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and going around the rest of the city with hoplites around him. But he, being distressed even before by the evils resulting from the war, and aware of the great ingratitude and slander from the grand duke and the patriarch concerning the emperor Kantakouzenos, and that the latter, having been wronged in the extreme and being more just than the others, should rather be in charge of affairs, then also especially because of the fears that surrounded him, perceiving what was advantageous both for the common good and for himself privately, he himself also considered cooperating with the emperor in his entry into Byzantium, as this would be the only cause of deliverance from many evils. And when he learned about Tzyrakes, that he wanted the same things as he did, they came together for talks and agreed to hand over the city to the emperor jointly. And sending again they made it clear to the emperor that Phakeolatos also had joined those acting on his behalf. But since it was necessary for some person of note to go to the emperor, in order to agree on the time at which he himself should be present and they should effect the capture, it seemed best to them after consideration to send a certain Microcephalos. And having summoned him, they made him a partner in their secrets, and advised him to desert to 2.601 the emperor ostensibly and to make everything clear, and to agree upon a time, at which he should be present. And since he was persuaded to the undertaking, they entrusted the conveyance of Microcephalos to Selymbria by sea to a certain Petrogourgouros, who was engaged in naval matters and was a very close associate of Phakeolatos, for there was a truce between the Selymbrians and the Byzantines, and they went to and fro without fear for the sake of trade, both when the emperor was present and when he was absent, but by land there were continuous raids and barbarian attacks, and there was no terrible thing that was not present, which made passage utterly impossible. Thus, then, Microcephalos was prepared by them to come to the emperor. However, the rulers in Byzantium were not neglectful either, but it seemed necessary to them as well to send men to corrupt some of those with the emperor, promising many things from the empress. And indeed, after consideration, it seemed to them that this Microcephalos was most suitable for the task. And they immediately summoned him and spoke about what they intended, promising to do many good things for him. But he at first was afraid at the summons, thinking that those planning the capture had been discovered. But when he perceived that they knew nothing, he promised to do what was commanded most eagerly. And they provided letters for those they wished and handed him over to Petrogourgouros, to whom Phakeolatos also had, as one who would convey him to Selymbria in a small boat. which seemed all the more to 2.602 Phakeolatos and his associates to have been arranged by providence. And they were more eager for action, since the divine was also helping. Thus, then, Microcephalos came to the emperor with ease and did everything from Phakeolatos. And the emperor, having agreed upon a day on which he should be at the so-called Golden Gate at night, for from there it seemed easy to bring him in, departed for Adrianople, so that he would not arouse any suspicion among the rulers in Byzantium. 8. While these things were being done, the empress also spontaneously became ill-disposed towards the patriarch, although throughout the whole time of the war she had shown him great favor and influence, such that he was the ruler of rulers. The reason was that, immediately after the war had begun, the patriarch, being envious of Palamas, as one who he suspected of plotting against him for the archepiscopal throne, tried to do him harm. And first he ordered him to make war with the emperor Kantakouzenos and to share in the censures and excommunications. But when he openly refused to partake in these absurdities, perceiving that he would not be able to harm him with public charges, since he was distinguished for his virtue and philosophy, he changed his approach and prosecuted him for impiety. For a certain monk Akindynos, after Barlaam was condemned by all votes for speaking and thinking things contrary to the saints concerning the right and sound faith, who was again defending 2.603 his positions and claiming to have been wronged in the trial while holding correct and true opinions,

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καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἄλλην πόλιν περιιὼν ὁπλίτας ἔχων περὶ ἑαυτόν. ὁ δὲ ἀχθόμενος καὶ πρότερον ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ πολέμου συμβαίνουσι κακοῖς, καὶ μεγάλῳ μὲν δουκὶ καὶ πατριάρχῃ πολλὴν συνειδὼς ἀγνωμοσύνην περὶ Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ συκοφαντίαν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα ἠδικημένον καὶ δικαιότερον ὄντα τῶν ἄλλων μᾶλλον τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐφεστηκέναι, τότε δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τῶν περισχόντων φόβων, τό, τε κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦν καὶ αὐτῷ ἰδίᾳ συνιδὼν, ἐσκέπτετο καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν εἰς Βυζάντιον εἴσοδον συμπράττειν βασιλεῖ, ὡς μόνην ταύτην πολλῶν ἀπαλλαγῆς κακῶν αἰτίαν ἐσομένην. πυθόμενος δὲ καὶ περὶ Τζυράκη, ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ βούλοιτο, συνῆλθόν τε εἰς λόγους καὶ συνέθεντο κοινῇ τὴν πόλιν βασιλεῖ παραδιδόναι. καὶ πέμψαντες αὖθις ἐδήλουν βασιλεῖ, ὡς καὶ Φακεωλάτος πρόσθοιτο τοῖς πράττουσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδει καὶ ἀξιόλογόν τινα ἐλθεῖν πρὸς βασιλέα, ὥστε συνθέσθαι τὸν χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ δεήσει αὐτόν τε παρεῖναι καὶ τὴν ἅλωσιν ἐκείνους πράττειν, ἔδοξε σκεψαμένοις τὸν Μικροκέφαλόν τινα πέμπειν. καὶ μεταπεμψάμενοι τῶν τε ἀποῤῥήτων ἐποιοῦντο κοινωνὸν, καὶ παρῄνουν αὐτομολεῖν πρὸς 2.601 βασιλέα δῆθεν καὶ πάντα δῆλα καθιστᾷν, καὶ χρόνον συντιθέναι, καθ' ὃν ἐκεῖνον παρεῖναι δεήσει. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπείθετο πρὸς τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν, Πετρογουργούρῳ τινὶ περὶ ναυτικὰ ἠσχολημένῳ, ἐπιτηδείῳ μάλιστα Φακεωλάτῳ ὄντι, τὴν Μικροκεφάλου πρὸς Σηλυμβρίαν ἀπαγωγὴν ἐπέτρεπον ἐκ θαλάττης, ἐκεχειρία γάρ τις ἦν Σηλυμβριανοῖς πρὸς Βυζαντίους, καὶ ἀδεῶς ἐφοίτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐμπορίας ἕνεκα, ὁμοίως τε παρόντος καὶ ἀπόντος βασιλέως, ἐκ γῆς δὲ λῃστεῖαί τε ἦσαν συνεχεῖς καὶ βαρβάρων ἔφοδοι, καὶ οὐδὲν δεινὸν ἦν, ὃ μὴ παρῆν, ἃ ἐποίει ἄπορον παντάπασι τὴν δίοδον. ἐκείνοις μὲν οὖν οὕτω Μικροκέφαλος παρεσκεύαστο πρὸς βασιλέα ἥξων. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ οἱ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἄρχοντες ἠμέλουν, ἀλλ' ἐδόκει δεῖν κἀκείνοις πέμψασι διαφθείρειν τινὰς τῶν βασιλεῖ συνόντων, πολλὰ ἐκ βασιλίδος ἐπαγγειλαμένους. ἐδόκει δὴ καὶ αὐτοῖς σκεψαμένοις ὁ Μικροκέφαλος οὑτοσὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον εἶναι ἐπιτηδειότατος. καὶ αὐτίκα μετεκαλοῦντο καὶ διελέγοντο περὶ ὧν διενοοῦντο, εὖ ποιήσειν πολλὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενοι. ὁ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἔδεισε πρὸς τὴν κλῆσιν, πεφωρᾶσθαι οἰηθεὶς τοὺς πράττοντας τὴν ἅλωσιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ᾐσθάνετο μηδὲν εἰδότας, ἐπηγγέλλετο τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιήσειν προθυμότατα. οἱ δὲ γράμματά τε παρείχοντο πρὸς οὓς ἐβούλοντο καὶ Πετρογουργούρῳ, πρὸς ὃν καὶ ὁ Φακεωλάτος, παρεδίδοσαν, ὡς ἀκατίῳ τινὶ ἀπάξοντι πρὸς Σηλυμβρίαν. ὃ καὶ μᾶλλον ἔδοξε 2.602 τοῖς περὶ Φακεωλάτον ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας συνεσκευάσθαι. καὶ προθυμότεροι ἦσαν πρὸς τὸ πράττειν, ἅτε δὴ συναιρομένου καὶ τοῦ θείου. οὕτω μὲν οὖν Μικροκέφαλος παρεγένετό τε πρὸς βασιλέα σὺν ῥᾳστώνῃ καὶ πάντα ἔπραξε τὰ παρὰ Φακεωλάτου. βασιλεὺς δὲ συνθέμενος ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ ἔδει πρὸς τὴν χρυσῆν καλουμένην πύλην εἶναι νυκτὸς, ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἐδόκει ῥᾴδιον εἰσάγειν εἶναι, ἀπῇρεν εἰς τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ, ἵνα μηδεμίαν ὑποψίαν παρέχοιτο τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἐν Βυζαντίῳ. ηʹ. Τούτων δὲ πραττομένων, αὐτομάτως καὶ ἡ βασιλὶς διετίθετο κακῶς πρὸς πατριάρχην, καίτοι παρὰ πάντα τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον πολλὴν τὴν εὐμένειαν παρεχομένη καὶ τὴν ῥοπὴν, ὡς ἄρχοντα ἀρχόντων εἶναι. αἰτία δὲ ἦν, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ κεκινῆσθαι τὸν πόλεμον εὐθὺς φθονερῶς ὁ πατριάρχης ἔχων πρὸς Παλαμᾶν, οἷα δὴ ὑπωπτευκὼς ἐφεδρεύειν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν καθέδραν τὴν ἀρχικὴν, ἐπεχείρει κακουργεῖν. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν ἐκέλευε βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ συμπολεμεῖν καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐπιτιμήσεις καὶ τοὺς ἀφορισμοὺς συγκοινωνεῖν. ὡς δ' ἀπείπατο ἐκεῖνος φανερῶς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀτόπων κοινωνίαν, συνιδὼν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκεῖνον βλάπτειν δύναιτο δημόσια ἐγκλήματα ἐπίσημον ὄντα δι' ἀρετὴν καὶ φιλοσοφίαν, δυσσεβείας ἐδίωκε μεταβαλών. Ἀκινδύνῳ γάρ τινι μοναχῷ μετὰ τὸ Βαρλαὰμ ἁπάσαις ἁλῶναι ψήφοις, ἐναντία τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ λέγοντα καὶ φρονοῦντα περὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως καὶ ὑγιοῦς, αὖθις τὰ ἐκείνου ἐκ 2.603 δικοῦντι καὶ ἠδικῆσθαι φάσκοντι περὶ τὴν δίκην ὀρθὰ καὶ ἀληθῆ φρονοῦντα,