος τῆς στρατιᾶς, ὁ μέγας δὲ ὑπελείπετο δομέστικος χρείας τινὸς ἕνεκα ὀπίσω. προσελθὼν δὲ αὐτῷ τις ἐν ἐνδύμασι διεῤῥωγόσιν οἷα τὰ τῶν πενήτων, κρύφα τι ἔλεγεν ἔχειν αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι. προελθὼν δὲ ἐφ' ἱκανὸν ὅσον μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν, ἐκέλευεν ὅ,τι ἂν βούλοιτο φράζειν. ὁ δὲ καὶ ἕτερόν τινα προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν κοινωνοῦντα αὐτῷ τῶν βουλευμάτων, οὐδενὸς αὐτοῖς ἑτέρου συμπαρόντος, φίλοι μὲν ἔφασαν αὐτοὶ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἀλλήλοις εἶναι ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ τὰς οἰκήσεις ἔχειν γειτονούσας· ὁρῶντες δὲ ὅσα ἀδικεῖται καὶ ἀπελαύνεται ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ προφάσει οὐδεμιᾷ, ἀλγεῖν τε οὐκέτι ἀνεκτῶς καὶ προθυμεῖσθαι, ἂν 1.291 ἐξῇ, ἀμύνειν τὰ δυνατὰ ἀδικουμένῳ, καὶ μάλιστα ἐξ ὅτου κατά τε Ῥήγιον ἀπολογούμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς πάσης ἀπέλυσεν αἰτίας ἑαυτὸν, παρεῖναι γὰρ τότε καὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀφικόμενος πολλαῖς ἐχρήσατο δεήσεσι καὶ ἱκεσίαις πρὸς τὸν πάππον, μὴ τὸν πόλεμον κινεῖν. γνώμης μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἔφασαν ἔχειν καὶ παρασκευῆς· ἐνδεεστέρας δὲ οὔσης τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτῶν ἢ κατὰ τὴν προθυμίαν, καιρὸν ζητεῖν, καθ' ὃν ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐγγένοιτο καὶ ἔργῳ ἃ προείλοντο δρᾷν· ὃν δὴ καλῶς ποιοῦντα ἥκειν. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ βασιλέα τὸν νέον πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἐκστρατεῦσαι, τοὺς τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς πόλεως ἐπιτετραμμένους, οὕτω τοῦ θεοῦ πόῤῥωθεν τὰ λυσιτελοῦντα προκατασκευαζομένου, τοῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαις τοῦ ἁγίου Ῥωμανοῦ καλουμέναις τείχεσιν ἐπιστῆσαι, ὥστε νύκτωρ ἔχειν ἀγρυπνοῦντας φυλακὴν ἅμα καὶ ἑτέροις ὀκτὼ ἐκ διαδοχῆς. αὐτοῖς μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς, τούτου γενομένου, ἔννοιαν εἰσελθεῖν τοῦ δυνήσεσθαι ἄν ποτε βασιλεῖ χρησίμους εἶναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπύθοντο ὅσον οὐδέπω εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀφίξεσθαι αὐτὸν, τοῖς ἑταίροις, ὅ φασι, κύβον ῥίψαντες, διειλέχθαι περὶ τοῦ βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ τὴν πόλιν προδιδόναι, πεπεικέναι τε δίκαιά τε ἅμα δόξαντας λέγειν καὶ συμφέροντα πᾶσι Ῥωμαίοις· καὶ νῦν εἶναι ἐν ἑτοίμῳ, κλίμαξι τὸν βασιλέα ἀνάγειν εἰς τὸ τεῖχος, νύκτα φυλάξαντας καθ' ἣν αὐτοῖς ἡ διαδοχή ἐστι τῆς φυλακῆς. οἱ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα εἶπον· ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος τὸν μὲν ἀπαγγελοῦντα βασιλεῖ περιμένειν ἔπεμψεν εὐθὺς, τοὺς δὲ διειλεγμένους ὅ,τι τε καλοῖντο ἠρώτα καὶ εἴ τι παρὰ βασιλέως αἰτοῖεν, ὡς δίκαιοι ὄν 1.292 τες εὖ παθεῖν τῆς εἰς βασιλέα ἕνεκα εὐνοίας. οἱ δ' ἔφασαν, Κάμαρις μὲν καλεῖσθαι καὶ Καστελιάνος, μηδὲν δὲ αἰτεῖν, ἀλλὰ προῖκα τοῦ καλοῦ ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦντος τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν ὑπελθεῖν. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἐπιτρέψαντος ὃ βούλοιντο αἰτεῖν, ἰσχυρίσαντο αἰτεῖν μηδὲν, παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ἦγεν ὡς βασιλέα. συμμίξας δὲ αὐτῷ, «ὁ θεὸς» εἶπεν «ᾧ σὺ πρὸ μικροῦ παρέσχηκας ἃ εἶχες, ἃ βούλεται