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the cities and the forts, and he himself was prepared as if for battle. But seeing that the army of the Persians and Romans was stronger than to risk battle against it, for the present he decided to remain quiet and to allow them to turn to plunder, but to attack and harm them on their return, if he could. And having his army, he came and stayed around Peritheorion, which was still under the empress, and awaited the withdrawal of the army. But to the Emperor Kantakouzenos, who was himself waiting for the return of the army in Komotini, it seemed necessary to advance a little, to see if he might learn something about the army from someone. And he advanced as far as the old city of Messene, which had been in ruins for many years, having about sixty soldiers following him. And there, dismounting from his horse with his companions, he first sent scouts to keep watch from a distance. But seized by drowsiness, he slept for a little while; and as he slept, a voice was heard saying: “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Therefore, he immediately arose, disturbed by the voice, and related it to those present. And at the same time the scouts came and reported that an army was approaching; but they could not know for certain whence it was. The emperor and those with him thought it was their own army, returning from the plun 2.430 der, but nevertheless, disturbed by the voice in his sleep, he ordered the grooms to lead away the army's horses that were grazing there to Komotini, and he ordered Manuel Tarchaneiotes to select a few of those present and proceed straight toward the approaching army and ascertain whence it was; he himself, along with his companions, took up his arms. But before they were fully armed, a disturbed Tarchaneiotes returned, saying that those approaching were enemies. The whole word had not yet been spoken, and the enemy were present. It was Momčilo, leading a thousand chosen men, having learned from some spies, whom he himself had sent, concerning the emperor, that for the present he was staying in Messene. For the distance separating Peritheorion from Messene was small. The emperor therefore, gathering those around him, was proceeding in an orderly fashion through Messene on the road leading to Komotini. But when Momčilo saw that they did not immediately turn to flight, but were departing at a walk and in an orderly manner, he feared lest, with some men lying in ambush in the ruins of the city, a rout might befall him, with them suddenly attacking his disordered and scattered men, and so he himself also held his army back, proceeding slowly in three companies. But when the emperor and those with him were outside the ruins and there was no suspicion of an ambush, Momčilo's men charged them uncontrollably. With all of them turning to flight, since the forerunners of the enemy were near the emperor, for he himself was left 2.431 last of the others, turning around he defended himself against those who reached him first, and the emperor’s horse fell as he engaged the enemy. But one of his retainers being present, Lantzarétos by name, dismounting from his horse, offered the horse to the emperor, and at the same time helped him to mount. But as he was mounting, someone standing over him struck him on the head with a sword, but it did no harm, as the helmet bravely withstood the blow. From that point, defending himself the whole way and striking and being struck, for many of the enemy passed him by, he came to Komotini, having been saved miraculously, but Lantzarétos they wounded all over with swords and spears and, thinking they had killed him, for they wounded him eighteen times, they left him still breathing. The emperor therefore was thus saved from such great danger, which no one would have expected, and Momčilo did not wait even for a short while but withdrew. And the emperor sent for Lantzarétos and brought him to Komotini still breathing; and having been deemed worthy of great care, in a short time he was again healthy and sound, having lost none of his limbs from the wounds, and he enjoyed great favor and honor from the emperor, and seeming to be more worthy of greater things than he had obtained, on account of the goodwill he had shown toward him. And four of the others also fell, one of whom was Bryennios

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πόλεις καὶ τὰ φρούρια καὶ αὐτὸς παρεσκεύαστο ὡς ἐπὶ μάχην. ὁρῶν δὲ τὴν Περσῶν καὶ Ῥωμαίων στρατιὰν δυνατωτέραν οὖσαν, ἢ ὥστε διακινδυνεύειν πρὸς αὐτὴν, τὸ νῦν μὲν ἔχον ἔγνω ἡσυχάζειν καὶ ἐπὶ λεηλασίαν τρέπεσθαι ἐᾷν, ἀναστρέφουσι δὲ ἐπιτίθεσθαι καὶ βλάπτειν, ἤν τι δύνηται. καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἔχων, κατὰ τὸ Περιθεώριον ὑπὸ βασιλίδα ἔτι τελοῦν διέτριβεν ἐλθὼν καὶ τὴν ἀνάζευξιν περιέμενε τῆς στρατιᾶς. βασιλεῖ δὲ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ ἐν Κουμουτζηνοῖς τὴν ἐπάνοδον τῆς στρατιᾶς καὶ αὐτῷ ἐκδεχομένῳ, ἐδόκει δεῖν προελθεῖν ἐπὶ μικρὸν, εἴ πως ἐγγένοιτο παρά του τι περὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς πυθέσθαι. καὶ προῆλθεν ἄχρι πόλεως Μεσήνης παλαιᾶς, ἐκ πολλῶν ἐτῶν κατεσκαμμένης, ὅσον ἑξήκοντα ἔχων ἑπομένους στρατιώτας. ἐκεῖ δὲ τοῦ ἵππου μετὰ τῶν συνόντων ἀποβὰς, σκοποὺς μὲν ἔπεμπε πρότερον φυλάττειν πόῤῥωθεν. νυσταγμῷ δὲ ληφθεὶς, ὕπνωττεν ἐπὶ μικρόν· ὑπνώττοντι δὲ ἠκούετο λέγουσα φωνή· «ἔγειραι ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστός.» ἀνέστη μὲν οὖν αὐτίκα ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς θορυβηθεὶς, καὶ τοῖς παροῦσι διηγεῖτο. ἅμα δὲ καὶ οἱ σκοποὶ ἀπήγγελλον ἐλθόντες, ὡς προσελαύνει στρατιά· ἀκριβῶς δὲ οὐκ εἶχον εἰδέναι ὅθεν εἴη. βασιλεὺς δὲ καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ᾠήθησαν μὲν εἶναι τὴν οἰκείαν, ὑποστρέφουσαν ἐκ τῆς λεηλα 2.430 σίας, ὅμως ὑπὸ τῆς κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους τεθορυβημένος φωνῆς, τούς τε νεμομένους ἵππους ἐκεῖ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐκέλευε τοὺς νομέας ἀπάγειν εἰς Κουμουτζηνὰ, καὶ Μανουὴλ τὸν Ταρχανειώτην ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ὀλίγους ἐκέλευεν ἀπολεξάμενον, εὐθὺ τῆς ἐρχομένης στρατιᾶς χωρεῖν καὶ κατασκέπτεσθαι ὅθεν εἴη· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνελάμβανε τὰ ὅπλα μετὰ τῶν συνόντων. οὔπω δὲ ὡπλισμένων παντελῶς, τεθορυβημένος ἐπανῆκεν ὁ Ταρχανειώτης, πολεμίους εἶναι φάσκων τοὺς ἐπιόντας. οὔπω δὲ πᾶν εἴρητο ἔπος, καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι παρῆσαν. ἦν δὲ ὁ Μομιτζίλος, χιλίους ἄγων ἐπιλέκτους, παρά τινων κατασκόπων, οὓς ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸς, περὶ βασιλέως πεπυσμένος, ὅτι ἐν Μεσήνῃ τὸ νῦν ἔχον διατρίβει. ἦν γὰρ ὀλίγον ἐν ᾧ διεῖχε Περιθεώριον Μεσήνης. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν συναγαγὼν, ἐβάδιζεν εὐτάκτως διὰ Μεσήνης τὴν ἄγουσαν εἰς Κουμουτζηνά. ὁρῶν δὲ ὁ Μομιτζίλος οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐπὶ φυγὴν τραπέντας, ἀλλὰ βάδην καὶ τεταγμένως ἀπιόντας, ἔδεισε μή, τινων ἐνεδρευόντων ἐν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις τῆς πόλεως, τροπὴ γένηται περὶ αὐτὸν, ἀτάκτοις καὶ διεσκεδασμένοις ἀθρόον ἐπελθόντων, καὶ συνεῖχε καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν στρατιὰν σχολαίως πορευομένην ἐν λόχοις τρισίν. ἐπεὶ δὲ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ἔξω τῶν ἐρειπίων ἦσαν καὶ ἐνέδρας ὑποψία οὐδεμία ἦν, ἤλαυνον οἱ περὶ Μομιτζίλον ἐπ' ἐκείνους ἀκρατῶς. τραπομένων δὲ ἁπάντων εἰς φυγὴν, ἐπεὶ οἱ προδραμόντες τῶν πολεμίων ἐγγὺς ἦσαν βασιλέως, τῶν ἄλλων γὰρ αὐτὸς 2.431 τελευταῖος ὑπελείπετο, συστραφεὶς ἠμύνετο τοῖς πρώτως φθάσασι, καὶ ἔπιπτεν ὁ βασιλέως ἵππος τοῖς πολεμίοις συμβαλόντος. τῶν οἰκετῶν δὲ εἷς παρὼν, Λαντζαρέτος ὄνομα, τοῦ ἵππου ἀποβὰς, παρείχετο τὸν ἵππον βασιλεῖ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συνήρατο ἐπιβῆναι. ἐπιβαίνοντα δὲ ξίφει τις ἔπληξεν ἐπιστὰς κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς, ἔβλαπτε δὲ οὐδὲν, τοῦ κράνους πρὸς τὴν πληγὴν γενναίως ἀντισχόντος. ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ διὰ πάσης ἀμυνόμενος τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ πλήττων καὶ πληττόμενος, παρῆλθον γὰρ αὐτὸν πολλοὶ τῶν πολεμίων, ἦλθεν εἰς Κουμουτζηνὰ, παραδόξως διασωθεὶς, Λαντζαρέτον δὲ ξίφεσι καὶ δόρασι κατατραυματίσαντες καὶ νομίσαντες ἀπεκτονέναι, δεκάκις γὰρ ἐτραυμάτισαν πρὸς τοῖς ὀκτὼ, ἀπέλιπον ἐμπνέοντα. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ τοσούτου κινδύνου, μηδενὸς ἂν προσδοκήσαντος, διεσώζετο, καὶ ὁ Μομιτζίλος οὐδὲ βραχὺ προσμείνας ἀνεχώρει. Λαντζαρέτον δὲ πέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤγαγεν εἰς Κουμουτζηνὰ ἐμπνέοντα ἔτι· καὶ πολλῆς ἀξιωθεὶς ἐπιμελείας, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ ὑγιής τε καὶ σῶος αὖθις ἦν, μηδὲν τῶν μελῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πληγῶν ἀποβαλὼν, πολλῆς τε εὐμενείας καὶ τιμῆς ἀπέλαυε παρὰ βασιλέως, καὶ μειζόνων, ἢ ἐτύγχανε, δοκῶν εἶναι ἀξιώτερος διὰ τὴν ἐπιδεδειγμένην πρὸς ἐκεῖνον εὔνοιαν. ἔπεσον δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τέτταρες, ὧν εἷς ὁ Βρυέννιος