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would have an evil hope. But Libiros privately besought Krales, to persuade the emperor to betroth his daughter to Manuel, the younger son; for he had learned about Syrges, that he had dissolved his daughter's marriage on account of the war, the one whom, while emperor Andronikos was still living, he had betrothed to this very Manuel. And it seemed to him also that the generals were asking for just and advantageous things. Therefore he also reported to the emperor what had been said by them and advised him to be persuaded by them, as in this way they would willingly campaign with him. And he asked privately also about joining the daughter of Libiros to his son in marriage, and to consider not the difference in the reputation of the two, but the contribution which she would make to the present circumstances. For in addition to the marriage of the child being a pleasure to the other Triballians, 2.291 he would still have Libiros himself no longer as an ally and a friend, but as a true servant who would willingly give up everything for what was advantageous to him; for so he himself also promised. Therefore, such an act seemed to bear witness to Krales' great fairness and good judgement, since when the most powerful man under him attached himself to the emperor and thus openly promised to do everything for him, if only he were persuaded to marry his daughter to his son, he neither suspected nor attempted to prevent it, but rather cooperated. But this was not so much due to the fairness of Krales as to the wealth of Libiros and his great power among the Triballians, so that Krales himself feared to offend him. So Krales related such things to the emperor, with Libiros also being present. But the emperor was persuaded, seeing that both things were advantageous in the present situation, and he cast aside the suspicion that he might ever injure and plot against his allies. For he himself knew not how to repay the kindnesses of friends with such deeds, seeing as he was never seen plotting even against those who openly made war. And he said that he was not the first to dissolve the marriage-alliance with Syrges, but since he had renounced it, there was no cause for blame if he himself arranged another for his son. And yet the marriage had not reached such a binding point that it was not possible to dissolve it; for if it had proceeded as far as oaths, he himself would not have attempted to break it for any reason. Therefore he sent 2.292 his son away, at once to be a son-in-law to Libiros, and also for the sake of the army, so that it might trust him, that he would never plot against it; but that he should not, however, stay with them altogether, but return to him whenever he should call. And when Libiros heard that the emperor was persuaded to take his daughter for his son, he both prostrated himself and kissed the emperor's foot, and acknowledged many thanks both to him for the kindness and to Krales for having assisted in the matter. But this was agreed to with mere words only; for they did not make use of oaths or any other bonds for the marriage. 49. And after this, having taken command of the army already prepared around the beginning of summer, with Krales also accompanying him with his wife as far as the borders of the Roman domain, they then departed after taking leave; but the emperor, having his appointed army, encamped at Pherai and spent three days discussing with the Pheraians about coming over to his side. For Syrges, after his return from Gynaikokastron, having stayed a short time in Pherai, came to Byzantium, and from there departed to Armenia, as the Armenians had summoned him to rule over them, the rule being his by paternal inheritance. But the Pheraians were no more prepared than before to fight against the emperor Kantakouzenos, and they pelted those approaching to parley with stones and missiles from the walls. Wherefore the army also fearlessly ravaged the land as if it were enemy territory. And while these things were being done, Braktos, the most distinguished of the commanders 2.293 of the army, fell ill, and the army remained encamped there for eleven days. But when he was getting better, Libiros was seized by the illness, and it was necessary to wait for so long a time or even longer. And when he got better, the rest of the commanders and almost the entire army fell ill. For having gorged themselves on honey and meat,

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μέλλον πονηρὰν ἐλπίδα σχήσειν. Λίβερος δὲ ἰδίᾳ ἐδεῖτο Κράλη, πείθειν βασιλέα τὴν ἐκείνου θυγατέρα Μανουὴλ τῷ νεωτέρῳ υἱῷ κατεγγυᾷν· πυθέσθαι γὰρ περὶ Συργῆ, ὡς διαλύσειε τὸν γάμον θυγατρὸς διὰ τὸν πόλεμον, ἣν ἔτι περιόντος Ἀνδρονίκου βασιλέως τούτῳ δὴ κατηγγύησε τῷ Μανουήλ. καὶ ἐδόκει κἀκείνῳ δίκαια καὶ συμφέροντα ἀξιοῦν τοὺς στρατηγούς. διὸ καὶ ἀπήγγελλε βασιλεῖ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων εἰρημένα καὶ συνεβούλευε πείθεσθαι αὐτοῖς, τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον προθύμως συστρατευσομένοις. ἐδεῖτό τε ἰδίᾳ καὶ περὶ Λιβέρου τῆς θυγατρὸς ἐπὶ γάμῳ συνάπτειν τῷ υἱῷ, καὶ μὴ τὸ διάφορον ἀμφοῖν τῆς εὐδοξίας, ἀλλὰ τὴν συντέλειαν, ἣν πρὸς τὰ παρόντα συντελέσειε, σκοπεῖν. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Τριβαλοῖς πρὸς ἡδονὴν τὸν γάμον εἶναι τοῦ παιδὸς, 2.291 ἔτι καὶ Λίβερον αὐτὸν οὐ σύμμαχον ἕξειν ἔτι καὶ φίλον, ἀλλὰ δοῦλον ἀκριβῶς καὶ πάντα προησόμενον προθύμως ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῷ λυσιτελούντων· οὕτω γὰρ ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι καὶ αὐτόν. ἐδόκει μὲν οὖν πολλὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ εὐγνωμοσύνην τὸ τοιοῦτο Κράλῃ συμμαρτυρεῖν, εἰ τοῦ παρ' αὐτῷ δυνατωτάτου βασιλεῖ προστιθεμένου καὶ οὕτω φανερῶς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου πάντα ποιήσειν ἐπαγγελλομένου, εἰ πείθοιτο μόνον τὴν ἐκείνου θυγατέρα συνοικίζειν τῷ υἱῷ, μήθ' ὑποπτεύειν αὐτὸς, μήτε κωλύειν ἐπεχείρει, συνέπραττε δὲ μᾶλλον. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μᾶλλον τῆς ἐπιεικείας Κράλῃ ἦν, ἢ τῆς Λιβέρου περιουσίας καὶ τοῦ μεγάλα δύνασθαι παρὰ Τριβαλοῖς, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸν Κράλην προσκρούειν ὀῤῥωδεῖν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Κράλης τοιαῦτα πρὸς βασιλέα διεξῄει, παρόντος καὶ Λιβέρου. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπείθετο πρὸς ἀμφότερα λυσιτελοῦντα ὁρῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι, καὶ τήν τε ὑποψίαν ἀπωθεῖτο, ὡς ἀδικήσειέ ποτε καὶ ἐπιβουλεύσειε τοῖς συμμάχοις. οὐ γὰρ τοιαύταις αὐτὸς ἐπίστασθαι τοὺς φίλους ἀμείβεσθαι εὐεργεσίαις, ὅπου γε καὶ τοῖς πολεμοῦσι φανερῶς οὐδέποτε ἐπιβουλεύων ἐφάνη. καὶ τὸ πρὸς Συργὴν κῆδος οὐκ αὐτὸς διαλύειν πρῶτος ἔφασκεν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνου ἀπειπαμένου, μηδεμίαν αἰτίαν εἶναι, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἑτέραν τῷ υἱῷ ἁρμόσεται. καίτοι γε οὐδ' εἰς τοσοῦτο δεσμῶν ἥκειν τὸν γάμον, ὥστε μὴ ἐξεῖναι διαλύειν· εἰ γὰρ μέχρι ὅρκων προεχώρει, ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς ἂν αἰτίας ἐπεχείρησε διασπᾷν αὐτός. τοιγαροῦν ἀφιέ 2.292 ναι τὸν υἱὸν ἅμα μὲν γαμβρὸν ἐσόμενον Λιβέρῳ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἕνεκα τοῦ θαῤῥεῖν αὐτῷ, ὡς οὐδέποτε ἐπιβουλεύσειε· μὴ μέντοι παντάπασι διατρίβειν παρ' αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπανήκειν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἡνίκα ἂν καλοίη. Λίβερος δὲ ἐπεὶ ἀκούσειε βασιλέα πεπεισμένον πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐκείνου θυγατέρα ἄγειν τῷ υἱῷ, προσεκύνει τε καὶ ἠσπάζετο τὸν βασιλέως πόδα, καὶ πολλὰς ὡμολόγει χάριτας ἐκείνῳ τε τῆς εὐεργεσίας καὶ Κράλῃ τοῦ συνεπιλαβέσθαι πρὸς τὸ ἔργον. τοῦτο δὲ λόγοις μόνον συνετίθετο ψιλοῖς· ὅρκοις δὲ ἢ δεσμοῖς τισιν ἄλλοις πρὸς τὸν γάμον οὐκ ἐχρήσαντο. μθʹ. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τὴν στρατιὰν παραλαβὼν ἤδη παρεσκευασμένην περὶ θέρους ἐκβολὰς ἅμα καὶ Κράλη μετὰ γυναικὸς παρεπομένου ἄχρι τῆς Ῥωμαίων ὅρων ἡγεμονίας, ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν ἀνεχώρουν συνταξάμενοι· βασιλεὺς δὲ τὴν τεταγμένην ἔχων στρατιὰν, ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐν Φεραῖς καὶ διήγαγεν ἐπὶ τρισὶν ἡμέραις διαλεγόμενος Φεραίοις περὶ τοῦ προσχωρεῖν αὐτῷ. Συργὴς γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τὴν ἐκ Γυναικοκάστρου Φεραῖς ὀλίγον ἐνδιατρίψας, ἦλθε πρὸς Βυζάντιον, κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Ἀρμενίαν ἀπεχώρησεν, Ἀρμενίων ἐπὶ τὸ σφίσιν ἄρχειν αὐτὸν προσκαλεσαμένων, ἐκ πατρῴου προσηκούσης αὐτῷ κλήρου τῆς ἀρχῆς. Φεραῖοι δὲ οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ἦσαν βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ παρεσκευασμένοι πολεμεῖν, καὶ τοὺς προσιόντας ἐπὶ τῷ διαλέγεσθαι λίθοις ἔβαλλον καὶ βέλεσιν ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν. ὅθεν καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ ὡς πολεμίων ἀδεῶς τὴν χώραν διεπόρθουν. ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐτελεῖτο, Βράκτος τῶν ἡγεμόνων 2.293 τῆς στρατιᾶς ὁ διαφορώτατος ἐνόσησε καὶ διεκαρτέρησεν ἐκεῖ ἡ στρατιὰ ἐστρατοπεδευμένη μίαν ἡμέραν ἐπὶ δέκα. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐκεῖνος ῥᾴων ἦν, Λίβερος κατείχετο τῇ νόσῳ καὶ ἔδει τοσοῦτον χρόνον περιμένειν ἢ καὶ πλείω. ῥαΐσαντος δὲ ἐκείνου, οἱ λοιποὶ ἐνόσουν τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ σύμπασα σχεδόν. μέλιτος γὰρ ἐμφορούμενοι καὶ κρεῶν,