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money for your pay and when I had never done any wrong, acting unjustly and violently you yourselves, having conspired, deprived me when I was most in need, so that you might be dishonored and faithless among all men, and no one would pay attention to you any more in the future, but you would be driven away by all.” Such things the emperor spoke to the Latins, and they, considering the reputation for faithlessness that was attached to them to be a very great loss and having blamed both themselves and their leader much for their audacity, immediately came out of the tower and asked the emperor to grant pardon for their daring deed, as it had been done, they thought, not out of malice, but rather on his behalf. And they handed over the fortress to the emperor. And immediately summoning the emperor his son-in-law, when the Latins had offered the keys, he himself offered them to the new emperor. He brought in a guard from his own men, after one day driving out the Latins, and after a short time he destroyed all the fortifications, completely abandoning the guarding of it. So the emperor Cantacuzenus was staying in the palace with the empress Irene and those around him, who were not few; while the new emperor was in another house of the nobles called Aetos. But the people of Byzantium, whether stirred up by some, or, as the crowd is wont, carried along by a lack of understanding and irrational impulse, were strangely eager for the change, and they were causing a disturbance, being disorderly and were ready to dare anything. And it was said that even of those in the palace who previously seemed most well-disposed, having changed, were plotting, and that earlier when the new emperor rode into Byzantium, they had planned to kill the emperor’s horse in the very battle, for they thought he would immediately advance against the new emperor; and when the battle did not happen, but they proceeded to negotiations, unaware that emperor Cantacuzenus wished to relinquish his rule after a short time, before the summoned army arrived, they were eager to kill the emperor. For they thought that, if the army should arrive, he would again firmly hold on to power and would avenge the ingratitude towards him. But emperor Cantacuzenus, since he had indeed decided to withdraw from affairs after a short time, considered bringing the new emperor into the palace, and after handing over the rule to him, to withdraw. And since these things also seemed good to the empress Irene, going to the house where the new emperor was staying, he summoned him to the palace, saying that it was unfitting for him not to be staying with him in the palace, but to be wandering outside, changing from house to house, so that it also seemed to others that they distrusted each other. For surely no one could say that the palace was not sufficient for both to live in. For the existing buildings were sufficient now and had been for not a few years before. The new emperor was persuaded and agreed to come after a little while. Then he asked to have luncheon in that same house. But while the emperors were feasting with each other, a great clamor was heard from outside and terrible confusion and disorder. For the people had gathered around the house where the emperor was staying, and, thinking that they were doing things pleasing to the new emperor, turned against those who seemed to be loyal to emperor Cantacuzenus, and unhorsing some whom they happened to meet, they took the horses and went away. And some they even found empty of riders and plundered. But when the emperors perceived the cause of the uproar, sending some of their servants, they ordered them to recover the horses and to suppress the disorder of the people. And they did as they were ordered and the horses, not one having been lost, they returned to their owners and they drove away the people with insults, also using not a few blows. 42. And towards evening the emperors with all those around them went to the palace. And after one day the emperor revealed the secret to the new emperor, that he had indeed previously resolved to withdraw from affairs and to converse only with himself and with God, having taken the habit of the monks; but at another time

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χρήματα πρὸς τὴν μισθοφορὰν ὑμῶν καὶ οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε ἠδικηκότος, ἄδικα καὶ βίαια ποιοῦντες αὐτοὶ ἀπεστερήσατε ὁμοφρονήσαντες, ὅτε κατέστην μάλιστα ἐν χρείᾳ, ἵν' εἴητε ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἄτιμοι καὶ ἄπιστοι, καὶ μηδεὶς ὑμῖν ἔτι προσέχῃ τοῦ λοι 3.304 ποῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ πάντων ἀπελαύνησθε.» τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τοὺς Λατίνους διειλέχθη, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὸ δόξαν ἀπιστίας ἑαυτοῖς προστρίβεσθαι μεγίστην ἡγησάμενοι ζημίαν καὶ πολλὰ τῆς τόλμης ἕνεκα σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα καταμεμψάμενοι, αὐτίκα τοῦ πύργου ἐξελθόντες, βασιλέως ἐδέοντο συγγνώμην τοῦ τολμήματος παρέχειν, ὡς οὐ διὰ κακίαν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ νομίσασιν εἶναι μᾶλλον πεπραγμένον. παρεδίδουν τε τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ φρούριον. αὐτίκα δὲ μεταπεμψάμενος καὶ βασιλέα τὸν γαμβρὸν, τῶν Λατίνων τὰς κλεῖς παρεσχημένων, αὐτὸς παρέσχετο τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ. ὁ δὲ εἰσήγαγε φρουρὰν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων, μετὰ μίαν ἡμέραν τοὺς Λατίνους ἐξελάσας, καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν κατέστρεψε πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπισκευὴν, παντάπασι τὸ φρουρεῖν καταλιπών. βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς διέτριβεν ἐν βασιλείοις ἅμα βασιλίδι τῇ Εἰρήνῃ καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτὸν, οὖσιν οὐκ ὀλίγοις· βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ νέος ἐν οἰκίᾳ τινὶ ἑτέρᾳ τῶν περιφανῶν Ἀετὸν προσαγορευομένῃ. ὁ δῆμος δὲ ὁ Βυζαντίων, εἴτε καὶ ὑπό τινων ἐναγόμενος, εἴθ', ὥσπερ φιλεῖ τὸ πλῆθος, ὑπ' ἀσυνεσίας καὶ ἀλόγου φερόμενος ὁρμῆς, ἀτόπως ἤρα τῆς μεταβολῆς, καὶ ἐθορύβουν ἀτακτοῦντες καὶ πάντα ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι τολμᾷν. ἐλέγετο δὲ, ὡς καὶ τῶν συνόντων ἐν βασιλείοις οἱ μάλιστα πρότερον δοκοῦντες εὔνως ἔχειν ἐπιβουλεύοιεν μεταβαλόντες, καὶ πρότερόν τε ἡνίκα βασιλεὺς ὁ νέος εἰσήλασε Βυζάντιον, 3.305 τὸν βασιλέως ἵππον βεβουλεῦσθαι ἀποκτείνειν ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς μάχης, ᾤοντο γὰρ αὐτὸν αὐτίκα χωρήσειν ἐπὶ τὸν νέον βασιλέα· καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐγεγένητο ἡ μάχη, ἀλλ' ἐχώρησαν ἐπὶ συμβάσεις, ἀγνοοῦντες ὅτι βούλοιτο μετὰ μικρὸν βασιλεὺς ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς ἀπολείπειν τὴν ἀρχὴν, πρὶν τὴν μεταπεμφθεῖσαν ἥκειν στρατιὰν, ἐπείγεσθαι ἀποκτείνειν βασιλέα. ᾤοντο γὰρ, εἰ παραγένοιτο ἡ στρατιὰ, αὖθις ἀνθέξεσθαι βεβαίως τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγνωμοσύνης ἀμυνεῖσθαι. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Καντακουζηνὸς, οἷα δὴ ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων μετὰ μικρὸν ἀναχωρεῖν βεβουλευμένος, ἐσκέψατο βασιλέα τὸν νέον ἐν βασιλείοις ἄγειν, καὶ παραδοὺς τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ, ἀποχωρεῖν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ βασιλίδι τῇ Εἰρήνῃ συνεδόκει, γενόμενος ἐν ᾗ διέτριβεν ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς οἰκίᾳ, ἐκάλει ἐπὶ τὰ βασίλεια, ἄτοπον εἶναι λέγων μὴ αὐτῷ ἐν βασιλείοις συνδιατρίβειν, ἀλλ' ἔξω περιπλανᾶσθαι, ἀμείβοντα οἰκίαν ἐξ οἰκίας, ὥστε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις ἀπιστεῖν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἄν τις φαίη, ὡς οὐκ ἐξαρκοῦσιν ἑκατέροις τὰ βασίλεια πρὸς οἴκησιν. τὰ γὰρ ὄντα νῦν καὶ πρότερον οὐκ ὀλίγοις ἔτεσιν ἐξήρκουν. ἐπείθετό τε καὶ ὁ νέος βασιλεὺς καὶ συνέθετο ἥξειν μετ' ὀλίγον. τότε δὲ ἐδεῖτο ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἄριστον ἑλέσθαι. μεταξὺ δὲ ἀλλήλοις τῶν βασιλέων συνεστιωμένων, θόρυβος ἠκούετο ἔξωθεν πολὺς καὶ σύγχυσις δεινὴ καὶ ἀταξία. ὁ γὰρ δῆμος περὶ τὴν οἰκίαν συνειλεγμένος, ἐν ᾗ διέτριβεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ 3.306 νομίσαντες, ὡς κεχαρισμένα πράττοιεν τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ, ἐτράποντο ἐπὶ τοὺς δοκοῦντας εὔνους εἶναι βασιλεῖ τῷ Καντακουζηνῷ, καὶ τῶν ἵππων ἀποβιβάζοντές τινας, οἷς περιετύγχανον, αὐτοὶ λαμβάνοντες ἀπεχώρουν. ἐνίους δὲ καὶ κενοὺς ἐπιβατῶν εὑρίσκοντες, διήρπαζον. ἐπεὶ δὲ ᾐσθάνοντο οἱ βασιλεῖς τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ θορύβου, πέμψαντες τῶν οἰκετῶν τινας, ἐκέλευον τούς τε ἵππους ἀνασώζειν καὶ τὴν ἀταξίαν τοῦ δήμου καταστέλλειν. οἱ δὲ ἐποίουν κατὰ τὰ κεκελευσμένα καὶ τούς τε ἵππους, οὐδενὸς ἀπολωλότος, ἀπέδοσαν τοῖς κυρίοις καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἀπήλαυνον πρὸς ὕβριν, οὐκ ὀλίγα καὶ πληγαῖς χρησάμενοι. μβʹ. Πρὸς ἑσπέραν δὲ οἱ βασιλεῖς μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἁπάντων ᾔεσαν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια. μετὰ μίαν δὲ ἡμέραν τὸ ἀπόῤῥητον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξεκάλυπτε τῷ νέῳ βασιλεῖ, ὡς εἴη μὲν καὶ πρότερον βεβουλευμένος ἀναχωρεῖν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ καὶ θεῷ προσαδολεσχεῖν, ὑποδὺς τὸ σχῆμα τῶν μοναχῶν· ἄλλοτε δὲ