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to go over, even if those in Didymoteichon would not receive him, saying that they would perish if they obeyed. For they did not have an abundance of guards who would guard them, and they themselves would suffer from famine, if it would not be permitted to plunder their neighbors; for there was no other resource for them to live. And those from Byzantium were harming Didymoteichon as much as possible. And the emperor Kantakouzenos was preparing again, as if to return to Didymoteichon, and the Kral was providing an army to assist, but a small and poor one. And because of this the emperor 2.350 was turning over many thoughts and was full of anxieties, whether it would be necessary, fearing the power of the Romans, to turn back again to the Triballoi, or with so few and such poor troops to risk a battle against the entire empire of the Romans. But the greatest of his difficulties was that, the money which he had come bringing from home having been spent, both on his many companions—for all were being supported from the imperial treasury for two years, in which, having been driven from the land of the Romans, they were exiles—and on the leaders of the Triballian armies out of a sense of honor, he was at a loss as to what he must do, if it would not be possible to cross the enemy territory and come to Didymoteichon. For it was not possible to send for money from there, nor to borrow from the Triballoi, since some were completely enslaved and living in extreme poverty, while those who had money were not willing to lend, because they saw the emperor always experiencing greater misfortunes and suspected that he might be completely ruined before he could return home. For which reason indeed he was tossed about by a great storm of thoughts, thinking of the want by which he would be encompassed, and the inescapable danger, for himself and those around him. But he revealed his secrets to no one and prayed to God alone, who is able to solve such things. And immediately a certain man approaching, named Arbenos, from Chlerenon, formerly a city subject to the Romans, both professed his father's goodwill to the emperor, and said he himself no less 2.351 wished now to show himself useful to him and to help in whatever way he could most effectively; and it was nothing wonderful, if he himself, being worthy of nothing and living in great obscurity, promised to help one so great and wonderful and mighty, since a mouse once, according to the fable, rescued a lion from many and difficult bonds. And he advised that, if he wished, since he was being sent by the Kral to the people of Berroia to discuss with them the surrender of the city and to persuade them with many promises, that he also write to his friends and through them persuade the others also to receive him into the city, which, being both large and populous and strong in its army and all other things, would become no small comfort in the face of the surrounding misfortunes. For he himself, although being under the Kral, would rather wish Berroia and the other western cities to go over to him rather than to the Kral; for it was necessary to serve that one as a slave, but to be loyal to the emperor. But the emperor, having heard, was overjoyed at what was said and was relieved of his many anxieties, thinking that the divine had shown some providence for him and had moved the man to such things. And he asked if he knew the most notable of the Berroians and to which of them he advised to write. And when he said that he knew them all, and had selected the best men, the emperor was persuaded, as by one who had counseled well, and he wrote immediately. And Arbenos advised, if he were able, to persuade the Kral also to give in to him 2.352 and to speak openly to the Berroians on his behalf; for such a thing would be of the greatest advantage to the emperor, and the undertaking would bring no danger to himself later, if the city went over to the emperor. And the emperor was immediately persuaded, and going to the Kral, he inquired if he wished to send Arbenos to Berroia. And when he agreed, "I wished," he said, "to write to them myself also and to advise them to receive me into the city. But considering what the people of Pherai did, having killed the ambassador, I am hesitant in the undertaking, fearing lest I be the cause of similar evils for some other person also

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προσχωρεῖν, κἂν οἱ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ μὴ ἐδέχοντο, ἀπολεῖσθαι φάσκοντες, εἰ πείθοιντο. οὔτε γὰρ εὐπορεῖν φρουρῶν, οἳ αὐτὰς φυλάξουσιν, αὐτοί τε λιμῷ ταλαιπωρήσειν, εἰ μὴ ληΐζεσθαι ἐξέσται τοὺς περιοίκους· ἑτέρα γὰρ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ ζῇν εὐπορία οὐδεμία ἦν. οἵ τε ἐκ Βυζαντίου ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐκάκουν ὅσα δυνατά. βασιλεύς τε ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς παρεσκευάζετο αὖθις, ὡς εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐπανήξων, καὶ ὁ Κράλης παρείχετο μὲν στρατιὰν ἐπικουρήσουσαν, ὀλίγην δὲ καὶ φαύλην. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο βασιλεὺς πολλοῖς ἐστρέφετο λο 2.350 γισμοῖς καὶ φροντίδων ἦν ἀνάπλεως, εἰ δεήσει πάλιν ἢ τὴν Ῥωμαίων δείσαντας δύναμιν αὖθις ἀναστρέφειν εἰς Τριβαλοὺς, ἢ μετὰ τοσούτων καὶ οὕτω φαύλων πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρχὴν Ῥωμαίων διακινδυνεύειν. μεγίστη δὲ ἦν αὐτῷ τῶν δυσχερειῶν, ὅτι τῶν χρημάτων, ἃ οἴκοθεν ἦλθεν ἔχων, ἀναλωθέντων πρός τε τοὺς συνόντας ὄντας τοσούτους, πάντες γὰρ διετρέφοντο ἐκ τῶν βασιλικῶν ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἔτεσιν, ἐν οἷς τῆς Ῥωμαίων γῆς ἀπελαθέντες ἦσαν ὑπερόριοι, καὶ πρὸς Τριβαλοὺς τοὺς τῶν στρατοπέδων ἡγουμένους διὰ φιλοτιμίαν, ἐν ἀπόρῳ εἴχετο τοῦ τί χρὴ δρᾷν, εἰ μὴ ἐξέσται τὴν πολεμίαν διελθόντας εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐλθεῖν. οὔτε γὰρ ἐξῆν ἐκεῖθεν χρήματα μεταπέμπεσθαι, οὔτε παρὰ Τριβαλῶν δανείζεσθαι, τῶν μὲν πάντῃ δεδουλωμένων καὶ συζώντων ἐσχάτῃ ἀπορίᾳ, τῶν ἐχόντων δὲ δανείζειν οὐ βουλομένων διὰ τὸ βασιλέα ὁρᾷν μείζοσιν ἀεὶ ταῖς δυσπραγίαις κεχρημένον καὶ ὑποπτεύειν, μὴ καὶ παντάπασι διαφθαρείη πρὶν οἴκαδε ἐπανήκειν. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα πολλῇ μὲν ἐκυμαίνετο τρικυμίᾳ λογισμῶν τὴν ἔνδειαν ἐννοῶν, ὑφ' ἧς περισχεθήσεται, καὶ τὸν ἄφυκτον κίνδυνον, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτόν. ἐξέφαινε δὲ πρὸς οὐδένα τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ μόνου θεοῦ ἐδεῖτο, τοῦ λύειν τὰ τοιαῦτα δυναμένου. αὐτίκα δέ τις προσελθὼν Ἄρμπενος ὠνομασμένος, ἐκ Χλερηνοῦ πρότερον Ῥωμαίοις ὑπηκόου πόλεως, πατρῴαν τε ὡμολόγει εὔνοιαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἧττον ἔφασκε 2.351 βούλεσθαι νυνὶ χρήσιμον ἑαυτὸν αὐτῷ παρέχειν καὶ βοηθεῖν τρόπῳ ὁποίῳ ἂν δύναιτο δυνατωτάτῳ· θαυμαστὸν δὲ οὐδὲν, εἰ τηλικούτῳ ὄντι καὶ θαυμασίῳ καὶ μεγάλῳ οὐδενὸς ἄξιος ὢν αὐτὸς καὶ ἀφανείᾳ πολλῇ συζῶν ἐπαγγέλλεται βοηθεῖν, εἰ καὶ μῦς ποτε κατὰ τὸν μῦθον λέοντα ἐῤῥύσατο πολλῶν καὶ χαλεπῶν δεσμῶν. συνεβούλευέ τε, ὡς, εἰ βούλοιτο, ἐπεὶ πρὸς Κράλη προσπεμφθείη Βεῤῥοιώταις, διαλεξόμενος αὐτοῖς περὶ παραδόσεως τῆς πόλεως καὶ πείσων ὑποσχέσεσι πολλαῖς, γράφειν καὶ αὐτὸν τοῖς φίλοις καὶ δι' ἐκείνων καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πείθειν δέχεσθαι εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ἣ μεγάλη τε οὖσα καὶ πολυάνθρωπος καὶ στρατιᾷ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἐῤῥωμένη, οὐ μετρία γένοιτ' ἂν παραψυχὴ πρὸς τὰς περισχούσας δυσπραγίας. αὐτὸς γὰρ, καίτοι ὑπὸ Κράλην τελῶν, μᾶλλον βούλοιτο Βέῤῥοιάν τε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἑσπερίους πόλεις αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ Κράλῃ προσχωρεῖν· ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἀνάγκη δουλεύειν, βασιλεῖ δὲ μᾶλλον εὐνοεῖν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἀκούσας, ὑπερήσθη μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἀνέπνευσε φροντίδων, τὸ θεῖον αὐτοῦ πρόνοιάν τινα πεποιῆσθαι οἰηθεὶς καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα πρὸς τοιαῦτα κεκινηκέναι. ἤρετό τε, εἰ τοὺς ἐν λόγῳ μάλιστα εἰδείη Βεῤῥοιωτῶν καὶ πρὸς οὕστινας αὐτῶν συμβουλεύει γράφειν. τοῦ δὲ, πάντας μὲν εἰδέναι, εἰρηκότος, τοὺς ἀρίστους δὲ ἐκλεξαμένου, ἐπείθετό τε ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὡς καλῶς βεβουλευμένῳ, καὶ ἔγραφεν αὐτίκα. Ἄρμπενος δὲ συνεβούλευεν, εἰ δύναιτο, καὶ Κράλην πείθειν ἐνδοῦναι αὐτῷ 2.352 καὶ φανερῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ διαλεχθῆναι Βεῤῥοιώταις· βασιλεῖ τε γὰρ τὰ μέγιστα λυσιτελήσειν τὸ τοιοῦτο καὶ αὐτῷ τὴν συντυχίαν μηδένα κίνδυνον ὕστερον ἂν ἐπαγαγεῖν, εἰ ἡ πόλις προσχωροίη βασιλεῖ. ἐπείθετό τε ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτίκα καὶ πρὸς Κράλην ἐλθὼν ἐπυνθάνετο, εἰ βούλοιτο πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν πέμπειν Ἄρμπενον. τοῦ δὲ συνθεμένου, «ἐβουλόμην» εἶπε «γράφειν καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς καὶ παραινεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν δέχεσθαι. ἐννοῶν δὲ, οἷα δράσειαν Φεραῖοι τὸν πρεσβεύοντα ἀπεκτονότες, πρὸς τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν ἀμβλύνεσθαι, δεδοικὼς μὴ καὶ ἄλλῳ τῳ κακῶν ὁμοίων αἴτιος