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without considering anything else, he ordered the trumpeters to sound the war-cry. The suddenness threw the barbarians into confusion, but even so they stood in counter-array, and as the Romans advanced upon them, they did not attack in return, but began to fall back, neither turning their backs nor, however, fighting. But when the day became late afternoon, the emperor, knowing that the guard around the camp was not considerable, and fearing that if the enemy attacked 701 it would be plundered, decided to break off the battle and return to the rampart. Therefore, turning back the imperial standard, he himself began to return and signaled for the army to do the same. So those around him carried out the order without commotion. But those who held their formations somewhere far off supposed the emperor's turning back to be a flight, with Andronikos, the son of the Caesar, having suggested this story to the phalanxes. For the Caesar and his sons were always lying in wait for the emperor and plotting against him secretly. So Andronikos immediately departed with those around him (for he commanded no small division of soldiers) and returned at full speed to the rampart. This turned the rest to flight as well, and when the emperor saw them returning so disorderly, he stopped, and ordered those who were departing to stop as well. But they were all deafened and did not give up their flight. And when the enemies perceived the unexpected disaster of the Romans' flight and the divine wrath, they immediately attacked the emperor. He, with those around him, received the attack, and for a time they held out bravely, then with some having fallen and others having been captured, the emperor was surrounded by the barbarians; but not even so did he give in. And after striking 702 and killing many, he too was struck in the hand, and so, growing weary and no longer able to defend himself against his attackers nor, however, to flee, his horse having already fallen from the arrows, he was captured, and the emperor of the Romans was led away captive to the barbarians. And when the capture of the emperor was announced to the sultan, it caused him joy, as was likely, but it did not, however, puff him up so as to become arrogant; his name was Axan, of whom many tales are sung for his justice and moderation. Wherefore he even disbelieved the capture of the emperor on account of the immensity of the good fortune. And seeing him, he did not accept the matter as credible until the ambassadors sent by him recognized him and Basilakes, who was being held there, saw him and threw himself down at his feet, wailing. Then he both leaped from his throne as if inspired and, having placed him on the ground and stepped on him, as is the custom, he raised him up and embraced him and said, "Do not grieve, Emperor; for such are human affairs; and I shall treat you not as a captive, but as an emperor." And immediately he assigns him a tent and imperial 703 attendance, and shares his table, having made him share his throne, he releases to him as many of the captives as he asked, and so for some days, having conversed and lived with the man and honored him exceedingly, then also having made treaties for perpetual peace and having made a promise of a marriage alliance for their children, he allowed Diogenes to depart with as great an escort and honor as one would not have hoped for. And he, going away to Theodosiopolis dressed in barbarian style (for the sultan had provided him with his own robes), both stayed there and had his hand treated, and changed his attire to the more Roman style. And from there he proceeded on his return, bringing with him ambassadors of the sultan as well. But he was thus returning; and when his capture was announced at the palace, those concerned with these matters fell into disagreement. For some were giving the authority to the empress again, while others were voting the whole to the eldest of her sons, and others were assigning a joint rule to both mother and son. But in the midst of these things, it is announced that Diogenes has been released from captivity; and a letter in his own hand is also brought, informing of the things that had happened to him. 704 This raised a greater clamor, and perplexity seized everyone as to what should be done. At any rate, the Caesar John and his sons, always, as has been said, bearing a grudge against Diogenes, seize the opportunity and

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μήθ' ἕτερόν τι σκοπήσας τοῖς σαλπιγκταῖς ἐκέλευσεν ἠχῆσαι τὸ ἐνυάλιον. τοὺς δὲ βαρβάρους τὸ αἰφνίδιον διεθρόησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως εἰς ἀντιπαράταξιν ἔστησαν καὶ ἐπιόντων αὐτοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων οὐκ ἀντεπῄεσαν, ἀλλ' ἀνεχάζοντο, μήτε τὰ νῶτα τρέποντες μήτε μέντοι μαχόμενοι. ὡς δὲ περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν ἡ ἡμέρα ἐγένετο, εἰδὼς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅτι φυλακὴ περὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον οὐκ ἦν ἀξιόλογος, καὶ δείσας μὴ ἐπελ701 θόντων τῶν ἐναντίων αὐτῷ διαρπαγῇ, ἔγνω τὴν μάχην λῦσαι καὶ ἐπαναζεῦξαι περὶ τὸν χάρακα. ἐπιστρέψας οὖν τὴν βασιλικὴν σημαίαν αὐτός τ' ἐπανῄει καὶ τῇ στρατιᾷ ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν διεσήμαινεν. οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες ἀθορύβως ἐποιοῦντο τὸ κελευσθέν. ὅσοι δὲ πόρρω ποι τὰς παρατάξεις ἐκέκτηντο, φυγὴν τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ὑποστροφὴν ὑπετόπασαν, Ἀνδρονίκου τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Καίσαρος τὸν λόγον ὑποβαλόντος ταῖς φάλαγξιν. ἀεὶ γὰρ ὅ τε Καῖσαρ καὶ οἱ τούτου υἱεῖς ἐφήδρευον τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἀφανῶς ἐπεβούλευον. ἄρας οὖν αὐτίκα μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἀνδρόνικος (ἐξῆρχε γὰρ οὐκ ἐλαχίστης μοίρας στρατιωτῶν) ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος ἐπανελήλυθεν εἰς τὸν χάρακα. τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐτρέψατο εἰς φυγήν, οὓς οὕτως ἀκόσμως ἐπανιόντας ὁ βασιλεὺς θεασάμενος ἔστη, στῆναι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀπιοῦσιν ἐνεκελεύετο. ἀλλ' ἐξεκεκώφεισαν ἅπαντες καὶ τῆς φυγῆς οὐ μεθίεντο. ὡς δὲ τὸ παράλογον τῆς φυγῆς δυστύχημα τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ μήνιμα θεῖον ἔγνωσαν οἱ πολέμιοι, εὐθὺς ἐπῆλθον τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὁ δὲ μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν τὴν μάχην ἐδέξατο, καὶ μέχρι μέν τινος ἐρρωμένως ἀντεῖχον, εἶτα τῶν μὲν πεσόντων, ἑαλωκότων δ' ἑτέρων, περιεστοιχίσθη πρὸς τῶν βαρβάρων ὁ βασιλεύς· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐνέδωκε. πολ702 λοὺς δὲ πλήξας καὶ ἀνελὼν ἐπλήγη κἀκεῖνος τὴν χεῖρα καὶ οὕτως ἀποκαμὼν καὶ μηκέτι ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς ἐπιόντας δυνάμενος μήτε μέντοι φυγεῖν, ἤδη τοῦ ἵππου αὐτῷ πεπτωκότος ἐκ τῶν βελῶν, ἑάλω καὶ ἀπῆκτο τοῖς βαρβάροις ὁ βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίων αἰχμάλωτος. ἀγγελθεῖσα δὲ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἅλωσις τῷ σουλτάνῳ χαρὰν μέν, ὡς εἰκός, ἐνεποίησεν, οὐ μέντοι ἐπῆρεν αὐτὸν ὥστε καὶ ὑψηλοφρονῆσαι· Ἄξαν ἐκεῖνος ὠνόμαστο, οὗ πολλὰ ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ μετριοφροσύνῃ ᾄδονται διηγήματα. ὅθεν ἠπίστει καὶ τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἁλώσει διὰ τὸ τοῦ εὐτυχήματος ἄκρατον. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν οὐ πρότερον πιστὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐδέξατο, ἕως καὶ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ σταλέντες πρέσβεις αὐτὸν ἀνεγνώρισαν καὶ ὁ Βασιλάκης ἐκεῖ κατεχόμενος καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ θρηνῶν κατέβαλεν ἑαυτόν. τότε δὲ τοῦ θρόνου τε ἀνεπήδησεν ὥσπερ ἔνθους καὶ τεθέντα κατὰ γῆς, ὡς ἔθος, πατήσας αὐτὸν ἀνέστησε καὶ περιεπτύξατο καί "μὴ λυποῦ, βασιλεῦ" ἔφη· "τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα· ἐγὼ δέ σοι οὐχ ὡς αἰχμαλώτῳ, ἀλλ' ὡς βασιλεῖ σοι προσενεχθήσομαι." καὶ αὐτίκα σκηνὴν αὐτῷ ἀποτάττει καὶ θεραπείαν 703 βασίλειον, κοινωνεῖ τε τραπέζης, ὁμόθρονον ἑαυτῷ ποιησάμενος, λύει τῶν αἰχμαλώτων αὐτῷ ὁπόσους ᾔτησε, καὶ οὕτως ἐφ' ἡμέραις τισὶ συνομιλήσας καὶ συνδιαιτηθεὶς τῷ ἀνδρὶ καὶ τιμήσας ὑπερβαλλόντως, εἶτα καὶ συνθήκας θέμενος ἐπὶ εἰρήνῃ διηνεκεῖ καὶ κήδους ὑπόσχεσιν ἐπὶ παισὶ ποιησάμενος ἀφῆκε τὸν ∆ιογένην ἀπιέναι μεθ' ὅσης οὐκ ἄν τις ἤλπισε δορυφορίας τε καὶ τιμῆς. ὁ δὲ εἰς Θεοδοσόπολιν ἀπελθὼν ἐσταλμένος βαρβαρικῶς (ὁ γὰρ σουλτὰν οἰκείας αὐτῷ παρέσχε στολάς) τήν τε χεῖρα ἐκεῖ προσμείνας ἐθεραπεύετο καὶ τὴν ἀμφίασιν πρὸς τὸ ῥωμαϊκώτερον μεθηρμόζετο. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ προῄει ἐπανιών, ἄγων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ πρέσβεις τοῦ σουλτάν. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν οὕτως ἐπανῄει· τῆς δ' ἁλώσεως αὐτοῦ ἀγγελθείσης εἰς τὰ βασίλεια ἐν διχονοίᾳ οἱ περὶ ταῦτα γεγόνασιν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῇ βασιλίσσῃ καὶ αὖθις τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐδίδοσαν, οἱ δὲ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῶν ταύτης υἱέων τὸ ξύμπαν ἐπεψηφίζοντο, οἱ δὲ κοινοπραξίαν τῇ τε μητρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱέϊ ἀπένεμον. Ἐν τούτοις δὲ λυθεὶς τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ὁ ∆ιογένης ἀπαγγέλλεται· κομίζεται δὲ καὶ ἰδιόγραφος ἐκείνου ἐπιστολὴ τὰ αὐτῷ 704 συμβεβηκότα διδάσκουσα. τοῦτο μείζονα θροῦν ἦρε, καὶ ἀπορία πάντας εἷλε τοῦ τί ἂν δέοι δρᾶν. ὁ γοῦν Καῖσαρ Ἰωάννης καὶ οἱ ἐκείνου υἱοὶ ἀεί, ὡς εἴρηται, ἐγκοτοῦντες τῷ ∆ιογένει ἁρπάζουσι τὸν καιρὸν καὶ