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alliance he withdrew; and whether for this reason or for some other, remained unclear. And the Kralis, thinking that the king had withdrawn for the same reason, both expressed much gratitude to the emperor, and after worthily treating the generals and the army with gifts, sent them away rejoicing to their own country. And the emperor wintered that year in Thessalonica. 20. But at the beginning of spring, letters came to the emperor from Byzantium, announcing that two of the potentates among the Mysians, Raxinas the protovestiarios and Philip the logothete, having quarreled with their ruling queen, the wife of Michael, who was the aunt of Kralis Stephen, drove her from power; and she, fleeing with her children, has come to Kralis her nep 1.459 hew. And they, after persuading the other potentates of the Mysians, appointed the nephew of the former king Michael, Alexander the son of Stratsimir, as their king; who, upon taking power, taking over as much of an army as the Mysians had, and no small allied force from the Scythians, campaigned against the cities that had previously gone over to the emperor; and apart from Mesembria, he subdued some of the others by arms, and others by agreement. When the emperor learned such things, it no longer seemed tolerable to remain in Thessalonica; but departing from there, he arrived at Byzantium. And first he sent Synadenos the protostrator to Mesembria as commander; fearing that the Mesembrians too might revolt before the army could be prepared. And he ordered the army to be gathered at Byzantium; and he himself prepared to make war on the Mysians. But while he was preparing, it was announced from the east that a Persian army had been prepared to attack the Nicomedians. Nicomedia was impregnable to arms and force of hand, both by the enclosure of its very strong walls and by the other nature of the place, being well-suited for defense; but it feared the lack of grain. And indeed the barbarians, perceiving this, neglected the walls as being unconquerable by siege-craft, but were eager to control the passage by which the city was fed. And the emperor likewise, knowing clearly what the barbarians intended, made it a matter of all urgency to provide fo 1.460 od to the Nicomedians as the barbarians were approaching; since if this were provided, they would most easily bear the rest of the siege. And so then, learning that the barbarians were encamped near it, he neglected the invasion against the Mysians; but having equipped a fleet of both triremes and other transport ships, and embarking an army and grain, he sailed for Nicomedia. But before he could land, the barbarians, perceiving it, taking up their tents and the rest of their baggage, withdrew to their own country, fearing the emperor's attack. For Orchan, their satrap, was not yet present. And the emperor, having made a landing and encouraged the Nicomedians with words and other kindnesses, and having provided the grain, encamped there for two days. And at dawn on the third day, he sailed back to Constantinople with the whole fleet. And having spent not many days in it, since the whole army was now present, and as much as was needed had been provided, departing from Byzantium, not many days later he invaded Mysia and devastated some of it; and crossing the Haemus, he again subdued by agreement the other towns which he had also held before; but Anchialus was still being garrisoned by the Mysians. For Alexander, the king of the Mysians, perceiving the emperor's invasion, came to the rescue with all speed, leading the Mysians with his whole army. And having come, he encamped near Aetos, not far from the emperor, who was encamped near Rusokastro; except that a certain narrow and steep pass sepa 1.461 rated both armies; which Alexander, arriving first, guarded by posting an infantry force. But the emperor, when he learned that Alexander had encamped nearby, on the next day at dawn, ordered the army to arm; and when they were armed, taking them arranged as for battle, he came near the pass, which by

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συμμαχίαν ἀνεχώρησεν· εἴτε δὲ τούτου ἕνεκα εἴτε καὶ ἑτέρου τινὸς, ἔμεινεν ἐν ἀδήλῳ. καὶ ὁ Κράλης δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκα αἰτίας οἰόμενος ἀνακεχωρηκέναι ῥῆγα, βασιλεῖ τε ὡμολόγει χάριτας πολλὰς, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ἅμα καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν δώροις φιλοφρονησάμενος ἀξίως, χαίροντας ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ἔτος ἐκεῖνο διεχείμασεν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ. κʹ. Ἅμα δὲ ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ γράμματα ἧκε βασιλεῖ ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀγγέλλοντα, ὡς δύο τῶν παρὰ Μυσοῖς δυνατῶν, Ῥαξίνας ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος καὶ Φίλιππος ὁ λογοθέτης, πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν αὐτῶν τοῦ Μιχαὴλ γαμετὴν, θείαν οὖσαν Κράλη τοῦ Στεφάνου, διαστασιάσαντες ἐξήλασαν τῆς ἀρχῆς· καὶ αὐτὴ μὲν φεύγουσα ἅμα τέκνοις, πρὸς Κράλην τὸν ἀδελ 1.459 φιδοῦν ἥκει. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἅμα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πείσαντες δυνατοὺς τῶν Μυσῶν, τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν τοῦ προβεβασιλευκότος Μιχαὴλ, Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Στρεαντζιμήρου ἀπέδειξαν βασιλέα ἑαυτῶν· ὃς ἅμα τῷ ἐγκρατὴς γενέσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς τήν τε στρατιὰν ὅση ἦν Μυσοῖς παραλαβὼν, καὶ ἐκ Σκυθῶν κατασυμμαχίαν οὐκ ὀλίγην, ταῖς πρότερον ἐπεστράτευσε πόλεσι προσχωρησάσαις βασιλεῖ· καὶ πλὴν Μεσημβρίας τὰ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων τοῖς ὅπλοις, τὰ δὲ παρεστήσατο ὁμολογίᾳ. τοιαῦτα δὲ πυθομένῳ βασιλεῖ, οὐκέτι ἀνεκτὸν ἐδόκει μένειν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ· ἀλλ' ἄρας ἐκεῖθεν, εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀφικνεῖται. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν Συναδηνὸν τὸν πρωτοστράτορα εἰς Μεσημβρίαν ἄρχοντα ἐκπέμπει· δείσας μὴ καὶ Μεσημβριανοὶ ἄχρις ἂν ἡ στρατιὰ ἀποσταῖεν παρασκευασθῇ. ἐκέλευέ τε εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀθροίζεσθαι τὴν στρατιάν· καὶ αὐτὸς παρεσκευάζετο ὡς τοῖς Μυσοῖς πολεμησείων. μεταξὺ δὲ παρασκευαζομένου, ἠγγέλλετο ἐκ τῆς ἕω, ὡς στρατιὰ Περσῶν εἴη παρεσκευασμένη ἐπιθέσθαι Νικομηδεῦσι. Νικομήδεια δὲ ὅπλοις μὲν ἀνάλωτος ἦν καὶ βίᾳ χειρῶν, τειχῶν τε καρτερωτάτων περιβολῇ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ τοῦ τόπου φύσει εὐφυῶς πρὸς ὀχυρότητα ἐχούσῃ· ἐδεδίει δὲ τὴν ἔνδειαν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σίτου. ὃ δὴ καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι συνιδόντες, τῶν τειχῶν μὲν ἠμέλουν ὡς ἀναλώτων ἐσομένων ἐκ τειχομαχίας, τῆς παρόδου δὲ ἐσπούδαζον κρατῆσαι, δι' ἧς ἐτρέφετο ἡ πόλις. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁμοίως ὅ,τι διανοοῦνται οἱ βάρβαροι σαφῶς εἰδὼς, διὰ σπουδῆς ἁπάσης τρο 1.460 φὴν παρέχειν Νικομηδεῦσιν ἐπιόντων τῶν βαρβάρων ἐποιεῖτο· ὡς εἰ τοῦτο παρείη, ῥᾷστα τὴν λοιπὴν οἰσόντων πολιορκίαν. καὶ τότε οὖν πυθόμενος ἐστρατοπεδεῦσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους παρ' αὐτὴν, τῆς μὲν κατὰ τῶν Μυσῶν ἠμέλει εἰσβολῆς· στόλον δὲ ἐξαρτυσάμενος ἔκ τε τριήρεων καὶ φορτίδων νεῶν ἑτέρων, στρατιάν τε ἐνθέμενος καὶ σῖτον, ἔπλει ἐπὶ Νικομήδειαν. πρὶν δὲ κατᾶραι, οἱ βάρβαροι αἰσθόμενοι, σκηνὰς ἀναλαβόντες καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀποσκευὴν, ἀνεχώρουν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, δείσαντες τὴν βασιλέως ἔφοδον. Ὀρχάνης γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ σατράπης ἔτι οὐ παρῆν. ἀπόβασιν δὲ ποιησάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Νικομηδέας λόγοις τε καὶ ἄλλαις φιλοφροσύναις ἐπιῤῥώσας, τόν τε σῖτον παρασχὼν, ηὐλίσατο ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἡμέραις. ἅμα δὲ ἕῳ εἰς τὴν τρίτην παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ ἐπανέπλεεν εἰς Κωνσταντίνου. καὶ διατρίψας ἐν αὐτῇ ἡμέρας οὐ πολλὰς, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ πᾶσα ἤδη παρῆν, καὶ ὅσα ἔδει ἐπεπόριστο, ἄρας ἐκ Βυζαντίου, οὐ πολλαῖς ὕστερον ἡμέραις ἐσέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Μυσίαν καὶ ἐδῄωσέ τινα αὐτῆς· ὑπερβάς τε τὸν Αἷμον, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πολίσματα ὅσα ἦν καὶ πρότερον ἔχων, παρεστήσατο ὁμολογίᾳ πάλιν· Ἀγχίαλος δὲ ἔτι ἐφρουρεῖτο παρὰ τῶν Μυσῶν. Ἀλέξανδρος γὰρ ὁ τῶν Μυσῶν βασιλεὺς, αἰσθόμενος τὴν βασιλέως εἰσβολὴν, ἐβοήθει κατὰ τάχος πανστρατιᾷ ἄγων τοὺς Μυσούς. καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο παρὰ τὸ Ἀετὸν, οὐ πολὺ ἀπέχων βασιλέως παρὰ τὸ Ῥωσόκαστρον ἐστρατοπεδευμένου· πλὴν ὅτι στενή τις καὶ ἀπόκροτος δίοδος τὰ στρατεύματα ἀμφότερα διεῖρ 1.461 γεν· ἣν φθάσας ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐφρούρει πεζὴν ἐπιστήσας στρατιάν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο Ἀλέξανδρον ἐγγὺς ἐστρατοπεδευκέναι, ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἅμα ἕῳ ἐκέλευεν ὁπλίζεσθαι τὴν στρατιάν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἦσαν ὡπλισμένοι, παραλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὡς μάχην παρατεταγμένους, ἐγγὺς τῆς διόδου ἦλθεν, ἣ παρὰ