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having safely entrenched themselves all around, they receive messages from their own people by couriers that a large fleet was being fitted out to attack the city in the spring, for which reason they must be on their guard against the attack, since they themselves were in danger as being of the emperor's party, based on clear suspicions, as it seemed to them in their deliberations. They immediately reported these things to the emperor, adding that both the mercenaries he had received, and with them their descendants, are of one and the same mind as those others, and they act as spies, not allies; for they themselves also secretly collaborate with those from Sicily 490 and receive and accept messages, so that they themselves may join them as allies at the opportune moment. And it is also clear from the fact that others are preparing to come, and then still others, showing both the guise and name of friends. For they said they had learned that the illegitimate brother of King Frederick had himself also set sail with twelve ships, and was about to attack those here in this fashion, until the whole force should appear and they all should become one. Nevertheless, they also advised, if the emperor wished to cooperate, to undertake the war against them from here, beginning with those at their gates, as they were readily available. For they had fifty ships to equip. And they asked the emperor for an equal number, or at least the money for the crews of these. And if he did not have it to give now, they themselves would pay it for the time being, to be repaid by the emperor at the opportune moment. For they were not foreigners, but Romans from henceforth. And it was a grief to them not to be the first to aid the suffering Romans in the east, from whom they themselves also had 491 rich trade. But also for the future they were willing to be allies and to defend against invaders. And that it was very easy for them to send out and seize the ships of the megas doux as enemies, and thus having made a beginning, to accomplish the rest there, meeting also any fleet, if it should appear, and not allowing it to advance further. Hearing these things, the emperor disbelieved most of what was being said, and he suspected that both envy and malice on the part of the Genoese were at work in this. And their hostility from the beginning toward the megas doux and the war against him provided credible grounds for suspicion. And I do not know if also his kinship with him and the confirmation of the oaths softened the imperial resolve, and he did not agree with those speaking against them. Nevertheless, after thanking them greatly, as they seemed to be laboring on behalf of the Romans, he ordered them to be silent, and he himself promised to deliberate on these matters and to do what seemed expedient.

7. The megas doux, however, despairing of so much money which he hoped to receive from the emperor (for the whole amount of the demand was up to three hundred 492 thousands of nomismata), settled for small payments, promising to quell the clamor of the Italians, and indeed that some of them, satisfied with their pay, would enter into an alliance with Emperor Michael. But if not, he himself would cross over again to the east, but as for Berenguer d'Entença, since he too was worthy to be received, having come over with the greatest expectations, to persuade him to come only with proper safety, having sufficient confidence from his chrysobulls. He strongly asserted that this man, once satisfied with pay, along with his own people, was ready to march against the new emperor. Saying these things and more, he immediately won over the emperor's opinion. And at the same time golden-sealed pledges were drawn up for Berenguer, and he himself, having assigned much to the megas doux from his own resources, and having ordered the most part to be taken from the grain collectors, sent him off with all goodwill.

(8) The matter of the collected grain and barley was as follows. For the eastern parts were exceedingly impoverished, so that the empire had nothing from there, but rather it became necessary to spend money 493 on its behalf. But that of the

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ἀσφαλῶς κύκλῳ περιταφρεύσαντες, δέχονται παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων διὰ ταχυδρόμων μηνύματα ὡς πολὺς ἐξαρτύεται στόλος ἅμα ἦρι προσβαλεῖν τῇ πόλει, ἐφ' ᾧ παραφυλακτέην σφίσι τὴν προσβολήν, εἰς κίνδυ νον καὶ αὐτοῖς κειμένοις ὡς τῆς μερίδος τοῦ βασιλέως οὖσιν, ἐξ ἐμφανῶν ὑποτοπημάτων, ὡς ἐκείνοις ἐδόκει βουλευομένοις. ταῦτ' εὐθέως ἐκεῖνοι τῷ βασιλεῖ προσανέφερον, προσθέντες ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ οὓς ὑπεδέξατο ξενικούς, καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἐπιγεγονότες, μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκείνοις εἰσὶ βουλῆς, καὶ κατασκόπων, οὐ συμμάχων τρόπον ἐπέχουσι· τοῖς γὰρ ἐκ Σικελίας κρυφηδὸν καὶ 490 αὐτοὺς συμπράττειν, καὶ μήνυτρα δέχεσθαι καὶ λαμβάνειν, ὡς ἐπὶ καιροῦ ἐκείνοις καὶ αὐτοὺς συμμαχουμένους. δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἄλλους ἀπαντᾶν ἑτοιμάζεσθαι καὶ αὖθις ἑτέρους, φίλων δεικνύντας καὶ τρόπον καὶ ὄνομα. τὸν γὰρ τοῦ ῥηγὸς Θευδερί χου νόθον αὐτάδελφον μαθεῖν ἔλεγον καὶ αὐτὸν συνάμα δώδεκα ἐκπλεῦσαι ναυσί, καὶ ὅσον οὔπω τοῖς τῇδε προσβαλεῖν τρόπον τὸν τοιοῦτον, μέχρις ἂν ἡ ὁλότης φανείη καὶ ἓν πάντες γένοιντο. ὅμως γε μέντοι καὶ συνεβούλευον, εἰ βασιλεὺς θέλει συμπράττειν, ἀπεντεῦθεν τὸν πρὸς ἐκείνους πόλεμον δέχεσθαι, ἀπὸ τούτων κατὰ θύρας ἀρξαμένους ὡς προχείρων ὄντων. ἔχειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐξαρτύειν πεντήκοντα ναῦς. ἐζήτουν δὲ καὶ βασιλέα τὰς ἴσας, ἢ μὴν τὰ ἐς πλήρωμα τούτων χρήματα. κἂν μὴ νῦν ἔχοι διδό ναι, αὐτοὺς τέως καταβαλόντας αὐτὰ ἐπὶ καιροῦ παρὰ βασιλέως ἀνταπολαμβάνειν. μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀλλοδαποὺς ἢ Ῥω μαίους τοὐντεῦθεν. καὶ πόνον εἶναι σφίσι τὸ μὴ φθάσαι προσα μῦναι Ῥωμαίοις πάσχουσι κατ' ἀνατολήν, ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς 491 ἐμπορείας πλουσίας εἶχον. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ συμμα χεῖν ἐθέλειν καὶ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἀμύνεσθαι. ἔχειν δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα ἀποστείλαντας τὰς τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς ὡς πολεμίους κα τασχεῖν ναῦς, καὶ οὕτω προσαρξαμένους τὰ λοιπὰ ξυμπληροῦν ἐκεῖ, προσυπαντῶντας καὶ στόλῳ παντί, ἢν φανείη, καὶ μὴ ἐῶν τας προσχωρεῖν προσωτέρω. ταῦτα βασιλεὺς ἀκούων διηπίστει. τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ταῦτα ἅμα μὲν φθόνον ἅμα δὲ καὶ κακίαν συμπράττειν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Γεννουϊτῶν ὑπετόπαζε. καὶ ἡ ἀρχῆθεν σφῶν πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα δυσμένεια καὶ ὁ πρὸς αὐτὸν πόλεμος πιστὴν παρεῖχε τὴν ὑποψίαν. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ καὶ εἰ τὸ κῆδος τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ αἱ τῶν ὅρκων ἐμπεδώσεις τὴν βα σιλικὴν κατεμάλασσον γνώμην, καὶ οὐ τοῖς κατ' ἐκείνων λέγουσι συνεφέρετο. ὅμως ἐκείνοις μὲν εὐχαριστήσας τὰ μέγιστα ὡς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πονεῖν δοκοῦσι σιγᾶν ἐκέλευεν, αὐτὸς δ' ὑπισχνεῖτο βουλεύεσθαι περὶ τούτων καὶ τὸ δόξαν συνοῖσον ποιεῖν.

7. Ὁ μέντοι γε μέγας δοὺξ ἀπογνοὺς τῶν τοσούτων χρη μάτων ὧν παρὰ βασιλέως λαμβάνειν ἤλπιζεν (εἰς γὰρ τριακοσίων 492 νομισμάτων χιλιοστύας τὸ πᾶν ἐποσοῦτο τῆς ἀπαιτήσεως) ἐπ' ὀ λίγοις ἵστα τὰς δόσεις, τὸν θροῦν καταστέλλειν τῶν Ἰταλῶν ὑπι σχνούμενος, ναὶ μὴν καί τινας ἐξ αὐτῶν ἱκανωθέντας μισθοῖς τῆς πρὸς βασιλέα Μιχαὴλ ἅψασθαι συμμαχήσοντας. εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν μὲν καὶ αὖθις ἀντιπερᾶν κατ' ἀνατολήν, τὸν μέντοι γε Μπυριγέριον Τέντζαν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν ἄξιον ὂν προσδέχεσθαι ὑπὸ μεγίστοις τοῖς ἐλπισμοῖς προσχωρήσαντα, συμπεῖσαι παραγενέ σθαι μόνον ὑπ' ἀσφαλείᾳ τῇ προσηκούσῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ χρυσοβούλλοις σχόντα τοῦ θάρρους τὸ ἱκανόν. ἕτοιμον δ' εἶναι τοῦτον καὶ μισθοφορίαις ἱκανωθέντα τῷ ἰδίῳ συνάμα λαῷ τὴν πρὸς τὸν νέον βασιλέα πορευθῆναι σφοδρῶς ἰσχυρίζετο. ταῦτα λέγων καὶ πλείονα αἱρεῖ τὴν γνώμην αὐτίκα τοῦ βασιλέως. καὶ ἅμα πρὸς μὲν τὸν Μπυριγέριον πίστεις χρυσοβούλλειοι σχεδιά ζονται, αὐτὸς δὲ τὰ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ προσνείμας, τὰ πλεῖστα δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν τὸν σῖτον συναγόντων κε λεύσας ἀναλαβεῖν, μετὰ πάσης εὐμενείας ἐκπέμπει.

(8) τὸ δὲ τοῦ ἐπισυναγομένου σιτοκρίθου τοῖόνδ' ἦν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀνατολῆς καὶ λίαν ἐξηπορήθη, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχειν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν βα σιλείαν, μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν καὶ ἀνάγκην καταστῆναι ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης 493 ἐκκενοῦν χρήματα. ἡ δὲ τῶν