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and each one having made the neighboring cities his own, some allied themselves with the Krales, not being present themselves, nor obeying as if a master, but sending reinforcements, as allies and friends indeed, while others with Simon his uncle; but some of them paid attention to neither, but holding together their existing power, they watched what was to come, intending to add themselves to him who might have the advantage; and having been divided into countless factions, they were in a state of civil strife. But the Romans, having been wronged much and greatly by the Triballi for so long a time, having found an opportunity both to recover what had been plundered and to demand justice from the barbarians for what had been dared, because of the prevailing civil war and the factions, spent the opportunity on nothing useful. But Nikephoros the despotes, the doux, seeing the civil strife that held the affairs of the Triballi, and hoping to recover his ancestral rule most easily, especially since Prealimbos, who held the rule of Thessaly, had himself also died, armed triremes from Ainos and sailed against Thessaly, having left his wife at Ainos. and having disembarked, in a short time he held Thessaly, since there was no one to defend it, and the Thessalians readily joined him, fleeing as if from a great storm of Triballian rule to the gentle and calm-filled dominion of the Romans. So while he was occupied with the cities, a certain Limpidarios, one of his household, who had been left by him to command the ships, 3.316 having conceived a most unjust plan concerning his master, persuaded his fleet to revolt and return to Ainos, on the grounds that they would gain two very great things from the revolt, that they would be freed from the campaign abroad, being worn out and suffering hardship in a foreign land rashly and in vain, so that others might reap the greatest fruits from their labors, and from the burdensome servitude at home under a master, since for him it would be one of two things, either if he should prevail over the enemy, he would not have an abundance of ships with which to return to them, or he would be destroyed by them, if they should get the upper hand. And since they were persuaded and, setting sail from there, returned to Ainos, first he made the city his own and he himself was everything, both general and leader and lord of all affairs; and having incited the people against those loyal to the despotes, some he locked up in prisons, and others he drove out of the city, having deprived them of what they had; and some he even killed, having handed them over to the people. Then he campaigned against the basilissa, the wife of the despotes, who was holding the acropolis with her household. And having besieged it for a considerable time, he was not able to take it, on account of the strength of the walls and the courage of the defenders, but he forced the basilissa to leave the acropolis voluntarily, having given oaths that he would not harm her or those with her in any way, but that she could go wherever she pleased, with no one hindering her; which also was done after a short time. For having embarked on a ship, she arrived in Byzantium, and was received generously by the emperor, her 3.317 son-in-law. Then she departed for Thessaly to her husband, who had already become lord of it all and of the cities throughout Acarnania. And he received his wife gladly. And for some time they were at peace, being on intimate and natural terms with one another, as was fitting. Then some of those with him, because of wickedness and foolishness, both thinking vile and unlawful things themselves and influencing the despotes, persuaded him to hand his wife over to the Triballi, and for him to take in marriage the sister of Helen, the wife of the Krales, on the grounds that he would thus rule both Thessaly and Acarnania securely, since the Triballi would not make war on account of the marriage alliance, and he would destroy the Albanians who were opposing his rule and causing no small harm. And immediately he was displeased with his wife and could not even bear to see her. And a little later, having sent her to Arta, a city of Acarnania, he ordered her to be kept under guard. And having sent an embassy to the Kralaina, he was arranging matters concerning the marriage of her sister. So as long as the undertaking was in discussion and embassies, the basilissa, the daughter of the emperor, endured, thinking that her husband would someday abstain from this absurdity and think moderate and just thoughts. But when it was now coming to an end

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καὶ τὰς ὁμόρους ἕκαστος πόλεις ὑφ' ἑαυτῷ πεποιημένος, οἱ μὲν τῷ Κράλῃ συνεμάχουν, οὐκ αὐτοὶ παρόντες, οὐδ' ὡς δεσπότῃ πειθαρχοῦντες, ἀλλὰ πέμποντες ἐπιμαχίαν, οἷα δὴ σύμμαχοι καὶ φίλοι, οἱ δὲ Σίμωνι τῷ θείῳ· ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν προσεῖχον οὐδετέρῳ, ἀλλὰ τὴν οὖσαν δύναμιν συνέχοντες, τὸ μέλλον ἀπεσκόπουν, ὡς ἐκείνῳ προσθησόμενοι, ὃς ἂν τὸ πλέον ἔχῃ· καὶ εἰς μυρία τμήματα διαιρεθέντες ἐστασίαζον. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ὑπὸ Τριβαλῶν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἠδικημένοι χρόνον, καιροῦ τυχόντες, τά, τε ἡρπασμένα ἀνασώσασθαι καὶ δίκας τοὺς βαρβάρους ἀπαιτῆσαι τῶν τετολμημένων, διὰ τὸν κατέχοντα συγγενικὸν πόλεμον καὶ τοὺς στασιασμοὺς εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον ἀνάλωσαν τὸν καιρόν. Νικηφόρος δὲ δεσπότης ὁ δοὺξ τὴν κατέχουσαν τὰ Τριβαλῶν πράγματα στάσιν ὁρῶν καὶ ῥᾷστα τὴν πατρῴαν ἐλπίσας ἀνασώσασθαι ἀρχὴν, ἄλλως θ' ὅτι καὶ Πρεάλιμπος, ὃς Θετταλίας εἶχε τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἐτεθνήκει καὶ αὐτὸς, τριήρεις ἐφοπλίσας ἐκ τῆς Αἴνου ἐπέπλευσε τῇ Θετταλίᾳ, τὴν γυναῖκα πρὸς τῇ Αἴνῳ καταλιπών. καὶ ἀποβὰς, ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ εἶχε Θετταλίαν, τῶν ἀμυνομένων μὲν οὐδένων ὄντων, Θετταλῶν δὲ προθύμως προσχωρούντων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ κλύδωνος μεγάλου τῆς Τριβαλῶν ἀρχῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων καταφεύγοντες ἥμερον καὶ γαλήνης μεστὴν ἡγεμονίαν. ὁ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὰς πόλεις ἠσχολεῖτο, Λιμπιδάριος δέ τις τῶν ἐκείνου οἰκετῶν, ὃς ἦρχε τῶν νεῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνου καταλειφθεὶς, 3.316 ἀδικώτατα περὶ τὸν δεσπότην διανοηθεὶς, ἔπεισε τὸ ναυτικὸν ἐκείνου ἀποστάντας, πρὸς τὴν Αἶνον ἐπανελθεῖν, ὡς δύο τὰ μέγιστα ἐκ τῆς ἀποστασίας κερδανοῦντας, τῆς τε ὑπερορίου στρατείας ἀπαλλαξομένους, εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην κοπτομένους καὶ ταλαιπωροῦντας ἐπὶ ξένης, ἵν' ἕτεροι ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνων πόνων μέγιστα καρπῶνται, καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ δεσπότην οἴκοι ἐπαχθοῦς δουλείας, ἐκείνου δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ εἰ περιγένοιτο τῶν πολεμίων, νεῶν οὐκ εὐπορήσοντος, αἷς χρησάμενος ἐπανήξει πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἢ διαφθαρησομένου ὑπ' ἐκείνων, ἂν ὑπέρσχωσιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπείθοντο καὶ ἄραντες ἐκεῖθεν ἐπανῆκον εἰς τὴν Αἶνον, πρῶτα μὲν δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ πάντα ἦν αὐτὸς, καὶ στρατηγὸς καὶ ἡγεμὼν καὶ συμπάντων πραγμάτων κύριος· τὸν δῆμόν τε ἐπαγαγὼν τοῖς δεσπότῃ προσκειμένοις, τοὺς μὲν κατέκλεισεν ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις, ἐνίους δὲ ἐξήλασε τῆς πόλεως, ὧν εἶχον ἀποστερήσας· ἔστι δὲ οὓς καὶ ἀπέκτεινε τῷ δήμῳ παραδούς. ἔπειτα ἐπεστράτευσε βασιλίσσῃ τῇ δεσπότου γαμετῇ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν μετὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐχούσῃ. καὶ τειχομαχήσας ἐφ' ἱκανὸν, ἑλεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη διὰ καρτερότητα τῶν τειχῶν καὶ εὐψυχίαν τῶν ἀμυνομένων, ἠνάγκασε δὲ βασίλισσαν τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἑκοῦσαν ἐκλιπεῖν, ὅρκους παρασχόμενος, ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὴν, οὔτε τοὺς συνόντας ἀδικήσει, ἀλλ' ἀφίξεται ὅποι ἂν δοκῇ, μηδενὸς παρενοχλοῦντος· ὃ καὶ ἐπράττετο μετὰ μικρόν. νεὼς γὰρ ἐπιβᾶσα, εἰς Βυζάντιον ἀφῖκτο, καὶ ὑπεδέχθη φιλοτίμως παρὰ βασιλέως τοῦ 3.317 γαμβροῦ. ἔπειτα εἰς Θετταλίαν ἀπῇρε πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, ἤδη πάσης κύριον γεγενημένον καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν πόλεων. ἡδέως δὲ ἐκεῖνος ὑπεδέχετο τὴν γυναῖκα. καὶ χρόνον τινὰ ἠρέμουν οἰκείως ἔχοντες ἀλλήλοις καὶ συμφυῶς, ὥσπερ προσῆκεν. ἔπειτα τῶν συνόντων τινῶν, ὑπὸ μοχθηρίας καὶ ἀσυνεσίας ἐκείνων τε φαῦλα καὶ παράνομα ἐννοούντων καὶ τὸν δεσπότην ἐναγόντων, ἔπεισαν τὴν μὲν γυναῖκα Τριβαλοῖς προέσθαι, αὐτὸν δὲ τὴν Ἑλένης ἀδελφὴν τῆς Κράλη γυναικὸς πρὸς γάμον ἀγαγέσθαι, ὡς τῆς τε Θετταλίας καὶ Ἀκαρνανίας οὕτως ἄρξοντα βεβαίως, τῶν Τριβαλῶν οὐ πολεμούντων διὰ τὴν ἐπιγαμίαν, καὶ Ἀλβανοὺς διαφθεροῦντα ἐναντιουμένους πρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ παραβλάπτοντας οὐ μέτρια. αὐτίκα τε ἀηδῶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα εἶχε καὶ οὐδὲ ἠνείχετο ἰδεῖν. ὕστερον δὲ ὀλίγῳ καὶ πρὸς Ἄρταν τῆς Ἀκαρνανίας πόλιν πέμψας, ἐκέλευε φρουρεῖσθαι. πρὸς Κράλαιναν δὲ πρεσβείαν πέμψας, τὰ κατὰ τὸν γάμον ἔπραττε τῆς ἀδελφῆς. μέχρι μὲν οὖν ἐν λόγοις ἦν ἡ ἐπιχείρησις καὶ πρεσβείαις, καὶ βασίλισσα ἡ θυγάτηρ βασιλέως ἐνεκαρτέρει, τὸν ἄνδρα οἰομένη τῆς ἀτοπίας ἀποσχήσεσθαί ποτε καὶ μέτρια καὶ δίκαια φρονήσειν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤδη τέλος εἶχε