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and were stirring up the people, and it was clear that even if the emperor were unwilling, they would attack those in the palace. And he feared lest some irreparable deed be dared against the empress and the children, and all those with them be destroyed by their enemies; which a little later very nearly came to pass. For when they learned that the empress would not receive the embassy, nor proceed to agreements, they both stormed and plundered the fortress in Blachernae, itself also being a part of the fortress around 2.612 the palace, called the Castellion, while the emperor was unaware, although those within defended themselves stoutly from the walls. And those who previously seemed to be loyal to the empress, and who had been entrusted with the guard of the palace, when they saw danger gathering from all sides, and the empress not proceeding to agreements, but rather choosing both to die herself and to destroy them with her, planned together for the sake of their own safety to abandon them and to surrender the fortress to the emperor. But not only that, some of those of greatest account, sending to the emperor, were negotiating about betrayal and were asking for gifts and honors, if they should surrender the palace with the empress herself and her children. But the emperor would not even listen, but sent them away, saying that he considered it of the greatest importance that the empress and the children rather be saved. But the young emperor John, then in his fifteenth year, seemed to have wisdom beyond his years and to be taking counsel fitting for the occasion. For when he perceived that those in the palace were in an uproar, and were already beginning to mutiny and plotting nothing good concerning them, he ran to his mother and reported both the uproar and the plot. and he begged her to send an embassy to the emperor most swiftly and to make agreements concerning peace. For he said that he would most likely plot nothing terrible against them. but if the worse should prevail, it was better to suffer evil at his hands than to fall into the irrationality of the people and the impulse of the 2.613 soldiers. And his mother was immediately persuaded and ordered Andronikos Asan, the emperor's father-in-law, and Gregory Palamas, who were imprisoned somewhere in the prisons inside the palace, to be brought to her, and having discussed with them the peace with the emperor, she sent them to him as ambassadors. But they, thinking that the emperor was swelling with anger and was prepared for vengeance for what had happened during the war, first turned to entreaties and supplications, that he release his anger against those who had erred, and seek nothing more than to be superior to his enemies and to have them all under his hand at once; but just as with arms, so also to appear victorious in magnanimity, which is indeed the greatest victory and most befitting for him. Then they also reported the empress's embassy and begged him to leave behind for posterity, as an indelible monument of his own forbearance and magnanimity and intelligence, his graciousness towards the emperor's children. But they were unwittingly sharpening a razor, and summoning a good horse to run upon a plain. For as soon as the emperor heard their words, he was ready to do everything for the sake of the emperor's children, as if he himself were receiving the benefit, and not bestowing it. So, of the ambassadors, the emperor gently reproached his father-in-law for his ingratitude towards him, because, having previously been wronged in no way by him, but, if one must speak the truth, having even received countless benefits, he had repaid him with the opposite 2.614 and had stirred up war against him. But he praised Palamas and acknowledged many thanks, because, having endured much affliction on behalf of his just cause and the truth, he neither did nor uttered anything ignoble to the very end. Then he ordered oaths to be written to the empress and the emperor her son. and they were written on these terms, that he would neither take vengeance on those who had grieved him and were then with the empress in the palace, nor punish them in any way, but would grant a full amnesty for what had been done; and that neither the empress nor the emperor her son would bear a grudge against those who had cooperated with him during the war, nor attempt to harm them, nor

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καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἐξηρέθιζον, καὶ ἔνδηλοι ἦσαν, ὡς καὶ βασιλέως ἄκοντος ἐπιθησόμενοι τοῖς ἐν βασιλείοις. καὶ ἐδεδίει μὴ περί τε τὴν βασιλίδα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀνήκεστόν τι τολμηθῇ, καὶ οἱ συνόντες πάντες ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθραινόντων διαφθαρῶσιν· ὃ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον μικροῦ ἐδέησε γενέσθαι. ὡς γὰρ ἐπύθοντο, ὅτι μὴ τὴν πρεσβείαν δέχοιτο ἡ βασιλὶς, μηδὲ χωροίη πρὸς συμβάσεις, τὸ ἐν Βλαχέρναις φρούριον, μέρος καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦ περὶ 2.612 τὰ βασίλεια φρουρίου ὄν, Καστέλιον προσαγορευόμενον, ἐξεπόρθησάν τε καὶ διήρπασαν, βασιλέως ἀγνοοῦντος, καίτοι γε τῶν ἔνδον ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἀμυνομένων κραταιῶς. καὶ οἱ δοκοῦντες δὲ περὶ βασιλίδα εὖνοι εἶναι πρότερον, καὶ τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν βασιλείων ἐπιτετραμμένοι, ἐπεὶ τὸν κίνδυνον ἁπανταχόθεν περιιστάμενον ἑώρων, βασιλίδα δὲ μὴ χωροῦσαν πρὸς συμβάσεις, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον αἱρουμένην αὐτήν τε ἀποθνήσκειν κἀκείνους συναπόλλυσθαι, ἐσκέψαντο κοινῇ τῆς σφετέρας σωτηρίας ἕνεκα καταπροΐεσθαι ἐκείνους καὶ παραδιδόναι βασιλεῖ τὸ φρούριον. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν λόγῳ μάλιστά τινες πρὸς βασιλέα πέμψαντες, περὶ προδοσίας διελέγοντο καὶ δωρεὰς ᾔτουν καὶ τιμὰς, εἰ παραδιδοῖεν τὰ βασίλεια αὐτῇ βασιλίδι καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις. βασιλεὺς δ' οὐδ' ἄκροις ἠνέσχετο ὠσὶν, ἀλλ' ἀπέπεμπε, σώζεσθαι μᾶλλον βασιλίδα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας εἰπὼν ποιεῖσθαι περὶ πλείστου. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος Ἰωάννης ἔτος πεντεκαιδέκατον τότε ὢν, μεῖζον ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐφαίνετο φρονῶν καὶ τῷ καιρῷ προσήκοντα βουλευόμενος. ὡς γὰρ ᾐσθάνετο θορυβουμένους τοὺς ἐν βασιλείοις, στασιάζειν τε ἤδη ἀρχομένους καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιεικὲς οὐδὲν βουλευομένους, δραμὼν πρὸς τὴν μητέρα, τόν τε θόρυβον ἀπήγγελλε καὶ τὴν ἐπιβουλήν. καὶ ἐδεῖτο πρὸς βασιλέα τάχιστα πρεσβείαν πέμπειν καὶ τίθεσθαι συμβάσεις περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης. μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ ἔφασκεν ἐκεῖνον οὐδὲν περὶ αὐτῶν βουλεύσεσθαι δεινόν. εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ τὰ δεύτερα νικῴη, βέλτιον ὑπ' ἐκείνου κακῶς παθεῖν, ἢ ἀλογίᾳ δήμου καὶ στρα 2.613 τιωτῶν ὁρμῇ περιπεσεῖν. αὐτίκα τε ἐπείθετο ἡ μήτηρ καὶ τὸν Ἀνδρόνικον Ἀσάνην τὸν βασιλέως πενθερὸν καὶ τὸν Παλαμᾶν Γρηγόριον αὐτοῦ που κατακεκλεισμένους ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις ἔνδον βασιλείων ἄγεσθαι ἐκέλευε πρὸς αὐτὴν, καὶ περὶ τῆς πρὸς βασιλέα διαλεχθεῖσα πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρήνης ἔπεμπε πρὸς ἐκεῖνον πρεσβευτάς. οἱ δὲ νομίσαντες βασιλέα οἰδαίνειν τε τῷ θυμῷ καὶ πρὸς ἄμυναν τῶν κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον γεγενημένων παρεσκευασμένον εἶναι, πρῶτα μὲν ἐπὶ δεήσεις ἐτράποντο καὶ ἱκεσίας, ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὀργὴν τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασι, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων κρείττω εἶναι καὶ πάντας ὑποχειρίους ὁμοῦ λαβεῖν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τοῖς ὅπλοις, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τῇ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ φαίνεσθαι νικῶντα, ἥπερ δὴ μεγίστη νίκη καὶ μάλιστα προσήκουσα αὐτῷ. ἔπειτα ἀπήγγελλον καὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν βασιλίδος καὶ ἐδέοντο μνημεῖον τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπιεικείας καὶ μεγαλοψυχίας καὶ συνέσεως, τὴν περὶ τοὺς βασιλέως εὐγνωμοσύνην παῖδας ἀνεξάλειπτον τοῖς εἰς ὕστερον καταλιπεῖν. ἐλάνθανον δὲ ξυρὸν ἀκονῶντες, καὶ ἵππον θέειν ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ πεδίον προκαλούμενοι. ὡς γὰρ μόνον ἤκουε τοὺς λόγους βασιλεὺς, πάντα ἦν ἕτοιμος ὑπὲρ τῶν βασιλέως παίδων πράττειν, ὥσπερ αὐτὸς εὐεργετούμενος, ἀλλ' οὐ παρέχων τὰς εὐεργεσίας. τῶν μὲν οὖν πρέσβεων τῷ πενθερῷ μὲν ὠνείδιζεν ἠπίως τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγνωμοσύνην ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὅτι πρότερον ὑπ' ἐκείνου μηδὲν ἀδικηθεὶς, ἀλλ' εἰ δεῖ τι τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, καὶ μυρία εὖ παθὼν, ὅδ' ἠ 2.614 μείψατο τοῖς ἐναντίοις, καὶ τὸν πόλεμον κεκίνηκε κατ' αὐτοῦ. Παλαμᾶν δὲ ἐπῄνει καὶ πολλὰς ὡμολόγει χάριτας, ὅτι πολλὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας κάκωσιν ὑπενεγκὼν, οὐδὲν ἀγεννὲς οὔτε ἔπραξεν, οὔτ' ἐφθέγξατο ἄχρι τέλους. ἔπειτα ἐκέλευε τοὺς πρὸς βασιλίδα καὶ βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν γράφειν ὅρκους. καὶ ἐγράφοντο ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὥστε μήτ' αὐτὸν ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς λελυπηκότας καὶ συνόντας ἐν βασιλείοις βασιλίδι τότε, μήτε ζημιοῦν μηδὲν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἀμνηστίαν παρέχεσθαι τῶν πεπραγμένων· μήτε βασιλίδα καὶ βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν τοῖς ἐκείνῳ συμπράξασι κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον μνησικακεῖν, μηδ' ἐπιχειρεῖν βλάπτειν, μήτε