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11. And the emperor, being entirely focused on receiving Berenguer de Entença, sending many men to Gallipoli where he was heard to be, summoned him insistently and with dignity. And so that he might give him courage, he sent golden-sealed letters, and gave assurances through the most inviolable oaths that he would truly cherish him when he came by receiving him kindly and honoring him fittingly, and if he did not wish to stay, he would send him away again kindly and with goodwill. Therefore, frequently sending his own men, he summoned him, and it was clear that he would do great things for him if he came. But he, holding the assurances in his hands, without any delay, arrived at Constantinople with two of his own ships. However, upon arriving he did not disembark from the ship immediately, but sent word to the emperor and made his arrival 497 known, and though summoned with fitting honor, and with carriages having been sent, he did not obey at all but clung tightly to the ships, as they did to their anchors in the swell. Finally he demanded the most secure pledge, which would be able to provide him security by being held on the ships, and he sought to receive the emperor's son, the Despot John, as a hostage for himself and for his arrival before the emperor. But the emperor, being insulted by this, that after measuring so great a sea and coming of his own accord for his sake, trusting in the emperor's straightforwardness, he then, even after receiving oaths, did not have courage but wished to appear with hostages, put off the matters concerning him, and for days allowed him to stay at sea. Finally, since the feast of Christ's birth was approaching (for he had arrived around the middle of Skirophorion), he sent again and made his request, naturally pointing to the recent oaths and urging him to have the greatest courage. And he, after wrestling with his thoughts for a long time, was then persuaded, and coming before the emperor found a magnificent reception, and daily giving and receiving proof, he did not abandon the ships but used them as a lodging, 498 partaking each day of the foods with which the emperor feasted him, and satisfying those around him with frequent coins for the banquet, yet nevertheless he made his appearances before the emperor freely, and was glorified by the frequent changes of clothing, and it was clear he was going to submit. Finally, since the feast was at hand, and it was necessary for him, having now appeared as one of the senate, to be honored with an office and insignia, after giving oaths of submission, this came to pass, and he was immediately proclaimed Grand Duke with the entire senate and state present, and he received the staff as the symbol of his dignity (for this too had been innovated by the emperor, for the first men of the senate entering upon their dignities to be honored with silver-gilt staffs), and he took the higher place, and was arrayed in the worthy festive insignia according to the Romans, and put on the skaramangion. And from then on, taking courage, he came out of the ship, and for days lodged in the monastery of Kosmidion with his own men; for some of them had been honored with cavalry ranks by the emperor and had been magnificently 499 bestowed with honors. Therefore, from then on, being wholly devoted to the emperor, he was also the first and most powerful of the councilors.

(12) Except, with regard to the oaths that were to be made by him to the emperor, since it was established for him too to swear, as was customary, to be a friend of the emperor's friends and an enemy of his enemies, he, pretending a straightforwardness of mind from the beginning, was clearly excepting Theuderic from the rest of the enemies; for he had previously made oaths to him and served him, whom it was not just to abandon immediately, since he had violated none of their agreements, having once appeared as one of his friends and masters. And for these reasons he requested that, with him and him alone being excepted, the oaths should proceed concerning any enemies and friends whatsoever. This seemed to have a deeper meaning, as if the one demanding the oaths was devoted to that man, and it also seemed to be done for a certain pursuit of good reputation, and especially from the emperor, as if he and

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11. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ὅλος πρὸς τὸ τὸν Μπυριγέριον Τέντζα ὑποδέξασθαι γεγονώς, συχνοὺς ἀποστέλλων πρὸς Καλλιούπολιν ὅπου γε κατάρας ἠκούετο, λιπαρῶς καὶ μετ' ἀξιώσεως μετεστέλ λετο. ἵνα δὲ καὶ θαρρεῖν οἱ παρέχοι, χρυσοβουλλείους ἔπεμπε λόγους, καὶ πίστεις δι' ὅρκων τῶν παλαμναιοτάτων ἐδίδου ἦ μὴν παρεόντα μὲν φιλεῖν τῷ εὐμενῶς ὑποδέχεσθαι καὶ προσηκόντως τιμᾶν, μὴ θέλοντα δ' αὖθις εὐμενῶς καὶ μετὰ χρηστότητος ἀπο πέμπειν. συχνάκις οὖν τοὺς οἰκείους ἀποστέλλων μετεκαλεῖτο, καὶ δῆλος ἦν τὰ μεγάλα πραξείων ἐκεῖνον εἰ ἐπισταίη. ὁ δὲ τὰς πίστεις ἀνὰ χεῖρας ἔχων, μηδὲν μελλήσας, ἅμα δυσὶν ἰδίαις ναυσὶ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου καταλαμβάνει. πλὴν οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐλθὼν τῆς νεὼς ἀποβαίνει, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βασιλέα μὲν ἀποστέλλει καὶ τὴν ἄφι 497 ξιν δήλην καθίστησι, μετακαλούμενος δὲ μετὰ τιμῆς προσηκού σης, πεμφθέντων καὶ ὀχημάτων, οὐχ ὑπήκουε τὸ παράπαν ἀλλ' ἀπρὶξ εἴχετο τῶν νηῶν, ὡς αὗται τῶν ἀγκυρῶν ἐν ταῖς ζάλαις. τέλος ἐνεχυρασίαν τὴν ἀσφαλεστάτην εἰσέπραττεν, οἵαν τ' ἐσομένην παρέχειν τὰ πιστά οἱ κατεχομένην ἐν ταῖς ναυσί, καὶ τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως υἱόν, τὸν δεσπότην Ἰωάννην, ὅμηρον ἐζήτει λαβεῖν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρὰ βασι λέα ἀφίξεως. βασιλεὺς δὲ πρὸς ταῦθ' ὑβριοπαθῶν, εἰ τόσην ἀναμετρήσας ἐκ πολλοῦ θάλασσαν αὐτόματος τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν χά ριν ἀφίξεως πιστὸς ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως εὐθύτησι, τότε καὶ ὅρκους λαβὼν οὐκ ἐθάρρει ἀλλ' ἐφ' ὁμήροις ἤθελεν ἐμφανίζεσθαι, ἐν διωρίαις ἐτίθει τὰ κατ' ἐκεῖνον, καὶ ἐφ' ἡμέραις ἠφίει αὐλίζε σθαι κατὰ θάλασσαν. τέλος, ἐπεὶ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενεθλίων ἡ ἑορτὴ προσήλαυνε (περὶ τὰ μέσα γὰρ Σκιροφοριῶνος ἀφῖκτο), πέμπει γε καὶ αὖθις καὶ ἀξιοῖ, τὸ τῶν ὅρκων ὑπόγυον ὡς εἰκὸς προτείνων καὶ θαρρεῖν τὰ μέγιστα προτρεπόμενος. καὶ ὃς ἐπὶ πολὺ γνωσιμαχήσας ἔπειτα πείθεται, καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ παραγενό μενος μεγαλοπρεπῆ τὴν ὑποδοχὴν εὑρίσκει, καὶ ὁσημέραι πεῖραν διδοὺς καὶ λαμβάνων, τῶν μὲν νηῶν οὐκ ἀπέσχετο ἀλλ' ὡς κα 498 ταλύματι ταύταις ἐχρᾶτο, ἐδεστῶν καθ' ἑκάστην ἐμφορούμενος τὴν ἡμέραν οἷς εἱστία τοῦτον ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν τὴν εὐωχίαν συχνοῖς νομίσμασιν ἱκανούμενος, ἀνέδην δ' ὅμως τὰς πρὸς βασιλέα ἐποιεῖτο προσόδους, καὶ ἐκυδνοῦτο ταῖς συχναῖς ἀλλαγαῖς, καὶ δῆλος ἦν ὑποταχθησόμενος. τέλος, ἐπεὶ ἡ ἑορτὴ ἐφειστήκει, ἔδει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ἕνα ἤδη φανέντα τῆς γερουσίας ὀφφικίῳ καὶ παρασήμοις τιμᾶσθαι, ὅρκους τῆς ὑποταγῆς παρα σχόντα, γίνεται τοῦτο, καὶ μέγας μὲν παρευθὺς κλεΐζεται δοὺξ συγκλήτου πάσης καὶ πολιτείας παρισταμένης, καὶ τὴν βακτη ρίαν τὸ τῆς ἀξίας λαμβάνει ξύμβολον (καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ τῷ βασι λεῖ κεκαινούργητο, ἀργυροχρύσοις βακτηρίαις τοὺς τῆς γερουσίας πρωτίστους ἀξιωμάτων ἐπιβαίνοντας σεμνύνεσθαι), τὴν ἄνω δὲ χώραν λαμβάνει, καὶ ἑορτίοις ἀξίοις παρασήμοις κατὰ Ῥωμαίους στολίζεται, καὶ τὸ σκαραμάγκιον ἐπιθέμενος. κἀντεῦθεν θαρ ρήσας ἔξεισι τῆς νεώς, καὶ ἐφ' ἡμέραις ἐν τῇ μονῇ τοῦ Κοσμι δίου μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων αὐλίζεται· καὶ γὰρ καί τινες ἐξ ἐκείνων κα βαλλαρικαῖς τιμαῖς ἐτετίμηντο παρὰ βασιλέως καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς 499 πεφιλοτίμηντο. ὅλος τοίνυν τοὐντεῦθεν προσκείμενος τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὰ πρῶτα τῶν βουληφόρων καὶ κράτιστον ἦν.

(12) πλὴν ὅσον τῶν ἀπὸ τούτου πρὸς βασιλέα τελεῖσθαι μελλουσῶν ὁρκω μοσιῶν, ἐπεί οἱ φίλον μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως φίλων, ἀντίπαλον δὲ τῶν ἀντιπάλων, ὡς εἴθιστο, καὶ αὐτὸν ὀμνύναι καθίστασθαι, ὁ δὲ τὸ εὐθὲς τῆς γνώμης ἐξ ἀρχῆς δῆθεν ὑποκρινόμενος, δῆλος ἦν ἐξαιρῶν τὸν Θευδερίχον τῶν λοιπῶν πολεμίων· φθάσαι γὰρ καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὁρκώσεις πρᾶξαι καί οἱ δουλεῦσαι, ὃν οὐ δίκαιον μηδὲν τῶν συγκειμένων αὐτοῖς ἀθετήσαντα εὐθὺς ἀπαρτᾶν, κα θάπαξ τῶν φίλων φανέντα καὶ δεσποτῶν. καὶ διὰ ταῦτ' ἠξίου, αὐτοῦ γ' ἐξαιρεθέντος καὶ μόνου, ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁπουδήποτε ἐχθροῖς τε καὶ φίλοις τοὺς ὅρκους προβαίνειν. τοῦτ' ἔδοξε μὲν ἔχειν καί τι βαθύτερον, ὡς ἐκείνῳ προσκειμένου τοῦ τοὺς ὅρκους ἀπαιτου μένου, ἔδοξε δὲ καὶ κατά τινα θήραν εὐδοξίας γίνεσθαι, καὶ μά λιστα τὴν πρὸς βασιλέως, ὡς ἐκείνου καὶ