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would persuade the king to make a treaty with him, in whatever way seemed most pleasing, and jointly to take up the war against that man. For they considered it intolerable for that man to rule, having deprived the king of his ancestral rule. And the Kral immediately was ecstatic with pleasure, and he expressed many thanks to those who had brought the message, and he eagerly promised the Emperor Palaiologos to ally with him against the king his kinsman by marriage and to show all zeal and goodwill towards him; and at dawn, when it was day, sending to the king, he renounced the peace based on the stated terms; but if he wished to have only the cities recently taken, or rather, having given back some of those, thus he would persuade him not to make war. But if he did not wish it, he should prepare himself and come out for battle; for he himself would fight with all his might. The king, therefore, paid little heed to the Kral's words. For he knew that he would be able to compel him, even unwilling, to do what was right. But he was exceedingly vexed by the scheming Romans; for he was not ignorant of whence the change had come, and he despaired of setting matters right, thinking such things to be the beginning of renewed civil wars and great seditions. Nevertheless, even in this state, he promised to come out for battle on the next day. The Kral also prepared himself, 3.158 and encouraged his men for the war against the king. "One must not fear," he said, "the Emperor Kantakouzenos, as long as he is fought by his own people, but should have firm hopes of prevailing and of holding securely the seized cities of the Romans." For he said that man resembled a person submerged in water, while his own people stood over him, and if he ever managed to surface, they would push him down again, submerging him, and allow him to be useful neither to himself nor to them. If, however, he should ever be freed from his domestic quarrels, then they should at once willingly yield everything to him, and take great care to have him as a friend. For to oppose him in war, if he were rid of his domestic troubles, he neither considered profitable for himself, nor would he advise it to them. Thus the Kral, trusting not so much in his own power as in the dissensions and quarrels of the Romans, again set out for war, and on the next day at dawn, having drawn up his army into phalanxes, he advanced towards Thessalonica from his camp. And the emperor likewise led out and drew up his infantry and cavalry forces in opposition; but neither attempted to begin the war, but for a long time the armies stood opposite each other without moving. And the Kral, sending to the emperor, said he chose peace, if he wished, with each side keeping what they had, or else not to delay, but to begin the engagement. But the emperor said he again chose the terms stated on the previous day, and 3.159 wished to have him as a friend rather than an enemy, upon his returning the cities; but if he himself chose war, he should rather be the first to begin the engagement by advancing a little, so that he himself might thus fight eagerly as one defending himself and not beginning a war, calling to witness both men and God that he was not committing an injustice, but rather was being wronged, nor was he perjuring himself and wishing to be false to his friend, but was proceeding by necessity to what he did not wish. If, he said, he himself did not also lead his army against him when he made the first move, the other should have the victory, as if he himself had refused battle. But the Kral, when he learned the emperor's words, sending again, said that he himself did not want the battle either; and if he were seen to move his phalanxes after a little while, not to think he was advancing, but that the movement was a withdrawal to his camp. Such things the Kral said; and after a little while he turned back and again encamped for the night near his camp. And the emperor likewise rode into the city with his army. And on the next day the Kral, having crossed the Axios, overran the region of Edessa and, encamping around it, laid siege to it. And the emperor, since it no longer seemed right to delay in Thessalonica, for it was not possible to accomplish anything more of note, prepared to sail to Byzantium. But when he was already about to depart, he strongly advised the young emperor not to obey the Kral. For he knew he would attempt

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βασιλέα πείσειν συνθήσεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ᾗ ἂν μάλιστα δοκῇ καθ' ἡδονὴν, καὶ κοινῇ τὸν πόλεμον πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀνελέσθαι. ἡγεῖσθαι γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἄρχειν, βασιλέα τῆς πατρῴας ἀποστερήσαντα ἀρχῆς. καὶ ὁ Κράλης αὐτίκα ἔνθους ἦν ὑφ' ἡδονῆς, καὶ πολλὰς ὡμολόγει χάριτας τοῖς ἀπαγγείλασι, βασιλεῖ τε ἐπηγγέλλετο προθύμως τῷ Παλαιολόγῳ συμμαχήσειν κατὰ κηδεστοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείξεσθαι σπουδὴν καὶ εὔνοιαν πρὸς αὐτόν· ἅμα τε ἕῳ, ἐπεὶ ἡμέρα ἦν, πέμψας πρὸς βασιλέα, ἀπηγόρευε τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις εἰρήνην· ἀλλ' εἰ βούλοιτο τὰς ἄρτι ληφθείσας πόλεις μόνας ἔχειν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνων ἀποδόντα, οὕτω πείθειν αὐτὸν μὴ πολεμεῖν. εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο, παρασκευασάμενον πρὸς μάχην ἐξελθεῖν· αὐτὸν γὰρ παντὶ σθένει πολεμήσειν. τῶν μὲν οὖν Κράλη λόγων ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀλίγον ἐποιεῖτο λόγον. ᾔδει γὰρ ὡς δυνησόμενος αὐτὸν καταναγκάζειν καὶ ἄκοντα τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν. σφόδρα δὲ ἤχθετο κατὰ Ῥωμαίων τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόησεν, ὅθεν ἡ μεταβολὴ, καὶ τὴν διόρθωσιν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπεγίνωσκε, πολέμων αὖθις ἐμφυλίων καὶ στάσεων μεγάλων τὰ τοιαῦτα οἰόμενος. ἀρχήν. ὅμως καὶ οὕτως ἔχων, ἐπηγγέλλετο εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἐξελεύσεσθαι πρὸς μάχην. Κράλης δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς παρεσκευά 3.158 ζετο, καὶ παραθαῤῥύνων τοὺς οἰκείους πρὸς τὸν βασιλέως πόλεμον. οὐ χρὴ δεδοικέναι, ἔφασκε, Καντακουζηνὸν τὸν βασιλέα, ἄχρις ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων πολεμῆται, ἀλλὰ βεβαίας ἔχειν ἐλπίδας τοῦ περιέσεσθαι καὶ τὰς ἡρπασμένας Ῥωμαίων πόλεις καθέξειν ἀσφαλῶς. ἐοικέναι γὰρ ἔφασκεν ἐκεῖνον ἐν ὕδασιν ἀνθρώπῳ καταβεβαπτισμένῳ, τοὺς οἰκείους δὲ ἐφεστῶτας, εἴ ποτε δυνηθείη ἀνακύψαι, πιέζοντας αὖθις καταβαπτίζειν καὶ μήθ' ἑαυτῷ χρήσιμον, μήτ' ἐκείνοις γίνεσθαι ἐᾷν. ἂν μέντοι τῶν οἴκοι διαφορῶν ποτε ἀπαλλαγείη, τότ' ἤδη πάντων αὐτῷ ἐξίστασθαι ἑκόντας, καὶ πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ποιεῖσθαι φίλον ἔχειν. ἀντικαθίστασθαι γὰρ πρὸς πόλεμον, ἂν τῶν οἴκοι δυσχερῶν ἀπαλλαγείη, οὔτ' αὐτὸν λυσιτελεῖν ἡγεῖσθαι, οὔτ' ἐκείνοις συμβουλεύειν. οὕτω μὲν ὁ Κράλης οὐ τῇ σφετέρᾳ μᾶλλον θαῤῥῶν δυνάμει, ἢ ταῖς διχοστασίαις καὶ διαφοραῖς Ῥωμαίων, αὖθις ὥρμητο πρὸς πόλεμον, καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἅμα ἕῳ συντάξας ἐπὶ φάλαγγας τὴν στρατιὰν, ἐχώρει πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκην ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁμοίως τήν τε πεζὴν καὶ ἱππικὴν δύναμιν ἀντιπαρέταττεν ἐξαγαγών· οὐδέτερος δὲ ἐπεχείρει πολέμου ἄρχειν, ἀλλ' ἐπιπολὺ ἀτρεμοῦντα ἀντικαθίστατο ἀλλήλοις τὰ στρατόπεδα. Κράλης δὲ πρὸς βασιλέα πέμψας, ἢ τὴν εἰρήνην ἔφασκεν αἱρεῖσθαι, ἂν ἐθέλῃ, ἔχοντας ἃ ἔχουσιν ἑκάτερον, ἢ μὴ μέλλειν, ἀλλ' ἄρχειν συμβολῆς. βασιλεὺς δὲ τὰ τῇ προτεραίᾳ εἰρημένα καὶ αὖθις ἔφασκεν αἱρεῖσθαι, καὶ 3.159 φίλον ἐθέλειν μᾶλλον ἔχειν, ἢ πολέμιον, τὰς πόλεις ἀποδόντα· ἂν δ' αὐτὸς τὸν πόλεμον αἱροῖτο, πρῶτον μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἄρχειν συμβολῆς μικρὸν προβάντα, ὡς οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸν ὡς ἀμυνόμενον καὶ οὐκ ἄρχοντα πολέμου ἀγωνιούμενον προθύμως, ἐπιμαρτυρόμενον καὶ ἀνθρώπους καὶ θεὸν, ὡς οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖται, οὐδὲ ἐπιορκεῖ καὶ κακὸς εἶναι βούλεται περὶ τὸν φίλον, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκῃ ἐφ' ἃ μὴ βούλοιτο χωρεῖ. ἂν δ' αὐτοῦ κινουμένου πρώτου, ἔφασκε, μὴ τὸ στράτευμα ἀντεπάγῃ καὶ αὐτὸς, τὴν νίκην ἐκεῖνον ἔχειν, ὡς αὐτοῦ φυγομαχήσαντος. Κράλης δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο τοὺς βασιλέως λόγους, πέμψας αὖθις, ἔφασκε μηδ' αὐτὸς βούλεσθαι τὴν μάχην· ἂν δὲ φαίνοιτο κινῶν τὰς φάλαγγας μετὰ μικρὸν, μὴ νομίζειν ἐπιέναι, ἀλλ' ἀναχώρησιν εἶναι τὴν κίνησιν πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον. τοιαῦτα ὁ Κράλης εἶπε· καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν ἀναστρέψας αὖθις ηὐλίσατο πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον τὴν νύκτα. καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁμοίως εἰσήλαυνεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς. Κράλης δὲ εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν διαβὰς τὸν Ἀξειὸν, τὰ περὶ Ἔδεσσαν κατέδραμε καὶ περιστρατοπεδευσάμενος ἐπολιόρκει. βασιλεύς τε ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐδόκει ἔτι μέλλειν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, πράττειν γὰρ ἔτι ἀξιόλογον οὐδὲν ἐξῆν, παρεσκευάζετο ὡς εἰς Βυζάντιον πλευσούμενος. μέλλων δὲ ἀπαίρειν ἤδη, πολλὰ βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ περὶ τοῦ μὴ πείθεσθαι παρῄνει Κράλῃ. ᾔδει γὰρ ἐπιχειρήσοντα