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having chosen to act, they will enjoy greater and more wonderful goods. And the letters were signed with red, as is the custom for emperors, letters. And he added to the letters guards of hoplites and light-armed archers for those cities which he knew would be easy to hold with garrisons. When these letters were delivered to each, some received them eagerly and promised to do everything commanded, while others were displeased, thinking that what was being done was a rebellion against the emperor, but still fearing the power of the future emperor, and especially being urged on by the powerful men among them who had chosen to do his will, they accepted the letters. And they were clearly ready from the start to revolt, if they should find an opportunity. But as many as had previously been persuaded to side with the 2.163 emperor Palaiologos, some, arresting the couriers along with the letters, sent them to Byzantium as prisoners, after first stripping them of their possessions. As many as resolved to act more moderately, rejected the letters, but prepared themselves for war, so that they might defend themselves if he should attack. When many of those letters were brought to Byzantium, those around the patriarch who had previously accused the grand domestic to the empress of acting like an emperor, rejoiced and were ecstatic with pleasure. And showing the letters, they said, "We are not, then, bad judges of the future, but we have accurately guessed his mind, and he, acting well, has immediately proved by his deeds that we spoke the truth." And they shamelessly uttered many blasphemies against him, not even refraining from the most shameful things for the sake of insult. And the empress, now persuaded that the grand domestic had openly become an enemy, sent some of those letters to his mother, who was being guarded in her house, accusing what her son might do. But she said that these words were not for her. For it was necessary before, when they were accusing her son, to declare the charges to her. For then none of the things happening now would have occurred, but for the sake of her and the children, and still more of the entire Roman world, he would have accomplished all the best things with respect to 2.164 her son. For she knew his mind most clearly, that he was more inclined to do good than to do evil. But now, after the strict guard by which she herself is guarded by them on no charge, and the insult toward his ambassadors who came for peace and asked to summon him to trial, so that, if he were convicted of perjury, he would suffer the ultimate penalty, what defense could she offer concerning the things being done by him, as you say, imperially, whether indeed the letters were his or not. Therefore, concerning the letters, she said she would answer nothing; but she would advise the best course, as it seemed to her, if indeed they would be persuaded. And these things are: not to overlook her son, nor to despise him as one unable to do great things. For not only the Romans know his power and intelligence and experience, but also those of the barbarians settled far from the Romans are not ignorant. But to send ambassadors to him as quickly as possible, who will discuss peace. And he will not be at a loss as to how the things that have been done should be corrected by both words and deeds, if anything has happened, even of those things that seem incurable. But if you yourselves have decided otherwise, it will be your concern to set your private affairs in order as well as the public ones." Thus, the mother of the grand domestic answered the accusations. But those who were sent, having been so ordered by the empress, throwing her out of the house, brought her inside the palace and imprisoned her, using the house built by the first emperor An 2.165 dronicus as a prison. And they confiscated her property, which was very great, except for whatever silver and gold and precious stones and pearls she had managed to take out secretly beforehand. And of wheat and barley and the rest of the produce, there was an altogether innumerable quantity not only in the house where she lived near the palace, but also near the monastery of Gorgepekoos there were other stacks containing many times more produce. all of which

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προῃρημένοι πράττειν, μειζόνων ἀπολαύσονται καὶ θαυμασιωτέρων ἀγαθῶν. ὑπεσημαίνετό τε τὰ γράμματα ἐρυθροῖς, ὥσπερ ἔθος βασιλεῦσι, γράμμασι. προσετίθει τε τοῖς γράμμασι καὶ φρουρὰς ἐξ ὁπλιτῶν καὶ τοξοτῶν ψιλῶν πρὸς ἃς ᾔδει τῶν πόλεων ῥᾳδίας ἐσομένας κατέχεσθαι φρουροῖς. ταῦτα δὴ τὰ γράμματα κομιζόμενα παρ' ἑκάστοις, οἱ μὲν ἐδέχοντο προθύμως καὶ πᾶν τὸ προσταττόμενον ἐπηγγέλλοντο ποιεῖν, οἱ δ' ἐδυσχέραινον μὲν, οἰόμενοι ἀποστασίαν βασιλέως εἶναι τὰ πραττόμενα, ἔτι δὲ ὅμως τὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος βασιλέως δύναμιν ὑπεπτηχότες, ἄλλως τε καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς μεγάλα δυναμένων ἐναγόμενοι, τὰ ἐκείνου πράττειν ᾑρημένων, τὰ γράμματα ἐδέχοντο. δῆλοι δὲ ἦσαν εὐθὺς ἀπὸ γραμμῆς ὡς νεωτερίσοντες, ἢν λάβωνται καιροῦ. ὅσοι δ' ἦσαν πρότερον τὰ 2.163 βασιλέως τοῦ Παλαιολόγου δῆθεν αἱρεῖσθαι πεπεισμένοι, οἱ μὲν καὶ τοὺς κομίζοντας συλλαμβάνοντες ἅμα τοῖς γράμμασιν ἔπεμπον εἰς Βυζάντιον δεσμώτας, πρότερον γυμνώσαντες τῶν ὄντων. ὅσοι δὲ μετριώτερα ἐδοκίμαζον ποιεῖν, τὰ μὲν γράμματα ἀπεωθοῦντο, αὐτοὶ δὲ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον παρεσκευάζοντο, ὡς, ἢν ἐπίῃ, ἀμυνούμενοι. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν γραμμάτων πολλὰ ἐκείνων εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀπεκομίσθη, οἱ μὲν περὶ πατριάρχην ὅσοι πρότερον πρὸς βασιλίδα τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου ὡς βασιλειῶντος κατηγόρουν, ἔχαιρόν τε καὶ παντοῖοι ἦσαν ὑφ' ἡδονῆς. τά τε γράμματα ἐπιδεικνύντες, «οὐκ ἄρα» ἔφασαν «ἡμεῖς τῶν μελλόντων κακοὶ κριταὶ, ἀλλ' αὐτοί τε εὐστόχως κατεστοχασάμεθα τῆς γνώμης, κἀκεῖνος καλῶς ποιῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων εὐθὺς ἀπέδειξεν εἰρηκότας ἀληθῆ.» πολλά τε εἰς ἐκεῖνον βλάσφημα ἀπέσκωπτον ἀναίδην, καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν αἰσχίστων ἀπεχόμενοι πρὸς ὕβριν. καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς δὲ ἤδη πεπεισμένη πολέμιον γεγενῆσθαι τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον φανερῶς, ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐκείνων ὀλίγα ἄττα ἔπεμπε τῇ μητρὶ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν φρουρουμένῃ, οἷα δράσειε κατηγοροῦσα ὁ υἱός. ἐκείνη δὲ μηδὲν ἔφασκε πρὸς αὐτὴν τοὺς λόγους εἶναι. πρότερον γὰρ ἐχρῆν, ἡνίκα τοῦ υἱοῦ κατηγόρουν, πρὸς αὐτὴν τὰ ἐγκλήματα δηλοῦν. ἦ γὰρ ἂν τῶν γινομένων νῦν οὐδὲν συνέβη, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς τε καὶ τῶν παίδων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ παντὸς, πάντα ἂν κατεπράξατο τὰ βέλτιστα πρὸς 2.164 τὸν υἱόν. εἰδέναι γὰρ αὐτὴν σαφέστατα τὴν ἐκείνου γνώμην, ὡς πρὸς τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν μᾶλλον, ἢ τὸ κακουργεῖν ἐπιῤῥεπής. νυνὶ δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἀκριβῆ φρουρὰν, ἣν αὐτὴ φρουρεῖται ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ ἐγκλήματι, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνου πρέσβεις ὕβριν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀφιγμένους καὶ δεομένους καλεῖν ἐκεῖνον ἐπὶ δίκην, ὡς, ἢν ἁλίσκηται ἐπιορκῶν, τὰ ἔσχατα πεισόμενον, τίνα ἂν ἀπολογίαν ἀποδοίη περὶ τῶν ἐκείνῳ πραττομένων, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, βασιλικῶς, εἴγε καὶ ἐκείνου τὰ γράμματα εἴη, εἴτε μή. περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν γραμμάτων ἔφη μηδὲν ἀποκρινεῖσθαι· παραινέσειν δὲ τὰ βέλτιστα, ὡς ἂν αὐτῇ δοκοίη, εἴγε πείθοιντο. ταῦτα δέ ἐστι· μὴ τὸν υἱὸν περιορᾷν, μηδ' ὡς μεγάλα καταφρονεῖν μὴ δυναμένου. οὐ γὰρ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἐκείνου μόνον δύναμιν καὶ σύνεσιν καὶ ἐμπειρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βαρβάρων οἱ Ῥωμαίων κατῳκισμένοι πόῤῥω οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσιν. ἀλλ' ὡς τάχιστα πρέσβεις πέμπειν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, οἳ περὶ εἰρήνης διαλέξονται. ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκ ἀπορήσει, ᾗ χρὴ τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ λόγοις καὶ πράξεσιν ἐπανορθοῦσθαι, εἴ τι συμβέβηκε καὶ τῶν δοκούντων ἀνιάτων. εἰ δ' ἄρα ἄλλως ἐγνώκατε αὐτοὶ, ὑμῖν μελήσει καὶ τὰ ἴδια εὖ τίθεσθαι καὶ τὰ κοινά.» ἡ μὲν οὖν μεγάλου δομεστίκου μήτηρ τοιαῦτα ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς τὰς κατηγορίας. οἱ πεμφθέντες δὲ οὕτω παρὰ βασιλίδος προστεταγμένοι, τῆς οἰκίας ἐκείνην ἐκβαλόντες, βασιλείων ἤγαγον ἐντὸς καὶ εἷρξαν τῇ παρὰ Ἀν 2.165 δρονίκου τοῦ πρώτου βασιλέως οἰκίᾳ κατασκευασθείσῃ χρώμενοι ἀντὶ δεσμωτηρίου. τὴν οὐσίαν δὲ ἐδημοσίωσαν πλείστην οὖσαν, πλὴν εἴπου τι πρότερον ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν καὶ μαργάρων λάθρα ἔφθασεν ἐξαγαγοῦσα. πυῤῥῶν δὲ καὶ κριθῶν καὶ καρπῶν τῶν ἐπιλοίπων, οὐκ ἐν ᾗ διέτριβεν οἰκίᾳ μόνον ἐγγὺς τῶν βασιλείων κομιδῇ τι δυσαρίθμητον χρῆμα ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Γοργεπηκόου τῆς μονῆς ἐγγὺς ἕτεραι πυραμίδες ἦσαν πολλαπλασίους ἐκείνων συνέχουσαι καρπούς. ἃ πάντα