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while these things were happening, a tremendously great earthquake occurred, and both the walls of the city and more than two-thirds of the houses collapsed, and more than three hundred were buried under both the walls and the houses. But as many as escaped the danger, having gone out, ran to the emperor, and they begged him not to allow them and their children to be enslaved by the barbarians. And at the same hour, from that earthquake, the house in which the emperor had lodged for the night also collapsed from its foundations, and God's providence for the emperor became manifest, having rescued him thus from a manifest danger. For if, as those around him 2.478 advised, he had been persuaded to lunch there, nothing would have prevented him and not a few of his companions from being buried by the house; so short was the time that had passed in between. But when the army around him had rushed to plunder the town, as if it were an enemy, and when the Persians were attempting to enslave those who remained, the emperor came and prevented them and saved the town. And he gave double thanks to God, both that he and his companions were saved from the collapsed house, and that he had been able to save Chora, which lay so ready for plunder. Then, having granted them pardon for their insults against him and having appointed magistrates who would restore the walls, he departed from there to the other cities. And those appointed to the fortification, according to the emperor's command, having applied great effort, in a short time raised walls better and stronger than the former ones. But when they lacked nothing for its completion, those throughout the town conspired, drove out the emperor's men again, and went over to the empress; and having experienced many hardships, until the emperor also took control of Byzantium, they remained besieged and suffering ill at the hands of the neighboring cities. 77. But the Empress Anna and the patriarch, seeing that the emperor Kantakouzenos was now growing in power, and had subdued many cities and had a considerable army, 2.479 thinking that he had grown powerful due to a lack of anyone to stop him, they again appointed the grand duke as general, and entrusted the war against him to him. And he, immediately taking whatever army there was, came to Heracleia. And having learned about the emperor, that he was staying in Charoupolis, which had gone over to him a short while before, he brought a certain Longinus out of the prison, who had been bound on account of his loyalty to the emperor, and having buoyed him up with many promises, if he could assassinate the emperor, he then, for the sake of a plausible pretext, also provided a letter for the emperor. And the letter declared such things as that, having previously marched against him while he was staying in Didymoteicho, he had agreed to meet with him. But when the opportunity prevented the meeting, the one had returned home, but he himself, taking the opportunity, had campaigned against the cities that were subject to the emperor, which he ought not to have done. Forced by which, he himself also, although wishing to stay at home, had come to Heracleia with the army. If therefore, persuaded by him, he should return to his home, it would be best; for he himself would also cease from wearing out the army with useless toils; but if he had decided otherwise, he would say nothing more, but that he should know whom he had decided to oppose. For he was the same man whom he had long known. But when the emperor read the letter, he sent the archon Apriōn, who was with him from the city that had come over, to him, having written back such things as: «I have read your letter, parakoimōmenos, and 2.480 it occurred to me especially to marvel at the boastfulness and arrogance contained in it; for you do things very unbefitting to your age. For whereas you ought, on account of old age, to relent in your audacity and courage for battles, you in your youth were more timid than a hare, but now in deep old age you have an impetus in no way duller than boars'. Unless you were to say this, that being a new soldier, as is likely, you have also acquired a new arrogance. But for the truth I praise you very much. For being accustomed throughout your life always to lie and being a lie yourself, now having said that I know you best, very much indeed

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ἐκείνων ὄντων, σεισμὸς ἐγίνετο ἐξαίσιος οἷος, καὶ τά τε τείχη κατέπιπτε τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν ὑπὲρ τὰς δύο μοίρας, καὶ κατεχώσθησαν ὑπό τε τῶν τειχῶν καὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν ὑπὲρ τριακοσίους. ὅσοι δὲ διέφυγον τὸν κίνδυνον, βασιλεῖ προσέδραμον ἐξελθόντες, καὶ ἐδέοντο μὴ σφᾶς καὶ τέκνα περιιδεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀνδραποδισθέντας ἄν. τῆς αὐτῆς δὲ ὥρας ὑπὸ τοῦ σεισμοῦ ἐκείνου καὶ ἡ οἰκία, εἰς ἣν ηὐλίσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν νύκτα, κατέπεσεν ἐκ θεμελίων, καὶ ἡ περὶ βασιλέα τοῦ θεοῦ πρόνοια ἐγίνετο καταφανὴς, οὕτως ἐκ προδήλου κινδύνου ῥυσαμένου. εἰ γὰρ, ὥσπερ οἱ περὶ αὐ 2.478 τὸν παρῄνουν, ἀριστᾷν ἐπείθετο ἐκεῖ, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκώλυε μὴ αὐτόν τε καὶ τῶν συνόντων οὐκ ὀλίγους ὑπὸ τῆς οἰκίας καταχωσθῆναι· οὕτως ἦν βραχὺς ὁ μεταξὺ χρόνος παρεληλυθώς. τῆς δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν στρατιᾶς ὡρμημένης τὴν πολίχνην, ὡς πολεμίαν, διαρπάζειν, καὶ τῶν Περσῶν τοὺς ὑπολειπομένους ἀνδραποδίζειν ἐπιχειρούντων, ἐκώλυσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐλθὼν καὶ περιέσωσε τὴν πολίχνην. καὶ διπλᾶς ἀπεδίδου τὰς εὐχαριστίας τῷ θεῷ, τοῦ τε ἀπὸ τῆς καταπεσούσης οἰκίας αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς συνόντας περισωθῆναι, καὶ τοῦ τὴν Χώραν οὕτως ἑτοίμην προκειμένην ἐπὶ τὴν διαρπαγὴν περισῶσαι δυνηθῆναι. ἔπειτα αὐτοῖς τῶν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ὕβρεων συγγνώμην παρασχόμενος καὶ ἄρχοντας ἐπιστήσας, οἳ τὰ τείχη ἀναστήσουσιν, ἀπῇρεν ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις. οἱ δὲ ἐπιτεταγμένοι πρὸς τὸν τειχισμὸν κατὰ τὸ βασιλέως πρόσταγμα πολλὴν εἰσενεγκάμενοι σπουδὴν, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ τῶν προτέρων ἀνέστησαν βελτίω καὶ ἐῤῥωμενέστερα. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδενὸς ἐνέδει πρὸς ἀπαρτισμὸν αὐτοῖς, ἐπιβουλεύσαντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν πολίχνην, ἐξήλασαν τοὺς βασιλέως αὖθις καὶ βασιλίδι προσεχώρησαν· καὶ πρὸς πολλῶν δυσχερῶν ἐλθόντες πεῖραν, ἄχρις οὗ καὶ Βυζαντίου βασιλεὺς ἐκράτησε, διέμειναν πολιορκούμενοι καὶ κακῶς πάσχοντες ὑπὸ τῶν περιοικίδων πόλεων. οζʹ. Βασιλὶς δὲ ἡ Ἄννα καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης, ηὐξημένον ὁρῶντες ἤδη Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πόλεις τε ὑποποιησάμενον πολλὰς καὶ στρατιὰν οὐκ ὀλίγην ἔχοντα, νο 2.479 μίσαντες ἀπορίᾳ τοῦ κωλύσοντος αὐτὸν ηὐξῆσθαι, τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα στρατηγὸν αὖθις ἐψηφίσαντο, καὶ ἐπέτρεψαν τὸν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον πόλεμον. ὁ δ' εὐθὺς τὴν στρατιὰν ὅση ἦν παραλαβὼν, ἦλθεν εἰς Ἡράκλειαν. πυθόμενος δὲ περὶ βασιλέως, ὡς Χαριουπόλει ἐνδιατρίβει ὀλίγῳ πρότερον προσχωρησάσῃ, Λογγῖνόν τινα τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἐξαγαγὼν, ὃς τῆς εἰς βασιλέα ἕνεκα ἐδέδετο εὐνοίας, καὶ μετεωρίσας πολλαῖς ἐπαγγελίαις, εἰ δυνηθείη βασιλέα ἀνελεῖν, ἔπειτα προφάσεως ἕνεκα εὐπροσώπου καὶ γράμματα παρέσχετο πρὸς βασιλέα. ἐδήλου δὲ τὰ γράμματα τοιαῦτα, ὡς πρότερον μὲν αὐτῷ ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ ἐνδιατρίβοντι ἐπιστρατεύσας, συντεθείη συγγενέσθαι. τοῦ καιροῦ δὲ κωλύσαντος τὴν συντυχίαν, ἐκεῖνον μὲν οἴκαδε ἐπανελθεῖν, αὐτὸν δὲ καιροῦ λαβόμενον ταῖς ὑπὸ βασιλέα τελούσαις πόλεσιν ἐπιστρατεῦσαι, ἃ οὐκ ἐχρῆν ποιεῖν. ὑφ' ὧν ἀναγκασθέντα καὶ αὐτὸν, καίτοι βουλόμενον οἴκοι διατρίβειν, εἰς Ἡράκλειαν ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς. εἰ μὲν οὖν αὐτῷ πειθόμενος εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπανέλθοι, κάλλιστ' ἂν ἔχοι· παύσαιτο γὰρ ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν στρατιὰν ἀνονήτοις πόνοις κατατείνων· εἰ δ' ἑτέρως ἔγνωκε, πλέον μὲν οὐδὲν ἐρεῖν, αὐτὸν δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτῳ ἔγνωκεν ἀντικαθίστασθαι. τὸν αὐτὸν γὰρ εἶναι, ὃν πάλαι οἶδε. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰ γράμματα ἀνέγνω, τὸν ἄρχοντα Ἀπρίων, ὃς παρ' αὐτῷ ἦν, τῆς πόλεως προσχωρησάσης, ἔπεμπε πρὸς αὐτὸν, τοιαῦτα ἀντεπιστείλας· «ἀνέγνων σου τὰ γράμματα, παρακοιμώμενε, καὶ 2.480 τὴν μὲν ἐγκειμένην μεγαλαυχίαν καὶ τὸν τῦφον θαυμάζειν μάλιστα ἐπῆλθε· πάνυ γὰρ ἀνάρμοστα τῇ ἡλικίᾳ πράττεις. δέον γὰρ διὰ τὸ γῆρας τοῦ τολμήματος καὶ τῆς εἰς τὰς μάχας εὐψυχίας ὑφιέναι, σὺ δ' ἐν ἥβῃ μὲν ἦσθα δειλότερος λαγὼ, νυνὶ δ' ἐν βαθεῖ γήρᾳ συῶν οὐδαμῶς ἀμβλυτέραν ἔχεις τὴν ὁρμήν. εἰ μὴ τοῦτο φαίης, ὡς νέος στρατιώτης ὢν, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς, ἐκτήσω καὶ νέον τῦφον. τῆς ἀληθείας δέ σε καὶ πάνυ ἐπαινῶ. ἀεὶ γὰρ εἰωθὼς παρὰ τὸν βίον καταψεύδεσθαι καὶ αὐτοψεῦδος ὢν, νῦν με μάλιστα εἰδέναι σε εἰπὼν, πάνυ μάλιστα