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But to the great duke, the battle seemed dreadful, and to spend a long time in Thessalonica on account of the multitude of expenses that were needed was unbearable, and to return having accomplished nothing at all worthy of account seemed most shameful. And he especially wished both to decline risking battle against the emperor and to return having some pretext of glory. But Monomachos, having well guessed his intention, asked if he himself 2.381 also wished to be with them and lead; and when he had refused, "Therefore," he said, "if it seems good also to you, I myself, having the army, will come as far as Beroea, and neither encamping near, nor dismounting from our horses, but delaying a little, we will depart most quickly. For thus it will be possible for us to avoid battle, for the time will not be sufficient for the enemy, having prepared themselves, to attack, and to wipe away the dishonor by attacking the enemy and making them wall-bound." Thus then Monomachos spoke; and the opinion seemed best to the great duke, and it was immediately voted for, and Monomachos was appointed general over all. He, having both the infantry and the cavalry force of the Romans, came near the walls of Beroea, so as not to be shot at from the wall. But the Persian force had been scattered for plundering, and in one day overran all the land around Beroea and ravaged it most severely. For they both enslaved people and killed many, and drove off herds of cattle, and burned the houses in the villages, and of the other things, as many as are fitting for enemies, they neglected none. But the emperor, sending an ambassador from Beroea to Monomachos, accused them of great senselessness, that though leading such a great Roman army and one able on its own to be set against him, they, as if it were not sufficient for the war, brought against him also the barbarians, in order that they might rather destroy 2.382 Roman affairs. However, it is necessary to consider this, that they should not bring any blame upon him later, if he himself should put an end to what had been started by them. And he announced that he was prepared for battle, if only the appointed time should come. And he answered that it was up to him to do whatever seemed profitable, just as indeed they themselves were doing. And having waited there until midday, standing before the walls, turning back, he marched back for the rest of the day. And when night came on, they encamped, at the same time awaiting the barbarians, who were returning from the booty. And on the next day they took the tower in Pydna by assault, which had a garrison from the emperor. Among whom was also Theodore Pepagomenos from the emperor's household, whom they tied up naked and wounded in the open air in the middle of summer, as the great duke had so ordered; when, being consumed by the excessive heat, he asked for water, being overcome with unbearable thirst, the great duke ordered it to be given, if he would dishonor his master before all. But he chose rather to die than to act insolently towards the emperor. And Monomachos, returning, reported other things to the great duke, and how Cantacuzenus had sent a message to him as he stood before the walls of Beroea, reproaching him for other things and that we had brought Persians as allies against him; and he threatened that he himself would put an end to the things begun 2.383 by us. which it was fitting to consider; for not in vain had such things been hinted at by him; but to those considering, nothing else appeared from his words, than that he himself also wished to call his friend Amour for an alliance, and for this reason had said such things beforehand, so that later he might have a refuge, of course, if anyone should blame him for bringing barbarians against his own people, on the grounds that they first had used them against him. For which reason indeed it seemed necessary, having sent triremes, to guard the sea as they sailed along it—for those in Platamon had also revolted from the emperor, fearing they might be captured by the great duke attacking with a fleet—so that it might not be possible for Cantacuzenus to send an embassy to Amour. And it was done according to what had been decided. 63. But the emperor, when he learned that the triremes were sailing along the coast, entrusting the embassy to Amour to a certain man named Prinkips, with no one else knowing,

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τῷ μεγάλῳ δὲ δουκὶ ἥ τε μάχη φοβερὰ ἐδόκει, καὶ τὸ διατρίβειν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ χρόνον πολὺν διὰ τὸ τῶν ἀναλωμάτων, ὧν ἐδεῖτο, πλῆθος οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν, καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ὅλως δοκοῦντας ἄξιον λόγου πεπραχότας ἀναστρέφειν αἴσχιστον. ἐβούλετο δὲ μάλιστα τό,τε διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς βασιλέα παραιτεῖσθαι, καὶ πρόσχημά τι εὐδοξίας ἔχοντα ἐπανελθεῖν. Μονομάχος δὲ τῆς αὐτοῦ διανοίας καταστοχασάμενος καλῶς, ἤρετο, εἰ καὶ 2.381 αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς βούλοιτο συνεῖναι καὶ στρατηγεῖν· τοῦ δὲ ἀπειπαμένου, «οὐκοῦν» ἔφασκεν «εἰ καὶ σοὶ συνδοκεῖ, τὴν στρατιὰν ἔχων αὐτὸς, ἐλευσόμεθα ἄχρι Βεῤῥοίας, καὶ μήτε στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐγγὺς, μήτε τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες, ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἐνδιατρίψαντες, τάχιστα ἀναχωρήσομεν. οὕτω γὰρ τήν τε μάχην ἡμῖν ἐκκλίνειν περιέσται, οὐ γὰρ ἀρκέσει γε ὁ χρόνος τοῖς πολεμίοις παρασκευασαμένοις ἐπιέναι, τήν τε ἀδοξίαν ἀποτρίβεσθαι, τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπελθοῦσι καὶ ποιήσασι τειχήρεις.» οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὁ Μονομάχος εἶπεν· ἀρίστη δὲ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ ἐφαίνετο ἡ γνώμη καὶ ἐπεψηφίζετο αὐτίκα καὶ ἐχειροτονεῖτο ὁ Μονομάχος ἐπὶ πᾶσι στρατηγός. ὃς τήν τε πεζὴν ἅμα καὶ τὴν ἱππικὴν Ῥωμαίων ἔχων δύναμιν, ἐγγὺς τειχῶν ἐγένετο Βεῤῥοίας, ὅσον μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους βάλλεσθαι. τὸ Περσικὸν δὲ διεσκέδαστο ἐπὶ λεηλασίαν καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ τὴν περὶ Βέῤῥοιαν ἅπασαν ἐπῆλθε γῆν καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ἐκάκωσεν. ἀνθρώπους τε γὰρ ἠνδραποδίσαντο καὶ ἀπέκτειναν πολλοὺς καὶ βοσκημάτων ἤλασαν ἀγέλας καὶ οἰκίας ἐνέπρησαν τὰς ἐπὶ τὰς κώμας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσα προσήκει πολεμίους, οὐδενὸς ἠμέλουν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκ Βεῤῥοίας πρὸς Μονομάχον πέμψας πρεσβευτὴν, πολλὴν αὐτῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην κατηγόρει, ὅτι τοσαύτην ἄγοντες Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὴν δυναμένην ἀντιτάττεσθαι αὐτῷ, οἱ δ' ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐκείνης ἐξαρκούσης πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ἐπήγαγον αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους, ἵνα μᾶλλον τὰ Ῥωμαίων διαφθεί 2.382 ρωσιν. ἐκεῖνο μέντοι χρὴ σκοπεῖν, ὅπως μηδεμίαν αὐτῷ μέμψιν ὕστερον ἐπάγωσιν, ἂν τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν ἠργμένοις τέλος ἐπιθήσειεν αὐτός. ἐπηγγέλλετό τε παρεσκευασμένος εἶναι πρὸς τὴν μάχην, ἢν μόνον ἡ προθεσμία ἥξει. ὁ δ' ἀπεκρίνατο, παρ' αὐτῷ εἶναι πράττειν, ὅσα ἂν δοκῇ λυσιτελεῖν, ὥσπερ δῆτα καὶ αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσιν. ἄχρι δὲ μέσης ἡμέρας ἐκεῖ περιμείνας, ἱστάμενος πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν, ἀναστρέψας ἤλαυνεν ὀπίσω τῆς ἡμέρας τὸ λοιπόν. νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπιγενομένης, ηὐλίσαντο, ἅμα προσδεχόμενοι καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους, ἀναστρέφοντας ἀπὸ τῆς λείας. καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν τὸν ἐν Πύδνῃ πύργον εἷλον ἐξ ἐφόδου φρουρὰν ἐκ βασιλέως ἔχοντα. ἐν οἷς καὶ ἐκ τῶν βασιλέως οἰκετῶν ὁ Πεπαγωμένος ἦν Θεόδωρος, ὃν γυμνὸν καὶ τετραυματισμένον ὕπαιθρον δήσαντες ἐν μέσῳ θέρει, τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς οὕτω προστεταχότος, ἐπεὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἐκτηκόμενος φλογμοῦ ὕδωρ ᾔτει δίψει κατεχόμενος ἀσχέτῳ, ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἐκέλευε διδόναι, εἰ τὸν δεσπότην ἐπὶ πάντων ἀτιμάσειεν. ὁ δ' εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢ παροινεῖν εἰς βασιλέα. Μονομάχος δὲ ἐπανήκων, ἄλλα τε ἐπήγγελλε μεγάλῳ δουκὶ, καὶ ὡς Καντακουζηνὸς αὐτῷ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν Βεῤῥοίας ἱσταμένῳ πέμψειε μηνύσας, ὀνειδίζων ἄλλα τε καὶ ὅτι Πέρσας ἀγάγοιμεν συμμάχους ἐπ' αὐτόν· ἠπείλησέ τε τέλος αὐτὸς ἐπιθήσειν τοῖς ἠργμέ 2.383 νοις ὑφ' ἡμῶν. ἃ σκέπτεσθαι προσῆκον· οὐ μάτην γὰρ αὐτῷ ᾐνίχθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα· σκεπτομένοις δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἀνεφαίνετο, ἢ ὡς βούλοιτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ συμμαχίᾳ Ἀμοὺρ τὸν φίλον καλεῖν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ τοιαῦτα προειπεῖν, ἵν' ὕστερον ἔχῃ δήπου καταφυγὴν, εἴ τις αἰτιῷτο τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁμοφύλους τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπαγωγῆς, ὡς αὐτῶν προτέρων τούτοις ἐπ' ἐκείνων χρησαμένων. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα ἐδόκει δεῖν τριήρεις πέμψαντας τὴν θάλασσαν φρουρεῖν παραπλεούσας, ἀπέστησαν γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἐν Πλαταμῶνι βασιλέως, δείσαντες μὴ ὑπὸ μεγάλου δουκὸς ἁλῶσι στόλῳ ἐπελθόντος, ἵνα μὴ ἐξῇ Καντακουζηνῷ πρεσβείαν πέμπειν πρὸς Ἀμούρ. καὶ ἐτελεῖτο κατὰ τὰ βεβουλευμένα. ξγʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο τὰς τριήρεις παραπλεούσας, Πρίγγυπί τινι ὠνομασμένῳ τὴν πρὸς Ἀμοὺρ πρεσβείαν ἀναθεὶς, μηδενὸς ἑτέρου συνειδότος,