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But when Tzachas, having loosed the stern-cables, was making his return voyage straight for Smyrna as he was, Dalassenos overtook him quicker than words can tell and immediately attacking, pursued him. But Doukas, having come upon the remainder of Tzachas's navy as it was loosing its stern-cables, seized the ships and rescued all the prisoners of war from the barbarian's hand and the captives bound in them. And Dalassenos, having captured many of Tzachas's piratical vessels, ordered those on board, together with their rowers, to be killed. 9.1.9 And perhaps Tzachas himself would have been captured, had he not, being a rogue and suspecting what was to come, transferred to one of the lighter skiffs and, because it was unsuspected, escaped notice and was saved. For, guessing what would happen to him, he had arranged for Turks from the mainland to stand on a certain promontory and watch, until he either reached Smyrna safely himself or, encountering enemies, might run his ship ashore towards them as to some place of refuge. And indeed he did not miss his mark, but having moored his ship there, he joined with the Turks who were waiting for him and went toward Smyrna, and indeed he reached it. And Dalassenos, returning victorious, joins the great doux. And Doukas, having secured the situation at Mitylene, since Dalassenos had also returned from there, detached a large part of the Roman fleet and sent it out against the places held by Tzachas (for he had managed to subdue a good number of islands). And having captured both Samos and some other islands by a raid, he returns to the ruling city.

9.2.1 Not many days passed, and the emperor, having learned of the revolt of Karykes and that he had seized Crete, and from there that Rhapsomates had seized Cyprus, sent out John Doukas against them with a great fleet. But the Cretans, having learned that the Doukas had reached Karpathos, since they knew it was not far away, set upon Karykes and wrought a terrible slaughter against him, and so they handed over Crete to the great doux. And having secured the situation there, the Doukas, and leaving a sufficient force for its garrison, makes his landing at Cyprus. And as soon as he ran ashore there, he captured Kyrenia by assault. But Rhapsomates, having learned this, armed himself stoutly against him. Therefore, setting out from Leukousia and occupying the ridges of Kyrenia, he pitched his camp somewhere there, for the time being postponing the war, as one inexperienced in war and ignorant of strategic devices; for it was necessary to fall upon them while they were unprepared. But he for the time being postponed the battle, not as though he were preparing for an engagement of war because he was supposedly unready (for he was very well prepared and, if he had wished, he could have joined battle at once), but as though he did not even wish to engage, having undertaken the business of war as if in boys' games, both sending embassies to them gently and trying to draw them on with mild words as if he were managing them. 9.2.2 And I think he did these things either through inexperience of wars; for he was, as I for one heard concerning him, one who had taken up sword and spear only yesterday and the day before, and did not even know how to mount a horse, but if he happened to be mounted and then wished to ride out, he was in a state of confusion and agitation; so inexperienced was Rhapsomates concerning military expertise. Therefore, either for these reasons or because, his soul struck with terror at the suddenness of the imperial troops' attack, his wits had wandered. For this reason, when he undertook the war with a certain despair, matters did not turn out well for him. For Boutoumites, having suborned some of those who had joined his cause, enrolled them as deserters into his own army. And on the next day, Rhapsomates, having drawn up his battle lines, sought battle with the Doukas, down the slope of the ridge with slow foot

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Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ Τζαχᾶς τὰ πρυμ νήσια λύσας ὡς εἶχε κατευθὺ Σμύρνης τὸν ἀπόπλουν ἐποιεῖτο, καταλαμβάνει τοῦτον ὁ ∆αλασσηνὸς θᾶττον ἢ λόγος καὶ παραχρῆμα προσβαλὼν ἐδίωκεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ∆ού κας τὸ ἐπίλοιπον τοῦ ναυτικοῦ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ λῦον τὰ πρυμ νήσια ἐφθακὼς κατέσχε μὲν τὰς ναῦς καὶ τῆς βαρβαρικῆς χειρὸς τοὺς δορυαλώτους ἅπαντας καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς δεσμώτας αἰχμαλώτους ἐρρύσατο. Ὁ δὲ ∆αλασσηνὸς πολλὰ τῶν τοῦ Τζαχᾶ λῃστρικῶν πλοίων κατασχὼν τοὺς ἐνόντας σὺν αὐτοῖς ἐρέταις ἀναιρεῖσθαι παρεκελεύετο. 9.1.9 Τάχα δ' ἂν καὶ ὁ Τζαχᾶς αὐτὸς ἑαλώκει, εἰ μὴ πανοῦργος ὢν καὶ τὸ μέλλον ὑφορώμενος εἰς ἓν τῶν κουφοτέρων ἀκα τίων μεταβὰς διὰ τὸ ἀνύποπτον διεσώθη λαθών. Στοχα ζόμενος γὰρ τοῦ συμπεσόντος αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου Τούρ κους παρεσκευάκει εἴς τι ἀκρωτήριον ἑστάναι καὶ ὁρᾶν, μέχρις ἂν ἢ τὴν Σμύρνην ἀκινδύνως αὐτὸς καταλάβῃ ἢ πολε μίοις περιτυχὼν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν ναῦν ἐξορμίσῃ καθάπερ εἴς τι κρησφύγετον. Καὶ δὴ τοῦ σκοποῦ οὐκ ἠστόχει, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ τὴν ναῦν προσορμίσας μετὰ τῶν ἀπεκδεχομένων αὐτὸν Τούρκων ἑνωθεὶς ὡς πρὸς Σμύρνην ᾤχετο, καὶ δὴ καὶ ταύτην κατέλαβεν. Ὁ δὲ ∆αλασσηνὸς νικητὴς ὑποστρέψας ἑνοῦται τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκί. Καὶ ὁ ∆ούκας τὰ κατὰ τὴν Μιτυλήνην ἀσφαλισάμενος, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ∆αλασσηνὸς ἐκεῖθεν ὑπέστρεψε, τοῦ ῥωμαϊκοῦ στόλου πολὺ μέρος ἀφελόμενος κατὰ τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ κατεχομένων (καὶ γὰρ ἱκανὰς ἔφθασε νήσους χειρώσασθαι) ἐξαπέστειλε. Καὶ ἐξ ἐπιδρο μῆς τήν τε Σάμον καί τινας ἄλλας νήσους κατασχὼν ἐπα νέρχεται πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν.

9.2.1 Οὐ πολλαὶ παρῆλθον ἡμέραι, καὶ μεμαθηκὼς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὴν τοῦ Καρύκη ἀποστασίαν καὶ ὅτι τὴν Κρήτην κατέσχεν, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ὁ Ῥαψομάτης τὴν Κύπρον, μετὰ στόλου μεγάλου κατ' αὐτῶν τὸν ∆ούκαν Ἰωάννην ἐξέπεμψε. Καταλαβόντα δὲ τὸν ∆ούκαν τὴν Κάρπαθον οἱ Κρῆτες μεμαθηκότες, ἐπεὶ οὐ πόρρω ταύτην εἶναι ἐγίνωσκον, ἐπι θέμενοι τῷ Καρύκῃ δεινὸν τὸν φόνον κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀπειργά σαντο καὶ οὕτω τὴν Κρήτην τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ παραδεδώκασι. Κατασφαλισάμενος δὲ τὰ περὶ αὐτὴν ὁ ∆ούκας καὶ ἀποχρῶσαν δύναμιν εἰς τὴν αὐτῆς φρουρὰν καταλιπὼν ἐπὶ τὴν Κύπρον τὸν κατάπλουν ποιεῖται. Καὶ ἅμα τῷ ταύτῃ προσοκεῖλαι ἐξ ἐφόδου τὴν Κυρήνην κατέσχεν. Ὁ δὲ Ῥαψομάτης τοῦτο μεμαθηκὼς καρτερῶς ὁπλίζεται κατ' αὐτοῦ. Ἀπὸ Λευκουσίας τοιγαροῦν ἀπάρας καὶ τὰς ἀκρολοφίας τῆς Κυρήνης καταλαβὼν ἐκεῖ που τὸν χάρακα ἐπήξατο ἀναβαλλόμενος τέως τὸν πόλεμον ὡς ἀπειροπόλεμος καὶ στρατηγικῶν τεχνασμάτων ἀδαής· χρεὼν γὰρ τούτοις ἀνε τοίμοις ἐπεισπεσεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ἀνεβάλλετο τέως τὴν μάχην οὐχ ὅπως εἰς συμβολὴν πολέμου παρασκευασθησόμενος ὡς δῆθεν ἀνετοίμως ἔχων (παρεσκεύαστο γὰρ εὖ μάλα καί, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, συνεκρότησεν ἂν αὐτίκα τὸν πόλεμον), ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μηδὲ συμπλακῆναι βουλόμενος ὥσπερ ἐν παι διαῖς μειρακίων τὰ τοῦ πολέμου ἐπικεχειρήκει μαλακῶς τε πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαπρεσβευόμενος καὶ μειλιχίοις λόγοις ἐφέλ κεσθαι τούτους ὥσπερ οἰκονομούμενος. 9.2.2 Καὶ οἶμαι ἢ δι' ἀπειρίαν πολέμων ταῦτ' ἐποίει· ἦν γάρ, ὡς ἔγωγε περὶ τούτου ἤκουον, χθὲς καὶ πρῴην ἡμμένος ξίφους καὶ δόρα τος καὶ μηδ' ἐπιβῆναι ἐφ' ἵππον εἰδώς, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τύχοι ἐπιβεβηκὼς κᾆθ' οὕτως ἐξιππάσασθαι βούλοιτο, ταραχὴν εἶχε καὶ σάλον· οὕτως εἶχε περὶ τὴν στρατιωτικὴν ἐμπει ρίαν ἀπείρως ὁ Ῥαψομάτης. Ἢ τοίνυν διὰ ταῦτα ἢ καταπλαγεὶς τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ αἰφνιδίῳ τῆς ἐφόδου τῶν βασιλικῶν στρατευμάτων τὰς φρένας περιπεπλάνητο. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τὸν πόλεμον μετά τινος δυσελπιστίας ἐπιχειρήσαντι οὐκ εἰς καλὸν αὐτῷ ἀπηντήκει τὰ πράγματα. Ὁ γὰρ Βουτου μίτης ὑποποιησάμενός τινας τῶν ἐκείνῳ συναραμένων αὐτομολήσαντας τῷ ἰδίῳ συγκατέλεξε στρατεύματι. Τῇ δὲ μετ' αὐτὴν τὰς φάλαγγας στήσας ὁ Ῥαψομάτης τὸν μετὰ τοῦ ∆ούκα ἐζήτει πόλεμον διὰ τοῦ πρανοῦς τῆς ἀκρολο φίας βραδεῖ ποδὶ