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negotiating. But the emperor did not manage to hear him through, and Thomas, fearing that this man would suddenly become powerful, and wishing to inspire fear in his own men, did not move his camp from the city, fearing that he would be pursued from behind, but taking as many soldiers as he knew to be fit for the engagement against Gregory, he went out against him, and having routed him in battle, he captured him as he fled and killed him. And again he quickly returned to the forces besieging the city, and sending letters everywhere, he proclaimed that he had been victorious, which was not the case, and he ordered the fleet which he had in Greece to set sail quickly, as if he would again take charge of affairs at sea. And the fleet, sailing straight, quickly put to sea and anchored at the place of Beridos, consisting of fifty and three warships and grain-transports; but the commanders of the imperial 2.85 fleet, having learned of their arrival, attacked the enemy lying at anchor by night, and striking terror into them by the surprise, they captured many of the ships with their crews, and some they burned with the prepared fire, with very few escaping the disaster and hastening to land at the gulf of Blachernae, so that they might be united with the army on land; which indeed happened. And so things at sea took this turn; but on land, as continuous skirmishes were taking place, with sometimes Michael and sometimes his son Theophilus sallying out against the rebels with Olbianos and Katakylas, sometimes the emperor's side was stronger, and sometimes the rebel's, yet no brilliant or vigorous battles in formation took place, since the emperor was greatly inferior in numbers and was not able to be arrayed against the tyrant's force. While they were in this situation, Mortagon the king of the Bulgarians (for the rumor had already filled the inhabited world that the emperor of the Romans was shut up within the walls and being besieged) secretly sent someone to him and offered to send aid and an alliance of his own accord. But Michael, whether in truth pitying the multitude of his own people or sparing his money (for he happened to be the most parsimonious of all emperors ever), deemed the Bulgarian's intention worthy of acceptance, but declined the aid. But Mortagon, who for his part delighted in wars and loved to reap the spoils from them, and also seeking to confirm and strengthen the thirty- 2.86 year treaty with the emperor made by the previous emperor Leo, prepared his army against the tyrant, and having indeed come within the Roman borders, he pitched his camp in the place called Kedouktos. This was heard, and it was not possible for these things to escape the rebel's notice. And he was shaken, as was likely, and struck in his senses, but nevertheless, coming to himself again, he armed his own army. But since, being divided into two, he seemed to be completely weak and easy to capture (for the queen of cities, being besieged, required not a small but a very large and significant army, since the emperor had already gathered forces that were not ignoble and able to stand against him, and the Bulgarian force required not some small but a large and not insignificant opposing force), so that he might not become easy to capture by being divided into two, he departed from the city, and judging himself a worthy opponent for the Bulgarian, he drew up his forces against him at the aforementioned place.

And so, when an engagement took place, the tyrant was utterly defeated, and there was a great slaughter of those around him; and the survivors secured their safety by flight, and having gathered in a certain inaccessible place, they considered the future. And the leader of the Bulgarians, having taken possession of the bodies and much plunder, returned to his own country, exalted and exulting in the victory. But the

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πραγματευόμενος. ἀλλ' οὔτε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔφθασε διακοῦσαι, καὶ ὁ Θωμᾶς τὸ μὴ πολὺν ἐξαίφνης τοῦτον γενέσθαι κατορρωδῶν, καὶ φόβον τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἐμποιῆσαι βουλόμενος, τὴν μὲν στρατοπεδείαν τῆς πόλεως οὐ μετεκίνησε, τὸ μὴ διωχθῆναι ἐξόπισθεν δεδοικώς, ὅσους δὲ ᾔδει ἀξιομάχους εἶναι τῆς πρὸς τὸν Γρηγόριον συμπλοκῆς παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας ἐξῄει πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ μάχῃ τρεψάμενος φεύγοντα καταλαβὼν ἀναιρεῖ. καὶ αὖθις διὰ ταχέων πρὸς τὰς προσεδρευούσας τῇ πόλει δυνάμεις ἐπάνεισι, καὶ γράμμασιν ἐπιστέλλων ἁπανταχοῦ ἐπεφήμιζεν ὡς εἴη νενικη κώς, ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ὅπερ εἶχε κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ναυτικὸν τα χέως ἐκέλευεν ἀναχθῆναι ὡς αὖθις τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν ἀνθεξό μενος πραγμάτων. καὶ τὸ μὲν ναυτικὸν εὐθυπλοῆσαν ταχέως ἀνά γεται καὶ τῷ χωρίῳ προσορμίζεται τῶν Βηρίδου, ἐκ νʹ καὶ τʹ συν ιστάμενον πλοίων πολεμικῶν τε καὶ σιταγωγῶν· οἱ δὲ τοῦ βασιλι 2.85 κοῦ στόλου κατάρχοντες τὴν τούτων ἐπεγνωκότες ἔλευσιν νυκτὸς ἐπιτίθενται ναυλοχοῦσι τοῖς ἐναντίοις, καὶ τῷ αἰφνιδίῳ καταπλη ξάμενοι πολλὰς μὲν αὐτάνδρους ἔσχον τῶν νηῶν, τινὰς δὲ καὶ τῷ σκευαστῷ πυρπολοῦσι πυρί, ὀλίγων παντελῶς ἔξω γενομένων τοῦ πάθους καὶ πρὸς τὸν κόλπον τῶν Βλαχερνῶν κατᾶραι ἐπειγομένων, ὡς ἂν εἶεν ἡνωμέναι τῇ κατὰ γῆν στρατιᾷ· ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονε. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ θάλασσαν τοῦτον εἶχε τὸν τρόπον· κατὰ γῆν δὲ ἀκρο βολισμῶν συνεχῶν γινομένων, νῦν μὲν τοῦ Μιχαὴλ νῦν δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Θεοφίλου ἐπεξιόντος τοῖς ἀποστάταις μετὰ τοῦ Ὀλ βιανοῦ καὶ τοῦ Κατακήλα, ποτὲ μὲν τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπικρατέ στερα ἦν ποτὲ δὲ τὰ τοῦ ἀποστάτου, οὐ μὴν ἀγῶνές τινες λαμπροὶ καὶ νεανικοὶ ἐκ παρατάξεως συνέστησαν, ἅτε δὴ πολλῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλαττουμένου τῷ πλήθει καὶ μὴ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ τυράννου δύναμιν ἀντιτάττεσθαι δυναμένου. ἐν τούτοις ὄντων αὐτῶν, Μορτάγων ὁ τῶν Βουλγάρων βασιλεὺς (καὶ γὰρ ἔφθασεν ἡ φήμη πληρῶσαι τὴν οἰκουμένην ὡς ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ῥωμαίων συγκλει σθεὶς τειχήρης ἐστὶ καὶ πολιορκεῖται) λάθρᾳ τινὰ πεπομφὼς ὡς αὐτὸν ἐξαποστεῖλαι βοήθειαν αὐτομάτῳ ἐπηγγέλλετο γνώμῃ καὶ συμμαχίαν. ὁ δὲ Μιχαήλ, εἴτε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τὸ τῶν ὁμοφύλων οἰκτείρων πλῆθος εἴτε καὶ χρημάτων φειδόμενος (ἐτύγχανε γὰρ τῶν πώποτε βασιλέων σμικρολογώτατος), τὴν μὲν γνώμην τοῦ Βουλγάρου ἠξίου ἀποδοχῆς, τὴν δὲ βοήθειαν παρῃτεῖτο. ἀλλ' ὅ γε Μορτάγων χαίρων μὲν καὶ ἄλλως πολέμοις καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων λείας καρποῦσθαι φιλῶν, καὶ τὰς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα δὲ τριακον 2.86 τούτεις σπονδὰς παρὰ τοῦ προβεβασιλευκότος Λέοντος γεγενημένας ἐπιβεβαιῶσαι καὶ ἰσχυροτέρας ποιῆσαι ζητῶν, τὴν κατὰ τοῦ τυ ράννου στρατιὰν ηὐτρέπισε, καὶ δὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὅρων ἔντοσθε γεγονὼς κατὰ τὸν Κηδούκτου χῶρον οὕτω καλούμενον τὴν παρεμ βολὴν ἐπήξατο. ἠκούετο δέ, καὶ λαθεῖν ταῦτα τὸν ἀποστάτην οὐκ ἦν. καὶ ἐδονήθη μὲν ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ τὰς φρένας κατεκτυπήθη, ἐν ἑαυτῷ δ' ὅμως πάλιν γενόμενος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ στρατιὰν ἐξώπλιζεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς δύο μεριζόμενος ἐδόκει παντελῶς ἀσθενής τε εἶναι καὶ εὐχείρωτος (ἥ τε γὰρ βασιλὶς τῶν πόλεων οὐκ εὐαριθμήτου ἀλλὰ πλείστου καὶ ἀξιολόγου στρατοῦ ἐδέετο πολιορκουμένη, ἤδη καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως συνειλοχότος δυνάμεις οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς καὶ κατὰ πρόσ ωπον ἵστασθαι δυναμένας, καὶ ἡ τῶν Βουλγάρων δὲ δύναμις οὐ μικρᾶς τινὸς πολλῆς δὲ καὶ οὐ τῆς τυχούσης ἐδέετο ἀντιπαρατά ξεως), ὡς ἂν μὴ εἰς δύο τινὰ διαιρούμενος εὐχείρωτος γένηται, ἀπαίρει μὲν τῆς πόλεως, πρὸς τὸν Βούλγαρον δὲ ἀξιόμαχον κρί νας ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὸν εἰρημένον ἀντιπαρατάσσεται τόπον.

Καὶ δῆτα συμβολῆς γενομένης ἡττᾶται κατὰ κράτος ὁ τύραννος, καὶ φόνος γίνεται πολὺς τῶν περὶ αὐτόν· οἱ δὲ περισωθέντες φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν πορίζονται, καὶ ἔν τινι χώρῳ δυσβάτῳ συναχθέντες τὸ μέλλον ἐσκόπουν. ὁ δὲ τῶν Βουλγάρων ἀρχηγὸς τά τε σώ ματα, ὧν ἐγένετο κύριος, καὶ λείαν πολλὴν προσλαβόμενος πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπέστρεψε χώραν, τῇ νίκῃ ἐπαιρόμενός τε καὶ γαυριῶν. τὸ δὲ