book2-8


While these events were taking place, a rumour spread that Melissenus had already reached the promontory of Damalis with a fair-sized army, had assumed the purple and was being acclaimed as emperor. For some time the Comneni would not believe this report, but Melissenus on learning of their doings, at once dispatched ambassadors to them, who on arrival handed over his letters to the Comneni, which ran somewhat as follows: God has brought me safely as far as Damalis together with the army under my command. I have heard of your experiences, and the measures you have taken for your own safety after being delivered by the mercy of God from the malice of those slaves and their cruel plots against you. Now, as concerns relationship, I am already allied to you by ties of kin, thanks be to God! and as concerns purpose, I yield to none of your blood-relations in my unalterable affection for you (let God. the Judge of all, be my witness!). It is right that we should consult together and ensure for ourselves a firm and stable position so that we may not be upset by every wind that blows, but arrange the affairs of the empire well and thus stand on a sure foundation. This we shall certainly accomplish if, after you have captured the city by the help of God, you two administer the affairs of the West and allow the kingdom of Asia to be allotted to me. I too must wear the diadem and be clad in purple, and, as is the custom with royalties, my name must be joined in proclamations with the name of that one of you who is chosen Emperor, so that acclamations may be made for us conjointly. In this wise, even though the countries and the business have been divided, yet our mind would be one and the same, and while we so continue the Empire would be administered by us both in perfect peace." The ambassadors did not then and there receive a full answer to the letter they had presented; the next day the Comneni sent for them, and in lengthy speech pointed out to them the impracticability of Melissenus' proposals; they further promised to let them know their decision on the matter shortly through George, called Manganes, to whose care they had entrusted the ambassadors.

こうした出来事が起きている間に、メリッセヌスがダマリスの岬にかなりの軍勢を引き連れて到着し、緋色の衣を纏い皇帝に即位したとの噂が広まった。しばらくの間はコムネノス兄弟はこの知らせを信じなかったが、メリッセヌスが兄弟のやっていることを知って、直ちに使いをよこした。使者はコムネノス兄弟に次のように記された手紙を渡した。曰く、「神が私と私の指揮する軍を安全にダマリスまで運んで下さった。私は貴君らの経験と貴君らが自らの安全の為に二人の奴隷の悪意と残酷な罠から抜け出す為に取った手段については聞き及んでいる。今となっては、我々の関係については、神の恩寵を持って、すでに血縁からして盟友といえる。その目的とするところにおいては貴君らのどの縁戚にも変わることのない愛情の面から劣ることはない。(万物の審判を司る神も御照覧あれ)我々は共に相談しお互いの固く安定した立場を保証すべきであると思う、これから吹く風に影響されることのないように。帝国の懸案をよく整理して、堅固な立場に立つべきであると思う。私は、次のように為されるべきだと考える。もし貴君らが神のご加護を得て、コンスタンティノープルを落としたら、貴君らで帝国の西方を治め、アジアに関しては私に任せて欲しい。私も緋色の衣を纏い、帝位に共につき、皇室の慣習に従って、帝位にあるものとしてその名を刻まれるべきである。それゆえ、即位は共同で行われるべきである。国と支配が二つであっても我々の心は一つである。そして、我々で帝国を完全な平和な下で治めていけよう。」使節団は彼らの持ってきた手紙にたいする完全な返答を受け取ることができなかった。そしてその次の日にコムネノス兄弟は使節を呼び、事細かにメリッセヌスの提案が実現不可能であることを指摘した。兄弟はさらに直ぐに、使節に彼らの決定について、マングと呼ばれたゲオルギオスを通して知らせることを約束して、使節団を信じさせた。

In spite [62] of this business they did not by any means neglect the siege, but as often as possible made skirmishing attacks upon the walls. On the following day they called the ambassadors and announced their decision to them. This was that Melissenus should be elevated to the rank of ' Caesar,' should he adjudged the fillet and salutes and all other privileges which belong to this rank, and also that the largest town in Thessaly should be given to him. (In this town there is the magnificent church named after the great martyr Demetrius, where the myrrh which ever trickles from his venerable coffin works marvellous cures for those who approach it in faith.) The ambassadors were displeased with the terms but, since those they proposed were not accepted, and they observed also the rebel's great preparations against the city and the enormous army under him, and as they were pressed for time, they began to fear that if they captured the city, the Comneni would not grant even that which they now promised, so they asked that the conditions should be put in a Golden Bull and signed in red letters. To this Alexius the new emperor, consented and immediately summoned George Manganes, who served him as secretary, and ordered him to draw up this Golden Bull. But the latter deferred it for three days, always stringing together various excuses, saying once that after getting over-tired during the day he could not finish the whole letter at night, and at another time that a spark had fallen on what he had written at night and burnt it up. By making such and similar excuses and, true to his name, playing tricks, Manganes postponed writing by one means or the other. Pushing on further the Comneni quickly seized the place called Aretae. This is a district lying close to the city and overlooking the plain, and to persons standing below and looking up to it, it looks like a hill; on the one side it slopes down to the sea, on. the other, to Byzantium, but on the North and West sides it is exposed to all the winds; it has perennial supplies of clear, fresh water but is so utterly devoid of bushes and trees that you would have said the hill had been laid bare by woodcutters. Because of its pleasant situation and climate the Emperor Romanus Diogenes erected some fine houses suitable for kings for short periods of rest. When the Comneni were established there, they made attempts on the wall not by means of siege-engines or machines or stone-throwing instruments, since there was not time enough for those, but with light-armed troops, far-shooters, spearmen and fully-armed soldiers. [63]

このような交渉を行いつつも、コムネノス軍は包囲をおろそかにしたわけではなく、しばしば城壁に対して小規模な攻撃をしかけていた。そしてその次の日、彼らは使節を呼び、彼らの決定を伝えた。それはメリッセヌスはカエサルの爵位を得る、徽章と敬礼、およびカエサルの爵位に認められる全ての特権、テッサロニケの最も大きな町(この町には偉大な殉教者デメトリウスの名を持つ素晴らしい教会があり、彼の尊い棺は信仰を持って近づく者に偉大な癒しを与えていた。)が与えられるというものであった。使節はらの要求が受け入れられない、この条項に不満ではあったが、反乱軍の首都への攻撃の備えとアレクシオスの指揮下にある人数の大きさを見て、また時間がないこともあり、アレクシオス達がコンスタンティノープルを今にも陥としてしまうのではないかと恐れた。もしそうなれば、コムネノス一党が今約束している条件でさえ保証しなくなるだろうと考えた。そこで使節はその条件を金印勅書の形で、特筆してもらいたいと要求した。これに対して、新皇帝アレクシオスは同意して、直ちにゲオルギウス・マングを呼んだ。彼はアレクシオスに秘書として仕えていた。そして彼に命じてこの金印勅書を書き上げさせた。しかしゲオルギウスは三日の間それを行わず、なにかと理由をつけた、曰く、次から次にやることが多く、疲れ果てて書き上げることができなかった、あるいは、夜通し書き上げた文書に火花が落ちて燃えてしまったなどなど。このような言い訳を色々と設けて、マングはその名が示すとおり詐術を行っていた。次々と手を変え、品を変え、書くのを遅らせた。コムネノス側はさらに進み、アレタエという宮殿を占拠した。ここは首都に近い区域で平野を一望できる場所にある。下から見上げる者には丘のように見え、片方は海岸に向かってなだらかな丘陵を為している。もう一方はビザンティウムに面している。北と西は風にさらされ、年を通じて澄んだ新しい水を得ることができるが、木こりによって禿げ山にされたのではないかと言うほどに茂みや木のたぐいがない。こうした快適な環境と気候を持つがゆえに皇帝ロマノス・ディオゲネスは短い休暇を過ごすために幾つかの山荘を建てていた。コムネノス側がここに陣取ると、準備をする時間がなかった為に、城壁に対して攻城兵器や投石機などを用いずに、軽武装の兵士、射手、槍兵、重装兵で攻撃を企てた。


  • 最終更新:2013-04-04 08:05:46

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