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Meanwhile, the emperor, having learned that his bastard brother Masout, wishing to seize his rule, had plotted the murder of Saïsan, with certain satraps having secretly joined him, as usually tends to happen, advised him to wait a little while, until he might learn more clearly the things being plotted against him, and so he would depart knowing what had happened and being on his guard. But he, reckoning the emperor's counsel as nothing and trusting in himself, held to his purpose. Therefore, so that the emperor might not seem to detain the deserter sultan by force and blame be attached to him from this, he yielded to the barbarian's opinion, saying: "It would have been good to wait for a little while; but since this is your heart's desire, it is necessary to take the second voyage, as they say, and to take from us enough Roman cataphract soldiers who will keep you safe all the way to Iconium itself." But the barbarian was not even persuaded by this, such are the arrogant characters of barbarians, who think they almost surpass the very clouds. Therefore, having taken leave of the emperor and received sufficient money, he took the road leading home. 15.6.8 But a certain dream came to him by night, not a deceitful one, nor sent from Zeus, nor indeed urging the barbarian to battle, as the sweet poetry says, in the likeness of the son of Neleus, but foretelling the truth to the barbarian. For it seemed that while he was breakfasting, a swarm of mice suddenly surrounded him, hastening to snatch the bread he was eating from his hands; and when he reacted scornfully and tried to drive them away, they suddenly changed their nature into lions and overpowered him. And when he awoke, he related the dream to the emperor's soldier who was traveling with him, asking what it might mean. And while he interpreted the dream, explaining the mice and the lions as enemies, he himself did not want to believe it, but eagerly and recklessly kept to his journey. And he had quickly sent scouts ahead to look around lest any enemies had come out for plunder. But the scouts, having encountered Masout himself, who was already arriving with a large army, and having spoken with him and agreed with his plan against Saïsan, returned, assuring him that they had seen no one. And as Saïsan accepted their report as trustworthy and was traveling without care, barbarian forces of Masout met him. 15.6.9 And leaping forth from the phalanx, a certain Gazes, son of the satrap Asan Catouch by name, whom Saïsan had previously killed when he was sultan, struck him with his spear. But he, turning quickly, snatched the spear from the hands of Gazes, saying: "I did not know that women now carry spears against us." And then fleeing, he took the road leading to the emperor; but he was prevented by Poucheas, who was accompanying him, who, having long since sided with Masout's party, outwardly acted friendly toward Saïsan, supposedly suggesting the better course. But in truth, laying snares for him and digging a pit, he advised him not to return to the emperor, but to enter Tyragion, turning a little from the road. This is a small town situated very near Philomelion. The foolish Saïsan was persuaded by the words of Poucheas and, having reached Tyragion, was received kindly by the Roman inhabitants, who knew of the emperor's goodwill toward him. But the barbarians and Masout himself arrived and, surrounding the walls all around, set about a siege. But he, leaning out from above, greatly threatened his fellow barbarians, saying that Roman forces of the emperor were already coming upon them and, if they did not cease from the fight, they would suffer this and that. And the Romans inside also resisted the Turks bravely. 15.6.10 But Poucheas tears the scenery apart and the wolf hiding in the sheepskin into the open

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μεταξὺ δὲ μεμαθηκὼς ὁ αὐτοκρά τωρ ὅτι ὁ νόθος αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸς Μασούτ, τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ βουλόμενος ἐπιδράξασθαι, τὸν τοῦ Σαϊσὰν μεμελετήκει φόνον, ὑπεισελθόντων αὐτῷ σατραπῶν τινων, ὁποῖα εἴωθεν ὡς ἐπίπαν γίνεσθαι, ξυνεβούλευε μεῖναι μικρόν, ἔστ' ἂν τὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετώμενα σαφέστερον διαγνοίη, καὶ οὕτως ἀπελεύσεται γινώσκων τὰ συμπεσόντα καὶ φυλαττόμενος. Ὁ δὲ παρ' οὐδὲν τὴν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος βουλὴν λογισάμενος καὶ θαρρῶν ἑαυτῷ εἴχετο τοῦ σκοποῦ. Ἵνα γοῦν μὴ δόξῃ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸν αὐτόμολον σουλτάνον βίᾳ κατασχεῖν καὶ μῶμος ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ προστριβῇ, ἐνεδίδου τῇ γνώμῃ τοῦ βαρβάρου φάμενος· «Καλὸν μὲν ἦν περιμεῖναι τέως μικρόν· ἐπεὶ δὲ καταθύμιόν σοι τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἀναγκαῖον τὸν δεύτε ρον, ὅ φασι, πλοῦν καὶ καταφράκτους στρατιώτας ἱκανοὺς Ῥωμαίων ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀναλαβέσθαι τοὺς ἀβλαβῆ σε διασώσον τας μέχρις αὐτοῦ Ἰκονίου». Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο καταπειθὴς ὁ βάρβαρος ἦν, ὁποῖα τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἤθη ἀγέ ρωχα, μονονοὺ καὶ αὐτῶν νεφῶν ὑπερβάλλεσθαι οἰομένων. Συνταξάμενος τοίνυν τῷ αὐτοκράτορι καὶ χρήματα ἱκανὰ λαβὼν τῆς πρὸς τὰ οἴκοι φερούσης εἴχετο. 15.6.8 Ὄνειρος δέ τις ἐφίσταται αὐτῷ νυκτὸς οὐκ ἀπατηλὸς οὔτε ἐκ ∆ιὸς πεμφθεὶς οὔτε μὴν ἐποτρύνων πρὸς μάχας τὸν βάρβαρον, καθάπερ ἡ γλυκεῖά φησι ποίησις, Νηληΐῳ υἷι ἐοικώς, ἀλλὰ τἀληθῆ τῷ βαρβάρῳ προμαντευόμενος. Ἐδόκει γὰρ τάχα μύας ἐν τῷ ἀριστᾶν ὁμαδὸν περιχυθέντας αὐτῷ καὶ ὃν κατήσθιεν ἄρτον ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἀφαρπάσαι σπεύδοντας· τοῦ δὲ καταφρονητικῶς διατιθεμένου καὶ ἀποδιοπομπεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντος, αἴφνης εἰς λέοντας ἀλλαξαμένους τὴν φύσιν καὶ ὑπερισχυκότας αὐτοῦ. ∆ιυπνισθεὶς δὲ τῷ συνο δοιποροῦντι τούτῳ στρατιώτῃ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος διηγεῖτο τὸν ὄνειρον, πυνθανόμενος τί ἂν βούλοιτο. Τοῦ δὲ εἰς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς μύας τε καὶ τοὺς λέοντας διαλύοντος τοῦ ὀνείρου, αὐτὸς δὲ πιστεύειν οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ σπουδαίως καὶ ἀπερισκέπτως τῆς ὁδοιπορίας εἴχετο. Σκοποὺς δὲ τάχα προαπεστάλκει ἐφ' ᾧ περιαθρῆσαι μή τινες ἐχθροὶ εἰς προνομὴν ἐξεληλύθεισαν. Αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ Μασοὺτ οἱ σκο ποὶ ἐντετυχηκότες μετὰ πολλῆς στρατιᾶς ἤδη καταλαμβά νοντι, καὶ ὁμιλήσαντες τούτῳ ξυνθέμενοί τε τῇ ἐκείνου κατὰ τοῦ Σαϊσὰν γνώμῃ, ἐπέστρεψαν μηδένα ἑωρακέναι διαβεβαιούμενοι. Πιστὸν δὲ τὸν λόγον δεξαμένῳ τῷ Σαϊσὰν καὶ ἀπεριμερίμνως ὁδεύοντι δυνάμεις αὐτῷ συναντῶσι βαρβαρικαὶ τοῦ Μασούt. 15.6.9 Προπηδήσας δὲ τῆς φάλαγ γος Γαζής τις υἱὸς τοῦ σατράπου Ἀσὰν Κατοὺχ τὴν κλῆσιν, ὃν προφθάσας ὁ Σαϊσὰν ἀνεῖλε σουλτάνος, παίει τοῦτον διὰ τοῦ δόρατος. Ὁ δὲ γοργῶς ἐπιστραφεὶς ἐξαρ πάζει τὸ δόρυ τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ Γαζῆ φάμενος ὡς· «Οὐκ ᾔδειν ἔγωγε ὅτι καὶ γυναῖκες νῦν δόρατα φέρουσι καθ' ἡ μῶν». Καὶ τηνικαῦτα φεύγων τῆς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα φερούσης εἴχετο· ἀπείργετο δὲ παρὰ τοῦ συνεφεπομένου αὐτῷ Πουχέα, ὃς τῷ μέρει τοῦ Μασοὺτ πάλαι προσκείμε νος τῷ φαινομένῳ φιλίως τῷ Σαϊσὰν προσεφέρετο τὰ λῴονα τάχα ὑποτιθέμενος. Τῇ δ' ἀληθείᾳ πάγας αὐτῷ καὶ βόθυνον ὀρύττων ξυνεβούλευε μὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα παλινοστῆσαι, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ Τυράγιον εἰσελθεῖν μικρὸν τῆς ὁδοῦ παρεκκλί ναντα. Πολίχνιον δὲ τοῦτο ἔγγιστα τοῦ Φιλομηλίου διακεί μενον. Πείθεται τοῖς τοῦ Πουχέα λόγοις ὁ Σαϊσὰν νήπιος καὶ καταλαβὼν τὸ Τυράγιον προσηνῶς παρὰ τῶν ἐποίκων Ῥωμαίων ἐδέχθη γινωσκόντων τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν τοῦ βασι λέως εὐμένειαν. Καταλαβόντες δὲ οἱ βάρβαροι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Μασοὺτ περιζώσαντες γυρόθεν τὰ τείχη πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἀπένευον. Ὁ δὲ προκύψας ἄνωθεν μεγάλως ἠπειλεῖτο τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις αὐτοῦ βαρβάροις ὅσον ἤδη λέγων δυνάμεις ῥωμαϊκὰς καταλαμβάνειν αὐτοὺς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος καί, εἰ μὴ παύσονται τῆς μάχης, πείσεσθαι τόσα καὶ τόσα. Ἀνθίσ ταντο δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐντὸς Ῥωμαῖοι τοῖς Τούρκοις γενναίως. 15.6.10 Ὁ δὲ Πουχέας τὴν σκηνὴν διαρρήγνυσι καὶ τὸν κρυπ τόμενον τῇ δορᾷ λύκον εἰς τοὐμφανὲς