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they permitted a return to their own monasteries. Such things were thus brought to completion regarding the embassy of the monks for the patriarch and his co-conspirators. But the emperor Kantakouzenos, since Batatzes, out of fear of those who managed affairs, rejected the embassy for peace, returned to the camp. And he found men arrived from Thessalonica, whom he himself had sent a little before to the proto- 2.214 strator, announcing that he should come with all speed, as all things there were being well managed by the protostrator. Therefore it seemed best to the emperor, that he ought not to delay, but to hasten to Thessalonica, which was necessary. And since all things for the wall-fighting were already prepared, he ordered that on the next day at dawn, after making an attempt on the walls, if they could not take them, on the day after that they should take the road to Thessalonica. So it was decided. And at dawn on the next day, having armed themselves, they attacked the walls, bringing forward the engines. And with the wall-fighting having become most fierce throughout the entire day, the city came very close to being captured, with ladders having been set against the walls and a certain wheeled engine called a tortoise. But night, falling immediately, prevented the capture. But the besieged, fearing that on the next day they would be captured if battle happened again, decided during the night, after receiving pledges from the emperor, to surrender the city by agreement. And at dawn from the walls they ordered a message to be sent to the emperor in the camp, if he wished to receive the city by treaty. And when the emperor gladly received the proposal and ordered them to come to him, as he would do all things for them according to their desire, there came a few of the people and of their powerful men, and of those enrolled in the clergy of their church. And as if absolving themselves from the charges of having taken up arms against him, they said that they had done what was necessary. For they had sworn 2.215 a little before to resist those warring against the empress as long as they were able. Therefore, they had kept their oaths securely, and now with good judgment they were doing what appeared from the circumstances to be advantageous. For which reason they thought they were worthy of pardon from him. Nevertheless, they requested the security of oaths, that they would suffer no harm on account of what they had done during the war, and on account of the insults which were spoken against him by base and worthless men, with all those of repute being especially grieved and considering the licentiousness of tongue a terrible thing. For they spared no insult, standing upon the walls. Whence also at one time, as the emperor was passing by in arms and surveying the walls because of the wall-fighting, three men standing on the walls were even more unsparing with their insults when he became recognizable. But he, coming near, asked if they insulted him so unsparingly knowing who he was. And when one answered that they certainly did know, and for this reason they insulted him as one worthy of many reproaches, because having become a rebel he had conspired against the emperor's children and had refrained from no attempt, scheming to kill those who had done no wrong; "But when," said the emperor, "having been brought to trial, because I was not able to clear myself of the charges, did you yourselves condemn me of wrongdoing and of perjury and of daring such things as you say?" And when they said that he had recently come from Byzantium, where they had learned of the wicked things plotted by him against the em- 2.216 peror; on account of which those there who had chosen the emperor's side were driving him out, against whom he was not able to resist, and had come here. "You have spoken truly," said the emperor, "O friend, to have been taught such things from Byzantium; but I for my part have come here for this very reason, so that by punishing you for your sharp tongue, I might through you teach those men also not to be so licentious." The emperor, therefore, having conversed with them in this way in a joking manner, passed by. And on that same night soldiers, at the emperor's command, lay in ambush before the gates, so as to capture one of those inside alive to be informed of what was being done by him, it so happened that that very insulter at dawn from the gates

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τὰς ἰδίας μονὰς ἐπέτρεπον ἐπάνοδον. περὶ μὲν οὖν τὴν τῶν μοναχῶν πρεσβείαν τοιαῦτα πατριάρχῃ καὶ τοῖς συνωμόταις ἐτελεῖτο. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς ὡς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης πρεσβείαν ὁ Βατάτζης δέει τῶν τὰ πράγματα διοικούντων ἀπηγόρευεν, εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐπανῆκεν. εὗρε δὲ ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης ἀφιγμένους, οὓς αὐτὸς ὀλίγῳ πρότερον πρὸς πρω 2.214 τοστράτορα πέμψας ἦν, ἥκειν τὴν ταχίστην ἀπαγγέλλοντας, ὡς τῶν ἐκεῖσε πάντων ὑπὸ πρωτοστράτορος καλῶς διῳκημένων. ἐδόκει μὲν οὖν καὶ βασιλεῖ, μὴ μέλλειν δεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην ἐπείγεσθαι οὖσαν ἀναγκαίαν. τῶν πρὸς τὴν τειχομαχίαν δὲ πάντων ἤδη παρεσκευασμένων, ἐκέλευεν εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἅμα πρωῒ τῶν τειχῶν ἀποπειρασαμένους, εἰ μὴ δύναιντο παραστήσασθαι, τῇ μετ' αὐτὴν τῆς εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ἔχεσθαι φερούσης. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐδέδοκτο. καὶ ἅμα πρωῒ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ὁπλισάμενοι, προσέβαλον τοῖς τείχεσι προσάγοντες τὰς μηχανάς. διὰ πάσης δὲ ἡμέρας τῆς τειχομαχίας καρτερωτάτης γεγενημένης, μικροῦ μὲν ἐδέησεν ἁλῶναι, τῶν τε κλιμάκων προσερεισθεισῶν τοῖς τείχεσι καὶ μηχανήματός τινος ἐπὶ τροχῶν χελώνης προσαγορευομένου. ἡ νὺξ δὲ αὐτίκα ἐπιγενομένη διεκώλυσε τὴν ἅλωσιν. οἱ πολιορκούμενοι δὲ δείσαντες, μὴ εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν αὖθις μάχης ἁλῶσι γενομένης, ἐβουλεύσαντο νυκτὸς πίστεις λαβόντες παρὰ βασιλέως, ὁμολογίᾳ τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι. καὶ ἅμα πρωῒ ἐκ τῶν τειχῶν τοῖς εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐκέλευον μηνύειν βασιλεῖ, εἰ βούλοιτο ἐπὶ συμβάσει τὴν πόλιν παραλαμβάνειν. ἡδέως δὲ βασιλέως τὸν λόγον δεξαμένου καὶ κελεύοντος ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὡς πάντα πράξοντος αὐτοῖς τὰ κατὰ γνώμην, ἧκον τοῦ τε δήμου καὶ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς δυνατῶν ὀλίγοι καὶ τῶν τῷ κλήρῳ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐκκλησίας κατειλεγμένων. αἰτίας δὲ ὥσπερ ἀπολύοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ ὅπλα κεκινηκέναι πρὸς αὐτὸν, τὸ δέον ἔφασαν πεποιηκέναι. ὀμωμοκέναι γὰρ 2.215 ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἀντιστήσεσθαι τοῖς βασιλίδι πολεμοῦσι μέχρι καὶ τοῦ δυνατοῦ. τούς τε ὅρκους τοιγαροῦν τετηρηκέναι ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ τὸ νῦν λυσιτελεῖν φαινόμενον ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων πράττειν μετ' εὐγνωμοσύνης. ὅθεν ἄξιοι συγγνώμης νομίζειν εἶναι παρ' αὐτῷ. δεῖσθαι μέντοι καὶ τῆς δι' ὅρκων ἀσφαλείας, ὡς οὐδὲν πείσονται δεινὸν τῶν κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον αὐτοῖς εἰργασμένων ἕνεκα καὶ τῶν ὕβρεων, αἳ παρὰ φαύλων καὶ τοῦ μηδενὸς ἀξίων ἀνθρώπων εἴρηνται πρὸς αὐτὸν, τῶν ἐν λόγῳ πάντων μάλιστα ἀνιωμένων καὶ τὴν ἀκολασίαν τῆς γλώττης τιθεμένων ἐν δεινῷ. οὐδεμιᾶς γὰρ ὕβρεως ἐφείδοντο ἑστῶτες ἐπὶ τῶν τειχῶν. ὅθεν καί ποτε βασιλέως ἐν ὅπλοις παριόντος καὶ τὰ τείχη κατασκεπτομένου διὰ τὴν τειχομαχίαν, τρεῖς τινες ἑστῶτες ἐπὶ τῶν τειχῶν, μᾶλλον τῶν ὕβρεων ἠφείδουν γνωρίμου γινομένου. ὁ δὲ ἐγγὺς γενόμενος, ἠρώτα, εἰ εἰδότες, ὅστις εἴη, ὑβρίζουσιν οὕτως ἀφειδῶς. ἑνὸς δὲ ἀποκριναμένου, ὡς μάλιστα εἰδεῖεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑβρίζειν πολλῶν ὄντα ἄξιον λοιδοριῶν, ὅτι ἀποστάτης γεγονὼς τοῖς βασιλέως ἐπεβούλευσε παισὶ καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπέσχετο πείρας ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότας μηχανώμενος· «πότε δὲ» εἴρηκεν ὁ βασιλεὺς «ἐπὶ δίκην καταστάντα, ὅτι μὴ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἠδυνήθην ἀπολύσασθαι, κατεψηφίσασθε ἀδικεῖν αὐτοὶ καὶ ἐπιορκεῖν καὶ τοιαῦτα, οἷα λέγετε, τολμᾷν;» τῶν δὲ, ἔναγχος ἐκ Βυζαντίου, εἰπόντων, ἥκειν, ἐν ᾧ τὰ κατὰ βασι 2.216 λέως ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐσκαιωρημένα ἐκμαθεῖν· δι' ἃ καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖ τὰ βασιλέως ᾑρημένους αὐτὸν ἐλαύνειν, πρὸς οὓς μὴ δυνάμενον ἀνθίστασθαι, ἐνθάδε ἥκειν. «ἀληθῶς εἴρηκας,» εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς «ὦ ἑταῖρε, ἐκ Βυζαντίου τὰ τοιαῦτα δεδιδάχθαι· ἀλλ' ἔγωγε αὐτοῦ τούτου ἕνεκα ἐνθάδε ἥκω, ἵνα σε τῆς γλωσσαλγίας τιμωρησάμενος, διὰ σοῦ κἀκείνους διδάξω μὴ τοιαῦτα ἀκολασταίνειν.» ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς ἐν μέρει παιδιᾶς τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἐκείνους διαλεχθεὶς, παρῆλθε. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ νυκτὸς στρατιῶται, βασιλέως κελεύσαντος, ἐν ταῖς πύλαις προλοχίσαντες, ὥστε τῶν ἔνδον τινὰ ζωγρῆσαι τοῦ τὰ πραττόμενα ὑπ' ἐκείνου διδαχθῆναι, οὕτω συμβὰν, αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ὑβριστὴν ἅμα ἕω τῶν πυλῶν