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were present and the truth was spoken freely. But the conspirators, having already been condemned, were then sentenced to confiscation of property and exile, the emperor voting for a complete reprieve from the penalties prescribed by the laws. 8.7.2 Learning of a rumored raid of the Cumans, and also that Bodin and the Dalmatians themselves were intending to break the treaty and march against our country, the emperor was divided in his thoughts as to which of the enemies he should turn against. Therefore, it seemed necessary to him to arm himself first against the Dalmatians and to seize beforehand the passes lying between our country and theirs and to secure them as much as possible. So having gathered everyone and having communicated his plan, since this seemed beneficial to all, he went out of the great city to take care of matters in the west. 8.7.3 And quickly reaching Philippopolis and receiving letters from the then archbishop of Bulgaria, reporting concerning the doux of Dyrrachium, John the son of the sebastokrator, and affirming that he was plotting a revolt, he was despondent all night and day, on the one hand postponing the investigation of the matter on account of his father, and on the other hand fearing that what the rumor said would not be false. And since John was a young man, knowing that the impulses of such people are for the most part unrestrainable, he feared that he might attempt some novelty and become the cause of unbearable grief to both his father and his uncle. Therefore he reckoned it was necessary to hasten by every method to thwart his plan. For he cared for him as much as one could say. 8.7.4 So summoning the then great hetaireiarch, Argyros Karatzas, who was a Scythian, but most prudent and a man who cared for virtue and truth, he gives him two letters, the one to John containing the following: “My Majesty, having learned of a barbarian incursion against it through the mountain passes, has come out of Constantinople in order to secure the borderlands of the Roman empire. It is necessary, therefore, for you yourself also to come to inform us of the situation in the province under your command (for I fear that Voulkanos too, having conceived hostile thoughts against us, may be plotting something), and also to report to us about the situation in Dalmatia and about Voulkanos himself, whether he abides by the peace treaties (for the reports brought to me about him daily are not good), so that having learned something more definite we may prepare further against his machinations and, after advising you on what must be done, we may send you back to Illyricum, so that by fighting the enemies from both sides we may, with God's help, have the victory.” 8.7.5 This is what the letter to John contained; but the one to the leading men of the inhabitants of Dyrrachium dictated the following: “Since we have learned that Voulkanos is again plotting against us, we have come out of Byzantium to secure the passes lying on the border between our country and that of the Dalmatians, and at the same time to get accurate information about him and the Dalmatians. For these reasons, judging it necessary to summon your doux and the beloved nephew of our Majesty, we have sent this man who is delivering our letter to you, having appointed him doux. Receive him, you also, and obey everything commanded by him.” So handing these letters to Karatzas, he instructed him to go and first deliver to John the letter addressed to him, and if he followed of his own accord, to send him on from there in peace, and for him to take over the garrison of the country until he should return again; but if he resisted and did not obey, to summon the leading men of the Dyrrachians and read the other letter to them, so that they might help him to seize John.

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παρῆσαν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐπαρρησιά ζετο. Κατάκριτοι δὲ ἤδη καταστάντες οἱ ἐπίβουλοι δήμευσιν τηνικαῦτα καὶ ὑπερορίαν κατεκρίθησαν τῶν ἐκ τῶν νόμων ποινῶν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος σχολὴν παντελῆ καταψηφισα μένου. 8.7.2 Λογοποιουμένην δὲ Κομάνων ἔφοδον μανθάνων ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ καὶ τὸν Βοδῖνον καὶ αὐτοὺς ∆αλ μάτας παρασπονδῆσαί τε καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἡμεδαπῆς χωρῆσαι βουλομένους, ἐμερίζετο τοῖς λογισμοῖς πρὸς ὁπότερον ἂν ἀπονεύσειε τῶν ἐχθρῶν. ∆έον οὖν αὐτῷ ἐδόκει κατὰ τῶν ∆αλματῶν πρώτως ἐξοπλίσασθαι καὶ προκαταλαβεῖν τὰ ἀναμεταξὺ τῆς ἡμεδαπῆς καὶ αὐτῶν διακείμενα τέμπη καὶ ὡς ἐνὸν ἀσφαλίσασθαι. Συναγαγὼν τοίνυν ἅπαντας καὶ ἀνακοινωσάμενος τὸ σκοπούμενον, ἐπεὶ συνοῖσον ἅπασι τοῦτ' ἐδόκει, ἔξεισι τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέ ραν προμηθευσόμενος. 8.7.3 Καὶ ταχὺ τὴν Φιλιππούπολιν καταλαβὼν καὶ γράμματα δεξάμενος τοῦ τηνικαῦτα ἀρχιε πισκόπου Βουλγαρίας χρηματίζοντος περὶ τοῦ δουκὸς ∆υρραχίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ σεβαστοκράτορος διαβεβαιούμενα ἀποστασίαν ἐκεῖνον ὠδίνειν, ἀθυμῶν διὰ πάσης νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἦν πῂ μὲν διὰ τὸν ἐκείνου πατέρα ἀνα βαλλόμενος τὴν τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐξέτασιν, πῂ δὲ καὶ δεδιὼς μὴ ἅπερ ἡ φήμη λέγει οὐ ψεύσεται. Καὶ ἐπεὶ μειράκιον ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ὡς ἐπίπαν τὰς τῶν τοιούτων ὁρμὰς ἀκαθέκ τους γινώσκων, ἐδεδίει μή τι νεωτερίσειε καὶ λύπης ἀφο ρήτου ἀμφοῖν τῷ τε πατρὶ καὶ θείῳ πρόξενος γένοιτο. ∆εῖν οὖν ἐλογίσατο διὰ πάσης μεθόδου σπεῦσαι τὴν ἐκείνου σφῆλαι βουλήν. Ἐκήδετο γὰρ τούτου ὁπόσον ἄν τις εἴποι. 8.7.4 Μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν τὸν τότε μέγαν ἑταιρειάρχην Ἀργυρὸν τὸν Καρατζάν, Σκύθην μὲν ὄντα, φρονιμώτατον δὲ καὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ ἀληθείας ἐπιμελούμενον, διττὰς ἐπιδί δωσιν αὐτῷ γραφάς, τὴν μὲν πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοιαῦτα διαλαμβάνουσαν· «Ἡ μὲν βασιλεία μου βαρβαρικὴν διὰ τῶν κλεισουρῶν ἔλευσιν κατ' αὐτῆς μεμαθηκυῖα ἐξεληλύθει τῆς Κωνσταντίνου ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ μεσαίχμια τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ἀσφαλίσασθαι. ∆έον οὖν ἐστι καὶ αὐτόν σε παραγενέσθαι τὰ κατὰ τὴν ὑπό σε ἀρχὴν ἀναδιδάξοντα (δέδια γὰρ καὶ τὸν Βολκάνον μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐναντία καθ' ἡμῶν φρονήσας μελε τήσῃ), πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ∆αλματίαν ἀναγγελεῖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Βολκάνου εἰ ταῖς εἰρη νικαῖς ἐμμένει σπονδαῖς (καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀγαθαί μοι περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀγγελίαι καθ' ἑκάστην κομίζονται), ἵνα σαφέστερόν τι μεμαθηκότες καὶ πρὸς τὰς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πλέον παρασκευασώ μεθα μηχανὰς καί σοι τὸ δέον ὑποθέμενοι αὖθις πρὸς τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν ἐκπέμψωμεν, ὅπως ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μαχόμενοι τὴν νικῶσαν Θεοῦ ἐπαρήγοντος σχοίημεν.» 8.7.5 Ταῦτα μὲν ἡ πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην γραφὴ διελάμβανεν· ἡ δέ γε πρὸς τοὺς λογάδας τῶν ἐποίκων ∆υρραχίου τοιαῦθ' ὑπη γόρευεν· «Ἐπεὶ καθ' ἡμῶν μελετᾶν τὸν Βολκάνον αὖθις μεμαθηκότες τῆς Βυζαντίδος ἐξεληλύθειμεν κατασφαλισό μενοί τε τὰ ἐν μεσαιχμίῳ τῆς τε ἡμεδαπῆς καὶ τῶν ∆αλ ματῶν διακείμενα τέμπη, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς ∆αλμάτας ἀκριβώσασθαι, διά τοι ταῦτα δέον κρίναν τες μετακαλέσασθαι τὸν ὑμέτερον δοῦκα καὶ ποθούμενον ἀνεψιὸν τοῦ κράτους ἡμῶν τουτονὶ τὸν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐγχειρίζοντα ὑμῖν γραφὴν ἐξαπεστείλαμεν δοῦκα τοῦτον προχειρισάμενοι. ∆έξασθε αὐτὸν καὶ ὑμεῖς καὶ εἰς πᾶν τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ προσταττόμενον ὑπείκετε.» Ταύτας οὖν τὰς γρα φὰς ἐγχειρίσας τῷ Καρατζῷ ἐνετείλατο ἀπελθόντα πρῶτα μὲν ἐγχειρίσαι τῷ Ἰωάννῃ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν γραφὴν καὶ εἰ μὲν αὐθαιρέτως ἕπεται, ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἐκεῖθεν μετ' εἰρήνης προπέμψαι, αὐτὸν δὲ τὴν φρουρὰν τῆς χώρας ἀναδέξασθαι, μέχρις ἂν ἐκεῖνος αὖθις ἐπανέλθοι· εἰ δὲ ἀντιτείνει καὶ μὴ πείθεται, μεταπέμψασθαι τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας τῶν ∆υρρα χιτῶν καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν ὑπαναγνῶναι γραφὴν ἐφ' ᾧ συνά ρασθαι αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὸ τὸν Ἰωάννην κατασχεῖν.