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the sons, left as heirs of the villainy, thus instructed the emperor, making new ones before the existing ones expired; and in deed they themselves reaped the fruits of Chios, while by bare title granting to the emperor to be its lord. And when their treaties were already then about to expire, Calothetus, the most distinguished of the powerful men among the Chians, being attached to the house of the great domestic for many years—for his fathers had been the greatest of friends and intimates to the fathers of the great domestic, and he himself to him—this very Calothetus then, approaching the mother of the great domestic while she was staying in Didymoteichon and reporting the villainy of the Latins, by which they both deprived the Romans of the rule of Chios and now hold it for so long by deceit, a matter not to be despised, nor such as one might easily abandon; for it pays annual tribute of twelve myriads of gold, and his ancient goodwill and familiarity 1.372 both toward her and her son; lastly he advised that if it were possible for the emperor to assist Chios with a fleet, he himself would contribute the most toward recovering the island, being the most powerful man among the Chians and having won over many others, both of his friends and his relatives. And there were also not ignoble pretexts for the war against Martinus: both that the treaties were already about to expire, and that, without the emperor's knowledge, he was building an acropolis in order to seize Chios by force. And he begged her to consider it well beforehand, so that matters might not proceed to his own peril, if the emperor did not come there with a suitable force. For he considered it of the greatest importance that Chios should come over to the Romans, which would provide no ordinary benefit; but no less did he also take thought for himself and his own, since if matters did not proceed according to his plan, he would be destroyed with his whole household, if it became clear to the Latins that the emperor had marched against them at his instigation. For this very reason he had referred the matter to her first, so that whatever seemed best to her, he would carry out. Such things Calothetus secretly discussed concerning Chios with the mother of the great domestic; and she encouraged him the more toward the deed and said that he had planned well and profitably both for the Romans and for himself. Since he had referred the matter to her first because of their ancient intimacy and 1.373 the goodwill which he had long held toward her and her son, she herself would also manage things so that it would turn out best for him. She then said such things; and sending from Byzantium, she called the emperor and her son to Didymoteichon, as she was going to discuss necessary matters. And they immediately, neglecting all else, took to the road; and having arrived in Didymoteichon, when they learned why they were being summoned, they both received the words gladly and it seemed necessary to prepare eagerly for war concerning the essential matter of Chios. And having summoned Calothetus in private, each of them encouraged him toward the deed with persuasive words and honored him with gifts worthy of themselves, and furthermore, also promising to treat him and his family well, they sent him away to Chios, to prepare what might be needed to attack the Latins, if it should be necessary. And they themselves, having returned to Byzantium, were having triremes built, and were preparing other things, as they were going to sail to Chios. And as they were considering what plausible pretext they might take for the war, the great domestic advised that the triremes should be built and the necessary arms be prepared, and that a naval force to man them, and hoplites, should be gathered. And since the treaties with Martinus were already expiring, and he was building a citadel, without the emperor's permission, in order to enslave the island, [he advised that] an order from him should be sent to that man, at once accusing him that he was building the citadel without his consent, and ordering him to cease building 1.374 and not to proceed further; and at the same time, concerning the treaties, that if he wished to make new ones, since the existing ones had already expired, he should come to Byzantium. And if he should both cease building and, having come to

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πανουργίας οἱ παῖδες καταλειφθέντες κληρονόμοι, οὕτω διεπαιδαγώγουν βασιλέα, πρὶν τὰς οὔσας ἐξικέσθαι ἑτέρας τιθέμενοι· καὶ ἔργῳ μὲν αὐτοὶ καρπούμενοι τὴν Χίον, ψιλῇ δὲ προσηγορίᾳ βασιλεῖ παρέχοντες αὐτῆς κυρίῳ εἶναι. τῶν σπονδῶν δὲ αὐτοῖς τότε πρὸς ἔξοδον ἤδη οὐσῶν, Καλόθετος τῶν παρὰ Χίοις δυνατῶν ὁ μάλιστα διαφορώτατος, τῷ μεγάλου δομεστίκου οἴκῳ προσῳκειωμένος ἐκ πολλῶν ἐτῶν, πατέρες τε γὰρ ἐκείνου τοῖς μεγάλου δομεστίκου πατράσιν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἦσαν φίλοι καὶ οἰκεῖοι, καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῷ, οὗτος δὴ ὁ Καλόθετος τῇ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου μητρὶ τότε προσελθὼν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ ἐνδιατριβούσῃ καὶ τήν τε κακουργίαν τῶν Λατίνων ἀπαγγείλας, ᾗ χρώμενοι ἀπεστέρησάν τε Ῥωμαίους τῆς Χίου τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον κατέχουσιν ἐξαπατῶντες, πρᾶγμα οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον, οὐδ' οἷον ῥᾳδίως τινὰ αὐτὸ καταπροέσθαι· δύο γὰρ πρὸς ταῖς δέκα μυριάσι χρυσίου ἐτησίους τελεῖ φόρους, τήν τε εὔνοιαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρχαίαν καὶ τὴν συνήθειαν 1.372 τήν τε πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν υἱόν· τελευταῖον συνεβούλευεν ὡς εἰ εἴη δυνατὸν βασιλέα στόλῳ εἰς τὴν Χίον βοηθῆσαι, αὐτὸν τὰ μέγιστα ἂν συνάρασθαι πρὸς τὸ ἀνακτήσασθαι τὴν νῆσον, τὰ πρῶτά τε δυνάμενον παρὰ Χίοις καὶ πολλοὺς ἑτέρους προσεταιρισάμενον καὶ τῶν φίλων καὶ τῶν συγγενῶν. εἶναι δὲ καὶ ἀφορμὰς οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς τοῦ πρὸς Μαρτῖνον πολέμου τό, τε πρὸς ἔξοδον ἤδη εἶναι τὰς σπονδὰς, καὶ τὸ, βασιλέως ἀγνοοῦντος, ἀκρόπολιν ἐπὶ τῷ Χίον βίᾳ κατασχεῖν οἰκοδομεῖν. ἐδεῖτό τε αὐτῆς σκέψασθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ πρότερον καλῶς, ὅπως μὴ αὐτῷ ἐς κίνδυνον τὰ πράγματα χωρήσει, βασιλέως οὐ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης δυνάμεως ἐκεῖ ἐλθόντος. περὶ πλείστου μὲν γὰρ ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὸ Χίον Ῥωμαίοις προσχωρῆσαι, ὠφέλειαν παρέξουσαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν· οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων προνοεῖσθαι, ὡς εἰ μὴ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ τὰ πράγματα χωρήσει, πανοικεσίᾳ διαφθαρησομένου, εἰ κατάδηλον γένοιτο Λατίνοις, ὅτι αὐτοῦ πράττοντος ἐπεστράτευσεν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεύς. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα αὐτῇ τὴν γνώμην ἀναθεῖναι πρώτῃ, ὡς ἅττα ἂν αὐτῇ δοκοίη ἐκείνου διαπραξομένου. Τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Καλόθετος τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου κρύφα περὶ Χίου διειλέχθη· ἡ δὲ ἐπέῤῥωσέ τε μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸ ἔργον αὐτὸν καὶ καλῶς ἔφασκε καὶ λυσιτελούντως βεβουλεῦσθαι καὶ Ῥωμαίοις καὶ ἑαυτῷ. ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτῇ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀναθείη πρώτῃ διὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν οἰκειότητα καὶ 1.373 τὴν εὔνοιαν ἣν ἔσχηκεν ἐκ παλαιοῦ πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν, αὐτὴ καὶ διαπράξεται ὅπως ἄριστα αὐτῷ ἕξει. Ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα εἶπε· πέμψασα δὲ ἐκ Βυζαντίου βασιλέα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐκάλει, ὡς ἀναγκαίων πέρι διαλεξομένη. οἱ δ' εὐθὺς, τῶν ἄλλων ἀμελήσαντες, εἴχοντο ὁδοῦ· γενόμενοι δὲ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ, ἐπεὶ ἐπύθοντο περὶ ὧν καλοῖντο, ἡδέως τε ἐδέξαντο τοὺς λόγους καὶ ἐδόκει δεῖν ὡς περὶ ἀναγκαίου τῆς Χίου παρασκευάζεσθαι τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον προθύμως. τόν τε Καλόθετον ἰδίᾳ μετακαλεσάμενοι, ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν λόγοις τε ἐπέῤῥωσαν πρὸς τὸ ἔργον ἐπαγωγοῖς καὶ δώροις φιλοφρονησάμενοι ἀξίως ἑαυτῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐπαγγειλάμενοι αὐτόν τε καὶ γένος εὖ ποιήσειν, ἐξέπεμψαν πρὸς Χίον, ὡς ὧν ἂν δέοιτο παρασκευασόμενον πρὸς τὸ Λατίνοις, ἢν δέῃ, ἐπιθέσθαι. αὐτοὶ δὲ εἰς Βυζάντιον ἐπαναστρέψαντες, τριήρεις τε ἐναυπηγοῦντο, καὶ τἄλλα παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς πλευσούμενοι ἐς Χίον. σκεπτομένοις δὲ αὐτοῖς ἥντινα ἐξέσται τοῦ πολέμου εὐπρόσωπον ἀρχὴν λαβεῖν, ὁ μέγας δομέστικος συνεβούλευε τὰς μὲν τριήρεις ναυπηγεῖσθαι καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ὧν δέονται παρασκευάζεσθαι καὶ ναυτικὸν συλλέγειν, οἳ ἐπιβήσονται, καὶ ὁπλίτας. ἐπεὶ δὲ αἵ τε σπονδαὶ τῷ Μαρτίνῳ ἐν ἐξόδῳ εἰσὶν ἤδη, καὶ ἄκραν, βασιλέως μὴ ἐπιτρέψαντος, οἰκοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τῷ καταδουλώσασθαι τὴν νῆσον, πρόσταγμα πρὸς ἐκεῖνον αὐτοῦ πεμφθῆναι, ἅμα μὲν αὐτὸν αἰτιωμένου ὡς τὴν ἄκραν, αὐτοῦ μὴ συνειδότος, οἰκοδομοίη, κελεύοντός τε τὸ οἰκοδομεῖν ἐᾷν 1.374 καὶ περαιτέρω μὴ προβαίνειν· ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς ὡς εἰ βούλοιτο ἑτέρας θέσθαι, τῶν οὐσῶν ἤδη ἐξηκουσῶν, εἰς Βυζάντιον ἐλθεῖν. κἂν μὲν παύσηταί τε οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ γενόμενος ἐν