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hatred for the emperor Cantacuzenus. And finding an opportunity, he used his wealth and it was clear that he had, as was suspected, the treasure. And when the emperor had taken the city, since it was not possible to deny it, the matter having become so manifest, after all that was in his house was taken away, being not a small amount, he was also questioned about the hidden things and handed over much. which was sufficient for the emperor both for other necessary expenses and for paying to the Persian allies the wage which he had promised. Around this time the archbishop of Didymoteichon had also died; and on the fifth day after his death, Glabas Skouterios had also died, just as the archbishop had foretold, which greatly grieved the emperor. For he had possessed great respect and reverence for that man. But Alexander, the king of the Mysians, when the ambassadors of the emperor Cantacuzenus came to him and delivered the message of the embassy, made no response to what was said; but having an army, he came as far as Morra, intending to subdue, if he could, the small towns there which were subject to the emperor. And one of them, named Hyperpryakion, even before 2.427 he arrived, received a governor sent by Alexander; and they were about to receive a garrison too. The emperor, having learned this from the ambassadors, since the Persian army was also present and he learned about the Krales, that he had returned to his own land on account of the defeat of his army, becoming cheerful and leaving his son Matthew as governor of Gratianou and the other places that were subject in Chalcidice, with all speed, marched towards Morra against the Mysians. But Alexander, perceiving this, since he was not able to stand against him in battle, with great haste crossed the Hebrus in a disordered and confused manner, and encamped there, as if the river would prevent the emperor from engaging with them. And during the crossing perished a few soldiers and very many horses and baggage, not only because of the current, but also because those positioned in the vanguard by the emperor, while the Mysians were still crossing, pressed upon them. The emperor then recovered Hyperpyrakion again, as the governor from Alexander was able to escape as soon as he learned that the emperor had arrived. And Alexander, immediately negotiating with the emperor's ambassadors and making a truce, sent them away, saying that he had done no wrong for which the emperor might justly retaliate, and returned to his own land. οʹ. And the emperor, having gladly rid himself of Alex- 2.428 ander, prepared to march against those in Heracleia with the young emperor. But Momitzilos, having been persuaded by those in Byzantium to take up war against the emperor, when he learned he had arrived at Didymoteichon, marched against the Abderites, where were anchored the fifteen ships that had previously come from Amour to the emperor as part of an alliance, which two hundred and fifty Persians were guarding; the rest were with the emperor. Of these, Momitzilos burned three during that raid, the others being saved; but of the Persians, none perished. But someone came to those with the emperor and reported that Momitzilos had attacked and burned all the ships and killed the guards, with none being able to escape. They were immediately under arms and were eager to go against Momitzilos. But when the emperor tried to prevent them, saying that they would march against him after the return from Heracleia with due care and haste, and pointing out for many reasons that the campaign to Heracleia was more necessary, they said that nothing was more necessary than to take revenge for the murder of their kinsmen. And the emperor, seeing that he could not restrain them, sent the Roman army along with them, partly to harass the lands of Momitzilos, who had now openly revolted, and partly because he feared for the barbarians, that they might be destroyed by him, since he already possessed a formidable army and was second to none of those then 2.429 in daring and courage. But Momitzilos, suspecting what would happen, that the emperor would not tolerate the insult, but would send an army against him, both gathered the countryside into the

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Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα ἔχθος. καιροῦ δὲ τυχὼν ἐχρῆτο τῷ πλούτῳ καὶ φανερὸς ἦν ἔχων, ὥσπερ ὑπωπτεύετο, τὸν θησαυρόν. κατασχόντος δὲ τὴν πόλιν βασιλέως, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐξῆν ἀρνεῖσθαι, τοῦ πράγματος οὕτω φανεροῦ γεγενημένου, μετὰ τὸ πάντα ὅσα ἦν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἀφαιρεθῆναι ὄντα οὐκ ὀλίγα καὶ περὶ τῶν κρυπτομένων ἠρευνᾶτο καὶ παρέσχετο πολλά. ἃ ἐξήρκεσε βασιλεῖ πρός τε ἄλλας δαπάνας ἀναγκαίας καὶ πρὸς τὸ Πέρσαις τοῖς συμμάχοις ἀποδοῦναι ὃν ὑπέσχετο μισθόν. ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον καὶ ὁ ∆ιδυμοτείχου ἐτεθνήκει ἀρχιερεύς· πέμπτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν καὶ Γλάβας ὁ Σκουτέριος ἐτεθνήκει, ὥσπερ ἦν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς προειρηκὼς, ὃ μάλιστα ἐλύπησε τὸν βασιλέα. ἦν γὰρ περὶ ἐκεῖνον πολλὴν τὴν αἰδῶ καὶ τὸ σέβας κεκτημένος. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ὁ Μυσῶν βασιλεὺς, ἐπεὶ οἱ Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως πρέσβεις ἧκον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπήγγελλον τὰ τῆς πρεσβείας, λόγον μὲν οὐδένα ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὰ εἰρημένα· στρατιὰν δὲ ἔχων ἦλθεν ἄχρι Μόῤῥας, τὰ ἐκεῖ πολίχνια, εἰ δύναιτο, παραστησόμενος ὑπήκοα ὄντα βασιλεῖ. ἓν δὲ αὐτῶν Ὑπερπυράκιον ὠνομασμένον, καὶ πρὶν 2.427 ἐκεῖνον ἥκειν, ἄρχοντα εἰσεδέξαντο πεμφθέντα παρὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου· ἔμελλον δὲ καὶ φρουράν. ἃ παρὰ τῶν πρεσβέων μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ παρῆν ἡ Περσικὴ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κράλη ἐπυνθάνετο, ὡς ἀναστρέψειεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν διὰ τὴν πληγὴν τῆς στρατιᾶς, εὔθυμος γενόμενος καὶ Ματθαῖον τὸν υἱὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς τε Γρατιανοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, αἳ ὑπήκοοι ἦσαν ἐν τῇ Χαλκιδικῇ, καταλιπὼν, ὡς εἶχε τάχους, πρὸς Μόῤῥαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Μυσοὺς ἐχώρει. αἰσθόμενος δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἀντικαθίστασθαι ἠδύνατο πρὸς μάχην, σπουδῇ πολλῇ διέβαινε τὸν Ἕβρον ἀτάκτως καὶ πεφυρμένως, καὶ ἐστρατοπεδεύετο ἐκεῖ, ὡς τοῦ ποταμοῦ κωλύσοντος βασιλέα μὴ συμπλέκεσθαι αὐτοῖς. ἀπώλοντο δὲ κατὰ τὸν πόρον στρατιῶταί τε ὀλίγοι καὶ ἵπποι πλεῖστοι καὶ ἀποσκευαὶ, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τοῦ ῥείθρου, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἐν προτάκτοις ὑπὸ βασιλέως τεταγμένοι, ἔτι τῶν Μυσῶν διαβαινόντων, ἐπέκειντο αὐτοῖς. Ὑπερπυράκιον δὲ αὖθις ἀνεσώσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς, τοῦ παρὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἄρχοντος διαδρᾶναι δυνηθέντος ἅμα τῷ πυθέσθαι βασιλέα ἥκοντα. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ τοῖς βασιλέως πρέσβεσιν αὐτίκα χρηματίσας καὶ θέμενος σπονδὰς, ἐξέπεμψε, μηδὲν ἠδικηκέναι εἰρηκὼς, δι' ὃ δικαίως ἀμυνεῖται βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἀνέστρεφεν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. οʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἀσμένως ἀποσκευασάμενος καὶ Ἀλέ 2.428 ξανδρον, παρεσκευάζετο ὡς τοῖς εἰς Ἡράκλειαν ἐπιστρατεύσων ἅμα τῷ νέῳ συνοῦσι βασιλεῖ. Μομιτζίλος δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ πεπεισμένος πόλεμον ἄρασθαι πρὸς βασιλέα, ἐπεὶ εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ᾔσθετο ἀφιγμένον, Ἀβδηρίταις ἐπεστράτευσεν, ἐν οἷς ὡρμίζοντο αἱ πρότερον παρὰ Ἀμοὺρ πεντεκαίδεκα νῆες πρὸς βασιλέα κατὰ συμμαχίαν ἀφιγμέναι, ἃς ἐφύλαττον πεντήκοντα καὶ διακόσιοι Περσῶν· οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ συνῆσαν βασιλεῖ. ἐξ ὧν ὁ Μομιτζίλος κατὰ τὴν ἔφοδον ἐκείνην ἐνέπρησε τρεῖς, τῶν ἄλλων περισωθεισῶν· Περσῶν δὲ ἀπώλετο οὐδείς. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς βασιλεῖ συνόντας τις ἐλθὼν, ὡς ναῦς τε συμπάσας ἐμπρήσειε Μομιτζίλος ἐπελθὼν καὶ τοὺς φύλακας ἀποκτείνειε, διαδρᾶναι δυνηθέντος μηδενὸς, ἀπήγγελλεν. οἱ δ' ἦσαν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις εὐθὺς καὶ ὥρμηντο Μομιτζίλῳ ἐπιέναι. βασιλέως δὲ κωλύειν πειρωμένου, ὡς μετὰ τὴν ἐξ Ἡρακλείας ἐπάνοδον ἐπιστρατεύσοντας ἐκείνῳ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπιμελείας καὶ σπουδῆς, καὶ ἀναγκαιοτέραν τὴν εἰς Ἡράκλειαν στρατείαν ἐκ πολλῶν ἀποδεικνύντος, οὐδὲν ἀναγκαιότερον ἔφασαν ἐκεῖνοι τοῦ ἀμύνεσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ φόνου τῶν ὁμοφύλων. ὁρῶν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὡς μὴ δύναιτο κατέχειν, καὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων συνεξέπεμπε στρατιὰν, ἅμα μὲν κακώσουσαν τὰ Μομιτζίλου ἤδη φανερῶς ἀφεστηκότος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν βαρβάρων δεδοικὼς, μὴ διαφθαρῶσιν ὑπ' ἐκείνου, ἀξιόμαχον στρατόπεδον ἤδη κεκτημένου καὶ πρὸς τόλμαν καὶ εὐψυχίαν οὐδενὸς τῶν τότε 2.429 λειπομένου. Μομιτζίλος δὲ, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, ὑπωπτευκὼς, ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιτο τὴν ὕβριν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀλλ' ἐπ' αὐτὸν πέμψοι στρατιὰν, τήν τε χώραν συνέστειλεν εἰς τὰς