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leading them out, he prepared for the siege. But Benetos, Martino's brother, who himself held a certain fort 1.377 built not far from the other city, but so close that one could almost reach from one to the other with a stone, came and handed it over to the emperor, accusing his brother of many things, as having resolved to do both foolish and unjust things; foolish, if he hoped to hold out against so great a force, not himself starting from an equal state of preparation; and he condemned his injustice, if, having received many benefits from the emperor, he intended to deprive him of Chios. The emperor, therefore, entered the fort, having praised Benetos for his goodwill towards him, and after a short while he came out and arrayed the army as for a siege. But Martino, seeing himself no match for the emperor's army, and expecting no assistance from the Chians, because they were no less alienated from him in their opinions than they were suspected of being well-disposed to the emperor, and especially since Benetos had gone over and handed over the fort, which, being built so near, was no less effective than a counter-fortification, was greatly agitated and despaired of any hopes of safety. And when the standards were already raised and the Romans were beginning the battle, Martino sent an embassy, begging the emperor to grant him pardon and to proceed to such terms as the emperor might see fit. But the emperor rejected the embassy and said that it was not proper, with the army drawn up for battle, to discuss terms. For it was possible for him before to ask for pardon and make peace treaties before he came here, but now let him do as he sees fit, since trusting in his 1.378 own power he raised arms against him. The emperor, then, said such things; but Martino, already deprived of all hope of safety, fearing that he might also be deprived of his life, surrendered himself and his army to the emperor, having come out of the city. But the Chians, seeing him already reduced to the state of a captive, rushed upon him as if to kill him in the presence of the emperor. But the megas domestikos threatened that he would inflict the most terrible things upon them if they attempted any revolutionary act against him, and kept him unharmed from evils. The emperor, though he greatly blamed him for his folly, nevertheless did not treat him badly, but ordered his wife and children, and also as many maidservants as there were, to load themselves with as much as they could carry of his available money and other furniture and precious vessels, and the slaves to take up bedding and carpets and other things necessary for sleeping at night, and, leaving Chios, to go wherever they might wish; but he ordered Martino to be imprisoned. And this was done in this manner, and the maidservants along with his wife loaded up almost all of Martino's possessions; And the emperor deemed the eight hundred men with him worthy of pardon, harming them in no way, and offered them such a choice, that those who wished could take their possessions and depart, and that no one should bother those who wanted to stay, but, receiving their pay, they should serve the emperor. A few of them, therefore, departed from Chios, but the rest, some remained in Chios, again receiving pay, while others were numbered among the 1.379 emperor's retainers. Thus Chios once again came under the Romans. The emperor judged it right to reward both Benetos for his goodwill and zeal towards him, and the powerful men of Chios and the people. For even if they themselves contributed nothing to the war against Martino, yet in their minds they were so prepared that, if needed, they would show all zeal and eagerness on behalf of the emperor. Therefore he benefited Kalothetos and his family with what had been promised at Didymoteicho, when he spoke secretly about Chios, and with still more besides, and he rewarded the others with both honors and gifts; and he relieved the people of the public taxes, as many as were most oppressive. 12. And summoning Benetos, Martino's brother, he reminded him of the accusations he had made against his brother when he came to Byzantium, that he was depriving him of the six thousand gold pieces, which belonged to him from the public revenues of the
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ἐξάγων παρεσκευάζετο πρὸς τὴν τειχομαχίαν. Μπενέτος δὲ ὁ Μαρτίνου ἀδελφὸς φρούριόν τι 1.377 καὶ αὐτὸς κατέχων οὐ μακρὰν τῆς ἄλλης πόλεως ᾠκοδομημένον, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἀφ' ἑκατέρου πρὸς τὸ ἕτερον λίθῳ σχεδὸν ἐξικνεῖσθαι, ἐνεχείρισεν ἐλθὼν τῷ βασιλεῖ, πολλὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κατηγορῶν ὡς καὶ ἀνόητα καὶ ἄδικα πράττειν ἐγνωκότος· τοῦτο μὲν, εἰ πρὸς τοσαύτην δύναμιν ἀντισχήσειν ἤλπισε, μὴ αὐτὸς ἐξ ἴσης ὁρμώμενος παρασκευῆς· ἀδικίαν δὲ κατεγίνωσκεν αὐτοῦ, εἰ πολλὰ πρὸς βασιλέως εὐεργετηθεὶς, Χίον διενοήθη αὐτοῦ ἀποστερῆσαι. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν εἰς τὸ φρούριον εἰσῆλθε, Μπενέτον τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας ἐπαινέσας, καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν ἐξελθὼν διεκόσμει τὴν στρατιὰν ὡς ἐς τειχομαχίαν. Μαρτῖνος δὲ πρός τε τὴν βασιλέως στρατιὰν ἤδη ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἀξιόμαχον ὁρῶν, ἔκ τε τῶν Χίων ἐπικουρίαν οὐδεμίαν προσδοκῶν διὰ τὸ οὐχ ἧσσον αὐτοῦ ἀφεστηκέναι ταῖς γνώμαις ἢ καθ' ὅσον εὖνοι ἦσαν βασιλεῖ ὑπωπτευκέναι, ἄλλως τε καὶ Μπενέτου προσχωρήσαντος καὶ τὸ φρούριον παραδόντος, ὃ οὐκ ἔλαττον ἠδύνατο ἀποτειχισμοῦ οὕτω πλησίον ᾠκοδομημένον, σφοδρῶς τε ἐθορυβεῖτο καὶ τὰς σωζούσας ἀπεγίνωσκεν ἐλπίδας. ἐπεὶ δὲ τά τε σημεῖα ἤδη ᾔρετο καὶ ἦρχον μάχης οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, πρεσβείαν πέμψας ὁ Μαρτῖνος, ἐδεῖτο βασιλέως συγγνώμης τυχεῖν καὶ πρὸς συμβάσεις χωρῆσαι οἵας ἂν δοκῇ βασιλεῖ. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἀπεώσατό τε τὴν πρεσβείαν καὶ οὐκ ἔφασκε δεῖν, τῆς στρατιᾶς πρὸς τὴν μάχην παρατεταγμένης, διαλέγεσθαι περὶ συμβάσεων. πρότερον γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐξῆν πρὶν ἐνθάδε ἥκειν συγγνώμην τε αἰτεῖν καὶ σπονδὰς τίθεσθαι εἰρηνικὰς, νῦν δὲ ὅπως ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ ποιεῖν, ἐπεὶ τῇ 1.378 σφετέρᾳ πεποιθὼς δυνάμει ὅπλα αὐτῷ ἀντῆρε. Βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα εἶπε· Μαρτῖνος δὲ ἤδη πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα περιῃρημένος σωτηρίας, δείσας μὴ καὶ τὸ ζῆν ἀφαιρεθείη, ἑαυτὸν ἐνεχείρισε βασιλεῖ καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν, τῆς πόλεως ἐξελθών. οἱ Χῖοι δὲ αὐτὸν ὁρῶντες ἤδη πρὸς αἰχμαλώτου τύχην καταστάντα, ὥρμησαν ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποκτενοῦντες. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ἀπειλήσας αὐτοὺς τὰ δεινότατα διαθήσειν, εἴ τι νεωτερίζοιεν περὶ αὐτὸν, ἀπαθῆ διετήρησε κακῶν. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτὸν πολλὰ καταμεμψάμενος τῆς ἀβουλίας, ὅμως οὐ διέθηκεν αὐτὸν κακῶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἐκέλευσε καὶ παῖδας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ θεραπαινίδας ὅσαι ἦσαν, αὐτὰς μὲν ἐπιφορτίσασθαι ὅσον ἀνύσαι δυνατὸν ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνῳ προσόντων χρημάτων τε καὶ ἄλλων ἐπίπλων καὶ σκευῶν πολυτελῶν, τοὺς δὲ δούλους στρώματά τε καὶ τάπητας ἆραι καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἐπιτήδεια πρὸς τὸ καθεύδειν τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἐξελθόντας Χίου πορεύεσθαι ὅποι ἂν δοκῇ· Μαρτῖνον δὲ ἐκέλευσεν εἱρχθῆναι. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τοῦτον ἐπράχθη τὸν τρόπον, καὶ σχεδὸν ὅσα Μαρτίνῳ ἦσαν αἱ θεραπαινίδες ἅμα γυναικὶ ἐπεφορτίσαντο· τοὺς συνόντας δὲ αὐτῷ ὀκτακοσίους συγγνώμης τε ἠξίωσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀδικήσας μηδὲν, καὶ προὔθηκεν αἵρεσιν αὐτοῖς τοιαύτην, ὥστε τοῖς τε βουλομένοις τὰ ὄντα λαβόντας ἐξεῖναι ἀναχωρεῖν, τοῖς τε μένειν ἐθέλουσι μηδένα ἐνοχλεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μισθοφορὰν λαμβάνοντας, δουλεύειν βασιλεῖ. ὀλίγοι μὲν οὖν ἐκείνων ἀπῆραν ἐκ τῆς Χίου, οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ, οἱ μὲν ἔμειναν ἐν Χίῳ αὖθις μισθοφοροῦντες, οἱ δὲ τοῖς 1.379 βασιλέως συνηριθμήθησαν οἰκέταις. Χίος μὲν οὖν οὕτως αὖθις γέγονεν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις. βασιλεὺς δὲ Μπενέτον τε δίκαιον ἔκρινεν ἀμείβεσθαι τῆς εὐνοίας καὶ τῆς προθυμίας τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ τῶν Χίων τοὺς δυνατοὺς καὶ τὸν δῆμον. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν εἰς τὸν πρὸς Μαρτῖνον πόλεμον εἰσήνεγκαν αὐτοὶ, ἀλλὰ ταῖς γνώμαις οὕτως ἦσαν παρεσκευασμένοι, ὡς ἢν δέῃ, πᾶσαν ἐπιδειξόμενοι σπουδὴν καὶ προθυμίαν ὑπὲρ βασιλέως. διὸ καὶ Καλόθετον μὲν καὶ γένος τά τε ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ προεπηγγελμένα, ὅτε περὶ Χίου κρύφα διειλέχθη, καὶ προσέτι πλείω εὐηργέτει, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ τιμαῖς ἠμείβετο καὶ δωρεαῖς· τὸν δῆμον δὲ τῶν δημοσίων ἀνῆκεν εἰσφορῶν, ὅσαι μάλιστα ἐπίεζον. ιβʹ. Μπενέτον δὲ μετακαλεσάμενος τὸν Μαρτίνου ἀδελφὸν ἀνεμίμνησκέ τε ὧν πρὸς Βυζάντιον ἐλθὼν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κατηγόρει, ὡς ἀποστεροίη μὲν τῶν ἑξακισχιλίων χρυσίων, ἃ προσῆκεν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν δημοσίων προσόδων τῆς