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so much, that he would follow Cantacuzenus like a slave for so long a time, suffering in a foreign land for no gain, but with the utmost dishonor, with which he has willingly clothed himself; and the greatest thing of all, that he was not ashamed to hold the rank of a bodyguard for Cantacuzenus, but coming to his tent, he would keep watch at night, so that the other might snore suspecting no danger. these things, therefore, leading him into so much dishonor, if it were pleasing to him to endure such things, it would not even be a concern to them about his disgrace. But now if the hardship for so long a time in a foreign land seemed sufficient and he should wish to return to his own country, they themselves would also assist in no small way. For if he should wish to come through Bithynia and Phrygia to Ionia, they would provide a safe passage to the Hellespont or the strait at Byzantium; or if he should wish to sail away to his own country by ship, they would provide triremes and other ships, able to receive his army. And since he would have need of money to pay those who had campaigned with him for so long a time, they would provide whatever they might agree upon. Such things the megas doux replied to the embassy. But the barbarian, wishing to object to the accusation against his 2.413 master, said, "you seem to me to be enemies only of many, but friends of no one. For if this were not so, you would not be so resourceful in devising schemes and plots against your enemies, and using your tongue unsparingly for insults, as if you possessed it for this reason, and displaying every other wickedness, while knowing nothing of what is proper for friends. whence from your utter inexperience in these matters you have also accused my master of dishonor, because coming to the emperor's tent, he kept watch while sleepless against the many who were plotting, overcome by his goodwill towards the emperor and enslaved by an emotion that alone of all emotions is at once most sweet and enviable. But I will ask you, who has deliberated better concerning what is fitting and just and with regard to honor, the satrap my master, who for the sake of his friendship towards the emperor chose so much toil and dishonor, as you say, or you? You who have enjoyed many and great benefactions from the emperor, then as if having forgotten all of them and having shown great lack of judgment and ingratitude, using slanders and false accusations, have stirred up the war which until now has been the cause of many evils for you and will be of even greater ones, as I see; and not even perceiving this very thing, like madmen, that you are devouring your own flesh. or is it not clear that he chose to do the deeds of a noble and magnanimous 2.414 man who knows the laws of friendship, while you chose those of the most wicked and boorish in character, knowing well only this one thing, to make war and destroy those you meet, but to benefit no one?" But the megas doux, supposedly out of cleverness, wishing to confuse the barbarian, said, "Therefore you admit that your master is a slave to Cantacuzenus?" And he said, "Most certainly, and in the precise sense of slavery, according to which those who are good in character are overcome by noble things and are grieved when they are drawn away from serving such men, just as you are by nature precisely slaves to wickedness and envy and villainy. For this slavery I too confess to be truly slavery, according to which the soul is enslaved; but that which comes from money and captivity, is not of the soul, but of a body forced against its will. Therefore that one we all hate equally and we try in every way to escape." But they, admiring the barbarian's intelligence, said, "But let us leave these things. For he does not need our exhortation towards better things; let our earnestness be turned to those things which are most important." and immediately they chose Loukas Georgios as ambassador to Amour, being both naturally suited for embassies and otherwise suitable to the satrap; for he had spoken with him before and seemed to be on familiar terms. And when they came to him and reported the matters of the embassy, Amour seemed to feign ignorance and refused for a long time; then as the 2.415... became more numerous

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τοσοῦτον, ὥσπερ ἀνδράποδον ἕποιτο Καντακουζηνῷ τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἐπὶ ξένης ταλαιπωρῶν ἐπὶ κέρδει μὲν οὐδενὶ, ἀδοξίᾳ δὲ ἐσχάτῃ, ᾗπερ περιβέβληκεν αὐτὸν ἑκών· τὸ δὲ δὴ μέγιστον, ὅτι καὶ δορυφόρου τάξιν ἐπέχειν οὐκ ἠσχύνθη πρὸς Καντακουζηνὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκείνου σκηνὴν ἐρχόμενος, ἀγρυπνοίη νύκτωρ, ὡς ἂν ἐκεῖνος ῥέγχῃ μηδὲν ὑφορώμενος δεινόν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀδοξίας ἄγοντα αὐτὸν, εἰ φίλον ἐκείνῳ τοιαῦτα ὑπομένειν, οὐδ' αὐτοῖς μελήσειν περὶ τῆς ἐκείνου ὕβρεως. νυνὶ δὲ εἰ ἀρκοῦσα ἔδοξεν ἡ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἐπὶ τῆς ξένης ταλαιπωρία καὶ δέοιτο ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν, ξυλλήψεσθαι οὐκ ὀλίγα καὶ αὐτούς. εἴτε γὰρ διὰ Βιθυνίας καὶ Φρυγίας ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν βούλοιτο ἐλθεῖν, ἀδεᾶ τὸν πόρον παρασχεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἢ τὸν κατὰ τὸ Βυζάντιον πορθμόν· εἴτε ναυσὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀποπλεῦσαι, τριήρεις παρασχέσθαι καὶ ναῦς ἑτέρας, τὴν στρατιὰν δυνησομένας ὑποδέξασθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ χρεία καὶ χρημάτων αὐτῷ ἀμείβεσθαι τοὺς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ χρόνον συστρατευομένους, παρέξειν ὅσα ἂν συμβῶσι. τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς τὴν πρεσβείαν. ὁ βάρβαρος δὲ πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ δεσπό 2.413 του κατηγορίαν βουλόμενος ἐνίστασθαι «δοκεῖτέ μοι» ἔφη «πολέμιοι μόνον εἶναι πολλῶν, φίλοι δὲ οὐδενός. εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως ἦτε πόριμοι μηχανὰς μὲν καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς ἐξευρίσκειν κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων, τῇ τε γλώττῃ χρώμενοι ἀφειδῶς πρὸς ὕβρεις, ὥσπερ διὰ τοῦτο ταύτην κεκτημένοι, καὶ πᾶσαν ἄλλην ἐπιδεικνύμενοι πονηρίαν, τῶν δὲ φίλοις προσηκόντων ἐπιστάμενοι οὐδέν. ὅθεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἄγαν περὶ ταῦτα ἀπειρίας καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ δεσπότου κατηγορήκατε ἀδοξίαν, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν βασιλέως σκηνὴν ἐλθὼν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων πολλῶν ὄντων ἀγρυπνῶν ἐφύλαττεν, ὑπὸ τῆς περὶ βασιλέα ἡττώμενος εὐνοίας καὶ πάθει μόνῳ τῶν πάντων παθῶν ἡδίστῳ τε ἅμα καὶ ζηλωτῷ δεδουλωμένος. ἐρωτήσω δὲ ὑμᾶς, τίς βέλτιον περί τε τὸ προσῆκον καὶ τὸ δίκαιον καὶ πρὸς φιλοτιμίαν ἐβουλεύσατο, σατράπης ὁ ἐμὸς δεσπότης, ὃς τῆς εἰς βασιλέα ἕνεκα φιλίας τοσοῦτον εἵλετο πόνον καὶ ἀδοξίαν, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, ἢ ὑμεῖς; οἳ πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων ἀπολελαυκότες βασιλέως εὐεργετημάτων, ἔπειτα πάντων ὥσπερ ἐπιλελησμένοι καὶ πολλὴν ἐπιδειξάμενοι ἀγνωμοσύνην καὶ ἀχαριστίαν, διαβολαῖς χρησάμενοι καὶ συκοφαντίαις, τὸν πόλεμον κεκινήκατε τὸν μέχρι τε νῦν πολλῶν κακῶν αἴτιον γενόμενον ὑμῖν καὶ ἔτι μειζόνων, ὡς ὁρῶ, ἐσόμενον· καὶ οὐδ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο γοῦν αἰσθανόμενοι, ὥσπερ οἱ μαινόμενοι, ὅτι τὰς ἰδίας σάρκας κατεσθίετε. ἢ δῆλον, ὡς ἐκεῖνος μὲν γενναίου καὶ μεγαλόφρο 2.414 νος καὶ νόμους φιλίας ἀνδρὸς εἰδότος ἔργα εἵλετο ποιεῖν, ὑμεῖς δὲ πονηροτάτων καὶ σκαιῶν τοὺς τρόπους καὶ ἓν τοῦτο μόνον καλῶς εἰδότων, πολεμεῖν καὶ διαφθείρειν τοὺς προστυχόντας, ὠφελεῖν δὲ οὐδένα;» ὁ μέγας δὲ δοὺξ ἐξ ἀγχινοίας δῆθεν συγχέειν τὸν βάρβαρον ἐθέλων, «οὐκοῦν ὁμολογεῖς» εἶπε «τὸν σὸν δεσπότην δοῦλον εἶναι Καντακουζηνῷ;» ὁ δὲ «καὶ μάλιστα» εἶπε «καὶ τὴν ἀκριβῆ δουλείαν, καθ' ἣν οἱ ἀγαθοὶ τοὺς τρόπους ἡττῶνται τῶν καλῶν καὶ ἄχθονται ἀποσπώμενοι τοῦ δουλεύειν τοῖς τοιούτοις, ὥσπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς μοχθηρίας καὶ φθόνου καὶ πανουργίας πεφύκατε δοῦλοι ἀκριβῶς. ταύτην γὰρ κἀγὼ δουλείαν ὁμολογῶ εἶναι ἀληθῶς, καθ' ἣν δουλοῦται ἡ ψυχή· τὴν δὲ ἐκ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας, οὐ ψυχῆς εἶναι, ἀλλὰ σώματος βιαζομένου ἀκουσίως. διόπερ ἐκείνην πάντες τε μισοῦμεν ἐπίσης καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ ἐπιχειροῦμεν διαφεύγειν.» θαυμάσαντες δὲ ἐκεῖνοι τῆς συνέσεως τὸν βάρβαρον, «ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν» εἶπον «ἐῶμεν. οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ δεῖσθαι τῆς πρὸς τὰ βελτίω παραινέσεως· ἐφ' ἃ δὲ μάλιστα τρεψώμεθα ἡ σπουδή.» καὶ αὐτίκα τὸν Λουκᾶν Γεώργιον ᾑροῦντο πρεσβευτὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἀμοὺρ, εὐφυῶς τε ἔχοντα πρὸς τὰς πρεσβείας καὶ ἄλλως ἐπιτήδειον ὄντα τῷ σατράπῃ· ἦν γὰρ καὶ πρότερον ὡμιληκὼς καὶ δοκῶν ἐν συνηθείᾳ εἶναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκον πρὸς ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀπήγγελλον τὰ τῆς πρεσβείας, Ἀμοὺρ μὲν ἀκκίζεσθαι ἐδόκει καὶ ἀπηγόρευεν ἐπιπολύ· ἔπειτα ὡς ἐπι 2.415 πλεῖον ἐγίνοντο οἱ