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Beyond this, along with the roof, the emperor Kantakouzenos later erected, and he took care of the other decoration of the sanctuary, both in marbles and in the arrangement of fine mosaic. And if anything was lacking for its completion, the new emperor Palaiologos later added it, when he alone already held the rule of the Roman empire. Serving both emperors in this noble ambition was Astras the grand stratopedarch, in other respects worthy of much account and being skillful concerning building, and from the subjects of the emperor of the Latins, a certain Ioannes Peralta. These things, then, were later. But then, since this famous temple, the great wonder of the world, was a ruin worthy of tears for beauty-loving souls, in the church of the Theotokos at Blachernae, by Patriarch Isidore, the emperor John was joined in marriage to Helene, the emperor's daughter. And he himself crowned his wife according to custom, having been previously crowned by the Patriarch John. And there were banquets and applauses, and public festivals were held, as was fitting for the weddings of emperors. And when affairs at home were well administered by the emperor, he turned to foreign enemies. And sending an embassy to the Kral, he expressed many thanks to him for his 3.31 generosity and zeal toward him, which he had shown when he was present, during the time when he was being warred against by his own people, and that it was just to repay with the same when the occasion called, provided, however, that the oaths and treaties between them were not broken. For if those were transgressed by anyone, it was not just to hold the other, defending himself, accountable; for no law prevents one who is suffering wrongly from defending himself. And he demanded that the cities be returned to him, which, after making the treaties and oaths with him, he had taken from the Roman empire; for so it was written in the oaths. For not only did he take Pherae and the other cities and fortresses of Macedonia except Thessalonica, but also, by corrupting the most powerful men of Beroea with money and great promises, he persuaded the emperor’s son to drive out Manuel, and to hand over the city to him; which vexed the emperor for no short time. The son, therefore, was staying in Thessaly with his uncle Angelos John. But when the Kral received the embassy, he could oppose nothing just to the words, but agreed that the oaths had been so made, yet he was unwilling to give back the cities, but resorted to pretexts and excuses that had nothing sound in them. And the emperor again sent a second embassy and again demanded that he cede the cities to him according to the oaths. And if he were not willing, he threatened to make war; and he demanded 3.32 that the future slaughters and enslavements not be reckoned to him. For since the Roman force had been destroyed by the civil war, he would necessarily make use of barbarians in alliance. He commanded him to consider these things and do what was necessary. And when, even after that embassy, the Kral did none of the necessary things, but even besieged the remaining cities, the emperor, sending to Orhan his son-in-law, summoned an army. And more than ten thousand of the barbarians were present, whom Süleyman with his brothers, the sons of Orhan, commanded. So the emperor sends with them also his son Matthew, leading the Roman army, and he commanded them, after passing harmlessly through the borders of the Roman empire, then to ravage the Triballi. But the barbarians, as soon as they set foot in Mygdonia, crossing the small fort near Christoupolis, and learning that those cities were under the Kral, immediately turned to plunder, caring little for the generals, and they sacked all the villages, and overran the cities throughout Mygdonia, and they killed very many and enslaved not a few; and having driven much booty won by the spear, they returned and crossed over the Hellespont to their own land. But the emperor, learning of the disorder of the barbarians, was not moderately distressed, because those for whom he seemed to be undertaking the war, them the army that seemed to be an ally destroyed. 3.33 5. And after this, sending a trireme to Thessaly, the 3.33 son

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ἐπέκεινα δὲ μετὰ τῆς ὀροφῆς βασιλεὺς ὕστερον ἀνέστησεν ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἐπεμελήθη τοῦ τεμένους εὐκοσμίας, ὅση τε ἐν μαρμάροις καὶ λεπτῆς ψηφίδος διαθέσει. εἴ τι δὲ ἐνέδει πρὸς τελείωσιν, Παλαιολόγος ὕστερον ἐπέθηκεν ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς μόνος ἤδη τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ἔχων τὴν ἀρχήν. διηκόνει δὲ ἑκατέροις τοῖς βασιλεῦσι πρὸς τὴν καλὴν φιλοτιμίαν ταύτην Ἀστρᾶς ὁ μέγας στρατοπεδάρχης, τά τε ἄλλα λόγου ἄξιος πολλοῦ καὶ περὶ οἰκοδομίας ἔχων εὐφυῶς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑπηκόων βασιλεῖ Λατίνων τις Ἰωάννης Περάλτα προσαγορευόμενος. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὕστερον. τότε δὲ ἐπεὶ τὸ μέγα τῆς οἰκουμένης θαῦμα ὁ περιβόητος οὑτοσὶ ναὸς πτῶμα δακρύων φιλοκάλοις ἄξιον ἦν ψυχαῖς, ἐν τῷ τῶν Βλαχερνῶν τῆς θεομήτορος ναῷ ὑπὸ Ἰσιδώρου πατριάρχου Ἑλένῃ τῇ βασιλέως θυγατρὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννης συνεζεύγνυτο. ἔστεφε δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ αὐτὸς, πρότερον ἐστεμμένος ὑπὸ πατριάρχου ὢν τοῦ Ἰωάννου. καὶ εὐωχίαι ἦσαν καὶ κρότοι, καὶ δημόσιοι ἤγοντο ἑορταὶ, ᾗ προσῆκε τοῖς βασιλέων γάμοις. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ οἴκοι καλῶς διῴκητο τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐτρέπετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξω πολεμίους. καὶ πρεσβείαν πρὸς Κράλην πέμψας, πολλὰς μὲν ὡμολόγει χάριτας αὐτῷ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν 3.31 φιλοτιμίας καὶ σπουδῆς, ἣν πρὸς παρόντα ἐνεδείξατο, καθ' ὃν ὑπὸ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ἐπολεμεῖτο χρόνον, καὶ δικαίως εἶναι ἀμείβεσθαι τοῖς ἴσοις καιροῦ καλοῦντος, μὴ παραλυομένων μέντοι τῶν ὅρκων καὶ τῶν σπονδῶν τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους. εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα παραβαίνοιντο ὑφ' ὁτουοῦν, οὐ δίκαιον εἶναι ἀμυνόμενον τὸν ἕτερον αἰτίας ἀξιοῦν· κωλύει γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἀμύνεσθαι νόμος τὸν πάσχοντα κακῶς. ἠξίου τε αὐτῷ ἀποδοθῆναι τὰς πόλεις, ἃς μετὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰς σπονδὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους θέσθαι τῆς Ῥωμαίων παρείλετο ἀρχῆς· οὕτω γὰρ ἐγγεγραμμένον τοῖς ὅρκοις εἶναι. μὴ μόνον γὰρ Φεράς τε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλεις καὶ τὰ φρούρια πλὴν Θεσσαλονίκης εἷλεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Βεῤῥοιωτῶν τοὺς δυνατωτάτους χρήμασι καὶ μεγάλαις ἐπαγγελίαις διαφθείρας, τὸν βασιλέως ἔπεισεν υἱὸν ἐξελάσαι τὸν Μανουὴλ, κἀκείνῳ τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι· ἃ οὐκ ἐπ' ὀλίγον ἠνία βασιλέα. ὁ μὲν οὖν υἱὸς ἐν Θετταλίᾳ διέτριβε παρὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἄγγελον τὸν Ἰωάννην. Κράλης δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐδέξατο τὴν πρεσβείαν, δίκαιον μὲν ἀντιτιθέναι τοῖς λόγοις ἠδύνατο οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ συνωμολόγει τοὺς ὅρκους οὕτω γεγενῆσθαι, ἀποδιδόναι δὲ τὰς πόλεις οὐκ ἠβούλετο, ἀλλὰ πρὸς σκήψεις ἐχώρει καὶ προφάσεις ἐχούσας ὑγιὲς οὐδέν. βασιλεὺς δὲ καὶ αὖθις δευτέραν ἐποιήσατο πρεσβείαν καὶ πάλιν ἠξίου τῶν πόλεων αὐτῷ παραχωρεῖν κατὰ τοὺς ὅρκους. εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο, ἠπείλει πολεμήσειν· ἠξίου 3.32 τε μὴ αὐτῷ προσλογίζεσθαι τοὺς ἐσομένους φόνους καὶ τοὺς ἀνδραποδισμούς. τῆς γὰρ Ῥωμαϊκῆς δυνάμεως διεφθαρμένης ὑπὸ τοῦ συγγενικοῦ πολέμου, ἀναγκαίως χρήσεσθαι βαρβάροις κατὰ συμμαχίαν. ἃ ἐκέλευε σκεψάμενον τὰ δέοντα ποιεῖν. ὡς δὲ καὶ μετ' ἐκείνην τὴν πρεσβείαν οὐδὲν ὁ Κράλης ἐποίει τῶν δεόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ὑπολοίπους ἐπολιόρκει πόλεις, πέμψας πρὸς Ὀρχάνην τὸν γαμβρὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς, μετεκαλεῖτο στρατιάν. καὶ παρῆσαν ὑπὲρ μυρίους τῶν βαρβάρων, ὧν Σουλιμὰν μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, οἱ τοῦ Ὀρχάνη παῖδες, ἐστρατήγουν. πέμπει δὴ μετὰ τούτων καὶ Ματθαῖον τὸν υἱὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾶς ἡγούμενον, καὶ ἐκέλευε τοὺς ὅρους τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας διελθόντας ἀβλαβῶς, οὕτω πορθεῖν τοὺς Τριβαλούς. οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ ὡς μόνον ἐπέβησαν Μυγδονίας, τὸ περὶ Χριστούπολιν τείχισμα διαβάντες, πυθόμενοι, ὡς ὑπὸ Κράλην αἱ πόλεις ἐκεῖναι ἄγοιντο, εὐθὺς ἐτράποντο ἐπὶ λεηλασίαν, ὀλίγα φροντίσαντες τῶν στρατηγῶν, καὶ τὰς κώμας πάσας ἐξεπόρθησαν, καὶ τὰς πόλεις κατέδραμον τὰς κατὰ Μυγδονίαν, καὶ ἀπέκτεινάν τε πλείστους καὶ ἠνδραποδίσαντο οὐκ ὀλίγους· λείαν τε πλείστην δοριάλωτον ἐλάσαντες, ἀνέστρεφον καὶ ἐπεραιοῦντο κατὰ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν. βασιλεὺς δὲ πυθόμενος τὴν ἀταξίαν τῶν βαρβάρων, οὐ μετρίως ἠνιᾶτο, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐδόκει τὸν πόλεμον αἱρεῖσθαι, τούτους διέφθειρεν ἡ συμμαχεῖν δοκοῦσα στρατιά. 3.33 εʹ. Μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ εἰς Θετταλίαν τριήρη πέμψας, τὸν 3.33 υἱὸν