372

his wealth, unknown in the ends of the earth, for no worthy purpose, but squandering it rashly and in vain, but also against their friends and whosoever were their associates; and how many of them they killed, and others they hold in prisons until now, suffering grievously from great misfortune and inescapable bonds; and how they appeared as common enemies both to him and to all the nobles among the Romans, not only those who were among the nobility, but also monks and bishops, and moreover soldiers and the leading men of the civil administrations of each city. Of all these things, he said that he, being unmindful because of the misfortune that had befallen the Romans and considering it as nothing, and not once, nor twice and thrice, but many so many times, both from the very beginning and up to now, having sent embassies and begged for peace, they had not only given no fair reply, but also tortured and dishonored the ambassadors and held them in chains, and poured out many insults against him and through such things made their replies to the ambassadors, considering everything more tolerable than discussing or hearing about peace. And of the bringing in of barbarians against their kinsmen, he said, he had not been the originator, but they themselves, being the first to bring them against him; and not only for this reason, but also compelling him to use the barbarians in other ways. For they, by providing money and handing over cities 2.507 and depriving the Roman empire of great and marvelous things, persuaded not only Kral, the ruler of the Triballi, but also Alexander, the king of the Mysians, to be his enemies, each one on his own being a worthy match in battle for all the Romans together, by whom he himself also was driven by necessity to make use of the barbarian alliance, especially since he knew clearly that if he should reject them, they would make use of them against him. For it was not because they did not wish to use the barbarians, but because they were unable to persuade them, since they preferred to ally with him. For was it not just yesterday and the day before that they had sent an embassy to Orhan the Persian, begging him to ally with them, promising to provide much money. But he had chosen rather to ally with him for free, than to receive much money from them. Moreover, a little earlier the panhypersebastos Isaac Asan had gone to Suleiman of Karasi, the satrap of Phrygia, and begged him, upon receiving much money, to ally with them against him. But he himself was not persuaded either. And again the parakoimomenos had gone to the same man for the same reason; but he was so far from being persuaded by him that he did not even deem him worthy of a mere glance. So that day and no small part of the night and the following day and night likewise were spent on such matters, with the emperor narrating the matters concerning 2.508 himself and showing himself to be driven to the war by necessity, while the Latins were arguing on some points and bringing up the accusations made by those in Byzantium and exercising the argument as much as possible, so that the truth might not be able to escape. 83. After the discussions about these things had ceased, the leader of the Friars Minor, named Arezzo, said, "It is just for one who has chosen to live rightly and has made even a little account of truth and justice, never to condemn anyone, before he has had the opportunity to hear his defense concerning the accusations. And what one of the ancient kings used to say, that one must keep one of one's ears especially untouched for the accused, I consider this to be a common precept for men, most beneficial in life. For I have heard some men accusing you of many terrible things, that being unmindful of that wondrous friendship of the emperor toward you, you plotted against the children who were doing no wrong, and while you yourself were leading the Roman empire in the guise of a private citizen, you did not think the glory was sufficient, unless, after killing them, you should secure the entire power for yourself, and that when the patriarch and the others opposed the undertaking, becoming enraged at the

372

ἐσχατιαῖς γῆς ἀγνοούμενον αὐτοῦ πλοῦτον εἰς ἀξιόχρεων οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην διαφθείραντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς ὁπωσδήποτε ἐπιτηδείους· καὶ ὅσους αὐτῶν ἀπέκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις ἔχουσιν ἄχρι νῦν, μεγάλῃ δυσπραγίᾳ καὶ δεσμοῖς ἀφύκτοις προσταλαιπωροῦντας· καὶ ὡς κοινοὶ πολέμιοι φανεῖεν αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἀρίστων πάντων, οὐ μόνον ὅσον ἐν εὐγενέσιν ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μονάζουσι καὶ ἐπισκόποις, ἔτι δὲ καὶ στρατιώταις καὶ τοῖς τῶν πολιτειῶν ἑκάστης πόλεως προέχουσιν. ὧν δὴ πάντων ἔφασκεν αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν περισχοῦσαν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους συμφορὰν ἀμνημονοῦντος καὶ τιθεμένου παρ' οὐδὲν, καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ, οὐδὲ δὶς καὶ τρὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις τοσαυτάκις ἐξαρχῆς τε εὐθὺς καὶ μέχρι νῦν πρεσβείας ποιουμένου καὶ δεομένου περὶ εἰρήνης, οὐ μόνον ἐπιεικὲς οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνασθαι ἐκείνους, ἀλλὰ τούς τε πρέσβεις αἰκίζεσθαι καὶ ἀτιμοῦν καὶ δεσμοῖς κατέχειν, καὶ αὐτοῦ πολλὰς καταχέειν ὕβρεις καὶ διὰ τοιούτων τὰς ἀπολογίας ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πρέσβεις, πάντα μᾶλλον ἀνεκτὰ ἡγουμένους, ἢ περὶ εἰρήνης διαλέγεσθαι ἢ ἀκούειν. τῆς τε βαρβαρικῆς πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους, ἔφασκεν, ἐπαγωγῆς οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἦρχθαι, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς, πρώτους ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπενεγκόντας· καὶ οὐ μόνον τούτου ἕνεκα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρόποις ἑτέροις χρῆσθαι τοῖς βαρβάροις καταναγκάζοντας. χρήματα γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι παρεχόμενοι καὶ πόλεις 2.507 προϊέμενοι καὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν μεγάλων καὶ θαυμασίων τινῶν ἀποστεροῦντες, οὐ Κράλην μόνον ἔπεισαν τὸν Τριβαλῶν δυνάστην, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν βασιλέα Μυσῶν αὐτῷ πολεμίους εἶναι, ἕκαστον καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀξιόχρεων πρὸς μάχην ὄντα σύμπασιν ὁμοῦ Ῥωμαίοις, ὑφ' ὧν πρὸς ἀνάγκην καὶ αὐτὸν συνελαυνόμενον, τῇ συμμαχίᾳ χρῆσθαι τῇ βαρβαρικῇ, ἄλλως τε σαφῶς εἰδότα, ὡς εἰ ἀπώσοιτο αὐτὸς, ἐκείνους χρησομένους ἐπ' αὐτόν. οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι ἐκείνους μὴ χρῆσθαι τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μὴ πείθειν δύνασθαι μᾶλλον ἐκείνῳ αἱρουμένους συμμαχεῖν. οὔπω γὰρ χθὲς καὶ πρώην πρὸς Ὀρχάνην τὸν Πέρσην πρεσβείαν πεποιημένοι, ἐδέοντο σφίσι συμμαχεῖν, πολλὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενοι παρέξειν χρήματα. τὸν δὲ μᾶλλον ἑλέσθαι τὸ ἐκείνῳ προῖκα συμμαχεῖν, ἢ πολλὰ παρ' ἐκείνων χρήματα λαμβάνειν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ πρότερον ὀλίγῳ τὸν Ἀσάνην Ἰσαάκιον τὸν πανυπερσέβαστον πρὸς Σουλιμᾶν τὸν Καρασῆ Φρυγίας σατράπην ἀφικέσθαι καὶ δεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ χρήματα πολλὰ λαβόντα συμμαχεῖν ἐπ' ἐκεῖνον. τὸν δὲ μηδὲ αὐτὸν πεπεῖσθαι. καὶ αὖθις τὸν παρακοιμώμενον τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκα αἰτίας ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν· τὸν δὲ τοσοῦτον δεῆσαι πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ, ὥστ' οὐδὲ θέας γοῦν ψιλῆς ἠξιωκέναι. ἐκείνη μὲν οὖν ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγον τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιοῦσα ἡμέρα καὶ νὺξ ὁμοίως ἀνάλωτο ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις, βασιλέως μὲν τὰ κατ' 2.508 αὐτὸν διηγουμένου καὶ ἀποδεικνύντος ἑαυτὸν, ἀνάγκῃ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον φερόμενον, τῶν Λατίνων δὲ ἀντιλεγόντων ἐπ' ἐνίοις καὶ ἃ οἱ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἐπαγόντων καὶ γυμναζόντων ὡς μάλιστα τὸν λόγον, ἵνα τἀληθὲς μὴ διαδρᾶναι δυνηθείη. πγʹ. Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παύσασθαι τῶν περὶ τούτων λόγων, ὁ τῶν μενουρίων ἡγούμενος Ἀρῆγος ὠνομασμένος, δίκαιον, εἶπε, τὸν ὀρθῶς βιοῦν προῃρημένον καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ὀλίγον γοῦν πεποιημένον λόγον, μηδέποτε καταψηφίζεσθαι μηδενὸς, πρὶν ἂν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῶν κατηγορουμένων τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἐγγένηται ἀκούειν ποιουμένου. καὶ ὃ τῶν παλαιῶν τις βασιλέων ἔφασκε, τὸ δεῖν τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν ἀκοῶν ἀκεραίαν μάλιστα τῷ κατηγορουμένῳ διασώζειν, τοῦθ' ἡγεῖσθαι εἶναι κοινὸν παράγγελμα ἀνθρώποις τὰ μέγιστα λυσιτελοῦν κατὰ τὸν βίον. ἐγὼ γάρ σου πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ κατηγορούντων τινῶν ἀκηκοὼς, ὅτι τε τῆς θαυμαστῆς ἐκείνης βασιλέως πρὸς σὲ φιλίας ἀμνημονήσας, ἐπεβούλευσας μηδὲν ἀδικοῦσι τοῖς παισὶ, καὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἄγων αὐτὸς ἡγεμονίαν ἐν ἰδιώτου σχήματι, οὐκ ἐνόμισας τὴν δόξαν ἐξαρκεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐκείνους ἀποκτείνας τὸ κράτος ἅπαν περιστήσεις εἰς σεαυτὸν, καὶ ὡς πατριάρχου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πρὸς τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν ἐναντίων γενομένων, ἐκμανεὶς πρὸς τὴν