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although he was writing and begging for peace throughout the entire time of the war, not only was he himself not persuaded nor willing to listen to what was said, but he also tried every trick and persuaded the others not to end the war. Then he said that, "Let us leave these matters for now, as they are not pertinent to the present time; for I did not choose to speak now to reproach him for his lack of judgment, but so that all might know that even before it happened, 3.22 he had accurately conjectured everything that would happen, from his experience of affairs. But now, if he had not been deposed from his throne by the bishops before he entered Byzantium, no one would have been troubled about such things, by his not remaining in office. but concerning the perversion of dogmas, of which he was accused by the bishops, he would have judged and condemned him, if he appeared to be convicted by the accusations. But if, on the other hand, he was acquitted in the trial, nothing would have prevented him from being on the throne again. But since it so happened that he himself was not able, as the bishops had condemned him, to restore him to the throne, he would grant an appeal to himself, so that, if he wished, he could make a defense before him on the charges. But he, seeing the emperor’s kindness and goodwill toward him, almost thought he was dreaming on account of the unexpected outcome of events. For he had suspected that he would undergo some strange manner of death and endure all mockery and extreme insult, considering the outrageousness of the things he had done against him during the war. Then, having now embarked upon better hopes and having recovered from the fears that possessed him, he prayed many great things for the emperor’s clemency and his amnesty for evils, and professed great thanks for the sympathy and pardon which he had offered. And he asked for time for deliberation, on whether he wished to stand against the bishops to make a defense against the charges, and the emperor 3.23 granted it. On the third day after that, coming to him again, he tried to win him over with words possessing much persuasiveness and grace, and asked again about the trial, whether he wished to proceed to the examination. And he again prayed many great things and said the trial was to his liking; for by submitting to it he would be acquitted of the charges. And immediately the emperor made known the patriarch's request to the bishops, and voted in addition that the request was just. Indeed, the trial seemed most agreeable to the bishops as well; for they maintained that it was not to their liking either for the patriarch to be driven from the throne, unless he were convicted of adhering to perverse dogmas which deviated greatly from those of the orthodox. And they agreed on a day, on which it was necessary for everyone to be in the palace to conduct the examination of the dogmas. And when the appointed day arrived, the bishops were present, and those monks who were of most account, and the most distinguished of the senators. The patriarch was also summoned to the trial; but he put it off, saying he would not come. And when the summons had been made twice and three times according to custom, he likewise refused the trial on all occasions, and it seemed good to the bishops to ratify the deposition that had been voted upon, according to the established laws of the fathers concerning these things. But the emperor did not allow it, but going in person, he inquired of the patriarch if he did not wish to proceed to the examination of the charges. And since he openly refused the trial, even in the emperor's presence, the bishops made his 3.24 deposition in writing, all voting for it alike, and they set forth a tome concerning the dogmas, in which all confessed that Akindynos and the faction around him, with whom John, who had been named patriarch, also agreed (for which reason he was also deposed from the throne), think unlawfully and wrongly concerning the divine dogmas; but Palamas and as many as hold to like things, both speak and think in accordance with the God-wise theologians. Thus, therefore, the patriarch John had been cast from the throne, even before the emperor Kantakouzenos arrived in Byzantium. He certainly did not remain quiet after his expulsion, but having won over to his side some from the church, both from among the bishops and the laity, he again caused a disturbance and

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γράφοντος αὐτοῦ καὶ δεομένου παρὰ πάντα τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον περὶ εἰρήνης, οὐχ ὅτι γε οὐκ ἐπείθετο αὐτὸς ἢ τῶν λεγομένων ἤθελεν ἀκούειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα κάλων ἐκίνει καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔπειθε μὴ κατατίθεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον. ἔπειτα ἔφασκεν, ὅτι, ταῦτα μὲν ὡς μὴ προσήκοντα τῷ χρόνῳ νῦν ἐῶμεν· οὐ γὰρ ὀνειδίζειν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην προῃρημένος νῦν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἵν' εἰδεῖεν πάντες, ὡς καὶ πρὶν γενέ 3.22 σθαι, πάντων ἀκριβῶς κατεστοχάζετο τῶν ἐσομένων ἐκ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐμπειρίας. νυνὶ δὲ εἰ μὲν μὴ πρὶν αὐτὸν εἴσω γενέσθαι Βυζαντίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων τοῦ θρόνου καθῃρεῖτο, περὶ τοιούτων μὲν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἠνώχλει μὴ μένειν ἐπὶ τοῦ προσχήματος. ἀλλὰ περὶ δογμάτων τῆς διαστροφῆς, ἃ παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐγκαλοῖτο, ἔκρινεν ἂν καὶ κατεψηφίζετο, εἰ ταῖς κατηγορίαις ἁλισκόμενος ἐφαίνετο. εἰ δ' αὖ ἀπέφευγε τὴν δίκην, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐκώλυε πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν θρόνων εἶναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὕτω συνηνέχθη, αὐτὸν μὲν μὴ δύνασθαι, τῶν ἀρχιερέων καταψηφισαμένων, αὖθις ἀνάγειν πρὸς τὸν θρόνον, ἔφεσιν δὲ διδόναι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὡς, εἰ βούλοιτο, ποιησόμενον ἀπολογίαν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τῶν κατηγορουμένων. ὁ δὲ τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προσηνὲς καὶ τὴν εὐμένειαν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρῶν, μικροῦ μὲν ἐδόκει ὀνειρώττειν διὰ τὴν παρ' ἐλπίδας τῶν πραγμάτων ἔκβασιν. καινόν τινα γὰρ ὑπενόει θανάτου τρόπον ὑποστήσεσθαι καὶ πᾶσαν ἐρεσχελίαν καὶ ὕβρεως ὑπερβολὴν ὑπομενεῖν, τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἐνθυμούμενος τῶν εἰργασμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν πόλεμον. ἔπειτα δὲ ἤδη χρηστοτέρων τῶν ἐλπίδων ἐπιβὰς καὶ ἀναπνεύσας ἐκ τῶν κατεχόντων φόβων, βασιλέως μὲν τῆς ἡμερότητος καὶ τῆς ἀμνηστίας τῶν κακῶν ὑπερηύχετο πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλας ὡμολόγει χάριτας τῆς συμπαθείας καὶ τῆς συγγνώμης, ἧς παρέσχετο. ᾐτεῖτο δὲ χρόνον πρὸς διάσκεψιν, εἰ βούλοιτο ἀντικαθίστασθαι τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι πρὸς τῶν κατηγορουμένων τὴν ἀπολογίαν, καὶ παρέ 3.23 σχετο ὁ βασιλεύς. τρίτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ μετ' ἐκείνην πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθὼν, λόγοις τε ἀνεκτᾶτο πολὺ τὸ ἐπαγωγὸν καὶ χάριεν κεκτημένοις, καὶ περὶ τῆς δίκης ἐπανήρετο, εἰ βούλοιτο πρὸς τὴν ἐξέτασιν χωρεῖν. ὁ δὲ αὖθίς τε ὑπερηύχετο πολλὰ καὶ τὴν δίκην ἔφασκεν αὐτῷ κατὰ γνώμην εἶναι· ἀπολύσεσθαι γὰρ τὰ ἐγκλήματα πρὸς ἐκείνην καταστάς. αὐτίκα τε ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἐδήλου τὴν ἀξίωσιν τοῦ πατριάρχου, ἐπεψηφίζετό τε, ὡς δικαία εἴη ἡ ἀξίωσις. ἐδόκει δὴ καὶ τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι μάλιστα ἡ δίκη φίλη· ἰσχυρίζοντο γὰρ οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς κατὰ γνώμην εἶναι ἐξάγεσθαι τοῦ θρόνου τὸν πατριάρχην, εἰ μὴ ἐλέγχοιτο δόγμασι προσέχων διαστρόφοις καὶ πολὺ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων παραλλάττουσι. καὶ συνετίθεντο ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ πάντας ἐν βασιλείοις ἔδει γενομένους, τῶν δογμάτων τὴν ἐξέτασιν ποιεῖσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ προθεσμία ἥκει, παρῆσαν μὲν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τῶν μοναχῶν ὅσοι μάλιστα ἐν λόγῳ ἦσαν, καὶ τῶν συγκλητικῶν οἱ μάλιστα ἐπιφανεῖς. ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν δίκην καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης· ὁ δὲ ἀνεβάλλετο μὴ ἥξειν φάσκων. δὶς δὲ καὶ τρὶς γενομένης τῆς μηνύσεως κατὰ τὸ ἔθος, ὁ μὲν ὁμοίως ἐν πάσαις ἀπείπατο τὴν δίκην, τοῖς δὲ ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἐδόκει τὴν ἐψηφισμένην καθαίρεσιν ἐπικυροῦν κατὰ τοὺς περὶ τούτων κειμένους τῶν πατέρων νόμους. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὐκ εἴα, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ παραγενόμενος, ἐπυνθάνετο πατριάρχου, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο χωρεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἐξέτασιν τῶν κατηγορημένων. ἐπεὶ δὲ φανερῶς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπηγόρευε τὴν δίκην, τήν τε κα 3.24 θαίρεσιν ἐκείνου ἐγγράφως ἐποιοῦντο οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς πάντες ἐπιψηφισάμενοι ὁμοίως, καὶ τόμον περὶ τῶν δογμάτων ἐξετίθεντο, ἐν ᾧ πάντες συνωμολόγουν, ὡς Ἀκίνδυνος μὲν καὶ ἡ περὶ αὐτὸν φατρία, οἷς καὶ ὁ χρηματίσας πατριάρχης Ἰωάννης ὡμοφρόνει, διὸ καὶ καθῃρέθη τοῦ θρόνου, ἐκθέσμως καὶ κακῶς περὶ τὰ θεῖα δόγματα φρονοῦσι· Παλαμᾶς δὲ καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ὁμοίων ἔχονται, ἀκόλουθα τοῖς θεοσόφοις θεολόγοις καὶ λέγουσι καὶ φρονοῦσιν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰωάννης ἐκβέβλητο τῶν θρόνων, καὶ πρὶν βασιλέα τὸν Καντακουζηνὸν ἥκειν εἰς Βυζάντιον. οὐ μὴν ἡσύχασε μετὰ τὴν ἐκβολὴν, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας προσεταιρισάμενός τινας καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν, αὖθις ἐθορύβει καὶ