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having discoursed at length and made it clear that because of their faintheartedness and lack of counsel he was doing things unworthy of himself and of his generalship and of his experience, he was persuaded, though unwillingly, by their counsel and he exhorted them to be of good courage, as God would be their champion, just as indeed many other times in no small dangers, and 2.333 they took to the road. But when they were not far from Christopolis, they happened upon a foot-soldier, a Rhacodytes, who had arrived from Didymoteichon, who presented a letter to the emperor from the empress his wife and the others in Didymoteichon, advising him to be on his guard and not to proceed towards them incautiously, unless he were leading a great force and one sufficient against such enemies. For the protostrator Palaiologos, leading a large army of both infantry and cavalry, being encamped at Peritheorion, was awaiting his arrival in order to fight. And Apokaukos the parakoimomenos, with seventy triremes, in which he had sailed down to Amphipolis, he too was lying in wait there; concerning which matters it was necessary for him to take counsel, and to do whatever might seem advantageous. And something wonderful happened concerning that letter, and a manifest sign of God’s care for the emperor. For when it was reported in Byzantium that the emperor Kantakouzenos, having an army from the Triballians, was returning again to Didymoteichon, both the protostrator, commanding the entire infantry and cavalry force, having a large force, arrived at Peritheorion, and Apokaukos the megas doux, returning from Amphipolis with seventy ships for the same reason, decided it was necessary for him too to wait with the rest of the army and to block the emperor's return. And with the roads being guarded, as was the custom, so that no one from Didymoteichon or 2.334 the emperor might arrive unnoticed to the other, the one carrying this letter was arrested and brought to the protostrator; being questioned about the letter, he confessed to having it and handed it over immediately. And it begged the emperor to come to them most swiftly and not to be idle. For of those in Didymoteichon, the military part, both cavalry and infantry, by plundering the lands around Thrace were making a livelihood for themselves. And likewise also craftsmen and others, whose living was from their hands, by toiling and working, were living well-provided with necessities. But the middle class of the citizens were being very heavily pressed by want, having no provision from anywhere. Therefore, on account of these things, they begged the emperor, both the empress his wife and the others alike, to return most swiftly, as his presence would be for the citizens a deliverance from great misfortunes. But when the protostrator read the letter, pretending to do something clever and worthy of sagacity, he persuaded the one who brought it, by offering gold and promising to treat both him and his family well—for he was a Selymbrian—so that, with the letter rewritten as it seemed best to him, he should take and deliver it to Kantakouzenos, reporting nothing of what had been done, but as if it were from the empress his wife. He therefore did as he had been commanded, and the protostrator unintentionally benefited the emperor and those with him. For when the letter was read and those with the emperor heard about the army lying in ambush, how it was many times larger than their own 2.335 and strong in all respects, being as they were not just yesterday or the day before having set out from their homes on the campaign, they confessed many thanks to God for His providence towards them and their deliverance from the dangers, and to the empress for her zeal and care for them, and they gladly turned back, as the greater danger made what was previously difficult and unpleasant seem most easy and advantageous. Thus, then, the emperor and those around him were rescued from unexpected dangers, being most greatly benefited by the wickedness of their enemies. But the megas doux, learning that he, leading a very poor army and being exceedingly vulnerable, had turned back because of the letter which his son-in-law had altered, brought great blame upon him and was openly angry, because he had benefited the enemy out of folly. And many of those who had chosen the same side as Apokaukos and of mistrust

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πολλὰ διαλεχθεὶς καὶ φανερὸν ποιήσας, ὡς διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν μικροψυχίαν καὶ ἀβουλίαν ἀνάξια ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς στρατηγίας καὶ τῆς πείρας πράττει, ἐπείθετό τε ἄκων αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν καὶ παρεκελεύετο θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ προστησομένου, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ ἄλλοτε πολλάκις ἐν κινδύνοις οὐ μικροῖς, καὶ 2.333 εἴχοντο ὁδοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦσαν Χριστουπόλεως οὐ μακρὰν, πεζῷ περιτυγχάνουσι Ῥακοδυτοῦντι ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου ἀφιγμένῳ, ὃς παρεῖχε γράμματα βασιλεῖ παρὰ βασιλίδος τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ, φυλάττεσθαι παραινοῦντα καὶ μὴ ἀπερισκέπτως πρὸς αὐτοὺς χωρεῖν, εἰ μὴ δύναμιν ἄγοι μεγάλην καὶ πρὸς τοιούτους ἀξιόχρεων πολεμίους. πρωτοστράτωρ γὰρ ὁ Παλαιολόγος πολλὴν ἄγων στρατιὰν πεζήν τε καὶ ἱππικὴν ἐν Περιθεωρίῳ στρατοπεδευόμενος, τὴν αὐτοῦ ἄφιξιν περιμένει ὡς μαχούμενος. Ἀπόκαυκός τε ὁ παρακοιμώμενος ἔχων ἑβδομήκοντα τριήρεις, ἐν αἷς κατέπλευσεν εἰς Ἀμφίπολιν, ἐνταῦθα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐφορμεῖ· περὶ ὧν δέον βουλευσάμενον αὐτὸν, πράττειν ὅ,τι ἂν δοκῇ συμφέρειν. συμβέβηκε δέ τι περὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐκεῖνα θαυμαστὸν καὶ τῆς θεοῦ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα κηδεμονίας φανερῶς. ὡς γὰρ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐμηνύθη, ὡς στρατιὰν ἔχων ἐκ Τριβαλῶν βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς αὖθις ἐπανέρχοιτο εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον, πρωτοστράτωρ τε συμπάσης πεζῆς καὶ ἱππικῆς δυνάμεως στρατηγῶν, πολλὴν ἔχων δύναμιν, εἰς Περιθεώριον ἀφῖκτο, καὶ Ἀπόκαυκος ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἐξ Ἀμφιπόλεως ταῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ναυσὶν ἀναστρέφων τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκα αἰτίας, ἔγνω δεῖν περιμένειν καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τῆς ἄλλης στρατιᾶς καὶ βασιλεῖ τὴν ἐπάνοδον κωλύειν. τῶν ὁδῶν δὲ, ὡς ἔθος, φυλαττομένων, ἵνα μὴ λανθάνοιεν ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου ἢ 2.334 βασιλέως πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀφικνούμενοί τινες, ὁ τὰ γράμματα κατέχων ταῦτα συνελήφθη καὶ ἤχθη πρὸς πρωτοστράτορα· ἀνερευνώμενος δὲ περὶ γραμμάτων, ὡμολόγει ἔχειν καὶ παρείχετο εὐθύς. τὰ δὲ ἐδεῖτο βασιλέως τάχιστα ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ ῥᾳθυμεῖν. τῶν γὰρ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ τὸ μὲν στρατιωτικὸν ἱππεῖς τε καὶ πεζοὶ τὰ κατὰ Θρᾴκην χωρία ληϊζόμενοι ἀφορμὰς τοῦ βίου ἐποιοῦντο. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ χειροτέχναι καὶ ἄλλοι, ὅσοις ὁ βίος ἦν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν, πονοῦντες καὶ ἐργαζόμενοι, διέζων τῶν ἀναγκαίων εὐποροῦντες. οἱ μέσοι δὲ τῶν πολιτῶν πάνυ κραταιῶς ἐπιέζοντο ὑπὸ ἐνδείας μηδεμίαν οὐδαμόθεν εὐπορίαν ἔχοντες. διὰ ταῦτα οὖν ἐδέοντο βασιλέως βασιλίς τε ἡ γυνὴ ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι, τάχιστα ἐπανήκειν, ὡς τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπιδημίας τοῖς πολίταις ἐσομένης μεγάλων συμφορῶν ἀπαλλαγῆς. πρωτοστράτωρ δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰ γράμματα ἀνέγνω, περίεργόν τι δῆθεν ποιῶν καὶ ἀγχινοίας ἄξιον, ἔπειθε τὸν ἄγοντα, χρυσίον παρασχόμενος καὶ αὐτὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενος καὶ οἰκείους εὖ ποιήσειν, Σηλυβριανὸς γὰρ ἦν, ὥστε τὰ γράμματα μεταγραφέντα ᾗ αὐτῷ ἐδόκει, Καντακουζηνῷ ἀγαγόντα παρασχεῖν, μηδὲν ἀπαγγείλαντα τῶν εἰργασμένων, ἀλλ' ὡς ὄντα βασιλίδος τῆς γυναικός. ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐποίει κατὰ τὰ κεκελευσμένα καὶ πρωτοστράτωρ ἄκων ὠφέλησε βασιλέα τε καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτόν. ὡς γὰρ τά τε γράμματα ἀνεγινώσκετο καὶ ἤκουον περὶ τῆς ἐνεδρευούσης στρατιᾶς οἱ περὶ βασιλέα, ὡς πολλαπλασίων τε αὐτῶν εἴη 2.335 καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐῤῥωμένη, οἷα δὴ οὔπω χθὲς καὶ πρώην τῶν οἰκιῶν εἰς τὴν στρατείαν ἐξελθόντες, θεῷ τε πολλὰς ὡμολόγουν χάριτας τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς προνοίας καὶ τῶν κινδύνων τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς, καὶ βασιλίδι τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ τῆς φροντίδος τῆς περὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἄσμενοι ὑπέστρεφον, τοῦ μείζονος κινδύνου τὰ δυσχερῆ πρότερον καὶ δυσάρεστα ῥᾷστα καὶ λυσιτελέστατα φαίνεσθαι ποιοῦντος. οὕτω μὲν οὖν βασιλεύς τε καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἀπροσδοκήτων ἐῤῥύοντο κινδύνων ἐκ τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων πονηρίας μέγιστα ὠφεληθέντες. ὁ μέγας δὲ δοὺξ πυθόμενος, ὡς πάνυ φαύλην ἄγων στρατιὰν καὶ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα εὐεπιχείρητος ὢν, ἀναστρέψειεν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων, ἃ μεταποιήσειεν ὁ γαμβρὸς, πολλὴν αὐτῷ ἐπῆγε μέμψιν καὶ ὠργίζετο φανερῶς, ὅτι τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐξ ἀβουλίας ὠφελήσειε. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν τὰ ἴσα ᾑρημένων Ἀποκαύκῳ καὶ ἀπιστίας