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he advised these things, but also, foretelling all the other things they were about to encounter on their way as they departed, he exhorted them not to pursue unrestrainedly, whenever God should give them victory over the barbarians, so that they might not fall in with the captains lying in ambush and be killed.

10.11.1 But so much for the affairs of Godefroi and Raoul and the others who followed them; but Bohemond, after reaching the Apros with the other counts, and recognizing that he himself was not born of noble stock nor was he bringing many forces with him because of his lack of money, wishing to win the emperor’s favor, and at the same time wanting to conceal his own circumstances, went on ahead of the other counts with only ten Celts and hastened to reach the capital city. But the emperor, knowing his schemes and having long been aware of his deceitful and treacherous character, hastened, before the other counts also arrived, to speak with and hear what was said by him and to persuade him to cross over before their arrival, so that he might not, by uniting with them as they were now arriving, corrupt their opinions too. And when he entered, he immediately looked at him cheerfully and inquired about his journey and where he had left the counts. 10.11.2 And when he had explained everything to him, as he thought fit, the emperor, jesting, then reminded him of the things he had dared at Dyrrachium and Larissa and of that enmity. But he said to him, "Although I was an enemy and a foe then, I now come as a deserter, a friend of your empire." And the emperor, after dealing with him in many ways and having superficially tested his reasoning, when he perceived that he would consent to give faithful oaths, said to him: "For now, since you are weary from the journey, you must go and rest, and tomorrow we will speak about the things we wish." 10.11.3 So when he went away to the Cosmidion, where his lodging had been prepared for him, a lavish table was set for him, full of all sorts of cooked dishes and foods. Then the cooks, also bringing raw meats of land animals and birds, said: "For our part, the cooked dishes, as you see, have been prepared in the usual way; but if these are not pleasing to you, behold, here are also raw meats, and let them be prepared just as you wish." For they had been ordered by the emperor to prepare and to speak in this way. For such was that man, clever at discerning a man’s character, clever at delving into a heart and hunting out a man’s thoughts, that knowing the man's malevolence and wickedness, he guessed the truth. Therefore, so that he might not have any suspicion against him, he also ordered the raw meats to be brought to him at the same time, thus dispelling the suspicion. And he did not miss the mark. 10.11.4 For the clever Bohemond not only did not endure to taste the cooked dishes at all, but not even to touch them with his fingertips, but he immediately pushed them away and, without revealing to anyone anything of the suspicion that had occurred to him, he distributed everything to those present, pretending, in appearance, to treat them with courtesy, but in truth, if one were to look closely, mixing for them a cup of death. Nor did he hide the trick, so contemptuously was he disposed toward those under him. The raw meats, however, according to the custom of his own country, he ordered his own cooks to prepare. And on the next day, he asked those who had eaten those cooked dishes how they were. And when they said, "Very well indeed," and that they had not felt even the slightest harm, he revealed the secret to them and said: "For my part, remembering the wars with him and that battle, I was afraid that he might perhaps be preparing my death, by putting some deadly poison on the cooked dishes." Such were the actions of Bohemond; but I never a wicked man

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ταῦτα συνεβούλευεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ὁπόσα τούτοις συναντήσειν ἔμελλεν ἀπερχομένοις κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν προλέγων παρηγγυᾶτο μὴ ἀκρατῶς διώκειν, ὁπη νίκα τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων δοίη Θεός, ἵνα μὴ τοῖς ἐνεδρεύουσι λοχαγοῖς περιπίπτοντες ἀναιρῶνται.

10.11.1 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Γοντοφρὲ καὶ Ῥαοὺλ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς συνεπομένους αὐτοῖς· ὁ δέ γε Βαϊ μοῦντος μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων κομήτων καταλαβὼν τὸν Ἄπρων καὶ μήτ' ἐξ εὐγενῶν φύντα ἑαυτὸν ἐπιγινώσκων μήτε δυνά μεις πολλὰς συνεπαγόμενος δι' ἣν εἶχε σπάνιν τῶν χρη μάτων, τὴν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος βουλόμενος ἐπισπάσασθαι εὔνοιαν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συγκαλύψαι τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐθέλων, μετὰ δέκα καὶ μόνων Κελτῶν προεξελθὼν τῶν ἄλλων κομή των ἔσπευσε καταλαβεῖν τὴν βασιλεύουσαν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὰς αὐτοῦ μηχανὰς γινώσκων καὶ τὸ ὕπουλον καὶ ἐνεδρευ τικὸν αὐτοῦ ἦθος ἐκ μακροῦ ἐπιστάμενος ἔσπευσε πρὸ τοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καταλαβεῖν κόμητας ὁμιλῆσαί τε καὶ ἀκοῦσαι τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένων καὶ πεῖσαι πρὸ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀφίξεως διαπερᾶσαι, ἵνα μὴ ἑνωθεὶς μετ' αὐτῶν καταλαμβανόντων ἤδη καὶ τὰς ἐκείνων διαστρέψειε γνώμας. Εἰσελθόντι δὲ ἱλαρὸν εὐθὺς ἐνατενίσας τὰ κατὰ τὴν ὁδοι πορίαν ἐπυνθάνετο καὶ ὅπου τοὺς κόμητας κατέλιπε. 10.11.2 Τοῦ δὲ ἅπαντα διασαφήσαντος αὐτῷ, ὡς εἶχε γνώμης, ἀστεϊζόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸ ∆υρράχιον καὶ τὴν Λάρισσαν τετολμημένων παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀναμιμνήσκει τηνικαῦτα καὶ τῆς ἔχθρας ἐκείνης. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλε γεν ὡς «Ἔγωγε κἂν ἐχθρὸς κἂν πολέμιος τότ' ἦν, ἀλλὰ νῦν αὐτόμολος ἥκω φίλος τῆς σῆς βασιλείας». Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκρά τωρ διὰ πολλῶν μετελθὼν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀκροθιγῶς πως ἀπο πειράσας τὸν αὐτοῦ λογισμόν, ἐπεὶ διέγνω κατανεύσοντα τοῦτον ὅρκια πιστὰ δοῦναι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔφη· «Τὰ νῦν μὲν κεκοπιακότα σε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας χρὴ ἀπελθόντα διανα παύσασθαι, ἐς νέωτα δὲ περὶ ὧν βουλόμεθα ὁμιλήσομεν». 10.11.3 Ἀπελθόντι οὖν εἰς τὸ Κοσμίδιον, οὗπερ τὰ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτῷ προηυτρέπιστο, τράπεζα τούτῳ παρατίθεται δαψιλὴς παντοίων ὄψων καὶ ἐδεσμάτων μεστή. Εἶτα καὶ ὠμὰ κρέα χερσαίων τε καὶ πτηνῶν ζῴων προσενεγκόντες οἱ ὀψο ποιοὶ ἔφασαν· «Ἡμῖν μὲν τὰ ὄψα, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ηὐτρέπισται κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀρεστά σοι ταῦτα, ἰδοὺ καὶ ὠμὰ καὶ κατασκευασθήτωσαν καθά γε βούλει». Οὕτω γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος κατασκευάσαι τε καὶ εἰπεῖν ἐντεταλ μένον αὐτοῖς ἦν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁποῖος ἐκεῖνος δεινὸς ἤθους καταστοχάσασθαι ἀνδρός, δεινὸς εἰς καρδίαν βάψαι καὶ λογισμοὺς θηρᾶσαι ἀνθρώπου, τὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπιστάμενος δύσνουν καὶ κακόηθες ἐστοχάσατο τοῦ ὄντος. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ ὑποψίαν τινὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ σχοίη, καὶ τὰ ὠμὰ κρέα ἐν ταὐτῷ προσενεχθῆναι αὐτῷ προσέταξε διαλύων τάχα τὴν ὑπο ψίαν. Οὐκ ἠστόχει δὲ τοῦ σκοποῦ. 10.11.4 Ὁ γὰρ δεινὸς Βαϊ μοῦντος τῶν μὲν ὄψων οὐ μόνον ἀπογεύσασθαι ὅλως, ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἄκροις δακτύλοις προσψαῦσαι ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλ' ἀπώσατό τ' εὐθὺς καὶ μηδενί τι τῆς ὑποδραμούσης αὐτῷ ὑπονοίας ἐμφήνας τοῖς παρεστῶσι πάντα διένειμε, τῷ μὲν φαινο μένῳ φιλοφρονεῖσθαι τούτους ὑποκρινόμενος, τῇ δ' ἀλη θείᾳ, εἴ τις καλῶς σκοποίη, θανάτου κρατῆρα κεράσας αὐτοῖς. Οὐδὲ τὸν δόλον ἐπέκρυπτε, τοσοῦτον καταφρονη τικῶς περὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν διέκειτο. Τὰ μέντοι ὠμὰ κρέατα κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἐνεγκαμένης τοῖς ἰδίοις ὀψοποιοῖς κατα σκευάσαι ἐπέταττε. Τῇ μετ' αὐτὴν δὲ τοὺς τὰ ὄψα ἐκεῖνα ἐδηδοκότας ἐπυνθάνετο ὅπως αὐτοὺς διέθεντο. Τῶν δὲ «Καὶ λίαν καλῶς» εἰρηκότων καὶ ὡς μηδὲ τῆς τυχούσης αἰσθέσθαι βλάβης, ἀποκαλύψας αὐτοῖς τὸ ἀπόρρητον ἔφη ὡς «Ἔγωγε, μεμνημένος τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ πολέμων καὶ τῆς μάχης ἐκείνης, ἐδεδίειν μὴ τὸν ἐμὸν ἴσως ἐξαρτύσῃ θάνα τον, θανάσιμόν τι φάρμακον τοῖς ὄψοις ἐπεμβαλών». Τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ τοῦ Βαϊμούντου· ἐγὼ δ' οὔποτε πονηρὸν