192

all of them with him. But Romophortos, understanding the plot, entrusted the battle to ambushes, and having joined battle, he won a decisive victory, so that Berenger fell, and Farenta was ingloriously captured, then again was released by Romophortos. But Farenta Tzimes, despairing of everything, like some wanderer and captive, deserted to the domesticus towards Xantheia; who, having been recognized with difficulty, was saved. However, those apart from the ones who had fallen in the war submitted to Romophortos, and thus he departed for Thessaly. But let these things be brought about as is dear to God. And may it be brought about according to good hopes, and as the confidence of the emperor holds. However, the entire history of the thirteen books contains a period of only fifty years, during which time the emperor Andronikos also passed through the same period of his life.

192

σύμπαντες τούτῳ. ὁ δὲ Ῥομοφόρτος συνεὶς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐνέδραις τὴν μάχην ἐπίστευσεν, καὶ πόλεμον προσαράξας κατὰ κράτος νικᾷ, ὡς πεσεῖν μὲν Μπυριγέριον, τὸν δέ γε Φαρέντα ἀκλεῶς ἁλῶναι, εἶτ' αὖθις ἀπολυθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Ῥομοφόρτου. ὁ δὲ Φαρέντα Τζιμῆς ἀπογνοὺς τοῖς ὅλοις, ὥσπερ τις πλανήτης καὶ αἰχμάλωτος αὐτομολεῖ τῷ δομεστίκῳ πρὸς Ξάνθειαν· ὃ καὶ μόλις γνωσθὲν περισώζεται. οἱ μέντοι γε παρὰ τοὺς ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πεσόντας προσέπεσον Ῥομοφόρτῳ, καὶ οὕτω πρὸς Θετταλίαν ἀπῇρεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μέν, ὅπῃ θεῷ φίλον, ἀγέσθω. ἄγοιτο δὲ κατ' ἐλπίδας χρηστάς, καὶ ὡς ἡ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἔχει πεποίθησις. ἡ μέντοι γε συνόλη ἱστορία τῶν δεκατριῶν λόγων περιέχει χρόνους δέοντος μόνου πεντήκοντα, καθ' ὃν καιρὸν καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀνδρόνικος τὸν αὐτὸν τῆς ἡλικίας παρίππευε χρόνον.