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seizing him as he was going out for some need, they brought him before the emperor. And he, pretending not to know both where he was from and who he was, asked him. And he, thinking that he himself was unknown, answered with whatever he thought would be useful in the present necessity. But when the emperor, casting off the pretense, showed him to be that very man who was the insulter of yesterday, for all the others, such a turn of events caused no small amusement and they were most pleased; but the captured man was seized with no small fear, agonizing for his life and thinking he was about to die at any moment. But the emperor, thinking it more fitting for him to be magnanimous in such matters as in others, having for some time, for the sake of amusement, spoken to the captured man about the things said yesterday, then ordered a more 2.217 costly robe to be given him than was his due. And having provided him also with gold, he ordered him to return home and from now on to condemn no one before he had a chance to defend himself, but to keep one of his ears pure for the accused. And he, having had almost unbelievable good fortune before it happened, was a praiser of the emperor instead of his former insulter. But these things were before. But then, when the ambassadors asked for amnesty for their insults and begged the emperor to treat them well as they were surrendering voluntarily, having spoken kindly to them and persuaded them with words not to suspect anything terrible from him, he ordered that what they themselves asked for be confirmed by imperial letters. But one of those with the emperor, being ill-disposed, as it seems, and secretly hostile, secretly approached the ambassadors and advised them not to surrender the city. For the emperor had decided he must withdraw to Thessalonica the next day, by all means, whether they surrendered or not. And they, when they heard such things, pretending not to know what had been agreed by all, withdrew to the city. And when they were inside the gates, having locked themselves in again, they prepared for battle. And having mounted the wall, they said that it was not, for the present, the opinion of all to surrender the city to the emperor, but since he had decided he must withdraw to Thessalonica, they themselves, having considered in the future whether it seemed advantageous, would surrender by a common vote. Thus, then, Peritheorion was both nearly taken by siege and nearly surrendered to the emperor by agreement. But the emperor, since it 2.218 was not possible to wait for the siege, raised the army and marched to Thessalonica. 30. And in Byzantium, the emperor John, son of the emperor Andronicus, by the vote of the empress and the senate, has his head adorned with the crown by John the patriarch. And at the festival, all of the senate, except for a few, received offices, as each was judged worthy by the empress, the patriarch, and the council. And Isaac Asanes was appointed panhypersebastos, and Apokaukos megas doux, and Choumnos megas stratopedarches, and Andronicus Palaeologus, who was son-in-law to Apokaukos the megas doux, also megas stratopedarches, and Gabalas protosebastos, and all the others each according to his rank. But the patriarch, since it was not possible to change his dignity, altered his vestments to something more solemn, and in his signatures used a sky-blue color, and the head-covering which it is the custom for patriarchs to wear, if they are not of the order of monks, which was previously wrapped in white linen, he himself adorned with gold, inscribing on it icons of our savior Jesus Christ and of his immaculate mother who bore him, the Theotokos, and of John the Baptist. And Apokaukos the megas doux, up to that time, seemed to hold more moderate opinions and pretended to be one of the council, or rather he even put others before himself, fearing that they, perceiving his villainy, 2.219 would prefer to be ruled by the emperor Kantakouzenos rather than by him. But when he had obtained a greater office and saw the war had grown to a great extent, casting off the mask, he himself was everything and ruled over all things, both greater and lesser. For the public revenues were administered by him, and the governments of cities and military commands were given to whomever he commanded

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πρός τινα χρείαν ἐξελθόντα ἐξαρπάσαντες, παρέστησαν βασιλεῖ. ὁ δ' ἀγνοεῖν ὑποκρινάμενος, ὅθεν τε εἴη καὶ ὅστις, ἠρώτα. νομίσας δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀγνοηθῆναι, ὅσα ᾤετο πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν λυσιτελεῖν ἀνάγκην ἀπεκρίνατο. ὡς δ' ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ὑπόκρισιν ἀποθέμενος, αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀπεδείκνυε τὸν χθὲς εἶναι ὑβριστὴν, τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἅπασι διατριβὴν οὐ μικρὰν ἐνεποίει ἡ τοιαύτη συντυχία καὶ ὡς ἥδιστα διετίθεντο· τὸν ἑαλωκότα δὲ δέος οὐ μικρὸν εἰσῄει περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγωνιῶντα καὶ ὅσον οὔπω νομίζοντα ἀποθανεῖσθαι. βασιλεὺς δ' ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις μᾶλλον κἀν τοῖς τοιούτοις προσήκειν αὐτῷ νομίζων μεγαλοψυχεῖν, ἐφ' ἱκανὸν παραψυχῆς ἕνεκα τὰ χθὲς εἰρημένα πρὸς τὸν ἑαλωκότα διαλεχθεὶς, ἔπειτα ἐκέλευε στολὴν πα 2.217 ρέχειν πολυτελεστέραν, ἢ αὐτῷ προσῆκε. παρασχόμενος δὲ καὶ χρυσίον, ἐκέλευεν οἴκαδε ἀναχωρεῖν καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε μηδενὸς καταψηφίζεσθαι πρὶν εἰς ἀπολογίαν καταστῆναι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν ἀκοῶν τῷ κατηγορουμένῳ φυλάττειν ἀκραιφνῆ. ὁ δ' ἄπιστα σχεδὸν εὐτυχήσας πρὶν γενέσθαι, βασιλέως ἐπαινέτης ἦν ἀντὶ τοῦ πρότερον ὑβριστοῦ. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν πρότερον. τότε δὲ ἐπεὶ οἱ πρέσβεις ἀμνηστίαν τῶν ὕβρεων ᾐτοῦντο καὶ ἐδέοντο βασιλέως εὖ ποιεῖν προσχωροῦντας ἑκοντὶ, προσηνῶς αὐτοῖς διαλεχθεὶς καὶ λόγοις πείσας, μηδὲν ὑποπτεύειν παρ' αὐτοῦ δεινὸν, ἐκέλευε καὶ γράμμασι βασιλικοῖς, ἃ αὐτοὶ ᾐτοῦντο, βέβαια ποιεῖν. τῶν δὲ βασιλεῖ συνόντων τις δύσνους ὢν, ὡς ἔοικε, καὶ πολεμῶν ἀφανῶς, κρύφα προσελθὼν τοῖς πρέσβεσι, συνεβούλευε μὴ τὴν πόλιν παραδιδόναι. βασιλεὺς γὰρ εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν, ἄν τε προσχωρῶσιν, ἄν τε μὴ, πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀνάγκην ἔγνωκε δεῖν ἀποχωρεῖν. οἱ δὲ, ἐπεὶ τοιαῦτα ἤκουσαν, μὴ ἃ κοινῇ πᾶσι δοκεῖ σκηψάμενοι εἰδέναι, πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἀπεχώρουν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦσαν εἴσω πυλῶν, αὖθις ἐγκλεισάμενοι, παρεσκευάζοντο πρὸς μάχην. ἀναβάντες τε ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος, μὴ πᾶσιν ἔλεγον εἶναι τὸ νῦν ἔχον κατὰ γνώμην βασιλεῖ τὴν πόλιν παραδιδόναι, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην ἔγνωκε δεῖν ἀποχωρεῖν, εἰς τοὐπιὸν αὐτοὶ διασκεψάμενοι εἰ δοκεῖ λυσιτελεῖν, κοινῇ ψήφῳ προσχωρήσουσιν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν Περιθεώριον τειχομαχίᾳ τε ὀλίγου ἐδέησεν ἁλῶναι καὶ ὁμολογίᾳ προσχωρῆσαι βασιλεῖ. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ 2.218 μὴ περιμένειν ἐξῆν πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν, ἀναστήσας τὴν στρατιὰν, ἤλαυνεν ἐπὶ Θεσσαλονίκην. λʹ. Ἐν Βυζαντίῳ δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης ὁ τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου βασιλέως παῖς ψήφῳ βασιλίδος τε καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου στέφει τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου τοῦ πατριάρχου κατακοσμεῖται. ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ δὲ καὶ τῶν τῆς συγκλήτου πλὴν ὀλίγων ἀξιωμάτων πάντες ἔτυχον, ὡς ἂν ἕκαστος παρὰ βασιλίδος καὶ πατριάρχου καὶ τῆς βουλῆς ἄξιος ἐκρίθη. καὶ Ἰσαάκιος μὲν Ἀσάνης πανυπερσέβαστος ἀπεδείχθη, δοὺξ δὲ μέγας ὁ Ἀπόκαυκος, καὶ ὁ Χοῦμνος μέγας στρατοπεδάρχης, Ἀνδρόνικός τε Παλαιολόγος, ὃς ἦν γαμβρὸς Ἀποκαύκῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ, μέγας καὶ αὐτὸς στρατοπεδάρχης, ὅ,τε Γαβαλᾶς πρωτοσεβαστὸς, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ὡς ἕκαστος. πατριάρχης δὲ, ἐπεὶ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀμείβειν οὐκ ἐνῆν, εἰς σεμνότερόν τι περιέστησε τὸ σχῆμα καὶ ἔν τε ταῖς ὑπογραφαῖς ἠερανέῳ χρώματι ἐχρῆτο καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς καλύπτραν, ἣν τοὺς πατριάρχας ἔθος φέρειν, ἂν μὴ τοῦ τάγματος ὦσι τῶν μοναζόντων, ὀθόνῃ λευκῇ περιειλημμένην πρότερον, αὐτὸς κατεκόσμησε χρυσῷ, εἰκόνας αὐτῇ τοῦ τε σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐγγράψας Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τῆς τεκούσης αὐτὸν ἀχράντου θεοτόκου καὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἄχρι μὲν ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου μετριώτερά τε φρονεῖν ἐδόκει καὶ τῆς βουλῆς εἶναι ὑπεκρίνετο εἷς, ἢ μᾶλλον καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἄλλους ἦγε, μὴ τῆς κακουργίας αἰσθόμενοι 2.219 ὀῤῥωδῶν, ὑπὸ Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐθελήσωσι μᾶλλον ἄρχεσθαι ἢ ἐκείνου. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀξιώματός τε μείζονος ἐπελάβετο καὶ τὸν πόλεμον εἶδεν αὐξηθέντα ἐπὶ μέγα, τὸ προσωπεῖον ἀποθέμενος, αὐτὸς πάντα ἦν καὶ πάντων ἦρχε καὶ μειζόνων καὶ ἐλαττόνων. αἵ τε γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων πρόσοδοι τῶν κοινῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνου διῳκοῦντο καὶ πόλεων ἀρχαὶ καὶ στρατηγίαι, οἷς αὐτὸς ἐκέλευεν, ἐδίδοντο