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And yet, although much more was offered by those governing the Romans, both of money 2.375 and cities, for it was possible for them to have what they now hold and much more besides, meddling in nothing, at that time he did nothing of the sort, but once and twice refused the embassy from them; but now when he could do no harm, he attempts to do those things, setting every device in motion, which then he could have accomplished more quickly than can be told. From which it was clear, they said, that even then the good judgment concerning them was not of his character, but of the assistance of the stronger. But now when they themselves were established in safety, he makes his own opinion manifest. And Apokaukos the megas doux, since he renounced battle against the emperor, attempted to plot secretly, just as before, and concocted all sorts of schemes. For having sent secretly to the Beroeans, he wrote such things: that he knew they had not willingly gone over to Kantakouzenos, who had appeared as a common enemy of the Romans and a plotter against the emperor's children; but being hard-pressed by the war of the Triballi, they were pushed to this by necessity, thinking they would be helped somewhat by him because they heard that the Král had a treaty and alliance with him. But this was nothing other than deceit and trickery. For the Král, having already openly joined us, has decided to make war on him. If, therefore, you change your minds and choose what is profitable both for all in common and for yourselves, that is, to seize him and not allow the danger to escape; for not long after 2.376 we will arrive against him with the entire army, you will be making the best decision for yourselves; for you will enjoy many and great benefactions from both the young emperor and me. But if you disobey and align your opinions with his, you will find you are at war with us, and you will come to such a degree of folly that after experiencing many woes you will know that it was better to obey us, before coming to this. But the Beroeans, having first made the letters known to the emperor, wrote back, "It is no wonder, Apokaukos, if you yourself have risen up against him who has done much good and in a way created you, just as the father of lies and your teacher did against God the creator, and you utter many blasphemies against him; for he too was against God. For in other respects, you are not lacking in the skills of some envious and wicked demon examined for destruction, rejoicing in the blood of men and in tortures, and making a delight of the misfortunes of others. What you have written, therefore, clings precisely to its beloved falsehood, and for this reason, as things worthy of many pits, we have cast them aside. But we will be persuaded of one thing only, precisely, not according to your mind, but as is fitting for us. For we will not only hold the emperor among us with all our strength, but even beyond our strength, if it is possible to say so; and if it should be necessary to campaign against you, we ourselves will follow 2.377 and fight alongside him eagerly. And if it should ever happen that we are separated in body, yet not in our minds and the will of our soul. For we shall be with them in such a way, that both by night and by day we shall make nothing else more our business than to appear worthy of his goodwill towards us. We are so far from being turned back by your threats, that we rather advise you yourself to fear the justice from God, and to expect great misfortunes now for yourself and your children, having both conceived and practiced until now such unjust things not only concerning the emperor, but in common concerning the Romans, and after death, the condemnation in Hades, which is prepared for robbers and kidnappers and murderers, such as you are. For the Lord will not forget to execute vengeance among the nations, and rebukes among the peoples. But we, as we have chosen things both just and profitable for all, expect not punishments, but rather rewards for our conduct from God." Such things the Beroeans wrote back to him. But he, since he failed in his first attempt, turned to a second, and a certain Alousianos, a prisoner being held for having chosen the side of the emperor Kantakouzenos, who was good at archery, for he had been occupied with hunting and was precisely skilled in these things, he persuaded him that he would treat him well

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καίτοι γε πολλῷ πλειόνων ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ Ῥωμαίων διοικούντων καὶ χρημάτων 2.375 καὶ πόλεων παρεχομένων, ἃ γὰρ αὐτοὶ νυνὶ κατέχουσι καὶ ἔτι πολλῷ πλείω ἔχειν ἐξῆν, πολυπραγμονήσαντα μηδὲν, τότε μὲν οὐδὲν εἴργαστο τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς πρὸς τὴν πρεσβείαν ἀπηγόρευε τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν· νυνὶ δὲ ὅτε βλάπτειν δύναιτο μηδὲν, ἐκεῖνα πράττειν ἐπιχειρεῖ, πᾶσαν ἐπίνοιαν κινῶν, ἃ τότε θᾶττον ἢ λόγος αὐτῷ ἐξῆν ἀνύττειν. ὅθεν δῆλον εἶναι, ἔφασκον, ὡς οὐδὲ τότε τοῦ ἐκείνου ἤθους ἡ περὶ αὐτοὺς εὐγνωμοσύνη ἦν, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ κρείττονος ἐπικουρίας. νυνὶ δὲ ὅτε ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καθέστασαν αὐτοὶ, τὴν οἰκείαν γνώμην φανερὰν ποιεῖν. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ, ἐπεὶ τὴν πρὸς βασιλέα μάχην ἀπηγόρευεν, ἀφανῶς ἐπιβουλεύειν, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἐπεχείρει καὶ παντοίας συνέῤῥαπτεν ἐπιβουλάς. πρὸς γὰρ Βεῤῥοιώτας κρύφα πέμψας, ἔγραφε τοιαῦτα· ὡς εἰδείη μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐχ ἑκοντὶ προσκεχωρηκότας Καντακουζηνῷ, κοινῷ πολεμίῳ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀναφανέντι καὶ τῶν βασιλέως ἐπιβούλῳ παίδων· ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ Τριβαλῶν πολέμου πιεζομένους ὠσθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦτο δι' ἀνάγκην, νομίσαντάς τι ὑπὸ τούτου ὠφελεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ Κράλην πυνθάνεσθαι σπονδὰς ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ συμμαχίαν. τοῦτο δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἦν, ἢ ἀπάτη καὶ φενακισμός. Κράλης γὰρ ἤδη φανερῶς ἡμῖν προσθέμενος, ἐκείνῳ ἔγνωκε πολεμεῖν. εἰ μὲν οὖν μεταβαλόντες τὰ κοινῇ τε πᾶσι καὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς λυσιτελοῦντα ἕλοισθε, ταῦτα δέ ἐστι, κατέχειν τοῦτον καὶ τὸν κίνδυνον μὴ ἐᾷν διαδιδράσκειν· οὐ πολλῷ γὰρ ὕστερον 2.376 ἀφιξόμεθα ἐπ' αὐτὸν πανστρατιᾷ, ἄριστα βουλεύσεσθε ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν· πολλῶν γὰρ ἀπολαύσετε καὶ μεγάλων τῶν παρὰ βασιλέως τε τοῦ νέου καὶ ἐμοῦ εὐεργεσιῶν. ἢν δ' ἀπειθῆτε καὶ ἐκείνῳ προστιθέμενοι ταῖς γνώμαις, γνώσεσθε πολεμεῖν ἡμῖν, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀβουλίας ἥξετε, ὡς μετὰ πεῖραν πολλῶν ἀνιαρῶν εἴσεσθε, ὡς βέλτιον ἦν πείθεσθαι ἡμῖν, πρὶν εἰς ταῦτα ἥκειν. Βεῤῥοιῶται δὲ φανερὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ πρότερον ποιήσαντες τὰ γράμματα, «οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν,» ἀντέγραφον «Ἀπόκαυκε, εἰ τοῦ πολλὰ εὐηργετηκότος καὶ τρόπον τινὰ δεδημιουργηκότος καὶ αὐτὸς κατεξαναστὰς, ὥσπερ ὁ τοῦ ψεύδους πατὴρ καὶ σὸς διδάσκαλος κατὰ θεοῦ τοῦ πεποιηκότος, καὶ βλασφημίας ἀφίης κατ' αὐτοῦ πολλάς· καὶ γὰρ κἀκεῖνος κατὰ θεοῦ. οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ τἄλλα βασκάνου καὶ πονηροῦ δαίμονός τινος ἀποδέεις τῶν ἐξητασμένων ἐπὶ φθορᾷ, αἵμασιν ἀνθρώπων χαίρων καὶ στρεβλώσεσι καὶ τρυφὴν ποιούμενος τὰς ἑτέρων συμφοράς. ἃ μὲν οὖν γέγραφας, ἀκριβῶς ἔχεται τοῦ φίλου ψεύδους, καὶ τούτου χάριν, ὡς πολλῶν ἄξια βαράθρων, ἀπεῤῥίψαμεν. ἓν δὲ μόνον πεισθησόμεθα ἀκριβῶς, οὐ κατὰ τὴν σὴν διάνοιαν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡμῖν προσήκει. βασιλέα γὰρ οὐ μόνον πάσῃ δυνάμει καθέξομεν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, εἰ οἷόντε εἰπεῖν· δεῆσαν δὲ στρατεύειν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ αὐτοὶ συνεψόμεθα 2.377 καὶ συναγωνιούμεθα προθύμως. εἰ δέ ποτε συμβαίη διαστῆναι καὶ τοῖς σώμασιν, ἀλλ' οὐ ταῖς διανοίαις καὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ τῆς ψυχῆς. ἐκείνοις γὰρ οὕτω συνεσόμεθα, ὡς καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν οὐδὲν ἄλλο μᾶλλον προὔργου ποιησόμενοι, ἢ τῆς ἐκείνου πρὸς ἡμᾶς εὐμενείας ἄξιοι φανῆναι. τῶν ἀπειλῶν δὲ τῶν σῶν τοσοῦτον ἀπέχομεν ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, ὥστ' αὐτῷ σοι παραινοῦμεν μᾶλλον τὴν ἀπὸ θεοῦ δίκην δεδοικέναι, καὶ νῦν τε μεγάλας συμφορὰς ἐκδέχεσθαι σαυτῷ τε καὶ παισὶν, οὕτως ἀδικώτατα οὐ περὶ βασιλέα μόνον, ἀλλὰ κοινῇ περὶ Ῥωμαίους καὶ διανοηθέντι καὶ πράττοντι ἄχρι νῦν, καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν, τὴν ἐν ᾅδου καταδίκην, ἣ λῃσταῖς καὶ ἀνδραποδισταῖς καὶ φονεῦσιν, οἷος σὺ, ἡτοίμασται. οὐ γὰρ ἐπιλήσεται κύριος τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἐλέγχους ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς. ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς δίκαιά τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συμφέροντα πᾶσιν ᾑρημένοι, οὐχ ὅτι τιμωρίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀμοιβὰς τῶν τρόπων ἐκδεχόμεθα παρὰ θεοῦ.» τοιαῦτα μὲν ἀντέγραφον αὐτῷ οἱ Βεῤῥοιῶται. ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐπεὶ τῆς πρώτης πείρας ἀπετύγχανεν, ἐτράπετο ἐπὶ δευτέραν, καὶ Ἀλουσιάνον τινὰ δεσμώτην κατεχόμενον, ὡς τὰ Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ᾑρημένον, ἀγαθὸν περὶ τοξείας ὄντα, θήραις γὰρ ἠσχόλητο καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐξήσκητο περὶ ταῦτα, ἔπεισεν εὖ ποιήσειν