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our own, even if it be exceedingly well prepared, even if it has reached the height of manliness and daring, not even so will it be a match for the enemy, as long as it remains of the size it is now. In addition to these things, it is necessary to prepare a naval force beforehand, so as to prevent those coming to their aid. For if they rule the sea, we shall need no small or contemptible force. For we shall be forced to fight not only Orkhan in Thrace, but also all the barbarians throughout Asia, who, if they are hard pressed by us, will most eagerly fight alongside them. For he who has led them into this error has especially persuaded them that of the immortal prizes, which it is their belief that those who have lived well here receive, he will be in enjoyment who, fighting against us, either falls in battle or kills as many as possible. For which reasons, I advise you not to undertake the war against them now, but first to provide both money and allies. But for the present to send an embassy to them and to ratify the existing peace and to try through foresight rather and good counsel to recover and get back by agreement the 3.299 cities in Thrace, just as I myself have arranged, having given much forethought to this. For it is still possible even now, if you are willing. And when the barbarians have been driven from our borders, both the war against them, if we wish to undertake it, will be easier, as we will need only a naval force, and we will either persuade the Mysians and Triballians, who are committing no lesser wrongs, to be friendly and to return what they have seized by threatening them with the barbarians, or we shall even compel them, if we wish, by bringing it upon them. These, then, are the things which I have considered to be advantageous for you at present. But if, in your deliberations, the opposite should seem best, I will not hesitate to say that you will be choosing what is disadvantageous, but I pray that I may rather be mistaken in my reasoning than that you should be cheated of your hopes.” Such things did the emperor Kantakouzenos discuss in the assembly concerning the war against the barbarians, hinting somewhat faintly that he himself would shortly withdraw from affairs. But of those meeting in assembly, as many as were of most account said nothing in opposition, but the younger and more foolish ones, having greatly blamed the emperor's words concerning peace, and hinting that previously, being able to do great harm if he had chosen to war against the barbarians, he had willingly neglected the common advantage on account of his daughter who was married to Orkhan, and that now he willingly advises the opposite of what he thinks is advantageous for the same reason 3.300. Then they said that they themselves preferred war and begged the others to vote for the same. For the barbarians would not encounter men inferior to themselves in deeds, but would know clearly that they would not be fighting with women, but with men. But since the young emperor uttered nothing at all about which opinion he held concerning these matters, but was examining by himself which side he should join, the emperor Kantakouzenos, rising, dissolved the assembly, seeing on the one hand that it was not easy to persuade them, since they were carried away by much thoughtlessness and reckless audacity, and on the other hand declining to seem to wish to use force, being already prepared to withdraw entirely from the rule a little later in favor of the young emperor. For it was possible for him, if indeed he had especially wished, to ratify the vote for peace, paying little heed to those urging for war as men counseling things altogether disadvantageous to the common good. The war against the barbarians, therefore, which was kindled a little later by those who were then making a disturbance, did not end well for the Romans. 41. And on the third day after that, the emperor Kantakouzenos went with the young emperor to the fortress at the Golden Gate, so as to hand it over according to the agreements. And when they had come to the sanctuary of the Theotokos, which is also called the Spring of all kinds of healings, the young emperor was left behind there, but the emperor Kantakouzenos, with a few men, went into the fortress, so as to persuade the 3.301 guards to surrender without a fight. and they were admitted

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ἡμῖν οἰκεία, κἂν τὰ μάλιστα ἔχῃ περιττῶς πρὸς τὴν παρασκευὴν, κἂν εἰς ἄκρον ἀνδρίας ἀφίκηται καὶ τόλμης, οὐδ' οὕτω πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἔσται ἀξιόχρεως, ἕως ἂν τοσαύτη μένῃ, ὅση νῦν ἐστι. πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ δύναμιν ναυτικὴν προπαρασκευάσασθαι χρεὼν, ὥστε κωλύειν τοὺς ἐπιβοηθοῦντας. ἂν γὰρ αὐτοὶ θαλασσοκρατῶσιν, οὐ μικρᾶς, οὐδ' εὐκαταφρονήτου δεησόμεθα δυνάμεως. οὐ γὰρ Ὀρχάνῃ μόνον ἀναγκασθησόμεθα ἐν Θρᾴκῃ πολεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἅπασι βαρβάροις, οἳ ἂν ὑφ' ἡμῶν βιάζωνται, προθυμότατα ἐπιμαχήσουσιν αὐτοῖς. τῶν γὰρ ἀθανάτων γερῶν, ἃ αὐτοῖς ὑπείληπται τοὺς ἐνταῦθα καλῶς βεβιωκότας ἀπολαμβάνειν, ἐκεῖνον ἐν ἀπολαύσει ἔσεσθαι ὁ πρὸς τὴν πλάνην καθηγησάμενος μάλιστα πέπεικεν αὐτοὺς, ὅστις ἂν πρὸς ἡμᾶς πολεμῶν ἢ πίπτοι μαχόμενος, ἢ ὡς πλείστους ἀποκτείνοι. ὧν δὴ ἕνεκα οὐ νῦν ἅπτεσθαι ὑμᾶς τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς πολέμου συμβουλεύω, ἀλλὰ πρότερον ἐκπορίζειν τά τε χρήματα καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους. τὸ νῦν δὲ ἔχον πρεσβείαν πέμπειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν οὖσαν εἰρήνην ἐπικυροῦν καὶ πειρᾶσθαι προνοίᾳ μᾶλλον καὶ εὐβουλίᾳ τὰς 3.299 κατὰ τὴν Θρᾴκην πόλεις ἀνασώζεσθαι καὶ ἀπολαμβάνειν ὁμολογίᾳ, ὥσπερ παρεσκεύακα αὐτὸς, πολλὴν εἰς τοῦτο πρόνοιαν πεποιημένος. δυνατὸν γὰρ ἔτι καὶ νῦν, ἐὰν ἐθέλητε ὑμεῖς. ἐξεληλαμένων δὲ τῶν ἡμετέρων ὅρων τῶν βαρβάρων, ὅ,τε πρὸς αὐτοὺς πόλεμος, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν ἀναλαμβάνειν, ῥᾴων ἔσται, ναυτικῆς δυνάμεως δεησομένοις μόνον, καὶ Μυσοὺς καὶ Τριβαλοὺς, οὐδ' αὐτοὺς φαυλότερα ἀδικοῦντας, ἢ πείσομεν ἐπιτηδείους εἶναι καὶ ἀποδιδόναι τὰ ἡρπασμένα δεδιττόμενοι τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἢ καὶ ἀναγκάσομεν, ἂν βουλώμεθα, ἐπάγειν. ἃ μὲν οὖν λυσιτελεῖν ὑμῖν ἐγὼ νενόμικα ἐν τῷ παρόντι, τοσαῦτά ἐστιν. εἰ δ' ὑμῖν βουλευομένοις τἀναντία δόξειεν, εἰπεῖν μὲν, ὡς ἀσύμφορα αἱρήσεσθε, οὐκ ἀποκνήσω, εὔχομαι δὲ ἐμὲ τῶν λογισμῶν διαμαρτάνειν μᾶλλον, ἢ ὑμᾶς ψευσθῆναι τῶν ἐλπίδων.» τοιαῦτα μὲν ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς περὶ τοῦ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους πολέμου διειλέχθη, αἰνιξάμενός πως ἀμυδρῶς, ὡς αὐτὸς μετὰ μικρὸν ἀναχωρήσει τῶν πραγμάτων. οἱ δὲ συνεκκλησιάζοντες, ὅσοι μὲν μάλιστα ἐν λόγῳ ἦσαν, οὐδὲν ἀντεῖπον, οἱ δὲ νεώτεροι καὶ ἀφρονέστεροι πολλὰ τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης λόγους καταμεμψάμενοι βασιλέως, αἰνιξάμενοί τε, ὡς καὶ πρότερον δυνάμενος μεγάλα βλάπτειν, εἰ πολεμεῖν ᾑρεῖτο τοῖς βαρβάροις, ἑκὼν ἠμέλει τοῦ κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦντος διὰ τὴν Ὀρχάνῃ συνοικοῦσαν θυγατέρα, καὶ νῦν ἑκὼν εἶναι τἀναντία, ὧν οἴεται λυσιτελεῖν, τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκα αἰτίας 3.300 συμβουλεύει. ἔπειτα τὸν πόλεμον αὐτοὶ αἱρεῖσθαι μᾶλλον εἶπον καὶ δεῖσθαι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιψηφίζεσθαι τὰ ἴσα. οὐ γὰρ φαυλοτέροις σφῶν οἱ βάρβαροι ἐντεύξονται αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων, ἀλλ' εἴσονται σαφῶς, ὡς οὐ γυναιξὶ μαχοῦνται, ἀλλ' ἀνδράσι. βασιλέως δὲ τοῦ νέου, ὁποτέραν ἔχει τὴν γνώμην περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων οὐδὲν ὅλως φθεγξαμένου, ἀλλ' ἐξετάζοντος ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν, ὁποτέροις πρόσθοιτο, Καντακουζηνὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς διέλυε τὸν σύλλογον ἀναστὰς, τὸ μὲν μεταπείθειν οὐ ῥᾴδιον αὐτοὺς ὁρῶν, ἀκρισίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ παραβόλῳ θράσει φερομένους, τὸ δὲ βιάζεσθαι δοκεῖν ἐθέλειν παραιτούμενος, παρεσκευασμένος ἤδη μετὰ μικρὸν παντάπασι τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐξίστασθαι τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ. ἐξῆν γὰρ αὐτῷ, εἴγε μάλιστα ἠβούλετο, κυροῦν τὴν περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ψῆφον, ὀλίγα φροντίσαντι τῶν ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον παρακαλούντων ὡς ἀλυσιτελῆ παντάπασι τῷ κοινῷ βουλευομένων. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους πόλεμος οὐκ ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ Ῥωμαίοις ἐτελεύτησεν, ὑπὸ τῶν τότε θορυβούντων ἐξαφθεὶς μετὰ μικρόν. μαʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς εἰς τρίτην ἡμέραν ἐξ ἐκείνου ἅμα βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ ἐπὶ τὸ εἰς τὴν Χρυσῆν πύλην ᾔει φρούριον, ὡς παραδώσων κατὰ τὰς συνθήκας. γενομένοις δὲ πρὸς τῷ τῆς θεομήτορος τεμένει, ὃ πηγή τέ ἐστι παντοίων ἰαμάτων καὶ καλεῖται, βασιλεὺς μὲν ὁ νέος κατελείπετο ἐκεῖ, Καντακουζηνὸς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀλίγους ἔχων, ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ, ὡς πείσων τοὺς 3.301 φρουροὺς παραδιδόναι ἀμαχεί. καὶ εἰσεδέχοντο