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seeing, how they might be saved by flight. But he, necessarily and alone, engaged with the attackers and prevented them from destroying the fugitives further. Nevertheless, not a few of both the Romans and the barbarians were destroyed, especially at the pass at Philippi. For the Philippians, having already perceived the rout of the barbarians, pressed on and destroyed them everywhere. But the emperor, defending and saving himself, also went towards Philippi. And when his horse had given out from the frequent attacks and sorties, and he was now in a helpless state, Kyparissiotes, one of his retainers who was not especially engaged in campaigns and battles, but had devoted himself to letters, saved him as far as it was in his power. For dismounting from his own horse, he offered it to the emperor, willingly casting himself into manifest danger. For he was immediately seized by the advancing Triballians; and after dwelling in a prison for a time, he was released again by his captors because of their communion in faith. But the emperor, having come as far as Philippi alone, since he saw the pass was held 3.330 and it was not possible to force his way through against so many, nor to turn to anything better, proceeded to the marsh, which was overgrown with reeds, thinking to lie hidden until night fell. But when the swamp could not bear the horse, but its hooves sank and became stuck, the emperor dismounted and hid himself in the marsh. But the Philippians ran up—for they were not unaware who he was, since a certain Gauras, one of the emperor's retainers, who was lying wounded among them and on the point of expiring, had recognized him from a distance and told them plainly that the one approaching was the emperor—and after searching the thicket carefully with dogs, they seized him and led him to the city. Thus the emperor Matthew came to this point of misfortune and experienced such calamities, vying in the greatest degree with those who had ever been unlucky in wars. But Voiḥna the Caesar, when he learned that the emperor was being guarded in Philippi, took him from there on the next day, led him to his house at Drama, and deemed him worthy of much care and honor. And he set sleepless guards and showed all diligence concerning his custody; and he promised that, if it came to depend on him, he would send him to his home. For he suspected that the Kralaina would oppose him, claiming that it was her right to have the emperor, as if a spoil of war. Therefore, it seemed best to go to her as quickly as possible to ask for him, hoping at the same time 3.331 to receive money from him, and also to have a firm friend, so that, if he should need to undertake his former enterprises again, he would have great power with him. Therefore, having such an opinion, he hastened to Pherae. But having been seized by some disease on the way, he was prevented for twenty-five days from coming to Pherae, being unable to control himself. But the emperor Palaiologos, who in these days was tarrying with his triremes around Tenedos on account of the son of Orkhan, when he heard the news concerning the emperor Matthew, set out as quickly as he could, came to Peritheorion and from there to Komotini, which readily came over to him. Then he also came and took the city of Gratiana, with no one resisting; for all received him eagerly by agreement, since no hope was any longer left from the emperor Matthew. In which he also became master of the empress Eirene along with her two sons and as many daughters—for Theodora, the eldest of the emperor Matthew's daughters, was being raised in Byzantium by her grandmother, the empress Eugenia—and treating them humanely, for he wronged them in no way, nor did he take away any of their possessions, neither hers nor those with her, he sent them to the island of Tenedos. But he himself, after appointing a governor for the city and administering the other affairs well, returned to Peritheorion and sent an embassy to Voiḥna, who had now returned from Pherae and had obtained permission to do as he wished with the emperor Matthew, and he promised 3.332 to provide much money if he would hand over his wife's brother in bonds. But Voiḥna, though previously he himself had been eager, as he affirmed with oaths, to send the emperor Matthew to his home, and of the emperor

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ὁρώντων, ὅπως τῇ φυγῇ σωθῶσιν. ἀναγκαίως δὲ αὐτὸς καὶ μόνος συνεπλέκετο τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι καὶ ἀνεῖργε τοῦ μὴ τοὺς φεύγοντας διαφθείρειν ἐπιπλέον. ὅμως διεφθάρησαν καὶ Ῥωμαίων καὶ βαρβάρων οὐκ ὀλίγοι, μάλιστα δὲ κατὰ τὴν δίοδον τὴν ἐν Φιλίππου. ἤδη γὰρ καὶ Φιλιππήσιοι τῶν βαρβάρων τῆς τροπῆς αἰσθόμενοι, ἐπέκειντο καὶ διέφθειρον ἁπανταχοῦ. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἀμυνόμενος καὶ περισώζων ἑαυτὸν, ᾔει καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν εἰς Φιλίππου. ἀπειρηκότος δὲ αὐτῷ τοῦ ἵππου ταῖς συχναῖς ἐφόδοις καὶ ἐπεκδρομαῖς, καὶ ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἤδη ὄντι, Κυπαρισσιώτης, εἷς τῶν οἰκετῶν περὶ στρατείας μὲν καὶ μάχας οὐ μάλιστα ἠσχολημένος, λόγοις δὲ ἐσχολακὼς, διέσωζε τό γε ἧκον εἰς αὐτόν. ἀποβὰς γὰρ αὐτὸς τοῦ ἵππου, παρείχετο τῷ βασιλεῖ, εἰς προὖπτον κίνδυνον ἑαυτὸν ἑκοντὶ καταπροέμενος. αὐτίκα γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιόντων Τριβαλῶν συνελαμβάνετο· καὶ δεσμωτήριον οἰκήσας ἐπὶ χρόνον, αὖθις ἐλέλυτο ὑπὸ τῶν κατασχόντων διὰ τὴν περὶ τὴν πίστιν κοινωνίαν. βασιλεὺς δὲ γενόμενος ἄχρι τῆς Φιλίππου μόνος, ἐπεὶ τήν τε δίοδον ἑώρα ἐχομέ 3.330 νην καὶ οὔτε βιάζεσθαι ἐνῆν τοσούτους ὄντας, οὔτ' ἐφ' ἕτερόν τι βέλτιον τραπέσθαι, ἐπὶ τὸ ἕλος ἐχώρει καλάμοις ὂν συνηρεφὲς, λήσειν οἰόμενος, ἄχρις ἂν ἐπιγένηται ἡ νύξ. τοῦ τέλματος δὲ τὸν ἵππον οὐ δυναμένου στέγειν, ἀλλ' ὑποχωροῦντος ταῖς ὁπλαῖς καὶ κατέχοντος ἐμπηγνυμένας, ἀπέβαινεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ συνεκρύπτετο ὑπὸ τὸ ἕλος. Φιλιππήσιοι δὲ ἐπιδραμόντες, οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόουν, ὅστις εἴη, Γαυρᾶ τινος τῶν βασιλέως οἰκετῶν κειμένου τραυματίου παρ' αὐτοῖς καὶ ὅσον οὐδέπω ἀπολείποντος πόῤῥωθεν γνωρίσαντος καὶ εἰπόντος πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπεριέργως, ὡς εἴη βασιλεὺς ὁ προσιὼν, καὶ διερευνησάμενοι τὴν ὕλην ἀκριβῶς ὑπὸ κυσὶ, συνελάμβανόν τε καὶ ἦγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς Ματθαῖος εἰς τοῦτο ἦλθε κακοπραγίας καὶ τοιαύταις συμφοραῖς ἐχρήσατο, τοῖς πώποτε περὶ πολέμους ἀτυχήσασι τὰ μέγιστα ἁμιλληθείς. Βοΐχνας δὲ ὁ Καῖσαρ, ἐπεὶ ἐπύθετο φρουρούμενον βασιλέα ἐν Φιλίππου, εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἐκεῖθεν ἀναλαβὼν, ἤγαγεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ ∆ράμαν καὶ πολλῆς ἠξίωσε προνοίας καὶ τιμῆς. φρουροὺς δὲ ἐπέστησεν ἀγρύπνους καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπεδείκνυτο σπουδὴν περὶ τὴν φυλακήν· ἐπηγγέλλετό τε, εἰ γένοιτο ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ἐκπέμψειν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν. ὑπώπτευε γὰρ Κράλαιναν ἐναντιώσεσθαι, αὐτῇ προσήκειν ἀξιοῦσαν ὥσπερ τι τοῦ πολέμου λάφυρον ἔχειν βασιλέα. διὸ δὴ ἐδόκει ἥκειν ἐπ' ἐκείνην τάχιστα ἐξαιτησόμενον, ἅμα μὲν 3.331 καὶ χρήματα ἐλπίζων παρ' ἐκείνου λήψεσθαι, ἅμα δὲ καὶ φίλον ἔχειν βέβαιον, ὥστ', εἰ δέοι αὖθις τοῖς προτέροις ἐπιχειρεῖν, μεγάλην ἔχειν παρ' ἐκείνῳ δύναμιν. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοιαύτην ἔχων γνώμην, ἠπείγετο ἐπὶ Φεράς. νόσῳ δέ τινι ὁδεύων μεταξὺ κατασχεθεὶς, ἐν πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν ἡμέραις ἐκωλύθη εἰς Φερὰς ἐλθεῖν, ἀδυνάτως ἔχων χρῆσθαι ἑαυτῷ. Παλαιολόγος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ Ὀρχάνη ἕνεκα παιδὸς περὶ Τένεδον τριήρεσι διατρίβων, ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο τὰ κατὰ Ματθαῖον τὸν βασιλέα, ἄρας, ὡς εἶχε τάχους, ἧκεν εἰς Περιθεώριον κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Κουμουτζηνὰ προσχωρήσαντα ἑτοίμως. ἔπειτα καὶ τὴν Γρατιανοῦ πόλιν εἷλεν ἐλθὼν, οὐδενὸς ἀνθισταμένου· πάντες γὰρ ἐδέχοντο προθύμως ἐκ συνθήματος, οὐδεμιᾶς ἐλπίδος ἔτι ὑπολειπομένης ἐκ Ματθαίου βασιλέως. ἐν ᾗ καὶ βασιλίδος τῆς Εἰρήνης ἅμα δυσὶν υἱέσι καὶ τοσαύταις θυγατράσι κύριος γενόμενος Θεοδώρα γὰρ ἡ πρεσβυτέρα τῶν Ματθαίου τοῦ βασιλέως θυγατέρων παρὰ τῇ μάμμῃ Εὐγενίᾳ τῇ βασιλίδι ἐτρέφετο ἐν Βυζαντίῳ, καὶ χρησάμενος φιλανθρώπως, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἠδίκησεν, οὐδὲ ἀφείλετο οὐδὲν τῶν ὄντων, οὔτ' ἐκείνην, οὔτε τοὺς περὶ αὐτὴν, εἰς Τένεδον ἐξέπεμψε τὴν νῆσον. αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ πόλει ἐπιστήσας ἄρχοντα καὶ τἄλλα εὖ διοικησάμενος, εἰς Περιθεώριον ἐπανελθὼν, πρεσβείαν πρὸς Βοΐχναν ἐποιεῖτο αὖθις ἐπανήκοντα ἤδη ἐκ Φερῶν καὶ ἀδείας τυχόντα, ὥστε χρῆσθαι, ὅ,τι βούλοιτο, τῷ βασιλεῖ Ματθαίῳ, χρή 3.332 ματά τε ἐπηγγέλλετο πολλὰ παρέξειν, εἰ τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν δεδεμένον παραδοίη. Βοΐχνας δὲ πρότερον μὲν αὐτός τε ὥρμητο, ὥσπερ ὅρκοις διεβεβαιοῦτο, τὸν βασιλέα Ματθαῖον ἐκπέμπειν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ βασιλέως