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to dismount, and especially on the first [encounter], having dismounted from afar and approached on foot, thus to greet the 2.262 emperor on their knees. And what was more surprising, was that if ever it was necessary for one of the more noble Triballians to approach when both were present, Krales acted according to custom and dismounted from his horse for the greeting, but the emperor, remaining on horseback, greeted the one approaching. And when he entered that man's house, and he entered almost daily—for he did not allow him to remain in his tent, considering conversation with him a more pleasant pastime than any other—he ordered the younger of the nobles to meet him outside the gate, running on foot, and inside the court the elders and those honored with dignities among them, while he himself would greet him, meeting him, at the first of the buildings after the court, or would even go forward as far as the place where he dismounted from his horse. And the wife of Krales showed no less honor towards the emperor, striving especially not to be outdone by him in anything. These things, then, were done during all the time in which the emperor stayed with them. At the beginning of his visit, especially for quite a few days, the ruler of the Triballians, having displayed his goodwill toward the emperor with drinking parties and toasts, then inquired for what reason he had come to him and if he needed anything from him. The emperor for his part said that he had come for the sake of his friendship toward him. For there could be nothing better or more sensible for men using right reason than to acquire a firm and true friendship. And then, if 2.263 he were willing and able, also to receive help from him, so as to return to his own land. He thought that he himself was not unaware of the things that had happened to him in the now roughly nine months since the war among the Romans had been stirred up, how he had been envied by his countrymen though he had done no wrong, and how an undeclared war had been stirred up by them, and these last things, how he had been betrayed by his companions who deserted to the enemy. But if he did not wish to help, to refuse openly, so that he, having considered, might do whatever seemed best for himself and for those with him. And not to be surprised that he had said 'if he were able to help'. For he did not say such things having judged him to be powerless, but knowing that for all men the will lies equally in their power, but the ability no longer does. For sometimes even those who seem to be very powerful are deprived of the power of doing what they want by certain hindrances, either because other more powerful enemies are pressing them, or because they themselves are about to campaign against some neighboring nations. For this reason he said 'if he were able'; at which it was right for him not to be disturbed, since many such things happen in life. And he said later that he had said such things to Krales on purpose, so that, if he did not wish to help, he might have a plausible pretext from his words, so as to refuse the aid, but no longer also the friendship toward him. For he feared that he might be made an enemy to him, if he did not wish to help, thinking that he was already being driven to 2.264 anger and enmity because of the failure of the assistance. But Krales said, "You have done well, O emperor, in clarifying your speech; for it was troubling me not a little and disturbing my mind, that you say such things thinking me unaware of the power I possess. But since you have freed me from such suspicions, I will now also make my mind clear to you, that I both have a power quite sufficient against those warring with you, and would gladly offer assistance, if you yourself also wish it." When the emperor answered that for his friendship and the zeal concerning him he would be very grateful, but that he did not know to what the 'if you yourself also wish it' referred, as reward for the alliance Krales asked for all the cities subject to the Romans from Christoupolis to the west, and if this seemed burdensome, at least those from Thessalonica. For not for no gain will they spend so much money for the war on his behalf and run risks against the entire Roman empire, against whom they never dared to raise so great a war even on their own behalf,

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ἀποβαίνειν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρώτην μάλιστα καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ἀποβάντας καὶ προσελθόντας πεζῇ οὕτως ἀσπάζεσθαι ἐπὶ γό 2.262 νυ βασιλέα. καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστότερον, ὅτι εἴ ποτε συνοῦσιν ἀμφοτέροις ἐδέησέ τινα τῶν εὐγενεστέρων Τριβαλῶν προσελθεῖν, Κράλης μὲν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐποίει καὶ ἀπέβαινε τοῦ ἵππου πρὸς τὴν προσαγόρευσιν, βασιλεὺς δὲ μένων ἔφιππος, ἠσπάζετο τὸν προσιόντα. πρὸς δὲ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκείνου εἰσιόντα, εἰσῄει δὲ ὁσημέραι σχεδόν· οὐ γὰρ εἴα μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς, πάσης ἡδίω διατριβῆς τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τιθέμενος ὁμιλίαν, ἔξω μὲν τῆς πύλης τοὺς νέους τῶν εὐγενεστέρων πεζῇ θέοντας ἐκέλευεν ὑπαντᾷν, ἔνδον δὲ τῆς αὐλῆς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ ἀξίαις ταῖς παρ' αὐτοῖς τετιμημένους, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν πρῶτον μάλιστα τῶν οἴκων μετὰ τὴν αὐλὴν προσηγόρευεν ὑπαντῶν, ἢ καὶ ἄχρι τοῦ τόπου ἔνθα τοῦ ἵππου ἀπέβαινε προΐει. οὐχ ἥττω δὲ φιλοτιμίαν καὶ ἡ τοῦ Κράλη γαμετὴ πρὸς βασιλέα ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἐν πᾶσι μάλιστα ἐκείνου οὐδαμῶς ἀπολείπεσθαι φιλονεικοῦσα. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ συνδιέτριβεν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐπράττετο. ἐν ἀρχαῖς δὲ τῆς ἐπιδημίας μάλιστα ἐν ἡμέραις οὐκ ὀλίγαις πότοις καὶ φιλοτησίαις ὁ τῶν Τριβαλῶν ἄρχων τὴν πρὸς βασιλέα εὔνοιαν ἐπιδειξάμενος, ἔπειτα ἐπυνθάνετο, ὅτου χάριν ἀφίκοιτο πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἰ δέοιτο παρ' αὐτοῦ τινος. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἥκειν μὲν ἔφασκε τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν φιλίας ἕνεκα. οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη τι βέλτιον καὶ σωφρονέστερον ἀνθρώποις ὀρθοῖς χρωμένοις λογισμοῖς τοῦ βεβαίαν καὶ ἀληθῆ φιλίαν κτήσασθαι. ἔπειτα δὲ εἴγε 2.263 βούλοιτο καὶ δύναιτο καὶ βοηθείας παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν, ὥστ' ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν. οἴεσθαι δὲ μηδ' αὐτὸν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ αὐτῷ συμβεβηκότα ἐν ἐννέα μάλιστα μησὶν ἤδη τοῦ παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις πολέμου κεκινημένου, ὅπως τε φθονηθείη παρὰ τῶν ὁμοφύλων μηδὲν ἠδικηκὼς, καὶ ὡς κινηθείη παρ' ἐκείνων πόλεμος ἀκήρυκτος, καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα ταῦτα δὴ, ὡς προδοθείη παρὰ τῶν συνόντων πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀποστάντων. εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο βοηθεῖν, ἀπαγορεύειν φανερῶς, ὥστ' αὐτὸν διασκεψάμενον, ὅ, τι ἂν δοκοίη βέλτιον αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς συνοῦσι πράττειν. μὴ θαυμάζειν δὲ, ὡς, εἴγε δύναιτο βοηθεῖν, εἰρήκει. οὐ γὰρ ἀδυναμίαν αὐτοῦ κατεγνωκὼς τοιαῦτα φάναι, ἀλλ' εἰδὼς, ὡς πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἡ μὲν βούλησις ὁμοίως ἐπ' ἐξουσίᾳ κεῖται, τὸ δύνασθαι δὲ οὐκέτι. ἐνιότε γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ μεγάλα δοκοῦντες δύνασθαι ὑπό τινων κωλυμάτων τὴν τοῦ πράττειν, ἃ βούλονται, δύναμιν ἀποστεροῦνται, ἢ πολεμίων ἄλλων δυνατωτέρων ἐπικειμένων, ἢ αὐτοὶ ὁμόροις ἔθνεσί τισι μέλλοντες ἐπιστρατεύειν. διὰ τοῦτο φάναι τὸ εἰ δύναιτο· ὃ δίκαιον αὐτὸν μὴ θορυβεῖν, πολλῶν τοιούτων ἐν τῷ βίῳ συμβαινόντων. ἔφασκε δὲ ὕστερον, ἐξεπίτηδες τοιαῦτα πρὸς Κράλην εἰρηκέναι, ὡς, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο βοηθεῖν, προφάσεως εὐπροσώπου παρὰ τῶν ἐκείνου λόγων εὐποροίη, ὥστε τὴν μὲν βοήθειαν ἀπαγορεύειν, μηκέτι δὲ καὶ τὴν φιλίαν τὴν πρὸς αὐτόν. ἐδεδίει γὰρ, μὴ ἐκπολεμωθείη πρὸς αὐτὸν, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο βοηθεῖν, νομίσας ἤδη διὰ τὴν ἀποτυχίαν τῆς ἐπικουρίας εἰς 2.264 ὀργὴν ἐξάγεσθαι καὶ ἔχθραν. ὁ Κράλης δὲ «καλῶς ἐποίησας,» εἴρηκεν «ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὸν λόγον διασαφήσας· ὑπέθραττε γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγον καὶ ἐθορύβει τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς ἀγνοῶν τὴν ἐμοὶ παροῦσαν δύναμιν οἰόμενον τοιαῦτα λέγεις. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν τοιούτων ἀπήλλαξας ὑπονοιῶν, ἤδη σοι τὴν γνώμην καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσω φανερὰν, ὡς δύναμίν τε ἔχω μάλιστα ἀρκοῦσαν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς σοι, καὶ ἡδέως ἂν ἐπικουροίην, εἴγε βούλει καὶ αὐτός.» ἀποκριναμένου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς τῆς μὲν φιλίας ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς προθυμίας τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν πολλὰς ἂν εἰδείη χάριτας, ἀγνοοίη δὲ πρὸς ὅ, τι φέρει τὸ εἰ βούλοιτο καὶ αὐτός· μισθὸν τῆς συμμαχίας ὁ Κράλης τὰς ἀπὸ Χριστουπόλεως πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἁπάσας πόλεις Ῥωμαίοις ὑπηκόους ᾔτει, εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐπαχθὲς δοκοίη, τὰς γοῦν ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης. οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ κέρδει χρήματά τε ἀναλώσουσι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοσαῦτα καὶ διακινδυνεύσουσι πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν, οἷς οὐδ' ὑπὲρ σφῶν αὐτῶν ποτε ἐτόλμησαν πόλεμον ἄρασθαι τοσοῦτον,