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he did what was commanded with speed. But having come to the pass, he found the entire army already rushing to flee to the cities. For those from Byzantium, not even waiting for his return from the emperor, but thinking the emperor had died, picking up their tents and whatever else they were carrying, proceeded towards the aforementioned cities. And the rest seeing this, were themselves no longer able to remain in the camp, but the whole army was already set in motion for flight. The grand domestic considered what was happening terrible and rushed to turn back those who had first begun the flight. But since he was unable to do anything fitting, for the whole army was already in motion, he disregarded the others and with all haste and care attended to the emperor's safety. And coming to the emperor's tent as quickly as he could, he did not find him. For his retinue, seeing the whole army already rushing to flee and the camp left deserted, and the emperor unable to use a horse because of his wound, fearing for him, lifting him on a carpet, put him in one of the boats that happened to be there and ordered the sailors to row to Byzantium. Turning back, he himself also proceeded to Philokrene. And the army, having been divided into four, one part of it proceeded to Philokrene, the remainder to Niketiatou, the third to Dakibiza, and the fourth to Ritziou. But Orchanes, knowing nothing of what was happening, 1.361 nevertheless ordered his brother Parzaloun with a few Persians to go and reconnoiter the emperor's army. For he thought that they would not even sleep through the night without a care, but would attempt something to their harm. But he, hiding under the cover of darkness as best he could and getting near the camp, when he perceived that the army was in motion, quickly informed his brother Orchanes. And to him it seemed at once that the movement of the army was not for their own good, and his thoughts were shaken; but after a short while, Parzaloun sent a second messenger, reporting that the Roman army, having departed from the camp in a disorderly and confused manner, had not turned towards Byzantium, but towards the aforementioned cities of Bithynia. And when he learned this, since it was also about dawn, he himself also set out with his entire army and came to Philokrene at about the second hour of the day. But the Romans who had come to it, since it happened that the key of the gate was lost, standing intermingled with the baggage-carriers, as the Persians were already clearly approaching, were at first unable to form ranks and defend themselves against the barbarians, being hindered by both the baggage-carriers and the other servants mixed in with them. But when the keys were found and the gates were opened, most of them rushed all together to get inside. And as there was a great crush at the entrance and they were being pressed by one another and trampled underfoot, three died at the gates, while the others entered, but outside thirty-two were killed by the barbarians; 1.362 of whom two were notable men, Manuel Tarchaneiotes and Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, both being nephews of the grand domestic. And one hundred and fifty were also captured alive, the majority of whom were from among the servants of the soldiers. And the horses that were taken away were about four hundred. Then the others, rallying, engaged the barbarians and killed nearly two hundred of them. But Orchanes, seeing the Romans now defending themselves, being unable to do anything more, led his army away from Philokrene and encamped there. So many died at Philokrene and were captured alive. But on the previous day during the battles, a total of forty-seven horsemen and foot-soldiers died, and the grand hetaireiarches Exotrochos in the final engagement, who was said to have been struck not by a barbarian, but by a certain Roman, either one who did not recognize him, for night had already fallen, or one defending himself in some dispute, the darkness concealing the

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προσετέτακτο ἐποίει κατὰ τάχος. ἐλθὼν δὲ παρὰ τὴν εἰσβολὴν, τὴν στρατιὰν εὗρε πᾶσαν ἤδη ὡρμημένην πρὸς τὰς πόλεις φεύγειν. οἱ γὰρ ἐκ Βυζαντίου μηδὲ τὴν ἐκ βασιλέως ἐπάνοδον περιμείναντες αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ νομίσαντες τεθνηκέναι βασιλέα, σκηνάς τε καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἐπεφέροντο ἀράμενοι, ἐχώρουν πρὸς τὰς εἰρημένας πόλεις. ὁρῶντες δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ, οὐκέτι μένειν οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ ἐδύναντο ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου, ἀλλὰ κεκίνητο ἤδη πᾶσα πρὸς φυγὴν ἡ στρατιά. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ἐν δεινῷ μὲν τὰ γινόμενα ἐποιεῖτο καὶ ὥρμητο τοὺς πρώτους τῆς φυγῆς ἀρξαμένους ἀναστρέφειν. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν τῶν προσηκόντων ἴσχυε πράττειν, πᾶσα γὰρ ἤδη κεκίνητο ἡ στρατιὰ, τῶν ἄλλων ἀμελήσας, διὰ σπουδῆς ἐποιεῖτο πάσης καὶ φροντίδος τὴν βασιλέως σωτηρίαν, καὶ ᾗ τάχιστα εἶχε, πρὸς τὴν βασιλέως σκηνὴν ἐλθὼν, τοῦτον μὲν οὐχ εὗρεν. ἡ γὰρ θεραπεία ἡ περὶ αὐτὸν τὴν μὲν στρατιὰν ἤδη πᾶσαν ὁρῶντες ὡρμημένην πρὸς φυγὴν καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἔρημον καταλειφθὲν, τόν τε βασιλέα ἀδυνάτως ἔχοντα διὰ τὸ τραῦμα ἵππῳ χρῆσθαι, δείσαντες περὶ αὐτῷ, ἄραντες ἐπὶ τάπητος, ἑνὶ τῶν παρατυχόντων ἐνέβαλον λέμβῳ καὶ ἐκέλευον τοῖς ναύταις εἰς Βυζάντιον ἐλαύνειν. ἀναστρέψας δὲ ἐχώρει καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς Φιλοκρήνην. εἰς τέτταρα δὲ ἡ στρατιὰ διαιρεθεῖσα, τὸ μὲν αὐτῆς ἐχώρησεν εἰς Φιλοκρήνην, εἰς Νικητιάτου δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν, εἰς ∆ακίβιζαν δὲ τὸ τρίτον, καὶ τὸ τέταρτον εἰς τὸ Ῥιτζίου. Ὀρχάνης δὲ τῶν γινομένων μηδὲν εἰδὼς, 1.361 ὅμως Παρζαλοῦν τὸν ἀδελφὸν μετά τινων Περσῶν ὀλίγων ἐκέλευσεν ἐλθόντα κατασκέψασθαι τὴν βασιλέως στρατιάν. ᾤετο γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐδὲ τὴν νύκτα καθευδήσειν ἀμερίμνως, ἀλλ' ἐπιχειρήσειν τι πρὸς κάκωσιν αὐτῶν. ὁ δ' ὑπὸ τὸ σκότος ὡς ἐνῆν μάλιστα λαθὼν καὶ γενόμενος ἐγγὺς τοῦ στρατοπέδου, ἐπεὶ ᾐσθάνετο τὴν στρατιὰν κεκινημένην, ταχέως Ὀρχάνῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἐδήλου. τῷ δ' ἐδόκει μὲν εὐθὺς οὐκ ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ τῷ σφετέρῳ κίνησις τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ διεσέσειστο τοὺς λογισμούς· μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ Παρζαλοῦς καὶ δεύτερον πέμψας ἄγγελον, ἐδήλου τὴν Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν ἀτάκτως καὶ πεφυρμένως ἀναστᾶσαν ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου, μὴ τὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον τραπέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς εἰρημένας τῆς Βιθυνίας πόλεις. ὁ δ' ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο, ἐπεὶ καὶ περὶ ὄρθρον ἦν ἡ νὺξ, ἄρας καὶ αὐτὸς πανστρατιᾷ, ἦλθεν εἰς Φιλοκρήνην περὶ ὥραν τῆς ἡμέρας μάλιστα δευτέραν. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οἱ εἰς αὐτὴν ἐλθόντες, ἐπεὶ συνέβη τὸ κλεῖθρον τῆς πύλης ἀπολέσθαι, ἀναμὶξ ἑστῶτες μετὰ τῶν σκευοφόρων, ὡς οἱ Πέρσαι ἤδη κατάδηλοι ἦσαν ἐπιόντες, πρῶτα μὲν οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν εἰς τάξιν καταστῆναι καὶ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους, κωλυόμενοι ὑπό τε τῶν ἀχθοφόρων καὶ τοῦ ἄλλου οἰκετικοῦ ἀναπεφυρμένου αὐτοῖς. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν κλείθρων εὑρημένων, ἀνεῴχθησαν αἱ πύλαι, οἱ πλείους ἀθρόοι ὥρμησαν ἐντὸς ἐλθεῖν. γενομένου δὲ ὠθισμοῦ πολλοῦ κατὰ τὴν εἴσοδον καὶ συνθλιβομένων ὑπ' ἀλλήλων καὶ συμπατουμένων, ἀπέθανον μὲν τρεῖς κατὰ τὰς πύλας, τῶν ἄλλων εἰσελθόντων, ἔξω δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων δύο μὲν ἀπέθανον καὶ τριάκοντα· 1.362 ἐξ ὧν ἦσαν δύο τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, Μανουὴλ ὁ Ταρχανειώτης καὶ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς Νικηφόρος, τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου καὶ ἀμφότεροι τυγχάνοντες ἀνεψιοί. ἑάλωσαν δὲ καὶ ζῶντες πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν, ὧν οἱ πλείους ἐκ τῶν ὑπηρετούντων τοῖς στρατιώταις ἦσαν. ἵπποι δὲ οἱ ἀφαιρεθέντες ἐγένοντο ὡς τετρακόσιοι. ἔπειτα οἱ ἄλλοι συστραφέντες, συνεπλάκησάν τε τοῖς βαρβάροις καὶ ἀπέκτειναν ἐξ αὐτῶν ὀλίγῳ δέοντας διακοσίων. Ὀρχάνης δὲ ὁρῶν ἤδη τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἀμυνομένους, μὴ δυνάμενός τι δράσαι πλέον, ἀπήγαγέ τε τὴν στρατιὰν τῆς Φιλοκρήνης καὶ ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐκεῖ. τοσοῦτοι μὲν ἀπέθανον κατὰ τὴν Φιλοκρήνην καὶ ἑάλωσαν ζῶντες. τῇ προτεραίᾳ δὲ κατὰ τὰς μάχας οἱ σύμπαντες ἀπέθανον ἱππεῖς τε καὶ πεζοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα, καὶ ὁ μέγας ἑταιρειάρχης Ἐξώτροχος κατὰ τὴν τελευταίαν συμπλοκὴν, ὃς καὶ ἐλέγετο οὐχ ὑπὸ βαρβάρου, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίου τινὸς πληγῆναι, εἴτε ἀγνοήσαντος αὐτὸν, ἤδη γὰρ ἐπελάβετο ἡ νὺξ, εἴτε καὶ κατά τινα διαφορὰν ἀμυνομένου, τοῦ σκότους συνεπικρύπτοντος τὴν