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standing inside the sanctuary. Therefore, having taken off the covering on his head, with uncovered head he fell before God and previously at the feet of the patriarch, and with fervent intent he begged for pardon, confessing his audacity in a loud voice. And indeed, as the emperor lay on the ground, the patriarch, holding a document in his hands in which the pardon was written, going through and expressly stating the offense, namely that concerning the emperor's son John, granted forgiveness with a clear voice; and after him another, and after that one another, and in succession all of them; as he fell before each one and asked for pardon, they one by one, holding the document in their hands, granted pardon in the same manner as the patriarch, with many tears being shed, especially by those of the senate, for propitiation. And finally, having stood up and partaken of the sacred mysteries and having venerated as was fitting and taken his leave, he proceeded to the palace. And he assigned to John, who was imprisoned in the fortress of Dakibyze, an allowance for food and sufficient clothing, frequently looking after him with necessities and showing him kindness almost every day. From this point on, he turned more diligently to the conduct of public affairs.

20. Concerning the marriage of Andronikos Tarchaneiotes, son of the emperor's sister Martha, and the daughter of John of the West. And since affairs in the west were again beginning to swell up, as the despot Michael had departed from men, leaving Nikephoros over his own domain, but having distributed no small territory of his own to his bastard son John, and while Nikephoros was content to hold what was his, John desired to leap beyond the bounds and, refraining from his brother's lands, he laid hands on ours, plundering whatever came his way, the emperor did not see fit to pursue him with war, since he was hot-headed and newly come to power, but 401 he considered it much better to come to terms through peace and make a treaty through marriage than to make war. Whence also with embassies he softened his harsh and stubborn nature; and since that man was raising a daughter of marriageable age, he wished to confirm the peace through a marriage alliance. For John was otherwise an energetic man, so much so that by the swiftness of his undertakings combined with his intelligence in battles he performed exceedingly well, and often put the despot in fear, lest by plotting he might deceive him also and be able to cover him with the disgrace of defeat. For these reasons the emperor, hastening very wisely and safely, preemptively secured his goodwill, and gave the daughter of John in marriage to his own nephew, the son of Martha, Andronikos, having sent for and brought her with no little honor, naming by way of dignities his son-in-law *megas konostaulos* and his father-in-law John *sebastokrator*. And for these reasons a treaty was made with John, and as far as he was concerned, the Roman armies had no small respite. Yet he had not neglected the other matters, but was greatly occupied, on the one hand by sea, using the navy, and on the other hand by land, paying attention to the Triballoi and the Illyrians. And the navy was led by a noble man, Philanthropenos, a *protostrator* by rank, who, since the *megas doux* Laskaris was already past his prime and no longer able to engage in wars and battles, supported his old age and filled his position. And Philanthropenos held the chief command and was in charge of the whole force, while those under him, being many and very great, were appointed as company commanders and battalion commanders and counts and admirals. For the fleet was large and equipped with many ships; however, the ships were manned by men youthful in impulse and eager for plunder, the Gasmouloi in the city, whom a Roman would call of mixed race, born to Roman women by Italians, and many others from the Laconians, whom they also called Tsakones by a corruption of the name, whom from both the Morea and the western parts, being both numerous and warlike, 403 with wives and children to

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ἔνδον τοῦ βήματος ἱσταμένων. Ἀποθέμενος οὖν τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς καλύπτραν, ἀκαλύφῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ προσπίπτει Θεῷ καὶ ποσὶ προηγουμένως τοῦ πατριάρχου καὶ μεθ' ὅτι θερμῆς τῆς προθέσεως τὴν συγχώρησιν ἐξαιτεῖ, ὁμολογῶν μεγαλοφώνως τὸ τόλμημα. Καὶ δὴ ἐπ' ἐδάφους κειμένου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁ πατριάρχης, χάρτην ἀνὰ χεῖρας ἔχων, ᾧπερ ἡ συγχώρησις ἐνεγέγραπτο, διεξιὼν καὶ ῥητῶς τὸ πλημμέλημα λέγων, τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως παιδὶ δηλαδὴ Ἰωάννῃ, συνεχώρει τρανῷ τῷ στόματι, καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἄλλος καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἕτερος καὶ καθεξῆς οἱ πάντες· ὧν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ προσπίπτοντος καὶ τὴν συγχώρησιν αἰτουμένου, ἐκεῖνοι καθ' ἕνα, τὸν χάρτην ἔχοντες ἀνὰ χεῖρας, τὸν αὐτὸν τῷ πατριάρχῃ συνεχώρουν τρόπον, πολλῶν χεομένων δακρύων, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν ἐκ τῆς συγκλήτου, πρὸς ἐξιλέωσιν. Καὶ τέλος ἀναστὰς καὶ τρύφους ἱεροῦ μετασχὼν καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς προσκυνήσας καὶ συνταξάμενος, ἐχώρει πρὸς τὰ ἀνάκτορα. Ἀπέταξε δὲ καὶ τῷ ἐγκεκλεισμένῳ κατὰ τὸ τῆς ∆ακιβύζης φρούριον Ἰωάννῃ εἰς τροφῆς οἰκονομίαν καὶ ἐνδυμά των τὰ ἱκανά, πολυωρῶν ἐκεῖνον συχνάκις τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις καὶ σχεδὸν καθ' ἑκάστην φιλοφρονούμενος. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ πρὸς τὴν διεξαγωγὴν τῶν κοινῶν σπουδαιότερον τρέπεται.

κʹ. Περὶ τοῦ κήδους τοῦ τε Ταρχανειώτου Ἀνδρονίκου καὶ υἱοῦ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀδελφῆς Μάρθας καὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ δυτικοῦ Ἰωάννου. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πάλιν ἀνοιδαίνειν ὥρμων τὰ δυτικά, τοῦ δεσπότου Μιχαὴλ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων γεγονότος καὶ τὸν μὲν Νικηφόρον ἐπὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἀρχῇ καταλεί ψαντος, τῷ δέ γε νόθῳ Ἰωάννῃ χώραν οὐκ ὀλίγην διανενεμηκότος ἰδίᾳ, καὶ ὁ μὲν Νικηφόρος ἠγάπα κατέχων τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσκαμμένα πηδᾶν ὠρέγετο καί, τῶν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἀποσχόμενος, τῶν ἡμετέ ρων προσήπτετο, σκυλεύων τὸ προστυχόν, πολέμῳ μὲν ἐκεῖνον ὁ βασιλεὺς μετιέναι οὐκ ἐδοκίμαζε, θερμουργὸν ὄντα καὶ νέον ἀρχῆς ἁψάμενον, δι' 401 εἰρήνης δ' ὑπελθεῖν καὶ κατὰ κῆδος σπένδεσθαι πολλῷ κρεῖττον ἡγεῖτο τοῦ πολεμεῖν. Ὅθεν καὶ πρεσβείαις μὲν τὸ σκληρὸν ἐκείνου μαλάσσει καὶ αὔθα δες· ἐπεὶ δ' ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὡραίαν γάμου ἔτρεφε θυγατέρα, ἠβούλετο διὰ κήδους βεβαιώσασθαι τὴν εἰρήνην. Ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἄλλως ὁ Ἰωάννης δραστήριος, ὡς καὶ τῇ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ταχυτῆτι σὺν τῇ περὶ τὰς μάχας συνέσει καὶ λίαν ἀριστουργεῖν, καὶ εἰς δέος τὸν δεσπότην πολλάκις ἐτίθει, μήπως καὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιτηδευόμενος παρακρούσαιτο καὶ τῇ τῆς νίκης ἀδοξίᾳ περιβαλεῖν δυνηθείη. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καὶ σπεύσας ὁ βασιλεὺς λίαν σοφῶς τε καὶ ἀσφαλῶς τὴν ἐκείνου προκατελάμβανεν εὔνοιαν καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ Ἰωάν νου τῷ ἀνεψιῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ υἱῷ τῷ τῆς Μάρθας Ἀνδρονίκῳ, πέμψας καὶ σὺν οὐκ ὀλίγῃ τιμῇ ἀγαγών, εἰς γάμον ἐδίδου, ὀνομάζων ἐξ ἀξιωμάτων τὸν μὲν γαμβρὸν μέγαν κονοσταῦλον, τὸν δὲ πενθερὸν Ἰωάννην σεβαστοκράτορα. Καὶ τῷ μὲν Ἰωάννῃ ἐσπένδετο διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ὅσον τὸ μέρος ἐκείνου ἀνακωχὰς οὐ τὰς μικρὰς εἶχον τὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατεύματα. Οὐ μὴν δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποπεφροντίκει, ἀλλὰ πολὺς ἦν, ἔνθεν μὲν ἐκ θαλάσσης, τῷ ναυτικῷ χρώμενος, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ κατὰ γῆν, Τριβαλλοῖς τε καὶ Ἰλλυριοῖς προσεπέχων. Καὶ τὸ ναυτικὸν ἦγεν ἀνὴρ γενναῖος, ὁ Φιλαν θρωπηνός, πρωτοστράτωρ μὲν ἐξ ἀξίας, τοῦ δὲ μεγάλου δουκὸς Λάσκαρι, ἐξώρου ὄντος ἤδη καὶ μὴ οἵου τε πολέμοις ἐνασχολεῖσθαι καὶ μάχαις, τὸ γῆρας ἀνέχων καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου τάξιν ἀναπληρῶν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Φιλανθρωπηνὸς ἐπεφέρετο τὰ πρωτεῖα καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐπεστάτει, οἱ δ' ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ, πολλοί τε ὄντες καὶ μέγιστοι, εἰς λοχαγοὺς καὶ ταγματάρχας καὶ κόμητας καὶ ναυάρχους ἐτάττοντο. Ὁ γὰρ στόλος πολὺς καὶ πολλαῖς ναυσὶν ἐξηρτύετο· τὰς μέντοι γε ναῦς ἄνδρες ἐπλήρουν νεανικοὶ τὰς ὁρμὰς καὶ τὰς προθυμίας λαφυκτικοί, οἱ ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν Γασμοῦλοι, οὓς ἂν ὁ Ῥωμαῖος διγενεῖς εἴποι, ἐκ Ῥωμαίων γυναικῶν γεννηθέντες τοῖς Ἰταλοῖς, ἄλλοι τε πλεῖστοι ἐκ τῶν Λακώνων, οὓς καὶ Τζάκωνας παραφθείροντες ἔλεγον, οὓς ἔκ τε Μορέου καὶ τῶν δυτικῶν μερῶν, ἅμα μὲν πολλούς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ μαχίμους, 403 ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις εἰς