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not Sphrantzes the grand stratopedarch. And struggling with the disease for a long time, they were departing this life. And horses and mules, and whatever other irrational animal there was, with difficulty escaped dying; for this reason also, out of many, few broke camp having horses. Then, when Arta surrendered, the emperor, on account of the disease, had been left behind there. λζʹ. But the grand domestic, taking an army, came to Thomokastron, which was already being besieged, where also Ni 1.526 kephoros the despot's son, having come from Taranto with the other fugitives, was being besieged while still an infant. And these men, since they were in abundance on account of their command of the sea, as the imperial triremes were not present, were also more disobedient than the others and did not deign to give even a bare word to the besiegers. For even though the grand domestic, in the twenty-two days that passed after his arrival, kept sending some men to them and asking the reason why they were so irreconcilable towards the emperor and would rather endure anything than be subject to him, they offered no defense; partly because they were not being besieged from both land and sea; and partly because they were expecting an alliance to come from the Tarentines, which they thought would break the siege for them by frightening the Romans. And after the twenty-second day, the expected ten triremes and three penteconters came from Taranto; which when the besieged in Thomokastron saw, they were filled with pleasure and celebrated their deliverance and raised a paean from the wall, as if they were already freed from their troubles. But they were in no lesser troubles. For the grand domestic, although encamped near the sea, was not moved in the least, but quietly held to the siege. The Tarentines for their part lay at anchor, keeping away from the land as hostile and making no landing near the city. 1.527 And on the third day later, the grand domestic, suspecting that the morale of those in Thomokastron was giving way, since they had gained nothing from the help of the Tarentines, brought his arguments to them, sending men to discuss. And he said that he was greatly amazed at them, because although being intelligent and knowing how to handle affairs, as it is possible to hear about them—for he had seen few of them during the previous assault—they were now doing things unbecoming to themselves, nor things from which they might best be released from blame. For while he had been encamped around them for twenty-five days and wishing to learn the reason for which being placed under the emperor is considered by them among the things most impossible, they neither offered any defense, nor from what they were doing gave any suspicion that they were using the reasoning of prudent men, by which they would either harm us their enemies or procure for themselves some deliverance from their pains. But that they were suffering the same thing as they say of octopuses, which, whenever they are dragged from their den, if it happens that they seize hold of something, they do not easily let go, until they either leave some part of themselves behind, or tear off some of what they are holding. And that something of this sort was happening with them. For having once said that they would not side with the emperor, they use the same words continuously and accept no change. And yet if they had considered their words about unchangeable matters, it would have some reason to abide by what was decided 1.528 from the beginning; but now it is possible to see that matters do not remain the same even for a single day, but undergo various changes. so that it was necessary for them also to adapt their words concerning these things, just like the affairs themselves, to what is advantageous. And he advised them to send one of the more intelligent among them to him, so that he might suggest what he thought was advantageous for them. And if it should seem advantageous to him too; but if not, at least it would be possible for them to again choose what they think will benefit them. He made such arguments towards them as if through skirmishes; but they, having answered that if it seemed good to them after deliberating, they would send someone on the next day, send Richard, the tutor of Nikephoros, more distinguished and intelligent than the

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μὴ Σφραντζὴς ὁ μέγας στρατοπεδάρχης. ἐπὶ χρόνον δὲ συχνὸν παλαίοντες τῇ νόσῳ, ἀπηλλάττοντο. ἵπποι δὲ καὶ ἡμίονοι, καὶ εἴ τι τῶν ἀλόγων ἕτερον ἦν, χαλεπῶς διέφευγε τὸ ἀποθνήσκειν· διὸ καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ὀλίγοι ἵππους ἔχοντες ἀνέζευξαν. τότε δὲ ἐπεὶ ἡ Ἄρτα προσεχώρησε, βασιλεὺς μὲν διὰ τὴν νόσον καταλέλειπτο ἐκεῖ. λζʹ. Ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος στρατιὰν ἀναλαβὼν ἦλθεν εἰς Θωμόκαστρον καὶ πρότερον πολιορκούμενον, ἔνθα καὶ Νι 1.526 κηφόρος ὁ δεσπότου παῖς ἐκ Τάραντος ἐλθὼν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν φυγάδων ἔτι νήπιος ὢν ἐπολιορκεῖτο. οὗτοι δὲ ἅτε καὶ ἐν ἀφθόνοις ὄντες διὰ τὸ θαλασσοκρατεῖν, τριήρεων οὐ παρουσῶν βασιλικῶν, καὶ δυσπειθέστεροι τῶν ἄλλων μᾶλλον ἦσαν καὶ οὐδὲ λόγου γοῦν ψιλοῦ ἠξίουν τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἐν δύο καὶ εἴκοσιν ἡμέραις, αἳ μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξιν αὐτοῦ παρῆλθον, προσπέμποντος ἀεί τινας αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρομένου, δι' ἣν οὕτως ἀσυμβάτως ἔχουσι πρὸς βασιλέα καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον αἳ ὑπομένειν ἢ ὑπ' αὐτὸν τελεῖν, οὐδεμίαν παρέσχον ἀπολογίαν· ἅμα μὲν καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἑκατέρωθεν γῆς πολιορκεῖσθαι καὶ θαλάσσης· ἅμα δὲ καὶ συμμαχίαν ἐκδεχόμενοι ἐκ Ταραντίνων ἥξειν, ἣν ᾤοντο αὐτοῖς λύσειν τὴν πολιορκίαν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐκφοβήσαντας. μετὰ δὲ τὴν δευτέραν καὶ εἰκοστὴν ἡμέραν ἧκον ἐκ τοῦ Τάραντος αἱ προσδοκώμεναι δέκα τριήρεις καὶ πεντηκόντοροι τρεῖς· ἃς ἰδόντες οἱ πολιορκούμενοι ἐν Θωμοκάστρῳ, ἡδονῆς τε ἦσαν ἔμπλεῳ καὶ σωτήρια ἑώρταζον καὶ ἐπαιάνιζον ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους, ὡς ἤδη τῶν κακῶν ἀπηλλαγμένοι. οἱ δὲ ἦσαν οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἐν ἐλάττοσι κακοῖς. ὁ μέγας μὲν γὰρ δομέστικος καίτοι ἐγγὺς ἐστρατοπεδευμένος τῆς θαλάσσης, οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἐκινήθη, ἀλλ' ἀτρέμας τῆς πολιορκίας εἴχετο. Ταραντῖνοι δὲ ἐπ' ἀγκυρῶν ἐφώρμουν, τῆς τε γῆς ἀπεχόμενοι ὡς πολεμίας καὶ πρὸς τῇ πόλει οὐδεμίαν ποιούμενοι ἀπόβασιν. 1.527 εἰς τρίτην δὲ ἡμέραν ὕστερον ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ὑποπτεύσας τοῖς ἐν Θωμοκάστρῳ τὸ φρόνημα ὑπενδοῦναι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο τῆς βοηθείας Ταραντίνων, προσῆγεν αὐτοῖς τοὺς λόγους προσπέμπων τοὺς διαλεξομένους. ἔφασκέ τε θαυμάζειν μάλιστα αὐτῶν, ὅτι συνετοί τε ὄντες καὶ πράγμασιν εἰδότες χρῆσθαι, ὡς περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκούειν ἔξεστιν, ὀλίγους γὰρ αὐτῶν ἑωρακέναι κατὰ τὴν πρώην τὴν ἔφοδον, νῦν οὐ προσήκοντα ποιοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς, οὐδ' ἐξ ὧν μάλιστα ἂν ἀπολύοιντο αἰτίας. αὐτοῦ γὰρ δὴ ἐπὶ πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν ἡμέραις περικαθημένου καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐθέλοντος μαθεῖν, ἧς ἕνεκα αὐτοῖς τὸ ὑπὸ βασιλεῖ τετάχθαι νομίζεται τῶν πάνυ ἀδυνάτων, μήτε παρέχεσθαι ἀπολογίαν μηδεμίαν, μήτε ἐξ ὧν πράττουσιν ὑποψίαν ἐνδιδόναι, ὡς σωφρόνων ἀνθρώπων χρῶνται λογισμοῖς, ὑφ' ὧν ἢ ἡμᾶς κακώσουσι τοὺς πολεμίους ἢ σφίσι αὐτοῖς πορίσονταί τινα ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν ἀλγεινῶν. ἀλλὰ ταὐτὸν πάσχειν οἷον τοὺς πολύποδάς φασιν, οἳ ἐπειδὰν ἐξέλκωνται τῆς θαλάμης, ἂν συμβαίη τινὸς ἐπιλαβέσθαι, οὐ ῥᾳδίως μεθιᾶσιν, ἄχρις ἂν ἢ ἐπιλείψωσί τι ἑαυτῶν, ἢ παρασπάσωνται τῶν ἡμμένων. τοιοῦτον δή τι συμβαίνειν καὶ περὶ αὐτούς. ἅπαξ γὰρ ὡς οὐ βασιλεῖ προσθήσονται εἰπόντες, τοῖς αὐτοῖς λόγοις χρῶνται διηνεκῶς καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἐπιδέχονται μεταβολήν. καίτοι εἰ μὲν περὶ ἀκινήτων πραγμάτων ἦσαν τοὺς λόγους ἐσκεμμένοι, εἶχεν ἄν τινα λόγον ἐμμένειν τοῖς βεβουλευ 1.528 μένοις ἐξ ἀρχῆς· νῦν δ' ἔξεστι συνορᾷν, ὡς οὐδ' ἐπὶ μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν αὐτῶν μενόντων, ἀλλὰ ποικίλας δεχομένων τὰς μεταβολὰς, ποιοῦνται. ὥστε ἐχρῆν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς περὶ ἐκείνων λόγους ὁμοίως τοῖς πράγμασι μεθαρμόζεσθαι πρὸς τὸ λυσιτελοῦν. παρῄνει τε αὐτοῖς τῶν συνετωτέρων παρ' αὐτοῖς τινα πέμψαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὥστε ἃ αὐτοῖς οἴεται λυσιτελοῦντα ὑποθέσθαι. κἂν μὲν καὶ αὐτῷ συμφέροντα δοκῇ· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀλλ' αὐτοῖς γε ἐξεῖναι πάλιν ἃ ὀνήσειν οἴεται ἑλέσθαι. Τοιούτους μὲν ὥσπερ δι' ἀκροβολισμῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους ἐποιήσατο τοὺς λόγους· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἀποκρινάμενοι ὡς εἰ δοκεῖ αὐτοῖς συμβουλευσαμένοις, πέμψουσί τινα εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν, πέμπουσι Ῥιτζάρδον τὸν Νικηφόρου παιδαγωγὸν ἐπιφανέστερόν τε καὶ συνετώτερον τῶν