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to show, laying up a favor for the emperor. And the emperor, having praised the man and promised to treat him well, since the day was already dawning, breaking camp, they went along the bank of the river, where the man was leading. Likewise, the Triballi from the opposite bank were also marching along the 2.361 river. And when they came to the ford, the Triballi from the opposite bank drew up in battle formation as if to prevent them and used missiles from a distance. But the emperor with his best men, using a reckless charge and being unsparing of their bodies, crossed over, being shot at and hindered, as was possible, by the Triballi. But they did not withstand them for even a short time after they had crossed, but fled, having been utterly routed. But the emperor allowed neither pursuit nor killing, feigning ignorance of the plot. For he wished to provide Kralj with no pretext for the war. The rest of the army crossed at its leisure, having suffered no loss. And the emperor, having generously rewarded the one who had guided them to the ford, returned towards Berroia, acknowledging many thanks to God for his own safety and that of the army; for they had stood, if ever, on the very brink of danger. On the same day, the army from Thrace and Macedonia, together with the hoplites and light-armed troops from the triremes and the Persian allies, came to the Axios to the emperor. But learning that he had crossed and returned towards Berroia, they turned back to Thessalonica, being vexed that they had been too late. And the emperor then perceived more accurately the providence of God concerning him. And when he was in Berroia, having rewarded the Germans with benefactions for their loyalty to him, he sent to Kralj and reported those who had hindered the crossing of the Axios as having done wrong and acted contrary to the treaties and their oaths which they had made to one another 2.362. And Kralj, not yet having openly committed to the war, wishing to appease the emperor, since it had not been possible to destroy him through the plot, sent Bozik and Stephen, the leaders of the army, to the emperor, as if to pay the penalty for their folly, because they had made war on the emperor, his friend, without his knowledge, and he entrusted to the emperor the vote against them, as one who would justly condemn them for anything whatsoever. But the emperor, having reproached them for their folly and for having dared to do things both unjust and unworthy of Kralj's friendship towards him, then granted them pardon and released them, having treated them well. And Apokaukos the megas doux, since he was late for the battle and it was impossible to come to the emperor at Berroia, tried to stir up Kralj to war against him, sending many gifts and promising others, since he was already inclined to this on his own; and sending to the emperor a certain Synadenos by name, he affirmed with the most dreadful oaths that he had no enmity towards him, nor did he wish for nor seek in any way whatever would bring him destruction, but that he himself had been carried along into the war by a certain turn of events. And since matters had now come to this point, he wished to learn what he wanted concerning him, or to what he had considered turning. But the emperor, astonished at his shamelessness, made such a reply to his words. "To persuade by oaths, O para 2.363 koimomenos, about any matter whatsoever, is not for the present time. For there was once a time when I, showing great goodwill toward you, and trusting not only in words given with oaths, but also in those without them, was unknowingly sharpening a sword against myself and adding great weight to him who was about to use his power against his great benefactor; and yet even in those times you were caught committing perjury not once, but twice and three times, and devising terrible things against one who was able with a mere glance to punish your wickedness worthily. But from the time you found a suitable opportunity, and cast off all fear of God and human decency, and fabricated many slanders, you have stirred up this very war, which has been the cause of many evils up to now and will be the cause of even more and more terrible ones, as I see, there is no one to whom

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ὑποδείξειν χάριν βασιλεῖ κατατιθέμενος. ἐπαινέσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἐπαγγειλάμενος εὖ ποιήσειν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα ἤδη διεφαίνετο, ἄραντες ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου, διῄεσαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν ὄχθην, οἷ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἡγεῖτο. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ Τριβαλοὶ ἐκ τῆς περαίας ἀντιπαρήρχοντο καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν 2.361 ποταμόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς τὸν πόρον ἦλθον, Τριβαλοὶ μὲν ἐκ τῆς περαίας παρετάσσοντο ὡς κωλύσοντες καὶ βέλεσιν ἐχρῶντο πόῤῥωθεν. βασιλεὺς δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἀρίστων ὁρμῇ χρησάμενοι παραβόλῳ καὶ σωμάτων ἀφειδήσαντες, διέβαινον βαλλόμενοι καὶ κωλυόμενοι, ὡς ἐνῆν, ὑπὸ τῶν Τριβαλῶν. διαβάντας δὲ ὑπέμειναν οὐδ' ἐπὶ μικρὸν, ἀλλ' ἔφευγον τραπόμενοι κατὰ κράτος. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὔτ' ἐπιδιώκειν εἴα, οὔτε ἀποκτείνειν, ἄγνοιαν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ὑποκρινάμενος. ἐβούλετο γὰρ μηδεμίαν Κράλῃ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον πρόφασιν παρέχειν. ἡ δὲ ἄλλη στρατιὰ διέβαινε κατὰ σχολὴν μηδὲν ζημιωθεῖσα. βασιλεὺς δὲ φιλοτίμως ἀμειψάμενος τὸν ἡγησάμενον πρὸς τὸν πόρον, πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν ἐπανῄει, πολλὰς αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς τῆς σωτηρίας θεῷ χάριτας ὁμολογῶν· ἐν χρῷ γὰρ εἴπερ ποτὲ κατέστησαν κινδύνου. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ἡμέρας καὶ ἡ ἐκ Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας στρατιὰ ἅμα τοῖς ἐκ τῶν τριηρέων ὁπλίταις καὶ ψιλοῖς καὶ Πέρσαις τοῖς συμμάχοις πρὸς Ἀξειὸν ἧκον ἐπὶ βασιλέα. πυθόμενοι δὲ, ὡς διαβὰς πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν ἐπανέλθοι, ὑπέστρεφον εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ἀνιώμενοι, ὅτι ὑστερήσειαν. βασιλεύς τε τότε μᾶλλον ἀκριβέστερον συνεώρα τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν πρόνοιαν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγένετο ἐν Βεῤῥοίᾳ, Γερμανοὺς τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας ἀμειψάμενος εὐεργεσίαις, ἀπέπεμπεν εἰς Κράλην καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὴν διάβασιν Ἀξειοῦ κωλύοντας προσήγγελλεν ὡς ἀδικήσαντας καὶ παρὰ τὰς σπονδὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους αὐτῶν τοὺς εἰς ἀλλήλους 2.362 εἰργασμένους. Κράλης δὲ οὔπω φανερῶς ἐξενηνεγμένος πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, θέλων βασιλέα θεραπεύειν, ἐπεὶ μὴ διὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἐξεγένετο διαφθείρειν, Μποζίκην καὶ Στέφανον τοὺς ἡγουμένους τῆς στρατιᾶς ἔπεμπε πρὸς βασιλέα, ὡς δίκας τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης δώσοντας, ὅτι βασιλεῖ τῷ φίλῳ, αὐτοῦ μὴ συνειδότος, πολεμοῖεν, καὶ ἐπέτρεπε βασιλεῖ τὴν ψῆφον τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν, ὡς δικαίως πᾶν ὁτιοῦν καταψηφισομένῳ. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην ὀνειδίσας καὶ ὡς ἄδικά τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀνάξια τῆς Κράλη πρὸς αὐτὸν τολμήσαιεν φιλίας, ἔπειτα συγγνώμην τε παρείχετο καὶ ἀπέλυεν, εὖ ποιήσας. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ, ἐπεὶ τῆς μάχης τε ὑστέρει καὶ πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ βασιλέα ἦν ἀδύνατος, Κράλην μὲν, πολλὰ τὰ μὲν πέμπων δῶρα, τὰ δὲ ὑπισχνούμενος, ἐκπολεμοῦν ἐκείνῳ ἐπεχείρει, καὶ οἴκοθεν ἤδη πρὸς τοῦτο ὡρμημένον· πρὸς βασιλέα δὲ Συναδηνόν τινα πέμψας ὄνομα, ὅρκοις τοῖς φρικωδεστάτοις διεβεβαιοῦτο, μηδεμίαν ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπέχθειαν, μηδὲ ὅ,τι φέρει πρὸς αὐτὸν φθορὰν μήτε βούλεσθαι, μήτε ζητεῖν ἐκ τρόπου παντὸς, ἀλλὰ φορᾷ τινι τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ αὐτὸν συνενεχθῆναι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον. τῶν πραγμάτων δὲ εἰς τοῦτο νῦν ἡκόντων, μαθεῖν ἐθέλειν ὅ,τι βούλοιτο περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ πρὸς ὅ,τι τρέπεσθαι ἐσκέψατο. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτὸν τῆς ἀναιδείας ἐκπλαγεὶς, τοιαύτην ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀπολογίαν πρὸς τοὺς λόγους. «τὸ μὲν ὅρκοις, ὦ παρα 2.363 κοιμώμενε, πείθειν περὶ πράγματος ὁτουοῦν, οὐ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ. ἦν γάρ ποτε χρόνος, ὅτ' ἐγὼ πολλὴν περὶ σὲ τὴν εὐμένειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ μὴ μόνον τοῖς δι' ὅρκων γινομένοις λόγοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς χωρὶς τούτων θαῤῥῶν, ἐλάνθανον ἀκονῶν κατ' ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ ῥοπὴν μεγάλην προστιθεὶς τῷ μέλλοντι τῇ δυνάμει χρῆσθαι κατὰ τοῦ πολλὰ εὐηργετηκότος· καίτοι γε καὶ κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς καιροὺς οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς ἐπιορκῶν ἑάλως καὶ δεινὰ συσκευαζόμενος κατὰ τοῦ καὶ βλέμματι μόνῳ δυναμένου τῆς μοχθηρίας κολάζεσθαι ἀξίως. ἐξ ὅτου δὲ καιροῦ τυχὼν ἐπιτηδείου, καὶ πάντα καὶ θεοῦ φόβον καὶ ἀνθρωπίνην ἀπέῤῥιψας αἰδῶ καὶ πολλὰς πλασάμενος διαβολὰς, τὸν πόλεμον τουτονὶ κεκίνηκας τὸν πολλῶν αἴτιον κακῶν νῦν τε ἄχρι γεγενημένον καὶ ἔτι πλειόνων ἐσόμενον καὶ δεινοτέρων, ὡς ὁρῶ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτῳ