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the Doukas John would be willing to allow them to depart unharmed for their homes, if they would surrender Smyrna to him without bloodshed and without a fight. The Doukas therefore at that time agreed to the proposal of Tzachas, promising to fulfill everything according to his aim. So, after sending them away from there in peace, he entrusted the full authority of Smyrna to Kaspax. But something of this sort happened by chance. 11.5.4 As Kaspax was returning from the Doukas John, a certain Smyrnaean approached him, complaining that five hundred gold staters had been taken from him by a Saracen. He ordered them to be brought to be judged; but as the Syrian was being dragged along, thinking he was being led away to be killed, and despairing of his own safety, he drew a sword and thrust it into the bowels of Kaspax; then turning around, he also struck his kinsman on the thigh. And when great confusion arose over this, the Saracen escaped, and all the men of the fleet with their oarsmen entered the city in a disorderly manner and mercilessly killed everyone. And it was a pitiful sight to see, as about ten thousand were killed in a brief moment of time. And the Doukas John, greatly grieved by the murder of Kaspax, for a considerable time was again wholly occupied with the care of the fortress. So going out and inspecting the walls and having carefully ascertained the disposition of the inhabitants from those who knew, since there was need of a noble man, he appointed Hyaleas, whom he knew to be the best of the others, as doukas of Smyrna; and this was a warlike man. 11.5.5 And leaving the entire fleet for the defense of Smyrna, he himself took up his forces and marched towards Ephesus, which was held by the satraps Tangripermes and Marakes. When the barbarians saw him rushing against them, they armed themselves and, forming a battle array in the plain outside the fortress, drew up their phalanxes. The doukas, without the slightest delay, charged against them with military order. When the clash of battle occurred, the greater part of the day had passed; and as both sides were fighting and the battle was evenly poised, the Turks turned their backs and were routed completely. Many were killed at that time, and not only the common soldiers were captured, but also most of the satraps themselves, so that the number of the captured amounted to two thousand. When the emperor learned of this, he ordered them to be dispersed among the islands. The remaining Turks, departing by way of the river Maeander towards Polybotos, became contemptuous, having completely given up on the Doukas. But it was not so; leaving Petzeas as doukas of this city, he himself took up the entire army and immediately marched behind them, not in disorder, but orderly and as a most experienced general ought to proceed against the enemy, in accordance with the emperor's instructions. 11.5.6 The Turks, however, as has been said, having journeyed by way of the Maeander and the cities lying alongside it, reached Polybotos. But the doukas did not pursue them on their heels, but by taking the shorter route, he seized both Sardis and Philadelphia by a raid, entrusting their garrison to Michael Kekaumenos. And taking Laodicea, and when all immediately came over to him, he treated them as deserters and, being confident, allowed them to inhabit their own homes freely without even appointing a governor. From there, passing through Choma, he took Lampe and there also he appointed Eustathios Kamytzes as general. And having arrived at Polybotos, he came upon a great multitude of Turks, and falling upon them as they were just setting down their baggage, he immediately joined battle and won a complete victory, killing many and taking much booty, proportional to their numbers.

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αὐτοῖς ὁ ∆ούκας Ἰωάννης θελήσει ὥστε παραχωρῆσαι ἀπαθεῖς κακῶν πρὸς τὰ οἴκοι τούτους ἐπαναζεῦξαι, ἀναιμωτὶ καὶ μάχης ἄτερ τὴν Σμύρνην αὐτῷ παραδοῦναι. Συντίθεται τοίνυν ὁ ∆ούκας τηνικαῦτα τῇ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ γνώμῃ τὰ κατὰ σκοπὸν ἅπαντα πληρῶσαι ὑποσχόμενος. Μετ' εἰρήνης οὖν ἐκεῖθεν αὐτοὺς ἀπελάσας, τῷ Κάσπακι τὴν πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν τῆς Σμύρνης ἀνέθετο. Γίνεται δέ τι κατὰ συντυχίαν τοιοῦτον. 11.5.4 Τοῦ Κάσπακος ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ούκα Ἰωάννου ὑποστρέφοντος, προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ Σμυρναῖός τις διεγκαλῶν ἀφαιρεθῆναι παρά του Σαρακηνοῦ χρυσίνους πεντακοσίους στατῆρας. Ὁ δὲ ἀχθῆναι τούτους κριθησομένους ἐπέ ταξεν· ὡς δ' ὁ Σύρος εἵλκετο, νομίσας ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ ἀναιρε θῆναι ἄγεται, καὶ ἀπογνοὺς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας, σπασά μενος μάχαιραν, κατὰ τῶν σπλάγχνων τοῦ Κάσπακος ὠθεῖ· ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ πλήττει καὶ τὸν τούτου ὁμαίμονα περὶ τὸν μηρόν. Συγχύσεως δ' ἐπὶ τούτῳ γενομένης πολλῆς, ὁ μὲν Σαρακηνὸς ἀποδιδράσκει, οἱ δὲ τοῦ στόλου ἅπαντες σὺν αὐτοῖς ἐρέταις εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀτάκτως εἰσῄεσαν καὶ πάν τας ἀνηλεῶς ἀπέκτανον. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν θέαμα ἐλεεινὸν ὡσεὶ δέκα χιλιάδας ἀποκτανθέντας ἐν ὀξείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ. Ὁ δὲ ∆ούκας Ἰωάννης, περιαλγήσας ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Κάσπακος ἀναιρέσει, ἐφ' ἱκανὸν ὅλος αὖθις τῆς τοῦ κάστρου φροντί δος ἐγεγόνει. Ἐξελθὼν τοίνυν καὶ περιαθρήσας τὰ τείχη τάς τε τῶν ἐποίκων γνώμας παρὰ τῶν εἰδότων ἀκριβωσά μενος, ἐπεὶ χρεία γενναίου ἦν ἀνδρός, τὸν Ὑαλέαν, φέρι στον τῶν ἄλλων εἰδώς, δοῦκα τῆς Σμύρνης κατέστησεν· ἀνὴρ δὲ οὗτος ἀρειμάνιος. 11.5.5 Καταλιπὼν δὲ καὶ τὸ ναυτικὸν ἅπαν εἰς φυλακὴν τῆς Σμύρνης, αὐτὸς τὰς δυνάμεις ἀναλαβόμενος πρὸς τὴν Ἐφεσίων ἤλαυνε παρὰ τοῦ Ταγγριπερμῆ καὶ τοῦ Μαράκη τῶν σατραπῶν κατεχο μένην. Τοῦτον θεασάμενοι οἱ βάρβαροι κατ' αὐτῶν ἱέμενον, ὁπλισάμενοι καὶ σχῆμα πολέμου περὶ τὴν ἔξω τοῦ κάστρου πεδιάδα διατυπώσαντες τὰς φάλαγγας ἔστησαν. Ὁ δὲ δοὺξ μηδὲ μικρόν τι μελλήσας σὺν εὐταξίᾳ στρατιωτικῇ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐξώρμησε. Τῆς γοῦν συμβολῆς τοῦ πολέμου γεγονυίας τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας παρῳχήκει· μαχομένων δ' ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν καὶ τῆς μάχης οὔσης ἀμφιρρεποῦς οἱ Τοῦρκοι τὰ νῶτα ὑποσχόντες τρέπονται κατὰ κράτος. Κτείνονται δὲ τηνικαῦτα πολλοί, ἁλίσκονται δὲ οὐ τῶν τυχαίων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν σατραπῶν οἱ πλείους, ὡς συμποσοῦσθαι τοὺς ἑαλωκότας εἰς χιλιάδας δύο. Περὶ ὧν μεμαθηκὼς ὁ βασιλεὺς διασπαρῆναι τούτους εἰς τὰς νήσους προσέταξεν. Οἱ δὲ καταλειφθέντες τῶν Τούρκων, διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Μαιάνδρου πρὸς τὸ Πολυβοτὸν ἀπερχό μενοι, καταφρονητικῶς διετέθησαν τὸν ∆ούκαν τέλεον ἀπελπίσαντες. Τὸ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν Πετζέαν δοῦκα ταυτησὶ τῆς πόλεως καταλιπών, αὐτὸς τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν ἀναλαβόμενος παραυτίκα ὄπισθεν οὐ φύρδην, ἀλλ' εὐτάκτως καὶ ὡς ἐχρῆν ἐμπειρότατον στρατηγὸν κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἰέναι, ἤλαυνε κατὰ τὰς ὑποθημοσύνας τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. 11.5.6 Οἱ μέντοι Τοῦρκοι, καθά γε εἴρηται, διά τε Μαιάνδρου καὶ τῶν παρακειμένων αὐτῷ πόλεων ὁδεύσαντες, καταλαμβάνουσι τὸ Πολυβοτόν. Ὁ δὲ δοὺξ οὐ κατὰ πόδας τούτους ἐδίωκεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν συντομωτέραν ὁδεύσας τάς τε Σάρδεις καὶ τὴν Φιλαδέλφειαν ἐξ ἐπιδρο μῆς κατέσχε, τὴν τούτων φρουρὰν Μιχαὴλ τῷ Κεκαυμένῳ πιστεύσας. Καταλαβὼν δὲ τὴν Λαοδίκειαν, καὶ πάντων παραυτίκα προσεληλυθότων αὐτῷ, αὐτοῖς μὲν ὡς αὐτο μόλοις χρησάμενος καὶ τεθαρρηκὼς ἀνετῶς τὰ σφέτερα κατοικεῖν εἴασε μηδὲ ἡγεμόνα ἐπιστήσας. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ διὰ τοῦ Χώματος διελθὼν τὴν Λάμπην κατέλαβε κἀν ταύτῃ καὶ τὸν Καμύτζην Εὐστάθιον στρατηγὸν ἐπέστησεν. Ἐφθακὼς δὲ εἰς τὸ Πολυβοτὸν καταλαμβάνει Τούρκων πλῆθος πολύ, καὶ ἐπεισπεσὼν αὐτοῖς ἄρτι τὰς σκευὰς κατατιθεμένοις ξυμβαλὼν παραυτίκα νικᾷ κατὰ κράτος, καὶ κτείνει μὲν πολλούς, ἀναλαμβάνει δὲ λείαν πολλὴν καὶ τοῦ πλήθους ἀνάλογον.