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a city lying on the borders of Thessaly willingly joined, and Platamon, another coastal one, and not a few fortresses, one called Petra, another Soskos and a third Staridola. And the emperor, having in a short time gathered no small army from the cities that had joined, and having also summoned his cousin John Angelos, who led the Thessalian cavalry, marched against Thessalonica and, arriving, encamped at the Gallikos, not far from the city. For he hoped that those well-disposed towards him would secure his entry into Thessalonica; for they had discussed this with him. But it did not turn out as he had hoped. For the Zealots and the people, suspecting that he had not arrived without those negotiating its surrender, made great haste in guarding the city; on account of which, those who had chosen the emperor’s side were unable to do any of the things they had planned. The capture of Thessalonica, then, was thus prevented; but the emperor still remained in the camp, not having given up entirely on the undertaking. But the Kral, since Berroia and the other cities had gone over to the emperor and he 2.356 saw it was now possible for him to defend himself, having changed for no reason and altering his former friendship to bitterness, both blamed himself for not detaining the emperor and tried in every way to destroy his power. And sending, he recalled his own mercenaries, not revealing his hostility but alleging certain other reasons; and to Michael Monomachos, who held the rank of megas konostaulos and was then governor of Thessalonica, he sent and advised him to march against the emperor and not to be too afraid, especially as he still possessed a small force and was now being deprived of the best part of his present force by him, for the Latin cataphracts whom he was leading, being his own men, had been recalled by him, and that they should not allow him to grow stronger, but should attack first while he was weak. For if he were not hindered by them, but they were content merely to save themselves, he would very quickly bring himself against them, invested with a great force. And Monomachos and those in Thessalonica, having heard such things and thinking that the Kral would also join them in attacking the emperor, were considering whether they should go out to battle. But the Germans, when they heard the orders from the Kral, condemned his great malice and fickleness of character, and approaching the emperor, they reported what they had been ordered and begged him not to be alarmed but to be of good courage, as they would fight for him even against the Kral himself, if he should attack; for so was their law, and if they did so, they would not be ill-spoken of by their own people. "For if by the one who provides the 2.357 pay," they said, "we were ordered to assist someone else, who was at home and in safety, we would easily withdraw at the command of the one who provides the pay; but from one on campaign and drawn up for battle, it is not our way to abandon him. For the act is outright treason; than which nothing is more unthinkable for us, nor brings greater shame. For which reasons we will not abandon you here either, as that man ordered, but after establishing you safely at home we shall depart." And they advised him not to delay, but to return to Berroia as quickly as possible; for it was already clear that the Kral had chosen to make war. And the emperor, having praised them for their loyalty to him and the nobility of their character, was persuaded and returned as they advised, being able to accomplish none of the things he had planned chiefly because of the Kral's change of mind. And the army in Thessalonica, when they learned the emperor was returning, came out of the city and followed, giving the appearance that they would attack, but they did not dare to engage. And on the same day a letter also came to the emperor from his friends in Thessalonica, reporting that on that same day Apokaukos the megas doux had put in at Thessalonica with seventy Roman ships, also bringing thirty-two allied Persian ships, and that the cavalry from Byzantium, Thrace, and Macedonia were expected to arrive not much later. So the emperor praised his friends for the 2.358 message; but he himself by the Axios

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προσεχώρουν ἑκοντὶ περὶ τὰ μεθόρια Θετταλίας κειμένη πόλις, καὶ Πλαταμὼν, ἑτέρα παραθαλασσία, καὶ φρούρια οὐκ ὀλίγα, τὸ μὲν Πέτρα προσαγορευόμενον, ἕτερον δὲ Σωσκὸς καὶ Σταρίδολα τρίτον. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ ἐκ τῶν προσθεμένων πόλεων στρατιὰν οὐκ ὀλίγην συναγαγὼν, μεταπεμψάμενος δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀνεψιὸν Ἄγγελον Ἰωάννην, τὴν Θετταλικὴν ἵππον ἄγοντα, ἐπεστράτευσε Θεσσαλονίκῃ καὶ ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐν Γαλυκῷ ἐλθὼν, οὐ πολὺ ἄπωθεν τῆς πόλεως. ἤλπιζε γὰρ αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντας καταπράξεσθαι τὴν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην εἴσοδον· ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῷ διειλεγμένοι περὶ τούτου. τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἀπήντα, ὥσπερ ἤλπιζεν. οἱ Ζηλωταὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ δῆμος ὑποπτεύσαντες, μὴ ἄνευ τῶν ἐπὶ παραδόσει διαλεγομένων ἀφικέσθαι, πολλὴν ἐποιοῦντο σπουδὴν περὶ τῆς πόλεως τὴν φυλακήν· δι' ἃ οὐκ εἶχον οἱ τὰ βασιλέως ᾑρημένοι τῶν δοκούντων πράττειν τι. ἡ μὲν οὖν Θεσσαλονίκης ἅλωσις οὕτως ἐκωλύετο· βασιλεὺς δὲ παρέμενεν ἔτι ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν οὐ παντάπασιν ἀπειρηκώς. Κράλης δὲ ἐπεὶ Βέῤῥοιά τε καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι πόλεις προσεχώρησαν βασιλεῖ καὶ ἤδη ἑαυτῷ ἀμύνειν ἑ 2.356 ώρα δυνατὸν, ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς μεταβαλὼν αἰτίας, τὴν προτέραν φιλίαν εἰς πικρίαν μεταμείψας, ἑαυτῷ τε ἐμέμφετο τοῦ μὴ βασιλέα παρακατέχειν καὶ πάντα τρόπον τὴν δύναμιν ἐπειρᾶτο καταλύειν. καὶ πέμψας ἀνεκαλεῖτο τοὺς ἰδίους μισθοφόρους, οὐ τὴν ἀπέχθειαν ἐκφαίνων, ἀλλ' ἑτέρας τινὰς προφασιζόμενος αἰτίας· Μιχαήλ τε Μονομάχῳ μεγάλῳ κονοσταύλῳ τὴν ἀξίαν ὄντι, Θεσσαλονίκης τότε ἄρχοντι, συνεβούλευε πέμψας κατὰ βασιλέως χωρεῖν καὶ μὴ σφόδρα δεδιέναι, ἄλλως τε ἔτι ὀλίγην κεκτημένον δύναμιν καὶ τὸ κράτιστον τῆς παρούσης ὑφαιρούμενον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ νυνὶ, τοὺς γὰρ καταφράκτους Λατίνους, οὓς ἄγει, ἀνακεκλῆσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἰδίους ὄντας, καὶ μὴ αὐξάνεσθαι ἐᾷν, ἀλλὰ προεπιχειρεῖν ἕως ἐστὶν ἀδύνατος. εἰ γὰρ μὴ κωλύοιτο ὑπ' αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ σωζόμενοι μόνον ἀγαπῷεν, τάχιστα ἐπάξεσθαι αὐτὸν, μεγάλην περιβεβλημένον δύναμιν. Μονομάχος δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ τοιαῦτα πεπυσμένοι καὶ οἰόμενοι, βασιλεῖ συνεπιθήσεσθαι αὐτοῖς καὶ Κράλην, ἐσκέπτοντο εἰ χρὴ ἐπὶ μάχην ἐξιέναι. Γερμανοὶ δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰ παρὰ Κράλη ἀκούσειαν προστεταγμένα, πολλὴν μὲν ἐκείνου κακοήθειαν κατεγίνωσκον καὶ τρόπων εὐκολίαν, βασιλεῖ δὲ προσελθόντες, ἀπήγγελλόν τε ὅσα προσταχθεῖεν, καὶ ἐδέοντο μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς καὶ αὐτῷ Κράλῃ, ἂν ἐπίῃ, μαχεσομένους ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ· οὕτω γὰρ εἶναι νόμιμον αὐτοῖς καὶ εἰ πράττοιεν, οὐ κακῶς ἀκούσειν παρὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις. εἰ γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ τὸν μισθὸν πα 2.357 ρέχοντος, ἔφασαν, ἑτέρῳ τῳ προσταχθείημεν ἐπικουρεῖν, οἴκοι μὲν καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καθεστῶτι, ῥᾳδίως ἀποσταίημεν ἂν, τοῦ τὸν μισθὸν παρέχοντος κελεύοντος· στρατευομένῳ δὲ καὶ πρὸς μάχην παρατεταγμένῳ, οὐχ ἡμῶν εἶναι ἀπολείπειν. προδοσίαν γὰρ ἄντικρυς τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι· οὗ τῶν πάντων οὐδὲν ἀτολμητότερον ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ μείζω φέρει τὴν αἰσχύνην. δι' ἃ οὐδὲ σὲ καταλείψομεν ἐνθάδε, ὥσπερ ἐκέλευσεν ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ οἴκοι καταστήσαντες ἀναχωρήσομεν. συνεβούλευόν τε μὴ μέλλειν, ἀλλ' εἰς Βέῤῥοιαν τάχιστα ἐπανήκειν· Κράλην γὰρ δῆλον ἤδη εἶναι ᾑρημένον πολεμεῖν. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτοῖς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας καὶ τῶν τρόπων τῆς εὐγενείας ἐπαινέσας, ἐπείθετό τε καὶ ἀνέστρεφεν, ᾗ ἐκεῖνοι συνεβούλευον, μηδὲν τῶν μελετωμένων πρᾶξαι δυνηθεὶς διὰ τὴν Κράλη μάλιστα μεταβολήν. ἡ δὲ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ στρατιὰ, ὡς ἐπύθοντο βασιλέα ἀναστρέφοντα, τῆς πόλεως ἐξελθόντες, εἵποντο μὲν καὶ παρεῖχον δόκησιν, ὡς προσβαλοῦντες, οὐκ ἐτόλμων δὲ συμμίγνυσθαι. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ἡμέρας καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ φίλων γράμματα πρὸς βασιλέα ἧκε, μηνύοντα ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας Ἀπόκαυκος ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ναυσὶν ἑβδομήκοντα Ῥωμαίων Θεσσαλονίκῃ προσχοίη καὶ συμμαχίδας ἄγων Περσικὰς δύο καὶ τριάκοντα, καὶ τοὺς ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας ἱππέας οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον προσδοκίμους εἶναι ἥξειν. τοὺς μὲν οὖν φίλους τῆς 2.358 ἀγγελίας ἕνεκα ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ βασιλεύς· αὐτὸς δὲ παρὰ τὸν Ἀξειὸν