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takes him captive, having sworn an oath to the emperor not to look at him at all, nor to deem him worthy of conversation on the journey, yet he nevertheless pleaded many things on his behalf to the emperor, while the latter was pretending that he wished to deprive him of his eyes. 12.7.4 With difficulty, then, the emperor laid bare the pretense by supposedly assenting to his pleas, after extracting many pledges not to make the matter public. After the third day, he ordered him, having had his head and beard shorn close to the skin, to be led through the middle of the agora, and then thus to be brought into the already mentioned tower of Anemas. And since, even while imprisoned, he was senseless, uttering words of madness to the prison guards daily, he was deemed worthy of much attention from the emperor through many intermediaries, so that he might change and show some sign of repentance. But he was the same again, and he frequently sent for my Caesar, having long been on friendly terms with us. And the emperor at that time allowed this to him, on the condition that he might both restore him from his great despondency and advise him for the better. But he seemed slow to change for the better; for this reason therefore he was also imprisoned for a longer time. Then, having been deemed worthy of compassion, he enjoyed such kindness and gifts and honor as never before, such is my emperor in such matters.

12.8.1 Thus, then, having arranged matters concerning the conspirators and the apostate Gregory, he did not forget the matters concerning Bohemond, but having summoned Isaac Contostephanus, he appointed him Grand Duke of the fleet and sent him out to Dyrrachium, threatening him with the putting out of his eyes, if he did not arrive first and prevent Bohemond's crossing to Illyricum. And he sent continuous letters to the duke of Dyrrachium Alexius, his nephew, stimulating and preparing him to be vigilant at all times and to urge the sea-scouts to do the same, so that Bohemond might not cross unnoticed, but that it might be immediately reported to him by letter. 12.8.2 Such were the emperor's actions; but Contostephanus, having been ordered to do nothing else but to guard diligently the strait between Lombardy and to prevent Bohemond's forerunners to Dyrrachium and all his preparations from being conveyed from there to here, and not to allow even the slightest thing to be brought to him from Lombardy at all, on his departure was ignorant of the suitable place for those sailing across from there to Illyricum. Not only this, but also, disregarding what had been commanded, he crossed over to Hydrus, which is a city situated on the coast of Lombardy. A certain woman was guarding this city, the mother, as it was said, of Tancred, whether she was the sister of the often-mentioned Bohemond or not, I cannot perceive; for I do not know clearly whether Tancred possessed his kinship with Bohemond from his father's or his mother's side. 12.8.3 Having arrived there and moored the ships, he made an attempt on the walls [of Brundisium] and already had it in his hands. When the woman inside, being sensible and steadfast in mind, saw this, when he had moored the ships there, having sent for one of her sons, she hastily summoned him. And while the whole naval force had already grown confident, as if holding the city in their hands, and all were making acclamations for the emperor, she too, finding herself in a difficult situation, urged those inside to do the same thing. At the same time, also having sent envoys to Contostephanus, she professed submission to the emperor and promised to make a peace treaty with him, and that she would come out to him to communicate her intentions, so that everything might be reported to the emperor through him. And she contrived such things to hold the mind of Contostephanus in suspense,

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ζωγρίαν ἄγει τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ἐπομοσάμενος μηδὲ θεάσασθαι αὐτὸν τὸ παράπαν, μήτε ὁμιλίας ἀξιῶσαι κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, πολλὰ δὲ ὅμως ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει τὸν αὐτο κράτορα, ἐκείνου ὑποκρινομένου τῶν ὀμμάτων αὐτὸν βού λεσθαι ἀποστερῆσαι. 12.7.4 Μόγις οὖν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὴν ὑπόκρισιν παρεγύμνωσε κατανεύσας δῆθεν ταῖς αὐτοῦ παρακλήσεσι, πολλὰ παρεγγυησάμενος μὴ ἔκφορον τὸν λόγον ποιήσασθαι. Μετὰ δὲ τρίτην ἡμέραν, τὴν ἐν χρῷ κουρείαν κειράμενον τὴν κεφαλήν τε καὶ τὸν πώγωνα διὰ μέσης περιαχθῆναι τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐκέλευσε, κᾆθ' οὕτως εἰς τὸν ἤδη ῥηθέντα πύργον τοῦ Ἀνεμᾶ εἰσαχθῆναι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἔμφρουρος ὢν ἀσύνετος ἦν ἀπονοίας ῥήματα πρὸς τοὺς δεσμοφύλακας ὁσημέραι ἀποφοιβάζων, πολλῆς παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐπιμελείας διὰ μακρῶν ἠξιοῦτο χειρῶν, ὥστε μεταβαλεῖν καὶ μετανοίας ἐνδείξασθαι τρόπον. Ὁ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ αὖθις ἦν, μετεκαλεῖτο δὲ συχνῶς τὸν ἐμὸν καί σαρα πάλαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλίως ἔχων. Καὶ παρεχώρει τούτῳ τηνικαῦτα καὶ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ τῆς πολλῆς αὐτὸν ἀνακτᾶσθαι ἀθυμίας καὶ συμβουλεύειν τὰ λῴονα. Ὁ δὲ βραδὺς πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολὴν ἐφαίνετο· ἔνθεν τοι καὶ ἐπὶ πλείονα καιρὸν ἔμφρουρος ἦν. Εἶτα συμ παθείας ἀξιωθεὶς τοσαύτης φιλοφροσύνης ἀπήλαυε καὶ δωρεῶν καὶ τιμῆς ὁπόσης οὐδὲ πρὸ τοῦ, ὁποῖος ὁ ἐμὸς βασιλεὺς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.

12.8.1 Οὕτω μὲν οὖν τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἐπιβούλους καὶ τὸν ἀποστάτην Γρηγόριον οἰκονομήσας οὐδὲ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ἐλάθετο, ἀλλὰ μεταπεμψάμενος τὸν Κοντοστέφα νον Ἰσαάκιον μέγαν δοῦκα τοῦ στόλου προὐβάλετο καὶ πρὸς τὸ ∆υρράχιον ἐξέπεμψεν ἐπαπειλησάμενος τὴν τῶν ὀφθαλ μῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκκοπήν, εἰ μὴ φθάσας προκαταλάβοι τὴν πρὸς τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν τοῦ Βαϊμούντου διαπεραίωσιν. Πέμπει δὲ καὶ συνεχῆ γράμματα πρὸς τὸν δοῦκα ∆υρραχίου Ἀλέξιον, τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν αὐτοῦ, ἐπαλείφων τοῦτον καὶ παρασκευάζων ἐγρηγορέναι διὰ παντὸς καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπι σκοποῦντας αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖν παρακελεύεσθαι, ὡς μὴ λά θοι ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος διαπεράσας, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς δηλωθῆναί οἱ διὰ γραμμάτων. 12.8.2 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ· ὁ δὲ Κοντοστέφανος ἐντεταλμένον ἔχων μηδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τὸν ἀνα μεταξὺ Λογγιβαρδίας ἐπιμελῶς τηρεῖν πορθμὸν καὶ τοὺς πρὸς τὸ ∆υρράχιον προπομποὺς τοῦ Βαϊμούντου καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν αὐτοῦ παρασκευὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐνθάδε κομισομένους ἀπείργειν καὶ μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν κομίζεσθαί οἱ ἐκ Λογγιβαρδίας παράπαν συγχωρεῖν, ἀπελθὼν ἠγνόησε τὸν ἐπιτήδειον τόπον τῶν ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν διαπλῳζομένων. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραβλεψάμενος τὰ προστεταγμένα εἰς Ὑδροῦντα διαπερᾷ, ὅπερ πόλις ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν παραλίαν τῆς Λογγιβαρδίας διακειμένη. Ταύτην τὴν πόλιν γυνή τις ἐφρούρει, μήτηρ, ὡς ἐλέγετο, τοῦ Ταγγρέ, εἴτε ἀδελφὴ τοῦ ἐν πολλοῖς ἤδη ῥηθέντος Βαϊμούντου εἴτε καὶ μή, συνιδεῖν οὐκ ἔχω· οὐ γὰρ οἶδα σαφῶς εἰ πατρόθεν ἢ μητρόθεν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ὁ Ταγγρὲ συγγένειαν ἐκέκτητο. 12.8.3 Ἐκεῖσε παραγενόμενος καὶ προσορμίσας τὰς νῆας ἀπε πειρᾶτο τῶν [τοῦ Βρεντησίου] τειχῶν καὶ εἰς χεῖρας εἶχεν ἤδη. Ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἡ ἐντὸς οὖσα γυνὴ φρενήρης οὖσα καὶ σταθηρὰ τὴν γνώμην ἐθεάσατο, ὁπηνίκα τὰς ναῦς κεῖθι προσώρμισεν, εἰς ἕνα τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆς ἀποστείλασα σπου δαίως τοῦτον μετεκαλεῖτο. Τοῦ δὲ ναυτικοῦ παντὸς θαρ σήσαντος ἤδη, ὡς ἐν χερσὶ τὴν πόλιν ἔχοντος, καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εὐφημίαν ποιουμένων ἁπάντων, καὶ αὕτη ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ καταστᾶσα ταὐτὸ τοῦτο παρεκελεύετο ποιεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἐντός. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Κοντοστέφανον πρέσβεις ἀποστείλασα, δουλείαν ὡμολόγει τῷ αὐτοκράτορι καὶ εἰρηνικὰς μετ' αὐτοῦ σπονδὰς ὑπισχνεῖτο ποιήσασθαι πρὸς αὐτόν τε ἐξελεύσεσθαι τὰ κατὰ σκοπὸν ἀνακοινωσο μένη, ὡς πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ δηλωθείη τῷ αὐτοκράτορι. Τοιαῦτα δὲ ἐμηχανᾶτο ἀπαιωροῦσα τὸν τοῦ Κοντοστεφά νου λογισμόν,