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to bring gold to the public treasury, and of the other fruits accordingly; those engaged in agriculture were to pay one gold piece for more than fifty choes of wine; however, those buying from the farmers were to provide double, not only as being wealthier, but also because they themselves bear manifold profits without labor from the toils of others. And while there was an ancient law that all merchants pay a tenth to the public treasury, he himself set it at a fiftieth. From which nearly two hundred merchant ships were added to the Romans in a short time, something which had not yet happened up to that time, and they acquired a great naval power and were greatly profited from commerce, having now become rulers of the sea. But since Chios was being held unjustly during a truce by those from Genoa, as has been related by us, the emperor sent an embassy to its ruler, locally addressed as duke, and to the council and the people, demanding the island back according to the treaties and the oaths which they have with the Roman emperors. The duke and the council and the people said that the emperor was making just demands, but that the island was not held by their will, nor by a vote of the council, but that some of their nobles had seized it, having equipped the fleet at their own expense, whom they were not able now to compel; for it would require much money and no ordinary preparation to take the island away from them against their will; but that as time went on, they would undoubtedly take it away rather by foresight and management and give it back to the emperor. Such things they said to the emperor's ambassadors, and at the same time they sent Herminius Jacobus and Pinelus Antaros, who were from among their eminent men, as ambassadors to the emperor to argue about the same matters. But to the emperor the defense seemed insufficient, and he sought a certain deadline, by which they would return the island, or he should not be accused of perjury if he himself were able to take it away. And they came to an agreement, that the Latins should hold the city on the island, itself also called Chios, for ten years and enjoy its revenues, providing to the emperor annually twelve thousand gold pieces. and to raise the imperial standard within the city according to custom, and for the archbishop to be one consecrated from the church in Byzantium, and to acclaim the emperors on the sabbaths, as is the custom; and for the priests to make mention of them in the sacred rites and to be hindered by no one. but the rest of the entire island and the fortresses and villages were to be held by the emperor and he was to appoint over them whatever ruler he wished; and he was also to rule the Romans within the city of Chios. And if there should be a dispute between a Roman and a Roman over private wrongdoings, it was to be judged before the Roman ruler; but if between a Latin and a Roman, or the reverse, the two rulers coming together were to resolve the dispute, preserving justice for each, to whomever it belonged. But after ten years, numbered from when the emperor Cantacuzenus took power in Byzantium, the Latins were to withdraw from Chios completely. Such things the ambassadors from Genoa agreed to with the emperor. But Symeon Veniouzos, who was the most distinguished of those holding Chios, and the others did not accept the agreements, but they openly refused, choosing rather to be declared enemies of the council and people of Genoa than to withdraw from Chios. And during the time that the emperor's ambassadors were in Genoa, a certain Tzybos, the most powerful of the Chians, having been established by the Genoese as ruler of Old Phocaea when Chios was surrendered to them—for they had yielded by agreement, as we said, being pressured by a lack of grain—sent to the emperor, first asking for forgiveness for the surrender of Chios, as it was done not so much out of malice as out of necessity, and he advised him not to neglect the island, since, if he should provide a little assistance, it would easily be recovered again for the Romans. The emperor praised Tzybos and made great promises on account of his zeal. But he ordered him to remain quiet for the time being, until the ambassadors in Genoa should return. for it was uncertain whether he might not recover it without dangers.

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χρυσίου τῷ δημοσίῳ φέρειν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων καρπῶν ἀναλόγως· τοὺς δὲ περὶ γεωργίαν ἠσχολημένους οἴνου ὑπὲρ πεντήκοντα χοῶν χρυσίον ἓν τελεῖν· τοὺς μέντοι ἐκ τῶν γε 3.81 ωργούντων ὠνουμένους διπλάσιον παρέχειν, οὐ μόνον ὡς εὐπορωτέρους, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἀμογητὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑτέρων πόνων αὐτοὶ πολλαπλασίω τὰ κέρδη φέρονται. νόμου δὲ ὄντος ἀρχαίου δεκάτας τοὺς ἐμπορευομένους ἅπαντας τελεῖν τῷ δημοσίῳ, πεντηκοστύας ἔταξεν αὐτός. ἐξ ὧν ὀλίγῳ δέουσαι διακοσίων ὁλκάδες προσεγένοντο Ῥωμαίοις ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ, οὐδέπω ἄχρι τότε γεγενημένον, καὶ μεγάλην δύναμιν ἐκτήσαντο ναυτικὴν καὶ πολλὰ ἐκ τῆς ἐμπορίας ὠφελοῦντο, θαλάσσης ἤδη ἄρχοντες γεγενημένοι. ἐχομένης δὲ τῆς Χίου, ὥσπερ ἱστόρηται ἡμῖν, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ Γεννούας ἀδίκως ἐν σπονδαῖς, πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα αὐτῆς, δοῦκα ἐγχωρίως προσαγορευόμενον, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν καὶ τὸν δῆμον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε πρεσβείαν, ἀπαιτῶν τὴν νῆσον κατὰ τὰς σπονδὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους, οὓς ἔχουσι μετὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέων. δοὺξ δὲ καὶ ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος δίκαια μὲν ἔφασαν προκαλεῖσθαι βασιλέα, οὐ κατὰ γνώμην δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔχεσθαι τὴν νῆσον, οὐδὲ ψήφῳ τῆς βουλῆς, ἀλλὰ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς εὐπατριδῶν τινας οἰκείοις ἀναλώμασι τὸν στόλον ἐφοπλίσαντας κατασχεῖν, οὓς μὴ δύνασθαι νῦν βιάζεσθαι· δεήσει γὰρ πολλῶν χρημάτων καὶ παρασκευῆς οὐ τῆς τυχούσης, ὥστε ἀκόντων τὴν νῆσον ἀφαιρεῖσθαι· ἀλλὰ τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος προνοίᾳ μᾶλλον ἀφελομένους καὶ οἰκονομίᾳ ἀποδοῦναι βασιλεῖ ἀναμφιβόλως. τοιαῦτά τε εἶπον πρὸς τοὺς πρέσβεις βασιλέως, καὶ ἅμα Ἑρμίνιον Ἰά 3.82 κωβον καὶ Πινέλον Ἀνταρὼ, ὄντας ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιφανῶν, πρὸς βασιλέα πρέσβεις ἔπεμψαν ἰσχυρισομένους περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν. βασιλεῖ δὲ ἐδόκει ἡ ἀπολογία οὐκ ἀρκοῦσα, ἀλλὰ προθεσμίαν τινὰ ἐζήτει, καθ' ἣν ἀποδώσουσι τὴν νῆσον, ἢ μὴ ἐγκαλεῖν ἐπιορκίαν, ἂν αὐτὸς ἀφέληται δυνηθείς. καὶ συνέβησαν, ὥστε Λατίνους μὲν τὴν κατὰ τὴν νῆσον πόλιν, Χίον καὶ αὐτὴν προσαγορευομένην, ἐπὶ δέκα ἔτεσι κατέχειν καὶ καρποῦσθαι τὰς προσόδους, παρέχοντας ἐνιαύσιον τῷ βασιλεῖ δισχιλίους καὶ μυρίους χρυσοῦς. ἐγείρειν δὲ καὶ σημαίαν βασιλικὴν ἐντὸς τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τὸ ἔθος, καὶ ἀρχιερέα εἶναι ἐκ τῆς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐκκλησίας κεχειροτονημένον, καὶ εὐφημεῖν τοὺς βασιλέας κατὰ τὰ σάββατα, ὡς ἔθος· μνείαν τε αὐτῶν τοὺς ἱερέας ἐν ταῖς ἱεροτελεστίαις ποιεῖσθαι καὶ μηδὲν κωλύεσθαι παρ' οὐδενός. τὴν δὲ ἄλλην νῆσον ἅπασαν καὶ τὰ φρούρια καὶ κώμας ὑπὸ βασιλέως ἔχεσθαι καὶ ἄρχοντα αὐτοῖς, ὃν ἂν ἐθέλῃ, ἐφιστᾷν· τὸν δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐντὸς Χίου τῆς πόλεως Ῥωμαίων ἄρχειν. κἂν μὲν Ῥωμαίῳ πρὸς Ῥωμαῖον ὑπὲρἰδίων ἀδικημάτων ἀμφισβήτησις ᾖ, παρὰ τὸν Ῥωμαίων ἄρχοντα δικάζεσθαι· ἂν δὲ Λατίνῳ πρὸς Ῥωμαῖον, ἢ τὸ ἔμπαλιν, τοὺς δύο ἄρχοντας συνερχομένους, διαλύειν τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν, ἑκατέρῳ τὸ δίκαιον περισώζοντας, ὁποτέρῳ ἂν προσῇ. μετὰ δὲ τὰ δέκα ἔτη, ἐξ ὅτου βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς ἐκράτησε Βυζαντίου ἀριθμούμενα, παντάπασιν ἀφίστασθαι Χίου τοὺς Λατίνους. τοιαῦτα μὲν οἱ ἐκ Γεννούας πρέ 3.83 σβεις συνέθεντο πρὸς βασιλέα. Βενιοῦζος δὲ Συμεὼν, ὃς ἦν διαφορώτατος τῶν τὴν Χίον κατεχόντων, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι οὐ προσεδέξαντο τὰς συμβάσεις, ἀλλὰ φανερῶς ἀπείπαντο, πολέμιοι μᾶλλον ψηφίζεσθαι τῆς βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ δήμου Γεννούας ἢ Χίου ἀποστῆναι προελόμενοι. ἐν ᾧ δὲ οἱ βασιλέως πρέσβεις χρόνῳ ἐν Γεννούᾳ ἦσαν, Τζυβός τις, ὁ δυνατώτατος τῶν Χίων, Φωκαίας τῆς παλαιᾶς ὑπὸ Γεννουϊτῶν ἄρχων καταστὰς, ὅτε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἡ Χίος παρεδίδοτο, ὁμολογίᾳ γὰρ προσεχώρησαν, ὥσπερ ἔφημεν, σίτου ἐνδείᾳ πιεσθέντες, πρὸς βασιλέα πέμψας, πρῶτα μὲν συγγνώμην ᾔτει ἐπὶ τῇ παραδόσει Χίου, ὡς οὐ κακίᾳ μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀνάγκῃ πεπραγμένῃ, παρῄνει δὲ μὴ τῆς νήσου ἀμελεῖν, ὡς, εἰ μικρὰν παράσχοιτο ἐπικουρίαν, ῥᾳδίως αὖθις αὐτοῦ Ῥωμαίοις ἀνασωσομένου. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπῄνει τε τὸν Τζυβὸν καὶ μεγάλα ἐπηγγέλλετο τῆς προθυμίας ἕνεκα. ἐκέλευε δὲ τὸ νῦν ἔχον ἀτρεμεῖν, ἄχρις ἂν οἱ ἐν Γεννούᾳ πρέσβεις ἐπανήξουσιν. ἄδηλον γὰρ εἶναι, εἰ μὴ χωρὶς κινδύνων ἀπολήψεται