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the emperor's envoys to clarify to the barbarian the matters of the counsel and the demand. And he, upon hearing this, was at first feigning disdain and acted haughtily toward the envoys, being coy, as it were, that she should rush to grant him a rule which he was on the point of winning for himself by the sword and by superior force. Nevertheless, he accepted the marriage proposal, but with extreme and deep wickedness, not as one you would call fond of women and a lover of the women's quarters; for he guarded against softening his character, lest those who received him should immediately despise him greatly; Rather, he accepted for the sake of peace and so that blood would not be shed in civil wars, as if he were granting a favor, not receiving one. So when oaths had been made and treaties on both sides, she opens the gates to him and, receiving him within, celebrates her marriage with him, and they receive the diadems of the empire together once again, and she thus prepares for the emperor a worthy rival, as she thought. This event, when it happened and was heard of, disturbed the emperor sufficiently and as much as was possible. And he too pretended not to be disheartened that his hopes were dashed, but to be disgusted at her unworthy stumble, by which she had both shamed her family and was in the process of destroying the empire by entrusting it to a worthless man; for that man would not at all be able to withstand or hold out against the overwhelming 565 force from the Tochars, which would likely fall upon him both as a manifest enemy, and as one who was also despised by his own people. Saying these things, he did not cease again both sending forces to fight and preparing things for Maria's overthrow. Lachanas, therefore, was both vexed by his wife's affectations and wished to live in a barbarian manner, winning over those around him exceedingly; for he knew that wars were being prepared on both sides and that indolence was in no way able to calm the dangers of war, so that he often, quarrelling with her, inflicted blows. But he, judging the matters rising up around him to be more important than any other business, both won over the leaders of the Bulgarians and prepared for wars against both; for it was not possible either to make a truce with the Tochars because of what had been done, or in any way to hold off the emperor's men. Nevertheless, he drew up his forces against them as much as he was able, partly willing, partly unwilling; for having taken a rule which he had not hoped for, he was eager not only to hold it, but also to strengthen it. But since the external forces were attacking daily anyway, he was compelled to fight even unwillingly; for he knew, barbarian though he was, that he who does not wish to fight will be forced to fight. For these reasons, therefore, his affairs, being woven together more perilously, proceeded favorably. For neither were his opponents strong enough to withstand his disorderly assaults, and the well-ordered side feared the encounter, as the victor would not use his position well. For to fall into the hands of Lachanas was equivalent to death, on account of his extreme cruelty; for barbarian characters know not how to be softened by the pitiable victims of fortune. Whence also often, though they were superior in their daring, they were immediately constrained by the expectation of terrible things, if they should be captured, and they avoided encounter. He was therefore surrounded by the many forces around Asan; however, those from that side who were sometimes captured even unwillingly were in a good position, because they immediately came over, as if, forsooth, they had been delivered from a tyrant and were joining the emperor; but for those from this side who were led away there, there was no saving pretext to be supposed, but they were punished as enemies.

8. How Maria was handed over to the emperor, and Asan was received by the inhabitants of Ternovon. So affairs were worn down from this, and no other deliverance from their troubles could be hoped for except the removal of the barbarian, which quickly 567 came about with his departure; for the reversal of fortune was something that even he could not escape, as he was about to, especially since he was entirely puffed up by fortune. Whence he was also reported to have been defeated by the Tochars, and with these reports from there an opportunity fell to the inhabitants of Ternovon, who had long been stirred up against Maria; and they decided to betray her along with her child to the emperor's men, and they received Asan as lord, because the affairs of the Bulgarians had belonged to him also from of old. She, on the one hand,

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βασιλέως ἀποστολαίτοὺς διασαφήσοντας τῷ βαρβάρῳ τὰ τῆς βουλῆς τε καὶ ἀξιώσεως. Καὶ ὃς ἀκούσας πρῶτον μὲν καθυπερηφανεύετο δῆθεν καὶ τοῖς ἐπεσταλμένοις ἀπεσεμνύνετο, διαθρυπτόμενος οἷον, εἰ ἀρχὴν ὅσον οὔπω κτησομένην αὐτῷ σπάθῃ καὶ δυνάμει κρείττονι ἐκείνη φθάνει χαρίζεσθαι. Ὅμως καὶ τὰ τοῦ λέχους προσίετο, πονηρῶς ἄγαν καὶ βαθέως, οὐχ ὥς τις ἂν εἴποις φιλόγυνις καὶ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος ἐραστής· τὸ γὰρ μαλάττειν τὰ ἤθη, τῶν δεξομένων καὶ λίαν ὡς καταφρονησόντων αὐτίκα, διεφυλάττετο· ἄλλως δὲ κατ' εἰρήνην καὶ τοῦ μὴ χέεσθαι ἐμφυλίοις πολέμοις αἵματα κατεδέχετο, ὡς χάριν διδούς, οὐ λαμβάνων. Ὅρκων οὖν γενομένων καὶ συνθηκῶν ἐξ ἑκατέρων, ὑπανοίγνυσί τε αὐτῷ τὰς πύλας καί, ἐντὸς δεξαμένη, τελεῖ ἑαυτῇ σὺν ἐκείνῳ τοὺς γάμους, καὶ τὰς ταινιώσεις τῆς βασιλείας καὶ αὖθις συνάμα δέχονται, καί γε παρασκευάζει τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀντίπαλον, ὡς ᾤετο, ἱκανόν. Τοῦτο συμβάν τε καὶ ἀκουσθὲν τὸν βασιλέα αὐτάρκως καὶ ὡς ἐνῆν διετάραξε. Ὑπεκρίνετό τε κἀκεῖνος μὴ ἀθυμεῖν σφαλλόμενος τῶν ἐλπίδων, ἀλλὰ στυγεῖν τῷ παρ' ἀξίαν ἐκείνης πταίσματι, ὥστε καὶ τὸ γένος καταισχῦναι καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν προσαπολλύναι τῷ μηδενὸς ἀξίῳ κατεγχειρίσα σαν· μηδὲ γὰρ ἀνθέξειν ὅλως καὶ ὑποσχεῖν ἐκεῖνον ἐπιβρίσασαν ἐκ Τοχάρων 565 δύναμιν, ἣν εἰκὸς ἐπεισπίπτειν ἅμα μὲν πρὸς ἐχθρὸν προφανῆ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων καταφρονούμενον. Ταῦτα λέγων, οὐκ ἀνίει καὶ αὖθις πέμπων τε δυνάμεις ἀγωνιουμένας καὶ τὰ πρὸς καταβολὴν Μαρίας κατασκευαζόμενος. Ὁ τοίνυν Λαχανᾶς πρὸς τὰς τῆς γυναικὸς θρύψεις καὶ ἀπήχθετο καὶ βαρβαρικῶς ἤθελε διαζῆν, τοὺς ἀμφ' αὑτὸν καὶ λίαν ὑποποιούμενος· ἔγνω γὰρ ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐξαρτυομένους πολέμους καὶ τὰς βλακείας μηδὲν οἵας τ' οὔσας κατευνάζειν τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πολέμων κινδύνους, ὥστε καὶ πολλάκις, πρὸς ἐκείνην διαφιλονεικοῦντα, ἐντείνειν πληγάς. Αὐτὸς δέ, κρείττω πάσης ἀσχολίας τὰ κύκλῳ συνανιστά μενα κρίνων, ὑπεποιεῖτό τε τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν Βουλγάρων καὶ πρὸς πολέμους ἡτοιμάζετο τοὺς κατ' ἄμφω· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν οὔτε Τοχάροις διὰ τὰ πραχθέντα σπένδεσθαι οὔτε τοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως ὁπωσοῦν ἀναρτᾶν. Μέντοι γε καὶ καθ' ὅσον ἴσχυεν ἀντιπαρετάττετο, τὸ μὲν ἑκών, τὸ δ' ἄκων· ἀρχὴν γὰρ λαβὼν ἣν οὐκ ἤλπισεν, ἔσπευδε μὴ μόνον ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνιστᾶν. Ἐπιτιθεμένων δ' ἄλλως καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ὁσημέραι, καὶ ἄκων κατηναγκάζετο μάχεσθαι· ᾔδει γὰρ καὶ βάρβαρος ὢν πολεμήσοντα ἐξ ἀνάγκης τὸν μὴ θέλοντα πολεμεῖν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα γοῦν τὰ κατ' ἐκεῖνον εὐώδει παραβολώτερον συμπλεκόμενα. Οὔτε γὰρ οἱ ἀνθιστάμενοι ἴσχυον ὁρμαῖς ἀτακτούσαις ἀντίσχειν, καὶ τὸ διευτο νοῦν κατωρρώδει τὴν ἀπέντευξιν, ὡς μὴ καλῶς χρησομένου τοῦ περιγεγονό τος. Τὸ γὰρ εἰς χεῖρας γενέσθαι τῷ Λαχανᾷ ἶσα καὶ θάνατος ἦν, ἀπηνείας ἕνεκα τῆς ἐσχάτης· βάρβαρα γὰρ ἤθη τὰ ἐκ τύχης ἐλεεινὰ μαλάσσειν οὐκ οἶδεν. Ὅθεν καὶ πολλάκις, ταῖς τόλμαις περιγενόμενοι, παραυτίκα τῷ τῶν δεινῶν ἐλπισμῷ, εἰ ἁλῷεν, συστελλόμενοι, ἀπηντεύκτουν. Πολλαῖς μὲν οὖν ταῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀσὰν δυνάμεσι περιεστοιχίζετο· πλὴν οἱ ἐκεῖθεν ἐνίοτε καὶ ἄκοντες ἁλισκόμενοι ἐν καλοῖς ἦσαν διὰ τὸ προσπίπτειν αὐτίκα, ὡς δῆθεν τυράννου μὲν ἀπαλλαγέντες, βασιλεῖ δὲ προσγιγνόμενοι· τοῖς δ' ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαγομένοις ἐκεῖ πρόσχημά τι οὐκ ἦν ὑπονοηθῆναι τὸ σῷζον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐχθροὶ ἐκολάζοντο.

ηʹ. Ὅπως Μαρία μὲν παρεδόθη βασιλεῖ, Ἀσὰν δὲ Τερνοβίταις παρεδέχθη. Ἐτρίβοντο μὲν οὖν ἐντεῦθεν τὰ πράγματα, ἄλλην δ' ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἦν ἐλπίζεσθαι εἰ μὴ τὴν τοῦ βαρβάρου ἀπαλλαγήν, ἧς καὶ ταχέως 567 ἐξελθόντος ἐπιστάσης· τὸ γὰρ παλίμβολον τῆς τύχης ὅσον οὔπω οὐκ ἦν ἐκφυ γεῖν οὐδ' ἐκεῖνον, καὶ μᾶλλον φυσηθέντα τὸ πᾶν ἐκ τύχης. Ὅθεν καὶ Τοχάρων ἡσσημένος ἠγγέλλετο, καὶ ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν φήμαις ἐμπίπτει Τερνοβί ταις καιρός, ὡρμημένοις πάλαι κατὰ Μαρίας· καὶ ἅμα παιδὶ προδιδόναι ταύτην ἔγνωσαν τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως, τὸν Ἀσὰν δὲ δεσπότην ἐδέχοντο, ὅτι καὶ ἐκ παλαιοῦ οἱ προσῆκε τὰ Βουλγάρων πράγματα. Ἡ μὲν