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and the emperor, having said what was fitting for the occasion, granted it. Bratilos, then, having reported such things to those in Didymoteichon, and having again received letters from the empress and the others, departed for the emperor. 48. But the populace of the suburb outside Didymoteichon, not long after, considering it intolerable if they did not do the same as the other populaces 2.288 and destroy the powerful men, without their rulers' knowledge, having incited one another to revolt during the night and having armed themselves as they could, all together at dawn came to the gates, and they began to assault the walls and threatened to kill all those inside if they did not willingly surrender; for only thus would they barely refrain from killing them. But Asanes and the army inside, considering it terrible if, in addition to the army from Byzantium and the Roman army from the rest of the empire, they should also be besieged by their own people, armed themselves too and, opening the gates, went out and engaged with the populace. But they, not even resisting the battle for a short time, fled as best they could, taking only their children and wives, and were scattered among the other cities, carrying with them none of their possessions; except for a few, who, because they had not participated in the revolt with the others, were permitted to remain in their homes. The army plundered the houses of the fugitives and brought everything inside the walls. And a little later, taking down the wooden parts of the houses, they used them for fuel, being by then besieged by those from Byzantium. For the army from Byzantium, as long as those outside Didymoteichon were of one mind with those inside, did not even attempt to come near, but invading, they would plunder the distant parts and withdraw as quickly as possible. But when the revolt happened and those outside were set at war with those inside, they themselves were utterly destroyed, having been made 2.289 homeless, and those inside, having had the great part of their force taken away, were weak and no longer a match for the enemy. Wherefore they too came on and, encamping nearby, persevered. However, the remaining people of the populace in Didymoteichon, as their dwellings were being torn down by the army, themselves cleared away the stones and used the place for growing vegetables. And what had been foretold a little earlier about this place by the metropolitan of the same city now had its fulfillment. For while the emperor Kantakouzenos was still preparing for the expedition to the west, it seemed necessary, because of the war, to dig a trench around the outer settlement, so that entry would not be easy for the enemy, should they ever invade. And when the trench was divided by clans among all the people to dig, a portion was also assigned to all those in the clergy of the church. But as they were vexed because of the labor and reported to the metropolitan those who were compelling them to the work, he said, “Such things will not be of any use against the war. For not long after, the place they are preserving will be suitable for growing vegetables.” But so that they might not seem to neglect the common good, he ordered them to do what was commanded. When these things came to pass a little later, the people in Didymoteichon remembered and marveled at the man for his prophecy. However, those ordered by the Kralis to be allies to the emperor Kantakouzenos, since they were already prepared and about to get to work, approaching their own ruler 2.290 said that they and he had not made an advantageous plan for themselves, by so thoughtlessly entrusting the best part of their force to the emperor Kantakouzenos. For if he, having made a truce with the Empress Anna, should secretly plot against them and destroy them before they perceived the plot, what would be left for him but to return and lead their children and wives into slavery and subdue the entire rest of the dominion of the Triballi? For which reasons it was not right to ally with him without hostages; but if he needed any of their assistance, he should leave his younger son with them to be a hostage. for thus they would campaign with him eagerly and no... towards the

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καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς προσήκοντα εἰρηκέναι τῷ καιρῷ, παρεῖχε. Μπρατίλος μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα τοῖς ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ ἀπαγγείλας, γράμματά τε αὖθις παρὰ βασιλίδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων λαβὼν, ᾤχετο πρὸς βασιλέα. μηʹ. Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἔξω ∆ιδυμοτείχου συνοικίας δῆμος οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ἡγούμενοι, εἰ μὴ τὰ ἴσα καὶ αὐ 2.288 τοὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δήμοις δρῷεν καὶ διαφθείροιεν τοὺς δυνατοὺς, τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῖς μὴ συνειδότων, νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν στάσιν ἀλλήλους παρορμήσαντες καὶ καθοπλισάμενοι ὡς εἶχον πάντες ἅμα ἕῳ πρὸς τὰς πύλας ἐλθόντες, ἐτειχομάχουν καὶ πάντας ἠπείλουν ἀποκτείνειν τοὺς ἔνδον, εἰ μὴ ἑκόντες προσχωροῖεν· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μόλις φείσεσθαι μὴ ἀποκτείνειν. Ἀσάνης δὲ καὶ ἡ ἔνδον στρατιὰ ἡγησάμενοι δεινὸν, εἰ μετὰ τῶν ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ τῆς ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρχῆς Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾶς καὶ παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων πολιορκοῖντο, ὁπλισάμενοι καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τὰς πύλας συνεπλέκοντο τῷ δήμῳ ἐξελθόντες. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐδὲ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀντισχόντες πρὸς τὴν μάχην, ἔφευγον ὡς εἶχον, παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας μόνας ἀναλαβόντες καὶ διεσκεδάσθησαν κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, μηδὲν ἐπιφερόμενοι ὧν εἶχον· πλήν τινων ὀλίγων, οἳ διὰ τὸ μὴ συμμετεσχηκέναι τῆς στάσεως τοῖς ἄλλοις μένειν συνεχωρήθησαν ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν. ἡ στρατιὰ δὲ τὰς οἰκίας τῶν φυγόντων διεπόρθουν καὶ πάντα εἰσεκόμιζον ἐντὸς τειχῶν. ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ τὰς ξυλώσεις καθαιροῦντες, ἐχρῶντο πρὸς τὸ πῦρ, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἤδη πολιορκούμενοι. ἡ γὰρ ἐκ Βυζαντίου στρατιὰ, ἄχρι μὲν οἱ ἔξω ∆ιδυμοτείχου πρὸς τοὺς ἔνδον ὡμοφρόνουν, οὐδὲ ἐγγὺς γενέσθαι ἐπεχείρουν, ἀλλὰ εἰσβάλλοντες, τὰ πόῤῥω διεπόρθουν καὶ ὡς τάχιστα ἀνεχώρουν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ στάσις γένοιτο καὶ ἐκπολεμωθεῖεν τοῖς ἔνδον οἱ ἐκτὸς, αὐτοί τε ἐφθάρησαν παντάπασιν ἀνάστα 2.289 τοι γεγενημένοι, καὶ οἱ ἔνδον τὸ πολὺ τῆς δυνάμεως ὑφαιρεθέντες, ἀσθενεῖς τε ἦσαν καὶ οὐκέτι πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀξιόμαχοι. ὅθεν κἀκεῖνοι ἐπιόντες καὶ στρατοπεδευόμενοι ἐγγὺς διεκαρτέρουν. οἱ μέντοι ὑπολειπόμενοι τοῦ δήμου ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ, τῶν οἰκημάτων ὑπὸ τῆς στρατιᾶς καθαιρεθέντων, αὐτοὶ τοὺς λίθους ἐκκαθαίροντες, πρὸς λαχανισμὸν ἐχρῶντο τῷ χωρίῳ. καὶ τέλος ἤδη εἶχε τὸ περὶ τοῦ χωρίου τούτου τῷ μητροπολίτῃ τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως ὀλίγῳ πρότερον προειρημένον. ἔτι γὰρ Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὴν εἰς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἐκστρατείαν παρασκευαζομένου, ἐδόκει δεῖν διὰ τὸν πόλεμον περὶ τὴν ἔξω συνοικίαν τάφρον περιελαύνειν, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳδία ἡ εἴσοδος τοῖς πολεμίοις εἴη, εἴ ποτε ἐσβάλοιεν. διανενεμημένης δὲ τῆς τάφρου κατὰ φατρίας παντὶ τῷ δήμῳ, ὥστε ἀνορύττειν, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πᾶσι παρείχετο μερίς. δυσχεραινόντων δὲ ἐκείνων διὰ τὸ πονεῖν καὶ προσαγγελλόντων τῷ μητροπολίτῃ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα ἀναγκάζοντας, «οὐδὲν μὲν» εἶπεν ἐκεῖνος «τὰ τοιαῦτα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον λυσιτελήσει. μετ' οὐ πολὺ γὰρ ὃ περιποιοῦνται χωρίον πρὸς λαχανισμὸν ἐπιτηδείως ἕξειν. τοῦ δὲ μὴ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς τοῦ κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦντος ἀμελεῖν, ἐκέλευε τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα πράττειν. ὧν ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἐκβάντων, ἀνεμιμνήσκοντό τε οἱ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ καὶ ἐθαύμαζον τὸν ἄνδρα τῆς προαγορεύσεως. οἱ μέντοι παρὰ Κράλη βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ ἐπιτεταγμένοι συμμαχεῖν, ἐπεὶ παρεσκευασμένοι ἤδη ἦσαν καὶ ἔμελλον ἔργου ἔχεσθαι, τῷ σφετέρῳ δυνάστῃ 2.290 προσελθόντες, οὐ λυσιτελοῦντα ἔφασαν σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς κἀκεῖνον βεβουλεῦσθαι περὶ ἑαυτῶν, οὕτως ἀπερισκέπτως τὸ κράτιστον τῆς αὐτῶν δυνάμεως ἐγχειρίσαντας Καντακουζηνῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ. εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος διαλύσεις θέμενος πρὸς Ἄνναν τὴν βασιλίδα, κρύφα ἐπιβουλεύσειεν αὐτοῖς καὶ διαφθερεῖ μὴ προαισθομένους τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, τί λοιπὸν ἢ ἐπανελθόντα παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας ἄγειν ἐπὶ δουλείᾳ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν Τριβαλῶν ἀρχὴν ὑποποιεῖσθαι; δι' ἃ οὐ χρῆναι χωρὶς ὁμήρων ἐκείνῳ συμμαχεῖν· ἀλλ' εἴ τι δέοιτο τῆς αὐτῶν ἐπικουρίας, τὸν νεώτερον τῶν υἱῶν ὁμηρεύσοντα καταλείπειν παρ' αὐτοῖς. οὕτω γὰρ προθύμως συστρατεύσεσθαι καὶ μηδεμίαν πρὸς τὸ