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Bryennios, in order to receive some care from the physicians, finding an opportunity 2.344 was saved, being able to escape home; but later he fell in the battle against Momitzilos, fighting before the emperor. Of such grace was he deemed worthy by God, and he foresaw future events as if he were seeing them. However, the Mysians encamped around Didymoteichon, having learned after a short time from their own scouts that a multitude of Persian ships had put in at the mouth of the Hebrus, trampling one another from the noise and confusion, according to the prophecy of the high priest, quickly withdrew, and they disappeared no one knew where on earth. But those in Didymoteichon, not knowing the reason for the flight, wondered what it could possibly be that had so alarmed the Mysians. After a short while, it was announced that Amour, the son of Aitin, being a very great friend to the emperor Kantakouzenos and having previously given many proofs of his goodwill towards him, for on his account he had also fought alongside the young emperor Andronikos in the war against Phocaea and Lesbos, having learned about him, that he was suffering great misfortunes, with all the Romans in common having become hostile to him, and he himself had gone as a fugitive to the Triballians, while Didymoteichon, which alone was left as a refuge for his wife and children and the other friends left behind, was severely pressed by lack of provisions due to the frequent siege, and the ship of his friend was in danger of being lost with all hands, having taken command of three hundred and eighty ships in all, both larger and smaller, in which twenty-nine thousand 2.345 marines were counted, had put in at the mouth of the Hebrus. And he also, sending envoys to the empress Irene, announced the same things; and he made known that he himself would also arrive after a short while. And empress Irene sent the soldiers, as many as there were, and the others of the nobler sort to meet him, and a hundred horses, so that he might use one himself and not travel on foot, and distribute the others. And those who brought them announced that he should not find fault with the small number, as they were more in need of horses because of the surrounding war and for this reason they had been unable to provide more than were present. He therefore received the horses gladly and professed thanks to the empress for the benefaction; and he distributed them to the noblest of the Persians and especially those advanced in age. And asking if his friend the emperor was alive, sighing much and letting tears from his eyes out of sympathy, when he learned that he was alive, God willing, first he professed thanks to God, for having granted them much foresight and courage on behalf of the emperor, and then he also professed thanks to them for the same reasons and declared himself a debtor for many and great things, as they had borne great and many dangers on his behalf. And having taken command of the army, he himself also proceeded on foot to Didymoteichon, having two thousand chosen men around him. But when those from Didymoteichon asked him to use a horse, and offered others in addition to the hundred, he 2.346 was not persuaded, saying that there were two thousand of the nobler sort and most worthy to use horses. Since he was not able to distribute to all, it was better for him also to go on foot, by sharing their hardship making the weariness from the journey easier and more bearable for them. Thus therefore he came as far as Didymoteichon. And having waited not many days, during which those in Didymoteichon who were ravaging the villages throughout Thrace had to provide grain for themselves, since things were done for them according to their mind and they brought in much grain and other provisions and livestock, he ordered them to provide to those in Didymoteichon whatever spoils were in their own camp; and it was done, as he commanded. And choosing five hundred from those two thousand chosen men and nine thousand from the rest of the army, he sent them to the ships, to guard them until he should return; and the rest of the army, being twenty thousand in addition to the fifteen hundred chosen men, he ordered to follow, as he was going to arrive there, where the emperor was staying. Therefore they all went, and he himself on foot, except for those hundred, who were unable

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Βρυέννιος ἐπὶ τῷ προνοίας τινὸς τυχεῖν παρὰ τῶν ἰατρῶν, καιροῦ 2.344 τυχὼν διεσώζετο οἴκαδε διαδρᾶναι δυνηθείς· ὕστερον δὲ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Μομιτζίλον μάχῃ ἔπεσε μαχόμενος ἐπίπροσθεν βασιλέως. τοιαύτης ἦν ἐκεῖνος χάριτος ἠξιωμένος παρὰ θεῷ, καὶ τὰ ἐσόμενα ὡς ὁρώμενα προῄδει. οἱ μέντοι Μυσοὶ οἱ περὶ ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐστρατοπεδευμένοι μετὰ μικρὸν παρὰ τῶν σφετέρων πυθόμενοι σκοπῶν, ὡς πλῆθος Περσικῶν νεῶν τῇ τοῦ Ἕβρου προσέσχεν ἐκβολῇ, ὑπὸ τοῦ θορύβου καὶ τῆς ταραχῆς ἀλλήλους συμπατοῦντες κατὰ τὴν ἀρχιερέως πρόῤῥησιν τάχιστα ἀνεχώρουν, καὶ ὅποι γῆς κατεδύοντο ἀγνοούμενοι. οἱ δὲ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ τὴν αἰτίαν ἀγνοοῦντες τῆς φυγῆς, ἐθαύμαζον ὅ,τι ποτ' ἂν εἴη τὸ οὕτω θορυβῆσαν τοὺς Μυσούς. μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ ἠγγέλλετο, ὡς Ἀμοὺρ ὁ τοῦ Αἰτίνη, φίλος ὢν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα Καντακουζηνῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πολλὰς ἀποδείξεις τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας καὶ πρότερον παρεσχημένος, δι' ἐκεῖνον γὰρ καὶ βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ Ἀνδρονίκῳ πρὸς τὸν κατὰ Φωκαίας καὶ Λέσβου πόλεμον συνεπολέμησε, πεπυσμένος περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς μεγάλαις χρήσαιτο κακοπραγίαις, κοινῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων αὐτῷ πάντων ἐκπολεμωθέντων, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ᾤχετο ἐς Τριβαλοὺς φυγὰς, ∆ιδυμότειχον δὲ, ὃ μόνον καταλέλειπτο γυναικί τε καὶ τέκνοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς ὑπολειφθεῖσι φίλοις καταφυγὴ δεινῶς ὑπὸ τῆς συχνῆς πολιορκίας ὑπὸ ἐνδείας ἐπιέσθη, καὶ κινδυνεύει τὸ τοῦ φίλου σκάφος αὔτανδρον ἀπολωλέναι, ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίας ναῦς τὰς συμπάσας ὁμοῦ παραλαβὼν, καὶ μείζους καὶ ἐλάσσους, ἐν αἷς ἐννακισχίλιοι πρὸς δισμυρίοις 2.345 ἐπιβάται κατελέγοντο, παρὰ τὸ τοῦ Ἕβρου στόμα προσέσχε. πέμψας δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνος πρέσβεις πρὸς Εἰρήνην τὴν βασιλίδα, ἀπήγγελλε τὰ ἴσα· ἐδήλου τε ὅτι ἥξει καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ μικρόν. Εἰρήνη δὲ ἡ βασιλὶς τούς τε στρατιώτας ἔπεμπεν, ὅσοι ἦσαν, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τῶν εὐγενεστέρων εἰς ὑπάντησιν ἐκείνου, καὶ ἵππους ἑκατὸν, ὡς ἂν αὐτός τε χρήσαιτο καὶ μὴ πεζῇ βαδίζῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις διαδῷ. ἀπήγγελλόν τε οἱ κεκομικότες, μὴ μέμφεσθαι τῆς ὀλιγότητος, ὡς διὰ τὸν περισχόντα πόλεμον αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ἵππων δεομένων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῶν παρόντων οὐ πλείους παρέχεσθαι δεδυνημένων. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἵππους ἐδέξατο ἀσμένως καὶ βασιλίδι χάριτας τῆς εὐεργεσίας ὡμολόγει· διέδωκε δὲ τοῖς εὐγενεστέροις τῶν Περσῶν καὶ μάλιστα προήκουσι καθ' ἡλικίαν. ἐρόμενος δὲ περὶ τοῦ φίλου βασιλέως εἰ ζῇ, πολλὰ στενάζων καὶ δάκρυα τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπὸ συμπαθείας ἀφιεὶς, ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο ζῇν θεοῦ βουλομένου, πρῶτα μὲν ὡμολόγει χάριτας θεῷ, πολλὴν αὐτοῖς τὴν πρόνοιαν καὶ τόλμαν ὑπὲρ βασιλέως παρεσχημένῳ, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς τῶν αὐτῶν ἕνεκα καὶ χάριτας ὡμολόγει καὶ πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων ὀφειλέτην ἑαυτὸν ἀπέφαινεν, ὡς κινδύνους μεγάλους καὶ πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου ἐνεγκοῦσι. τὴν στρατιάν τε παραλαβὼν, πεζὸς ἐχώρει καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον, δισχιλίους λογάδας ἔχων περὶ ἑαυτόν. δεομένων δὲ τῶν ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου ἵππῳ χρῆσθαι, καὶ παρεχομένων καὶ ἑτέρους πρὸς τοῖς ἑκατὸν, οὐκ 2.346 ἐπείθετο αὐτὸς, δισχιλίους εἶναι φάμενος τοὺς εὐγενεστέρους καὶ μάλιστα ἀξίους ἵπποις χρῆσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ μὴ εὐποροίη πᾶσι διαδοῦναι, βέλτιον πεζεύειν καὶ αὐτὸν, ἐν τῷ συμπονεῖν αὐτοῖς ῥᾴω καὶ φορητοτέραν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ποιοῦντα ταλαιπωρίαν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν μέχρι καὶ ∆ιδυμοτείχου ἦλθεν. ἡμέρας δὲ περιμείνας οὐ πολλὰς, ἐν αἷς ἔδει τοὺς εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον τὰς κατὰ Θρᾴκην πορθοῦντας κώμας σῖτον πορίζειν ἑαυτοῖς, ἐπεὶ ἐπράττετο αὐτοῖς τὰ κατὰ γνώμην καὶ σῖτον εἰσεκομίζοντο πολὺν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιτήδεια καὶ βοσκήματα, ἐκέλευεν, ὅσα ἦσαν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τῷ σφετέρῳ ἐκ τῆς λείας τοῖς ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ παρέχειν· καὶ ἐπράττετο, ᾗ προσέταττεν ἐκεῖνος. πεντακοσίους τε ἐκ δισχιλίων ἐκείνων λογάδων ἀπολεξάμενος καὶ ἐννακισχιλίους ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης στρατιᾶς, ἔπεμπεν εἰς τὰς ναῦς, φρουρήσοντας ἄχρις ἐπανήξει· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν στρατόπεδον εἰς δισμυρίους ὄντας ἐπὶ πεντακοσίοις καὶ χιλίοις τοῖς λογάσιν, ἕπεσθαι ἐκέλευεν, ὡς ἐκεῖσε ἀφιξόμενος, ἔνθα διατρίβει βασιλεύς. ᾔεσαν οὖν ἅπαντες καὶ αὐτὸς πεζῇ, πλὴν τῶν ἑκατὸν ἐκείνων, ἀδυνάτων