118

Nevertheless, since it was decided, Syrgiannes was released from his bonds and enjoyed favor and kindness from the emperor. 5. And around the same time an embassy from the Alamanni also arrived to the elder emperor, requesting money, saying that according to the ancient alliance and friendship of their rule and that of the Romans, whenever either had need of something, it was fitting for each to receive it from the other. For all the Gemplins had a friendship with the emperors of the Romans, and they were zealous for whatever brought benefit and honor to the Romans; but now, being in need of money, they had of necessity come to the emperor, 1.336 confident that they would receive whatever they needed. But when they found the elder emperor Andronicus cast out from his rule, they directed their embassy to the young one. And when the emperor learned why they had come, he entrusted it to the grand domestic to make a response to them that seemed to have the most reason. And he, having summoned the ambassadors, said that both the emperor and he himself had heard about the purpose of their embassy, and that he himself knew of their ancient alliance and friendship with the Roman emperors, and that he considered both empires to be as one rule, and he believed it was both just and fitting that whenever either had need of something, they should receive aid from one another. But as for the money they were now requesting, if they had come before the war between the Roman emperors had been stirred up, they would have received as much as they wished, sufficient for their need. But now, since it has been spent on the war between them, for the present they were not well-supplied with money; but that he could remedy the lack of money in another way. For he could provide a large and excellent army to fight as allies against their enemies. And he believed that they themselves needed the money for no other reason than for an army, and if they obtained this, what they were zealous for would be accomplished. But the ambassadors said they had come for money, not an army. For their own land nourished many and good men whom their emperor could use, if he had sufficient funds. Thus, then, the emperor skillfully 1.337 dismissed the ambassadors, having treated them kindly with gifts, as magnificently as was possible; but having learned of the grand domestic's response to the ambassadors, he said to him that for now the response to the Latins seemed fitting, as it appeared to be made to friends promising to provide some benefit, but if they had decided to ask for the promised army, he would be at a loss for what response he could have readily made. And the grand domestic said that he himself had this difficulty in mind when making those statements to them, except that to say they lacked money would bring them no shame, since they too were in lack and were asking from them. But he had promised to provide an army, mostly because he himself thought what was in fact the case, that they would say they needed not an army, but money. But if, then, they proceeded to the second option, he would say that it was not easy to provide it now, as it required time for preparation, and especially since they did not know precisely if it was in accordance with the will of their own emperor; but if, having departed to their own land, they reported about the army and he should need it, then those who would receive it should come. For since the campaign was long and abroad, it required considerable time for preparation. But enough of these matters. But from that time, from when the young emperor separated from his grandfather and emperor and came to Adrianople, until the present moment, the grand domestic himself had supervised all other business and especially the imperial documents, which were made for the confirmation of something, 1.338 out of fear that something improper might happen either through the carelessness or the malevolence of those in charge, and though he undertook no small labor on account of this, he nevertheless considered his foresight and care over everything to be necessary and bore the toil in silence. But then, when the civil wars had been resolved and the plots and suspicions had ceased, he himself decided that it was necessary to relieve himself a little from his labors.

118

ὅμως ἐπεὶ ἔδοξεν, ἀπελύετό τε τῶν δεσμῶν ὁ Συργιάννης καὶ εὐμενείας ἀπέλαυε καὶ εὐποιΐας τῆς παρὰ βασιλέως. εʹ. Ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους καὶ ἐξ Ἀλαμανῶν ἀφίκετο πρὸς βασιλέα τὸν πρεσβύτερον πρεσβεία χρήματα αἰτοῦντες, λέγοντες, κατὰ παλαιὰν συμμαχίαν καὶ φιλίαν τῆς σφετέρας τε καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας, ὅταν του δέονται, προσήκειν ἑκατέροις κομίζεσθαι παρ' ἀλλήλων. Γεμπλίνοις γὰρ πᾶσι φιλίαν εἶναι πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίων βασιλέας, καὶ σπουδάζεσθαι αὐτοῖς ὅσα ὠφέλειάν τε καὶ τιμὴν Ῥωμαίοις περιποιεῖ· νυνὶ δὲ χρημάτων δεομένους, ἀναγκαίως πρὸς βασιλέα ἥκειν, 1.336 θαῤῥοῦντας ὡς λήψονται ὅτου ἂν δέωνται. ἐπεὶ δὲ Ἀνδρόνικον τὸν πρεσβύτερον βασιλέα εὗρον τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκβεβλημένον, πρὸς τὸν νέον ἐποιοῦντο τὴν πρεσβείαν. βασιλεὺς δ' ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο περὶ ὧν ἥκοιεν, ἐπέτρεπε τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ποιήσασθαι ἀπολογίαν ᾗ ἂν δόξειε μάλιστα τὸ εὔλογον ἔχειν. ὁ δὲ μετακαλεσάμενος τοὺς πρέσβεις, βασιλέα τε ἔφασκεν ἀκηκοέναι περὶ ὧν ἥκουσι πρεσβεύοντες καὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν μὲν παλαιὰν συμμαχίαν καὶ φιλίαν αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίων βασιλέας καὶ αὐτὸν εἰδέναι, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ μίαν ἡγεμονίαν ἀμφοτέρας τὰς βασιλείας νομίζειν, καὶ δίκαιον ἅμα καὶ προσῆκον ἡγεῖσθαι, ὅτου ἂν δέωνται ἑκάτεροι, ὠφελεῖσθαι παρ' ἀλλήλων. χρήματα δὲ ἃ αἰτοῦσι νῦν, εἰ πρὶν τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέων πόλεμον κεκινῆσθαι ἧκον, ἐκομίσαντο ἂν ᾗ ἐβούλοντο ἀρκοῦντα πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. νυνὶ δὲ ἀναλωθέντων εἰς τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμον, χρημάτων μὲν τὸ νῦν εἶναι οὐκ εὐπορεῖν· ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον δύνασθαι ἰάσασθαι τὴν ἀπορίαν τῶν χρημάτων. στρατιὰν γὰρ ἂν παρασχεῖν πολλήν τε καὶ ἀγαθὴν, συμμαχήσουσαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. οἴεσθαι δὲ μηδὲ αὐτοὺς ἑτέρου του ἕνεκα ἢ τῆς στρατιᾶς δεῖσθαι τῶν χρημάτων, καὶ εἰ τούτου τύχοιεν, τὸ σπουδαζόμενον αὐτοῖς ἠνύσθαι. οἱ πρέσβεις δὲ χρημάτων ἕνεκα ἥκειν ἔλεγον, οὐ στρατιᾶς. τὴν γὰρ αὐτῶν πολλούς τε καὶ ἀγαθοὺς τρέφειν οἷς ἔξεστι χρῆσθαι τῷ σφετέρῳ βασιλεῖ, ἀναλωμάτων εὐποροῦντι. τοὺς μὲν οὖν πρέσβεις οὕτως εὐφυῶς 1.337 ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπεπέμψατο, δώροις φιλοφρονησάμενος εἰς ὅσον ἐξῆν μεγαλοπρεπῶς· τὴν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πρέσβεις τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου πυθόμενος ἀπολογίαν, νῦν μὲν ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἁρμόζουσαν φαίνεσθαι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Λατίνους ἀπολογίαν πεποιῆσθαι δοκοῦσαν φίλοις αὐτοῖς οὖσιν ἐπαγγέλλεσθαί τινα ὠφέλειαν παρέξειν, ἐὰν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην στρατιὰν ζητεῖν, ἀπορεῖν ἧς ἂν εὐπόρησεν ἀπολογίας. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν εἶπεν ἐπὶ νοῦν ταύτην ἐσχηκέναι ἀπορίαν πρὸς ἐκείνους ποιούμενος τοὺς λόγους, πλὴν τὸ μὲν ἀπορεῖν χρημάτων εἰπεῖν οὐδεμίαν αὐτοῖς ἂν φέρειν αἰσχύνην, ἅτε δὴ καὶ αὐτῶν ἀπορούντων καὶ δεομένων παρ' αὐτῶν. στρατιὰν δὲ παρέχεσθαι ἐπηγγέλθαι, μάλιστα μὲν ὅπερ ἦν καὶ αὐτὸν οἰόμενον, οὐ στρατιᾶς ἐρεῖν, ἀλλὰ χρημάτων δεῖσθαι. εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ πρὸς τὰ δεύτερα χωροῖεν, νῦν μὲν εἰπεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον παρασχεῖν, καιροῦ δεομένην πρὸς παρασκευὴν, ἄλλως τε οὐδ' ἀκριβῶς εἰδότας, εἰ κατὰ γνώμην εἴη τῷ σφετέρῳ βασιλεῖ· εἰ δ' ἀπελθόντες πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπαγγείλωσι περὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ δέοιτο αὐτῆς, τότ' ἤδη τοὺς παραληψομένους ἥκειν. χρονίου γὰρ οὔσης καὶ ὑπερορίου τῆς στρατείας, καὶ χρόνου δεῖσθαι συχνοῦ πρὸς τὴν παρασκευήν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τοιαῦτα. ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξ ὅτου βασιλεὺς ὁ νέος τοῦ πάππου καὶ βασιλέως διαστὰς, εἰς Ἀδριανούπολιν ἧκεν ἄχρι καὶ τότε, τοῖς τε ἄλλοις ἅπασι τοῖς πραττομένοις καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῖς βασιλικοῖς γράμμασιν, ἃ ἐπὶ βεβαιώσει ἐγίνετό 1.338 τινος, δι' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἐπιστατοῦντος δέει τοῦ μή τι τῶν μὴ προσηκόντων γενέσθαι ἢ διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἢ διὰ κακόνοιαν τῶν ἐπιτετραμμένων, καὶ οὐ μικρόν τινα διὰ ταῦτα τὸν πόνον ὑφισταμένου, ὅμως ἀναγκαίαν τὴν πρόνοιαν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ πᾶσι φροντίδα λογιζομένου καὶ φέροντος τὸν κάματον σιγῇ, τότε δὲ τῶν ἐμφυλίων πολέμων λυθέντων καὶ πεπαυμένων τῶν ἐπιβουλῶν καὶ ὑπονοιῶν, ἔγνω δεῖν καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν πόνων ἑαυτὸν ἀνεῖναι μικρόν.