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to learn how many and in what way they were coming, those around him, on account of the magnitude of the danger, were restraining him, so as to look only to being saved. At any rate, with difficulty, aided by nights and side-roads, he ascends Mount Ganos, having left the rest to seek wherever they might be saved; for he had utterly despaired of those coming behind, as they would be captured; and these were the ones who were transporting the imperial treasury and those with the sultan Azatines. He, therefore, having slipped into the mountain, sending swift runners, on the one hand was considering how to escape the attacking enemy unnoticed, and on the other hand was arranging for a fast-sailing trireme to put in quickly at the mountains. And indeed, changing from place to place, he wisely eluded them in secret, though they were in plain sight; but learning that it was prepared and present, descending the mountain with the rest, he both embarked and was brought safely to Constantinople. But the others, being scattered everywhere in Thrace, some were captured, and others, against all expectation, were saved. However, those of his household, to whom the public treasury had been entrusted, and with them also those with the sultan, having with difficulty escaped the hands of the enemy, slipping into the fortress of Ainos, took a breath from their troubles. But indeed their respite from troubles was not for long, but those men, having learned about the sultan and that he was waiting in Ainos, and also about the others, 309 gathered there with all their people together with Constantine, and sat around the city and did terrible things, being clear that they would make it desolate. At any rate, they skirmished daily, surrounding the fortress, and threatened those within with the worst, if they did not surrender. And they, seeing that the dangers were close at hand for them and that their situation was not escapable, if the enemy, being a multitude that did not take even a small account of them, should press heavily, and seeing also that the fortress was dilapidated and would yield at once if struck by siege engines, were in dire straits. Nevertheless, they were not so negligent as not to take thought for their own salvation. And in part also those in charge of the public treasury were in greater anxieties than they could bear, as to how such a great heap of money could be saved, both that which was in coins and that which was seen in various forms. And indeed, making more of their own salvation, but considering it terrible if, even should they fall, the commonwealth be deprived of so much, they took precautions for its protection. And indeed they tore off those stones and pearls from the robes and hid them in a secret place along with the imperial garments, and stuffing in everything that was splendid and valuable, they guarded it, while they themselves were ready for war with the rest and, as much as they were able, prepared themselves, shooting from within with bows and slings. But they accomplished nothing at all; for the enemy were superior in number and, having prepared ladders, they tried to place them against the walls; for the hope of the money, that would soon be in their hands, urged them on even more, and they pressed hard, as if to take plunder. But these things were for the great multitude, for whom there was nothing else more important than gain; but the leaders, and those whose concern it was, had the gain of their men ready from outside the country and more than enough to satisfy their desire, but they considered that if they themselves should fail in their original objectives, they would incur ridicule. Whence also, sending a message, after demonstrating the dangers and showing that they were able to overcome and have everything, they staked everything on the one point of the sultan and demanded him, along with his people and money, and in return they promised them security. But for those who heard, the counsel was divided; for to some it seemed better to give him up, it being better, having handed him over willingly, to save the rest, than, being unwilling, in addition to losing everything along with him, to be in danger themselves; but others set against this the fear of the emperor and said that it was necessary to hold out; for perhaps he would also send a force from there—for he would not neglect so much money—and he will bring aid by sea and will ward off the danger from us; but if not, 311 then having cut off the sultan's head, to throw it outside the wall to the enemy, so that they might either wait and see and then withdraw, or, if they attack to defend themselves, we would resist until death and either by some cooperation of God

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μαθεῖν ὁπόσοι καὶ ὅπως ἴοιεν, οἱ περὶ ἐκεῖνον διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ κινδύνου κατεῖχον, ὡς ἐπὶ μόνον ὁρᾶν τὸ σῴζεσθαι. Μόλις γοῦν, νυξὶ καὶ παροδίαις βοηθούμενος, προσβαίνει τῷ Γάνῳ, ἀπολιπὼν τοὺς λοιποὺς ζητεῖν ὅποι σῴζοιντο· τῶν γὰρ κατόπιν ἰόντων καὶ μάλ' ἀπεγίνωσκεν ὡς ἁλωσο μένων· ἦσαν δ' οὗτοι οἳ δὴ τὸ βασιλικὸν ταμεῖον διεκόμιζον καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν σουλτὰν Ἀζατίνην. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν, ὑποδὺς τὸ ὄρος, ταχυδρόμους πέμπων, ἔνθεν μὲν ἐσκέπτετο τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐπιόντας λανθάνων ἐκφεύγειν, ἔνθεν δὲ καὶ ταχυναυτοῦσαν τριήρη προσσχεῖν διὰ ταχέων τοῖς ὄρεσι παρεσκεύαζε. Καὶ δὴ τοὺς μέν, ἐκ τόπου τόπον ἀμείβων, συνετῶς ἐμφανεῖς ὄντας κατὰ τὸ λεληθὸς διεδίδρασκε· τὴν δὲ μαθὼν εὐτρεπισθεῖσαν παρεῖναι, συγκαταβὰς τοῖς λοιποῖς τοῦ ὄρους, ἐπέβαινέ τε καὶ εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν διεσῴζετο. Οἱ δ' ἄλλοι, διασκεδαννύμενοι πανταχοῦ τῆς Θρᾴκης, οἱ μὲν ἡλίσκοντο, οἱ δ' ἐκ τοῦ παρὰ δόξαν καὶ διεσῴζοντο. Οἱ μέντοι γε τῶν οἰκείων, οἷς τε τὸ κοινὸν ταμιεῖον ἐπετέτραπτο, σὺν τούτοις δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν σουλτάν, τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μόλις διαδράντες χεῖρας, τὸ τῆς Αἴνου φρούριον ὑπεισδύντες, τῶν δεινῶν ἀναπνέουσιν. Οὐ μὴν δὲ καὶ εἰς πολὺ σφίσιν ἦν ἡ τῶν πόνων ἄνεσις, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι, μαθόντες τὰ περὶ τοῦ σουλτὰν καὶ ὅτι τῇ Αἴνῳ προσμένει, ἅμα δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἐκεῖσε 309 πανδημεὶ συνάμα καὶ τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ συναθροισθέντες, τὴν πόλιν περιε κάθηντο καὶ δεινὰ ἐποίουν, δῆλοι ὄντες ὡς ἀνάστατον ποιήσοντες. Ἠκροβολίζοντο γοῦν καθ' ἡμέραν, περικυκλοῦντες τὸ φρούριον, καὶ ἠπείλουν τοῖς ἐντός, εἰ μὴ προδοῖεν, τὰ χείριστα. Οἱ δέ, ὁρῶντες μὲν καὶ τὰ δεινὰ ἐν χρῷ σφίσιν ὄντα καὶ ὡς οὐ φυκτὰ τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς, εἰ ἐπιβρίσειαν πλῆθος ὄντες οὐδ' ἐπὶ μικρὸν λογιζόμενοι, ὁρῶντες δὲ καὶ τὸ φρούριον ὡς κατερηριμμένον καὶ ἐνδῶσον αὐτίκα, εἰ μηχανήμασι προσκρουσθῇ, ἐν δεινοῖς ἦσαν. Πλὴν οὐδ' οἵ γε κατερρᾳθύμουν μὴ καὶ προνοεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τὰ εἰς σωτηρίαν. Ἐν μέρει δὲ καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸ κοινὸν ταμιεῖον ἐν ἐννοίαις μείζοσιν ἢ φέρειν ἦσαν, πῶς ἂν διασωθείη τόσος σωρὸς χρημάτων, ὅσος ἐν νομίσμασι καὶ ὅσος ἐν διαφόροις θεωρούμενος εἴδεσι. Καί γε καὶ περὶ πλείονος τῆς σφῶν σωτηρίας ποιοῦντες, δεινὸν ἡγούμενοι, καὶ πεσόντων ἐκείνων, εἰ τόσων τὸ κοινὸν στεροῖτο, πρόνοιαν φυλακῆς ἐποίουν. Καὶ δὴ λίθους μὲν ἐκείνους καὶ μαργάρους τῶν πέπλων ἀπέσπων καὶ ἐν ἀφανεῖ κατέκρυπτον ἅμα καὶ τοῖς βασιλείοις φορέμασι, καὶ πᾶν εἴ τι λαμπρὸν καὶ τίμιον παραβύοντες ἐτήρουν, αὐτοὶ δὲ πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν ἦσαν σὺν τοῖς λοιποῖς καί, ἐφ' ὅσον ἴσχυον, παρεσκευάζοντο, ἔνδοθεν βάλλοντες τόξοις τε καὶ σφενδόναις. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤνυτον τὸ παράπαν· τῷ γὰρ πλήθει οἱ ἐχθροὶ περιῆσαν καὶ κλίμακας εὐτρεπίσαντες ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐπειρῶντο· παρώτρυνε γὰρ ἐκείνους πλέον καὶ ἡ τῶν χρημάτων εἰς χεῖρας ὅσον οὔπω γενησομένων ἐλπίς, καὶ ἐπέβριθον, ὡς λαφύξοντες. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὸ πολὺ πλῆθος, οἷς οὐκ ἦν ἄλλο ἢ τὸ κερδαίνειν προὔργου παντός· οἱ δέ γε προεστῶτες καὶ οἷς ἦν ἡ σκέψις τὸ μὲν κερδαίνειν τοὺς ἐκείνων καὶ ἔξωθεν ἐκ τῆς χώρας εἶχον ἕτοιμον ὂν καὶ πλέον ἢ τὴν σφῶν ἐμπιπλᾶν ἐπι θυμίαν, αὐτοὺς δ' εἰ ἀστοχοῖεν τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς προκειμένων γέλωτα ὄφλειν ἐνόμιζον. Ὅθεν καὶ πέμψαντες, μετὰ τὴν παράστασιν τῶν δεινῶν καὶ τὸ δεῖξαι ὡς ἱκανοί εἰσι περιγενέσθαι καὶ πάντ' ἔχειν, ἐφ' ἑνὶ τῷ σουλτὰν τὸ πᾶν ἐτίθουν καὶ ἀπῄτουν ἐκεῖνον, ἅμα λαῷ τε καὶ χρήμασι, καὶ τοὐντεῦθεν καθυπισχνοῦντο σφίσι τὴν ἄδειαν. Τοῖς δ' ἀκούσασιν ἡ βουλὴ διάνδιχα ἦν· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐδόκει διδόναι, ὡς κρεῖττον ὄν, αὐτὸν ἑκουσίως ἐκδόντας, τἆλλα περιποιεῖν ἤ, μὴ θέλοντας, πρὸς τῷ συναποβαλεῖν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, καὶ αὐτοὺς κινδυνεύειν· οἱ δὲ τὸν ἐκ βασιλέως ἀντετίθουν φόβον καὶ ὡς ὑπομονητέον ἔλεγον· τάχα γὰρ κἀκεῖθεν προσαποστελεῖ δύναμινμὴ γὰρ ἀμελήσειν τόσων χρημάτων καὶ προσβοηθήσει διὰ θαλάσσης καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπαμυνεῖ τὸν κίνδυνον· εἰ δ' οὖν, 311 ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ σουλτὰν κεφαλὴν ἀποτεμόντας ἔξω τοῦ τείχους τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ῥιπτεῖν, ὡς ἢ καραδοκήσασιν ἀποχωρεῖν, ἤ, ὁρμηθέντων ἀμύνεσθαι, ἡμᾶς ἀντέχειν ἕως θανάτου καὶ ἢ Θεοῦ που συνεργίᾳ