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full of dangers because the enemy prevailed, returned by sea in a trireme, having left the army there. And the withdrawal seemed most shameful and falling far short of his threats. But the emperor, having spent eight days around Byzantium and having done the utmost damage, returned to Thrace, and all the cities immediately came over, despairing of help from Byzantium, except for Ainos and Hexamillion and the city of Gallipoli. And gathering together the governors in all of them, who had been entrusted with their posts by the empress, and having shown great clemency and gentleness toward them, and having ordered that they be deprived of none of their possessions, and having provided expenses and horses to some who were not well-off, he sent them to Byzantium, again asking for peace not only from the empress, but also from the patriarch and the other rulers, being eager to do the exact opposite of what the rulers there were doing. For while they were punishing bitterly and inhumanly not only those who had openly chosen his side, but also anyone who showed a disposition 2.484 of indignation at what was being done, he even gave gifts to those captured from the empress's adherents, and while they not only resorted to shameful and vulgar insults, but also called upon all others to do so, he showed the utmost severity if anyone offered an insult to the patriarch or the grand duke or any other of the rulers. For at his command, they always treated the empress and the emperor her son with every acclamation, as if they were not at war with them, but were ranked under them. 58. But when the emperor had subjugated all the cities in lower Thrace, with few exceptions, he marched upon Adrianople, overrunning and pillaging Bizye and the cities as far as the Pontus which did not submit. And sending messages, he also secretly conversed with his friends, and in Adrianople there were not a few before, and more came into being then, seeing that the Roman dominion was already inclining towards him, who also sent messages and called for him, saying that they were able, if only he appeared, to seize one of the gates and bring him into the city. But the emperor praised them for their zeal and goodwill towards him, and ordered them not to make the attempt before they saw him standing at the walls. For he feared that, being discovered, they would destroy both themselves and the enterprise. 2.485 At the same time he also appointed a day on which he himself should be present, and those undertaking the capture should be prepared for the task. But they, before the emperor arrived, going about in groups, happened to encounter Branos, who had been entrusted by the empress from the very beginning with the guard of the city through the aristocrats, to their ruin. For he had started the sedition by leading the populace against the aristocrats. Therefore, seeing him passing by and being unable to restrain their impulse, for they harbored unmitigated anger for him because of the insolence and destruction brought upon them, they attacked him, disregarding the emperor's advice, and with the treason now become manifest, the rest also came to their aid, fearing the danger. Being many, and with the populace also giving way, for they were hard pressed by the war, they overcame their enemies, and they arrested some of them, while others disappeared, glad to have escaped the danger. But Manuel Apokaukos, the son of the grand duke, who held the governorship of the city, when he saw that the emperor's supporters had prevailed, left the city and went to Boukelon, a fortress built not far from there. But Branos, having been captured, handed over the keys of the city and begged not to be put to death. But they, as they were now completely masters of the city, turned to plunder, and they ransacked the house of Branos and those of others. Then they also gave themselves over to drinking and toasting on account of the victory. The 2.486 vanquished, however, seeing them drunk and carried away, took courage and attacked them while unarmed and drunk, and they overpowered them very easily and killed many of them; some they drove out of the city, and the rest they led to prisons

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μεστὴν κινδύνων διὰ τὸ ἐπικρατεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους, διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀνέστρεφε τριήρει, τὴν στρατιὰν ἐκεῖ καταλιπών. καὶ αἰσχίστη ἔδοξεν ἡ ἀναχώρησις καὶ ἀποδέουσα πολλῷ τῶν ἀπειλῶν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὀκτὼ ἡμέρας περὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον διατρίψας καὶ κακώσας ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, ἀνέστρεφεν εἰς Θρᾴκην, καὶ πᾶσαι πόλεις αὐτίκα προσεχώρουν, τὴν ἐκ Βυζαντίου βοήθειαν ἀπογινώσκουσαι, πλὴν Αἴνου καὶ Ἐξαμιλίου καὶ Καλλίου πόλεως. τοὺς ἐν ἁπάσαις δὲ ἄρχοντας συναγαγὼν, οἳ παρὰ βασιλίδος ἦσαν ἐπιτετραμμένοι τὰς ἀρχὰς, καὶ πολλὴν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπιείκειαν καὶ ἡμερότητα ἐπιδειξάμενος, κελεύσας τε μηδενὸς ἀποστερηθῆναι τῶν ἐνόντων, ἐνίοις δὲ καὶ ἀναλώματα καὶ ἵππους παρασχόμενος ὅσοι μὴ εὐπόρουν, εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀπέπεμπε, περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὖθις οὐ βασιλίδος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατριάρχου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δεόμενος ἀρχόντων, τἀναντιώτατα τοῖς ἐκεῖσε ἄρχουσι διὰ σπουδῆς πολλῆς τιθέμενος ποιεῖν. ἐκείνων γὰρ οὐ μόνον τοὺς φανερῶς τἀκείνου ᾑρημένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τις ἦθος ὑποφαίνοι πρὸς τὰ πραττόμενα 2.484 ἀγανακτοῦντος, πικρῶς καὶ ἀπανθρώπως κολαζόντων, οὗτος τοῖς συλλαμβανομένοις ἐκ τῶν προσκειμένων βασιλίδι παρείχετο καὶ δῶρα, καὶ πρὸς ὕβρεις αἰσχρὰς καὶ ἀνελευθέρους οὐ μόνον ἐκείνων τετραμμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἐκκαλουμένων, οὗτος πᾶσαν αὐστηρίαν ἐπεδείκνυτο, εἴ τις πατριάρχῃ ἢ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ ἢ ἑτέρῳ τῶν ἀρχόντων ὕβριν ἐπενέγκοι. βασιλίδα γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν διὰ πάσης ἦγον εὐφημίας, αὐτοῦ κελεύοντος, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ μὴ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἐπολέμουν, ἀλλ' ὑπ' ἐκείνους ἦσαν τεταγμένοι. οηʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν κάτω Θρᾴκην πόλεις πλὴν ὀλίγων ὑπεποιήσατο ἁπάσας, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ ἐχώρει, καὶ Βιζύην καὶ τὰς μέχρι Πόντου καὶ ἐκάκου κατατρέχων καὶ ληϊζόμενος μὴ προσχωρούσας. προσπέμπων δὲ καὶ κρύφα διελέγετο τοῖς οὖσι φίλοις, ἐν τῇ Ἀδριανοῦ δὲ πρότερόν τε ἦσαν οὐκ ὀλίγοι, καὶ τότε ἐπεγένοντο ὁρῶντες ἤδη τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀποκλίνασαν, οἳ καὶ πέμψαντες ἐκάλουν, ὡς δυνάμενοι, εἰ μόνον ὀφθείη, μιᾶς τῶν πυλῶν κρατήσαντες εἰσάγειν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτοὺς τῆς προθυμίας ἐπαινέσας καὶ τῆς εὐνοίας τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν, ἐκέλευε μὴ πρότερον ἐπιχειρεῖν, πρὶν ἐκεῖνον ἴδωσι τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐφεστηκότα. ἐδεδίει γὰρ, μὴ κατάφωροι γεγενημένοι, σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀπολέσωσιν. 2.485 ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἡμέραν συνετίθετο, ἐν ᾗ αὐτόν τε παρεῖναι ἔδει, καὶ τοὺς πράττοντας τὴν ἅλωσιν πρὸς τὸ ἔργον εἶναι παρεσκευασμένους. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πρὶν βασιλέα ἥκειν, κατὰ συστήματα περιιόντες, ἐπεί τισιν αὐτῶν συνέβη Βράνῳ περιτυχεῖν, ὃς τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς πόλεως εὐθὺς ἐξαρχῆς διὰ τῶν ἀρίστων τὴν φθορὰν παρὰ βασιλίδος ἐπιστεύθη. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ τῆς στάσεως ἦρξε τὸν δῆμον τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἐπαγαγών. τοῦτον οὖν ἰδόντες παριόντα καὶ κατασχεῖν μὴ δυνηθέντες τὴν ὁρμὴν, ἄκρατον γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τὴν ὀργὴν ἐφύλαττον διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς γεγενημένην ὕβριν καὶ φθορὰν, ἀμελήσαντες τῶν βασιλέως παραινέσεων ἐπέθεντο, ἤδη δὲ τῆς προδοσίας φανερᾶς γεγενημένης, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ προσεβοήθουν δείσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον. πολλοὶ δὲ ὄντες ἅμα καὶ τοῦ δήμου ἐνδιδόντος, ἐπιέζοντο γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ πολέμου κραταιῶς, περιεγένοντο τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ τοὺς μὲν συνελάμβανον αὐτῶν, οἱ δὲ ἦσαν ἀφανεῖς ἄσμενοι τὸν κίνδυνον διαφυγόντες. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ Μανουὴλ ὁ τοῦ μεγάλου δουκὸς υἱὸς, τῆς πόλεως ἔχων τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὡς ἑώρα τοὺς τὰ βασιλέως πράττοντας περιγενομένους ἐκλιπὼν τὴν πόλιν, ἦλθεν εἰς Βουκέλου φρούριόν τι οὐ μακρὰν ἐκείνης ᾠκισμένον. ὁ Βράνος δὲ συλληφθεὶς τά τε κλεῖθρα παρείχετο τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἐδεῖτο μὴ ἀποθανεῖν. οἱ δὲ, ὡς ἤδη καθαρῶς τῆς πόλεως ἦσαν ἐγκρατεῖς, ἐτράποντο ἐφ' ἁρπαγὴν, καὶ τήν τε Βράνου καὶ τὰς ἄλλων διήρπαζον οἰκίας. ἔπειτα καὶ πρὸς πότους καὶ φιλοτησίας διὰ τὴν νίκην ἑαυτοὺς ἐξέδωκαν. οἱ 2.486 νενικημένοι δὲ μεθύοντας καὶ παραφερομένους αὐτοὺς ὁρῶντες, ἀναθαρσήσαντες καὶ ἐπιθέμενοι ἀόπλοις καὶ μεθύουσιν, ἐκράτησάν τε ῥᾷστα καὶ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτῶν πολλούς· ἐνίους δὲ ἐξήλασαν τῆς πόλεως, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἤγαγον εἰς δεσμωτήρια