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acknowledging great thanks 3.228 for the providence concerning them. But those whose ships were lost were left behind of necessity in Byzantium, being about two thousand, the majority of whom, being in need, the emperor later deemed worthy of much providence and sent home by land. More than three hundred were left behind voluntarily, whom the emperor used for campaigns as mercenaries, and they displayed great valor in the battles. These things, then, later. 31. But then, since the Genoese saw none of the enemy approaching for several days, suspecting that the enemy was dreading the battle against them, which was the case, they took courage and decided that they themselves should advance against them, so as to strike them with greater terror. And they themselves made whatever preparations were necessary for the battle, and sending an embassy to Orhan, they begged him to be their ally, offering no small amount of money and promising that the favor would be forever inscribed for the people and senate of Genoa. And he was readily persuaded, not only because of the money, but also because he held the Venetians to blame, for having arrived at the borders of his dominion with so great a fleet, they had not only not treated him as an ally and friend, but had not even deemed him worthy of a bare greeting. And having sent a large force of both infantry and cavalry to the continent opposite Byzantium, he ordered them from there to help the Gen 3.229 oese in whatever way they could, and by crossing over to Galata. And the Persian force helped them most greatly at that time. For when they were already prepared and nothing was lacking, and bringing along two large merchant ships, on which had been constructed wooden towers, upon which they stationed many hoplites, they crossed over to the opposite continent with all the ships they had. And with the Persians accompanying them from the mainland, they came and anchored opposite the enemy. And the emperor, immediately leading a large force of both infantry and cavalry from Byzantium, with the young emperor Palaiologos also campaigning with him—for he had just arrived from Thessalonica, as will be related a little later—came to their own and the allied triremes and urged Nicholas to battle. But he was so far from ever being persuaded, that out of extreme wretchedness he devised to set up stone-throwing machines, to be brought from Byzantium, on the land, so that they might defend from the land, should the enemy attack. Which, even if they were thought to bring some advantage, would have required no little time for construction, especially with the enemy standing by and being able to attack many times on the same day. Thus he neither did nor considered anything befitting a sensible general capable of understanding what was necessary, because of his present folly and cowardice. But Pons, son of Desant, for so was the commander of the Catalans called, was bursting with anger and intend 3.230 ed to tear his co-commander Nicholas to pieces, if it were possible, considering the insolence and contempt of the enemy, which they were suffering because of the incompetence of their general, although they were so superior to the enemy in all respects. And he greatly condemned the inaction of their king, because he had submitted both himself and the army to such a slave, who was in no better state than the common and most worthless men. And being in a poor state of body from fevers, he said that the command had fallen ill from the absurd actions of his co-commander and would perish, as the dreadful things kept being added; which indeed happened a little later. For whether from bitterness and anger towards his co-commander, or otherwise overcome by the disease, he died, a man distinguished among his countrymen and second to none in intelligence and strategy, and who had shown himself brave in battles. And in his place was chosen as general Monenan te Scoltois Catalanes, not distinguished, nor from the nobility, but nevertheless surpassing others in intelligence and experience and most excellently trained for battles. But Nicholas, having set sail from the harbor where he was anchored with all the triremes, arrived at Byzantium, leaving the enemy behind. And those too, fearing that

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περὶ σφᾶς προνοίας μεγάλας χάριτας 3.228 ὁμολογοῦντας. ὅσοις δὲ ἀπώλοντο αἱ νῆες, ἐν Βυζαντίῳ κατελείποντο ἀνάγκῃ, περὶ δισχιλίους ὄντες, ὧν τοὺς πολλοὺς δεηθέντας ὕστερον πολλῆς προνοίας ἀξιώσας ἐξέπεμψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὴν οἰκίαν διὰ τῆς ἠπείρου. κατελείποντο δὲ ἑκοντὶ ὑπὲρ τριακοσίους, οἷς ἐχρῆτο πρὸς στρατείας ὁ βασιλεὺς μισθοφοροῦσι, καὶ πολλὴν ἀνδραγαθίαν ἐπεδείκνυντο κατὰ τὰς μάχας. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὕστερον. λαʹ. Τότε δὲ, ἐπεὶ οἱ ἐκ Γεννούας οὐδένα πολεμίων ἐν ἡμέραις πλείοσιν ἑώρων ἐπιόντα, ὅπερ ἦν, τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς μάχην ὀῤῥωδεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους ὑποπτεύσαντες, ἀνεθάρσησάν τε καὶ δεῖν ἔγνωσαν αὐτοὶ ἐκείνοις ἐπιέναι, ὡς μᾶλλον καταπλήξοντες. καὶ αὐτοί τε παρεσκευάζοντο, ὅσα ἔδει, πρὸς τὴν μάχην, καὶ πρὸς Ὀρχάνην πρεσβείαν πέμψαντες, ἐδέοντο σφίσι συμμαχεῖν, χρήματά τε οὐκ ὀλίγα παρεχόμενοι καὶ τὴν χάριν ἐσαεὶ ἀνάγραπτον τῷ Γεννούας δήμῳ καὶ τῇ βουλῇ ἔσεσθαι ἐπαγγελλόμενοι. ὁ δ' ἐπείθετο προθύμως, οὐ μόνον τῶν χρημάτων ἕνεκα, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τοὺς ἐκ Βενετίας ἐν αἰτίαις εἶχεν, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ὅρους τῆς ἐκείνου ἡγεμονίας ἀφιγμένοι στόλῳ τοσούτῳ, οὐ μόνον σύμμαχον καὶ φίλον ἔχειν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ προσρήσεως γοῦν τινος ἠξίωσαν ψιλῆς. καὶ πέμψας στρατιὰν πολλὴν πεζήν τε καὶ ἱππικὴν πρὸς τὴν ἀντιπέρας Βυζαντίου ἤπειρον, ἐκεῖθέν τε ἐκέλευε τοὺς ἐκ Γεν 3.229 νούας ὠφελεῖν, ὅ,τι ἂν δύναιντο, καὶ πρὸς Γαλατᾶν περαιουμένους. καὶ ὠφέλησε τὰ μέγιστα κατ' ἐκεῖνο τοῦ καιροῦ τὸ Περσικὸν αὐτούς. ὡς γὰρ ἤδη παρεσκευασμένοι ἦσαν καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνέδει ἔτι, καὶ ὁλκάδας δύο μεγάλας ἐπαγόμενοι, ἐφ' αἷς ἦσαν ξύλινοι πύργοι κατεσκευασμένοι, οἷς ἐπέστησαν πολλοὺς ὁπλίτας, πρὸς τὴν ἀντιπέρας ἤπειρον ἐπεραιώθησαν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἁπάσαις, ὅσαις εἶχον. παρεπομένων δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου καὶ τῶν Περσῶν, καταντικρὺ τῶν πολεμίων ὡρμίσαντο ἐλθόντες. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτίκα πολλὴν ἄγων στρατιὰν πεζήν τε καὶ ἱππικὴν ἐκ Βυζαντίου, συστρατευομένου καὶ Παλαιολόγου τοῦ νέου βασιλέως, ἄρτι γὰρ ἀφῖκτο ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης, ὥσπερ ὕστερον εἰρήσεται ὀλίγῳ, πρός τε τὰς σφετέρας καὶ τὰς συμμαχίδας ἀφίκοντο τριήρεις καὶ παρώρμων τὸν Νικόλαον ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην. ὁ δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ πεισθήσεσθαί ποτε, ὥσθ' ὑπ' ἄκρας ἀθλιότητος μηχανὰς διενοεῖτο πετροβόλους ἀχθησομένας ἐκ Βυζαντίου καθιστᾷν ἐπὶ τῆς χέρσου, ὡς ἀμυνουμένας ἀπὸ γῆς, ἂν οἱ πολέμιοι ἐπίωσιν. ἃ εἰ καί τινα ὠφέλειαν συνοίσειν ἐνομίζετο, οὐκ ὀλίγου ἂν ἐδεήθη χρόνου πρὸς κατασκευὴν, τῶν πολεμίων μάλιστα ἐφεστηκότων καὶ πολλάκις τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας δυναμένων ἐπιέναι. οὕτως οὔτε ἔπραττεν, οὔτε διενοεῖτό τι τῶν ἔμφρονι στρατηγῷ καὶ τὰ δέοντα συνεῖναι δυναμένῳ προσηκόντων ὑπὸ τῆς προσούσης ἐμπληξίας καὶ δειλίας. Πούνσων δὲ Ντεσάντα παῖς, οὕτω γὰρ ὁ τῶν Κατελάνων ἄρχων ἐκαλεῖτο, διεῤῥήγνυτο ὑπὸ θυμοῦ καὶ δια 3.230 σπᾷν, εἰ οἷόντε ἦν, τὸν συνάρχοντα Νικόλαον διενοεῖτο, τὴν ὕβριν τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τὴν καταφρόνησιν ἐννοῶν, ἣν πάσχουσι διὰ τὴν φαυλότητα τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, τοσοῦτον ἐν ἅπασι τῶν πολεμίων ὑπερέχοντες. πολλήν τε τοῦ σφετέρου ῥηγὸς κατεγίνωσκεν ἀπραγμοσύνην, ὅτι φέρων αὐτόν τε καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ὑπέταξε τοιούτῳ ἀνδραπόδῳ, τῶν πολλῶν καὶ φαυλοτάτων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακειμένῳ. πονήρως δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔχων ὑπὸ πυρετῶν, τὴν ἀρχήν τε ἔφασκεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀτόπων ἔργων τοῦ συνάρχοντος νενοσηκέναι καὶ τελευτήσειν, ἀεὶ προστιθεμένων τῶν δεινῶν· ὅπερ καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐγίνετο. εἴτε γὰρ ὑπὸ πικρίας καὶ ὀργῆς τῆς πρὸς τὸν συνάρχοντα, εἴτε καὶ ἄλλως κατεργασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου, ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀνὴρ ἐπιφανὴς ἐν τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις καὶ πρὸς σύνεσιν καὶ στρατηγίαν οὐδενὸς ἀπολειπόμενος καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὀφθεὶς κατὰ τὰς μάχας. ᾑρεῖτο δὲ ἀντ' ἐκείνου στρατηγὸς Μονενάν τε Σκολτοῖς Κατελάνης, οὐκ ἐπιφανὴς μὲν, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν εὐπατριδῶν, ὅμως δὲ συνέσει καὶ πείρᾳ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερέχων καὶ πρὸς μάχας κάλλιστα ἐξησκημένος. Νικόλαος δὲ ἄρας ἐξ οὗπερ ὡρμίζετο λιμένος ἅμα πάσαις ταῖς τριήρεσιν εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀφῖκτο, ὀπίσω καταλιπὼν τοὺς πολεμίους. δείσαντες δὲ κἀκεῖνοι, μὴ