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All his possessions were searched for and sought everywhere; and when the search was now becoming fruitless, the emperor, thinking that he was escaping through the negligence of the searchers, undertook the search himself. And going to Galata with such Romans as were with him, since the Latins had nothing to say in opposition, he sent men to search the houses one by one; but he, as if having put on the cap of Hades, was not to be found. Nevertheless, he was hidden in Galata in a certain mean house, which because of its meanness was not even searched, although the emperor was standing by it during the time the rest were being searched. And when the emperor departed from there, having given up the search as impossible, Syrgiannes embarked on a ship sailing to Euboea and was carried off there first; then from there through the lands of the Locrians and Acarnanians to the Albanians, autonomous nomads who live around Thessaly, he was saved through an old friendship which he had made with them, when he was general of the west; and from there, having obtained guides from them, he came as a fugitive to Kral, the ruler of the Triballi. And he promised to make many of the Roman subject territories subject to him; Kral received him gladly, partly because he had become a suppliant, and partly because he hoped through him to inflict the greatest possible harm on Roman affairs. And in other matters he treated him most generously, and he provided as large an army as he requested for the purpose of enslaving the cities subject to the Romans. And 1.451 he won over many other towns besides, especially Kastoria, a great city founded in Bottiaea. When the emperor learned what revolutionary acts had been committed by Syrgiannes in the west, it was not possible for him to remain quiet, but coming from Byzantium to Didymoteichon, he gathered the army, in order to campaign in the west. 25. While he was occupied with gathering the army, Sphrantzes Palaiologos, one of the senators, but not one of those particularly distinguished for noble birth, came to the emperor by night and confessed that he had committed many offenses worthy of punishment, and that he had received pardon and favor instead of the punishments he should have received. In return for which, he wished and was eager to show himself worthy of the favor and grateful to so good a master; but since opportunity had not presented itself, his eagerness remained unfulfilled until now; but now especially, since circumstances were favorable and required loyal and faithful servants, he himself had come for the war against Syrgiannes, offering himself to the emperor to be used for whatever he wished. And he was ready not only with many toils and eagerness and zeal, but also to accomplish what was in accordance with the emperor's will, at the price of his own blood. But the emperor said, "Concerning your former offenses, although they were great, it is not right to make any excuse now, since they have long been pardoned; but on account of your goodwill towards me, I very much wish you to do something of what is needed, and 1.452 especially not only because it is right for you to be loyal and eager towards me, but also so that you may draw upon yourself more honors and fitting benefits. As for what you have now said, that you will prove useful to us in the war against Syrgiannes, I wish to learn what sort of things you propose, so that from what you say I can judge whether your plans are advantageous or not." But Sphrantzes said that he had come with no plan of his own, except to show himself most eager in whatever he might be ordered to do; and that it was up to the emperor to use him for whatever, after consideration, might seem advantageous. The emperor praised him for his resolve and ordered him to go home, saying he would suggest what seemed best on the next day. And taking the grand domestic with him, they deliberated on how they should conduct the war against Syrgiannes; and they thought that before they had prepared and arrived with an opposing army, there was no just cause for blame if, without arms and dangers, by seizing the enemy through deceit, they could put an end to the war before it had begun. For such stratagems have the finest reputation, by which one might especially deceive the enemy and benefit oneself and one's subjects. For these reasons, indeed, it seemed best for Sphrantzes, of the places lying near Kastoria

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πάντα χρήματα ἐξηρευνᾶτο καὶ ἐζητεῖτο πανταχοῦ· ἀπόρου δὲ ἤδη τῆς εὑρέσεως γινομένης, οἰηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀμελείᾳ τῶν ζητούντων αὐτὸν διαδιδράσκειν, ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸς τὴν ζήτησιν ἐποιεῖτο. καὶ παρελθὼν εἰς Γαλατᾶν ἅμα ὅσοις ἔτυχε Ῥωμαίων, ἐπεὶ μηδὲν εἶχον οἱ Λατῖνοι ἀντιλέγειν, τὰς οἰκίας πέμπων διηρευνᾶτο καθ' ἑκάστην· ὁ δ' ἴσα καὶ ᾅδου ὑποδύντι κυνῆν, ἀνεύρητος ἦν. ὅμως δὲ ἐκέκρυπτο ἐν Γαλατᾷ ὑπὸ φαύλου τινὰ οἰκίαν, ἣ διὰ φαυλότητα οὐδὲ ἀνηρευνήθη, καίτοι γε βασιλέως ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἑστῶτος καθ' ὅσον χρόνον αἱ λοιπαὶ διηρευνῶντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἀδύνατον ἀπαγορεύσας τὸ ζητεῖν, ὁ Συργιάννης ἐπιβὰς νεὼς ἐπ' Εὔβοιαν πλεούσης, ἐκεῖ ἀπεκομίσθη πρῶτον· ἔπειτα ἐκεῖθεν διὰ Λοκρῶν καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων εἰς Ἀλβανοὺς, οἳ περὶ Θετταλίαν οἰκοῦσιν αὐτόνομοι νομάδες, διεσώθη κατὰ φιλίαν παλαιὰν, ἣν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἦν πεποιημένος, ὅτε τῆς ἑσπέρας ἐστρατήγει· κἀκεῖθεν ἀγωγῶν παρ' αὐτῶν τυχὼν, ἦλθεν εἰς Κράλην ἄρχοντα τῶν Τριβαλῶν φυγάς. καὶ ἐπηγγέλλετο πολλὰ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ὑπήκοα αὐτῷ ὑποποιήσειν· Κράλης δὲ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἀσμένως, ἅμα μὲν ἱκέτην γεγενημένον, ἅμα δὲ ἐλπίσας δι' αὐτοῦ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα ὡς μάλιστα κακώσειν. καὶ τά τε ἄλλα φιλοτίμως μάλιστα προσεφέρετο αὐτῷ, καὶ στρατιὰν ὅσης ἐδέετο παρεῖχεν ἐπὶ τῷ τὰς ὑπηκόους τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις πόλεις καταδουλοῦσθαι. καὶ 1.451 ἄλλα τε μάλιστα πολίσματα προσεποιήσατο, καὶ Καστορίαν πόλιν μεγάλην κατὰ τὴν Βοτιαίαν ᾠκισμένην. πυθομένῳ δὲ βασιλεῖ ὅσα κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν Συργιάννῃ νεωτερισθείη, ἠρεμεῖν οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐκ Βυζαντίου εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐλθὼν, συνέλεγε τὴν στρατιὰν, ὡς εἰς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἐκστρατεύσων. κεʹ. Ἀσχολουμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ περὶ τοῦ στρατεύματος τὴν συλλογὴν, Σφραντζὴς ὁ Παλαιολόγος τῶν συγκλητικῶν εἷς, οὐ πάνυ δὲ τῶν ἐπ' εὐγενείᾳ λαμπρυνομένων, βασιλεῖ νυκτὸς προσελθὼν, προσκεκρουκέναι τε ὡμολόγει πολλὰ καὶ δίκης ἄξια, συγγνώμης τε καὶ εὐεργεσίας ἀνθ' ὧν ἔδει τυχεῖν τιμωριῶν. ἀνθ' ὧν βούλεσθαι μὲν καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ προθυμεῖσθαι ἄξιον φανῆναι τῆς εὐεργεσίας καὶ εὐγνώμονα περὶ τὸν οὕτως ἀγαθὸν δεσπότην· καιροῦ δὲ μὴ παρασχόντος, ἀτελῆ μέχρι νῦν καταλείπεσθαι τὴν προθυμίαν· νυνὶ δὲ μάλιστα τῶν πραγμάτων ἐνδιδόντων καὶ δεομένων εὔνων οἰκετῶν καὶ πιστῶν, ἥκειν καὶ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν κατὰ Συργιάννη πόλεμον διδόντα ὅ,τι βούλοιτο χρῆσθαι βασιλεῖ. ἕτοιμον δὲ εἶναι μὴ μόνον πόνοις πολλοῖς καὶ προθυμίᾳ καὶ σπουδῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἵματι τῷ σφετέρῳ ἀλλαττόμενον, καταπράττεσθαι τὰ κατὰ γνώμην βασιλεῖ. βασιλεὺς δὲ «Τῶν μὲν προτέρων ἕνεκα ἁμαρτημάτων» ἔφη «καίτοι γε μεγάλων ὄντων, μηδεμίαν εἶναι δίκαιον παραίτησιν ποιεῖσθαι νῦν, ἐκ πολλοῦ συνεγνωσμένων· εὐνοίας δὲ ἕνεκεν τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν πράττειν τῶν δεόντων τι καὶ 1.452 μάλιστα βούλεσθαι οὐ μόνον ὅτι δίκαιον εὔνουν εἶναι καὶ πρόθυμον περὶ αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπισπάσηται τιμάς τε παρέχειν καὶ προσηκούσας τὰς εὐεργεσίας· ἃ δὲ νῦν ἔφης εἰς τὸν κατὰ Συργιάννη πόλεμον χρήσιμος ὀφθήσεσθαι ἡμῖν, βούλεσθαι μαθεῖν ὁποῖ' ἄττα, ὡς ἂν ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων ᾖ διαγινώσκειν, ἄν τε λυσιτελοῦντα τὰ βεβουλευμένα εἴη, ἄν τε μή.» Σφραντζὴς δὲ οὐδὲν μὲν ἥκειν ἔφασκεν οἴκοθεν αὐτὸς βεβουλευμένος πλὴν τοῦ προθυμότατον ἑαυτὸν ἐφ' οἷς ἂν κελευσθείη παρασχέσθαι· ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὲ εἶναι ἐφ' ὅ,τι ἂν δοκοίη λυσιτελεῖν σκεψαμένῳ χρῆσθαι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπῄνει τε αὐτὸν τοῦ βουλεύματος καὶ οἴκαδε ἐκέλευεν ἀναχωρεῖν, ὡς ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἅττα ἂν δοκοίη βέλτιστα ὑποθησόμενος. τὸν μέγαν δὲ δομέστικον παραλαβὼν, ἐβουλεύοντο ὅπως δέοι τὸν κατὰ τοῦ Συργιάννη πόλεμον διαθέσθαι· ᾤοντο δὲ πρὶν παρασκευασαμένους ἥκειν ἀντιπάλῳ στρατιᾷ οὐ μέμψιν τινὰ δικαίαν εἶναι, εἴγε χωρὶς ὅπλων καὶ κινδύνων ἀπάτῃ τὸν πολέμιον συσχόντες δυνήσονται τὸν πόλεμον πρὶν συστῆναι καταλῦσαι. τὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα κλέμματα καλλίστην δόξαν ἔχειν, ἃ μάλιστ' ἄν τις τὸν πολέμιον ἐξαπατήσας, ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ὑπηκόους ὠφελήσειε. διὰ ταῦτα δὴ ἐδόκει Σφραντζῇ τῶν παρακειμένων τῇ Καστορίᾳ