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of considerable account under him and formerly a very great friend to the emperor Kantakouzenos, for it was through him that he had approached the emperor Andronikos, sent a message himself, declaring that he chose his side, and he himself also advised turning more towards the west, as no mean advantage would come from there. But the emperor Kantakouzenos, since it was already the spring season, 2.194 having gathered an assembly from those who were with him, they considered what they should turn to. Now, those who were from Byzantium advised rather to choose an invasion of Byzantium, since if they should prevail over it, and there were not ignoble hopes, with many there having chosen the emperor's side, they would be delivered from great toils and dangers. But the westerners thought it was necessary to pay more attention to the affairs of the west, as they were not at war with the emperor, but would readily come over on account of their good will. But the affairs in Byzantium required great preparation, since there were many there most hostile to the emperor and inciting the others to war. against whom it is necessary to campaign after returning from the west and having acquired great power from there. However, the mercenary part of the army and as many as were of the emperor's household, differed in nothing, but they too were ready to turn to whatever the emperor should think advantageous. But the emperor said it was not right to overlook those from the west who were calling, being so great. For even if they were not calling, if only some sure hope appeared of winning them over by going there, we would not have been free from any blame, if we had willingly abandoned such a force; but now, with them both calling and offering a sure takeover of affairs there, it is neither advantageous nor prudent to overlook it; but it is necessary, having also acquired their power, to proceed thus against the others. For there is a fear, 2.195 that having neglected this too, instead of an allied and friendly one, we shall have a hostile one in addition to the others.” When the emperor had spoken thus, the others also voted in favor, some willingly, others by necessity. 32. At Didymoteichon, then, the emperor left behind the empress his wife along with three daughters and the duke Nikephoros, the son of the despotes, to whom he had married his daughter Maria, who was unable to campaign on account of his age, for he was still passing out of boyhood, and a cavalry force, as large as he thought would suffice against the attacks that would come from the other cities and Byzantium. For in addition to those who arrived a little later, there were a thousand. whom were commanded by Manuel Tarchaneiotes and Phakrases George and third, the primmikerios of the court, Palaiologos John, and Glabas George with them. And over the large settlement outside Didymoteichon, he appointed eight other commanders, each of whom commanded a thousand archers. And as general over all, he left behind his wife's brother, Asanes Manuel. But of all the cities in Thrace, none adhered to him, but all revolted together to the empress, except for the fortress of Empythion, which had been built for him from its very foundations, while the emperor was still alive. And he himself, having his sons Matthew and Manuel and his wife's brother Asanes John, and also Angelos Pinkernes his nephew, and not 2.196 a few of the nobles and his blood relatives, taking with him the army, which was large and good, went out from Didymoteichon on the fifth of March of the tenth indiction. And he sent ahead of him Constantine Palaiologos, the son of the despotes Duke Michael, so as to prepare through him some of the things that seemed advantageous. But he immediately defected to Syrges in Pherai, either fearing for his household, for he was married to a woman from Pherai, or else taking it as an omen from the apostasy of the cities, that the affairs of emperor Kantakouzenos would not go smoothly. But the emperor, although the events did not offer very good hopes, having his army, encamped at Bera. Since the place there offered an abundance of fodder for the horses, for it was not yet possible to enjoy abundance everywhere due to the season, as spring was just beginning, he remained for not

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ἀξιόλογον ὑφ' ἑαυτῷ καὶ πρότερον βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα φίλος ὢν, δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ Ἀνδρονίκῳ προσῆλθε τῷ βασιλεῖ, πέμψας καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅτι τε αἱροῖτο ἐδήλου τὰ ἐκείνου, καὶ παρῄνει καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν μᾶλλον τρέπεσθαι, ὡς οὐ φαύλης τινὸς αὐτόθεν ἐσομένης ὠφελείας. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς, ἐπεὶ ἔαρος ὥρα ἤδη ἦν, ἐκκλη 2.194 σίαν συναγαγὼν ἐκ τῶν συνόντων, πρὸς ὅ,τι χρὴ τρέπεσθαι ἐσκέπτοντο. ὅσοι μὲν οὖν ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἦσαν, τὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον μᾶλλον συνεβούλευον αἱρεῖσθαι εἰσβολὴν, ὡς ἢν κρατήσωσιν ἐκείνου, εἶναι δὲ οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς ἐλπίδας, πολλῶν ἐκεῖ τὰ βασιλέως ᾑρημένων, μεγάλων ἀπαλλαξόμενοι καὶ πόνων καὶ κινδύνων. οἱ δ' ἑσπέριοι τοῖς ἐκ τῆς ἑσπέρας προσέχειν ᾤοντο μᾶλλον πράγμασι δεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἐκπεπολεμωμένοις βασιλεῖ, ἀλλὰ προσχωρήσουσι διὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν ῥᾳδίως. τὰ δ' ἐν Βυζαντίῳ μεγάλης δεῖσθαι τῆς παρασκευῆς, πολλῶν ὄντων ἐκεῖ τῶν πολεμιωτάτων βασιλεῖ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐναγόντων πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον. οἷς δεῖ ἐπιστρατεύειν ἐπανήκοντας ἐκ τῆς ἑσπέρας καὶ μεγάλην ἐκεῖθεν περιβεβλημένους δύναμιν. τὸ μέντοι μισθοφορικὸν τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ ὅσοι τῶν βασιλέως ἦσαν οἰκετῶν, διεφέροντο πρὸς οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν πρὸς ὅ,τι ἂν βασιλεῖ δοκῇ λυσιτελεῖν τρεψόμενοι καὶ αὐτοί. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὐκ ἔφασκε δεῖν τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἑσπέρας καλοῦντας ὄντας τηλικούτους περιορᾷν. καὶ μὴ καλούντων γὰρ, εἰ μόνον ἐλπίς τις ὑπεφαίνετο βεβαία τοῦ προσάξασθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ παραγενομένους, ἦμεν ἂν οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπηλλαγμένοι μέμψεως, εἰ τοιαύτην δύναμιν προείμεθα ἑκόντες· νυνὶ δὲ, καλούντων τε αὐτῶν καὶ βεβαίαν τῶν ἐκεῖ πραγμάτων παρεχόντων τὴν παράληψιν, οὔτε λυσιτελὲς, οὔτε σῶφρον παριδεῖν· ἀλλὰ δέον καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων προσλαβόντας δύναμιν, οὕτω χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄλλους. δέος 2.195 γὰρ, μὴ καὶ ταύτης ἀμελήσαντες, ἀντὶ συμμάχου καὶ φίλης πολεμίαν πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἕξομεν.» οὕτως εἰπόντος βασιλέως, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἐπεψηφίζοντο, οἱ μὲν ἑκόντες, οἱ δ' ἀνάγκῃ. λβʹ. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ βασιλίδα τὴν γυναῖκα κατέλιπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἅμα θυγατράσι τρισὶ καὶ δουκὶ Νικηφόρῳ τῷ δεσπότου παιδὶ, ᾧ Μαρίαν συνῴκησε τὴν θυγατέρα, ἀδυνάτως ἔχοντι στρατεύεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἔτι γὰρ παρήμειβε τὴν παιδικὴν, στρατιάν τε ἱππικὴν, ὅσην ᾤετο ἀρκέσειν πρὸς τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων καὶ Βυζαντίου ἐφόδους ἐσομένας. πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς ὕστερον ὀλίγῳ ἐπιγενομένοις χίλιοι ἦσαν. ὧν ἦρχον Μανουὴλ ὁ Ταρχανειώτης καὶ ὁ Φακρασὴς Γεώργιος καὶ τρίτος ὁ τῆς αὐλῆς πριμμικήριος Παλαιολόγος ὁ Ἰωάννης, καὶ ὁ Γλαβᾶς Γεώργιος σὺν τούτοις. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἔξω ∆ιδυμοτείχου συνοικίας οὔσης πολλῆς, ἑτέρους ἐπέστησεν ἄρχοντας ὀκτὼ, ὧν ἦρχεν ἕκαστος χιλίων τοξοτῶν. στρατηγὸν δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν Ἀσάνην κατέλιπε τὸν Μανουήλ. πόλεων δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Θρᾴκην ἁπασῶν οὐδεμία αὐτῷ προσεῖχεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαι πρὸς βασιλίδα συναπέστησαν, πλὴν τοῦ Ἐμπυθίου φρουρίου, ὃ αὐτῷ, περιόντος ἔτι βασιλέως, ᾠκοδόμητο αὐταῖς κρηπῖσιν. αὐτὸς δὲ τούς τε υἱοὺς ἔχων Ματθαῖον καὶ Μανουὴλ καὶ τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν Ἀσάνην τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἔτι τε Ἄγγελον Πιγκέρνην τὸνἀνεψιὸν, καὶ τῶν εὐγενῶν καὶ καθ' αἷμα προσηκόντων οὐκ 2.196 ὀλίγους, τὴν στρατιὰν πολλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν οὖσαν παραλαβὼν, ἐξῆλθε ∆ιδυμοτείχου πέμπτῃ Μαρτίου ἱσταμένου τῆς δεκάτης ἰνδικτιῶνος. προὔπεμπέ τε ἑαυτοῦ Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Παλαιολόγον, τὸν δεσπότου Μιχαὴλ τοῦ δουκὸς υἱὸν, ὡς δι' αὐτοῦ τῶν δοκούντων λυσιτελεῖν τινα προπαρασκευασόμενος. ὁ δ' αὐτίκα πρὸς Συργὴν ἀφίστατο ἐν Φεραῖς, εἴτε περὶ τῆς οἰκίας δείσας, Φεραίοις γὰρ συνῴκει, εἴτε καὶ οἰωνισάμενος ἐκ τῆς τῶν πόλεων ἀποστασίας, ὡς οὐ κατὰ ῥοῦν βασιλέως Καντακουζηνοῦ τὰ πράγματα χωρήσει. βασιλεὺς δὲ, καίτοι τῶν πραττομένων οὐ πάνυ χρηστὰς ἐλπίδας παρεχόντων, τὴν στρατιὰν ἔχων ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐν Βήρᾳ. ἀφθονίαν δὲ ἐκεῖ τοῖς ἵπποις τοῦ τόπου παρέχοντος τροφῆς, οὔπω γὰρ ἦν ἀπολαύειν ἀφθόνου πανταχοῦ διὰ τὴν ὥραν, ἄρτι ἀρχομένου ἔαρος, παρέμεινεν ἡμέρας οὐ