514

only the Latins gladly. But thinking that previously he had been unable to come to them and that then, having found an opportunity and arrived, he would eagerly hold the fortress with them until the army arrived, for they knew that his son had been summoned and the other commanders, and they rejoiced and urged him to be of good courage, as they would fight vigorously against all who might attack, both for his sake and their own, and would easily prevail, not only because of their own boldness and the strength of the fortress, which was extremely difficult to capture because of its construction, but also because they had stored up grain and the other necessities, the emperor having provided them abundantly, so that while being besieged they would last for a third year from then, living luxuriously and revelling. But when the emperor told them what sort of terms he had made with the emperor his son-in-law for peace, and that he had come for this purpose, to hand over the fortress to him, they were unbearably distressed and displeased, and they prostrated themselves and begged him not to do such things, as it would be easy from there, whenever the army arrived, to drive the young emperor out of Byzantium. And especially Juan Peralta their commander both beseeched the emperor himself and persuaded the others, as one who had already been with the emperor for some considerable time and had undergone many dangers on his behalf. For he was among those campaigning with him, when he was staying among the Triballians during the time of the war, and he gave very many proofs 3.302 of his loyalty to him, undergoing no change at that time, when even those who seemed most loyal were exposed adapting themselves to circumstances and opportunities. But when the emperor insisted that they were asking impossible things, for it was not his to overturn what had been decided, and ordered them to hand over the fortress, they asked for time for deliberation, so that they might consult by themselves as to what action they might take which would seem to have chosen what was most advantageous for them. When the emperor had permitted this, leaving him in the enclosure of the fortress, since they themselves were inside the tower, their commander advised them to demand oaths from the emperor, not to hand over the fortress to the young emperor, but either to remain and hold it with them, or, if he did not wish to be besieged himself, to withdraw to the palace and do whatever he thought best, and to allow them to carry on the war against the Byzantines easily. But if he should choose neither of the said options, but considered it of foremost importance to hand over the fortress, they should send him away too, having first taken oaths from him, that not through malice nor having intended a revolt against him had they chosen such things, but had resolved on what was best first for him, and then for themselves. For they thought that though for the present he was handing it over to his son-in-law by necessity, later he would be very grateful to them and would repay them with many benefactions, because for the sake of their loyalty to him, and 3.303 against his will, they did what seemed most advantageous. He then advised such things, and the others were immediately persuaded. For they knew that he was one of the most faithful servants to the emperor, and would not do anything against his will. And having secured the gates of the tower from within with bolts, they announced their decisions from the battlements. The emperor was at once inflamed with anger and was enraged at them on account of their rebellion, but he was unable to do anything of what was needed. Beset by helplessness on all sides, having ordered them all to assemble in the same place together with their commander, first he asked in the Latin tongue, for he was well practiced in it, if they recognized him. When they all said that he was their emperor and lord, "Therefore," he said, "if you are not willing to hand over the fortress, but having revolted completely, you have decided to proceed to war against me, how it is necessary to punish this injustice, I myself will consider well later; but for the present I will immediately send letters to the king of the land that bore you, declaring you most faithless, each one by name, and corrupt in your judgments and worthy of nothing, because the fortress, which I handed over and spent much on

514

ἀσμένως οἱ Λατῖνοι μόνον. οἰόμενοι δὲ αὐτὸν πρότερόν τε ἀδυνάτως ἔχειν ἥκειν παρ' αὐτοὺς καὶ τότε καιροῦ τυχόντα καὶ παραγενόμενον, συγκαθέξειν αὐτοῖς τὸ φρούριον προθύμως, ἄχρις ἂν ἀφίκηται ἡ στρατιὰ, ᾔδεσαν γὰρ τόν τε υἱὸν μετακεκλημένον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἡγεμόνας, συνήδοντό τε καὶ παρεκελεύοντο θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς αὐτῶν αὐτοῦ τε ἕνεκα καὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἐῤῥωμένως πᾶσι μαχουμένων, ὅσοι ἂν ἐπίωσι, καὶ περιεσομένων ῥᾷον, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν σφετέραν εὐτολμίαν καὶ τὴν ὀχυρότητα τοῦ φρουρίου, σφόδρα ὄντος δυσαλώτου διὰ τὴν κατασκευὴν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ σῖτον ἦσαν ἐντεθειμένοι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιτήδεια, ἀφθόνως παρασχομένου βασιλέως, ὡς τρυφῶντας καὶ κωμάζοντας εἰς τρίτον ἔτος ἐξ ἐκείνου διαρκέσειν πολιορκουμένους. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ αὐτοῖς εἰπόντος, ὁποίας θοῖτο πρὸς βασιλέα τὸν γαμβρὸν συνθήκας ἐπὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ, καὶ ὡς εἰς τοῦτο ἥκει, ὥστ' ἐκείνῳ τὸ φρούριον παραδιδόναι, ἠνιῶντό τε καὶ ἐδυσχέραινον οὐκ ἀνεκτῶς, καὶ ἱκέτευον προσκυνοῦντες, μὴ τοιαῦτα πράττειν, ὡς ῥᾴδιον ὂν ἐκεῖθεν, ἐπειδὰν ἀφίκοιτο ἡ στρατιὰ, βασιλέα τὸν νέον Βυζαντίου ἐξελαύνειν. μάλιστα δὲ Ντζιουὰν Περάλτα ὁ τούτων ἡγεμὼν αὐτός τε ἐδεῖτο βασιλέως καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔπειθεν, οἷα δὴ χρόνον τινὰ συχνὸν ἤδη συγγενόμενος τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κινδύνους ὑποστάς. τῶν γὰρ ἐκείνῳ συστρατευομένων ἦν, ἡνίκα διέτριβεν ἐν Τριβαλοῖς κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον, καὶ πλείστας ἀποδείξεις πα 3.302 ρέσχετο τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας, οὐδεμίαν κατ' ἐκεῖνο χρόνου ὑποστὰς μεταβολὴν, ἡνίκα καὶ οἱ μάλιστα δοκοῦντες εὖνοι εἶναι ἐξηλέγχοντο μεθαρμόζοντες ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ τοῖς καιροῖς. βασιλέως δὲ ἀδύνατα ἰσχυριζομένου ἀξιοῦν αὐτοὺς, οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἶναι τὰ ἐψηφισμένα ἀνατρέπειν, καὶ κελεύοντος τὸ φρούριον παραδιδόναι, καιρὸν ᾔτουν πρὸς διάσκεψιν, ὥστε βουλεύσασθαι ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς, ὅ,τι πράξαντες τὰ μάλιστα λυσιτελοῦντα σφίσι δόξωσιν ᾑρῆσθαι. ἐπιτετραφότος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐν τῷ τοῦ φρουρίου περιβόλῳ καταλιπόντες, ἐπεὶ ἔνδον αὐτοὶ τοῦ πύργου ἦσαν, συνεβούλευεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ἡγεμὼν ὅρκους βασιλέα ἀπαιτεῖν, μὴ βασιλεῖ τῷ νέῳ τὸ φρούριον παραδιδόναι, ἀλλ' ἢ μένοντα κατέχειν σὺν αὐτοῖς, ἢ, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο αὐτὸς πολιορκεῖσθαι, ἀναχωρεῖν ἐν βασιλείοις καὶ πράττειν ὅ,τι ἂν δοκῇ, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἐᾷν τὸν πρὸς Βυζαντίους πόλεμον διοίσοντας ῥᾳδίως. εἰ δὲ μηδ' ὁπότερον ἕλοιτο τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀλλὰ προὔργου παντὸς ἡγοῖτο τὸ φρούριον παραδιδόναι, ἀποπέμπεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν, ὅρκοις πρότερον πιστωσαμένους, ὡς οὐ διὰ κακίαν οὐδ' ἀποστασίαν ἐννοήσαντες αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα εἵλοντο, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τε πρῶτον, ἔπειτα καὶ ἑαυτοῖς τὰ κράτιστα βεβουλευμένοι. ᾤοντο γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀνάγκῃ τὸ νῦν ἔχον παραδιδόντα τῷ γαμβρῷ, ὕστερον αὐτοῖς πολλὴν εἰδήσειν χάριν καὶ ἀμείψεσθαι πολλαῖς εὐεργεσίαις, ὅτι τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἕνεκα εὐνοίας, καὶ 3.303 ἄκοντος, τὸ δοκεῖν τὰ μάλιστα λυσιτελοῦντα ἔπραξαν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευεν, αὐτίκα δὲ ἐπείθοντο οἱ ἄλλοι. ᾔδεσαν γὰρ αὐτὸν τῶν πιστοτάτων ὄντα οἰκετῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τι τῶν μὴ κατὰ γνώμην πράξοντα ἐκείνῳ. καὶ τὰς τοῦ πύργου πύλας ἔνδοθεν ἀσφαλίσαντες μοχλοῖς, ἐδήλουν τὰ δεδογμένα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάλξεων. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐξήπτετο μὲν αὐτίκα τῷ θυμῷ καὶ δι' ὀργῆς αὐτοὺς εἶχε τῆς ἀποστασίας ἕνεκα, πράττειν δὲ οὐδὲν ἐδύνατο τῶν δεόντων. πάντοθεν δὲ ἀμηχανίᾳ περισχεθεὶς, κελεύσας ἐν ταὐτῷ γενέσθαι πάντας ἅμα ἡγεμόνι, πρῶτα μὲν ἠρώτα τῇ Λατίνων διαλέκτῳ, ἐξήσκητο γὰρ αὐτὴν καλῶς, εἰ αὐτὸν ἐπιγινώσκοιεν. τῶν δὲ φαμένων πάντων, εἶναι βασιλέα καὶ δεσπότην σφῶν, «οὐκοῦν» ἔφη «εἰ μὴ τὸ φρούριον ἐθέλητε παραδιδόναι, ἀλλὰ καθάπαξ ἀποστάντες, ἔγνωτε πρὸς πόλεμον ἐμοὶ χωρεῖν, τὸ μὲν ὅπως χρὴ τῆς ἀδικίας τιμωρεῖσθαι, ὕστερον αὐτὸς βουλεύσομαι καλῶς· τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον γράμματα αὐτίκα πέμψω πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα τῆς ἐξενεγκούσης γῆς ὑμᾶς, ἀπιστοτάτους ἀποφαίνοντα ὑμᾶς ἕκαστον ὀνομαστὶ καὶ τὰς γνώμας διεφθαρμένους καὶ ἀξίους οὐδενὸς, ὅτι τὸ φρούριον, ἐμοῦ παραδεδωκότος καὶ πολλὰ ἀναλωκότος