221

he acknowledged many thanks for their goodwill towards him and promised to do the other things, whatever they needed, and to come to them at the beginning of spring. For now it was not easy to move the army on such an expedition across the border, with winter not far off; for it was then the autumn season, and as a pledge of what had been said, he provided them with Jacob Vroulas, to be with them during the winter, who was one of his most intimate associates, at the same time demonstrating his benevolence towards them, that he was already providing for them as his own, and at the same time, if any hostile element still remained among those in the Peloponnese, to win it over through him, so that there might be no difficulty for him when he arrived there, but that he might bring all 2.77 men under the emperor. And having generously rewarded with gifts both the ambassadors and those who had sent them, he sent Vroulas away with them, promising to come himself also at the opportune time. And in Byzantium, when the triremes had been prepared, which we said were being armed against the attack of the Persians, since the parakoimomenos, who had been appointed their general, having become hostile to the empress, fled to Epibatai, the grand domestic sent and entrusted them to Senacherim, the commander of the army, who immediately sailed off, and both dispersed the Persian army, striking it with terror at the speed of his preparation, and having ravaged much of the land of Sarchane and captured one of the coastal towns by assault and enslaved it, and having done all the other things a good general should do, he returned to the city of Constantine. And from the west after the emperor's death, the protostrator Synadenos, governing Thessaloniki, and Chreles, and Constantine Palaiologos the emperor's uncle, and the grand domestic's nephew John Angelos the pinkernes, and Tzamplakon the grand papias, and as many of the officials as were governing cities, having sent heralds to one another and come to an agreement, the majority for their part remained behind administering their offices; but Angelos the pinkernes and Constantine Palaiologos and Tzamplakon were sent to the grand domestic, to declare what had been jointly decided by all. 2.78 And while still on their way, having sent a herald ahead, they made known by letters to the grand domestic, to change nothing of the established order regarding himself, nor to do anything, whether seeming for better or worse, unless they themselves were also present; and that they would surely be present very soon. And that it was right to obey them, being ranked not only among his foremost friends, but also coming on behalf of others like them. And when they arrived, to do those things which might seem to all to be jointly advantageous. And when they were near Didymoteichon, sending another ahead again, they announced their arrival and urged him to come out to meet them. But to him they seemed to be demanding foolish things. For it was not fitting for one to compel those meeting him to honor him, but for them, judging him worthy of their own accord, to bestow the honor. But as he examined the matter to himself, because of the seeming absurdity it occurred to him to understand what it was: that they were not demanding such things for the sake of their own honor, but so that when he came to meet them, they themselves might dismount from their horses and render him the greatest honor. He, therefore, having thought such things, remained at home. But since it was not possible for them to put their plan into action, a little later, watching for an opportunity and meeting him on horseback, they dismounted from their horses and did obeisance. Then, when they met with him at his house, they did not enter the courtyard on horseback according to their former custom, but leaving them outside, they ran alongside on foot. But he was not moderately displeased at both things. Then, having them stand around him, he denounced the 2.79 innovation and advised them not to do such things, but to abide by the former customs. And if they were not persuaded, he threatened to drive them away in anger. And when it was necessary again to mount a horse, he ordered it to be led outside the gate; then, passing through the courtyard on foot, he mounted at the gate. When those who had contrived the innovation saw this and were cowed by the threat, they abided by the former ways, neither thinking anything new, nor enduring to do it, nor

221

ὡμολόγει χάριτας πολλὰς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας καὶ τἄλλα τε, ὅσων ἐδέοντο, ὑπέσχετο ποιήσειν καὶ ἀφίξεσθαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἅμα ἦρι. νῦν γὰρ οὐκ εἶναι ῥᾴδιον κινεῖν τὴν στρατιὰν πρὸς οὕτως ὑπερόριον στρατείαν, οὐ μετὰ πολὺ χειμῶνος ἐσομένου· φθινοπώρου γὰρ ὥρα τότε ἦν, πίστεως δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἕνεκα καὶ Βρουλᾶν τὸν Ἰάκωβον παρείχετο αὐτοῖς, ὥστε συνεῖναι τοῦ χειμῶνος, ὃς τῶν οἰκειοτάτων ἦν αὐτῷ, ἅμα μὲν τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς εὐμένειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ὅτι ὡς οἰκείων ἤδη προνοοῖτο, ἅμα δ' εἴ τι καὶ δύσνουν ἔτι ὑπολέλειπτο τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ, προσαξόμενος δι' αὐτοῦ, ὥστε μηδεμίαν εἶναι δυσχέρειαν ἐκεῖσε παραγενομένῳ, ἀλλ' ὑπαγάγηται πάν 2.77 τας βασιλεῖ. δώροις δὲ τούς τε πρέσβεις ἅμα καὶ τοὺς πεπομφότας φιλοτίμως ἀμειψάμενος, συνεξαπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς ἅμα τὸν Βρουλᾶν, ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἐπικαίρως καὶ αὐτὸς ἀφίξεσθαι. ἐν Βυζαντίῳ δὲ παρεσκευασμένων τῶν τριήρεων, ἃς πρὸς τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν Περσῶν ἔφημεν ὁπλίζεσθαι, ἐπεὶ ὁ παρακοιμώμενος, ὃς αὐτῶν στρατηγὸς κεχειροτόνητο, δύσνους βασιλίδι γεγονὼς, ἐδραπέτευσεν ἐν Ἐπιβάταις, πέμψας ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ἐνεχείρισε τῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ Σεναχηρεὶμ, ὃς αὐτίκα ἀποπλεύσας, τήν τε Περσικὴν διέλυσε στρατιὰν καταπλήξας τῷ τάχει τῆς παρασκευῆς, καὶ πολλὰ τὴν Σαρχάνη κακώσας χώραν καὶ πολίσματος ἑνὸς τῶν παραθαλασσίων κρατήσας ἐξ ἐφόδου καὶ ἐξανδραποδισάμενος καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα ἔδει τὸν ἀγαθὸν ποιήσας στρατηγὸν, ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου. ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἑσπέρας μετὰ τὴν βασιλέως τελευτὴν ὅ,τε πρωτοστράτωρ Συναδηνὸς Θεσσαλονίκης ἐπιτροπεύων καὶ ὁ Χρέλης Κωνσταντῖνός τε Παλαιολόγος ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως θεῖος καὶ ὁ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ἀνεψιὸς Ἄγγελος Ἰωάννης ὁ πιγκέρνης Τζαμπλάκων τε ὁ μέγας παπίας καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ἐν τέλει ἦσαν πόλεων ἐπιτροπεύοντες, πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπικηρυκευσάμενοι καὶ συμφρονήσαντες, οἱ πλείους μὲν κατελείποντο διοικοῦντες τὰς ἀρχάς· πιγκέρνης δὲ ὁ Ἄγγελος καὶ ὁ Παλαιολόγος Κωνσταντῖνος καὶ Τζαμπλάκων πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἀπεστέλλοντο, τὰ κοινῇ δηλώσοντες πᾶσι δεδο 2.78 γμένα. ἔτι δὲ ἐχόμενοι ὁδοῦ, κήρυκα προπέμψαντες, ἐδήλουν γράμμασι τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ, μηδὲν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ κινεῖν τῶν καθεστώτων, μηδὲ πράττειν μηδὲν, μήτε τῶν δοκούντων βελτιόνων ἢ χειρόνων, ἂν μὴ παρῶσι καὶ αὐτοί· πάντως δὲ παρέσονται ὅσον οὐδέπω. δίκαιον δὲ εἶναι πείθεσθαι αὐτοῖς, οὐ μόνον ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν φίλων τεταγμένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων ἥκουσιν ὁμοίων. παραγενομένοις δὲ, ἃ ἂν πᾶσι δόξειε κοινῇ λυσιτελεῖν, ταῦτα πράττειν. ἐπεὶ δὲ γένοιντο ἐγγὺς ∆ιδυμοτείχου, πάλιν ἕτερον προπέμψαντες, τήν τε ἄφιξιν ἐμήνυον αὐτῶν καὶ προετρέποντο ἐξιέναι εἰς ὑπάντησιν αὐτῶν. τῷ δὲ ἐδόκουν ἀνόητα ἀξιοῦν. οὐ γὰρ αὐτόν τινα προσήκειν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τιμᾷν προσαναγκάζειν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνους οἴκοθεν ἀξίους κρίνοντας ἐπιψηφίζειν τὴν τιμήν. ἐξετάζοντι δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τὸν λόγον, διὰ τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἀτοπίαν παρίστατο νοεῖν ὅπερ ἦν, ὡς οὐ σφετέρας ἕνεκα αὐτῶν τιμῆς ἠξίουν τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὑπαντήσαντος, τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες αὐτοὶ τιμὴν ἀποδῶσι τὴν μεγίστην. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα ἐννοήσας, ἔμεινεν οἴκοι. τοῖς δ' ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐξεγένετο τὴν ἐπίνοιαν εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν, ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον καιρὸν ἐπιτηρήσαντες καὶ συντυχόντες ἐφίππῳ, τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες προσεκύνουν. εἶτ' αὐτῷ οἴκοι συνελθόντες οὐ κατὰ τὸ πρότερον ἔθος συνεισῄεσαν ἔφιπποι τὴν αὐλὴν, ἀλλ' ἔξω καταλιπόντες, παρέθεον πεζῇ. ὁ δὲ ἠγανάκτησεν ἐφ' ἑκατέροις οὐ μετρίως. ἔπειθ' ἑαυτῷ περιστησάμενος, κατηγόρει τὴν 2.79 καινοτομίαν καὶ μὴ τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευε ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς προτέροις ἔθεσιν ἐμμένειν. εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθοιντο, ἠπείλησεν ἀπελάσειν πρὸς ὀργήν. δεῆσαν δὲ αὖθις ἵππῳ ἐπιβῆναι, ἐκέλευε τῆς πύλης ἄγειν ἔξω· εἶτα παριὼν τὴν αὐλὴν πεζῇ ἐπέβαινε πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ. ὅπερ οἱ τὴν καινοτομίαν ἰδόντες εἰργασμένοι καὶ καταπτήξαντες τὴν ἀπειλὴν, ἐνέμενον τοῖς προτέροις, μηδὲν καινὸν, μήτε διανοούμενοι, μήτε πράττειν ὑπομένοντες, μήτ'