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of the treaties and promises which he had previously made to him, not even so was he willing to fulfill what had been promised. The emperor, therefore, sending for John, the son of the sebastokrator and his own brother, sent him out against him with a sufficient force. But he, being inexperienced in war and eager like a young man for battles, went out, and crossing the river Lipenion near the foothills of the Zygos directly opposite Sphentzanion, pitched his camp. This did not escape Bolkanos, and again he inquired about peace, even with him, promising to give the promised hostages and to keep pure peace with the Romans for the future. But these things were in mere empty promises; for he himself was arming to attack him secretly. 9.4.5 And as Bolkanos began his march toward John, a certain monk, anticipating what was being planned, reported it to John and insisted that the enemy was already arriving. But he sent him away with anger, calling him a liar and a deceiver; but the event anticipated the word in confirming it. For falling upon him by night, he killed many of the soldiers inside their tents, and many others, fleeing in haste, were swept away by the eddies of the river flowing below and drowned. As many as were of a more steadfast mind, seeking out the tent of John and fighting eagerly, with difficulty held it in the same place. Thus, indeed, the greatest part of the Roman army was gone; but Bolkanos, gathering his own men and going up above the Zygos, took up a position at Sphentzanion. 9.4.6 But John's men, seeing them, being few and unable to fight with so many, decided to cross the river to the rear. When this was done, they reached Lipenion, which was about twelve stades away from there. But unable to hold out any longer, having lost most of his men, he sought the way towards the imperial city. And so Bolkanos, emboldened as if no one was left to oppose him, plundered the neighboring cities and lands. And he completely devastated the outer territory of Skopje, and also burned some of it. Not only this, but he also seized Pologos and, reaching as far as Branea and ravaging everything, and taking much booty from there, he returned to his own country.

9.5.1 When the emperor learned these things, he could no longer bear it, but immediately armed himself again, not at all needing the flute-player Timotheus for this, like Alexander waiting for the martial strain. Therefore the emperor himself, putting on his arms and arming the others who were then present, took the road leading straight to Dalmatia, hastening to rebuild again the castles that had previously been ruined and to restore them to their former state, and to exact in abundance retribution against him for what he had done. Departing, therefore, from the great city and occupying Daphnoution (this is an ancient city forty stades distant from Constantinople) and awaiting those of his kinsmen who had not yet arrived, he waited there. 9.5.2 On the next day, therefore, Nikephoros Diogenes arrived, full of spirit and pride; but using his usual mask, he had put on the fox's skin and, making his appearance more charming, he feigned to comport himself freely with the emperor. However, he pitched his tent not at the usual distance from the imperial chamber, but near the ascent which led to the emperor. But Manuel Philokales, seeing this and as if struck by a thunderbolt, since the plots being meditated by him had not escaped his notice, stood there instantly dried up. And with difficulty collecting the reason of his soul, he went straight to the emperor and said: 'What is happening does not seem to me to be straightforward, but a fear comes upon me lest

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συνθηκῶν καὶ ὑποσχέσεων, ἃς φθάσας πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατο, οὐδ' οὕτως τὰ ὑπεσχημένα τελέσαι ἤθελε. Μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννην τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ σεβαστοκράτορος καὶ αὐταδέλφου αὐτοῦ κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐξέ πεμψε μετὰ ἀποχρώσης δυνάμεως. Ὁ δὲ οἷα ἀπειροπόλε μος καὶ σφαδᾴζων ὡς νέος πρὸς μάχας ἀπελθὼν καὶ τὸν τοῦ Λιπενίου ποταμὸν διαβὰς περὶ τοὺς πρόποδας τοῦ Ζυγοῦ κατευθὺ τοῦ Σφεντζανίου τὸν χάρακα ἐπήξατο. Οὐκ ἔλαθε τοῦτο τὸν Βολκάνον, καὶ πάλιν περὶ εἰρήνης καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἠρώτα ὑπισχνούμενος καὶ τοὺς ὑπεσχη μένους ὁμήρους δοῦναι καὶ τὴν καθαρὰν εἰρήνην τοῦ λοι ποῦ μετὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τηρῆσαι. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν μόναις ψιλαῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐξωπλίζετο ἀγνώ στως αὐτῷ προσβαλεῖν. 9.4.5 Καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην φερούσης τοῦ Βολκάνου ἁψαμένου μοναχός τις προκατα λαβὼν τὸ μελετώμενον ἀπαγγέλλει τῷ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ κατα λαμβάνειν τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἤδη διισχυρίζετο. Ὁ δὲ μετὰ θυμοῦ τοῦτον ἀπεπέμψατο ψεύστην καὶ ἀπατεῶνα ἀποκαλῶν· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔργον τὸν λόγον προέφθασε πιστώσασθαι. Νυκτὸς γὰρ ἐπεισπεσὼν αὐτῷ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐντὸς τῶν σκηνῶν ἀνεῖλε, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἀνὰ κράτος φεύγοντες ταῖς δίναις τοῦ κάτω ῥέοντος ποταμοῦ παρασυρέντες ἀπεπνίγησαν. Ὁπόσοι δὲ σταθηροτέρας γνώμης ἦσαν, τὴν τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἀναζητήσαντες σκηνὴν ἐκθύμως μαχόμενοι ταύτην ἐπὶ ταὐτοῦ μόγις διετήρησαν. Οὕτω γοῦν τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον τοῦ ῥωμαϊκοῦ στρατεύματος ᾤχετο· ὁ δὲ Βολκά νος τοὺς ἰδίους ἀναλεξάμενος καὶ ἀνελθὼν ἄνωθεν τοῦ Ζυγοῦ κατὰ τὸ Σφεντζάνιον ἔστη. 9.4.6 Οἱ δ' ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην τούτους θεασάμενοι ὀλίγοι ὄντες μετὰ τοσούτων μάχεσθαι μὴ δυνάμενοι ἐβουλεύσαντο εἰς τοὐπίσω διαπε ρᾶσαι τὸν ποταμόν. Τούτου δὲ γεγονότος καταλαμβάνουσι τὸ Λιπένιον ὡσεὶ δώδεκα σταδίους τούτου ἀπέχον. Ἐπὶ πλέον δ' ἀντέχειν τοὺς πλείστους ἀπολωλεκὼς μὴ δυνά μενος τὴν ὡς πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν ἀνεζήτησε. Κᾆθ' οὕτως τεθαρρηκὼς ὁ Βολκάνος ὡς μή τινος τοῦ ἀντικα θισταμένου περιλειφθέντος ἐλῄζετο τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις καὶ χώρας. Καὶ τῶν Σκοπίων τὴν ἔξω χώραν τελείως ἠρείπωσε, τὸ δέ τι καὶ κατέκαυσεν. Οὐ μέχρι δὲ τούτου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Πόλοβον καταλαβὼν καὶ ἄχρι Βρα νέας φθάσας καὶ δῃώσας ἅπαντα πολλήν τε λείαν ἐκεῖθεν ἀφελόμενος εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπέστρεψε χώραν.

9.5.1 Ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς μεμαθηκὼς οὐκέτ' ἀνεκτῶς εἶχεν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς αὖθις ἐξωπλίσατο μὴ πάνυ τι μηδὲ τοῦ αὐλη τοῦ Τιμοθέου πρὸς τοῦτο δεόμενος καθάπερ Ἀλέξανδρος περιμείνας τὸν ὄρθιον νόμον. Αὐτός τε οὖν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ περιθέμενος ὅπλα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὁπλίσας τοὺς τότε παρα τυχόντας τῆς κατευθὺ ∆αλματίας φερούσης εἴχετο σπεύ δων τὰ μὲν φθάσαντα ἐρειπωθῆναι τῶν κάστρων ἀνεγεῖραι αὖθις καὶ εἰς τὸ πρότερον ἀποκαταστῆσαι σχῆμα καὶ ἀντί ποινα τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ πεπραγμένων ἐκ περιουσίας κατ' αὐτοῦ διαπράξασθαι. Ἀπάρας οὖν τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως καὶ τὸ ∆αφνούτιον καταλαβών (πόλις δὲ τοῦτο παλαιὰ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου σταδίους ἀπέχουσα τεσσαράκοντα) καὶ τοὺς μήπω ἐφθακότας τῶν συγγενῶν ἐκδεχόμενος αὐτοῦ που ἐγκαρτερεῖ. 9.5.2 Τῇ γοῦν μετ' αὐτὴν καταλαμβάνει ὁ ∆ιο γένης Νικηφόρος πλήρης θυμοῦ καὶ φρονήματος· τῷ συνή θει δὲ χρώμενος προσωπείῳ τὴν ἀλωπεκῆν περιεβέβλητο καὶ τὴν ὄψιν χαριεστέραν διατιθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ προσφέ ρεσθαι ἐλευθέρως ἐσχηματίζετο. Τὴν μέντοι σκηνὴν οὐ τῷ συνήθει ἀποστήματι τοῦ βασιλικοῦ κοιτῶνος ἐπήξατο, ἀλλ' ἀγχοῦ τῆς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰσαγούσης ἀνόδου. Μανουὴλ δὲ ὁ Φιλοκάλης τοῦτο θεασάμενος καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ κεραυνοῦ βληθείς, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ μελετώμενα τοῦτον διε λάνθανεν, αὖος παραχρῆμα εἱστήκει. Μόλις δὲ συναγαγὼν τὸ φρονοῦν τῆς ψυχῆς πρόσεισιν εὐθὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ καί φησιν· «Οὐχ ἁπλοῦν τὸ γινόμενόν μοι δοκεῖ, ἀλλὰ δέος μοι ἔπεισι μή