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having been persuaded, he again gathered those who had a similar opinion about the war, reporting to each. And he advised them, having deliberated in common, from where it might seem best to start the war. 20. And when they came to the patriarch, it seemed necessary not to report to the empress all at once what they had planned, but approaching in small groups, so that they might neither give rise to any suspicion, but might also rather overwhelm her, by continually discussing the same things, and might rather persuade her to believe as true the things spoken in the same way by many. It was decided indeed that Asan the grand duke and Constantine his brother should first bring the attempt to the empress. Therefore, having approached and having first discussed at length their goodwill towards her and the emperor her son, they then said they knew that the grand domestic was securing the empire for himself and had resolved to put his plan into action almost immediately. a thing which seemed to them exceedingly terrible and that they should not conceal it, but make the plot known, 2.126 so that she, becoming aware, might deliberate on the necessary measures concerning both herself and her children. For the danger to them was not about some small matters, but whether to live well, holding the empire that belonged to them from their paternal inheritance, or to die without glory, having been plotted against by that man, who possessed such great power from ruling affairs. But the empress, suspecting what was happening, not only did not approve what was said, but also seemed to be annoyed by these things. And she advised them to refrain from slanders, as nothing, whatever anyone might say, could create a division between her and the grand domestic, since she was clearly convinced of the truth and what was fitting concerning him. And when those men returned without success, Artotos was sent for along with his mother. And they, having reported the same things, were sent away in anger, the empress not even enduring to hear their words completely. But on the next day Choumnos, along with his son and son-in-law Manuel Kantakouzenos the strategopoulos, and Gabalas likewise approached the empress, as if indeed having heard something new, and reported with haste, and they advised her not to be idle, but to rise up in defense, as they themselves would also join in the war with both money and arms. For, having been brought up with loyalty and faith toward the emperor, they could not bear to see the excess of what was being dared, but were more ready even to give up their very lives than to overlook such things happening. But the empress, acknowledging to them her thanks for their zeal and 2.127 having said that she too was clearly convinced that, if any such thing should happen, they would eagerly fight against anyone on her behalf, then advised them to refrain from words against the grand domestic, as they were nothing but invention and slander, for she knew precisely his goodwill toward her and the emperor her son, "lest after his return, having learned the things of which he was accused by you, he be justly vexed with you for having said such things." The empress, therefore, was in no way moved from her original thoughts by any of the things that were said, but considered them all to be fabrications concocted by the mind of each person. But when these men also, having come together with the others, reported what the empress had answered, no small fear seized them all and they thought they were already encompassed by the worst of evils, unless they could devise something more effective than what had been said. And the parakoimomenos advised them to delay no longer. For it is not possible for the things said about the grand domestic to be covered in silence, since there are many who are aware of them. And when they become known to him, it is possible for each to perceive the excess of the danger. Therefore he advised them not to be idle, despairing of the action, but, refraining from all other things, to devote themselves to this one thing alone, how they might overcome their greatest enemy, or at least as a second best, that they themselves might not suffer irreparable harm from him. It seemed best indeed to send forth both the patriarch and Andronikos Asan, who was the father-in-law of the grand domestic, as a kind of sacred anchor, and 2.128 through them to try to shake the empress's thoughts, as they were more worthy of being believed than all the others, especially the patriarch

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πεπεισμένους, αὖθις συνίστα τοὺς ὁμοίαν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου γνώμην ἔχοντας ἑκάστῳ ἀπαγγέλλων. παρῄνει τε κοινῇ βουλευσαμένους, ὅθεν ἂν δοκοίη βέλτιον τὸν πόλεμον κινεῖν. κʹ. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πρὸς πατριάρχην ἧκον, ἐδόκει δεῖν, μὴ ἀθρόους ἀπαγγέλλειν βασιλίδι ἃ ἐσκέψαντο, ἀλλὰ κατ' ὀλίγους προσιόντας, ἵνα μήθ' ὑποψίαν παρέχοιέν τινα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον καταπλήττοιεν, συνεχῶς τε περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαλεγόμενοι, καὶ μᾶλλον πείθοιεν, ἀληθῆ νομίζειν τὰ ὑπὸ πολλῶν ὡσαύτως εἰρημένα. ἐδέδοκτο δὴ Ἀσάνην πρῶτον τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα καὶ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν ἀδελφὸν προσάγειν τὴν πεῖραν βασιλίδι. προσελθόντες τοιγαροῦν καὶ πολλὰ περὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὴν εὐνοίας καὶ βασιλέα προδιαλεχθέντες τὸν υἱὸν, ἔπειτα ἔφασαν, τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον εἰδέναι τὴν βασιλείαν ἑαυτῷ περιποιούμενον καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω τὴν ἐπίνοιαν εἰς ἔργον ἄγειν βεβουλημένον. ὅπερ αὐτοῖς τε ἄγαν ἔδοξε τῶν δεινοτάτων καὶ δεῖν μὴ συγκαλύπτειν, ἀλλὰ δήλην τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ποιεῖν, 2.126 ἵν' αἰσθομένη, τὰ δέοντα περί τε ἑαυτῆς βουλεύσηται καὶ τέκνων. οὐ γὰρ περὶ μικρῶν τινων εἶναι τὸν κίνδυνον αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' εἴτε ζῇν καλῶς, τῆς ἐκ πατρῴου κλήρου προσηκούσης ἐχομένους βασιλείας, ἢ ἀποθνήσκειν ἀκλεῶς, ἐπιβουλευθέντας ὑπ' ἐκείνου, δύναμιν τοσαύτην ἐκ τοῦ τῶν πραγμάτων ἄρχειν κεκτημένου. βασιλὶς δὲ ὑποπτεύουσα ὅπερ ἦν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπῄνεσε τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλ' ἐῴκει καὶ ἀχθομένῃ διὰ ταῦτα. παρῄνει τε αὐτοῖς ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν συκοφαντιῶν, ὡς οὐδενὸς, ὅσ' ἄν τις εἴποι, διάστασιν αὐτῇ δυναμένου πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐμποιῆσαι, σαφῶς πεπεισμένῃ τἀληθῆ καὶ προσήκοντα περὶ αὐτοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄπρακτοι ἐκεῖνοι ἐπανῆκον, Ἀρτῶτος προσεπέμπετο ἅμα τῇ μητρί. τὰ ἴσα δὲ κἀκεῖνοι ἀπαγγείλαντες, ἀπεπέμφθησαν πρὸς ὀργὴν, οὐδὲ ὅλους ἀκοῦσαι τῆς βασιλίδος τοὺς λόγους ἀνασχομένης. εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν δὲ ὁ Χοῦμνος ἅμα υἱεῖ τε καὶ κηδεστῇ Μανουὴλ Καντακουζηνῷ τῷ στρατηγοπούλῳ καὶ Γαβαλᾶς ὁμοίως βασιλίδι προσελθόντες, ὡς δή τι νεώτερον πεπυσμένοι, ἀπήγγελλον μετὰ σπουδῆς, συνεβούλευόν τε μὴ ῥᾳθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ διανίστασθαι πρὸς ἄμυναν, ὡς καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ χρήμασι καὶ ὅπλοις συνεφαψομένων τοῦ πολέμου. οὐ γὰρ φέρειν τῇ εἰς βασιλέα εὐνοίᾳ καὶ πίστει συντεθραμμένους τὴν ὑπερβολὴν ὁρᾷν τῶν τολμωμένων, ἀλλ' ἑτοιμότερον ἔχειν καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς προΐεσθαι αὐτὰς, ἢ τοιαῦτα γινόμενα περιιδεῖν. βασιλὶς δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς ὁμολογήσασα τῆς προθυμίας χάριν καὶ πε 2.127 πεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτὴ σαφῶς εἰποῦσα, ὡς, εἴ τι συμβαίη τοιοῦτον, προθύμως παντί τῳ πολεμήσουσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, ἔπειτα παρῄνει τῶν κατὰ μεγάλου δομεστίκου λόγων ἀποσχέσθαι, ὡς οὐδὲν ὄντων ἢ πλάσμα καὶ συκοφαντίαν, εἰδέναι γὰρ ἀκριβῶς τὴν ἐκείνου πρὸς αὐτὴν εὔνοιαν καὶ βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν, μὴ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν αὐτοῦ κατηγορημένα ἐκμαθὼν, δικαίως ἄχθοιτο ὑμῖν τοιαῦτα εἰρηκόσι.» βασιλὶς μὲν οὖν οὕτω πρὸς μηδὲν τῶν εἰρημένων τῶν ἐξαρχῆς ἐξέστη λογισμῶν, ἀλλὰ πλάσματα ἡγεῖτο πάντα ὑπὸ τῆς ἑκάστου διανοίας ἀναπεπλασμένα. ὡς δὲ καὶ οὗτοι πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους συνελθόντες, ὅσα ἡ βασιλὶς ἀπήγγελλον ἀποκριθείη, δέος ἔσχε πάντας οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ ἐν ἐσχάτοις ᾤοντο ἤδη περιέχεσθαι κακοῖς, εἰ μή τι βουλεύσαιντο ἀνυσιμώτερον τῶν εἰρημένων. συνεβούλευέ τε ὁ παρακοιμώμενος αὐτοῖς μηκέτι μέλλειν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ μεγάλου δομεστίκου εἰρημένα σιωπῇ καλύπτεσθαι οὐ δυνατὸν, πολλῶν τῶν συνειδότων ὄντων. καταδήλων δὲ ἐκείνῳ γενομένων, συνορᾷν ἔξεστιν ἑκάστῳ τοῦ κινδύνου τὴν ὑπερβολήν. διὸ οὐδὲ παρῄνει ῥᾳθυμεῖν ἀπογνόντας πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀποσχομένους πάντων, ἑνὸς τούτου γίνεσθαι μόνου, ὅπως περιγένοιντο τοῦ πολεμιωτάτου, ἢ τά γε δεύτερα, μὴ τὰ ἀνήκεστα παρ' ἐκείνου πάθοιεν αὐτοί. ἐδόκει δὴ καὶ πατριάρχην καὶ τὸν Ἀσάνην Ἀνδρόνικον, ὄντα τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου πενθερὸν, ὥσπερ ἄγκυράν τινα καθεῖναι ἱερὰν, καὶ 2.128 δι' αὐτῶν τῆς βασιλίδος τοὺς λογισμοὺς πειρᾶσθαι κατασείειν, τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἀξιολογωτέρων ὄντων πρὸς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἅτε δὴ πατριάρχου