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he had been appointed commander of the fleet and had an abundance of naval power, having put the young emperor John on one of the triremes, without the knowledge of the empress, his mother, to bring him to the tower near Byzantium previously built by him, 2.71 being very strong both in height and in the strength of its walls, called Epibatai; and there, guarding the emperor with his kinsmen and closest associates, to make treaties with the empress, so that he himself and his kinsmen and the others with him would enjoy the first honors among the Romans and be masters of whatever lands and cities might seem good to them, and to lack nothing in the way of good fortune; but not even so to release the emperor from the fortress, but holding him as a hostage, to join him in marriage to one of his daughters. So he was both planning such things and had already set out to do them. But when one of those in the know reported it to the empress, and since a guard already surrounded the emperor and he himself realized he had been found out, he fled and went to Epibatai, escaping the danger from his actions, as was likely. When the grand domestic learned of such things, although he was preparing for a campaign, nevertheless he sent Manuel Tarchaneiotes, who was also called Kourtikes, with a few soldiers, and ordered him to encamp and guard Epibatai from the outside, until he himself should arrive. And sending to Apokaukos, he inquired if the things rumored about him were true. And he said he was being slandered; but fearing lest he be destroyed by slander before the truth should appear upon investigation, he was providing for his own safety from the means available, having shut himself 2.72 up in the fortress. And he advised him to take from him an example of the unexpected reversals of fortune. For he said that he had suggested such things to him before, even if he did not persuade him, advising what was advantageous, and now he was advising no less, having from the events themselves the proof of the benefit of his words, and having chosen one of the fortresses under his command—and there were many—the one that was most suitably situated for advantages of both land and sea, to make it very strong with man-made constructions, so that if anything unexpected should happen, he might have a retreat and an escape from dangers. And he begged him, if not before, at least now to be persuaded by him, as he was well-disposed towards him, and not to disregard the counsel. For even now for himself, although the things said against him were false, there was no other means of safety than the tower, to which he fled escaping the danger. But if the things said happened to be true, it would either have assisted in the bold deed or have rescued him from death when discovered. Apokaukos, therefore, gave such advice; but the grand domestic, sending to him again, said that concerning the things spoken against him, he himself most wished that they were not true, just as he himself indeed insists. For in this way he would be proven loyal to the emperor, and the slanderers convicted of being that very thing which they are. But if, on the other hand, deceived by empty hopes, 2.73 which indeed has happened to many, he strayed from what was proper, and conceived things neither possible nor fitting for him, he ought not on account of these things to choose war against the emperor, trusting in walls, from which there will be no further benefit. But having blamed himself for his former actions, as one who had counselled badly, he should present himself as better in what follows and keep his proper station and ask to receive pardon for his mistakes. For it is better not to err in the first place; but if it should happen, the second best thing is for one to correct oneself by desisting from evil deeds. And since he himself will be present very soon, whom he himself was accustomed to call his own physician, having many remedies for each one's respective illnesses, if he himself were willing, the healing of his wounds would be easy for him. For indeed the chamberlain, among the other things by which he addressed the grand domestic, was also accustomed to call him his own physician, as one who had often snatched him from the many dangers that surrounded him and had healed him when he was in a bad way

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κεχειροτόνητο στόλου στρατηγὸς καὶ δυνάμεως εὐπόρει ναυτικῆς, βασιλέα τὸν νέον Ἰωάννην εἰς μίαν τῶν τριήρεων ἐνθέμενος, ἀγνοούσης βασιλίδος τῆς μητρὸς, εἰς τὸν περὶ Βυζάντιον πρότερον αὐτῷ πύρ 2.71 γον ᾠκοδομημένον ὀχυρώτατον ὄντα ὕψει τε καὶ καρτερότητι τειχῶν Ἐπιβάτας προσαγορευόμενον ἀγαγεῖν· ἐκεῖ δὲ μετὰ τῶν συγγενῶν καὶ τῶν οἰκειοτάτων βασιλέα φρουρῶν, σπονδὰς τίθεσθαι πρὸς βασιλίδα, ὥστε αὐτὸν μὲν καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς συνόντας τιμὰς τὰς παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις πρώτας καρποῦσθαι καὶ χωρῶν εἶναι καὶ πόλεων κυρίους, ὁποίων ἂν δόξειεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν εἰς εὐτυχίας λόγον· βασιλέα δὲ οὐδ' οὕτως ἀπολύειν τοῦ φρουρίου, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὅμηρον κατέχοντα, μιᾷ τῶν θυγατέρων ἐπὶ γάμῳ προσαρμόζειν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτά τε διενοεῖτο καὶ ὥρμητο ἤδη πράττειν. τῶν συνειδότων δέ τινος βασιλίδι ἀπαγγείλαντος, ἐπεὶ βασιλέα τε ἤδη περιΐστατο φρουρὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔγνω φωραθεὶς, ᾤχετο φυγὼν εἰς Ἐπιβάτας, τὸν ἐκ τῶν πραττομένων, ὥσπερ ἦν εἰκὸς, κίνδυνον διαδιδράσκων. περὶ τῶν τοιούτων δὴ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος μαθὼν, καίτοι πρὸς τὴν ἐκστρατείαν παρασκευαζόμενος, ὅμως τὸν Ταρχανειώτην Μανουὴλ, τὸν καὶ Κουρτίκην προσαγορευόμενον, μετὰ στρατιωτῶν ὀλίγων πέμψας, ἐκέλευεν Ἐπιβάτας ἔξωθεν φρουρεῖν ἐστρατοπεδευμένον, ἄχρις ἂν ἀφίκηται αὐτός. πέμψας δὲ καὶ πρὸς Ἀπόκαυκον, ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ ἀληθῆ τὰ θρυλλούμενα εἴη περὶ αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ ἔφασκε μὲν συκοφαντεῖσθαι· δείσας δὲ, μὴ φθάσῃ διαφθαρεὶς ὑπὸ διαβολῆς πρὶν διερευνώμενα φανῆναι τἀληθῆ, τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων ἑαυτῷ πορίζειν, κατα 2.72 κλείσαντα ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ. συνεβούλευέ τε παράδειγμα τῶν ἀπροσδοκήτων τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολῶν λαμβάνειν ἐξ αὐτοῦ. καὶ πρότερόν τε γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑποτίθεσθαι ἔφασκεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἔπειθε, συμβουλεύων τὰ λυσιτελῆ, καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν ἧττον συμβουλεύειν, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχων τῆς ὠφελείας τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτῷ τελούντων φρουρίων ἓν, πολλὰ δὲ εἶναι, τὸ μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείως ἔχον πρός τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης εὐφυΐαν ἐκλεξάμενον, κατασκευαῖς χειροποιήτοις ὀχυρώτατον ποιεῖν, ἵν' εἴ τι συμβαίη τῶν ἀπροσδοκήτων, ἀναχώρησιν ἔχῃ καὶ τῶν δεινῶν ἀποφυγήν. ἐδεῖτό τε, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, ἀλλὰ νῦν πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ, εὐνοϊκῶς διακειμένῳ πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ μὴ ἀτιμάζειν τὴν βουλήν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτῷ νυνὶ, καίτοι καὶ ψευδῶν ὄντων τῶν εἰρημένων κατ' αὐτοῦ, μηδεμίαν ἑτέραν εἶναι σωτηρίας πρόφασιν, ἢ τὸν πύργον, εἰς ὃν κατέφυγε τὸν κίνδυνον διαδιδράσκων. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀληθῆ συνέβαινε τὰ εἰρημένα εἶναι, ἢ πρὸς τὸ τόλμημα ἂν συνήρατο ἢ ἐῤῥύσατο τοῦ θανάτου φωραθέντα. Ἀπόκαυκος μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευε· δομέστικος δὲ ὁ μέγας πάλιν πέμψας πρὸς αὐτὸν, περὶ μὲν τῶν λεγομένων, ἔφη, κατ' αὐτοῦ μάλιστα βούλεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ, ὥσπερ δῆτα καὶ αὐτὸς διϊσχυρίζεται. οὕτω γὰρ αὐτός τε εὔνους ἔσται ἀποδεδειγμένος βασιλεῖ, καὶ οἱ συκοφάνται αὐτὸ τοῦθ', ὅπερ εἰσὶν, ἐξεληλεγμένοι. εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλπίσι κεναῖς ἀπατηθεὶς, 2.73 ὅπερ δὴ πολλοῖς συμβέβηκε, τοῦ δέοντος ἐξετράπη, καὶ μήτε δυνατὰ, μήτ' αὐτῷ προσήκοντα διενοήθη, οὐ χρὴ διὰ ταῦτα τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον αἱρεῖσθαι, τείχεσι θαῤῥοῦντα, ἐξ ὧν ἔσται πλέον ὄφελος οὐδέν. ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἑαυτῷ μεμψάμενον, ὡς κακῶς βεβουλευμένῳ, ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς βελτίω παρέχειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν φυλάττειν τάξιν καὶ συγγνώμης ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις δεῖσθαι τυχεῖν. βέλτιον μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν· εἰ δ' ἄρα συμβαίη, δεύτερον ἀγαθὸν ἑαυτόν τινα ἐπανορθοῦν ἀποστάντα τῶν κακῶν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὅσον οὔπω παρέσται καὶ αὐτὸς, ὃν εἴωθεν αὐτὸς ἰατρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖν, ἔχων πολλὰ φάρμακα τοῖς ἑκάστου κατ' ἄλληλα νοσήμασιν, εἴ γε βούλοιτο αὐτὸς, ῥᾳδία τῶν τραυμάτων ἡ ἴασις ἐκείνῳ ἔσται. ἦν γὰρ δὴ ὁ παρακοιμώμενος πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις, οἷς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον προσηγόρευε, καὶ ἰατρὸν εἰθισμένος ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖν, οἷα δὴ ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν περισχόντων πολλάκις αὐτὸν κινδύνων ἐξαρπάσαντα καὶ τεθεραπευκότα πονήρως