Peter, disconcerted at the state of affairs, conceived the idea of buying up a great quantity of corn from Bithynia, Phrygia and Thrace.

The inhabitants of those provinces were forced to bring it down to the coasts themselves (a work of great labour), and to convey it at considerable risk to Byzantium, where they had to be satisfied with an absurdly low price.
Their losses were so considerable, that they would have preferred to have given the corn gratuitously to the public granaries, and even to have paid twice as much.

This burdensome duty was called Syn=on=e, or provisioning the capital with corn from the provinces.

But, as even then the supply of corn was not sufficient for the needs of the city, many complaints were made to the Emperor.

At the same time the soldiers, hardly any of whom had as yet received their pay, assembled and created a great disturbance in the city.