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having understood its wheels, how the humble one is raised up while the exalted one is humbled, and taking this as an image of the unstable and uncertain good fortune of men, I laughed, at once thinking how we are puffed up over such an uncertain matter, and at the same time thinking it not impossible for me, just as I had become humble from a high position, so too from a low estate it is possible to be raised again to greatness." Hearing this, the king, and taking thought of his own affairs, and considering the man wise both because of his former rule and his old age and his having experienced both good fortune and 2.222 misfortune, granted him freedom of speech and a place at his table. But he, being deceitful and cunning, weaves a plot against the king, which drove the king from Capua, and granted himself a return to his own affairs. For this man knew that these two Italian cities, both Capua and Benevento, having been acquired by the king not long before, did not keep firm faith with him, but always imagined freedom, and he was not ignorant that the firm and secure possession of these was a matter of concern to the king, he approaches the king and says, "Seeing you always, O king, worrying and considering how you might securely hold these Italian cities, I come to offer counsel. Know, then, O most noble one, that your possession of these cities will not otherwise be unchangeable, unless you resettle their leading men to the customs of the Franks; for that which is unwillingly enslaved by nature clings to freedom, and seizing an opportunity, it erupts with what has been striven for." Pleased by these words, the king, and thinking it advantageous to him, decided to do so. Therefore, collars and bonds were secretly being forged, as if for some urgent need. And so the Soldanus, having skillfully entrapped the king, approaches the leaders of the citizens (for he had become familiar with them and constantly conversed with them) and says to them, "I wish to bring forth a certain secret matter to you, but I fear that, if it becomes known, it will bring 2.223 destruction upon me and danger upon you." And when they swore to keep silent and to keep what was said unrevealed, he said that the king wished to send all of you in iron chains to his own country of Francia, as there was no other way for him to have secure control of your cities. But as they were doubting and not considering what was said to be credible, and seeking a clearer understanding of what was said, he took one of the leaders and went to the smiths, and urged him to investigate what things were being forged with urgency, and when he learned that they were chains and fetters, he returned and gave assurance to the leaders that the man spoke with goodwill, and that the things being said were true and salvific for our cities. Therefore, being fully informed, the leaders and councillors of the said cities sought a way to defend themselves against the king. And so, when he once went out for a hunt, they shut the gates against him and no longer permitted him entry. But he, being unable to accomplish anything on the spot, returned to his own country. Therefore, the Soldanus approaches the leaders, demanding the favor for his information; and this was to be released and freely allowed to depart to his own homeland. So, being released as if he had been a benefactor, and having come to Carthage and recovered his own rule, he marches against Capua and Benevento; and having pitched a strong stockade, he vigorously besieged the cities. And the citizens, being hard-pressed by the siege, send an embassy to the king, both asking for forgiveness 2.224 for their offense and seeking an alliance. But they are sent away with insult, as he said that he rejoiced in their destruction. And when the ambassadors returned without success, being at a loss and not having anything they might do, and being terribly pressed by the necessities of the siege, they send a messenger to Basileios

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ταύτης κατανοήσας τροχούς, πῶς ὁ μὲν ταπεινὸς αἴρεται ὁ δὲ μετέωρος ταπεινοῦται, καὶ ὡς εἰκόνα ταύτην λαβὼν τῆς ἀσταθμή του καὶ ἀβεβαίου τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐδαιμονίας, ἐγέλασα, ἅμα μὲν ἐνθυμηθεὶς πῶς ἐφ' οὕτως ἀβεβαίῳ πράγματι ἐπαιρόμεθα, ἅμα δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἀδύνατον οἰηθεὶς τὸ καὶ ἐμέ, ὥσπερ ἐκ μετεώρου γε γονότα ταπεινόν, οὕτως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ χαμερποῦς ἐνδέχεται πάλιν ἀρθῆναι πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος." τούτου ἀκούσας ὁ ῥὴξ καὶ ἔννοιαν τῶν οἰκείων λαβών, συνετόν τε τὸν ἄνδρα λογισάμενος διά τε τὴν προηγησαμένην ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸ γῆρας καὶ τὸ εὐτυχίας τε ἅμα καὶ 2.222 δυστυχίας πειραθῆναι, παρρησίας τε μετεδίδου αὐτῷ καὶ συν διαιτήσεως. ὁ δὲ δόλιος ὢν καὶ πανοῦργος μηχανὴν ῥάπτει κατὰ τοῦ ῥηγός, ἥτις τὸν μὲν ῥῆγα τῆς Καπύης ἐδίωξεν, ἑαυτῷ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα ὑποστροφὴν ἐχαρίσατο. εἰδὼς γὰρ ὁ τοιοῦτος ὡς αἱ δύο Ἰταλικαὶ πόλεις αὗται, ἥ τε Καπύη καὶ ἡ Βενεβενδός, οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ προσκτηθεῖσαι τῷ ῥηγὶ βεβαίαν οὐ φυλάττουσι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν πίστιν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν φαντάζονται, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν δὲ ὅτι καὶ διὰ φροντίδος ἐστὶ τῷ ῥηγὶ ἡ τούτων βεβαία καὶ ἀσφαλὴς κατάσχεσις, πρόσεισι τῷ ῥηγὶ καὶ φησὶν "ὁρῶν σε διὰ παντός, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μεριμνῶντα καὶ φροντίζοντα πῶς ἂν ἀσφαλῶς καθέξεις τὰς Ἰταλικὰς ταύτας πόλεις, ἔρχομαι προσοί σων βουλήν. ἴσθι οὖν, ὦ γενναιότατε, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως σοι ἀμε τάπτωτος ἡ τῶν πόλεων τούτων κατάσχεσις ἔσεται, εἰ μὴ τοὺς προύχοντας τούτων εἰς τὰ ἤθη μετοικίσεις τῶν Φράγγων· φύσει γὰρ τὸ ἀκουσίως δουλούμενον ἀντέχεται τῆς ἐλευθερίας, καὶ και ροῦ λαβόμενον ἐκρήσσει τὸ σπουδαζόμενον." τούτοις ἡσθεὶς τοῖς λόγοις ὁ ῥήξ, καὶ λυσιτελεῖν αὐτῷ οἰηθείς, ἐγνώκει οὕτω ποιεῖν. κλοιοὶ τοίνυν ἐχαλκεύοντο καὶ δεσμὰ λεληθότως ὡς ἐπί τινι χρείᾳ τάχα κατεπειγούσῃ. οὕτω δὲ τὸν ῥῆγα εὐμηχάνως ὁ Σολδάνος ἀνδραποδίσας πρόσεισι τοῖς ἐξάρχοις τῶν πολιτῶν (καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ τούτοις συνήθης ἐγένετο καὶ συνεχῶς ὁμιλῶν διετέλει) καὶ φησὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς "ἀπόρρητόν τι ἐξενεγκεῖν βούλομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, δέ δοικα δὲ μὴ ἔκπυστον γενόμενον ἐμοί τε ὄλεθρον καὶ ὑμῖν κίνδυνον 2.223 προξενήσῃ." τῶν δὲ διομοσαμένων ἐχεμυθήσειν καὶ ἀνέκφορον τηρῆσαι τὸ λαληθέν, τὸν ῥῆγα ἔφη βούλεσθαι πάντας ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν τῆς Φραγγίας σιδηροδεσμίους ἐκπέμψαι, ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως οὔσης αὐτῷ ἀσφαλοῦς τῆς τῶν ὑμετέρων διακρατήσεως πόλεων. τῶν δὲ ἐνδοιαζόντων καὶ μὴ πιστὰ τὰ λεγόμενα ἡγου μένων, ζητούντων δὲ σαφεστέραν τῶν λεγομένων κατάληψιν, λα βόμενός τινος τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς χαλκεῖς, καὶ διε ρευνᾶσθαι παρεκελεύετο τίνα τὰ μετ' ἐπιτάσεως χαλκευόμενα, ἐπεὶ δὲ μάθοι ὅτι ἁλύσεις εἰσὶ καὶ πέδαι, ἐπανελθὼν πληροφορίαν ἐδί δου τοῖς ἄρχουσιν εὐνοϊκῶς τὸν ἄνδρα λαλεῖν, καὶ τὰ λαλούμενα ἀληθῆ τυγχάνειν καὶ ταῖς ἡμῶν σωτήρια πόλεσι. πληροφορη θέντες οὖν οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ σύνεδροι τῶν ῥηθεισῶν πόλεων τρόπον ἐζήτουν ὅπως τὸν ῥῆγα ἀμύνωνται. καὶ δὴ πρὸς κυνηγέσιον ἐξελ θόντος ποτὲ ἀποκλείουσι κατ' αὐτοῦ τὰς πύλας καὶ οὐκέτι συγχω ροῦσιν αὐτῷ τὴν εἴσοδον. ὁ δὲ μηδὲν ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα δυνάμε νος διαπράξασθαι πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὑπενόστησε χώραν. πρόσεισι οὖν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὁ Σολδάνος τὴν χάριν τῆς μηνύσεως ἀπαιτῶν· ἡ δὲ ἦν τὸ ἀπολυθῆναι καὶ ἐλευθερίως συγχωρηθῆναι ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδα. ἀπολυθεὶς οὖν ὡς τάχα εὐεργετήσας, καὶ εἰς Καρχηδόνα γενόμενος καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀνακτησάμενος ἀρχήν, ἐκστρατεύει κατὰ Καπύης καὶ τῆς Βενεβενδοῦ· καὶ χάρακα πήξας ὀχυρὸν ἐνεργῶς ἐπολιόρκει τὰς πόλεις. στενοχωρούμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ πολιορκίας οἱ πολῖται διαπρεσβεύονται πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα, συγγνώμην 2.224 τε τῆς ἁμαρτάδος αἰτοῦντες καὶ συμμαχίαν ζητοῦντες. ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὕβρεως ἀποπέμπονται, ἐπιχαίρειν εἰπόντος τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ αὐ τῶν. ἀπράκτων δὲ τῶν πρεσβευτῶν ἐπαναστρεψάντων διαπορού μενοι καὶ μὴ ἔχοντες ὅ τι καὶ δράσειαν, δεινῶς δὲ πιεζόμενοι καὶ ταῖς τῆς πολιορκίας ἀνάγκαις, στέλλουσιν ἄγγελον πρὸς Βασίλειον