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when Palaiologos sent an embassy to him on the matter of betrayal, he would not even listen to his words with the tips of his ears; but then, having already learned that the cities under him and his children and wife had been captured, and that no hope was left either to receive money from him, or that he would be useful to them for their planned enterprise, being now without a city and homeless, he changed his mind and turned to making agreements with the emperor Palaiologos, so as to hand him over for money. And when the agreements were concluded, and he was receiving the money, suspecting that Emperor Matthew might later, having received some kindness from Emperor John, take revenge on him for the betrayal, he planned to deprive him of his sight, at the same time thinking it would be pleasing to Emperor John if his enemy were blinded by others, but not by him. And sending to the emperor, he asked to do what he had planned. But he would not tolerate the proposal, but demanded that unless he handed him over completely unharmed, he would not receive him; and he showed all zeal to persuade the Triballian to do him no harm, and he was sent to him with his body in no way mutilated. But when he was in the imperial triremes, a great rivalry arose among the Romans with one another, with everyone advising the emperor to deprive his wife's brother of his sight, so that 3.333 he would thus be rid of many troubles and not leave behind again for himself struggles and dangers, and for all the other Romans a pretext for civil war. But not all held the same opinion in what was said, but some gave such advice out of extreme hatred for him, thinking it intolerable if, in addition to his other misfortunes, he were not also deprived of his sight, so that he might have no hope of good fortune and might endure much grief from the difficulties surrounding him; others, however, had no such thought, but simply agreeing with the others, they were unsparing even of the most essential things, and voted for his blinding, thinking that by this they would be considered loyal to the emperor Palaiologos and would gain from this loyalty no mean or contemptible rewards. But some of them, though greatly pained and stung by his misfortunes and, at the mere hearing of what was said, being grieved and distressed no less than if the terrible things were being plotted against themselves, nevertheless, for fear of not seeming to be enemies to Emperor John, advising the opposite of those who seemed most loyal, they themselves also advised the same things. At this point, indeed, the emperor Palaiologos produced the clearest proofs not only of humanity and fairness, but also of magnanimity, courage, and wisdom. For when the war had advanced so far and so great a difference had been stirred up between them, so as to be irreconcilable and 3.334 each would gladly have seen the other fall not only from his rule, but also from his life, if possible, and showing all zeal for destruction, then, having prevailed and being able to do whatever he wished, not to look back at past deeds, nor to consider how he might harm the one who seemed to have wronged him, but to consider this fitting for certain barbarians, who are no better than wild beasts in their cruelty and irrationality, and he himself, using sensible and just reasoning and pitying human nature, because it is subject to so many passions and changes, to consider it sufficient for the security of his life to have prevailed over his enemies and to seek nothing further, showing by deed that it is proper to fight barbarians as much as possible, but one's own people only as far as is better, what clear proof of magnanimity does he leave behind? And again, not to do away beforehand with the only pretext for his greatest ambition, but having preserved it, to use it opportunely and to leave for himself everlasting monuments of glory in times to come, one might justly attribute to wisdom and good counsel. But indeed, when all were advising the same things and omitting nothing on their part to bring their zealous plan to fruition, neither with regard to the demand, as it seemed expedient and just

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τοῦ Παλαιολόγου πρεσβευσαμένου πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῷ προδιδόναι, οὐδ' ἄκροις ὠσὶν ἠνέσχετο τῶν λόγων· τότε δὲ ἤδη πεπυσμένος, ὡς πόλεις τε αἱ ὑπ' ἐκεῖνον καὶ παῖδες καὶ γυνὴ ἑάλωσαν, ἐλπίς τε οὐδεμία ἔτι ὑπελείπετο, ὥστε παρ' ἐκείνου χρήματα λαβεῖν, ἢ πρὸς τὴν τῶν μελετωμένων ἐπιχείρησιν χρήσιμος ἔσεσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἄπολις ὢν ἤδη καὶ ἀνέστιος, μεταβαλὼν ἐτράπετο ἐπὶ συμβάσεις πρὸς Παλαιολόγον βασιλέα, ὥστε παραδοῦναι ἐπὶ χρήμασιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τέλος εἶχον αἱ συμβάσεις, καὶ τὰ χρήματα ἐδέχετο, ὑποπτεύσας μὴ τυχών τινος φιλανθρωπίας παρὰ βασιλέως Ἰωάννου ἀμύναιτό ποτε ὕστερον Ματθαῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς προδοσίας ἕνεκα αὐτὸν, ἐσκέψατο ἀποστερεῖν τῶν ὄψεων, ἅμα οἰόμενος ἔσεσθαι καὶ βασιλεῖ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ κατὰ γνώμην, εἰ ὑφ' ἑτέρων, ἀλλὰ μὴ αὐτοῦ, ὁ πολέμιος ἐκτυφλωθείη. καὶ πέμψας πρὸς βασιλέα, ἠξίου πράττειν, ἃ ἐσκέψατο. ὁ δ' οὐκ ἠνέσχετο τῶν λόγων, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ σῶον παντάπασιν ἀποδοίη, ἠξίου μὴ ἀπολαμβάνειν· καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπεδείξατο σπουδὴν, ὥστε πείθειν τὸν Τριβαλὸν μηδὲν ἐκεῖνον ἀδικεῖν, ἐπέμπετό τε πρὸς αὐτὸν μηδὲν τὸ σῶμα διαλωβηθείς. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦν ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς τριήρεσιν, ἅμιλλα πολλὴ Ῥωμαίων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀνεφύετο, πάντων παραινούντων βασιλεῖ τὸν γυναικὸς ἀδελφὸν τῶν ὄψεων ἀποστερεῖν, ὡς 3.333 οὕτω πολλῶν πραγμάτων ἀπαλλαξομένῳ καὶ μὴ αὖθις ἑαυτῷ μὲν ἀγώνων καὶ κινδύνων, τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις πᾶσι Ῥωμαίοις πρόφασιν πολέμου ἐμφυλίου καταλείπειν. εἶχον δὲ οὐ πάντες τὴν ἴσην γνώμην ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἄκρας ἀπεχθείας εἰς ἐκεῖνον τοιαῦτα συνεβούλευον, ἡγούμενοι οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν, εἰ μὴ πρὸς ταῖς ἄλλαις κακοπραγίαις καὶ τὸ βλέπειν ἀφαιροῖτο, ὡς ἅμα τε ἐλπίδα εὐπραγίας μηδεμίαν ἔχοι καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ἐκ τῶν περισχόντων δυσχερῶν ἀνίαν ὑπομένοι· οἱ δ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐνενόουν, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς οὕτω τοῖς ἄλλοις συμφερόμενοι, ἠφείδουν καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων, καὶ τύφλωσιν κατεψηφίζοντο ἐκείνου, οἰόμενοι ἐκ τούτου εὖνοι νομισθήσεσθαι Παλαιολόγῳ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῆς εὐνοίας ταύτης οὐ φαύλας τινὰς, οὐδ' εὐκαταφρονήτους σχήσειν τὰς ἐπικαρπίας. ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ σφόδρα ἀλγοῦντες καὶ δακνόμενοι ταῖς ἐκείνου συμφοραῖς καὶ πρὸς μόνην ἀκοὴν τῶν λεγομένων ἀνιώμενοι καὶ ἀγωνιῶντες οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ εἰ καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐμελετᾶτο τὰ δεινὰ, ὅμως δέει τοῦ μὴ δοκεῖν πολέμιοι βασιλεῖ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ εἶναι, τοῖς μάλιστα δοκοῦσιν εὔνοις ἐναντία συμβουλεύοντες, παρῄνουν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ ἴσα. ἐνταῦθα δὴ Παλαιολόγος ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐ φιλανθρωπίας μόνον καὶ ἐπιεικείας δείγματα ἐξήνεγκε σαφέστατα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγαλοψυχίας καὶ ἀνδρίας καὶ φρονήσεως. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προηγμένου τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τοσαύτης μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων τῆς διαφορᾶς κεκινημένης, ὥστε ἀκηρύκτως ἔχειν καὶ 3.334 ἡδέως ἂν ἑκάτερον οὐ τῆς ἀρχῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ζωῆς, εἰ οἷόντε, τὸν ἕτερον ἰδεῖν ἐκπίπτοντα, καὶ πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ διαφθείρειν, ἔπειτα περιγεγενημένον καὶ δυνάμενον χρῆσθαι ὅ,τι ἂν ἐθέλοι, μὴ πρὸς τὰ ὑπηργμένα ἀπιδεῖν, μηδ' ὅπως κακώσει σκοπεῖν τὸν δόξαντα ἠδικηκέναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν βαρβάροις τισὶν ἡγήσασθαι προσήκειν, θηρίων οὐδὲ ἄμεινον διακειμένοις τὴν ὠμότητα καὶ ἀλογίαν, αὐτὸν δὲ χρησάμενον ἔμφροσι καὶ δικαίοις λογισμοῖς καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν κατοικτείραντα, ὅτι τοσούτοις πάθεσιν ὑπόκειται καὶ μεταβολαῖς, ἀρκεῖν ἡγήσασθαι πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τοῦ βίου τὸ τῶν πολεμίων περιγεγενῆσθαι καὶ περαιτέρω μηδὲν ζητεῖν, ἔργῳ δείξαντα, ὡς τοῖς μὲν βαρβάροις ἄχρι τοῦ δυνατοῦ προσῆκον πολεμεῖν, τοῖς δ' ὁμοφύλοις ἄχρι τοῦ κρείττονος, ποίαν ἀπολείπει μεγαλοψυχίας φανερὰν ἀπόδειξιν; τὸ δ' αὖ πάλιν τὴν μόνην πρόφασιν οὖσαν μεγίστης ἑαυτῷ φιλοτιμίας μὴ προανελεῖν, ἀλλὰ διατηρήσαντα χρῆσθαι ἐπικαίρως καὶ δόξης ἐν τοῖς ὕστερον ἐσομένοις ἀείμνηστα μνημεῖα καταλείπειν ἑαυτῷ, φρονήσεως καὶ εὐβουλίας δικαίως ἀντιθείη τις. ἀλλὰ μὴν τὸ τὰ ἴσα πάντων παραινούντων καὶ μηδὲν παραλειπόντων τό γε ἧκον πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ σπουδαζόμενον εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸν, μήτε πρὸς τὴν ἀξίωσιν, ὡς λυσιτελὴς καὶ δικαία τὸ δοκεῖν