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protosebastos, and Arsenios Tzamblakon; Tzimpanos, having acted barbarously toward them, and having coveted their packhorses and the rest of their baggage, which was not inconsiderable, taking along with them his children and wife and herds, which were his wealth, he deserted to the megas doux in Thessalonica and brought the emperor's envoys as a gift, in chains. And he, being exceedingly pleased, rewarded the barbarian generously, at once making him master of the great houses and possessions which belonged to Tzamblakon in Thessalonica. But toward the prisoners, first having himself personally insulted them greatly and shown all manner of bitterness, he ordered the protosebastos to be led away to prison, and handed Tzamblakon over to the trierarchs, so that they might insult him wantonly along with the sailors. And they, having led him up onto one of the triremes, and with almost the entire populace of the 2.257 Thessalonians present, upon him, who was dressed in monastic garb, as was his custom, they placed on his head a certain felt cap, which it is the custom for the common and vulgar Persians to wear on their heads, and forcing him to hold lighted torches in both hands, from behind they kicked him in the backside; then, coming around to the front, they saluted him, shouting, “This is the patriarch of Kantakouzenos.” After that great mockery and dishonorable triumph, he ordered him also to be led away to prison. After this, having managed the affairs in Thessalonica as seemed best to him and having incited everyone to the war against the emperor, he himself returned to Byzantium by sea, and the cavalry by land. But the emperor Kantakouzenos, after his army from Byzantium and Thessalonica had withdrawn, refusing battle, having marched for the remainder of the day, camped for the night at the entrance of the pass of Prosoikos. This Prosoikos is a very strong fortress situated on a hill, which long ago was under Roman rule, but during the war of the emperors Andronikos against each other it was willingly handed over by its occupants to the ruler of the Triballians out of hatred for the young emperor. At that time it was held by a certain Michael, having been delivered up by the ruler of the Triballians. This Michael, being one of the emperor's household, as he himself later claimed, had deserted to the 2.258 Kral for some reason. Then, seeing the army encamped and thinking it was a Roman army that had come for plunder, having gathered as many foot soldiers and horsemen as he could, he occupied the pass during the night and at dawn prepared for battle, intending not to allow the army passage. The emperor likewise, when he saw them established in the strongest parts of the area, ordered his army to arm, intending to force a passage; for it was not possible to turn to any better alternative. But Michael, wishing to learn where the army was from and who its commanding general was, having approached the camp and seeing from a distance some of his acquaintances and friends, he called them by name and inquired about the general. When they announced that it was the emperor Kantakouzenos, without any delay he at once approached and kissed his foot. Then, having made himself known, he commiserated with the emperor on his misfortune and showed himself most eager in all other matters, professing great thanks to God that he had chanced upon this moment, in which it would be possible to make plain his goodwill toward him. Therefore he at once granted them passage without a struggle and entertained the army from his available resources. So the emperor spent that day in Prosoikos, being entertained by Michael, and at the same time so that the army might procure provisions; for they were completely lacking in necessities. On the next day, setting out from there 2.259 and crossing the Axios river, he took the road leading to the city of Skopia, which itself was also formerly Roman, but had been occupied by the Triballians for many years previously. And when it was necessary to pass the city of Velessos, which was itself, similarly to the others, under the Triballians

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πρωτοσεβαστὸς, καὶ Ἀρσένιος ὁ Τζαμπλάκων· περὶ τούτους δὴ ὁ Τζιμπάνος βαρβαρικῶς διατεθεὶς, καὶ ἵππων τῶν ἀγόντων ἐπιθυμήσας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀποσκευῆς οὔσης οὐκ ὀλίγης, ἅμα ἐκείνοις καὶ τέκνα καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ βοσκήματα, ἃ ἦν αὐτῷ περιουσία, παραλαβὼν, ηὐτομόλησε πρὸς μέγαν δοῦκα ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ καὶ τοὺς βασιλέως πρεσβευτὰς ὥσπερ τι δῶρον προσήγαγε δεσμώτας. ὁ δὲ ἄγαν ὑπερησθεὶς, τὸν μὲν βάρβαρον ἠμείβετο φιλοτίμως, οἰκιῶν αὐτίκα καὶ κτήσεων μεγάλων, αἳ Τζαμπλάκωνι ἦσαν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, κύριον ἀποδείξας. εἰς τοὺς δεσμώτας δὲ πρότερον αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ πολλὰ ἐνυβρίσας καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδειξάμενος πικρίαν, πρωτοσεβαστὸν μὲν ἐκέλευεν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἀπάγειν, Τζαμπλάκωνα δὲ τοῖς τριηράρχαις παρεδίδου, ὡς ἅμα τοῖς ναύταις ἀτάκτως ἐνυβρίσουσιν. οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ μίαν τῶν τριηρέων ἀναγαγόντες, καὶ τοῦ δήμου σχεδὸν τῶν Θεσ 2.257 σαλονικέων παντὸς παρόντος, τὰ μοναχῶν, ὥσπερ εἴωθεν, ἠμφιεσμένον, ἐπέθηκαν τῇ κεφαλῇ πῖλόν τι, ὃ τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ δημώδεσι τῶν Περσῶν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς φορεῖν ἔθος, λαμπάδας τε ἡμμένας ἀμφοτέραις κατέχειν ἀναγκάζοντες ταῖς χερσὶν, ὄπισθεν μὲν ἐλάκτιζον ἐπὶ τὸν πρωκτόν· εἶτα παριόντες, ἔμπροσθεν ἠσπάζοντο, «οὗτος» ἐπιβοῶντες «ὁ πατριάρχης Καντακουζηνοῦ.» μετὰ δὲ τὴν πολλὴν ἐκείνην ἐρεσχελίαν καὶ τὸν θρίαμβον τὸν ἄτιμον, ἐκέλευε καὶ αὐτὸν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἀπάγειν. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τὰ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ πράγματα ὡς ἂν αὐτῷ ἐδόκει ἄριστα, οἰκονομήσας καὶ πρὸς τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον πάντας παραθήξας, αὐτὸς μὲν ἐκ θαλάσσης, ἡ ἵππος δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀνέστρεφε. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς μετὰ τὸ τὴν ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ Θεσσαλονίκης στρατιὰν αὐτοῦ ἀναχωρῆσαι πρὸς τὴν μάχην ἀπειποῦσαν, τὸ ἐπίλοιπον ὁδεύσας τῆς ἡμέρας, παρὰ τῶν Προσοίκου στενῶν τὴν εἰσβολὴν ηὐλίσατο τὴν νύκτα. ὁ δὲ Πρόσοικος οὗτος φρούριόν ἐστι καρτερώτατον ἐπὶ λόφου ἱδρυμένον, ὃ πάλαι μὲν ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν διετέλει, κατὰ δὲ τὸν βασιλέων Ἀνδρονίκων πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμον πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν Τριβαλῶν ὑπὸ τῶν κατεχόντων ἑκόντων παρεδόθη μίσει τῷ πρὸς τὸν νέον βασιλέα. τότε δὲ ὑπὸ Μιχαήλ τινος, τοῦ Τριβαλῶν ἄρχοντος παραδόντος, ἐκρατεῖτο. ὃς δὴ Μιχαὴλ, τῶν βασιλέως οἰκείων, ὡς ὕστερον αὐτὸς ἔφασκεν, ὢν, πρὸς 2.258 Κράλην αὐτομολήσειεν ἔκ τινος αἰτίας. τότε δὴ τὴν στρατιὰν ἰδὼν ἐστρατοπεδευμένην καὶ νομίσας ἐκ Ῥωμαίων οὖσαν ἐπὶ λείαν ἥκειν, πεζούς τε καὶ ἱππέας ὅσους μάλιστα ἠδύνατο ἀθροίσας, τῆς νυκτὸς προκατέλαβε τὰ στενὰ καὶ ἅμα πρωῒ παρεσκευάζετο πρὸς μάχην, ὡς τὴν δίοδον τῇ στρατιᾷ οὐκ ἐπιτρέψων. βασιλεύς τε ὁμοίως, ἐπεὶ ἐκείνους εἶδε περὶ τὰ καρτερώτατα τοῦ χωρίου ἐγκαθιδρυμένους, τὴν στρατιὰν ἐκέλευεν ὁπλίζεσθαι ὡς βιασόμενος· πρὸς ἕτερόν τι γὰρ τρέπεσθαι βέλτιον οὐκ ἐνῆν. Μιχαὴλ δὲ τήν τε στρατιὰν ἐθέλων ὅθεν εἴη μαθεῖν καὶ τὸν ἄγοντα στρατηγὸν, πλησίον τε γενόμενος τοῦ στρατοπέδου καί τινας τῶν συνήθων καὶ φίλων πόῤῥωθεν ἰδὼν, ἐκάλει τε αὐτοὺς ὀνομαστὶ καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο περὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ. ἐκείνων δὲ ἀπαγγειλάντων, ὡς εἴη βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς, μηδὲν μελλήσας προσῄει τε αὐτίκα καὶ ἠσπάζετο τὸν πόδα. ἔπειτα καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀναγνωρίσας, συνήλγησέ τε πρὸς τὴν δυσπραγίαν βασιλεῖ καὶ περὶ τὰ ἄλλα προθυμότατον ἑαυτὸν παρέσχετο, χάριν τῷ θεῷ πολλὴν ὁμολογῶν, ὅτι πρὸς τοῦτο καιροῦ συντύχοι, ἐν ᾧ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐξέσται τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον φανερὰν ποιεῖν. τήν τε οὖν δίοδον εὐθὺς ἀπονητὶ παρείχετο καὶ ἐξένιζεν ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων τὴν στρατιάν. τὴν μὲν οὖν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἐν Προσοίκῳ διετέλεσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ξενιζόμενος ὑπὸ Μιχαὴλ, ἅμα δ' ἵνα καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ πορίζοιτο τὰ ἐπιτήδεια· ἦσαν γὰρ παντάπασι τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεεῖς. ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν δὲ ἄρας 2.259 ἐκεῖθεν καὶ Ἀξιὸν διαβὰς τὸν ποταμὸν, τῆς ἐπὶ Σκοπιὰν πόλιν, καὶ αὐτὴν πάλαι μὲν Ῥωμαίων οὖσαν, ἔτεσι δὲ πολλοῖς πρότερον ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν κατεχομένην, εἴχετο φερούσης. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδει παριέναι Βελεσσὸν πόλιν, καὶ αὐτὴν ταῖς ἄλλαις παραπλησίως ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν