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they had differed mean-spiritedly with one another; but since his departure was necessary and greatly desired, and he himself was unable for the present to arrive in Thrace and reconcile them to one another because of the war against the Latins, that they should not disturb any of the existing arrangements, until the Empress Eirene, his mother, arriving at Didymoteichon, should remove every pretext for war and mean-spiritedness. Having given such advice, the emperor sent the young man away with his wife. And a little later he commanded the Empress Eirene, his wife, to go to Didymoteichon and reconcile his son with the emperor, his son-in-law. And he sent with her Philotheos, the metropolitan of Herakleia, and Metrophanes of Melenikos, men who, by their life and words, were worthy of respect to those who saw them, and in addition to these, John Philes, one of the nobles, who because of his virtue and philosophy of life had abstained from all affairs and devoted himself to his home and took great care for a temperate and just life, both to help her reconcile the sons, and to be witnesses for her, in case she did not show equal earnestness toward both, so that later the slanderers would have nothing to accuse her of, being able to fabricate the opposite of what the empress had done, if anything did not turn out according to the wishes of her sons. He entrusted 3.240 to the empress and those sent with her to resolve the other differences of the children, making everything public to them, as God and their own understanding might suggest; but to change none of the other existing arrangements, but that the young emperor should have Didymoteichon and the other cities which he had entrusted to him, doing whatever he pleased, but not to interfere with any of the cities not yet entrusted to him, but to allow them to remain under the emperor, just as before. That he should regard Matthew, his wife's brother, as a subject according to the law of emperors, but also as a brother, and show all goodwill and friendship towards him, as is just, and not to question anything concerning his rule, but to allow him to lead his subjects wherever he pleases, and to yield to him in such superiority, as he was a father and able to correct his children if they erred. And that Matthew the son should have Adrianople and the other towns, and should consider the emperor his son-in-law as a brother and lord and render him all goodwill and honor; however, he should not be under compulsion to be examined by him concerning his rule, but only by his father. For thus it was just and offered no pretext for difference and strife. 33. Such were the instructions given to the Empress Eirene and her companions concerning the sons. But when they were in Didymoteichon 3.241 and tried to act according to the emperor's instructions, the young emperor was persuaded in other matters, but when he was asked also to give a guarantee in his own writing to his wife's brother that he would never interfere with his rule, he was not persuaded, saying that he accepted what had been determined by the emperor and contradicted nothing, but he would write nothing; for he had no need of documents. But the empress with the high priests spoke against it, saying that he was not acting justly, providing a pretext for suspicion and war to his wife's brother. 'The emperor,' they said, 'sent us so that the previous differences might be resolved, and that there be no longer any pretext for war between you, and it is necessary that you also obey him.' 'For it will provide no small suspicion not to be willing to confirm in writing that the rule of your brother is not answerable to you.' But the emperor said the same things again and it was clear that he would not be satisfied with the present situation. But the empress and her companions, since they could not persuade him, returned to Byzantium, having accomplished nothing for which they had come, and they reported to the emperor what the young emperor had said to them. And to him it immediately seemed that the present situation was the beginning of terrible things, and he suspected that the young emperor would be incited by his companions against Matthew, his wife's brother. Nevertheless, it seemed necessary, since he was also rid of the war against the Latins, for him to go himself and resolve every pretext for war; 3.242 and he was preparing to arrive after a short time

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μικροψύχως πρὸς ἀλλήλους διηνέχθησαν· ἐπεὶ δ' ἀναγκαία καὶ περισπούδαστος αὐτῷ ἡ ἔξοδος, αὐτός τε ἀδυνάτως ἔχει διὰ τὸν πρὸς Λατίνους πόλεμον τὸ νῦν ἔχον εἰς Θρᾴκην ἀφικέσθαι καὶ διαλλάττειν αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις, μηδὲν κινεῖν τῶν καθεστηκότων, ἄχρις ἂν Εἰρήνη βασιλὶς ἡ μήτηρ εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἀφικομένη πᾶσαν πρόφασιν πολέμου καὶ μικροψυχίας περιέλῃ. τοιαῦτα παραινέσας ὁ βασιλεὺς, τὸν νέον ἐξέπεμπε μετὰ τῆς γυναικός. μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ βασιλίδα Εἰρήνην τὴν γαμετὴν ἐκέλευεν εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἀφικομένην, διαλλάττειν τὸν υἱὸν γαμβρῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ. συνεξέπεμπε δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ Φιλόθεον τὸν Ἡρακλείας μητροπολίτην καὶ Μητροφάνην τὸν Μελενίκου, ἄνδρας καὶ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ τοῖς ὁρῶσι ὄντας ἀξιόχρεως πρὸς αἰδῶ, πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ Φιλῆν τὸν Ἰωάννην, ὄντα τῶν εὐπατριδῶν, δι' ἀρετὴν δὲ καὶ φιλοσοφίαν βίου πάντων ἀποσχόμενον πραγμάτων καὶ σχολάζοντα τοῖς οἴκοι καὶ πρόνοιαν πολλὴν ποιούμενον σώφρονος βίου καὶ δικαίου, ἅμα μὲν συνδιαλλάξοντας αὐτῇ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς, ἅμα δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ μάρτυρας ἐσομένους, εἰ μὴ τὴν ἴσην σπουδὴν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἐπιδείξαιτο, ὥστε μηδὲν ὕστερον τοὺς συκοφάντας ἔχειν ἐγκαλεῖν, δυναμένους τἀναντία, ὧν εἴργαστο ἡ βασιλὶς, λογοποιεῖν, εἴ τι μὴ κατὰ γνώμην ἀποβαίη τοῖς υἱέσιν. ἐπέ 3.240 τρεπε δὲ βασιλίδι καὶ τοῖς συνεκπεμφθεῖσι, τὰς μὲν ἄλλας διαφορὰς τῶν παίδων διαλύειν, ἔκφορα πάντα θεμένων πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ᾗ ἂν θεός τε καὶ ἡ σύνεσις ὑφηγοῖτο· ἕτερον δὲ τῶν καθεστώτων μηδὲν κινεῖν, ἀλλὰ βασιλέα μὲν τὸν νέον ∆ιδυμότειχον καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις ἔχειν, ἃς ἐνεχείρισεν αὐτῷ, πράττοντα, ὅ,τι ἂν δοκῇ, ἑτέρᾳ δὲ τῶν μήπω ἐγκεχειρισμένων παρενοχλεῖν μηδεμιᾷ, ἀλλ' ἐᾷν ὑπὸ βασιλέα, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, τελεῖν. Ματθαῖον δὲ τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν δοῦλον μὲν ἡγεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸν τῶν βασιλέων νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδελφὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐμένειαν καὶ φιλίαν, ὥσπερ δίκαιον, καὶ μηδὲν ἀνακρίνειν περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἀλλ' ἐᾷν τοὺς ἀρχομένους ἄγειν, ὅποι ἂν δοκῇ, καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ὑπεροχῆς αὐτῷ παραχωρεῖν, ὄντι γε πατρὶ καὶ δυναμένῳ τοὺς παῖδας, ἄν τι σφάλωνται, ἐπανορθοῦν. Ματθαῖον δὲ τὸν υἱὸν τὴν Ἀδριανοῦ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πολίχνας ἔχειν, καὶ βασιλέα τὸν γαμβρὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ δεσπότην καὶ πᾶσαν εὔνοιαν ἀποδιδόναι καὶ τιμήν· μὴ μέντοι γε ἀνάγκην ἔχειν καὶ ἀνακρίνεσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ μόνου τοῦ πατρός. οὕτω γὰρ εἶναι δίκαιον καὶ πρόφασιν οὐδεμίαν διαφορᾶς καὶ στάσεως παρέχον. λγʹ. Τοιαῦτα μὲν ἥ τε βασιλὶς Εἰρήνη καὶ οἱ συνόντες ἐπετράπησαν περὶ τῶν υἱῶν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγένοντο ἐν ∆ιδυμο 3.241 τείχῳ καὶ ἐπειρῶντο κατὰ τὰ διατεταγμένα ὑπὸ βασιλέως πράττειν, τἄλλα μὲν ἐπείθετο ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς, ἀπαιτούμενος δὲ καὶ γράμμασιν οἰκείοις τῷ γυναικὸς ἀδελφῷ πιστὸν ποιεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν παρενοχλήσει, οὐκ ἐπείθετο, τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ βασιλέως ὡρισμένα στέργειν φάμενος καὶ ἀντιλέγειν πρὸς μηδὲν, γράψειν δὲ μηδέν· οὐδὲν γὰρ δεῖν αὐτῷ γραμμάτων. βασιλὶς δὲ ἀντεῖπε μετὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων, οὐ δίκαια φάμενοι ποιεῖν αὐτὸν, πρόφασιν ὑποψίας καὶ πολέμου παρέχοντα τῆς γυναικὸς τῷ ἀδελφῷ. βασιλεὺς δὲ, ἵνα αἵ τε προγεγενημέναι διαφοραὶ διαλυθῶσι, καὶ μηκέτι μηδεμία πρόφασις ᾖ πολέμου ἐν ὑμῖν, ἔπεμψεν ἡμᾶς, ᾧ δέον, ἔφασκον, πείθεσθαι καὶ σέ. οὐ μικρὰν γὰρ παρέξει ὑποψίαν τὸ μὴ γράμμασιν ἐθέλειν ἐπιβεβαιοῦν, ἀνεύθυνον εἶναι παρὰ σοὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῷ ἀδελφῷ. βασιλεὺς δὲ τὰ ἴσα αὖθις εἶπε καὶ δῆλος ἦν οὐκ ἀρκεσθησόμενος τοῖς παροῦσι. βασιλὶς δὲ καὶ οἱ συνόντες ἐπεὶ μὴ πείθειν εἶχον, ἀνέστρεφον εἰς Βυζάντιον, μηδὲν περὶ ὧν ἧκον εἰργασμένοι, ἀπήγγελλόν τε βασιλεῖ, ὅσα βασιλεὺς ὁ νέος πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλεχθείη. τῷ δ' εὐθὺς μὲν ἐδόκει τὰ παρόντα δεινῶν ἀρχὴ, καὶ ὑπώπτευεν ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων ἐπὶ Ματθαῖον τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν παροξυνθήσεσθαι τὸν νέον βασιλέα. ὅμως ἐδόκει δεῖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦ πρὸς Λατίνους ἀπήλλακτο πολέμου, αὐτὸν παραγενόμενον, πᾶσαν πρόφασιν πολέμου διαλύειν· 3.242 καὶ παρεσκευάζετο, ὡς ἀφιξόμενος μετὰ μικρὸν