283

we have been prepared to endure. "Therefore, since we are so prepared, you yourself lead wherever seems best." The emperor, pleased by such a brief speech, ordered the trumpet to signal the retreat, and having formed up, they departed. But Apokaukos the grand duke in Thessaloniki, knowing of the coming disturbance in the emperor's army (for those secretly plotting to disband it were giving him information), as if taking courage and hoping that he would be able to do something against the emperor because of the treachery of those with him, leading out as many hoplites and light-armed archers from the triremes as there were, and from Thessaloniki as many cavalry, hoplites, and light-armed troops as possible, and having with him Syrges, who a little later 2.254 was proclaimed king of Armenia, and the prefect Monomachos, whom they themselves had come bringing from Pherai, and moreover having taken command of the army from Byzantium and Thrace along with the generals Thomas and Andronikos Palaiologos, marched straight against the emperor at Gynaikokastron. And when they were near, having met with the protostrator and the rest of the army that had deserted the emperor and having become many times more numerous than those with the emperor, they advanced against him. They were not, however, prepared as if to fight. For they knew that the others surpassed them more in courage, bravery, and experience in warfare than they themselves surpassed them in numbers; and for this reason they did not venture to engage in a pitched battle. But from a distance they made a din and used shouts and war-cries, thinking that in this way they would break their formation and turn them to flight, being disturbed by dissension. But the emperor Kantakouzenos did not himself think it necessary to engage, unless he were forced by them. But having drawn up the whole army according to custom and having appointed Angelos the pinkernes as commander of the whole force, he himself, holding the rearguard with the best men, ordered them to march in an orderly fashion, neither making a din nor turning towards those advancing from behind, as he himself would defend them, if any should attack. But they, having followed for a short time, when they saw them departing in an orderly fashion and it was clear 2.255 that they would defend themselves if anyone attacked them, despairing of the hope of prevailing, turned back to Thessaloniki, rejoicing and singing paeans at the same time, considering it a sufficient victory that they had been able to drive the emperor from the land of the Romans. But when the emperor's deserters appeared before Apokaukos the grand duke, to a few he showed great friendliness and counted them among his closest friends, but others he greeted only with the tips of his lips, and to the rest he behaved ironically; and there were some whom he even reproached for their desertion with the emperor Kantakouzenos. But he was clearly embittered towards all and would do them harm, if he should get some plausible pretext. 42. And having learned also about the Edessenes, that they were being besieged by the Triballians for a considerable time now, he ordered as many cavalry as there were, along with the two Palaiologos generals, to engage with the Triballians and free the Edessenes from the siege. The army, therefore, according to the command, came as if to fight. But the Triballians remained in their camp as far as skirmishes, thinking that the Romans would not be able to raise them from the siege. But when they saw that they were more numerous and eager to fight, fearing that out of rivalry they might perish fighting against superior numbers and better men at the same time, they formed up and withdrew, leaving their camp behind, having lost a few soldiers in the skirmishes. The Romans 2.256 sacked the enemy's camp, and took possession of not a few horses and the rest of the army's baggage. And having also freed those in Edessa from the siege, they withdrew again to Thessaloniki. And while these things were being accomplished, a certain one of the nomadic Triballians living near Prosoikon in a village called David's, Tzimpanos by name, having heard what had happened concerning the emperor Kantakouzenos at Gynaikokastron, since the ambassadors were being entertained by him, whom he had previously sent to the Kral ordering him to abide by the treaties with him, who were Constantine Palaiologos, in rank

283

ὑφίστασθαι παρεσκευάσμεθα. ὡς οὖν οὕτω παρεσκευασμένοις, αὐτὸς ὅποι δοκεῖ βέλτιον ἡγοῦ.» πρὸς οὖν τὴν τοιαύτην βραχυλογίαν καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡσθεὶς, ἐκέλευε τῇ σάλπιγγι τὴν ἀναχώρησιν σημαίνειν καὶ συνταξάμενοι ἐχώρουν. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ τὴν ἐσομένην ταραχὴν περὶ τὴν βασιλέως στρατιὰν εἰδὼς, οἱ γὰρ διαλεγόμενοι κρύφα πρὸς τὸ διαλύεσθαι ἐμήνυον, ὥσπερ ἀναθαρσήσας καί τι κατὰ βασιλέως δυνήσεσθαι ἐλπίσας διὰ τὴν προδοσίαν τῶν συνόντων, τοὺς ὁπλίτας ὅσοι ἦσαν καὶ ψιλοὺς τοξότας τῶν τριηρέων ἐξαγαγὼν καὶ ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης ὅσους μάλιστα ἐνῆν ἱππέας τε καὶ ὁπλίτας καὶ ψιλοὺς, καὶ Συργὴν, ὃς καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν 2.254 ῥὴξ ἀνεδείκνυτο Ἀρμενίας, καὶ τὸν Μονομάχον ἔπαρχον, ἔχοντας, οὓς αὐτοὶ ἐκ Φερῶν ἧκον ἄγοντες, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ Θρᾴκης στρατιὰν ἅμα τοῖς στρατηγοῖς Θωμᾷ καὶ Ἀνδρονίκῳ τοῖς Παλαιολόγοις παραλαβὼν, εὐθὺ Γυναικοκάστρου κατὰ βασιλέως ἐχώρει. οἱ δὲ ἐπεὶ ἦσαν ἐγγὺς, πρωτοστράτορι καὶ τῇ συναποστάσῃ βασιλέως ἄλλῃ στρατιᾷ περιτυχόντες καὶ πολλαπλάσιοι γενόμενοι τῶν συνόντων βασιλεῖ, ἤλαυνον ἐπ' ἐκεῖνον. οὐ μέντοι ἦσαν παρεσκευασμένοι ὡς μαχούμενοι. ᾔδεσαν γὰρ ἐκείνους τόλμῃ καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ τῇ περὶ τὰ πολέμια ἐμπειρίᾳ μᾶλλον ὑπερέχοντας αὐτῶν, ἢ ὅσον ἐκείνων αὐτοὶ τῷ πλήθει· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συμπλέκεσθαι μὲν ἐκ παρατάξεως οὐκ ἐδοκίμαζον. πόῤῥωθεν δὲ ἐθορύβουν καὶ βοαῖς ἐχρῶντο καὶ ἀλαλαγμοῖς, οἰόμενοι τὴν τάξιν οὕτω διαλύσειν καὶ τρέψεσθαι πρὸς φυγὴν, τεταραγμένους ὑπὸ διχοστασίας. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς οὐδ' αὐτὸς μὲν ᾤετο δεῖν συμπλέκεσθαι, εἰ μὴ παρ' ἐκείνων ἀναγκάζοιτο. πρὸς ἔθος δὲ τὴν πᾶσαν στρατιὰν συντάξας καὶ ἡγεμόνα τοῦ παντὸς Ἄγγελον τὸν πιγκέρνην ἐπιστήσας, αὐτὸς τὴν οὐραγίαν ἔχων μετὰ τῶν ἀρίστων, ἐκέλευε βαδίζειν τεταγμένως, μήτε θορυβοῦντας, μήτε πρὸς τοὺς κατόπιν ἐπιόντας ἐπιστρεφομένους, ὡς αὐτοῦ ἀμυνουμένου, ἄν τινες ἐπίωσιν. οἱ δὲ ἐπ' ὀλίγον ἀκολουθήσαντες, ἐπεὶ ἑώρων τεταγμένως ἀπιόντας καὶ δήλους 2.255 ὄντας, ὡς ἀμυνοῦνται, ἂν ἐπίῃ τις αὐτοῖς, ἀπογνόντες τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ περιγενήσεσθαι, ἀνέστρεφον εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην, χαίροντες ὁμοῦ καὶ παιανίζοντες, ἀρκοῦσαν ἡγούμενοι τὴν νίκην, ὅτι τῆς Ῥωμαίων γῆς βασιλέα ἐξελάσαι ἠδυνήθησαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ βασιλέως ἀποστάντες ὤφθησαν Ἀποκαύκῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ, ὀλίγοις μὲν πολλὴν ἐπεδείκνυτο φιλοφροσύνην καὶ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα τῶν φίλων ἦγε, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων τοὺς μὲν ἄκροις χείλεσι μόνον προσηγόρευε, τοῖς ἄλλοις δὲ προσεφέρετο εἰρωνικῶς· ἔστι δὲ οἷς καὶ ὠνείδιζε τὴν μετὰ Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποστασίαν. δῆλος δὲ ἦν πᾶσιν ἐμπικραινόμενος καὶ κακῶς ποιήσων, ἂν λάβηταί τινος προφάσεως εὐλόγου. μβʹ. Πυθόμενος δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἐδεσσηνῶν, ὅτι ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν πολιορκοῦνται χρόνον ἤδη συχνὸν, τοὺς ἱππέας ὅσοι ἦσαν ἅμα τοῖς στρατηγοῖς Παλαιολόγοις τοῖς δυσὶν ἐκέλευε συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς Τριβαλοῖς καὶ τῆς πολιορκίας Ἐδεσσηνοὺς ἐλευθεροῦν. ἡ μὲν οὖν στρατιὰ κατὰ τὸ ἐπίταγμα ἧκον ὡς μαχούμενοι. Τριβαλοὶ δὲ μέχρι μὲν ἀκροβολισμῶν ἐνέμειναν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, οἰόμενοι Ῥωμαίους οὐ δυνήσεσθαι αὐτοὺς τῆς πολιορκίας ἀναστήσειν. ὡς δὲ ἑώρων πλείους τε ὄντας καὶ προθύμους μάχεσθαι, δείσαντες, μὴ ὑπὸ φιλονεικίας ἀπόλωνται πλείοσιν ὁμοῦ καὶ βελτίοσι μαχόμενοι, συνταξάμενοι ἀνεχώρουν, τὸ στρατόπεδον καταλιπόντες, ὀλίγους στρατιώτας ἐν τοῖς ἀκροβολισμοῖς ἀποβαλόντες. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τὸ 2.256 στρατόπεδον ἐπόρθησαν τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ ἵππων τε ἐκράτησαν οὐκ ὀλίγων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀποσκευῆς τῆς στρατιᾶς. ἐλευθερώσαντες δὲ καὶ τῆς πολιορκίας τοὺς ἐν Ἐδέσσῃ, αὖθις ἀνεχώρουν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην. ἐν ᾧ δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐτελεῖτο, καὶ τῶν νομάδων Τριβαλῶν τις περὶ Πρόσοικον οἰκῶν ἐν κώμῃ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ προσαγορευομένῃ, Τζιμπάνος ὄνομα, τὰ περὶ Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα ἐν Γυναικοκάστρῳ συμβάντα πεπυσμένος, ἐπεὶ παρ' αὐτῷ οἱ πρέσβεις ἐξενίζοντο, οὓς πρότερον ἔπεμψε πρὸς Κράλην κελεύων ἐμμένειν ταῖς σπονδαῖς ταῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν, οἳ Κωνσταντῖνός τε ἦσαν ὁ Παλαιολόγος, τὴν ἀξίαν