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I will support you eagerly, and I will not overlook an unjust verdict brought against you, not so much for your sake, as for the sake of justice itself; but if justice is on the side of the verdict pronounced against you, expect no assistance from me. For from the time you yourself rejected my friendship and chose to act as an enemy, I myself have refrained from considering you a friend; but as for myself, preserving as an ancient principle of conduct to be an enemy to no one, I will not be one to you, neither now nor in the future; but I will neither overlook you when you are wronged, as I said, 1.445 nor will I snatch you from dangers when you are doing wrong. In light of these things, therefore, handle your affairs as seems best to you, being a man of sense and experience in both words and deeds.» These words, then, immediately disturbed Syrgiannes not a little, as he considered that he now stood on the very brink of danger. Nevertheless, still testing him to see if he might, by setting aside his anger toward him, avert the expected calamity, he said: «I, for my part, thought that you would limit the punishment for my sins to words, and not, on account of a pettiness for which you have often forgiven me much before, now abandon me to my accusers. But now I see that my ruin is in no way lacking. For if I am clearly persuaded that I cannot, by begging you, persuade you to remit your anger toward me and to deem me worthy of the same care as before, there is nothing left but to expect to fall into the worst of evils.» But he said «there was no need for superfluous words; for he himself had both previously declared his mind in few words, and would now do the same no less; and it would be unobjectionable if I make the demonstration of my point through examples. For I think it is as if I were a rock set in some calm harbor, and you a ship that has fastened its cables to it and is enjoying a great calm; but thinking that, if it were released from it, it would find something more and more profitable, it cast off and set out upon the sea, but 1.446 having fallen into a surge and clearly recognized its folly, it begs the rock to come out upon the sea and snatch it from the surge; but the rock answered that it was asking for impossible things; but if it needed any of the calm from it, it should rather come to it and fasten its stern-cables. And this must be shown not by words, but rather by deeds; for there will be no benefit from words, unless you yourself come to moor in the harbor by deed. For the present, therefore, you should neither suspect any danger from him, nor hope to receive any assistance. But if in the future you show your affection for him by deeds—for he does not trust words, which have already been proven two and three times to have nothing sound in them—then he himself will also add what is his own. Syrgiannes, then, having said and heard so much, withdrew from there, not a little grieved that he had not been able to persuade the grand domestic to pay attention to him. 24. The emperor, having departed from Chalcidice, came to Byzantium; Syrgiannes and Tzamplakon also followed, as the trial was to take place there. Not long afterward the witnesses summoned by each party were also present. When the emperor learned of this, he ordered them to proceed to the court. But as they were about to do so, it was reported from Bithynia that Orchanes, the satrap of the Persians there, having surrounded Nicomedia on the Gulf of Astacus, a great and populous city, with a large army 1.447 and set up siege engines, was besieging it. It seemed, then, to the emperor that he must bring aid with speed. And having embarked an army, both infantry and cavalry, not only on triremes but also on transport ships, he sailed toward Nicomedia, in order to rescue it from its dangers. While the fleet was still at sea and about to put in at Nicomedia, Orchanes sent an embassy, first greeting the emperor; then he indicated that he wished to put an end to the war, if this was also agreeable to him; but if he was eager to join battle, he himself would also fight. And he in turn greeted him, and made it clear that he could not deny he had come prepared for battle, this being evident from the facts themselves. But if he himself wished to lay aside the war and keep the peace, he would not reject it either. And of words

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προστήσομαι προθύμως, καὶ οὐ περιόψομαι ἄδικον ψῆφον ἐνεχθεῖσαν κατὰ σοῦ, οὐ σοῦ γε ἕνεκα μᾶλλον, ἢ αὐτοῦ δικαίου· ἂν δὲ προσῇ τὸ δικαίως τῇ κατὰ σοῦ ἐξαγομένῃ ψήφῳ, μηδεμίαν ἐπικουρίαν προσδόκα παρ' ἐμοῦ. ἐξ ὅτου γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀπώσω τὴν φιλίαν τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ πολεμίου ἔργα εἵλου πράττειν, καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ νομίζειν φίλον ἀπεσχόμην· ἐμαυτῷ δ' ὥσπερ πολιτείαν ἀρχαίαν τὸ μηδενὶ πολέμιος εἶναι συντηρῶν, οὔτε σοι μέχρι νῦν, οὔθ' ὕστερον γενήσομαι· ἀλλ' οὔτ' ἀδικούμενον περιόψομαι ὥσπερ ἔφην, 1.445 οὔτ' ἀδικοῦντα ἐξαρπάσω τῶν κινδύνων. πρὸς δὴ ταῦτα ὅπη ἄν σοι δοκῇ τοῖς πράγμασι χρῆσθαι, συνετός τε ὢν καὶ πεῖραν ἔχων καὶ λόγων καὶ πραγμάτων.» Συργιάννην μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς οὐκ ὀλίγον ἐθορύβησαν οἱ λόγοι, νομίσαντα ἤδη ἐν χρῷ κινδύνου καθεστάναι. ὅμως δὲ ἔτι πειρώμενος αὐτοῦ εἰ δύναιτο ἀποθέμενος τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὀργὴν στῆσαι τὴν προσδοκωμένην συμφορὰν «Ἐγὼ μὲν ᾤμην» εἶπε «μέχρι λόγων μοί σε τὴν τιμωρίαν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων στήσειν, καὶ μὴ διὰ μικροψυχίαν, ἐφ' ᾗ μοι καὶ πρότερον πολλὰ πολλάκις συνέγνως, προήσεσθαι τοῖς συκοφαντοῦσι νῦν. ὁρῶ δὲ ἤδη τὸν ὄλεθρον κατ' οὐδὲν ἐλλείποντα ἐμοί. ἐὰν γὰρ πεισθῶ σαφῶς, ὅτι σε οὐ πείσω δυνατὸν δεηθεὶς ὑφεῖναί μοι τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ ὁμοίας ὥσπερ πρότερον κηδεμονίας ἀξιοῦν, οὐδὲν λοιπὸν ἢ κακοῖς τοῖς ἐσχάτοις περιπεσεῖσθαι προσδοκᾷν.» ὁ δ' ἔφασκεν «οὐ χρείαν εἶναι λόγων περιττῶν· αὐτὸς δὲ πρότερόν τε λόγοις ὀλίγοις τὴν διάνοιαν δεδηλωκέναι, καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν ἧττον τὸ αὐτὸ ποιήσειν· ἀνεπίφθονον δὲ εἶναι, εἰ διὰ παραδειγμάτων τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ποιήσομαι τοῦ λόγου. ἐοικέναι γὰρ νομίζειν, ἐμὲ μὲν γαληνῷ τινι λιμένι προσερηρεισμένῃ πέτρᾳ, σὲ δὴ νηῒ κάλων ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀναψαμένῃ καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαυούσῃ τῆς εὐδίας· νομίσαντα δὲ, ἂν αὐτῆς ἀπολυθήσῃ, πλέον τι καὶ κερδαλεώτερον εὑρήσειν, ἀφεῖναι ἐπὶ τοῦ πελάγους ἀποστάντα, κλυ 1.446 δωνίῳ δὲ περιπεσόντα καὶ σαφῶς τὴν ἀβουλίαν ἐγνωκότα, τῆς πέτρας δεῖσθαι τοῦ κλύδωνος ἐπὶ τοῦ πελάγους ἐλθοῦσαν ἐξαρπάσαι· τὴν δὲ ἀποκρίνασθαι, οὐ δυνατὰ αἰτεῖσθαι· ἀλλ' εἴτι δέοιτο τῆς παρ' αὐτῆς γαλήνης, αὐτὸν μᾶλλον ἐλθόντα πρὸς αὐτὴν, τὰ πρυμνήσια ἀνάψαι. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ λόγοις, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἔργοις ἐπιδείκνυσθαι· οὐδεμία γὰρ ἔσται τις ὠφέλεια ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸς ἔργῳ προσορμήσῃ τῷ λιμένι. τὸ νῦν μὲν οὖν ἔχον, μηδένα παρ' αὐτοῦ μήτε κίνδυνον ὑφορᾶσθαι, μήτ' ἐπικουρίας τυχεῖν ἐλπίζειν. ἐὰν δὲ ἔργοις εἰς τὸ ἐπιὸν ἐπιδείξηται τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν στοργὴν, λόγοις γὰρ οὐ πιστεύειν, ἤδη δὶς καὶ τρὶς ἀποδεδειγμένοις ἔχειν ὑγιὲς οὐδὲν, τότ' ἤδη τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸν προσθήσειν. Συργιάννης μὲν οὖν τοσαῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ ἀκούσας, ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν, οὐκ ὀλίγα ἀνιώμενος ὅτι μὴ δυνηθείη πεῖσαι τὸν μέγαν αὐτῷ δομέστικον προσέχειν. κδʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκ τῆς Χαλκιδικῆς ἄρας, ἦλθεν εἰς Βυζάντιον· συνείποντο δὲ καὶ Συργιάννης καὶ Τζαμπλάκων, ὡς ἐκεῖ γενησομένης δίκης. οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ οἱ παρ' ἑκατέρου προσκεκλημένοι μάρτυρες παρῆσαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπύθετο ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐκέλευεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον ἀπαντᾷν. μελλόντων δὲ ἤδη, ἠγγέλλετο ἐκ Βιθυνίας ὡς Ὀρχάνης ὁ τῶν αὐτόθι Περσῶν σατράπης τὴν κατὰ τὸν Ἀστακηνὸν κόλπον Νικομήδειαν, πόλιν μεγάλην καὶ πολυάνθρωπον, στρατιὰν πολ 1.447 λὴν περικαθίσας, καὶ μηχανήματ' ἐπιστήσας, πολιορκεῖ. ἐδόκει δὴ βασιλεῖ βοηθητέον εἶναι κατὰ τάχος. καὶ στρατιὰν ἐνθέμενος, οὐ μόνον τριήρεσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φορτηγοῖς ναυσὶ πεζήν τε καὶ ἱππικὴν, ἔπλει πρὸς τὴν Νικομήδους, ὡς ἐξαιρησόμενος τῶν κινδύνων. ἔτι δὲ ὄντος μετεώρου τοῦ στόλου, καὶ μέλλοντος εἰς Νικομήδειαν καταίρειν, Ὀρχάνης πρεσβείαν πέμψας, πρῶτα μὲν ἠσπάζετο βασιλέα· ἔπειτα ἐμήνυεν ὡς βούλοιτο τὸν πόλεμον καταθέσθαι, ἐὰν καὶ αὐτῷ κατὰ γνώμην ᾖ· ἐὰν δὲ μάχην συνάπτειν προθυμοῖτο, μαχεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτόν. ὁ δ' ἀντησπάζετο μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν, ἐδήλου τε ὡς τοῦ μὲν ἥκειν παρεσκευασμένος ὡς ἐς μάχην, οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ἔξαρνος γενέσθαι, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ὄντος φανεροῦ. ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸς βούλοιτο τὸν πόλεμον καταθέμενος εἰρήνην ἄγειν, οὐδ' αὐτὸν ἀπώσασθαι αὐτήν. καὶ λόγων