29. Τοῦ δ' αὐτοῦ ἔτους καὶ ὁ τῶν Λαζῶν ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τῆς βασιλέως αὐταδέλφης παῖς Ἀλέξιος, τῇ δεσποτικῇ σεμνυνόμενος μοίρᾳ καὶ τὸ Τραπεζήϊον ἄστυ κατέχων, Γεννουΐταις γίνεται διὰ μάχης ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. Γεννουΐταις ἦν σύνηθες ἐξ ἀρχαίου κατοικοῦσι τὴν χώραν ἀπομερίζειν τὰ κέρδη ὧν μετεχείριζον ἐκ κομμερκίου λεγομένου Ῥωμαϊκῶς τοῖς τῆς χώρας ἄρχουσιν. ἐπεὶ δ' ηὐξάνοντο κατὰ πόλιν καὶ ταῖς ἀτελείαις ἐμεγαλύνοντο, ὥστε καὶ τὴν ἀντιπεραίαν τῆς Βυζαντίδος ἀποχαρισθῆναι σφίσιν εἰς οἰκισμὸν ἅμα μὲν ἀσφαλῆ ἅμα δὲ καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῆ τοῖς οἰκοδομήμασιν, ἠδόξουν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἐκεῖ τῶν φορτίων ἀναψηλάφησιν, καὶ βαρέως ἔφερον τὰς εὐθύνας, εἰ παρὰ βασιλέως ἀτελείαις τιμώμενοι τοπαρχοῦσιν ἄλλοις καθυποκλίνοιντο. ὑβριο παθοῦντες τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ σφῶν συνεδρίου πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν Ἀλέξιον πέμπουσιν, ἀπαιτήσεις τινὰς προτεινόμενοι, αἷς ἐκείνου μηδ' ὅλως συντιθεμένου ἀναχωρεῖν τῆς χώρας παμπληθεί τε καὶ πανομιλεὶ εὐθέως ἐσχηματίζοντο. κἀπειδήπερ καὶ νῆες μακραὶ σφῶν τῷ λιμένι ἐνώρμουν, τὴν ἀπανάστασιν διεκήρυττον. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκήρυσσον μάλ' ὦκα, οἱ δ' ἡτοιμάζοντο. ὁ δ' ἀρχηγὸς τῆς χώρας ἀναχωρεῖν μὲν ἠφίει καὶ ἠφροντίστει τῶν φαινομένων, πλὴν τῆς τῶν φορτίων τέως μερίδος ἄνωθεν καταχθέντων καὶ λίαν ἀντείχετο ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας αὐτοῦ γεγονότων. οἱ δὲ τῷ καθ' αὑτοὺς καὶ συνήθει φρονήματι ἐμετεωρίζοντο, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐπεσταλμένα ἀντέτεινον καὶ ἀντέσπων. κἀντεῦθεν Ἴβηρας ἔχων ἐκεῖνος τὴν πρὸς σφᾶς ἀναθαρρεῖ μάχην, καὶ παραυτίκα ἔρις καὶ πόλεμος ἐξ ἑκατέρων συγκροτεῖται, καὶ ἀλλήλους ἔβαλλον, καὶ συνεχεῖς ἔπιπτον· ῥέπει δ' ἡ νίκη τοῖς Ἴβηρσι, καὶ κακῶς Γεννουῗται εἶχον. τέλος ταῖς τῶν Ἰβήρων προσβολαῖς ἀντέχειν μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐφεξῆς δεδοικότες, πῦρ ἐνιᾶσι τῇ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως χώρᾳ, οὐ κατὰ χρείαν νίκης, ἀλλ' ὥστε μόλις τὸ κακὸν ἐκφυγεῖν θορυβηθέντων τῶν ἀντιπάλων. τὸ δ' ἦν ζημία μὲν οὐ μέτρῳ ποσουμένη καὶ τοῖς αὐτόχθοσιν, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐζημίου κἀκείνους τὸ πῦρ· φορτία γὰρ ἐκεῖνα δυοκαίδεκα ναυσὶν ἀρκέσοντα πρὸς τὴν πλήρωσιν (τόσαι γὰρ καὶ προσώκελλον ἐν λιμένι) δαπάνημα γίνονται τοῦ πυρός. καὶ τοὐντεῦθεν ταπεινωθέντες τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης ἠσπάσαντο.

Book 5:29. In that same year, the ruler of the Laz and son of the emperor's sister, Alexios, who was honored with the rank of despot and held the Table-like city [Trebizond], came into conflict with the Genovese for this reason. It was customary for the Genoese residing in the land to divide up their profits from which they handed over the commercium as it was called in the Roman tongue to the country's officials. When they had increased their numbers in the city and consolidated their exemptions [from taxation] such as the land of Byzantium beyond had conferred upon them for their colonization, security, and the magnificence of their buildings, and so because this they held in contempt that they were deprived of their wares there, and that if that had been honored with exemptions by the emperor, they should enjoy them from the rulers of other places, so they took offence at the accounting [of their wares]. They therefore complained in front of their assembly and sent ambassadors to Alexios setting forth their demands, which he did not at all agree to, and so they straightaway resolved to depart from the country in mass and in droves. And due to the fact that their long boats were moored in the harbor, they ordered a mass withdrawal from the land. They announced it very quickly and were ready. The ruler of the country, however, permitted them to do this and was indifferent to the proceedings so long as the part of the cargo of the above moored ships was paid, since they had come to his land. But they--exhibiting their customary state of mind--resisted his commands and withheld [the commericum]. And then because of this, he was emboldened to send his Iberians into battle, and so forthwith discord and combat reigned on both sides as they fired on each other leaving a contiguous mass of them dead. Victory fell to the Iberians and the Genoese fared badly. In the end, they could not withstand the Iberian's advances and fearing what would happen next, set fire to the land outside the city, not to gain victory, but to only just escape the evil due in their opponents' confusion. The fire did immeasurable damage to the neighboring areas, but did not less but greater damage to their own. The twelve cargo boats also filled the tally and became a casualty of the fire since they were run ashore in the harbor. Because of this, they were humbled and made peace.