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courage, bestowing it upon mercenaries, who are willing to die only in war, not for the sake of virtue but for pay, and for these reasons are readily involved in frequent outrages, behaving insolently as unjust men against justice, and behaving insolently as hubristic men against temperance, and being altogether most foolish on account of their loss of prudence. These things, then, befell them also, and these men were Italians and numbered up to eight thousand. Not only did they carry off wheat and barley, and slaughter animals, and seize money and horses from those they encountered, and the penalty for those who resisted was slaughter, but they also, having seized the houses of the colonists, went mad for their wives, unless someone, getting away first, fled somewhere far off, leaving behind his own property, securing safety only for his household. When these things became known to those around the emperor Michael, it happened that their proclaimed lawlessness blunted their impulses, and they grew slack in their military preparations. Rather, therefore, reporting back to the emperor, they begged to return for the preservation of their own households, and threatened to fight them, if they should appear, who were acting not in the manner of allies but of enemies. But the emperor restrained their impulses and consoled them as was fitting. Nevertheless, writing to his father and emperor, he utterly forbade the crossing of the Catalans to him, as the Romans would immediately fight them and they would be plunged into civil wars. He also made it clear that he himself, on account of their violence and insurrection, as they were ready to withdraw immediately even if he did not command it, gave them pledges through golden-sealed oaths that they would serve for a specified time and then return, and moreover, not even to receive the Italians themselves, but in every way to prevent their crossing to him. But the emperor, though receiving the emperor's messages, nevertheless still hoping in the grand duke as one who would lead the people for the good of the Romans, had already sent ahead both his own sister and her daughter, who was also the wife of the grand duke, so that they might meet him as he disembarked from the ships. And being fully informed 484 on that point, that he was able to restrain many of their outrageous acts through his meeting with his son-in-law, he for the time being took his time and deliberated on what was to be done. And if anything of what was forbidden was heard to be happening, even if they plundered the public properties, even if they overran the country, and this at the season of plowing, when a new harvest was hoped for to feed both foreigners and the colonists of the east, which was in a bad state, and they themselves did not even keep their hands from the plowing oxen, sacrificing them wantonly, nevertheless he abated his indignation against them. And sending many men (for he was not pleased that all had crossed over) he ordered them to select about a thousand, and to come with all speed to the emperor Michael, sending also sufficient funds for their pay. The others he permitted to cross back and to remain in the east, since there was no need of so many in the first place, nor did the empire have the means to feed so many, even if, having been entreated, he had received them when they came for a time. 4. In the meantime, one of the Catalans himself, Berenguer by name, along with nine longships, puts in at the harbor of Madytus. 485 The emperor had not summoned him, but that grand duke himself had urged him on, partly by what he had heard about his own affairs, and partly by letters with the promise of the greatest and most distinguished gifts from the emperor. For these reasons alone he appeared. And the grand duke with a few men comes before the emperor, where he was magnificently received, at the end of the month of Elaphebolion. At first, discussions were started concerning pay, and they summed up their demand at three hundred thousand coins, but later he himself also recommended the one who had arrived for the time being, and said how noble and well-born he was, and how it was just for him to enjoy the imperial favor above others; for it was not fitting that one who had hoped for great things and had come to a great man should find things less than his hopes. And that he himself had

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ἀνδρείαν, ἀπονέμων τοῖς μι σθοφόροις, ἐθέλουσιν ἀποθνήσκειν μόνον ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, οὐκ ἀρετῆς ἀλλὰ μισθοῦ χάριν, καὶ διὰ ταῦτ' ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα συχναῖς ἐνεχομένοις ἀτασθαλίαις, θρασυνομένοις μὲν ὡς ἀδίκοις κατὰ δικαιοσύνης, θρασυνομένοις δὲ ὡς ὑβρισταῖς κατὰ σωφροσύνης, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀφρονεστάτοις οὖσι διὰ τὴν ἀπόπτωσιν τῆς φρονή σεως. ταῦτα δὴ ξυμβεβήκει κἀκείνοις, καὶ ταῦτά γε Ἰταλοῖς οὖσι καὶ εἰς ὀκτὼ χιλιοστύας ποσουμένοις. μὴ μόνον δὲ σῖτον καὶ κριθὴν ἐξεφόρουν, καὶ ζῶα κατέσφαττον, καὶ χρήματα καὶ ἵππους τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἐξήρπαζον, καὶ σφαγὴ ἦν τῶν ἐναν τιουμένων τὸ πρόστιμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐποίκων κατασχόν τες οἰκίας ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἐπεμαίνοντο, ἢν μή τις φθάσας ἀπεδί δρασκε πόρρω που, τὴν μὲν ἰδίαν ὕπαρξιν καταλείπων, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς οἰκείοις τὴν σωτηρίαν περιποιῶν. ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὸν βασιλέα Μιχαὴλ ἀνάπυστα γεγονότα ἀποκλᾶν συνέβαινε τὰς ὁρ 483 μὰς σφίσι τὴν θρυλλουμένην ἀλαστορίαν, καὶ μελέτης πολεμι κῆς ἐρραθύμουν. μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν καὶ βασιλεῖ προσαναφέροντες εἰς περιποίησιν τῶν οἰκείων ὑποστρέφειν ἐδέοντο, καὶ πολεμεῖν ἐκείνοις, εἰ φανεῖεν, ἠπείλουν, οὐ συμμάχων τρόπον ἀλλὰ πο λεμίων ἐνδεικνυμένοις. βασιλεὺς δὲ κατέστελλε τὰς ὁρμὰς καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς παρεμυθεῖτο. πλὴν καὶ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ βασιλέα γράφων ἀπέλεγε πάμπαν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν τῶν Κατελάνων διάβα σιν, ὡς μαχουμένων αὐτίκα σφίσι Ῥωμαίων καὶ εἰς ἐμφυλίους καθεστηξόντων μάχας. ἐδήλου δὲ καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς διὰ τὴν σφῶν βίαν καὶ ἐπισύστασιν, ὡς αὐτίκα ἑτοίμων ὄντων ἀναχωρεῖν κἂν αὐτὸς μὴ προστάσσῃ, διὰ χρυσοβουλλείων ὅρκων ἔδωκε τὰ πιστὰ ἦ μὴν ἐπὶ ῥητῷ τινὶ χρόνῳ δουλεύσαντας ὑποστρέφειν, οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτοὺς Ἰταλοὺς παραδέξασθαι, παντὶ δὲ τρόπῳ διακωλῦσαι τὴν σφῶν εἰς αὐτὸν διάβασιν. βασιλεὺς δὲ δεχόμε νος μὲν καὶ τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως μηνύματα, ὅμως γε μέντοι καὶ ἔτι ἐπὶ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ ἐλπιδοκοπούμενος ὡς ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ Ῥωμαίων δημαγωγήσοντι, ἔφθασε μὲν προαποστείλας καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτα δέλφην καὶ τὴν αὐτῆς θυγατέρα, τὴν καὶ γαμετὴν τοῦ μεγάλου δουκός, ὥστε καὶ προϋπαντᾶν ἀποβαίνοντι τῶν νεῶν. πληρο 484 φορούμενος δέ γε καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνῃ, ὡς καταστέλλειν ἔχοι τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀτασθάλων ἔργων ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὸν γαμβρὸν ἐντυχίας, τὸν καιρὸν ἠργολάβει τέως καὶ τὸ πρακτέον διεβουλεύετο. κἄν πού τι καὶ τῶν ἀπειρημένων ἠκούετο γίνεσθαι, κἂν αὐτὰ παρήρπα ζον τὰ δημόσια, κἂν τὴν χώραν ἐξέτρεχον, ἐν καιρῷ ἀρότου καὶ ταῦτα, ὅτε καὶ πᾶς ἐς νέωτα θερισμὸς καὶ τὸ τραφῆναι ἅμα μὲν ξένους ἅμα δ' ἐποίκους τῆς ἀνατολῆς καχεκτούσης ἠλπίζετο, αὐτοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀροτήρων βοῶν οὐκ ἀπέσχοντο, ἀνέδην καὶ αὐ τοὺς θύοντες, ὅμως τῆς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἀγανακτήσεως καθυφίει. καὶ συχνοὺς ἀποστέλλων (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠρέσκετο τῶν πάντων διαπε ραιωθέντων) περὶ χιλίους ἐγκρίνειν διεκελεύετο, καὶ τὴν ταχίστην ἀπαντᾶν παρὰ Μιχαὴλ βασιλέα, πέμπων καὶ ἱκανὰ πρὸς μίσθωσιν. τοὺς δ' ἄλλους ἀντιπερᾶν ἐφιέναι καὶ ἐπ' ἀνατολῆς διατρίβειν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τόσων δεῖσθαι, μηδ' ἔχειν τρέφειν τὴν βασιλείαν τοσούτους, εἰ καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν ἐλθόντας παρακληθεὶς ἐδέξατο. 4. Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ καί τις τῶν Κατελάνων καὶ αὐτός, Μπυριγέριος τοὔνομα, συνάμ' ἐννέα μακραῖς ναυσὶ τῷ τῆς Μα 485 δύτου προσίσχει λιμένι, ὃν βασιλεὺς μὲν οὐ κέκληκεν, αὐτὸς δ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ μέγας δοὺξ τὸ μὲν τοῖς καθ' αὑτὸν ἀκουσθεῖσι πα ρώτρυνε, τὸ δὲ καὶ γράμμασι καθ' ὑπόσχεσιν μεγίστων καὶ περι φανῶν δωρημάτων ἐκ βασιλέως. διὰ ταῦτα μόνον ἐκεῖνος ἐπέ στη. καὶ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ σὺν ὀλίγοις παρὰ βασιλέα γίνεται, οὗ καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς εἰσδεχθέντος, μηνὸς Ἐλαφηβολιῶνος λήγον τος, τὰ πρῶτα μὲν οἱ περὶ μισθῶν ἐκινοῦντο λόγοι, καὶ τρια κοσίας χιλιοστύας νομισμάτων συνεκορύφουν τὰς εἰς ἀπαίτησιν, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐπιδημήσαντα τέως αὐτὸς συνίστα, καὶ ὡς γεννάδας εἴη καὶ εὐγενής, καὶ ὡς δίκαιον ὑπὲρ ἄλλους τῆς βασι λικῆς εὐμενείας καταπολαύειν· μεγάλα γὰρ ἐλπίσαντα καὶ παρὰ μέγαν ἀφιγμένον οὐκ εἰκὸς εὑρεῖν τῶν ἐλπισμῶν ἥττονα. ἔχειν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν