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of the experience. But the Grand Domestic, seeing the emperor was now in imminent danger, and perceiving that it was most fitting to take thought for the emperor's children and the empire, approached the Empress Anna as she was wailing and lamenting, and said, "The present moment seems to me to be no time for mourning or for tears. For later we will be able, if God, looking upon us favorably from above, does not deliver us from the expected disaster, to fill ourselves with wailing and tears at our leisure; but for the present it seems to me fitting to ensure the safety of the emperor's children. For I think that no Roman will plot against us, especially while I am alive and present here now; but if indeed something of this sort should happen, it would be better for my concern to be for you alone, and not for everyone at once, both the chil 1.560 dren and the empire." But the empress said that she was amazed at him1.560, if, when such a necessity had arisen, he thought it was among his duties also to ask her, if she wished him to do anything advantageous for the emperor's children and the empire. And she permitted him to neglect nothing of what might seem to him to be of common benefit. And he immediately took John the emperor, the emperor's son, and his brother Michael, and led them to the palace; and after ordering the customary service to be provided for them and a guard for the palace, both from the army those whom he knew to be most loyal to the emperor, and leaving behind about five hundred of his own most faithful servants, and as many Varangians with axes as there were, he himself also spent the night there, providing all possible security for the emperor's children. And on the evening of the fourth day, overcome by the severity of the illness, the emperor died, on the fifteenth of the month of June, in the six thousand eight hundred and forty-ninth year, it being the ninth indiction. 2.11 αʹ. The affairs indeed of the Palaiologan emperors, both the disagreements they had with each other concerning the empire, and all that the younger one, after he had removed the elder from power of the em 2.12 pire, continued to do in his administration, both fighting against the barbarians and against his own people, ended here, and our original plan has reached its conclusion, having reported everything with accuracy and truth as it happened. But since after the death of the younger Andronikos the most grievous war of Romans against one another ever recorded was kindled, which almost overturned and destroyed everything, and rendered the prosperous and great empire of the Romans most weak and, as it were, a shadow of its former self, I thought it necessary also to narrate the events that happened during this war, not only so that future generations might know of what great evils envy is the cause, annihilating not only the envied but also the envious themselves, just as the rust born from iron destroys the iron, but also so that you who are now involved in these affairs may know the truth, and not be misled into believing things that are not so by paying attention to outside rumors, nor to the tales bandied about by those on either side who are either currying favor for themselves or slandering their opponents. And it is worthwhile to pay attention to me with accuracy and not cursorily. For all the others, if indeed there are any who have written about this war, being either completely absent from events, knowing nothing certain about what was happening, have passed on to posterity whatever the common crowd rumored or others reported, such things as they received 2.13 by hearsay, without any regard for the truth. Or if they even campaigned with both emperors, they certainly did not participate in council, nor were they privy to the more secret matters, especially as they were not present for all the events, since the war was continuous and long-lasting; for it lasted for five years; but against me, no one could bring any such charge. For being present myself with the very authors of the deeds, some things I know of myself, and of others accurate knowledge

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τῆς πείρας. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος ὁρῶν ἤδη βασιλέα ἐν χρῷ κινδύνου καθεστῶτα, καὶ συνιδὼν ὡς μάλιστα προσῆκον τῶν βασιλέως παίδων πρόνοιαν ποιήσασθαι καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, Ἄννῃ τῇ βασιλίδι προσελθὼν θρηνούσῃ καὶ ὀδυρομένῃ, «ὁ μὲν παρὼν» εἶπε «καιρὸς οὐ πένθους οὐδὲ δακρύων εἶναι μοι δοκεῖ. ὕστερον γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξέσται, εἰ μὴ θεὸς ἀπαλλάξει τῆς προσδοκωμένης συμφορᾶς ἵλεων ἡμῖν ἄνωθεν ἐπιβλέψας, ὀδυρμῶν καὶ δακρύων ἀναπίμπλασθαι κατὰ σχολήν· τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ προσῆκον ἀσφάλειαν ποιήσασθαι τῶν βασιλέως παίδων. μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ οὐδένα Ῥωμαίων ἐπιβουλεύσειν οἴεσθαι ἡμῖν, μάλιστα ζῶντος ἐμοῦ καὶ παρόντος ἐνθάδε νῦν· εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ τοιοῦτον συμβαίη τι, βέλτιον περὶ σοῦ μόνην εἶναί μοι τὴν φροντίδα, καὶ μὴ πάντων ὁμοῦ καὶ παί 1.560 δων καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς.» ἡ βασιλὶς δὲ θαυμάζειν ἔφασκεν αὐ1.560 τοῦ, εἰ, τοιαύτης ἀνάγκης περιϊσταμένης, ἐνόμισεν εἶναι τῶν δεόντων καὶ αὐτῆς πυνθάνεσθαι, εἴ τι βούλοιτο τῶν συμφερόντων εἰς τοὺς βασιλέως παῖδας πράττειν καὶ τὴν ἀρχήν. ἐπέτρεπέ τε ἃ ἂν αὐτῷ δοκοίη κοινῇ λυσιτελεῖν μηδενὸς ἀμελεῖν. ὁ δ' εὐθὺς Ἰωάννην τε βασιλέα, τὸν βασιλέως υἱὸν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Μιχαὴλ παραλαβὼν, ἤγαγεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια· θεραπείαν τε αὐτοῖς τὴν γινομένην προστάξας εἶναι καὶ φρουρὰν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἔκ τε τῆς στρατιᾶς οὓς μάλιστα ᾔδει εὐνουστάτους τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τοὺς πιστοτάτους τῶν ἰδίων περὶ πεντακοσίους τὸν ἀριθμὸν καταλιπὼν, καὶ τοὺς τοὺς πελέκυς ἔχοντας βαράγγους ὅσοι ἦσαν, καὶ αὐτὸς διενυκτέρευσεν ἐκεῖ, τῶν βασιλέως παίδων τὴν δυνατὴν ἀσφάλειαν ποιούμενος. εἰς ἑσπέραν δὲ τῆς τετάρτης ἡμέρας, τῇ τοῦ νοσήματος ὀξύτητι κατεργασθεὶς, ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ μηνὸς Ἰουνίου ἱσταμένου, τοῦ ἐννάτου καὶ τεσσαρακοστοῦ ἔτους ἐπὶ τοῖς ὀκτακοσίοις καὶ ἑξακισχιλίοις, ἐννάτης οὔσης ἰνδικτιῶνος. 2.11 αʹ. Τὰ μὲν δὴ τῶν Παλαιολόγων βασιλέων, ὅσα τε περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους διηνέχθησαν, καὶ ὅσα καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὁ νέος μετὰ τὸ τὸν πρεσβύτερον τῶν πραγμάτων παῦσαι τῆς ἀρ 2.12 χῆς πρός τε βαρβάρους πολεμῶν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους διετέλεσε πολιτευόμενος, ἐνταῦθα ἐτελεύτησε, καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις ἡμῖν πέρας ἔσχηκεν ἡ ἐξαρχῆς, πάντα σὺν ἀκριβείᾳ καὶ μετὰ ἀληθείας ἀπαγγείλασιν ὡς ἐγένετο. ἐπεὶ δὲ μετὰ τὴν Ἀνδρονίκου τοῦ νέου τελευτὴν ὁ χαλεπώτατος τῶν πώποτε μνημονευομένων τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμος ἀνεῤῥιπίσθη, ὃς ὀλίγου δεῖν πάντα ἀνατέτραφε καὶ διέφθαρκε, καὶ τὴν εὐδαίμονα καὶ μεγάλην τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλείαν ἀσθενεστάτην καὶ ὥσπερ εἴδωλον ἀπέδειξε τῆς προτέρας, ἀναγκαῖον ᾠήθην καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον γεγενημένα ἐξηγήσασθαι, οὐ μόνον ἵν' εἰδεῖεν οἱ μετέπειτα, ὅσων κακῶν αἴτιος ὁ φθόνος, οὐ τοὺς φθονουμένους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξαφανίζων τοὺς φθονοῦντας, ὥσπερ τὸν σίδηρον ὁ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τικτόμενος ἰὸς, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ νῦν τοῖς πράγμασι παρόντες τἀληθὲς εἰδέναι ἔχητε, καὶ μὴ ταῖς ἔξωθεν φήμαις, μηδὲ τοῖς παρ' ἑκατέρων τῶν μερῶν ἢ ἑαυτοῖς χαριζομένοις ἢ τοὺς ἐναντίους διαβάλλουσι προσέχοντες θρυλλουμένοις, παράγησθε δοξάζοντες τὰ μὴ ὄντα. ἄξιον δὲ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐμοὶ προσέχειν καὶ μὴ παρέργως. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι πάντες, εἰ δή τινες εἶεν οἱ συγγραψάμενοι περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου, ἢ παντάπασιν ἀπόντες τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅσα ἢ ὄχλος ὁ δημώδης διεθρύλλει ἤ τινες ἕτεροι ἀπήγγελλον, οὐδὲν σαφὲς εἰδότες περὶ τῶν γινομένων, οἷα παρεδέξαντο 2.13 ταῖς ἀκοαῖς, τοιαῦτα καὶ τοῖς μετέπειτα ἐξέδωκαν μηδὲν φροντίσαντες τῆς ἀληθείας. ἢ εἰ καὶ συνεστρατεύοντο τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἑκατέροις, ἀλλ' οὐ δήπου γε βουλῆς μετεῖχον, οὐδὲ τῶν ἀποῤῥητοτέρων ἦσαν κοινωνοὶ, ἄλλως τε οὐδ' ἐφ' ἅπασι παρόντες τοῖς πραττομένοις, συνεχοῦς καὶ πολυχρονίου γεγενημένου τοῦ πολέμου· ἐπὶ πέντε γὰρ ἔτεσι διήρκεσεν· ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐδεμίαν τινὰ τοιαύτην ἔχοι τις ἂν ἐπενεγκεῖν αἰτίαν. τοῖς γὰρ τῶν πραττομένων αὐτουργοῖς συμπαρὼν αὐτὸς, τὰ μὲν οἶδα παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ, τῶν δὲ ἀκριβῆ τὴν γνῶσιν