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he went about the islands avoiding battle, and though often urged by the Catalan general to advance against the enemy and not to wear out the army senselessly and in vain in the winter season, sailing around islands and wasting time, he would not be persuaded. The emperor, likewise knowing the cause of the delay, sent an embassy once and twice, summoning Nicholas as if to ready trophies, and advising him not to dread the enemy, but to lead the fleet against them, especially at Byzantium, where he himself would contribute the most to the war. At first, therefore, he put off the ambassadors, postponing his arrival; then, as winter was already ending, being much urged both by the emperor's 3.220 ambassadors and by the Catalan general (for that man was not only sharp in understanding what was necessary and had experience in strategy, but was also most noble in courage and daring in battles), he was with difficulty persuaded, having regained his courage, and taking the fleet, he put in at Principus, an uninhabited island, not far from Byzantium. And having rested the army for two days at the island, for it had been greatly afflicted by the winter, and especially that of the Catalans, with many having been mutilated by the cold, on the third day at dawn, having set out from Principus under arms, they proceeded to the dockyard of the Byzantines at Heptascalum. And they had the intention that there, having joined with the imperial triremes (for they were inside the dockyard, armed), they would proceed against the enemy. But Paganus, the general of the Genoese, he too having seventy ships which he commanded, at Chalcedon opposite Byzantium had drawn up in battle line against the enemy both on the preceding consecutive days and then, but he did not dare to engage them as they advanced; but seeing them making haste for the Byzantines' dockyard, he remained in his battle line, hoping that the enemy would suffer something unexpected from the wind and be destroyed by falling afoul of each other, which they came very near to suffering. For since a very strong south wind blew on that day, they accomplished the voyage from Principus with difficulty and by force until 3.221 late in the day already; but when they were near the dockyard, being driven off by the violence of the wind, they were in danger of running upon the shoals which are strewn everywhere before the walls, so that the walls defend against the violence of the waves. And at this moment Constantine Tarchaneiotes, the general of the imperial triremes, a good man both before and then especially proven, full of courage and spirit, sailed out of the dockyard, and having his own triremes, he went straight for the enemy, opposite the flagship. And after him the general of the Catalans also advanced; and Nicholas, having now regained his courage, sailed on as the third. But the Genoese, with both the wind forcing them and the enemy advancing, did not even await the engagement, but turning back they sailed, as they were, for Galata; and the enemy pursued. And the sea being shallow there, since it was not possible to flee further, at the place called Brachophagus, which has many reefs, as the Genoese had previously become experienced with the places, they anchored in the current, and standing firmly on their anchors, they were fighting as much on foot as in a sea-battle. But the Venetians and Catalans having advanced with the Romans, the Romans, being natives, avoided the reefs and fought with experience and were destroying the enemy; and the Venetians no less so. But the Catalans, being altogether inexperienced with the places, and sailing most violently against the enemy out of eagerness, some fell upon the 3.222 shoals and smashed their triremes, especially as they were heavy, while others, being forced out by the current, did not engage the enemy prow to prow, but with their triremes broadside, and were harmed not a little, being thrown into confusion by the disorder with respect to their rams. Nevertheless, they displayed wondrous deeds of daring and courage and killed very many of the enemy; and almost no one withstood their charge, with whom

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νήσους περιῄει φυγομαχῶν, καὶ πολλὰ παρακαλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Κατελάνων στρατηγοῦ, χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ μὴ κατατείνειν τὴν στρατιὰν εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην ἐν χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ, νήσους περιπλέων καὶ κατατρίβων τὸν καιρὸν, οὐκ ἐπείθετο. βασιλεύς τε ὁμοίως τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς μελλήσεως εἰδὼς, καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς ἔπεμψε πρεσβείαν, μεταπεμπόμενος Νικόλαον ὡς ἐφ' ἑτοίμοις τοῖς τροπαίοις, καὶ παραινῶν μὴ ὀῤῥωδεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους, ἀλλ' ἐπάγειν αὐτοῖς τὸν στόλον μάλιστα ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, ὅπου καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ μέγιστα συμβαλεῖται πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον. πρῶτα μὲν οὖν παρεκρούετο τοὺς πρέσβεις ὑπερτιθέμενος τὴν ἄφιξιν, ἔπειτα χειμῶνος ἤδη λήγοντος, ὑπό τε τῶν βασιλέως 3.220 πρέσβεων πολλὰ παρακαλούμενος καὶ τοῦ Κατελάνων στρατηγοῦ, ἦν γὰρ ἐκεῖνος οὐ συνεῖναι μόνον ὀξὺς τὰ δέοντα καὶ πεῖραν πρὸς στρατηγίας ἐσχηκὼς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς εὐψυχίαν καὶ τόλμην τὴν κατὰ τὰς μάχας γενναιότατος, μόλις ἐπείθετο ἀναθαρσήσας, καὶ τὸν στόλον ἔχων, Πριγγίπῳ τῇ νήσῳ οὔσῃ ἀοικήτῳ προσέσχεν, οὐ μακρὰν οὔσῃ Βυζαντίου. ἐπὶ δύο δὲ ἡμέραις πρὸς τῇ νήσῳ τὴν στρατιὰν διαναπαύσας, ἦν γὰρ πλεῖστα ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος κεκακωμένη, καὶ μάλιστα ἡ τῶν Κατελάνων, ὑπὸ τοῦ ψύχους πολλῶν, ἠκρωτηριασμένων, τῇ τρίτῃ ἅμα ἕῳ ἄραντες ἐκ Πριγγίπου ὡπλισμένοι, ἐπὶ τὸ ἐν Ἑπτασκάλῳ νεώριον ἐχώρουν τῶν Βυζαντίων. γνώμην δὲ εἶχον, ὡς ἐκεῖ καὶ ταῖς βασιλικαῖς τριήρεσι συμμίξαντες, ἔνδον γὰρ ἦσαν τοῦ νεωρίου ὡπλισμέναι, χωρήσουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. Παγανὴς δὲ ὁ τῶν Γεννουϊτῶν στρατηγὸς ἑβδομήκοντα ἔχων καὶ αὐτὸς, ὧν ἦρχε, ναῦς, ἐν Χαλκηδόνι κατ' ἀντικρὺ Βυζαντίου πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους τάς τε προτέρας ἐφεξῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τότε ἀντιπαρετάσσετο, ἐπιοῦσι δὲ οὐκ ἐτόλμα συμβαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ὁρῶν ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζαντίων νεώριον ποιουμένους τὴν σπουδὴν, ἔμενεν ἐπὶ τῆς παρατάξεως, ἐλπίζων ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀπροσδόκητόν τι πείσεσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ διαφθαρήσεσθαι ἑαυτοῖς περιπεσόντας, ὃ μικροῦ ἐδέησε παθεῖν. νότου γὰρ ἀνέμου σφοδροτάτου κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν πνεύσαντος, δυσέργως μὲν καὶ μετὰ βίας διήνυσαν τὸν ἐκ Πριγγίπου πλοῦν ἄχρι 3.221 δείλης ἡμέρας ἤδη· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγγὺς τοῦ νεωρίου ἦσαν, ὑπὸ σφοδρότητος τοῦ πνεύματος ἐξωθούμενοι, ἐκινδύνευσαν βράχεσι περιπεσεῖν, ἃ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν πάντη ἐγκατέσπαρται, ὥστε τοῖς τείχεσιν ἀμύνειν πρὸς τὴν βίαν τῶν κυμάτων. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ταρχανειώτης Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ τῶν βασιλικῶν τριηρέων στρατηγὸς, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς πρότερόν τε ὢν καὶ τότε μάλιστα ἀποδεδειγμένος θάρσους καὶ φρονήματος ἀνάπλεως, ἐξήλαυνε τοῦ νεωρίου, καὶ τὰς σφετέρας τριήρεις ἔχων, εὐθὺ τῶν πολεμίων ᾔει ἀντικρὺ τῆς ναυαρχίδος. μετ' αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ ὁ τῶν Κατελάνων ἐχώρει στρατηγός· καὶ τρίτος ἐπήλαυνε καὶ Νικόλαος, ἀναθαρσήσας ἤδη. Γεννουῖται δὲ, τοῦ τε πνεύματος βιαζομένου καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιόντων, οὐδὲ ὑπέμειναν τὴν συμβολὴν, ἀλλ' ἀναστρέψαντες ἤλαυνον, ὡς εἶχον, ἐπὶ Γαλατᾶν· ἐπεδίωκον δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι. βραχείας δὲ οὔσης ἐνταῦθα τῆς θαλάττης, ἐπεὶ φεύγειν ἐπιπλέον οὐκ ἐξῆν, πρὸς τῷ Βραχοφάγῳ λεγομένῳ τόπῳ ὑφάλους ἔχοντι πολλὰς, οἷα δὴ τῶν τόπων ἔμπειροι οἱ Γεννουῖται πρότερον γενόμενοι, ὡρμίσαντο ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥεύματος, καὶ βεβαίως ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγκυρῶν ἑστῶτες, οὐ μᾶλλον ἐναυμάχουν ἢ ἐπεζομάχουν. οἱ ἐκ Βενετίας δὲ καὶ Κατελάνοι μετὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐπελθόντες, Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ὄντες ἐπιχώριοι. ἐξέκλινον τὰς ὑφάλους καὶ ἠγωνίζοντο ἐμπείρως καὶ διέφθειρον τοὺς πολεμίους· οὐχ ἧττον δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐκ Βενετίας. Κατελάνοι δὲ τῶν τόπων ἔχοντες παντάπασιν ἀπείρως, σφοδρότατά τε ὑπὸ προθυμίας ἐπελαύνοντες τοῖς πολεμίοις, οἱ μὲν τοῖς 3.222 βράχεσιν ἐνέπιπτον καὶ συνέθλων τὰς τριήρεις, μάλιστα βαρείας οὔσας, οἱ δ' ὑπὸ τοῦ ῥεύματος ἐκβιαζόμενοι, οὐ κατὰ πρώραν συνέβαλον τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλ' ἐγκαρσίαις ταῖς τριήρεσι, καὶ ἐβλάπτοντο οὐκ ὀλίγα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀταξίας θορυβούμενοι τῆς πρὸς τὰς ἐμβολάς. τόλμης μέντοι καὶ ἀνδρίας ἔργα ἐπεδείξαντο θαυμαστὰ καὶ πλείστους ἀπέκτειναν τῶν πολεμίων· σχεδόν τε οὐδένες τὴν αὐτῶν ὁρμὴν ὑπέμειναν, οἷς