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having sent the two Persians who were with him, he ordered them, having drawn near, to learn from them who they were. But when they ran upon them, one of those sent was captured, but the other, having been wounded, returned and reported that it was a large army of Persians, unknown to them. 2.418 The barbarians, however, having learned from the one who was captured that it was the emperor Kantakouzenos leading only fifty soldiers, were astonished at what had happened and thought that God was holding His hand over him and thus rescuing him from terrible dangers. But the emperor, having been able to learn nothing more than that the attacking army was Persian, went to Komotini to his son, and after discussing what was necessary, quickly returned to the camp. And as he was returning, it was reported that light-armed archers from Byzantium, having come in four penteconters, and with other infantry arriving from Thrace, were besieging the fortress of Asomaton. It seemed best, therefore, along with the fifty who were with him, to bring aid against those besieging the fortress. But they, when they saw the army approaching, went up onto a certain hill and defended themselves; and the men around the emperor, having attacked two and three times, with him forbidding it because they were not fighting with the discretion befitting a soldier, were not able to prevail because of the strength of the position and because they defended themselves with frequent arrows. But when both the horses and the soldiers were being wounded, the emperor ordered them to follow him, if they wanted to overcome the enemy. And they pretended to withdraw, leaving them behind; but they, not perceiving the ruse and thinking that they were withdrawing, having given up the fight against them, came down from the hill and proceeded towards the ships. But they, immediately charging upon them when they were on the plain, killed not a few and captured most of them, with a few having been able to escape. 2.419 But the emperor, having returned to the camp near Trajanopolis, when also that army that had been encamped during the night, as was said, came to Amour, and having made known what had happened to him and how he and all those with him had been rescued by God from manifest dangers, they confessed many thanks to God for the salvation and providence concerning them. And the emperor advised those with him never to neglect the guard, especially at night, using what had happened as examples. For if they themselves, not being overconfident in those encamped at Trajanopolis and those at Komotini with his son, had kept proper guard for themselves, they would not have fallen into such dangers, from which if God had not mercifully rescued them, they would have suffered things worthy of tears. These things, then, happened in this way. But Amour, since the triremes from Byzantium had arrived and thirty of his own at Ainos, having promised the emperor that he would send an army in fifteen days, and that he himself would return after a short time, having set things in order at home, and that he would stay with him until the very end until the war should be brought to an end, took his leave and immediately sailed away. And within thirteen days, he sent to the emperor the army which he had promised. At that time, then, the departure of Amour seemed to have become the cause of much difficulty for the emperor; later, however, this too appeared to have been no small proof of God's care for him. For twenty-four 2.420 Latin triremes, equipped by the Rhodians and certain others, sailed against Smyrna and seized the fortress by the harbor, and burned not a few Persian ships. But Amour, being present and defending himself as best he could, was not strong enough to overcome the Latin force. For even to this day the harbor of Smyrna is held by them. And the emperor said that if it had happened that Smyrna was captured while Amour was staying in Thrace, not only he himself, but also all men would have suspected that Amour had lost the city on account of his goodwill towards the emperor. But now, with him being present there with his army, there was no cause for blame against him for the capture. For which reasons he gave many thanks to God for His care for him, because even things that seem to happen with difficulty are later shown to be for the best.

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πέμψας τοὺς συνόντας δύο Πέρσας, ἐκέλευε πλησίον γενομένους μανθάνειν, οἵτινες εἶεν, παρ' αὐτῶν. τῶν δὲ ἐπιδραμόντων ἅτερος μὲν ἑάλω τῶν πεμφθέντων, ὁ δὲ λοιπὸς τετραυματισμένος ἐπανελθὼν, ἀπήγγελλεν, ὡς εἴη στρατιὰ Περσῶν πολλὴ, ἀγνοουμένη ὑπ' αὐ 2.418 τῶν· οἱ μέντοι βάρβαροι παρὰ τοῦ κρατηθέντος γνόντες, ὡς εἴη βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς πεντήκοντα μόνους ἄγων στρατιώτας, ἐξεπλήττοντό τε τὸ γεγενημένον καὶ θεὸν ᾤοντο αὐτοῦ χεῖρα ὑπερέχειν καὶ ῥύεσθαι οὕτω κινδύνων χαλεπῶν. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὐδὲν πλέον μαθεῖν δεδυνημένος, ἢ ὅτι Περσικὴ στρατιὰ ἡ ἐπελθοῦσα ἦν, ἦλθεν εἰς Κουμουτζηνὰ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ ὁμιλήσας ὅσα ἔδει, ταχέως ἐπανέστρεφεν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον. ἐπανιόντι δὲ ἠγγέλλετο, ὡς ἐκ Βυζαντίου ψιλοὶ τοξόται ἐν πεντηκοντόροις τέσσαρσιν ἐλθόντες, καὶ ἑτέρων ἐκ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐπιγενομένων πεζῶν, Ἀσώματον τὸ φρούριον πολιορκοῖεν. ἐδόκει δὴ οὖν ἅμα τοῖς συνοῦσι πεντήκοντα βοηθεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς τὸ φρούριον πολιορκοῦντας. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐπιοῦσαν εἶδον τὴν στρατιὰν, ἐπὶ γεωλόφου τινὸς ἠμύνοντο ἀνελθόντες· καὶ οἱ περὶ βασιλέα δὶς καὶ τρὶς ἐπιχειρήσαντες, ἐκείνου ἀπαγορεύοντος διὰ τὸ μὴ μάχεσθαι μετὰ συνέσεως πρεπούσης στρατιώτῃ, οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν κρατῆσαι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ τόπου ὀχυρότητα καὶ τὸ ἀμύνεσθαι αὐτοὺς τοῖς βέλεσι συχνοῖς. ὡς δὲ ἐτραυματίζοντο οἵ,τε ἵπποι καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται, ἐκέλευεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἕπεσθαι αὐτῷ, εἰ βούλοιντο κρατεῖν τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων. καὶ ἐδόκουν ἀναχωρεῖν καταλιπόντες· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐ συνιδόντες τὴν ἀπάτην καὶ νομίσαντες, ἀπειπόντας τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς μάχην ἀναχωρεῖν, τοῦ λόφου κατελθόντες, ἐχώρουν ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς. οἱ δὲ αὐτίκα ἐπιδραμόντες, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τὸ πεδίον ἦσαν, ἀπέκτεινάν τε οὐκ ὀλίγους καὶ τοὺς πλείστους αὐτῶν εἷλον, ὀλίγων τινῶν διαφυγεῖν 2.419 δεδυνημένων. βασιλεὺς δὲ εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον πρὸς Τραϊανούπολιν ἐπανελθὼν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ ἐκείνη ἡ περικαθημένη τῆς νυκτὸς, ὥσπερ εἴρητο, ἧκε πρὸς Ἀμοὺρ, γνωρίσας οἷα συμβαίη περὶ αὐτὸν καὶ ὅπως ἐκ κινδύνων φανερῶν ὑπὸ θεοῦ ῥυσθείη αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ἅπαντες, πολλὰς ὡμολόγουν χάριτας θεῷ τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς προνοίας τῆς περὶ αὐτούς. παρῄνει τε ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς συνοῦσι μηδέποτε ἀμελεῖν τῆς φυλακῆς μάλιστα νυκτὸς, τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι παραδείγμασι χρώμενος. εἰ γὰρ μὴ θαῤῥοῦντες αὐτοὶ τοῖς τε ἐν Τραϊανοῦ στρατοπεδευομένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν Κουμουτζηνοῖς μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ, τὴν προσήκουσαν ἑαυτῶν ἐποιοῦντο φυλακὴν, οὐκ ἂν τοιούτοις περιέπιπτον κινδύνοις, ὧν εἰ μὴ θεὸς ἐῤῥύετο φιλανθρώπως, κἂν πεπονθότες ἦσαν ἄξια δακρύων. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον συνηνέχθη. Ἀμοὺρ δὲ, ἐπεὶ αἵ,τε Βυζαντίηθεν τριήρεις ἧκον καὶ τριάκοντα ἐκ τῶν σφετέρων εἰς τὴν Αἶνον, βασιλεῖ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ἐν πεντεκαίδεκα ἡμέραις πέμψειν στρατιὰν, αὐτός τε ἐπανήξειν μετ' ὀλίγον καταστησάμενος τὰ οἴκοι, καὶ μέχρι παντὸς αὐτῷ συνδιατρίψειν ἄχρις ἂν ὁ πόλεμος καταλυθῇ, καὶ συνταξάμενος εὐθὺς ἀπέπλευσεν. εἴσω δὲ τριῶν καὶ δέκα ἡμερῶν, ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο στρατιὰν ἔπεμψε πρὸς βασιλέα. τότε μὲν οὖν δυσχερείας ἔδοξε πολλῆς ἡ ἀναχώρησις Ἀμοὺρ αἰτία γεγονέναι βασιλεῖ· ὕστερον μέντοι τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν τοῦ θεοῦ κηδεμονίας οὐ μικρὸν καὶ αὕτη δεῖγμα ἐφαίνετο γεγενημένη. τριήρεις 2.420 γὰρ τέτταρες καὶ εἴκοσι Λατινικαὶ ἔκ τε Ῥοδίων καί τινων παρεσκευασμέναι, ἐπέπλευσαν τῇ Σμύρνῃ καὶ τὸ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι φρούριον εἷλον, καὶ ναῦς ἐνέπρησαν οὐκ ὀλίγας Περσικάς. Ἀμοὺρ δὲ παρὼν καὶ ἀμυνόμενος, ὡς μάλιστα ἐνῆν, οὐκ ἴσχυσε περιγενέσθαι τῆς Λατινικῆς δυνάμεως. ἄχρι γὰρ νυνὶ ὑπ' ἐκείνων ὁ Σμύρνης ἔχεται λιμήν. ἔλεγε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὡς, εἰ συνέβαινεν Ἀμοὺρ κατὰ τὴν Θρᾴκην διατρίβοντος ἁλῶναι Σμύρναν, οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες ἄνθρωποι τῆς εἰς βασιλέα ἕνεκα εὐνοίας τὴν πόλιν Ἀμοὺρ ἀπολωλεκέναι ἂν ὑπώπτευσαν. νυνὶ δὲ ἐκείνου μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐκεῖ παρόντος, μηδεμίαν πρὸς αὐτὸν αἰτίαν εἶναι τῆς ἁλώσεως. δι' ἃ πολλὰς ἀπεδίδου θεῷ εὐχαριστίας τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν κηδεμονίας, ὅτι καὶ ἃ δοκεῖ συμβαίνειν δυσχερῆ, πρὸς τὸ λυσιτελοῦν ὕστερον ἀποδείκνυται