The Greeks who were not killed were conveyed over to Galatas, especially the most distinguished among them. Some were liberated in this way. But the sultan himself bought Notaras, the chief official of the king of the Greeks, along with his wife and children, and discussed with him his own plans and what he expected would happen with regard to Italy, and he generally honored him and spent time with him. The Greeks who were freed gathered again in the city of Byzantion in order to free their friends and relatives. Shortly afterward they perished at the sultan’s order. It happened in the following way. When it was announced to the sultan that Notaras’s son was a child of twelve years, he sent one of his wine pourers to request the child.[7] When he heard the wine-pourer’s request, Notaras grew angry and considered it an insult, saying, “Wine pourer, it is utterly outrageous for the sultan to remove my children when he has nothing at the present time for which to reproach us, given that he has forgiven our offenses by ransoming us himself. If that is what he intends to do with us, why does he not just order that we be delivered to a horrible death?” That is what Notaras said, and he said that, as he was himself blameless, he would never willingly surrender his son. The wine pourer rebuked him and urged him never to speak or to behave in such a way toward the sultan, because he would die instantly, but failed to persuade him.

When the wine pourer returned and announced the Greek’s response to the sultan, the latter at once ordered him to arrest and butcher Notaras, his children, and all who were present with him. When those charged with this task came to Notaras, he asked that they kill his children first, right there in front of him, and only then to execute him. His sons, thoroughly frightened of death, begged their father to hand over all the money he had in Italy in order to save them from dying. He did not grant this request, but urged them to meet their deaths bravely. So they killed the children first,[8] and then he submitted to his own execution. When the sultan had killed him and his family, he then ordered that the other Greeks who had been freed and were present in Byzantion were also to be arrested, and they butchered them too. So they perished for no good reason.[9] The sultan decided upon these murders at the instigation of a Greek who had come there from abroad and with whose daughter the sultan was sleeping, being madly infatuated with her. He cultivated her relatives, driven by his lust. And so, they say, Mehmed obeyed this man in killing the Greeks.[10]

[28] Έλλήνων μὲν οῦν ὅσοι μὴ ἀπώλοντο, τούτους ἀπαγαγὸντες ἐς τὴν Γ αλςιτίην, τοὺς ἐπιφανεῖς μάλιστα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν ούτως ἐλευθεροῦντο· Νοταρᾶν δὲ τὸν βασιλέως Έλλήνων πρύτανιν αὐτός τε ὁ βασιλεὺς ὲξωνησὰμενος καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ παῖδας, καὶ χρηματίσας αὐτῷ, ἀττα ὴβούλετο συνιέναι τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τὰ τῆς ,Ιταλίας ὅσα ῆδει προσδὸκιμα, ἑτίμα τε καὶ συνεγἐνετο χρόνον τινὰ. Καὶ Έλλήνων όσοι ἡλευθέρωντο, συνελέγοντο αῦθις ἐς τὴν Βυζαντίου πόλιν, τούς τε προσἡκοντας αὐτῶν ἐλευθεροῦντες καὶ ὲπιτηδείους. Καὶ οὐ πολλῷ ῦστερον ὑπὸ βασιλέως ὰπὡλοντο. Έγένετο δὲ ῶδε. Ώς ὰνηνέχθη ἐς βασιλέα παῖδα εἶναι τοῦ Νοταρᾶ νἡπιον δωδεκαετῆ, ἔπεμψε τῶν οἰνοχόων αὐτοῦ ἔνα, αἰτούμενος τὸν παῖδα. 'Ο δὲ ὡς ἐπὐθετο τὰ παρὰ τοῦ οἰνοχὸου, χαλεπῶς τε ἔφερε καὶ ὲποιεῖτο δεινὸν, λέγων, ἰῦῶ οἰνοχόε, ταῦτα οὐκ ἀνασχετἀ ἐστι, βασιλέα ὰφαιρεῖσθαι τοὺς παῖδας ἡμῶν, οὐδὲν ἔχων, ὁ τι ᾶν ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ παρόντι ὲπιμέμψασθαι, ἑπεί τε συνέγνω ἡμῖν τὴν ὰμαρτίαν ἑξωνησἀμενος. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οϋτω ἡμᾶς ποιοίη, τί οὐ κελεὐει ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς κακίστῳ ὁλέθρῳ παραδοῦναι;” Ταῦτἀ τε ἔλεγε, καὶ οὐκ ἔφη ἑκὡν εῖναί ποτε τὸὐ παῖδα ὰναίτιος ῶν ὲκδὡσειν. 'Επιπλήττοντι δὲ τῷ οἰνοχὁῳ καὶ παραινοῦντι μήτε λέγειν μήτε ποιεῖν οϋτω ἐς βασιλέα, ὡς αὐτίκα ὰπολούμενον, οὐκ ἔπειθεν.

[29] 'Επεὶ δὲ ὑποστρέφων ὰπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ παρὰ τῶν Έλλήνων, αὐτίκα ὲκἐλευσεν αὐτόν τε ᾶμα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ όσοι αὐτῷ συμπαρῆσαν, ὰπαγαγόντα κατασφάξαι. Οἱ μὲν οὐν ὡς ὰφίκοντο ἐς αὐτὸν οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦτο ταχθέντες, ὲδεῖτο αὐτῶν τοὺς παῖδας ὲναντίον αὐτοῦ ἀνελεῖν τα πρῶτα, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἑαυτὸν καταχρἡσασθαι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν παῖδες αὐτοῦ καταδείσαντες τὸν θάνατον ἐδέοντο τοῦ πατρός, καὶ ὅσα ὲνῆν σφίσι χρἡ ματα έν τῇ 'Ιταλία, παραδόντας περιποιῆσαι σφᾶς, ώστε μὴ αποθανεῖν. “Ο δὲ οὐκ εἴα, ἀλλ, ὲκέλευε θαρροῦντας ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον. Καὶ τούτους μὲν πρῶτα ὰνεῖλον, μετα δὲ ἑαυτὸν παρείχετο διαχρήσασθαι. Ώς δὲ τοῦτον τε καὶ τοὑς περὶ αὐτὸν ανεῖλεν ὁ βασιλεύς, αὐτίκα ὲκέλευσε καὶ τῶν Έλλήνων τοὺς άλλους, ὅσοι παρῆσαν έν Βυζαντἱῳ ὲλευθερωμένοι, απαγαγόντες καὶ τούτους ὰπέσφαξαν. Καὶ οὐτω μὲν οῦτοι ἐν οὐδενὶ λόγῳ ὰπώλοντο· βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦτον τὸν φὸνον ὲλασας, ὲναγοντος τῶν Έλλήνων τῶν ἐπιδήμων ἑνὸς, οὐ τὴν θυγατέρα βασιλεὺς συγγενόμενος ῆρα τε ἐπιμαινὁμενος τῇ γυναικί, τοὐς τε προσἡκοντας αὐτῇ ἑφιλοφρονεῖτο, ὑπὸ έρωτος ὡς μαλιστα φερόμενος. Καὶ τούτῳ φασὶ πειθόμένον διαχρἡσασθαι τοὺς ‘Έλληνας.

There were also other amusements at this circumcision, where Mahmud,[11] the lord of the household and, simultaneously, general of Europe, surpassed all the others with his gifts, including the kings and lords of the Porte. This Mahmud was the son of Michael, a Serb on his mother’s side and a Greek on his father’s. When he was still a child and going with his mother from Novo Brdo to Smederevo, the sultan’s cavalry raiders captured [. . .] on the road [. . .] and brought the entire group to the sultan. The sultan took the child to his bedchamber and soon appointed him to a position of great power: he soon made him his groom and after that the lord of the Porte. When he expelled Zaganos, his relative, from that position of honor, this man became everything for him. In fact, he became more powerful than any of the others who have previously been said to be powerful at the Ottoman Porte. For it is said that Hayreddin and his son Ali became powerful at the Porte of Murad, the son. But no one ever attained his power and position. Holding the first place among the lords at the sultan’s Porte, Mahmud maintained his own, most sizable private army and had attendants who wielded enormous power.

Greek children from Byzantion, whom the sultan kept beside him, also reached positions of great power. Among them were Murad, of the illustrious Greek family of the Palaiologoi, and after him Mehmed, the son of Mandromenes, who was first appointed prefect of Ankara and then of Pisidia. 

[71] 'Εγένοντο μέντοι καὶ ἄλλαι παιδιαὶ κατὰ τὴν περιτομὴν ταύτην, ἐν ῇ Μαχμοὐτης ὁ τοῦ οἴκου ἡγεμὡν καὶ άμα τῆς Εὐρώπης στρατηγὸς τοῖς δώροις ὑπερβάλλεσθαι πάντας, τούς τε βασιλεῖς άμα καὶ ἡγεμόνας τῶν θυρῶν. Οῦτος δὲ ὁ Μαχμοὐτης παῖς Μιχαήλου γενόμενος, Τριβαλλὸς μέν ἐστι τὰ μητρόθεν, ‘Έλλην δὲ τὰ πατρόθεν. Καὶ παῖδα ἔτι όντα, σὺν τῇ μητρὶ ἰὸντα ἀπὸ Νοβοπύργου ἐς Σπενδερόβην, οἱ ἱπποδρὸμοι τοῦ βασιλέως καταλαβόντες ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ [. . .] ἡγουμἑνου ἀπήγαγον πανοικὶ τούτους παρὰ βασιλέα. Λαβὡν δὲ τὸν παῖδα ἐς τὸν κοιτῶνα αὐτοῦ βασιλευς μέγαν τε ἀπἑδειξεν ὲν ὰκαρεῖ, καὶ ἱπποκὸμον ἐν βραχεῖ ποιησὰμενος μετὰ ταῦτα ἡγεμόνα τῶν θυρῶν απὲδειξεν. 'Επεί τε μὲν οῦν Ζἀγανον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κηδεστὴν ἐξήλασεν ἐκ τῆς τιμῆς, τα πάντα ούτος ἐγένετο, ὲγεγόνει δὲ οῖος ούδείς πω πρότερον ἐς τόνδε τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς Ότουμανίδων θύραις ἡγεμὸνων μεγάλων λεγομένων γενέσθαι. Λέγεται μὲν γὰρ καὶ Χαραϊτἡνην καὶ Ἀλίην τὸν παῖδα μεγάλους γενέσθαι ἔν τε ταῖς Ἀμουρὰτεω τοῦ Όρχανεω καὶ Παιαζἡτεω τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ θύραις· ὸιλλ' οὐδείς πω ὲς τἡνδε τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν χὡραν τούτου ὸιφίκετο. Οῦτος μὲν ούν τα πρῶτα τῶν ἡγεμόνων φερόμενος ἐς τὰς βασιλέως θύρας, στρατόν τε οἰκεῖον τρἑφειν ἱκανὡτατον καὶ θερόιποντας ἔχειν ὲπὶ μέγα δυνάμεως ῆκοντας.

[72] Έλληνικοι μὲν παῖδες ἀπὸ Βυζαντίου, ούς εῖχεν παρ' ἑαυτῷ βασιλεύς, ἐς μέγα ὲχὡρησαν δυνάμεως. Τούτων δὲ Μουρἀτης τοῦ Παλαιολόγων γένους τῶν Έλλήνων περιφανοῦς, καὶ Μεχμὲτης ὁ Μανδρομηνοῦ παῖς μετά γε τοῦτον, ὁς ύπαρχος πρῶτα μὲν Άγκύρας, ἔπειτα δὲ τῆς Πισιδίας απεδείχθη. Βούλεται δὲ Μουράτης ἑπιθυμίαν.

The sultan spent that winter in his palace and summoned Vlad [III], the son of [Vlad II] Dracul and ruler of Wallachia,[13] as he already had his younger brother [Radu III] at the court,[14] keeping him as his lover[4] and maintaining him. It happened that the sultan was almost killed by the boy when he had wanted to have sex with him. This was when he had first gained the throne and was preparing to campaign against Karaman.[15] He was in love with the boy and invited him for conversation, and then as a sign of his respect he invited him for drinks to his bedchamber. The boy did not expect to suffer such a thing from the sultan, and when he saw the sultan approaching him with that intention, he fought him off and refused to consent to intercourse With him. The sultan kissed the unwilling boy, who drew a dagger and struck the sultan on his thigh. He then fled in whatever direction he could find. The doctors were able to treat the sultan’s wound. The boy had climbed up a tree there and was hiding. When the sultan packed up and left, the boy came down from the tree, began his journey, and, shortly afterward, arrived at the Porte and became the sultan’s lover.[4] The sultan was used to having relations no less with those[16] who shared his own inclinations. For he was always spending his time in the close company of such people, both day and night, but he did not usually have relations with those[16] who were not of his own race, except for brief periods of time.

It was the sultan who had entrusted Vlad [III], the brother of this boy, with the rule of Wallachia. With the sultan’s assistance, Vlad, the son of Dracul, set out to claim the principality.

[82] Τοῦ μέντοι χειμῶνος τούτου βασιλεὺς διατρίβων ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείοις μετεπἐμπετο Βλάδον τὸν Δρακούλεω παῖδα, Δακίας ἡγεμὸνα, ἔχων παρ, ἑαυτῷ τὸν νεώτερον αὐτοῦ ἀδελφόν, παιδικά τε αὐτοῦ γενόμενον καὶ διαιτὡμενον παρ' αὐτῷ. Ξυνηνἑχθη δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ ξυγγενἑσθαι τῷ παιδι τῷδε βουλομένῳ, ὅτε πρῶτον παριὡν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ὲοτέλλετο ἐπὶ Ιζαραμᾶνον, ὸλίγου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀποθανεῖν. Ώς γὰρ ὲρῶν τοῦ παιδὸς ὲκαλει ἐς ὁμιλίας, καὶ φιλοτιμίαν αὐτῷ προπίνων ἐκἀλει ἐπὶ τὸν κοιτῶνα. Ό μέντοι παῖς οὐδὲν τι τοιοῦτον δοκῶν πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως πείσεσθαι, ἑώρα τὸν βασιλέα ἐπιφερόμενον αὐτῷ ἐς τοιοῦτον τε πρᾶγμα, ἀπεμαχετὁ τε καὶ οὐ συνεγινώσκετο ἐς τὴν συνουσίαν βασιλέως. Καὶ ἄκοντος ἑφίλει, σπασἀμενος ὁ παῖς μαχαιραν παίει τὸν βασιλέα κατὰ τὸν μη ρόν, καὶ οϋτω φεὐγων αὐτίκα, ὅποι προεχὡρει αὐτῷ, ῷχετο. Βασιλέως μέντοι οἱ ἰατροὶ ἰἀσαντο τὸ τραῦμα. Ό δὲ παῖς ἐπὶ δἑνδρον αὐτοῦ που ταύτη ὰναβὰς ἑκέκρυπτο. Ώς δὲ συσκευασἀμενος ὁ βασιλεὑς ἀπῇει, ἑντεῦθεν καταβὰς ὁ παῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ δένδρου καὶ διαπορευὸμενος οὐ πολλῷ ϋστερον ἀφίκετο ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας, καὶ παιδικὁι ἐγένετο βασιλέως. Χρῆσθαι δὲ νομίζει οὐχ ῆττον τοῖς ἐς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δ ἰαιταν τετραμμἐνοις· τούτοις μὲν γὰρ αἰεί τε συγγενόμενος συνδιατρίβει νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν, τοῖς δ' ἀλλοφύλοις οὐ πἀνυ τι χρῆσθαι νομίζεται βασιλέα, ὰλλ' ἐπὶ βραχὐ.

[83] Τοὐτου δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς τῷ ὰδελφῷ Βλάδῳ ἐπὲτρεψε βασιλεὺς τὴν Δακίας ἡγεμονίαν, καὶ συμβαλλομένου βασιλέως ἑπἡλασὲ τε καὶ κατέσχε τὴν ἡγεμονίαν Βλἀδος ὁ Δρακοὐλεω παῖς.