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to have those who opposed the better course. And he promised to grant a complete amnesty for past deeds. The young emperor, therefore, was ready to do everything that the emperor his father-in-law advised and to move toward peace; but the rebels would not allow it, but hindered it with all their power and advised to cling rather to the war, knowing that, if they came under the emperor Kantakouzenos, they would no longer have opportunity to foment sedition and stir up new troubles, from which the common interest of the Romans would be destroyed, while they themselves would profit little. Since the agreements concerning peace were not advancing, the emperor Kantakouzenos bore down more fiercely on the party of the young emperor, so that they were not even able to resist. For leaving Didymoteichon and the other cities which he held, he crossed over from Ainos to Tenedos. The empress Helena his wife followed him, having Manuel the younger of their children with her, a greater good fortune, one might rightly say, than the misfortune he seemed to have in the 3.254 war. For she showed herself beneficial to her husband in all things, not only during the time of the war, but for all the rest of her life, and according to the first creation she became a helper to her husband in all things, enduring their exile together without grief and being prepared to undergo everything for his sake out of her love for her husband. For she strove to surpass not only her contemporaries, but also all those of old who were praised for certain advantages, all together, displaying in all things a noble spirit and the bearing of a noble soul, and in intelligence and sagacity surpassing not only the foremost of women, but also the men admired for these qualities. Indeed, as for her freedom from pride and her modesty and the modesty befitting women and her application to all noble things and her natural ability and the seemliness that was apparent both in her words and her deeds, no one is so envious, nor so unacquainted with good things, who would choose either to conceal it altogether, or not to mention it with every hyperbole. But greatest of all was that, having chosen such a splendor of life and as if having laid down laws for herself, neither time nor anything else blunted her zeal, but rather, if one must say something even newer, she had it growing with her life and advancing with it. These, then, are a few of the many good qualities belonging to the empress Helena; for we have not chosen to eulogize her, but that we might know what a good thing nature was able to produce even in our times. 3.255 35. Then when the young emperor had crossed from Ainos to the island of Tenedos, all the cities under his rule went over to the emperor Kantakouzenos, which he also went about setting in order, and he appointed as rulers those who seemed most devoted to him. The young emperor, having equipped one trireme and not many single-banked galleys, arrived at Byzantium, taking great care to go unnoticed. For he hoped that if only his friends learned he had come, they would admit him to the city, having persuaded the people. For the common people not only of Byzantium, but also of the other cities, were very well-disposed toward the young emperor. So his approach was announced around dawn, and a rumor arose throughout the city and no small disturbance. But the empress Irene neglected none of the necessary measures, but immediately sending for the most faithful of her relatives and friends and those most devoted to them, she entrusted to them the guard of the city, and she ordered them to go about with the army to intimidate the people and to block every entrance to the young emperor. So they did as they were ordered, and those devoted to the young emperor started no new trouble, fearing the danger, but they too went about with the others and showed themselves most zealous for the city's defense in order not to be suspected. But the young emperor, since he was disappointed of his hopes, after sailing around the city in a circle, then put in near Galata opposite 3.256 Byzantium and disembarked there; and having encamped there for the following night, on the next day at dawn he departed again for Tenedos. And during the departure the men from the imperial trireme many slanders against Emperor Kantakouzenos and

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πρὸς τὰ βελτίω ἐναντιουμένους ἔχειν. ἐπηγγέλλετό τε παντάπασιν ἀμνηστήσειν τῶν προϋπηργμένων. ὁ μὲν οὖν νέος βασιλεὺς ἕτοιμος πάντα ἦν ποιεῖν, ὅσα παραινοίη βασιλεὺς ὁ κηδεστὴς καὶ χωρεῖν πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην· οἱ στασιασταὶ δὲ οὐκ εἴων, ἀλλ' ἐκώλυον πάσῃ δυνάμει καὶ μᾶλλον ἔχεσθαι παρῄνουν τοῦ πολέμου, εἰδότες, ὡς, ἂν ὑπὸ βασιλέα γένωνται τὸν Καντακουζηνὸν, οὐκέτι χώραν ἕξουσι στασιάζειν καὶ νεώτερα κινεῖν, ἐξ ὧν τὸ κοινὸν μὲν διαφθαρήσεται Ῥωμαίων, αὐτοὶ δὲ ὠφεληθήσονται ὀλίγα. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐ προὐχώρουν αἱ συμβάσεις περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, σφοδρότερον βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς ἐπηνέχθη τοῖς περὶ τὸν νέον βασιλέα, ὥστε μηδὲ δυνηθῆναι ἀντισχεῖν. ∆ιδυμότειχον γὰρ καταλιπὼν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, ἃς εἶχεν, ἐκ τῆς Αἴνου πρὸς Τένεδον ἐπεραιώθη. συνείπετο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ βασιλὶς Ἑλένη ἡ γυνὴ, Μανουὴλ τὸν νεώτερον τῶν παίδων ἔχουσα, μεῖζον εὐτύχημα, ἄν τις εἴποι δικαίως, ἢ καθ' ὅσον ἐδόκει κακοπραγεῖν ἐν τῷ 3.254 πολέμῳ. πάντα γὰρ ἑαυτὴν παρέσχετο τῷ ἀνδρὶ λυσιτελοῦσαν, οὐ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πολέμου μόνον χρόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐπίλοιπον, καὶ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην πλάσιν βοηθὸς ἐν πᾶσι τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐγένετο, τήν τε φυγὴν συνδιαφέρουσα ἀλύπως καὶ πάντα ὑπομένειν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου οὖσα παρεσκευασμένη διὰ φιλανδρίαν. ἐφιλονείκησε γὰρ οὐ τὰς οὔσας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἐπί τισι πλεονεκτήμασι πάλαι ὑμνουμένας ὑφ' ἓν ἁπάσας παρελάσαι, φρόνημα μὲν γενναῖον ἐν πᾶσι καὶ παράστημα ψυχῆς εὐγενοῦς ἐπιδεικνυμένη, συνέσει δὲ καὶ ἀγχινοίᾳ οὐ τῶν γυναικῶν τὰς πρώτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδρῶν τοὺς διὰ ταῦτα θαυμαζομένους παριοῦσα. ἀτυφίας μέντοι καὶ μετριότητος καὶ γυναιξὶν αἰδοῦς πρεπούσης καὶ τῆς εἰς πάντα τὰ καλὰ ἐπιβολῆς καὶ εὐφυΐας καὶ τῆς ἐπιφαινομένης καὶ διὰ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῶν ἔργων κοσμιότητος, οὐδεὶς οὕτω φθονερὸς, οὐδ' ἀπείρατος καλῶν, ὅστις ἢ παντάπασιν ἂν ἕλοιτο συγκρύπτειν, ἢ μεθ' ἁπάσης μὴ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς ὑπερβολῆς. μέγιστον δὲ ἁπάντων, ὅτι λαμπρότητα τοιαύτην βίου ἐπανῃρημένη καὶ ὥσπερ νόμους θείσῃ ἑαυτῇ οὔτε χρόνος, οὔθ' ἕτερον οὐδὲν ἤμβλυνε τὴν προθυμίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δεῖ τι καὶ καινότερον εἰπεῖν, καὶ συναυξανομένην ἔχει τῷ βίῳ καὶ συμπροϊοῦσαν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐκ πολλῶν ὀλίγα τῶν Ἑλένῃ προσόντων ἀγαθῶν τῇ βασιλίδι· οὐ γὰρ εὐφημεῖν ἐκείνην προειλόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἵν' εἰδῶμεν, οἷον ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἡ φύσις ἠδυνήθη χρόνοις ἐνεγκεῖν. 3.255 λεʹ. Τὸτε δὲ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως ἐκ τῆς Αἴνου πρὸς Τένεδον τὴν νῆσον περαιωθέντος, αἱ ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ τελοῦσαι πόλεις πᾶσαι προσεχώρουν βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ, ἃς καὶ καθίστη περιιὼν, καὶ ἄρχοντας ἐφίστη τοὺς δοκοῦντας μάλιστα αὐτῷ προσέχειν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος τριήρη μίαν ἐφοπλίσας καὶ μονήρεις οὐ πολλὰς, ἐπὶ Βυζάντιον ἀφῖκτο, πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος ἀγνοηθῆναι. ἤλπιζε γὰρ, εἰ μόνον πύθοιντο οἱ φίλοι ἥκοντα, εἰσδέξεσθαι τῇ πόλει, πείσαντες τὸν δῆμον. ἦσαν γὰρ οὐ Βυζαντίου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων οἱ δῆμοι μάλιστα πρὸς τὸν νέον βασιλέα εὔνως ἔχοντες. ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐκείνου ἔφοδος ἠγγέλλετο περὶ ὄρθρον, καὶ θροῦς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ᾖρτο καὶ τάραχος οὐκ ὀλίγος. Εἰρήνη δὲ ἡ βασιλὶς οὐδενὸς ἠμέλει τῶν δεόντων, ἀλλ' αὐτίκα τῶν τε συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων τοὺς πιστοτάτους καὶ τοὺς σφίσι μάλιστα προσέχοντας μεταπεμψαμένη, ἐπέτρεπε τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς πόλεως, ἐκέλευέ τε μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς περιιόντας δεδίττεσθαι τὸν δῆμον καὶ πᾶσαν εἴσοδον ἀπείργειν τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐποίουν κατὰ τὰ κεκελευσμένα, καὶ οἱ τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ προσέχοντες οὐδὲν ἐνεωτέριζον, δείσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον, ἀλλὰ συμπεριῄεσαν καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ παρείχοντο προθυμοτάτους ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τῆς πόλεως τὴν φυλακὴν ἕνεκα τοῦ μὴ ὑποπτευθῆναι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἐλπίδων διημάρτανε, κύκλῳ τὴν πόλιν περιπλεύσας, ἔπειτα ἐγγὺς Γαλατᾶ ἀντικρὺ προσέσχε 3.256 Βυζαντίου καὶ ἀπέβαινεν ἐκεῖ· αὐλισάμενος δὲ ἐκεῖ καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα, εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἅμα ἕῳ εἰς Τένεδον ἀπῇρεν αὖθις. κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν οἱ ἐκ τῆς βασιλικῆς τριήρεως πολλὰς Καντακουζηνοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ