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The History of George Akropolites

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297405, here 33840. A date for their marriage in the early 1250s is therefore possible. See the Introduction, 18. 5 Akrop.s use of monarch to refer to Michael VIII here and at 81, 83, 84.7 leaves no doubt that John IV (last mentioned at 76) was not considered to have a share in imperial power. See 77.5. 6 Michael Palaiologos fought at the battle of Vodena in 1257 under Theodore II, killing an illegitimate son of Michael II, called Theodore, and taking captive more than 20 of the elite men: see 71.7, 8. 7 For Alyates see 49.24, 75.13. 80. The emperor, as we mentioned before,1 sent his brother the sebastokrator to the west against the renegade, entrusting to him the forces and their generals, and ordering him to keep advancing until he should encounter the renegades army. The sebastokrator John acted in accordance with the order. The renegade Michael was encamped with his wife and his retainers in the area of Kastoria.2 Suddenly the report reached him that the Roman armies were crossing the valley at Vodena, advancing against them. Hearing this message and receiving no small fright in their hearts, they rushed to Xight and set all their men in motion. Since it was night and a person could not see where he was going, many fell victim to the road, as if it were a sword. Theodore Petraliphas,3 who was the brother of the renegade Michaels wife, mounted his horse too boldly; as he was in a precipitous place, he and his horse were cast down and both perished. They drew back then as far as their own boundaries, namely the Pyrrenaia mountains which separate Old and New Epiros from our Hellenic land.4 When this had happened to them, the sebastokrator, Wnding the territory without a defending force, took advantage of the opportunity, and attacked the towns there. First he went to Ochrid, known to everyone as the archiepiscopal see of Bulgaria, accompanied by its archbishop Constantine Kabasilas, who had been detained by the emperor Theodore.5 He had been suspected by the latter of not being true to the imperial regime, for his brothers John and Theodore were with the renegade Michael; Theodore was among Michaels prominent men, while John was master over practically all his aVairs, administering both public and household matters.6 It was for these reasons, as we said, that the emperor Theodore did not have conWdence in the bishop. But the emperor Michael was freer in these matters and depended on God in most, or all, of his acts.7 He gave the archbishop freedom to go to his see, and Kabasilas accompanied the sebastokrator. When they came to Ochrid, as we said, the sebastokrator set up siege engines against them, while the archbishop undertook to have them give way by means of words. In a short time Ochrid was taken by them.