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Learning this, the emperor was annoyed and distressed. Once, having questioned a soldier who had come from there and ascertained that for Doukas there was nothing other than battles and wars, he also asked about the time, at what hour the battles with Tzachas took place. When he said around the very rays of the sun, the emperor again asked: “And which of the combatants look towards the east?” And the soldier said: “Our army.” Then, understanding the reason, such was he at finding what was necessary in an instant, he drafts a letter to Doukas advising him to refrain from battle with Tzachas at the sun's first rays and not to fight one against two, that is, the sun's rays and Tzachas himself; but when the sun, having passed the midday circle, should incline towards the west, then to attack the enemy. Therefore, having handed the letter to the soldier and having given orders many times about this, he finally said emphatically: “If you attack the enemy as the sun is declining, you will be victorious immediately.” 9.1.6 When Doukas learned these things through the soldier, and since he had never disregarded even the slightest advice from the emperor, on the next day the barbarians armed themselves as usual, but since none of the enemy appeared (for the Roman phalanxes were remaining quiet according to the emperor’s instructions), they despaired of battle on that day and remained right there, having laid down their arms. But Doukas was not remaining quiet; for when the sun had already reached its zenith, both he and the entire army were under arms. And as the sun was already declining, having drawn up a battle order, he suddenly rushed against the barbarians with a great shout and war cry. However, Tzachas did not seem unprepared, but immediately arming himself stoutly, he engaged with the Roman phalanxes. At that moment, as a strong wind blew and the battle became close-fought, a cloud of dust was raised up to the very heavens. And partly because they had the sun shining in their faces, and partly because the wind was in a way blinding their eyes with dust, and because the Romans were attacking more fiercely than ever before, they were defeated and turned their backs in flight. 9.1.7 And so Tzachas, not bearing the siege any longer and not being sufficient for the incessant battle, inquired about peace, asking for this one thing only: that he be granted safe passage by sea to Smyrna. Doukas was persuaded by this and took as hostages two of the select satraps; and since Tzachas in turn asked Doukas for others, on condition that he would harm none of the Mytileneans on his departure nor take them with him when sailing away to Smyrna, and that Doukas would keep him unharmed as he made his voyage to Smyrna, he gave him both Alexander Euphorbenos and Manuel Boutoumites; these men were both warlike and noble. Then, having received pledges from each other, the one was now without worry that Tzachas on his departure might bring some harm upon the Mytileneans, and the other that during the crossing he would not suffer harm from the Roman fleet. 9.1.8 But the crab did not learn to walk straight, nor did Tzachas abandon his former wickedness. For he attempted to take all the Mytileneans with him, along with their wives and children. But while these things were happening, Constantine Dalassenos, who was admiral at that time and had not yet arrived, had moored the ships at a certain promontory according to Doukas’s orders; when he learned these things, he came and demanded of Doukas that he be allowed to join battle with Tzachas. But he, being mindful of the oath he had sworn, for the time being put it off. But Dalassenos insisted, saying, “You have sworn, but I was not present. And you, keep the pledges you have given unbroken, but I, who was neither present nor have sworn an oath nor know anything of what was agreed between you two, will strip for the war against Tzachas.”

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ὅπερ μανθάνων ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἤσχαλλεν. Ἐπε ρωτήσας δέ ποτε τὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἐλθόντα στρατιώτην καὶ διαγνοὺς ὡς οὐδὲν ἄλλο τῷ ∆ούκᾳ ἢ μάχαι τε καὶ πόλεμοι, καὶ περὶ τοῦ καιροῦ ἤρετο, καθ' ὁποίαν ὥραν αἱ μετὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ μάχαι συνίστανται. Τοῦ δὲ περὶ αὐτὰς τὰς τοῦ ἡλίου αὐγὰς εἰρηκότος ὁ βασιλεὺς αὖθις· «Καὶ τίνες τῶν μαχομένων πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἀποβλέπουσι;» Καὶ ὁ στρα τιώτης· «Τὸ ἡμέτερον» ἔφη «στράτευμα». Ξυνεὶς οὖν τηνικαῦτα τὴν αἰτίαν, ὁποῖος ἐκεῖνος ἐν ἀσκέπτῳ χρόνῳ τὸ δέον εὑρίσκων, γράμμα πρὸς τὸν ∆ούκαν σχεδιάζει ξυμβουλεῦον ἀποστῆναι τῆς κατὰ τὰς αὐγὰς τοῦ ἡλίου μετὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ μάχης καὶ μὴ ἕνα πρὸς δύο μάχεσθαι, τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀκτῖνας δηλαδὴ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Τζαχᾶν· ἐπὰν δὲ ὁ ἥλιος τὸν μεσημβρινὸν κύκλον διελθὼν πρὸς δυσμὰς ἀποκλίνῃ, τηνικαῦτα προσβάλλειν τοῖς ἐναντίοις. Ἐγχει ρίσας οὖν τὸ γράμμα τῷ στρατιώτῃ καὶ πολλάκις περὶ τού του παραγγείλας τέλος ἀποφαντικῶς ἔφη· «Ἐὰν κλίνοντος τοῦ ἡλίου τοῖς ἐναντίοις προσβαλεῖτε, νικηταὶ παραχρῆμα ἔσεσθε». 9.1.6 Ταῦτα τοῦ ∆ούκα διὰ τοῦ στρατιώτου μεμα θηκότος καὶ μηδέποτε τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος μηδὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ τυχόντι παραβλεψαμένου ξυμβουλὴν τῇ μετ' αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες οἱ βάρβαροι ὁπλισάμενοι, ἐπεὶ τῶν ἀντιμάχων οὐδεὶς ἐφαίνετο (ἠρέμουν γὰρ αἱ ῥωμαϊκαὶ φάλαγγες κατὰ τὰς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ὑποθήκας), τὴν μάχην ἀπηλπικότες κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην αὐτοῦ που μεμενήκασι τὰ ὅπλα ἀποθέμενοι. Ἀλλ' ὁ ∆ούκας οὐκ ἠρέμει· ἐς μεσουράνημα γὰρ τοῦ ἡλίου ἤδη ἐφθακότος αὐτός τε καὶ τὸ στρατιωτικὸν ἅπαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἦν. Καὶ κλίνοντος ἤδη τοῦ ἡλίου πολέμου τάξιν διατυπώσας σὺν ἀλαλαγμῷ καὶ βοῇ πολλῇ αἰφνηδὸν κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἵεται. Οὐ μέντοι οὐδ' ὁ Τζαχᾶς ἀνέτοιμος ἐφάνη, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς καρτερῶς ὁπλισά μενος ξυμμίγνυσι ταῖς ῥωμαϊκαῖς φάλαγξι. Πνεύσαντος δὲ τηνικαῦτα καὶ ἀνέμου σφοδροῦ καὶ ἀγχεμάχου τῆς μάχης γεγονυίας ὁ κονίσσαλος ἐς οὐρανὸν αὐτὸν ἦρτο. Καὶ τὸ μέν τι κατὰ πρόσωπον τὸν ἥλιον λάμποντα ἔχοντες, τὸ δέ τι καὶ τοῦ ἀνέμου τὰς ὄψεις διὰ τῆς κόνεως τρόπον τινὰ κατασβολοῦντος τῶν τε Ῥωμαίων καρτερώτερον εἴπερ ποτὲ προσβαλόντων ἡττήθησαν τὰ νῶτα δεδωκότες. 9.1.7 Καὶ οὕτω μὴ φέρων ὁ Τζαχᾶς τὴν ἐπὶ πλέον πολιορκίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀδιάστατον μάχην μὴ ἐξαρκῶν τὰ περὶ εἰρή νης ἐπερωτᾷ τοῦτο καὶ μόνον ἐξαιτούμενος, ἐκχωρηθῆναί οἱ ἀβλαβῆ τὸν πρὸς τὴν Σμύρνην ἀπόπλουν. Πείθεται τούτῳ ὁ ∆ούκας καὶ λαβὼν ὁμήρους δύο τῶν ἐκκρίτων σατραπῶν, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνος αὖθις ἄλλους ᾐτεῖτο τὸν ∆ούκαν ἐφ' ᾧ τὸν μὲν μηδένα τῶν Μιτυληναίων ἀδικῆσαι ἐξερχό μενον ἢ συνεπαγαγέσθαι ἀποπλέοντα πρὸς Σμύρνην, τὸν δὲ διατηρῆσαι αὐτὸν ἀβλαβῆ τὸν ὡς πρὸς Σμύρνην ἀπό πλουν ποιούμενον, δέδωκε τούτῳ τόν τε Εὐφορβηνὸν Ἀλέ ξανδρον καὶ Μανουὴλ τὸν Βουτουμίτην· ἄνδρες οὗτοι φιλο πόλεμοί τε καὶ γενναῖοι. Εἶτα πίστεις ἐξ ἀλλήλων λαβόντες ὁ μὲν ἀμεριμνίαν ἤδη εἶχε τοῦ μὴ ἐν τῷ ἐξέρχεσ θαι τὸν Τζαχᾶν βλάβην τινὰ τοῖς Μιτυληναίοις ἐπαγαγεῖν, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ διαπερᾶν μὴ παρὰ τοῦ ῥωμαϊκοῦ στόλου κάκω σιν ἐσχηκέναι. 9.1.8 Ἀλλ' ὁ καρκίνος ὀρθῶς βαδίζειν οὐκ ἐμάνθανεν, οὐδ' ὁ Τζαχᾶς τῆς πρότερον ἀφίστατο πονη ρίας. Πάντας γὰρ τοὺς Μιτυληναίους ἀπεπειρᾶτο σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἑαυτῷ συνεπαγαγέσθαι. Ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, ὁ ∆αλασσηνὸς Κωνσταντῖνος θαλασσοκρά τωρ τηνικαῦτα ὢν καὶ μήπω ἐφθακὼς κατὰ τὰ ἐντεταλ μένα παρὰ τοῦ ∆ούκα εἰς ἀκρωτήριόν τι τὰς ναῦς προσορ μίσας, ἐπεὶ ταῦτα μεμαθήκοι, ἐλθὼν ἠξίου τὸν ∆ούκαν παραχωρηθῆναί οἱ μετὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ συνάψαι πόλεμον. Ὁ δὲ τὸν προγεγονότα εὐλαβούμενος ὅρκον ἀνεβάλλετο τέως. Ὁ δὲ ∆αλασσηνὸς ἐνέκειτο λέγων ὡς «Σὺ μὲν ὀμώμοκας, ἐγὼ δ' οὐ παρῆν. Καὶ σὺ μὲν τήρει ἃς δέδωκας πίστεις ἀρραγεῖς, ἐγὼ δ' ὁ μήτε παρὼν μήτ' ὀμωμοκὼς μήτε τι τῶν συνδοξάντων ἀμφοῖν γινώσκων ἐπαποδύσομαι πρὸς τὸν κατὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ πόλεμον».