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leaving the difficult passes and impassable roads as a no-man's land between the two camps, stationing all his loyal men on the ridges with a sufficient force, he devised that new strategy, so that neither could men from here easily go over to Bohemond, nor could letters or greetings be sent from there to these men, by which, for the most part, bonds of affection are usually established. For lack of communication, according to the Stagirite, has dissolved many friendships. 13.4.2 Knowing Bohemond to be a man full of wickedness and energy, he wished to undertake a face-to-face battle against him, as has been said, but he in no way ceased plotting against him by every other means and device. And on account of the reasons already mentioned, although he was very eager for this, this emperor and my father, being long a lover of danger and one who courted it often, since he held reason to be dominant in all things, was eager to overcome him by another method. 13.4.3 For, I think, a general must not always be eager to win a victory for himself by drawing the sword, but at times must also be prepared for cunning, when the occasion and circumstances dictate this, securing victory for himself in every way. For this is most characteristic of generals, as far as we know, not only with swords and battle, but also by turning to treaties; and at other times to overcome the enemy through intrigue, whenever the opportunity for such a thing is at hand. Such a thing the emperor then seems to have contrived. For wishing to cast discord between the counts and Bohemond, and to shake, as it were, their mutual alliance, or to break it apart, he staged such a drama. 13.4.4 Summoning, therefore, Marinus the sebastos from Naples (he was of the family of the Maistromiliani; and although at that time he did not keep his oath to him entirely unadulterated, having been deceived by deceitful words and promises, yet in so far as he had the courage to reveal the secret plan against Bohemond), and at the same time Roger (he was one of the notable Franks) and Peter Aliphas, a man renowned in war who had kept his loyalty to the emperor unshaken throughout. Having summoned these men, he sought counsel as to how, by arranging things well concerning Bohemond, he would overcome him, and he also inquired about those most loyal to Bohemond and how many kindred spirits he had. And having learned about these from them, he said it was necessary to win these men over by every kind of device; "And if this were to happen, through them the common purpose of the Celtic army will be shattered, falling into dissension." He communicated this to the men already mentioned, and from each of them he requested one of their more loyal servants who knew how to keep a secret. And they readily said they would give him the best of their subordinates. 13.4.5 And when the men were present, he staged a drama of this sort. Composing letters as if in reply to some of those closest to Bohemond, as if they had written to him, seeking some familiarity and revealing the secrets of the tyrant's mind, he sent to them, having composed words of thanks, as it were, and approving, perhaps, of the men's goodwill. These were Guy, Bohemond's own brother, and one of the most illustrious men, called Koprisianos, and in addition to these, Richard, and fourth, Principatus, a noble man holding the first rank in Bohemond's army, and several others besides these. To whom the forged letters were sent out. For the emperor had received nothing of the sort from there, neither from Richard nor from any other such person, a note suggesting goodwill and loyalty; but he himself, on his own, fabricated such letters. 13.4.6 He had

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τὰ δύσβατα τέμπη καὶ τὰς ἀδιεξοδεύτους ὁδοὺς μεταίχμιον ἀμφοῖν τοῖν στρατοπέδοιν καταλιπών, τοὺς εὔνους ἅπαντας κατὰ τὰς ἀκρολοφίας μετὰ ἀποχρώσης δυνάμεως καταστή σας, τὴν καινὴν ἐκείνην στρατηγίαν ἐμηχανήσατο, ὡς μήτε τοὺς ἔνθεν πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ῥᾷστα προσχωρεῖν δύνασθαι, μήτ' ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τούτους αὖθις γράμματα φοι τᾶν ἢ προσηγορίας διαπέμπεσθαι, ὑφ' ὧν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ἑδράζεσθαι εἴωθε. Σπάνις γὰρ προσηγορίας κατὰ τὸν Σταγειρίτην πολλὰς φιλίας διέλυσε. 13.4.2 Γινώ σκων δὲ τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ἄνδρα πονηρίας καὶ δραστηριό τητος ἀνάπλεων, ἤθελε μὲν καὶ τὴν κατὰ πρόσωπον πρὸς αὐτὸν μάχην ἀναδέξασθαι, καθά γε καὶ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἑτέρου παντὸς τρόπου καὶ μηχανῆς κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετῶν οὐδαμῶς ἐνεδίδου. ∆ιὰ δὲ τὰς ἤδη ῥηθείσας αἰτίας, καίτοι πολλὰ σφαδάζων πρὸς τοῦτο, φιλοκίνδυνός τε καὶ πυκνοκίν δυνος πάλαι ὢν οὑτοσὶ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ ἐμὸς πατήρ, ἐπεὶ τὸν λόγον εἶχεν ἐν πᾶσι κρατοῦντα, δι' ἑτέρας μεθό δου καταγωνίσασθαι τοῦτον ἔσπευδε. 13.4.3 ∆εῖ γάρ, οἶμαι, τὸν στρατηγὸν οὐκ ἀεὶ διὰ ξιφουλκίας τὴν νίκην ἑαυτῷ σπεύδειν περιποιεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πανουργίαν ἔστιν οὗ εὐτρεπίζεσθαι, ἐπὰν ὁ καιρὸς καὶ τὰ συμπίπτοντα τοῦτο διδόασι, τὴν νίκην ἑαυτῷ πάντοσε περιποιούμενον. Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ στρατηγῶν ἰδιαίτατον, ὅσαπερ ἴσμεν, μὴ μετὰ ξιφῶν καὶ μάχης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς σπονδὰς τρεπο μένων· καὶ ἄλλως ἔστιν οὗ ῥαδιουργοῦντα τὸν ἐχθρὸν κατα γωνίζεσθαι, ὁπηνίκα καὶ τοιούτου καιρὸς παρῇ. Ὁποῖον καὶ τότε ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ φαίνεται σκευωρήσας. Θέλων γὰρ διχόνοιαν ἐμβαλεῖν μεταξὺ τῶν τε κομήτων καὶ τοῦ Βαϊ μούντου, καὶ κατασεῖσαι οἷον τὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους συνασπισ μὸν ἢ διαρρῆξαι, τοιοῦτόν τι δραματουργεῖ. 13.4.4 Μεταπεμ ψάμενος οὖν τὸν ἐκ Νεαπόλεως Μαρῖνον τὸν σεβαστόν (τῶν Μαϊστρομιλίων οὗτος ὑπῆρχε τὸ γένος· κἂν μὴ πάνυ τὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅρκον ἀνόθευτον τότε ἐτήρει, ἀπατηλοῖς ἐξα πατηθεὶς λόγοις καὶ ὑποσχέσεσιν, ἀλλ' ὅσῳ γε τὰ πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ἀποκαλύψαι αὐτῷ τὸ ἀπόρρητον τεθάρρηκεν), ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὸν Ῥογέρην (τῶν ἐπιφανῶν δὲ οὗτος Φράγγων) καὶ τὸν Πέτρον Ἀλίφαν, ἄνδρα κατὰ πόλεμον περιβόητον καὶ τὴν ὡς πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα πίστιν ἀκράδαντον δι' ὅλου τηρήσαντα. Τούτους μετακαλεσάμενος, βουλὴν ἐζήτει ὅπως τὰ κατὰ τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον εὖ διαθέμενος καταγωνιεῖται αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν εὐνουστέρων τῷ Βαϊμούντῳ καὶ ὁπόσους ἐκεῖνος ἰσοψύχους ἔχει διηρώτα. Καὶ περὶ τούτων μαθὼν ἐξ αὐτῶν, δεῖν ἔλεγεν ὑποποιήσασθαι τούτους διὰ παντοίας μηχανῆς· «Καὶ εἰ τοῦτο γένοιτο, δι' ἐκείνων καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ κελτικοῦ στρατεύματος διαρραγήσεται εἰς διψυχίαν ἐμπεσόν.» Ἀνακοινοῦται τοῦτο τοῖς ἤδη ῥηθεῖσι, καὶ ἐξ ἑκάστου τούτων ἕνα αἰτεῖται τῶν εὐνουσ τέρων θεραπόντων καὶ ἐχεμυθεῖν ἐπισταμένων. Οἱ δὲ ἑτοίμως τοὺς κρείττονας τῶν ὑπηκόων αὐτῷ ἔφησαν δοῦ ναι. 13.4.5 Καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, δραματουργεῖ τι τοιοῦτον. Γράμματα συνθέμενος ὥσπερ ἀμοιβαῖα πρός τινας τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον οἰκειοτάτους, ὡς δῆθεν ἐκείνων γεγραφότων πρὸς τοῦτον καὶ οἰκειότητά τινα μνη στευομένων καὶ τὰ ἀπόρρητα τῆς τοῦ τυράννου γνώμης ἐξαγορευόντων, πέμπει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ εὐχαριστηρίους λόγους συντάξας καὶ ἀποδεξάμενος τάχα τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν εὔνοιαν. Ἦσαν δὲ οὗτοι ὅ τε Γίδος, ὁ τοῦ Βαϊμούντου αὐτάδελφος, καί τις τῶν ἐνδοξοτάτων ἀνδρῶν, Κοπρισίανος καλούμενος, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὁ Ῥικάρδος, καὶ τέταρτος ὁ Πριγκιπάτος, ἀνὴρ γενναῖος καὶ τὰ πρῶτα φέρων ἐν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ Βαϊμούντου, καὶ ἕτεροι πλείους τούτων. Πρὸς οὓς τὰ ἐπίπλαστα γράμματα ἐξεπέμπετο. Ἐκεῖθεν μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐδέδεκτο τοιοῦτον ὁ βασιλεύς, οὔτε παρὰ Ῥικάρδου οὔτε παρ' ἄλλου τινὸς τοιούτου, εὔνοιαν καὶ πίστιν ὑπαγο ρεῦον γραμμάτιον· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν γραμμάτων ἐπλάττετο. 13.4.6 Εἶχε