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what had been done, and she was angered and ordered that, having returned what had been plundered, they be brought before her. And when they were brought, with both the patriarch and the rest of the senators present, they delivered the speeches of their embassy before the empress, and no one brought any complaint against any of their demands, but they seemed to all to be making a just embassy. The ambassadors begged both the empress and the patriarch not to delay concerning necessary matters, but to make a swift correction. And she was to summon the Grand Domestic to court by letters. And they proposed death for themselves, if he would not be present as soon as he received the letters. Therefore, all the others kept quiet. But Apokaukos, fearing that the empress, looking upon the demand as just, might approve the trial, and that, in addition to his having accomplished none of his ill-conceived plans, he might also be deprived of his own safety, decided it was necessary to use 2.143 opportune audacity, as through that he would be able to overturn and confound the talks concerning peace. And rising immediately from the council and motioning for silence with his hand, before saying anything or adding the reason why he had rushed into such things, he went through many insults against the Grand Domestic, calling him a common enemy and faithless to the emperors, a perjurer and for the most part a liar, and finally he ended with shameful and servile reproaches. And having around him many who were likewise insolent and readily prepared to proceed to every kind of shamelessness, he ordered them to mock the ambassadors. And boldly seizing the monk, they shouted, "This here is the patriarch of Kantakouzenos," calling him a mocker of Christ and a hypocrite and other such terrible things. And having likewise greatly insulted and reviled Sgouropoulos, they then guarded both of them in the house in which they were being lodged, preventing them from leaving. But the empress, whether because she herself was not at all displeased by what had been done, or because she was no longer able to check the impulses of the rebels, bore it in silence. And the rulers of the state set a larger guard over the mother of the Grand Domestic, who was staying in her house with her grandson Andronikos, and watched her more securely. And since the war in Byzantium had now been clearly kindled, it seemed necessary to try to win over 2.144 the other cities, both larger and smaller. So imperial letters are written to all, ordering them to consider the Grand Domestic an enemy, and not to receive him if he visited, but to fight and destroy him with all their strength. And when these things were reported to the Grand Domestic and some of the letters were brought as clear proof of what was being said, he was now violently disturbed and his soul was in turmoil, both he and those with him. However, they themselves did not attempt any revolt, waiting for the deadline, considering it improper to dare anything before then. And when it arrived, the ambassadors were nowhere to be seen, and they were unable to make known what had happened, either by letters or by word, because they were being securely guarded; as many of the senators as were present in Didymoteichon and the leaders of the army, coming together to the Grand Domestic, advised him to delay no longer, since every pretext had now been removed, but to consider and find whence their own salvation might be procured. And they seemed to him to be advising what was expedient. For since the empress and those around her were doing what they thought was expedient for them, he did not think it was fitting for them to sit idle. Yet still thinking there would be some change and an end to the war, he urged those with him not to be fainthearted, nor to provide pretexts for the war. 24. And a few days later, one of the empress's household servants, named 2.145 Tzyrakes, came to him from Byzantium, carrying letters, which ordered him to abstain from public affairs and stay at home, and not to go out of the gate of Didymoteichon, until she should decide concerning him whatever she might see fit. And the reason for these orders, she said she would not make clear at the present time, but a little later it would become manifest to him and to all. But before these letters were written, others

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εἰργασμένα, πρὸς ὀργήν τε ἐποιεῖτο καὶ ἐκέλευεν ἀποδόντας τὰ διηρπασμένα ἄγειν πρὸς αὐτήν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤχθησαν, πατριάρχου τε καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συγκλητικῶν παρόντων, ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλίδος τοὺς λόγους τῆς πρεσβείας ἐποιοῦντο καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τῶν ἀξιουμένων ἐπῆγε μέμψιν, ἀλλ' ἐδόκουν πᾶσι δίκαια πρεσβεύειν. ἐδέοντό τε καὶ βασιλίδος καὶ πατριάρχου οἱ πρεσβευταὶ, μὴ μέλλειν περὶ πραγμάτων ἀναγκαίων, ἀλλὰ ταχεῖαν τὴν διόρθωσιν ποιεῖσθαι. ἡ δὲ ἦν γράμμασι τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον εἰς δικαστήριον καλεῖν. ἐτιμῶντό τε θάνατον ἑαυτοῖς, εἰ μὴ παρέσται ἅμα τῷ τὰ γράμματα λαβεῖν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι πάντες ἡσυχίαν ἦγον. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ δείσας, μὴ ἡ βασιλὶς πρὸς τὴν ἀξίωσιν ὡς δικαίαν ἀπιδοῦσα, ἐπιψηφίσηται τὴν δίκην, καὶ πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν αὐτὸς ἠνυκέναι τῶν ἐσκαιωρημένων καὶ αὐτῆς σωτηρίας ἀποστερηθῇ, ἔγνω δεῖν ἰταμότητι χρή 2.143 σασθαι ἐπικαιρὸν, ὡς δι' ἐκείνης δυνησόμενος ἀνατρέψαι καὶ συγχέαι τοὺς περὶ εἰρήνης λόγους. καὶ ἀναστὰς εὐθὺς τοῦ συνεδρίου καὶ τῇ χειρὶ κατασείσας σιωπὴν, πρίν τι προειπεῖν ἢ τὴν αἰτίαν, ἐξ ἧς εἰς τοιαῦτα ὥρμητο, προσθεῖναι, πολλὰς κατὰ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ὕβρεις διεξῄει, πολέμιον κοινὸν καὶ ἄπιστον βασιλεῦσιν, ἐπίορκόν τε καὶ ψευδόμενον ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καλῶν, καὶ τελευταῖον εἰς αἰσχρὰς καὶ ἀνελευθέρους κατέληγεν ἐπιτιμίας. ἔχων δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν πολλοὺς ὁμοίως τε ὑβριστὰς καὶ πρὸς πᾶν ἀναιδείας χωρεῖν ἑτοίμως παρεσκευασμένους, ἐκέλευεν ἐρεσχελεῖν τοὺς πρέσβεις. καὶ τοῦ μοναχοῦ μὲν ἁπτόμενοι θρασέως «ὁ τοῦ Καντακουζηνοῦ πατριάρχης» ἐπεβόων «οὑτοσί,» χριστεμπαίκτην καὶ ὑποκριτὴν καὶ τοιαῦτα ἄττα δεινότερα προσαγορεύοντες. Σγουρόπουλόν τε ὁμοίως πολλὰ περιυβρίσαντες καὶ λοιδορησάμενοι, εἶτα ἀμφοτέρους, εἰς ἣν ἐξενίζοντο οἰκίαν, ἐφρούρουν ἀπροΐτους. βασιλὶς δὲ, εἴτε καὶ αὐτὴ πρὸς τὰ πεπραγμένα μηδὲν ἀγανακτοῦσα, εἴτε ἤδη καὶ ἀναστέλλειν τὰς τῶν στασιαζόντων ὁρμὰς οὐ δυναμένη, ἤνεγκε σιγῇ. οἱ δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων ἄρχοντες τῇ μεγάλου δομεστίκου μητρὶ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν διαγούσῃ ἅμα τῷ ἐγγόνῳ Ἀνδρονίκῳ πλείονά τε φρουρὰν ἐφίστουν καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον ἐτήρουν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ πόλεμος ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἤδη λαμπρῶς ἀνήφθη, ἐδόκει δεῖν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις καὶ μείζους καὶ ἐλάσσους προσεταιρίζεσθαι πει 2.144 ρᾶσθαι. γράφεται δὴ πρὸς πάσας γράμματα βασιλικὰ, κελεύοντα τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον πολέμιον ἡγεῖσθαι, καὶ μηδεμίαν δέχεσθαι ἐπιδημοῦντα, ἀλλὰ παντὶ σθένει πολεμεῖν καὶ διαφθείρειν. ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἠγγέλλετο τῷ μεγάλῳ δομεστίκῳ καί τινα τῶν γραμμάτων ἐκομίζετο εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἐναργῆ τῶν λεγομένων, ἐθορυβεῖτο μὲν σφοδρῶς ἤδη καὶ ἐκυμαίνετο τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ συνόντες. οὐδὲν μέντοι καὶ αὐτοὶ νεωτερίζειν ἐπεχείρουν, τὴν προθεσμίαν περιμένοντες, ἄτοπον ἡγούμενοι πρὸ ἐκείνης τι τολμᾷν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡκούσης οἵ τε πρέσβεις παρῆσαν οὐδαμοῦ καὶ οὔτε γράμμασιν, οὔτε μὴν λόγοις ἠδυνήθησαν δῆλα θέσθαι τὰ γεγενημένα ὑπὸ τοῦ φρουρεῖσθαι ἀσφαλῶς, ὅσοι τῶν συγκλητικῶν παρῆσαν ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ καὶ ἡγεμόνες τῆς στρατιᾶς ἅμα πρὸς τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐλθόντες, μηκέτι μέλλειν συνεβούλευον, ὡς πάσης προφάσεως ἤδη περιῃρημένης, ἀλλὰ σκεψαμένους ἐξευρίσκειν, ὅθεν ἂν εἴη καὶ αὐτοῖς πορίζεσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν. τῷ δ' ἐδόκουν μὲν τὰ λυσιτελοῦντα συμβουλεύειν. οὐδὲ γὰρ, βασιλίδος καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν, ἃ λυσιτελεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐνόμιζον, πραττόντων, αὐτοὺς ἀργοὺς προσήκειν ᾤετο καθῆσθαι. ἔτι γε μὴν οἰόμενος ἔσεσθαί τινα μεταβολὴν καὶ κατάλυσιν τοῦ πολέμου, παρεκάλει τοὺς συνόντας, μὴ μικροψυχεῖν, μηδ' ἀφορμὰς παρέχειν τῷ πολέμῳ. κδʹ. Ὀλίγαις δὲ ὕστερον ἡμέραις ἧκε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἐκ τῶν τῆς βασιλίδος οἰκετῶν ὁ Τζυράκης ὠνο 2.145 μασμένος, γράμματα φέρων, ἃ ἐκέλευεν αὐτὸν ἀποσχόμενον τῶν πραγμάτων οἴκοι διατρίβειν καὶ μηδὲ τῆς ∆ιδυμοτείχου πύλης ἐξιέναι, ἄχρις ἂν αὐτὴ ψηφίσηται περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅ,τι ἂν δοκῇ. τὴν αἰτίαν δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐκ ἐν τῷ παρόντι δήλην ἔλεγε ποιήσεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὕστερον ὀλίγῳ αὐτῷ τε καὶ πᾶσιν ἂν γενέσθαι φανεράν. πρὶν δὲ τὰ γράμματα ταυτὶ γραφῆναι ἕτερα