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for Roman rulers insults against the emperor are pursued as if they were a matter of the utmost necessity, for this reason he should not hand it over to another to read, so that the blasphemy might not fall upon the ears of many, but bring it to him, so that if anything useful were written therein, they might take some account of it; 2.401 but if it was these usual things, insults and revilings, they might be turned upon the heads of those who wrote them. And when the emperor had praised him for this, then the letters were read, and there was nothing sound written in them, but rather shameful and ignoble insults against the emperor and reproaches against Amour, because he endured to follow him and insulted his noble birth. But the emperor, since those in Byzantium offered no hope of peace, necessarily also proceeded to war and forced the cities to submit to him, either willingly or by compulsion. And to the Empress Irene in Didymoteichon, who had heard nothing else about the emperor except that he was staying near Berroia which had submitted, the archbishop of Didymoteichon announced that the emperor had already set foot in the Chalcidian land, and he was immediately believed. For they had heard nothing insignificant concerning him, but paid close attention to him as to one who knew all future events. And immediately there was applause and festivals, and they offered many thanksgivings to God for the emperor's return. And after the third day from that, Mouzalon also came from the emperor and reported everything as it had happened; and again they were engaged in similar festivals, now more assuredly. But George Glabas, who was one of those appointed to rule in Didymoteichon, came to the archbishop and asked a prayer from him, as he was about to go to the emperor; for he feared lest, having died before he 2.402 returned, he might be deprived of the most pleasant sight of the emperor. But he permitted him to go to him; and he advised him to be of good courage, as he would see the emperor returning to this city and would be useful to him for certain services. And after some time, when he should see him also summoned to the courts of justice from there, he should also prepare himself, as he would shortly depart from life; for so it had been decreed by God. These things, therefore, as has been said, later came to pass. And while the emperor was besieging Peritheorion and constructing ladders and engines for the assault on the walls, the fortresses in Merope submitted, both the one called Hagia Eirene and Pobizdos. And coming to the emperor, they begged that a leader be provided for them; and with these, other nomads also inhabiting the same mountain in unwalled villages, who, because of their goodwill toward the emperor—for they had previously been placed under him, while the emperor Andronikos was still alive—were the first of the others to come and willingly offered themselves to the emperor. And as he was considering about them, what use he might make of them and whom he might appoint as their ruler, it seemed best to give the command of them to Momitzilos, not only because he thought that, being of the same race, those nomads would be favorably disposed toward him, but also because he lacked nothing in courage and daring for battles and was excellently trained in banditry and plunder. For this Momitzilos was by race a Mysian, but having been driven from there 2.403 on account of banditry and plunder, he went over to the Romans and was enrolled among the soldiers by the emperor Andronikos. Always delighting in banditry and doing much harm to Mysia because he was especially experienced in the region, he was often advised by the rulers of the borderlands of the Mysian and Roman domains not to commit such outrages, since there was a truce, and stir up war. But he was not at all able to be persuaded, but keeping quiet for a time, he would attempt similar things again. And when he was about to pay the penalty for his villainy, since he was hated by the Mysians because of his banditry and did not trust the Romans who wished to arrest him, he departed to the Triballi and spent a considerable time there. Then, when the emperor Kantakouzenos returned to Peritheorion from Berroia, having a short time before defected from the Kral, he then submitted to the emperor. And knowing that he was suitable for such a command, he entrusted to him the fortresses and

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Ῥωμαίοις ἄρχουσιν ὥσπερ τι τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων αἱ πρὸς βασιλέα ὕβρεις ἐπιτηδεύονται, τούτου χάριν μὴ ἐτέρῳ παρασχέσθαι ἀναγιγνώσκειν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς πολλῶν ἐμπέσῃ τὸ βλάσφημα ἀκοὰς, ἀλλ' ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἵν' εἰ μέν τι χρήσιμον ἐγγεγραμμένον ᾖ, λόγον τινὰ ποιήσωνται αὐτοῦ· 2.401 εἰ δὲ τὰ συνήθη ταῦτα, ὕβρεις καὶ λοιδορίαι, ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν γεγραφότων τρέπωνται κεφαλάς. ἐπαινέσαντος δὲ αὐτὸν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ἔπειτα ἀνεγινώσκετο τὰ γράμματα, καὶ ἦν οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἐγγεγραμμένον, ἀλλὰ πρός τε βασιλέα ὕβρεις αἰσχραὶ καὶ ἀγεννεῖς καὶ μέμψεις πρὸς Ἀμοὺρ, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἀνέχοιτο ἀκολουθεῖν καὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν περιυβρίζοι. βασιλεὺς δ', ἐπεὶ οἱ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ οὐδεμίαν ἐλπίδα παρείχοντο εἰρήνης, ἀναγκαίως καὶ αὐτὸς ἐχώρει πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον καὶ ἠνάγκαζεν αὐτῷ τὰς πόλεις προσχωρεῖν ἢ ἑκούσας ἢ βιαζομένας. βασιλίδι δὲ Εἰρήνῃ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ μηδὲν ἕτερον περὶ βασιλέως πεπυσμένῃ, ὅτι μὴ πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν διατρίβει προσχωρήσασαν, ἀπήγγελλεν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ∆ιδυμοτείχου, ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤδη τῆς Χαλκιδέων εἴη ἐπιβὰς, καὶ ἐπιστεύετο αὐτίκα. ἦσαν γὰρ οὐδὲν μικρὸν περὶ ἐκείνου πεπυσμένοι, ἀλλ' ὡς πάντα τὰ ἐσόμενα εἰδότι προσεῖχον ἀκριβῶς. καὶ ἦσαν εὐθὺς ἐν κρότοις καὶ ἑορταῖς, καὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου βασιλέως πολλὰς θεῷ προσῆγον τὰς εὐχαριστίας. μετὰ τρίτην δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἐκείνου καὶ ὁ Μουζάλων ἧκε παρὰ βασιλέως καὶ ἀπήγγελλε πάντα ὡς ἐγένετο· καὶ πάλιν ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς ὁμοίαις ἑορταῖς ἤδη βεβαιότερον. Γλάβας δὲ Γεώργιος, ὃς τῶν εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον τεταγμένων ἄρχειν εἷς ἦν, ἐλθὼν πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα, εὐχὴν ᾔτει παρ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς εἰς βασιλέα ἀφιξόμενος· δεδοικέναι γὰρ, μὴ πρὶν ἐκεῖνον 2.402 ἐπανήκειν τελευτήσας, τῆς ἡδίστης ὄψεως βασιλέως ἀποστερηθῇ. ὁ δ' ἐπέτρεπε μὲν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀφικέσθαι· παρῄνει δὲ θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς ὄψεται βασιλέα καὶ εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν ἐπανήκοντα καὶ πρός τινας ὑπηρεσίας χρήσιμος ἐκείνῳ ἔσται. μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον, ἡνίκα καὶ αὐτὸν ἴδῃ πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖθεν δικαιωτήρια κληθέντα, παρασκευάζεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν, ὡς μετὰ μικρὸν ἀπολείψοντα τὸ ζῇν· οὕτω γὰρ εἶναι δεδογμένον παρὰ θεῷ. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται, ὕστερον ἀπέβαινε. βασιλέως δὲ Περιθεώριον πολιορκοῦντος καὶ κλίμακας καὶ μηχανὰς κατασκευάζοντος πρὸς τὴν τειχομαχίαν, τὰ ἐν τῇ Μερόπῃ φρούρια προσεχώρησαν, ἥ τε Ἁγία Εἰρήνη προσαγορευόμενον καὶ ὁ Ποβισδός. καὶ ἐλθόντες πρὸς βασιλέα, ἡγεμόνα ἐδέοντο αὐτοῖς παρασχεθῆναι· σὺν τούτοις δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι νομάδες τὸ αὐτὸ οἰκοῦντες ὄρος ἐν κώμαις ἀτειχίστοις, οἳ διὰ τὴν πρὸς βασιλέα εὔνοιαν ἦσαν γὰρ καὶ πρότερον ὑπ' ἐκεῖνον τεταγμένοι, βασιλέως Ἀνδρονίκου ἔτι περιόντος, τῶν ἄλλων πρῶτοι παρεγένοντο καὶ παρεῖχον ἑαυτοὺς ἑκόντες βασιλεῖ. σκεπτομένῳ δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν πρὸς ὅ,τι χρήσαιτο καὶ τίνα ἐπιστήσειεν ἄρχοντα αὐτοῖς, ἐδόκει δεῖν Μομιτζίλῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῶν παρέχειν, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ ὁμόφυλον νομίσας διακείσεσθαι αὐτῷ εὐνοϊκῶς τοὺς νομάδας ἐκείνους, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ εὐψυχίας καὶ τόλμης πρὸς τὰς μάχας οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπε καὶ πρὸς λῃστείας καὶ ἁρπαγὰς ἄριστα ἐξήσκητο. ἦν γὰρ δὴ ὁ Μομιτζίλος οὗτος τὸ γένος μὲν Μυσὸς, διὰ δὲ λῃστείας καὶ ἁρπαγὰς ἐκεῖθεν 2.403 ἐλαθεὶς, πρὸς Ῥωμαίους τε ἐγένετο καὶ ὑπὸ βασιλέως Ἀνδρονίκου τοῖς στρατιώταις κατελέχθη. χαίρων δὲ ἀεὶ λῃστείαις καὶ πολλὰ τὴν Μυσίαν κακουργῶν διὰ τὸ μάλιστα ἔμπειρον τῶν τόπων εἶναι, παρῃνεῖτο μὲν πολλὰ ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ μεθόρια τῆς Μυσῶν καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ἀρχόντων, μὴ τοιαῦτα κακουργεῖν, σπονδῶν οὐσῶν, καὶ πόλεμον κινεῖν. ὁ δὲ οὐ πάνυ πείθεσθαι ἠδύνατο, ἀλλ' ἐπί τινα χρόνον ἡσυχάζων, τοῖς ὁμοίοις πάλιν ἐπεχείρει. μέλλων δὲ ἤδη τῆς κακουργίας διδόναι δίκας, ἐπεὶ Μυσοῖς τε ἀπηχθάνετο διὰ τὰς λῃστείας καὶ Ῥωμαίοις οὐκ ἐθάῤῥει βουλομένοις συλλαμβάνειν, ἀπεχώρησεν εἰς Τριβαλοὺς καὶ διέτριψεν ἐκεῖ χρόνον τινὰ συχνόν. ἔπειτα ὡς βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς εἰς Περιθεώριον ἐκ Βεῤῥοίας ἐπανῆκε, πρότερον ὀλίγον χρόνον Κράλη ἀποστὰς, προσεχώρησε τότε βασιλεῖ. εἰδὼς δὲ αὐτὸν ὄντα ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς τοιαύτην ἡγεμονίαν, τά τε φρούρια ἐνεχείρισε καὶ