455

having it gathered around him, he did not dare to stand against the emperor, but giving up everything he wished to avoid battle. Whence also the citizens of Skopje sent an embassy to him and announced the emperor's attack and asked for help, at first he gave them hope that he would help, if the Romans should attack them; but as the more terrifying rumors of the attacking Romans and barbarians came in, he openly refused aid to those from Skopje; and he ordered them to save themselves as best they could. For he himself was not able to come to them for the time being. Who, having deliberated together and judging it to be of great folly to stand against those whom their own ruler, with so great a force, did not dare, came to the emperor and surrendered the city before it was destroyed. But later, when the fears were dispersed, having been brought to trial by Kral and prosecuted for apostasy, they were more easily acquitted of the charges, with their archbishop arbitrating; who decreed that they had done no wrong, if, with Kral not wishing to help, but even advising them to save themselves, they had decided on a course that was both wise and salutary for themselves, voting to serve the more powerful. Thus all the cities were shaken with fear at that time and wanted 3.135 to submit voluntarily to the emperor, before being plundered. Not only the cities, but also the most powerful of the Triballians, who had previously been well-disposed towards the emperor, and had rather chosen to be ruled by him, at that time, even more out of fear, secretly conversed and urged him to come to them, as all would be willing to cooperate in what was possible. And two deserters also came from among them; of whom one was among the most distinguished, related by birth to Kral, named Chlapainos, having under him an army not to be despised and great wealth; the other was not among the very famous, yet he too had been entrusted with the commands of cities and the leadership of armies, named Tolisthlabos. And both brought messages to the emperor from the other powerful men, that, if he should attack Kral, they too would join the war, having defected. But since the emperor did not have an army fit for battle, it did not seem right to him, trusting in defections alone, to push himself into dangers, but to campaign at an opportune time after making preparations. At that time, leaving the protovestiarios Diplovatatzes as governor in Berrhoia, a man who knew how to handle the difficulties and changes of affairs and was daring in battles, and having placed Nikephoros Sarantenos over the surrendered [cities] in Thessaly, he returned to Thessalonica. 20. And after a short while, having taken up both the cavalry and infantry 3.136 force, having also the emperor his son-in-law campaigning with him, he marched against Gynaikokastron, which is a very strong fortress built from its very foundations by the emperor Andronikos the Younger, being less than a day's journey away from Thessalonica. It was held by the Triballians who had taken it along with the others. And it was harming Thessalonica not a little, having an army stationed in it composed of both Romans who had submitted and Triballians. But Belkos, the commander of the fortress, when he learned that the emperor was approaching, fearing that he might be captured by arms, sent word and promised to submit voluntarily. And for the sake of good faith he also offered the holy objects on his breast, almost giving oaths that he would hand over the fortress. And it seemed best to the emperor to have the fortress without slaughter and dangers; and he ordered Belkos to come to him. And when he came to the emperor at the camp, he offered oaths that he would both submit to the emperor and hand over the fortress; but he asked that for the time being he not enter himself, nor bring in a garrison; for his property, which was very great and scattered about, would be lost, having been plundered by the Triballians, and Kral would utterly destroy his relatives and household because of his enmity towards him; but after waiting fifteen days, until he could send for his household and possessions, then he should take over the fortress. The emperor therefore was persuaded by these things, and oaths

455

περὶ αὑτὸν ἠθροισμένην ἔχων, ἀντικαθίστασθαι πρὸς βασιλέα οὐκ ἐθάῤῥει, ἀλλὰ πάντα προέμενος ἐβούλετο φυγομαχεῖν. ὅθεν καὶ τῶν Σκοπιᾶς πολιτῶν πρεσβευσαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν ἔφοδον ἀπαγγελλόντων βασιλέως καὶ δεομένων βοηθεῖν, πρῶτα μὲν ἐλπίδας παρείχετο ὡς βοηθήσων, ἂν ἐπίωσιν αὐτοῖς Ῥωμαῖοι· ὡς δὲ μᾶλλον προσέπιπτον αἱ φῆμαι φοβερώτεραι τῶν ἐπιόντων Ῥωμαίων καὶ βαρβάρων, φανερῶς ἀπεῖπε τὴν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς ἐκ τῆς Σκοπιᾶς· ἐκέλευέ τε σώζειν ἑαυτοὺς ὡς ἂν οἷοίτε ὦσιν. αὐτὸν γὰρ μὴ δύνασθαι τὸ νῦν ἔχον ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτούς. οἳ βουλευσάμενοι κοινῇ καὶ πολλῆς ἀνοίας εἶναι κρίναντες ἀντικαθίστασθαι οἷς ὁ σφῶν δυνάστης τοσαύτην ἔχων δύναμιν οὐκ ἐτόλμα, ἥκουσι πρὸς βασιλέα καὶ τὴν πόλιν παρεδίδουν πρὶν διαφθαρῆναι. ὕστερον δὲ ἐπεὶ οἱ φόβοι διελύοντο, ἐπὶ δίκην καταστάντες ὑπὸ Κράλη καὶ διωκόμενοι ἀποστασίας, ῥᾷον ἀπελύσαντο τὰ ἐγκλήματα, τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀρχιεπισκόπου διαιτῶντος· ὃς ἐπεψηφίζετο αὐτοὺς μηδὲν ἠδικηκέναι, εἰ, ἐπικουρεῖν μὴ βουλομένου Κράλη, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραινοῦντος σώζειν ἑαυτοὺς, συνετά τε ἅμα καὶ σωτήρια σφίσιν ἐβουλεύσαντο, δουλεύειν τοῖς δυνατωτέροις ψηφισάμενοι. οὕτω πᾶσαι πόλεις κατεσείσθησαν τῷ φόβῳ τότε καὶ προσχωρεῖν 3.135 ἐβούλοντο ἑκοῦσαι βασιλεῖ, πρὶν ἀναρπασθῆναι. οὐχ αἱ πόλεις δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν Τριβαλῶν οἱ δυνατώτατοι, καὶ πρότερον εὔνως περὶ βασιλέα διακείμενοι, καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπ' ἐκείνου ᾑρημένοι βασιλεύεσθαι, τότε καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ δέους κρύφα διελέγοντο καὶ παρώξυνον ἥκειν ἐπὶ σφᾶς, ὡς πάντων τὰ δυνατὰ βουλησομένων συνεργεῖν. ἧκον δὲ καὶ αὐτόμολοι δύο ἐξ αὐτῶν· ὧν ἅτερος τῶν μάλιστα ἦν ἐπιφανῶν, κατὰ γένος προσήκων Κράλῃ, Χλάπαινος ὠνομασμένος, στρατιάν τε ἔχων ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον καὶ πολλὴν περιουσίαν· ὁ λοιπὸς δὲ οὐ τῶν πάνυ περιδόξων ἦν, πλὴν κἀκεῖνος ἀρχάς τε πόλεων ἐγκεχειρισμένος καὶ στρατοπέδων ἡγεμονίας, ὄνομα Τολίσθλαβος. καὶ ἄμφω δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων δυνατῶν λόγους ἐκόμιζον πρὸς βασιλέα, ὡς, ἢν ἐπίῃ Κράλῃ, καὶ αὐτοὶ συμπολεμήσουσιν ἀποστάντες. βασιλεῖ δὲ ἀξιόμαχον στρατιὰν οὐκ ἔχοντι οὐκ ἐδόκει δεῖν ταῖς ἀποστασίαις θαῤῥοῦντα μόνον, ἑαυτὸν εἰς τοὺς κινδύνους εἰσωθεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρασκευασάμενον ἐπιστρατεύειν ἐπικαίρως. τότε δὲ ἄρχοντα ἐν Βεῤῥοίᾳ ∆ιπλοβατάτζην τὸν πρωτοβεστιαρίτην καταλιπὼν, πραγμάτων τε δυσκολίαις καὶ μεταβολαῖς εἰδότα χρῆσθαι καὶ πρὸς μάχας τολμητὴν, ταῖς τε κατὰ Θετταλίαν προσχωρησάσαις Νικηφόρον ἐπιστήσας τὸν Σαραντηνὸν, ἐπανέζευξεν εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην. κʹ. Μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ τήν τε ἱππικὴν καὶ τὴν πεζὴν 3.136 δύναμιν ἀναλαβὼν, ἔχων καὶ βασιλέα τὸν γαμβρὸν συστρατευόμενον, ἐπεστράτευσε Γυναικοκάστρῳ, ὃ φρούριόν ἐστι καρτερώτατον ὑπὸ βασιλέως Ἀνδρονίκου τοῦ νέου οἰκοδομηθὲν αὐταῖς κρηπῖσιν, ἡμέρας ὁδοῦ μῆκος ἔλαττον ἀφεστηκὸς Θεσσαλονίκης. εἴχετο δὲ ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτὸ ἑλόντων. οὐκ ὀλίγα τε ἔβλαπτε Θεσσαλονίκην, στρατιὰν ἔκ τε Ῥωμαίων τῶν προσκεχωρηκότων καὶ Τριβαλῶν ἔχον ἐγκαθιδρυμένην. Βέλκος δὲ ὁ τοῦ φρουρίου ἄρχων, ὡς ἐπύθετο βασιλέα ἐπιόντα, τοῖς ὅπλοις δείσας μὴ ἁλῷ, πέμψας ἐπηγγέλλετο προσχωρεῖν ἑκών. πίστεως δὲ ἕνεκα καὶ τὰ ἐν κόλποις ἅγια παρείχετο, ὅρκους μονονοὺ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ φρούριον ἐγχειρίσειν παρεχόμενος. βασιλεῖ τε ἐδόκει βέλτιστον τὸ φρούριον ἔχειν ἄνευ φόνων καὶ κινδύνων· ἐκέλευέ τε Βέλκον ἥκειν παρ' αὐτόν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκε πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον πρὸς βασιλέα, ὅρκους μὲν παρείχετο ἐπὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ τε αὐτὸν προσχωρεῖν καὶ τὸ φρούριον παραδιδόναι· ἐδεῖτο δὲ μὴ τὸ νῦν ἔχον ἢ αὐτὸν εἰσιέναι, ἢ φρουρὰν εἰσάγειν· τήν τε γὰρ οὐσίαν αὐτῷ πλείστην οὖσαν καὶ διεσκεδασμένην ἀπολεῖσθαι ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν διαρπασθεῖσαν, καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς αὐτῷ καὶ οἰκείους Κράλην ἄρδην διαφθερεῖν διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπέχθειαν· ἀλλὰ περιμείναντα ἡμέρας πεντεκαίδεκα, ἄχρις ἂν οἰκείους τε καὶ χρήματα μεταπέμψηται, οὕτω τὸ φρούριον παραλαμβάνειν. τούτοις μὲν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς πεισθεὶς, καὶ ὅρκους