350

war. But this would not happen otherwise, unless the war were voted for again. For he affirmed that he was irreconcilably disposed towards Kantakouzenos. If, therefore, she too were persuaded, it would be well; but if not, one must consider lest Kantakouzenos suddenly appear within Byzantium, having been summoned by the grand duke. For this would be the only counterweight to the insults against him and the other evils, which he had shown towards him during the time of the war. But the empress, having previously conjectured from many of the men the ill counsel and the villainy of the grand duke, and that he cared for nothing except how he himself might rule affairs, and then especially perceiving the absurdity from his words, but having no others whom she could use, for all the others of the nobles and those related to the emperor by blood were all shut up in prisons or in their houses, whom she did not trust would be loyal if they were released from their bonds, agreed again, even unwillingly, to the war. And especially having heard that Kantakouzenos had been forced by the grand duke to lay aside the imperial office and to assume the station of a private citizen, she was gently charmed and 2.444 was especially led to be deceived. So again the war against the emperor is voted for and the grand duke took up affairs again, not, however, as before, monarchically, but somehow more moderately. For he was already afraid of offending his co-rulers, seeing that affairs were yielding to them and that Kantakouzenos the emperor was growing in power, lest, by exercising his authority more harshly, he should be odious, and they might wish to be ruled by the emperor rather than by him. But he, since he saw that he had been deprived of no small part of his former authority and feared for the future, lest, having been utterly condemned, he should perish, either if peace were made with the emperor, or if others ruled in his stead, he considered persuading the empress and the patriarch and the others to make an embassy to the emperor about laying aside his imperial office, just as he had supposedly promised him, so that in the time during the embassy, as if there were a kind of truce, he might converse with some of those imprisoned on behalf of the emperor about agreements, so that if, on the one hand, after the embassy, affairs and the war against the emperor were again entrusted to him, for he knew he had said nothing sound, he would not change any of the decisions, but would hold to the war, as from the beginning; but if, on the other hand, he were insulted and deprived of his authority, he would act in the emperor's interest. With such a mind, then, he confirmed what had been said, and he persuaded the empress and the others to make an embassy to the emperor. And ambassadors were chosen: from the empress and the senate, both George Pepagomenos and Synadenos, who had previously come to the emperor at Didy 2.445 moteichon, having been sent by the grand duke, and from the church and the patriarch, the metropolitan of Philippi and the sakellios Kabasilas. And they wrote the matters of the embassy in letters, separately the co-rulers with the grand duke, and separately the patriarch, and they signed the letters with their own signatures, so that they might be trustworthy. The letters of the rulers were as follows: as "Since you yourself, acting well, have condemned yourself for attempting impossible and unlawful things, and considering the magnitude of the destruction among the Romans that has occurred because of you, you have asked to lay aside the imperial office and to change to the station of a private citizen, just as the grand duke, most beloved and most genuine to our most mighty and holy emperor, has clearly made known to us, judging that you have counseled things both just and advantageous for yourself and for others, we have both praised this good counsel and have made this embassy, so that what you yourself have asked may receive its fulfillment. And so that you may have no suspicion, that anything difficult or able to cause grief will befall you after becoming a private citizen, we have sent these letters, confirmed by our signatures for the sake of security and of your trusting in them, that they will remain unchangeable." Then they also wrote of allowances from the public funds, which he himself and his children and household would use. Such things the letters of the rulers contained. But those of the patriarch were as follows. 2.446 "Blessed

350

πόλεμον. τοῦτο δ' οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο ἑτέρως, εἰ μὴ ὁ πόλεμος αὖθις ἐπιψηφισθείη. ἀσυμβάτως γὰρ ἐκεῖνον πρὸς Καντακουζηνὸν ἔχειν διαβεβαιοῦσθαι. εἰ μὲν οὖν πείθοιτο καὶ αὐτὴ, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι· εἰ δὲ μὴ, σκεπτέον μὴ ἀθρόον ἔνδον Βυζαντίου ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς ἀναφανῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς προσκεκλημένος. τοῦτο γὰρ ἂν εἴη μόνον ἀντίῤῥοπον τῶν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὕβρεων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν, ὧν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐνεδείξατο. ἡ βασιλὶς δὲ καὶ πρότερον μὲν ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν ἀνδρῶν στοχαζομένη τὴν κακοβουλίαν καὶ τὴν μεγάλου δουκὸς κακοτεχνίαν καὶ τὸ περὶ μηδενὸς ἐκείνῳ μέλειν, ἢ ὅπως αὐτὸς ἄρχῃ τῶν πραγμάτων, τότε δὲ καὶ μάλιστα τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἐκ τῶν λόγων συνιδοῦσα, μὴ ἔχουσα δὲ οἷστισιν ἑτέροις χρήσαιτο, οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι τῶν εὐγενῶν καὶ καθ' αἷμα προσηκόντων βασιλεῖ δεσμωτηρίοις πάντες ἢ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ἦσαν κατακεκλεισμένοι, οἷς αὐτὴ οὐκ ἐθάῤῥει εὐνοήσειν, εἰ ἀπολυθεῖεν τῶν δεσμῶν, συνετίθετο καὶ αὖθις καὶ ἄκουσα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον. μάλιστα δὲ ἀκούσασα Καντακουζηνὸν ἠναγκάσθαι παρὰ μεγάλου δουκὸς ἀποθέσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ ἰδιώτου σχῆμα ἀναλαβεῖν, ἠρέμα ἐθέλγετο καὶ 2.444 πρὸς τὸ ἐξαπατᾶσθαι μάλιστα ἐνήγετο. ἐπιψηφίζεται δὴ καὶ αὖθις ὁ πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμος καὶ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἥπτετο πάλιν τῶν πραγμάτων, οὐ μὴν, ὥσπερ πρότερον, μοναρχικῶς, ἀλλὰ μετριώτερόν πως. ἐδεδίει γὰρ ἤδη τοῖς συνάρχουσι προσκρούειν, ὁρῶν αὐτοῖς τὰ πράγματα ὑπενδιδόντα καὶ Καντακουζηνὸν αὐξανόμενον τὸν βασιλέα, μὴ τραχύτερον χρώμενος τῇ ἀρχῇ ἐπαχθὴς εἴη, καὶ βουληθεῖεν ὑπὸ βασιλέως μᾶλλον ἄρχεσθαι, ἢ αὐτοῦ. ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐπεὶ ἑώρα οὐκ ὀλίγον τῆς πρὶν ἀφῃρημένος ἐξουσίας καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων δεδιὼς, μὴ παντάπασι καταγνωσθεὶς ἀπόληται, ἢ εἰρήνης πρὸς βασιλέα γενομένης, ἢ ἑτέρων ἀντ' αὐτοῦ ἀρχόντων, ἐσκέψατο βασιλίδα καὶ πατριάρχην πείθειν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πρεσβείαν ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς βασιλέα περὶ τοῦ ἀποθέσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν, ὥσπερ δῆθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπέσχετο, ὡς ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ τῆς πρεσβείας χρόνῳ, ὥσπερ τινὸς ἐκεχειρίας οὔσης, τισὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ βασιλέως δεδεμένων περὶ συμβάσεων διαλεχθῇ, ὡς ἢν μὲν μετὰ τὴν πρεσβείαν πάλιν αὐτῷ τὰ πράγματα ἐγχειρισθῇ καὶ ὁ πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμος, ᾔδει γὰρ οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς εἰπὼν, μηδὲν κινοίη τῶν δεδογμένων, ἀλλ' ἔχοιτο τοῦ πολέμου, ὥσπερ ἐξαρχῆς· ἢν δὲ προπηλακίζηται καὶ ἀφαιρῆται τὴν ἀρχὴν, τὰ βασιλέως πράττοι. τοιαύτῃ μὲν δὴ γνώμῃ ἐβεβαίου τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ ἔπειθε βασιλίδα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πρεσβείαν ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ ᾑροῦντο πρέσβεις ἐκ βασιλίδος μὲν καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου Γεώργιός τε ὁ Πεπαγωμένος καὶ ὁ Συναδηνὸς, ὃς καὶ πρότερον πρὸς ∆ιδυ 2.445 μότειχον εἰς βασιλέα ἧκε παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς πεμφθεὶς, παρὰ δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ πατριάρχου ὁ τῆς Φιλίππου μητροπολίτης καὶ ὁ σακελλίου Καβάσιλας. ἔγραφόν τε καὶ τὰ πρεσβευόμενα ἐν γράμμασιν ἰδίᾳ μὲν οἱ συνάρχοντες μετὰ τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς, ἰδίᾳ δὲ ὁ πατριάρχης, καὶ ὑπεσημήναντο οἰκείαις ὑπογραφαῖς τὰ γράμματα, ἵν' ᾖ πιστά. ἦσαν δὲ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἀρχόντων οὕτως ἔχοντα· ὡς «ἐπεὶ καλῶς ποιῶν αὐτὸς, ὡς ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειροῦντος καὶ ἀθεμίτοις κατέγνως σεαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς γεγενημένης διὰ σὲ φθορᾶς ἐν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐννοῶν τὸ μέγεθος, ᾔτησας τὴν βασιλείαν ἀποθέσθαι καὶ εἰς ἰδιώτου σχῆμα μεταβάλλειν, ὥσπερ ἡμῖν ἐγνώρισε σαφῶς ὁ περιπόθητος καὶ γνησιώτατος τῷ κρατίστῳ καὶ ἁγίῳ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν ὁ μέγας δοὺξ, δίκαιά τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις βεβουλεῦσθαι κρίναντες, ἐπῃνέσαμέν τε τῆς εὐβουλίας καὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν πεποιήμεθα ταύτην, ἵν' ὅπερ ᾔτησας αὐτὸς, τὸ πέρας λάβῃ. ἵνα δὲ μηδεμίαν ἔχῃς ὑποψίαν, ὥς τι μετὰ τὴν ἰδιωτείαν ἀπαντήσει δυσχερὲς ἢ δυνάμενον λυπεῖν, τὰ γράμματα ταῦτα ἀπεστάλκαμεν, καὶ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ὑπογραφαῖς ἐπιβεβαιωθέντα ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ θαῤῥεῖν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἀκίνητα μενεῖ.» ἔπειτα καὶ συντάξεις ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων ἔγραφον, οἷς χρήσεται αὐτὸς καὶ παῖδες καὶ οἰκεῖοι. τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων περιεῖχε γράμματα. τοῦ πατριάρχου δὲ ἦσαν οὕτως. 2.446 «εὐλογητὸς