Even at this late stage, the sultan Alp Arslan sent envoys to Romanos to treat for peace. The emperor did not receive them very courteously, and sent them back spitefully to their master to ask him to move his camp. He made the mistake of giving them a cross, as a token of safe-conduct, thus giving his enemy a sign of victory before the battle. Yet Romanos was persuaded by some of his advisors to reject as deceitful and disadvantageous the peace proposals of the sultan's envoys who had just left, assuming that Alp Arslan was trying to buy time. He was encouraged to go to war and, before the envoys had a chance to return, gave the unreasonable order to open hostilities