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of which the country was especially abundant, then pressing grapes and immediately gorging on the juice that flowed out, they fell into fevers and wasting diseases, then died, worn down by the sickness. And not a few of those of most account had died, and of the army, over one thousand five hundred; but of the Romans with the emperor, not a single one, nor indeed did one fall ill. But when Apokaukos the megas doux learned that the emperor Cantacuzenus, with an army from the Triballi, was encamped around Pherae and was about to return to Didymoteichon, he swiftly sent triremes to Christopolis, and at the same time an army from the mainland, to guard the fortress there and to prevent the army from crossing. For the place was suitable for defense by hoplites, not only because of the fortification, but also because, being precipitous, it presented a difficult passage for cavalry, especially if they were hindered by anyone. The Triballi, chiefly because of the sickness and because many were dying each day, and not least because they learned the fortress was held by Romans, decided to turn back 2.294 from Pherae to their own land. But the emperor, since it was not possible to compel them while they were suffering so badly from the sickness, gathering together all the officials and leaders, advised them not to be disheartened, nor to consider this failure as something terrible, but to bear in mind that all things are governed by the providence of God; and it is impossible for anything improper to be done by Him, to accept all things, as being done for our greatest benefit by God. And for the present, we will return to our own land, and a little later, having prepared again, we will come to Didymoteichon, if it be God's will. The Triballi therefore expressed great thanks to the emperor for his exhortation. For indeed, though greatly rejoicing at the return, they nevertheless wished not to offend the emperor, thinking they were departing against his will. But the Romans considered it a dreadful thing and thought that journey was no different than if they were being forced to march to Acheron, and they were terribly agitated and mutinous, wishing to withdraw to those in Christopolis. But the emperor, seeing their dissension and the meditated apostasy, gathered them around him and reminded them that not for his own gain or desire for honor, but for their sake, who begged him not to overlook them being destroyed and enslaved by Apokaukos the parakoimomenos, had he undertaken the struggle; then also of what he had especially discussed with them at the beginning of the war, 2.295 how it was neither just, nor otherwise pious, to now urge all to make him emperor and to see this as the one path of salvation, and later, if matters did not turn out according to their wishes, for each to abandon him in the midst of dangers and to depart wherever it seemed expedient; again he advised them not to be fainthearted, nor to give up in the face of toils and dangers, but, showing the courage and daring befitting noble men, to persevere in terrible circumstances. For none of the great and praiseworthy things could ever be achieved by anyone without toils. But if they were utterly defeated by the terrible circumstances and were no longer able to hold out against them, but, having forgotten their former reproaches and censures with which they had assailed those who had deserted from Gynaikokastron, they themselves were now rushing to do the same, first, it was right to blame them also, as they were breaking their promises and proving themselves false to him, when it was most necessary for them to be with him and to help. Then, he would not hold them against their will. For not even from the beginning had anything been done by him under compulsion to anyone, but rather he himself was led to do things under compulsion which were not according to his will. But for those for whom it was pleasing to exchange the toils and dangers and death, if need be, with him for the seeming goods among the enemy, let them come to him, so that he himself might know to whom he should give rewards worthy of their toils, when the time called and God assisted; but those choosing not to share the dangers with him were to depart. And immediately they were divided into 2.296 two. And the majority indeed

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ὧν ἡ χώρα μάλιστα εὐπόρει, εἶτα ἀποθλίβοντες καὶ σταφυλὰς καὶ τοῦ ἀποῤῥέοντος αὐτίκα ἐμφορούμενοι, εἰς πυρετοὺς ἐνέπιπτον καὶ φθόας, ἔπειτα ἀπέθνησκον κατεργαζόμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου. καὶ τῶν τε μάλιστα ἐν λόγῳ ἐτεθνήκεσαν οὐκ ὀλίγοι, καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ὑπὲρ πεντακοσίους καὶ χιλίους· Ῥωμαίων δὲ τῶν βασιλεῖ συνόντων οὐδὲ εἷς, οὔτε μὴν ἐνόσησεν. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο τὸν Καντακουζηνὸν βασιλέα στρατιὰν ἔχοντα ἐκ Τριβαλῶν περὶ Φερὰς ἐστρατοπεδευμένον εἶναι καὶ μέλλοντα εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐπανήκειν, κατὰ τάχος ἔπεμπε τριήρεις εἰς Χριστούπολιν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ στρατιὰν ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου, ὡς τὸ ἐκεῖσε τείχισμα φυλάξοντας καὶ κωλύσοντας διαβαίνειν τὴν στρατιάν. ἦν γὰρ ὁ τόπος ἐπιτηδείως ἔχων εἰς φυλακὴν τὴν ἐκ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν, οὐ διὰ τὸν ἐπιτειχισμὸν μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ κρημνώδης ὢν δύσκολον τοῖς ἱππεῦσι παρείχετο τὴν δίοδον, μάλιστα εἰ καὶ ὑπό τινων κωλύοιντο. οἱ Τριβαλοὶ δὲ μάλιστα μὲν διὰ τὴν νόσον καὶ τὸ πολλοὺς ἀποθνήσκειν καθ' ἡμέραν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ διὰ τὸ πυθέσθαι τὸ τείχισμα ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων κατεχόμενον, ἀνα 2.294 στρέφειν ἔγνωσαν ἐκ τῶν Φερῶν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν. βασιλεὺς δὲ, ἐπεὶ βιάζεσθαι οὐκ ἐνῆν οὕτω πάσχοντας κακῶς ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου, τοὺς ἐν τέλει πάντας καὶ ἡγεμόνας συναγαγὼν, παρῄνει μὴ ἀθυμεῖν, μηδὲ τὴν ἀποτυχίαν ταύτην ὥς τι τῶν δεινῶν λογίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο ἐνθυμουμένους, ὡς πάντα μὲν θεοῦ προνοίᾳ διοικεῖται· ἀδύνατον δέ τι τῶν μὴ δεόντων ὑπ' ἐκείνου πράττεσθαι, πάντα στέργειν, ὡς μάλιστα λυσιτελῶς ἡμῖν πραττόμενα παρὰ θεοῦ. καὶ τὸ νῦν μὲν ἔχον, ἐπανελευσόμεθα πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν, ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον πάλιν παρασκευασάμενοι, ἐλευσόμεθα εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον, ἂν φίλον ᾖ θεῷ. οἱ μὲν οὖν Τριβαλοὶ πολλὰς χάριτας ὡμολόγουν βασιλεῖ πρὸς τὴν παραίνεσιν. καὶ γάρ τοι μάλιστα χαίροντες πρὸς τὴν ἐπάνοδον, ὅμως μὴ προσκρούειν βασιλεῖ ἐβούλοντο, δοκοῦντες ἄκοντος ἀναχωρεῖν. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἐν δεινῷ ἐτίθεντο καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνόμιζον ἀπεοικέναι τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκείνην, ἢ εἰ πρὸς Ἀχέροντα βαδίζειν ἠναγκάζοντο, καὶ δεινῶς ἐθορυβοῦντο καὶ ἐστασίαζον, πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Χριστουπόλει βουλόμενοι ἀποχωρεῖν. ὁρῶν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν διχόνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν μελετωμένην ἀποστασίαν, περιστησάμενος ἑαυτῷ καὶ ὑπομνήσας, ὡς οὐκ ἰδίας πλεονεξίας ἢ τιμῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ἀλλ' αὐτῶν ἕνεκα δεομένων, μὴ περιιδεῖν διαφθαρέντας καὶ δουλωθέντας Ἀποκαύκῳ τῷ παρακοιμωμένῳ, τὸν ἀγῶνα ὑπελθεῖν· ἔπειτα καὶ ὧν ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πολέμου μάλιστα διαλεχθείη πρὸς αὐ 2.295 τοὺς, ὡς οὔτε δίκαιον, οὔτε ἄλλως εὐσεβὲς, νῦν μὲν πάντας πρὸς τὸ βασιλέα γίνεσθαι παρακαλεῖν καὶ μίαν ταύτην ὁδὸν σωτηρίας συνορᾷν, ὕστερον δὲ, ἂν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην τὰ πράγματα ἐκβαίνῃ, καταλείποντας αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις ἕκαστον ἀναχωρεῖν, ὅποι ἂν δοκῇ συμφέρειν· αὖθις παρῄνει μὴ μικροψυχεῖν, μηδ' ἀπαγορεύειν πρὸς τοὺς πόνους καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, ἀλλ' ἀνδράσιν πρέπουσαν γενναίοις ἐπιδεικνυμένους εὐψυχίαν τε καὶ τόλμαν, καρτερεῖν ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς. οὐδὲ γάρ τι τῶν μεγάλων καὶ ἐπαινουμένων ἄνευ πόνων ἄν ποτέ τινι κατορθωθείη. εἰ δ' ἥττηνται παντάπασιν ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς καὶ ἀντέχειν πρὸς αὐτὰ οὐκέτι οἷοί τε εἰσὶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν προτέρων ἐπιλελησμένοι λοιδοριῶν καὶ μέμψεων, αἷς τοὺς ἐκ Γυναικοκάστρου ἀποστάντας ἔβαλλον, πρὸς τὰ ἴσα ὥρμηνται καὶ αὐτοὶ νυνὶ, πρῶτα μὲν μέμφεσθαι καὶ αὐτοῖς δικαίως, ὡς τὰ ὑπεσχημένα παραβαίνουσι καὶ φαινομένοις κακοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν, ἡνίκα μάλιστα ἔδει συνόντας ὠφελεῖν. ἔπειτα οὐ κατασχήσειν ἄκοντας. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' ἐξαρχῆς αὐτῷ τι πρὸς ἀνάγκην τινὶ εἰργάσθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς μᾶλλον καὶ ἃ μὴ κατὰ γνώμην ἦν πρὸς ἀνάγκην πράττειν ἤγετο. ἀλλ' οἷς μὲν ἡδὺ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ πόνους καὶ κινδύνους καὶ θάνατον, εἰ δέοι, τῶν παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις δοκούντων ἀγαθῶν ἀλλάττεσθαι, ἰέναι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἵν' εἰδείη καὶ αὐτὸς, τίσι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῶν πόνων ἀξίας, καιροῦ καλοῦντος καὶ θεοῦ συναιρομένου, ἀποδοίη· τοὺς δ' αὐτῷ μὴ συγκινδυνεύειν αἱρουμένους ἀποχωρεῖν. αὐτίκα τε εἰς 2.296 δύο διῃροῦντο. καὶ οἱ πλείους μὲν