179

opening it at night, he sent these men across the adjacent lake, a few at a time and frequently, to both Rodomeros and the half-barbarian Monastras, who were staying around the townlet named something like "of the lord George", having instructed them that, whenever they disembarked from the ships, they should immediately send these men on to the emperor and not to hold them back even for a short time, so that they might not unite with the Turks being sent after them and plot some mischief against them. 11.2.8 But this was clearly a prophecy and an irrefutable conjecture from that man's great experience. For as long as they quickly sent those who arrived to the emperor, they were both in safety and no danger threatened them; but when they became negligent, a danger was prepared against them by the barbarians, whom they had held back. For having grown in numbers, they planned one of two things, either to attack them by night and kill them or to bring them as prisoners to the sultan. And since the latter seemed better to all, attacking them by night, they led them away from there as prisoners according to what had been planned. Then indeed, having seized the ridge of Azalas (a place .... stades distant from the walls of Nicaea), there at least, as the story goes, arriving they dismounted from their horses and let them rest. 11.2.9 Since Monastras was a half-barbarian and knowledgeable of the 11.2.9 Turkish language, and Rodomeros himself, having long ago been captured by the Turks and having spent a considerable time with them, was not ignorant of such a language either, they frequently put persuasive arguments to them: "Why," they said, "do you mix a cup of death for us while procuring not even a small benefit for yourselves from it? And you, while all the others are enjoying great gifts from the emperor and have been assigned the receipt of annual funds, are depriving yourselves of so much. Therefore do not think thus of yourselves, and when it is possible to be saved without danger and, glorying in wealth, to return to your own lands and perhaps become masters of territories, you throw yourselves into obvious danger. For perhaps, encountering the Romans who are lying in ambush somewhere around here," pointing out with their hands streams and marshy places, "you will be destroyed and will lose your lives for nothing. For very many lie in ambush for you, not only Celts and barbarians, but also a countless multitude of Romans. If, then, you are persuaded by us, let us turn the reins and go together to the emperor. And we swear to you by God that you will enjoy countless gifts from him; and then, wherever you wish, you will depart without hindrance as free men." 11.2.10 The Turks are persuaded by their words and, having both given and received pledges to one another, they took the road leading to the emperor. And when they reached Pelekanos, when the emperor saw them, having looked at everyone with a cheerful gaze, although he was very angry with Rodomeros and Monastras in his own mind, for the present he sent them away to rest, and on the following day, as many of the Turks as had been eager to serve him enjoyed countless benefits; and those seeking their own affairs, having themselves also received not a few gifts, were permitted to act according to their own judgment. Then later he strongly blamed Rodomeros and Monastras for their foolishness; and seeing that they were unable even to look him in the face out of shame, the emperor changed his tone and hastened to win them back with different words. But such were the things concerning Rodomeros and Monastras; and when Boutoumites was at that time appointed duke of Nicaea by the emperor, the Celts asked him to enter and see and venerate the sacred precincts within it. But he, clearly knowing their intention, as has indeed been said, not

179

νυκτὸς διανοίγων ἀπέστελλε τούτους διὰ τῆς παρακει μένης λίμνης ὀλίγους καὶ συχνάκις πρός τε τὸν Ῥοδο μηρὸν καὶ τὸν μιξοβάρβαρον Μοναστρᾶν, ἀμφὶ τὸ πολίχνιον ἐνδιατρίβοντας τὸ οὑτωσί πως τοῦ κυροῦ Γεωργίου ὀνο μαζόμενον, ἐπισκήψας αὐτοῖς ὡς, ὁπηνίκα τῶν νεῶν ἀπο βαῖεν, παραχρῆμα ἐκπέμπεσθαι τούτους πρὸς τὸν αὐτο κράτορα καὶ μηδὲ πρὸς βραχύν τινα χρόνον παρακατέχειν αὐτούς, ἵνα μὴ μετὰ τῶν ὄπισθεν πεμπομένων Τούρκων ἑνωθέντες σκαιόν τι κατ' αὐτῶν μελετήσαιεν. 11.2.8 Τὸ δὲ ἄρα προφητεία ἦν ἄντικρυς καὶ τῆς πολλῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐκείνου ἐμπειρίας στοχασμὸς ἀναντίρρητος. Καὶ γὰρ ἔστ' ἂν ταχὺ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα τοὺς καταλαμβάνοντας ἐξέπεμπον, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ τε ἦσαν καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς κίνδυνος ἐφειστή κει· ἐπὰν δὲ ἀναπεπτώκεσαν, ὁ παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων, οὓς ἄρα παρακατέσχον, κατ' αὐτῶν ἐξηρτύετο κίνδυνος. Καὶ γὰρ πλεονάσαντες ἐβουλεύοντο δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ νυκτὸς ἐπιθέμενοι τούτοις ἀποκτεῖναι ἢ δεσμώτας τῷ σουλτάνῳ προσενεγκεῖν. Συνδόξαντος δὲ πᾶσι τούτου βελτίονος, νυκτὸς αὐτοῖς ἐπιθέμενοι δεσμώτας κατὰ τὰ προβεβουλευ μένα περιάγοντες ἐκεῖθεν ἐξῄεσαν. Εἶτα δὴ τὴν ἀκρο λοφίαν τοῦ Ἀζαλᾶ κατειληφότες (τόπος δὲ οὗτος σταδίους .... τῶν τειχῶν Νικαίας ἀπέχων), κεῖθι γοῦν, ὡς λόγος, παραγενόμενοι τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες τούτους ἀνέψυχον. 11.2.9 Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ μὲν Μοναστρᾶς μιξοβάρβαρος ἦν καὶ τῆς 11.2.9 τουρκικῆς εἰδήμων διαλέκτου, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ῥοδομηρός, πάλαι πρὸς τῶν Τούρκων κατασχεθεὶς καὶ χρόνον συχνὸν μετ' αὐτῶν ἐνδιατρίψας, οὐδ' αὐτὸς ἀδαὴς τῆς τοιαύτης ἦν διαλέκτου, πιθανοὺς πρὸς αὐτοὺς συχνῶς ἀνεκίνουν λόγους· «Ἵνα τί, λέγοντες, ἡμῖν μὲν θανάτου ποτήριον κιρνᾶτε οὐδὲ μικράν τινα τὴν ὄνησιν ἑαυτοῖς ἐντεῦθεν πραγματευόμενοι; Ὑμεῖς δέ, τῶν ἄλλων πάντων μεγάλων δωρημάτων παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἀπολαυσάντων καὶ ἐτησίων χρημάτων λῆψιν τυπωθέντων, ἑαυτοὺς τοσούτων ἀποστερεῖτε. Μὴ τοίνυν οὕτω περὶ ἑαυτῶν φρονεῖτε καὶ ἐξὸν ἀκινδύνως σῴζεσθαι καὶ πλούτῳ κομῶντας εἰς τὰ σφέτερα ἐπαναστρέφειν καὶ χωρῶν ἐγκρατεῖς ἴσως γενέσθαι εἰς προὖπτον ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιρρίπτετε κίνδυνον. Ἴσως γὰρ καὶ τοῖς λοχῶσιν αὐτοῦ που Ῥωμαίοις ἐντυχόντες», ῥύακας ταῖν χεροῖν ἐπιδείξαντες καὶ ἑλώδεις τόπους, «ἀναιρεθήσεσθε καὶ ἐπὶ κενοῖς τὴν σφῶν ἀπολέσετε ζωήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐνεδρεύουσιν ὑμᾶς μάλα γε πλεῖστοι οὐ Κελτοὶ καὶ βάρβαροι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥωμαίων πλῆθος οὐ μετρητόν. Εἰ γοῦν ἡμῖν πείθεσθε, στρέψαντες τὰς ἡνίας ὁμοῦ φοι τήσωμεν πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα. Καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῖν ἐπομνύ μεθα μυρίων ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δωρημάτων· κἄπειτα, ὅπη βουλητὸν ὑμῖν, ἀπελεύσεσθε ἀνέτως ὡς ἐλεύθεροι» 11.2.10 Πείθονται τοῖς τούτων λόγοις οἱ Τοῦρκοι καὶ πίστεις πρὸς ἀλλήλους δόντες ἅμα καὶ λαβόντες τῆς πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα φερούσης εἴχοντο. Καταλαβόντων δὲ τὸν Πελεκάνον, ὡς τούτους ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐθεάσατο, μεθ' ἱλαροῦ πᾶσιν ἐνατενίσας βλέμματος, καίτοι πολλὰ τὸν Ῥοδομηρὸν καὶ τὸν Μοναστρᾶν παρ' ἑαυτῷ νεμεσῶν, τὸ μὲν παρὸν ἀναπαυθησομένους τούτους ἐξαπέστειλε, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν, ὁπόσοι μὲν τῶν Τούρκων αὐτῷ θητεῦσαι προτεθύμηντο, μυρίων τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἀπήλαυσαν· οἱ δὲ τὰ σφέτερα ἀναζητοῦντες καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ὀλίγων δωρημάτων τετυχηκότες παρεχωρήθησαν τῇ σφῶν γνώμῃ ξυγχρή σασθαι. Εἶθ' ὕστερον πολλὰ τῆς ἀβουλίας τὸν Ῥοδομηρὸν καὶ τὸν Μοναστρᾶν κατεμέμφετο· μηδ' ἀντωπῆσαι δὲ τού τους ὑπ' αἰσχύνης ἰσχύοντας ὁρῶν, μεταβαλὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνακτᾶσθαι δι' ἑτέρων λόγων ἔσπευδεν. Ἀλλὰ τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ῥοδομηρὸν καὶ τὸν Μοναστρᾶν· τοῦ δὲ Βου τουμίτου τηνικαῦτα δουκὸς Νικαίας παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοκρά τορος προχειρισθέντος, ᾐτήσαντο τοῦτον οἱ Κελτοὶ εἰσ ελθεῖν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἱερὰ τεμένη θεᾶσθαι καὶ προσ κυνεῖν. Ὁ δὲ τὴν αὐτῶν γνώμην σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος, καθὰ δήπου καὶ εἴρηται, οὐ