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our wills should come to the same point as the settlement of the matters will hold, whether or not, and thus, as has been said, you will return unharmed to your own camp.”

13.9.1 Having heard these things, Bohemond asked for hostages from among the illustrious men to be given to him, on the condition that these be held freely in his own camp by his counts, until he himself should return; for otherwise, he said, he would not venture the journey to the emperor. The emperor, therefore, sending for Marinus the Neapolitan and the Frank Roger, renowned for his bravery, men of sense and with great experience of Latin customs, and Constantine Euphorbenos (a man noble both in hand and in mind and who had never failed in any of the tasks assigned to him by the emperor) and a certain Adralestos, knowledgeable in the Celtic tongue, these, as has been said, he sent to Bohemond, instructing them to approach him in every way and persuade him to come as a deserter to the emperor, in order to report whatever he might wish and ask of him; and if his requests should seem agreeable to the emperor, he would certainly obtain them, but if not, he would return again unharmed to his own camp. 13.9.2 And having spoken these things to them, the emperor dismissed them from there; and they traveled the road leading to Bohemond. When he learned of their arrival, and fearing that they, having observed the fallen state of his army, would report these matters to the emperor, he met them on horseback far from the camp. And they delivered the emperor's message to him thus: “The emperor, he says, has certainly not forgotten the promises and the oaths which not you alone made, but also all the counts who passed through at that time. And you see, certainly, how the breaking of those oaths has not turned out well for you.” Hearing this, Bohemond said: “Enough of such words. But if anything else has been communicated to me from the emperor, this I wish to learn.” 13.9.3 And the ambassadors to him: “The emperor, wishing for the salvation of both you and the army under you, declares these things to you through us. You know well that, having toiled much, you have been able neither to take the city of Dyrrachium nor have you brought any good to yourself and those under you. If, therefore, you do not wish to contrive the complete destruction of yourself and the people under you, come to my majesty without fear, to reveal all that you wish and to hear in turn what seems right to us. And if the opinions of both should concur, thanks be to God; but if not, I will send you away again unharmed to your own camp. And as many of those under you as wish to go to venerate the holy sepulchre will be kept safe by me; and as many as choose to return to their own country, having enjoyed lavish gifts from me, will be dismissed to their homes.” 13.9.4 And he to them: “Now I know that men capable both of speaking and of receiving a speech have truly been sent from the emperor. I ask, therefore, to receive from you a guarantee that I will not be received dishonorably in any way by the emperor, but that six stades away his closest blood relatives will come out to meet me, and when I approach the imperial tent, at the same time as I enter the gates, he himself, rising from his imperial seat, will receive me with honor, and that no mention whatsoever of the past agreements will be made to me, nor will I be brought to judgment at all, but having received free leave, I may say whatever I wish according to my will. In addition to this, that the emperor take my hand and stand me at the head of his couch, and that, having made my entrance with two cloaks, I should not at all bend knee or neck in prostration to the emperor.” 13.9.5 Having heard these things, the above-mentioned ambassadors, as for the rising from the imperial

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σφῶν ἡμῶν θελήματα ἐς ταὐτὸν συμβαῖεν ὡς ἡ σύμβασις ἕξει τῶν πραγμάτων, εἴτε καὶ μή, καὶ οὕτως, ὡς εἴρηται, ἀβλαβὴς πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπαναστρέψεις παρεμβολήν.»

13.9.1 Ταῦτ' ἀκούσας ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος ὁμήρους τῶν ἐπιφα νῶν ᾐτήσατο δοθῆναί οἱ, ἐφ' ᾧ τούτους παρὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ κομήτων ἐλευθέρους ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ κατέχεσθαι παρεμβολῇ, μέχρις ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπαναστρέψῃ· ἄλλως γὰρ μὴ ἀποθαρρεῖν τὴν πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἔλευσιν. Μεταπεμψάμενος τοίνυν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Νεαπολίτην Μαρῖνον καὶ τὸν ἐπ' ἀνδρείᾳ περίκλυτον Φράγγον Ῥογέρην, ἄνδρας φρενήρεις καὶ τῶν λατινικῶν ἐθῶν ἐν πείρᾳ καθεστηκότας πολλῇ, καὶ Κωνσταν τῖνον τὸν Εὐφορβηνόν (γενναῖος δὲ οὗτος καὶ χεῖρα καὶ γνώμην καὶ μηδέποτε κατά τι τῶν αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιτεταγμένων διημαρτηκώς) καὶ Ἀδράλεστόν τινα τῆς κελτικῆς γλώττης εἰδήμονα, τούτους, ὡς εἴρηται, πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον ἀπέστειλεν ἐπισκήψας παντοίως αὐτὸν μετελ θεῖν καὶ πεῖσαι αὐτόμολον ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκρά τορα, ἐφ' ᾧ ἀπαγγεῖλαι ἅπερ ἂν βούλοιτο καὶ ζητοίη ἐξ αὐτοῦ· κἂν μὲν ἀρεστὰ δόξῃ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, ἐξ ἀνάγκης αὐτῶν ἐπιτεύξεσθαι, εἰ δὲ μή, ἀβλαβῆ αὖθις εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν παλινοστῆσαι παρεμβολήν. 13.9.2 Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς ἐκεί νους ὁμιλήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἀπέλυσεν· οἱ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Βαϊμοῦντον φέρουσαν ὥδευον. Ὃς τὴν τούτων πυθόμενος ἔλευσιν καὶ δεδιὼς μὴ τὴν τοῦ στρατεύματος αὐτοῦ πτῶσιν κατανοήσαντες τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ περὶ τούτων ἀπαγγείλαιεν, ἔποχος πόρρω τῆς παρεμβολῆς αὐτοῖς ὑπήν τησεν. Οἱ δὲ τὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεστομά τισαν ὡς· «Οὐκ ἐπιλέλησται πάντως ὁ βασιλεύς, φησι, τῶν ὑποσχέσεων καὶ τῶν ὅρκων, ὧν ἐποιήσω οὐ σὺ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ τότε διεληλυθότες κόμητες. Καὶ ὁρᾷς πάντως ὡς οὐκ εἰς καλὸν τὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τῶν ὅρκων ἐκείνων ἀπέβη σοι». Τούτων ὁ Βαϊμοῦντος ἀκούσας· «Ἅλις, ἔφη, τῶν τοιούτων λόγων. Εἰ δέ τι ἕτερον παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως διεμηνύθη μοι, τοῦτο μαθεῖν ἐθέλω.» 13.9.3 Καὶ οἱ πρέσβεις πρὸς αὐτόν· «Ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν σήν τε καὶ τοῦ ὑπὸ σὲ στρα τεύματος σωτηρίαν βουλόμενος ταῦτά σοι δι' ἡμῶν ἀπο φθέγγεται. Οἶσθα πάντως ὅτι, πολλὰ μογήσας, οὔτε τὴν πόλιν ∆υρραχίου κατασχεῖν οἷός τε γέγονας οὔτε σαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ σὲ ἀγαθόν τι προσενήνοχας. Εἰ γοῦν μὴ παν τελῆ ἀπώλειαν ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ ὑπὸ σὲ λαοῦ βούλει πραγ ματεύσασθαι, ἴθι πρὸς τὴν βασιλείαν μου ἀδεῶς, ἀποκαλύ ψων ἅπαν τὸ σοὶ βουλητὸν καὶ ἀκουσόμενος αὖθις τὰ ἡμῖν δοκοῦντα. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐς ταὐτὸν αἱ ἀμφοτέρων γνῶμαι ξυνδρά μοιεν, Θεῷ χάρις· εἰ δ' οὔ, ἀσινῆ σε αὖθις πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐκπέμψω παρεμβολήν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ὑπὸ σὲ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου τάφου προσκύνησιν ἀπιέναι βουλήσονται, δια σωθήσονται παρ' ἐμοῦ· ὅσοι δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν ἀναχώρησιν ἕλωνται, δαψιλῶν τῶν ἐξ ἐμοῦ δωρεῶν ἀπολαύ σαντες πρὸς τὰ οἴκοι ἀπολυθήσονται.» 13.9.4 Καὶ ὃς πρὸς αὐτούς· «Νῦν ἔγνων ὄντως παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως σταλῆναι ἄνδρας ἱκανοὺς εἰπεῖν τε λόγον καὶ δέξασθαι. Αἰτῶ γοῦν ἀφ' ὑμῶν πληροφορίαν λαβεῖν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς μὴ ἀτίμως ὑποδεχθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, ἀλλὰ πρὸ ἓξ σταδίων τοὺς γνησιωτάτους τῶν καθ' αἷμα προσῳκειωμένων αὐτῷ τὴν ἐμὴν ποιήσασθαι προϋπάντησιν, περὶ δὲ τὴν βασιλικὴν σκηνὴν πελάσαντα, ἅμα τῷ τὰς πύλας εἰσιέναι, καὶ αὐτὸν τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐξαναστάντα περιωπῆς ἐντίμως με ὑποδέ ξασθαι καὶ μηδ' ἡντιναοῦν ἀναφορὰν τῶν προγεγονυιῶν συμφωνιῶν γεγονέναι μοι ἢ ὅλως εἰς κρίσιν ἀγαγέσθαι με, ἀλλ' ἐλεύθερον ἄδειαν σχόντα κατὰ τὸ ἐμοὶ βουλητὸν εἰπεῖν ὁπόσα καὶ βούλομαι. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς ἐμῆς κρατῆσαι χειρὸς καὶ πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ παραστῆσαί με, καὶ μετὰ δύο χλαμύδων τὴν εἴσοδον ποιησάμενον μηδ' ὅλως εἰς προσκύνησιν κάμψαι γόνυ ἢ τράχηλον τῷ αὐτοκράτορι.» 13.9.5 Τούτων ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀνωτέρω δηλωθέντες πρέσβεις τὸ μὲν ἐξαναστῆναι τοῦ βασιλικοῦ