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Epidamnus, which we have often called Dyrrachium, to take Ubos and not to travel the direct route, but to turn aside and lead him through Philippopolis to the great city. For he feared the Celtic multitudes and armies coming from behind. The emperor received this man with honor, and deeming him worthy of every sort of cordiality and giving him sufficient money, he persuaded him at once to become his man, by swearing the oath customary to the Latins.

10.8.1 But these were the preliminary matters concerning Ubos; but Bohemund, whom the account has often mentioned before, before fifteen days had yet passed, crossed over to the shore of Cavalion with various counts and an army exceeding all number. This is a place near Boosa; and these are the names of the places in those parts. And let no one blame us for using such barbarous names, from which the style of the history may be defiled; for not even Homer disdained to name the Boeotians and certain barbarous islands for the sake of the accuracy of his history. 10.8.2 On his heels the Count of Prebentzas also, approaching the shores of the strait of Longibardia, since he too wished to cross over, hired a pirate ship of immense capacity, three-masted, for six thousand gold staters, in which were two hundred rowers, and the tenders accompanying it were three. He had not made his departure toward the region of Aulon as the rest of the Latin armies, but being suspicious of the Roman fleet, he cast off the stern-cables, veered off a little, and made his departure straight for Chimara, having found a favorable wind. 10.8.3 But fleeing the smoke, he had fallen into the fire. For he did not encounter the naval forces lying sporadically in ambush in the strait of Longibardia, but the duke of the entire Roman fleet himself, Nicholas Maurokatakalon. He, having learned from afar about that pirate ship, taking the biremes and triremes and some dromons of the whole fleet, went and stood at Cavalion opposite Ason, from which he had come out, having left the great fleet there. And he sent the so-called second count with his own galley, called an *excussatus* among the seamen, instructing him that, when the rowers of the aforesaid ship cast off the stern-cables and entered the waves of the sea, he should light a torch. And he went away and immediately did what was commanded. 10.8.4 Duke Nicholas, seeing this, at once winged some of the ships with sails, and making others like many-footed creatures with their oars, he proceeded against the crossing count. He catches him not yet having sailed three stades from the mainland, hastening toward the opposite shore of Epidamnus, having one thousand five hundred armed soldiers, and eighty of the elite horses. Seeing this, the helmsman of the ship says to the Count of Prebentzas: “The fleet now overtaking us is from Syria, and there is a danger of becoming fodder for dirks and swords.” At once, then, the count ordered everyone to arm himself and to fight bravely. 10.8.5 And although it was mid-winter, when the memory of the greatest among hierarchs, Nicholas, is celebrated, nevertheless, a complete calm occurred, and the full moon shone then more than in spring. With the winds having entirely ceased, the pirate ship no longer had the strength to move and it happened that it was motionless in the waters. But having arrived at this point in the account, I would wish to let my tongue loose upon the achievements of Marianus. Who, at once asking <from> the duke of the fleet, his own father, for the lighter vessels, rushes straight for that ship and falling upon its prow made an attempt. The armed men immediately rushed together there bravely this man

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τὴν Ἐπί δαμνον, ἣν πολλάκις ∆υρράχιον κατωνομάσαμεν, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸν Οὖβον ἀναλαβέσθαι καὶ μὴ τὴν εὐθεῖαν βαδίσαι, ἀλλὰ παρεκκλῖναι καὶ διὰ τῆς Φιλιππουπόλεως αὐτὸν ἀγαγεῖν εἰς τὴν μεγαλόπολιν. Ἐδεδίει γὰρ τὰ ὄπισθεν ἐρχόμενα Κελτικὰ πλήθη καὶ στρατεύματα. ∆εξάμενος δὲ τοῦτον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐντίμως καὶ παντοίας φιλοφροσύνης ἀξιώσας χρήματά τε ἱκανὰ ἐπιδοὺς πείθει παραχρῆμα ἄνθρωπον αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι τὸν τοῖς Λατίνοις συνήθη ὅρκον ἐπομοσά μενον.

10.8.1 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Οὖβον ἐκ προοιμίων· ὁ δέ γε Βαϊμοῦντος, οὗ ἄνωθεν ὁ λόγος πολλάκις ἐμνήσθη, πεντεκαίδεκα ἡμερῶν οὔπω διελθουσῶν διεπέρασεν εἰς τὴν ἀκτὴν τοῦ Καβαλίωνος μετὰ κομήτων διαφόρων καὶ στρα τεύματος ἀριθμὸν ὑπερβαίνοντος ἅπαντα. Τόπος δὲ οὗτος ἐγγὺς τῆς Βοούσης· ὀνόματα δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἐν τοῖς μέρεσιν ἐκείνοις τόπων. Καὶ μεμφέσθω μηδεὶς ἡμῖν τοιούτοις χρω μένοις ὀνόμασι βαρβαρικοῖς καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἔστι τὸ ὕφος τῆς ἱστορίας καταμιαίνεσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' Ὅμηρος ἀπηξίωσε Βοιωτοὺς ὀνομάζειν καί τινας βαρβαρώδεις νήσους διὰ τὴν τῆς ἱστορίας ἀκρίβειαν. 10.8.2 Κατὰ πόδας δὲ τούτου καὶ ὁ κόμης Πρεβέντζας ταῖς ἀκταῖς τοῦ πορθμοῦ Λογγιβαρδίας προσπελάσας, ἐπεὶ διαπερᾶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐβούλετο, μυριοφό ρον ναῦν λῃστρικὴν μισθωσάμενος τριάρμενον ἑξακισχιλίων χρυσίνων στατήρων, ἐν ᾗ ἐρέται μὲν διακόσιοι, ἐφόλκια δὲ τὰ συνεφεπόμενα ταύτῃ τρία. Τὸν ἀπόπλουν οὐ πρὸς τὰ μέρη τοῦ Αὐλῶνος ἐπεποίητο καθὼς τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν Λατίνων στρατεύματα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ῥωμαϊκὸν ὑφορώμενος στόλον λύσας τὰ πρυμνήσια μικρὸν παρεκκλίνας κατευθὺ Χιμάρας τὸν ἀπόπλουν ἐποιεῖτο οὐρίου τυχὼν πνεύματος. 10.8.3 Φεύγων δὲ τὸν καπνὸν εἰς πῦρ ἐπεπτώκει. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχὶ τοῖς σπο ράδην ἐνεδρεύουσι τὸν τῆς Λογγιβαρδίας πορθμὸν ναυτικοῖς περιέτυχεν, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τῷ δουκὶ τοῦ ὅλου ῥωμαϊκοῦ στόλου Νικολάῳ τῷ Μαυροκατακαλών. Ὃς πόρρω περὶ τῆς λῃστρικῆς ἐκείνης νηὸς μεμαθηκώς, τὰς τοῦ ὅλου στόλου διήρεις καὶ τριήρεις καί τινας δρομάδας ἀναλαβόμενος ναῦς ἀπελ θὼν ἵστατο εἰς Καβαλίωνα ἀντικρὺ τοῦ Ἄσωνος, ἐξ οὗπερ ἐξεληλύθει τὸν μέγαν ἐκεῖσε στόλον καταλιπών. Καὶ ἀπέσ τειλε τὸν καλούμενον δεύτερον κόμητα μετὰ τοῦ ἰδίου κατέργου ἐξκουσσάτου παρὰ τοῖς ναυτικοῖς καλουμένου ἐπισκήψας αὐτῷ, ἵν' ὁπηνίκα τὰ πρυμνήσια τῆς ἤδη ῥηθείσης νηὸς οἱ ἐρέται λύσαντες εἰς κῦμα θαλάσσης ἐμβά λωσι, πυρσὸν ἀνάψῃ. Ὁ δὲ ἀπελθὼν παραχρῆμα τὸ κελευσ θὲν ἐποίει. 10.8.4 Ὁ δὲ δοὺξ Νικόλαος τοῦτο θεασάμενος τὰς μὲν τῶν νηῶν τοῖς ἱστίοις παραχρῆμα ἐπτέρου, τὰς δὲ καὶ οἷον πολύποδας ταῖς κώπαις ἀπεργασάμενος κατὰ τοῦ διαπερῶντος χωρεῖ κόμητος. Οὔπω δὲ τρεῖς σταδίους ἀπὸ τῆς χέρσου διαπλῳσάμενον καταλαμβάνει τοῦτον πρὸς τὴν περαίαν Ἐπιδάμνου σπεύδοντα, ἐνόπλους μὲν στρα τιώτας ἔχοντα χιλίους πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις, ἵππους δὲ τῶν ἐκκρίτων ὀγδοήκοντα. Ὃν θεασάμενος ὁ πηδαλιοῦχος τῆς νεώς φησι πρὸς τὸν κόμητα Πρεβέντζας· «Ἐκ Συρίας ὁ ἤδη καταλαμβάνων ἡμᾶς στόλος ἐστὶ καὶ κίνδυνος μαχαί ρας καὶ ξιφῶν παρανάλωμα γενέσθαι.» Παραχρῆμα γοῦν ὁ κόμης θωρήξασθαί τε ἐκέλευεν ἅπαντας καὶ καρτερῶς μάχεσθαι. 10.8.5 Κἂν δὲ μέσος χειμὼν ἦν, ὁπότε ἡ μνήμη τοῦ ἐν ἱεράρχαις μεγίστου Νικολάου τελεῖται, ἀλλ' ὅμως νηνεμία ἔτυχε παντελὴς καὶ ἡ νὺξ πανσέληνος φαίνουσα τότε μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ἔαρι. Πεπαυμένων δὲ παντάπασι τῶν ἀνέμων οὐκέτι ἡ λῃστρικὴ ναῦς κινεῖσθαι πρὸς ἰσχύος εἶχε καὶ συνέβαινε ταύτην ἀτρεμεῖν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταυθοῖ τοῦ λόγου γενομένη βουλοίμην ἂν τὴν γλῶτταν ἐπαφεῖναι τοῖς τοῦ Μαριανοῦ κατορθώμασιν. Ὃς παρα χρῆμα <παρὰ> τοῦ δουκὸς τοῦ στόλου καὶ ἰδίου πατρὸς τὰ κουφότερα τῶν πλοίων αἰτήσας κατευθὺ τῆς νεὼς ἐκείνης ἵεται καὶ τῇ πρώρᾳ συνεισπεσὼν ταύτης ἀπεπειρᾶτο. Συνέρρεον δὲ παραχρῆμα ἐκεῖσε οἱ ἔνοπλοι καρτερῶς τοῦ τον