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for them it was one of two things, either to win or all to fall. Wherefore, surrounding the fortifications, from them they shot arrows with their bows against whoever might even approach nearby and, leaping forward lightly armed, they attacked, and falling upon them with greater daring, they struck down with javelins those soldiers of theirs who were not confident. But they, though suffering, held their ground and considered it a terrible thing if a few rustics should overcome a greater number of city-dwellers; and they helped one another and fell upon them more forcefully, and they destroyed many, but not so as to slacken their own assaults. Rather, therefore, as they were hard-pressed contrary to their own expectation, it came upon them to act bravely and, seizing the difficult places with wingless speed, they defended themselves from them by shooting. But for the others it was not possible to approach through the ravines, and to shoot from a distance was considered futile; for those men, climbing into the trees, were able 263 to shoot and hit their mark against whomever someone, having drawn the bow, released the arrow, but it was not possible at all to be shot at. But with those outside being at a loss on all sides, having no way to attack, it seemed best to send in fire; for in this way alone, when they had withdrawn, it was possible for them, approaching their homes, to fall upon them; but the difficult terrain did not yield to the fire; for as far as the fire took hold, so far those men would retreat and, drawing up on the other side, they would harm and hinder those sending it in. And for them, their domestic affairs were so secure that their women and little children could slip away into the inner difficult places, and the surrounding area was blocked off with wagons and long poles, so that even invaders would not dare to enter. Therefore, the most esteemed men fell each day, incited by the boiling of their anger, and for no short time, armies were being newly raised, such as seemed able to overpower even great forces, yet a few men and peasants were overpowering them, though they were more numerous and for most of the time hard-pressed by the war. And in addition to these things, they themselves were in safety, with those outside not perceiving whatever they might be doing, because they were well-fortified by the terrain, even if a greater number were to attack; for it was nothing other than for them, falling upon one another, not even able to withstand the force of the bows, to be utterly destroyed. But for those men, if ever they were divided by the necessity of their mission, being left few in each place, it happened that they were in danger, because while the one party, holding the country on their side and expecting no danger at their back, were turned towards those in front, being benighted and also out of fear neglecting the trees, the other party, expecting and awaiting danger on all sides, were very watchful, and so those men, using frequent sorties wherever it was opportune, would fall upon them and—for not all had swords—overpower them with clubs. So then, as the war continued for a long time and matters were being worn down, since it was not possible for them to overcome the rebels by fighting, they resolved prudently to win them over with peace, not all at once; for it was impossible in this way for them to submit to making a treaty; for, abiding by what they had resolved from the beginning, each was ashamed to change before his neighbor, and the despair was present to them that they would be destroyed if they should give in. For this reason, sending to them one by one, they promised that both the emperor and themselves would grant an amnesty for what had happened, and they advised them 265 not to have a perpetual concord with the others on the worst of terms, as was possible, and that they themselves, if they wished, could come forward to designated places, but with hostages—for they did not desire to deceive—to meet, from which it would be possible to learn how many benefits they would receive from the emperor, provided they give up their resistance by making a treaty, and also betray the impostor who was famed as emperor; for this man was not that John Laskaris, not even if everyone were to say so; for he himself was shut up in the fortress of Dakibyze and securely imprisoned; and if anyone wanted to see, having taken strong and dreadful oaths, it was possible for him to be present and to see. By these and more arguments, leading them on day by day, and at the same time also sending them sufficient provisions,

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ἐκείνοις ἕν, ἢ νικᾶν ἢ πάντας πίπτειν. Ὅθεν περισχόντες τὰ ὀχυρώματα, ἀπ' αὐτῶν τε τὰ διὰ τόξων βέλη ἐνίεσαν καθ' ὅστις ἂν καὶ ἐγγὺς προσβάλλοι καὶ προ πηδῶντες γυμνῖται προσέβαλον, τόλμῃ τε προσπίπτοντες μείζονι, κατη κόντιζον μὴ καταθαρροῦντας ἐκείνων τοὺς στρατιώτας. Οἱ δὲ καὶ πονοῦντες ὑφίσταντο καὶ δεινὸν ποιοῦντες, εἰ πλειόνων ὀλίγοι καὶ ἄγροικοι ἀστικῶν περιγένοιντο· προσεβοήθουν τε ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἐπέπιπτον κραταιότερον, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν ἔφθειρον, οὐ μὴν δὲ ὥστε καὶ ὑποχαλᾶν ἦν τὰς ὁρμὰς σφίσι. Μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν κακουμένοις καὶ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ὑπόληψιν ἐπῄει ἀνδρίζεσθαι καί, ἀπτέρῳ τάχει τὰς δυσχωρίας καταλαμβάνοντες, ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἠμύνοντο βάλλοντες. Τοῖς δὲ οὔτε κατὰ τὰς φάραγγας προσιτὸν ἦν, καὶ τὸ μακρόθεν βάλλειν μάταιον ἐνομίζετο· ἐπενδυόμενοι γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τὰ δένδρα βάλλειν 263 μὲν εἶχον καὶ κατευστοχεῖν καθ' οὗ τις τὸ βέλος ἐντείνας τὸ τόξον ἀνίει, βάλλεσθαι δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ παράπαν ἦν. Ἀπορουμένων δὲ πάντοθεν τῶν ἐκτός, μηδὲν ἐχόντων ᾗ προσβάλλοιεν, ἐδόκει πῦρ ἐνιέναι· ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ μόνως ἀποχωρησάντων αὐτοὺς ἔχειν ἐγγίζοντας τοῖς οἴκοις αὐτῶν ἐπεισπίπτειν· ἀλλ' ἡ δυσχωρία οὐχ ὑπήκουε τῷ πυρί· ἐφ' ὅσον γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἥπτετο, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὑποχωροῦντες ἐκεῖνοι καὶ κατὰ θάτερα παραταττόμενοι ἐκάκουν τοὺς ἐνιέντας καὶ ἀπεκώλυον. Ἐκείνοις δ' ἦσαν οὕτως καὶ τὰ κατ' οἶκον ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ, ὡς γυναῖκας μὲν καὶ παιδάρια ταῖς ἐσωτέραις παραδύεσθαι δυσχωρίαις, ἁμάξαις δὲ καὶ σταυροῖς ἐπιμήκεσι διειλῆφθαι τὸν κύκλῳ τόπον, ὡς μηδ' εἰσβάλλοντας τολμᾶν εἰσελθεῖν. Ἔπιπτον τοίνυν καθ' ἡμέραν οἱ δοκιμώτατοι, τῇ τοῦ θυμοῦ παραθηγόμενοι ζέσει, καὶ οὐκ ἐπ' ὀλίγον ἐκαινοτομοῦντο στρατεύ ματα, οἷά τε δοκοῦντα καὶ μεγάλων δυνάμεων κατευμεγεθεῖν, οὓς ὀλίγοι τινὲς πρὸς ἐκείνους, πλείους ὄντας, καὶ ἀγρόται ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τοῦ καιροῦ κακουμένους τῷ πολέμῳ κατηγωνίζοντο. Πρὸς τούτοις τε αὐτοὶ μὲν ἦσαν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ, κἂν ὅ τι ποιοῖεν οἱ ἔξω μὴ ἐπαΐοντες, τῷ τοῖς τόποις κατωχυ ρῶσθαι, κἂν πλείους ὅτι προσβάλλοιεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἦν ἢ αὐτούς, προσπίπτοντας ἀλλήλοις, τῇ ῥύμῃ τῶν τόξων μηδ' ἀντισχεῖν ἔχοντας, παραπόλλυσθαι. Ἐκείνους δέ, εἴ πού ποτε καὶ μερισθεῖεν κατὰ χρείας ἀνάγκην, ἀπολελειμ μένους ὀλίγους ἑκασταχοῦ, κινδυνεύειν συνέβαινεν ἐξ αἰτίας τοῦ τοὺς μέν, τὴν χώραν πρὸς αὐτῶν ἔχοντας καὶ μηδὲν εἰς κίνδυνον κατὰ νώτου προσδο κῶντας ἔχειν, τετραμμένους πρὸς τοὺς πρόσθεν, ἐπηλυγαζομένους καὶ τούτους ἐκ φόβων δένδρεσι κατολιγωρεῖν, τοὺς δέ, προσδοκῶντας ἐφ' ἅπασι καὶ κύκλῳ τὸν κίνδυνον ἐκδεχομένους, πολυωρεῖν, καὶ οὕτως συχναῖς ἐκείνους ὅπου παρείκοι χρωμένους ταῖς ἐκδρομαῖς ἐπεισπίπτειν καὶ ῥοπάλοιςοὐ γὰρ εἶχον ἅπαντες σπάθαςκαταγωνίζεσθαι. Οὕτω γοῦν ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῦ πολέμου συνισταμένου καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τριβομένων, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν σφίσι μαχομένοις περιγίγνεσθαι τῶν ἀφισταμένων, ἔγνωσαν εὐσυνέτως ὑπέρχεσθαι μετ' εἰρήνης, οὐ πάντας ἅμα· ἀδύνατα γὰρ οὕτως ἦν ὑποκατακλίνεσθαι σπενδομένους· τοῖς γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγνωσμένοις ἐμμένοντες, μεταβάλλειν ᾐδοῦντο τὸν πλησίον ἕκαστος, καὶ τὸ δύσελπι σφίσι προσῆν ὡς ἀπολουμένοις, εἰ ἐνδοῖεν. Τῷ τοι καὶ καθ' ἕνα πέμποντες τῶν μὲν συμβάντων ἀμνηστίαν ἔχειν καὶ βασιλέα καὶ αὐτοὺς ὑπισχνοῦντο, ἐκείνοις δὲ μὴ διηνεκῆ τὴν ἐπὶ κακίστοις ὁμόνοιαν πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἔχειν 265 ὡς οἷόν τε συνεβούλευον, καὶ σφᾶς, εἰ θέλοιεν, προῆγον εἰς τόπους σεσημασμέ νους ὄντας, πλὴν μεθ' ὁμήρωνοὐ γὰρ ἀπατᾶν ὀρέγεσθαι, ἐντυγχάνειν, ἐξ ὧν εἶναι μανθάνειν ὁπόσα πρὸς βασιλέως εὐεργετηθήσονται, ἐνδόντες μὲν τὰς ἐνστάσεις τῷ σπένδεσθαι, προδόντες δὲ καὶ τὸν εἰς βασιλέα φημιζό μενον πλάνον· μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι τοῦτον τὸν Λάσκαριν Ἰωάννην, μηδ' ἂν πάντες λέγοιεν· αὐτὸν γὰρ ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι τῷ τῆς ∆ακιβύζης φρουρίῳ καὶ ἀσφαλῶς ἐγκαθείργνυσθαι· ἢν δέ τις καὶ βούλοιτο βλέπειν, ὑφ' ὅρκοις λαβὼν τὰ ἰσχυρὰ φρικώδεσι, προσεῖναι τοῦτον εἶναι καὶ βλέπειν. Τούτοις καὶ πλείοσιν ἐκείνους ὑπεξάγοντες καθ' ἡμέραν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ προσπέμποντες ἱκανά,