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having selected an army for him and appointed as general over them the one who seemed to excel among his powerful men in courage and boldness and experience, named Prealimbos, he ordered them to engage with the barbarians, whomsoever they should encounter. And having come upon a certain place called Stephaniana, they prepared for battle. But the Persians, since it was a plain where they were about to come to blows with the Triballoi, fearing the attack of the horsemen, withdrew toward the mountain and the difficult terrain; for it was nearby. But the Triballoi, seeing that the place was difficult to approach and thinking that if they forced themselves through the narrow passes, they would both lose many horses, being shot at from all sides by the barbarians, and they themselves would be wounded, dismounted from their horses and advanced on foot against the enemy, going uphill 2.424 with difficulty and with force because of the weight of their arms. But the Persians, seeing them thus forcing their way uphill on foot, decided to do something more cunning rather than more courageous, and feigning flight, they withdrew further up the mountain, while the others followed, not perceiving the deceit. And when both sides were not a little distance from the horses, the Persians, turning around, did not advance against the Triballoi, but going around them on both sides, they ran for the horses. Being unarmed and light, they reached them before the Triballoi, took possession of the horses and mounted them themselves; But the Triballoi, deprived of their horses, were ready for slaughter. For the greater part fell, being killed by the Persians, and not a few were captured; and the rest barely escaped on foot, being scattered upon the mountain. But Kralis, when he learned of the defeat of his own army, in fear also withdrew himself, having forgotten the war against the emperor because of the disaster that had occurred. Not that he was neglectful, but even sitting at home he waged war. But the Persians after the victory, learning that the emperor Cantacuzenus was besieging Gratiana, sent an embassy and announced both the burning of their own ships and the defeat of the Triballoi, and that they, being friendly disposed toward him, had decided to proceed to Chersonesus, in order that from there they might cross over to Asia. And they asked that he not trouble them in any way as they were about to pass through the land subject to him. But if he needed anything of them against his enemies, they were ready 2.425 to be allies, if he would provide money, as much as they might agree upon; And they were three thousand one hundred. Therefore, it seemed to the emperor that the alliance of the Persian army was most necessary and especially timely, with so many and such powerful enemies attacking from all sides; for he did not yet know that Kralis had withdrawn from Zichnai to his own land. But not being well-supplied with money, he was no moderately vexed; nevertheless, having given gifts to the ambassadors, he persuaded them to agree on a stated sum of money for the army to be his ally for forty days. And not to demand the money immediately, but on the fifteenth day after their arrival; and he had the intention, that in these days he would send for it from Didymoteichos. So then, having made these agreements with the ambassadors, he sent to the camp and sent along one of his own men, so as to bring the army to him with speed. But on the next day, after the departure of the ambassadors from the emperor, the prisoners in the acropolis of Gratiana, having attacked and overcome their guards in the middle of the day, called the emperor by showing smoke, as had been agreed. And the emperor, when he saw the signal, quickly coming to their aid, took the city from the citadel. And he was pleased for other reasons, having taken so fine a city without toil and without dangers, and he also came into possession of no small amount of money, which he especially needed. For a certain Angelitzes from among the base and obscure citizens, was formerly suspected of having found a treasure of money, 2.426 but as the matter was uncertain, no one troubled him. But during the time of this terrible war, when all matters had been turned to the contrary, and the best men had been cast out and imprisoned everywhere, while the base were ruling and were disposed no better than the multitude, this Angelitzes was also appointed ruler of Gratiana on account of

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αὐτὸν ἀπολεξάμενος στρατιᾶς καὶ στρατηγὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσας τὸν εὐψυχίᾳ καὶ τόλμῃ καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ τῶν παρ' αὐτῷ δυνατῶν δοκοῦντα ὑπερέχειν Πρεάλιμπον ὠνομασμένον, ἐκέλευσε συμπλέκεσθαι τοῖς βαρβάροις, οἷπερ ἂν συντύχωσι. καὶ πρός τινα τόπον Στεφανιανὰ λεγόμενον περιτυχόντες, καθίσταντο πρὸς μάχην. οἱ Πέρσαι δὲ, ἐπεὶ πεδίον ἦν, ἐφ' οὗ Τριβαλοῖς ἔμελλον ἰέναι ἐς τὰς χεῖρας, δείσαντες τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν ἱππέων, ἀνεχώρουν πρὸς τὸ ὄρος καὶ τὰς δυσχωρίας· ἦν γὰρ ἐγγύς. ὁρῶντες δὲ οἱ Τριβαλοὶ δυσπρόσοδον τὸ χωρίον καὶ νομίσαντες, εἰ διὰ τῶν στενῶν εἰσωθοῖεν ἑαυτοὺς, ἵππους τε ἀπολεῖν πολλοὺς, περιτοξευομένους ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων, καὶ αὐτοὺς τραυματισθήσεσθαι, ἀποβάντες τῶν ἵππων, ἐβάδιζον πεζοὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, δυσέργως καὶ μετὰ βίας 2.424 ἐπὶ τὸ ἄναντες ἰόντες διὰ βαρύτητα τῶν ὅπλων. οἱ Πέρσαι δὲ ἰδόντες οὕτω πεζοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνοδον βιαζομένους, περιεργότερόν τι μᾶλλον ἔγνωσαν, ἢ ἀνδρειότερον, ποιεῖν, καὶ ὑποκρινάμενοι φυγὴν, μᾶλλον ἀνεχώρουν πρὸς τὸ ὄρος, οἱ δ' ἐφείποντο μὴ συνιδόντες τὴν ἀπάτην. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπέστησαν ἑκάτεροι τῶν ἵππων οὐκ ὀλίγον, οἱ Πέρσαι συστραφέντες ἐναντίον μὲν οὐκ ἐχώρουν Τριβαλῶν, ἀλλ' ἐκπεριελθόντες ἑκατέρωθεν, ἔθεον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους. ἄνοπλοι δὲ καὶ κοῦφοι ὄντες, φθάσαντες τοὺς Τριβαλοὺς, ἐκράτησαν τῶν ἵππων καὶ ἐπέβησαν αὐτοί· Τριβαλοὶ δὲ, τῶν ἵππων ἀφῃρημένων, ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν πρὸς σφαγήν. ἔπεσον γὰρ οἱ πλείους κτεινόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν Περσῶν, ἑάλωσάν τε οὐκ ὀλίγοι· οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ μόλις διεσώθησαν πεζοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος διασκεδασθέντες. Κράλης δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο τὴν ἧτταν τῆς οἰκείας στρατιᾶς, δείσας ἀνεχώρει καὶ αὐτὸς, τοῦ πρὸς βασιλέα πολέμου ἐπιλελησμένος διὰ τὴν συμβᾶσαν συμφοράν. οὐ μὴν ἠμέλει γε, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἴκοι καθήμενος ἐπολέμει. οἱ Πέρσαι δὲ μετὰ τὴν νίκην πυθόμενοι Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα τὴν Γρατιανοῦ πολιορκεῖν, πρεσβείαν πέμψαντες τόν τε ἐμπρησμὸν τῶν νεῶν ἐδήλουν τῶν σφετέρων καὶ τὴν ἧτταν Τριβαλῶν, καὶ ὡς αὐτοὶ φιλίως διακείμενοι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐπὶ Χεῤῥόνησον ἐγνώκασι χωρεῖν, ἵν' ἐκεῖθεν περαιωθῶσιν εἰς Ἀσίαν. ἠξίουν τε μηδὲν αὐτοῖς παρενοχλεῖν μέλλουσι διὰ τῆς ἐκείνῳ ὑπηκόου διιέναι. εἰ δέ τι δέοιτο αὐτῶν κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων, προθύμους 2.425 εἶναι συμμαχεῖν, εἰ χρήματα παράσχοιτο, ὅσα ἂν συμβῶσιν· ἦσαν δὲ τρισχίλιοι καὶ ἑκατόν. βασιλεῖ μὲν οὖν ἐδόκει ἀναγκαιοτάτη εἶναι ἡ τῆς Περσικῆς συμμαχία στρατιᾶς καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ καιρὸν γεγενημένη, τοσούτων πολεμίων ἐπιόντων πάντοθεν καὶ οὕτω δυνατῶν· οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδει Κράλην πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐκ Ζιχνῶν ἀνακεχωρηκότα. χρημάτων δὲ οὐκ εὐπορῶν, οὐ μετρίως ἠνιᾶτο· ὅμως τοῖς πρεσβεύουσι δῶρα παρασχόμενος, ἔπεισε συνθέσθαι ἐπὶ χρήμασι ῥητοῖς συμμαχεῖν αὐτῷ τὴν στρατιὰν ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα. τὰ χρήματα δὲ μὴ αὐτίκα ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πεντεκαιδεκάτην τῆς ἀφίξεως ἡμέραν· γνώμην δὲ εἶχεν, ὡς ἐν ταύταις ἐκ ∆ιδυμοτείχου μεταπεμψόμενος. οὕτω μὲν οὖν μετὰ τῶν πρέσβεων συμβάσεις θέμενος, ἔπεμπεν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ τῶν οἰκείων συνεκπέμψας ἕνα, ὥστε κατὰ τάχος ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν στρατιάν. εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν δὲ μετὰ τῶν πρέσβεων τὴν ἐκ βασιλέως ἀναχώρησιν οἱ ἐν ἀκροπόλει τῆς Γρατιανοῦ δεσμῶται τοῖς φυλάττουσι μέσης ἡμέρας ἐπιθέμενοι καὶ κρατήσαντες, ἐκάλουν βασιλέα καπνὸν ἐπιδεικνύντες, ὥσπερ ἦν συντεθειμένον. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ τὸ σύνθημα εἶδεν, ὀξέως ἐπιβοηθήσας εἷλε τὴν πόλιν ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας. καὶ τά τε ἄλλα ἥσθη οὕτω πόλιν καλὴν ἀπονητὶ καὶ χωρὶς κινδύνων κατασχὼν, καὶ χρημάτων εὐπόρησεν οὐκ ὀλίγων, ὧν μάλιστα ἐδεῖτο. Ἀγγελίτζης γάρ τις ἐκ τῶν φαύλων καὶ ἀσήμων πολιτῶν, πρότερον ὑπωπτεύετο θησαυρὸν χρημάτων 2.426 εὑρηκέναι, ἀδήλου δὲ ὄντος τοῦ πράγματος, οὐδεὶς ἠνώχλει. κατὰ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τούτου τοῦ δεινοῦ πολέμου, εἰς τοὐναντίον ἅπαν τῶν πραγμάτων περιτραπέντων, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀρίστων ἐκβληθέντων καὶ εἱργομένων ἁπανταχοῦ, ἀρχόντων δὲ τῶν φαύλων καὶ οὐδὲν ἄμεινον τῶν πολλῶν διακειμένων, καὶ ὁ Ἀγγελίτζης οὗτος ἄρχων ἀπεδείχθη τῆς Γρατιανοῦ διὰ τὸ πρὸς