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to all of you besieged together 1.489 to propose a choice under oath: either to remain within the walls and be enemies both to him and to the commune of Genoa, or to go outside and abandon you, and not only receive pardon from the emperor and amnesty for their wrongdoings, but also to be without penalty from the commune of Genoa, with the emperor providing security. That this will persuade many of those besieged with you to defect, not even you are ignorant. Since, therefore, from the beginning you have unjustly stirred up this war, and now that events have turned out contrary to what you yourselves expected, you not only incur the charge of folly and senselessness, but you also stand in the direst of dangers. Where is it advantageous or the act of sensible men at all, not to reconsider what has been ill-advised and to procure some salvation for themselves from the present circumstances, but through a senseless contentiousness and arrogance both to perish wretchedly themselves and to inflict upon their families not only poverty and deprivation of their possessions, but also disgrace for life? But I will show you that, even apart from all these things, the war against the emperor is in no way advantageous for you. For even if we will not be able to subdue you by arms, or by famine, or by any other device, not even so would being besieged be advantageous for you. For in the first place, it did not occur to you, having spent so much money, to take control of Lesbos 1.490 in order to be besieged continuously and to be hard-pressed by want and the other evils of war, but in order to acquire many times more than you spent, and to have dominion over the island. But this has turned out contrary to what you yourselves expect. For the money has been spent on the triremes, and the island is again subject to the emperor except for Mytilene, which must also garrison Phocaea, supporting no fewer than a thousand mercenaries. From where, then, will you procure their food? For you neither had money in the ships which will suffice for the siege, nor is there hope of any coming from Genoa. For your possessions there, which provided the revenues, will be under the emperor; and the revenues formerly accruing to you from Phocaea have been taken away on account of the war. For all commerce has ceased, since we rule the sea, and we are preventing agriculture, and it is not even safe for you to advance from the gates. So that from all sides the danger comes to surround you, whether you are overcome by arms or not. Therefore, since you are to deliberate about your salvation, you must not make your deliberation a secondary matter, but after considering with your friends, choose what is necessary.”

31. When the Grand Domestic had said such things, Giustiniani was silent for a long time, astounded that he had spoken so very clearly about their situation. And he himself already saw the danger as imminent. Then, recovering himself, he said, “That we are acting unjustly in starting a war, not even we ourselves can 1.491 deny. However, lifted by the hope both of becoming masters of Lesbos and of defending ourselves against the emperor should he attack—for we did not think he would gather so great a naval force—we undertook it; but now our money has been spent and we ourselves are besieged, not having good hopes for the future. Since, as I see, with God having moved you, you have been brought to these discussions, I ask you to advise what seems advantageous and necessary regarding the future. For it is not possible to arrange past events otherwise than as they have happened.”

The Grand Domestic said, “If you were deliberating by yourselves about your own affairs, nothing would prevent you from choosing either peace or war. But since you entrust to me to deliberate about your affairs, I will say what seems to me to be to your advantage. And it will be up to you either to choose what has been advised or to reject it. But I think not many words will be needed regarding what seems persuasive to you as being advantageous. For what I said before, showing that the war has been the greatest cause of many evils for you and will be yet, with these things it is possible to establish that peace is to be chosen. And I will suggest the way in which it might be most advantageous for you. before coming to such a point of danger that

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συμπολιορκουμένοις 1.489 ὑμῖν πᾶσι δι' ὅρκων αἵρεσιν προθεῖναι, ἢ μένοντας ἐντὸς τειχῶν πολεμίους αὐτῷ τε εἶναι καὶ τῷ κοινῷ Γεννούας, ἢ ἔξω γενομένους καὶ καταλιπόντας ὑμᾶς, μὴ μόνον παρὰ βασιλέως τυχεῖν συγγνώμης καὶ ἀμνηστίας ὧν ἐξημαρτήκασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῷ κοινῷ Γεννούας ἀζημίους εἶναι, βασιλέως τὴν ἄδειαν παρασχομένου. ὅπερ ὅτι πολλοὺς τῶν ὑμῖν συμπολιορκουμένων πείσει ἀποστῆναι, οὐδ' αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖς. ὅτε τοίνυν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε οὐ δίκαια ποιοῦντες τὸν πόλεμον κεκινήκατε τουτονὶ, νῦν τε τῶν πραγμάτων ἐναντίως ἢ αὐτοὶ προσεδοκᾶτε χωρησάντων, οὐ μόνον ἀβουλίας καὶ ἀσυνεσίας ὄφλετε κατηγορίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἐσχάτοις κατέστητε κινδύνοις, ποῦ λυσιτελὲς ἢ σωφρονούντων ὅλως ἀνθρώπων, μὴ μεταβουλεύεσθαι περὶ τῶν κακῶς βεβουλευμένων καὶ σωτηρίαν τινὰ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων ἐκπορίζειν, ἀλλὰ διὰ φιλονεικίαν καὶ ἀλαζονείαν νοῦν οὐκ ἔχουσαν αὐτούς τε ἀπόλλυσθαι κακῶς καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις οὐ πενίαν μόνον καὶ ἀποστέρησιν τῶν ὄντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδοξίαν προστρίβεσθαι διὰ βίου; ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων χωρὶς οὐδαμῶς λυσιτελοῦντα τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον ὑμῖν ἀποφανῶ. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μήτε ὅπλοις, μήτε λιμῷ, μήθ' ἑτέρᾳ μηχανῇ τινι παραστήσασθαι δυνησόμεθα ὑμᾶς, οὐδ' οὕτω τὸ πολιορκεῖσθαι λυσιτελήσειεν ἂν ὑμῖν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ διηνεκῶς πολιορκεῖσθαι καὶ ἐνδείᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου κακοῖς πιέζεσθαι 1.490 Λέσβου κρατῆσαι ὑμῖν ἐπῆλθε τοσαῦτα χρήματα ἀναλωκόσιν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ πολλαπλασίω τῶν ἀναλωμένων κτησαμένους, καὶ τῆς νήσου ἔχειν τὴν ἀρχήν. τοῦτο δ' ἐναντίως ἢ αὐτοὶ συμβέβηκε προσδοκᾶτε. τά τε γὰρ χρήματα ἀνάλωνται εἰς τὰς τριήρεις καὶ ἡ νῆσος ὑπὸ βασιλέα αὖθις τελεῖ πλὴν Μιτυλήνης, ἣν δεῖ καὶ Φώκαιαν φρουρεῖν μισθοφόρους τρέφοντας χιλίων οὐκ ἐλάσσους. πόθεν οὖν ποριεῖσθε τὴν τροφὴν αὐτοῖς; οὔτε γὰρ χρήματα εἴχετε ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἃ διαρκέσει πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν, οὔτε ἐκ Γεννούας ἐλπὶς ἐλθεῖν. τὰ γὰρ ἐκεῖσε κτήματα ὑμῶν, ἃ παρεῖχε τὰς προσόδους, ὑπὸ βασιλέα ἔσται· αἵ τε ἐκ Φωκαίας προσγινόμεναι πρότερον πρόσοδοι ὑμῖν ἀφῄρηνται διὰ τὸν πόλεμον. ἐμπορία τε γὰρ ἐκλέλοιπε πᾶσα, θαλασσοκρατούντων ἡμῶν, καὶ γεωργίας ἀπείργομεν, οὐδὲ τὸ πυλῶν προβαίνειν ἀκίνδυνον ὂν ὑμῖν. ὥστε πάντοθεν συμβαίνει περιΐστασθαι τὸν κίνδυνον, ἄν τε κρατῆσθε τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἄν τε μή· ὡς οὖν περὶ σωτηρίας ὑμῖν βουλευσομένοις οὐκ ἐν παρέργῳ χρὴ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν βουλὴν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν φίλων σκεψαμένους τὰ δέοντα ἑλέσθαι.» λαʹ. Τοιαῦτα τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου εἰρηκότος, Ντζιουὰν ἐπιπολὺ μὲν ἦν σιωπῶν, ἐκπεπληγμένος ὅτι δὴ σαφέστατα περὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτοὺς πραγμάτων διειλέχθη. συνεώρα τε ἤδη καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν κίνδυνον ὡς ἐν χρῷ. ἔπειτα ἀνενεγκὼν «ὡς μὲν ἀδικοῦμεν πολέμου ἄρχοντες» ἔφη «οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ δυ 1.491 νάμεθα ἀντειπεῖν. πλὴν ἐλπίδι ἐπαρθέντες τοῦ τε ἐγκρατεῖς γενήσεσθαι τῆς Λέσβου τοῦ τε ἀμυνεῖσθαι βασιλέα ἂν ἐπίῃ, οὐ γὰρ τοσαύτην γε ᾠόμεθα δύναμιν ἀθροίσειν ναυτικὴν, ἠράμεθα· νυνὶ δὲ ἤδη τά τε χρήματα ἀνάλωται ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτοὶ πολιορκούμεθα, οὐκ ἀγαθὰς ἔχοντες ἐλπίδας περὶ τῶν μελλόντων. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὡς ὁρῶ, τοῦ θεοῦ κεκινηκότος, εἰς τοὺς περὶ τούτων προήχθης λόγους, δέομαι ἃ λυσιτελῆ δοκεῖ καὶ δέοντα βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος. τὰ γὰρ παρελθόντα οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως διαθέσθαι ἢ ὡς ἔτυχε γεγενημένα.» ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος «εἰ μὲν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς αὐτοὶ περὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων» ἔφη «ἐβουλεύεσθε πραγμάτων, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκώλυεν εἰρήνην ἢ τὸν πόλεμον ἑλέσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐμοὶ περὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἐπιτρέπετε βουλεύεσθαι πραγμάτων, ἅ μοι δοκῶ ὑμῖν συμφέροντα ἐρῶ. ὑμῖν δὲ ἐξέσται ἢ αἱρεῖσθαι τὰ βεβουλευμένα ἢ διωθεῖσθαι. οἶμαι δὲ οὐδὲ πολλῶν δεήσεσθαι λόγων περὶ τῶν ὑμῖν πείθοντα δοκούντων λυσιτελεῖν. ἃ γὰρ διειλέχθην πρότερον, πολλῶν κακῶν ὑμῖν τὸν πόλεμον αἰτιώτατον γεγενημένον ἀποφαίνων καὶ ἔτι μέλλοντα, τούτοις ἔξεστι κατασκευάζειν ὡς αἱρετέα ἡ εἰρήνη. τὸν τρόπον δὲ ὃν ἂν ὑμῖν μάλιστα λυσιτελήσειεν ὑφηγήσομαι ἐγώ. πρὶν εἰς τοσοῦτον κινδύνου ἥκειν ὥστε