2

kings glorifying you for ever. 1 Concerning the Patzinaks, and how many advantages accrue from being at peace with the emperor of the Romans. Hearken now, my son, to those things which I think you ought not to be ignorant of, and be wise that you may attain to governance. For I say that it is a good thing for all others under our sway to have this knowledge, but especially for you, who are bound to take thought for the safety of all and to pilot and govern the ship of state. And if I have used for the explanation of the matters before us a clear and workaday style and, as it were, a simple and plain prose running on at random, do not be surprised, my son. For I have not been studious to make a display of fine writing or of an Atticizing style, swelling with the sublime and lofty, but rather have I been eager to teach you in a common and conversational narrative those things of which I think you should not be ignorant, and which may easily afford you the prudence and wisdom that come from long experience. For I reckon it to be of the highest advantage always for the emperor of the Romans to be minded to keep the peace with the nation of the Patzinaks and to conclude conventions and treaties of friendship with them and to send every year to them from here a diplomatic agent with presents befitting and suitable to that nation, and to take from there hostages, that is, *obsides*, and a diplomatic agent, who shall be gathered together in this God-guarded city with the official in charge of these things, and shall enjoy all imperial benefits and honours befitting a reigning emperor. Because this nation of the Patzinaks is neighbour to the district of Cherson, and if they are not friendly towards us, they can make excursions against Cherson and plunder and ravage both Cherson itself and the so-called *klimata*. 2 Concerning the Patzinaks and the Rhos. Because the Patzinaks are neighbours and conterminous with the Rhos also, and often, when they are not at peace with one another, they plunder Russia, and do it great harm and damage. Because the Rhos also are keenly concerned to be at peace with the Patzinaks. For they buy from them cattle and horses and sheep, and from these they live more easily and comfortably, since none of the aforesaid animals is to be found in Russia. But the Rhos are not able to set out for wars beyond their borders at all, unless they are at peace with the Patzinaks, because the latter can, while they are away from their homes, come upon them and destroy and ravage their property. For this reason the Rhos are always more concerned, both in order to suffer no harm from them and because this nation is powerful, to obtain an alliance with them and have their help, so that they may both be rid of their enmity and enjoy their assistance. Because not even to this imperial city of the Romans can the Rhos come, either for war or for trade, unless they are at peace with the Patzinaks, since when the Rhos with their ships come to the river-barrages and cannot pass through unless they lift their ships off the river and carry them on their shoulders, the men of this nation of the Patzinacs then set upon them, and, as they cannot endure two labours, they are easily routed and cut to pieces. 3 Concerning the Patzinaks and the Turks. Because the race of the Turks also is greatly terrified of and dreads the said Patzinaks, because they have often been defeated by them and have been brought almost to the point of complete annihilation. And for this reason the Patzinaks are always regarded as formidable by the Turks, and they hold back from them. 4 Concerning the Patzinaks and Rhos and Turks. Because when the emperor of the Romans is at peace with the Patzinaks, neither the Rhos by way of war against the dominion of the Romans, nor the Turks can attack, nor can they demand from the Romans large and excessive sums of money and goods in return for peace, fearing the [action] by the emperor through this nation against

2

βασιλεῖς δοξάζοντές σε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 1 Περὶ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν, καὶ πρὸς πόσα συμβάλλονται μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων εἰρηνεύοντες. Ἄκουσον τοίνυν, υἱέ, ἅ μοι δοκεῖ δεῖν σε μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, καὶ νοήμων γενοῦ, ἵνα κτήσῃ κυβέρνησιν. Φημὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν εἶναι καλὸν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων τὴν μάθησιν, διαφερόντως δὲ σοί, τῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς πάντων σωτηρίας ὀφείλοντι διαμεριμνᾶν καὶ τὴν κοσμικὴν ὁλκάδα πηδαλιουχεῖν τε καὶ κυβερνᾶν. Εἰ δὲ σαφεῖ καὶ κατημαξευμένῳ λόγῳ καὶ οἷον εἰκῇ ῥέοντι πεζῷ καὶ ἁπλοϊκῷ πρὸς τὴν τῶν προκειμένων ἐχρησάμην δήλωσιν, μηδὲν θαυμάσῃς, υἱέ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπίδειξιν καλλιγραφίας ἢ φράσεως ἠττικισμένης καὶ τὸ διηρμένον διογκούσης καὶ ὑψηλὸν ποιῆσαι ἐσπούδασα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον διὰ κοινῆς καὶ καθωμιλημένης ἀπαγγελίας διδάξαι σοι ἔσπευσα, ἅπερ οἴομαι δεῖν σε μὴ ἀγνοεῖν, καὶ ἃ τὴν ἐκ μακρᾶς ἐμπειρίας σύνεσίν τε καὶ φρόνησιν εὐμαρῶς σοι δύναται προξενεῖν. Ὑπολαμβάνω γὰρ κατὰ πολὺ συμφέρειν ἀεὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων εἰρήνην ἐθέλειν ἔχειν μετὰ τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν καὶ φιλικὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ποιεῖσθαι συνθήκας τε καὶ σπονδὰς καὶ ἀποστέλλειν καθ' ἕκαστον χρόνον ἐντεῦθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποκρισιάριον μετὰ ξενίων ἁρμοζόντων καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔθνος ἐπιτηδείων καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι ἐκεῖθεν ὁμήρους, ἤτοι ὄψιδας καὶ ἀποκρισιάριον, οἵτινες ἐν τῇ θεοφυλάκτῳ ταύτῃ πόλει μετὰ τοῦ καθυπουργοῦντος εἰς ταῦτα συνελεύσονται, καὶ βασιλικῶν εὐεργεσιῶν καὶ φιλοτιμιῶν τῶν ἐπαξίων πάντων τοῦ βασιλεύοντος ἀπολαύσουσιν. Ὅτι γειτνιάζει τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔθνος τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν τῷ μέρει τῆς Χερσῶνος, καὶ εἰ μὴ φιλίως ἔχουσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, δύνανται κατὰ τῆς Χερσῶνος ἐξέρχεσθαι καὶ κουρσεύειν καὶ ληΐζεσθαι αὐτήν τε τὴν Χερσῶνα καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα κλίματα. 2 Περὶ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν καὶ τῶν Ῥῶς. Ὅτι καὶ τοῖς Ῥῶς οἱ Πατζινακῖται γείτονες καὶ ὅμοροι καθεστήκασιν, καὶ πολλάκις, ὅταν μὴ πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰρηνεύουσι, πραιδεύουσι τὴν Ῥωσίαν, καὶ ἱκανῶς αὐτὴν παραβλάπτουσι καὶ λυμαίνονται. Ὅτι καὶ οἱ Ῥῶς διὰ σπουδῆς ἔχουσιν εἰρήνην ἔχειν μετὰ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν. Ἀγοράζουσι γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν βόας καὶ ἵππους καὶ πρόβατα, καὶ ἐκ τούτων εὐμαρέστερον διαζῶσι καὶ τρυφερώτερον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲν τῶν προειρημένων ζώων ἐν τῇ Ῥωσίᾳ καθέστηκεν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς ὑπερορίους πολέμους ἀπέρχεσθαι δύνανται ὅλως οἱ Ῥῶς, εἰ μὴ μετὰ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν εἰρηνεύοντες, διότι δύνανταιἐν τῷ ἐκείνους τῶν οἰκείων ὑποχωρεῖναὐτοὶ ἐπερχόμενοι τὰ ἐκείνων ἀφανίζειν τε καὶ λυμαίνεσθαι. ∆ιὸ μᾶλλον ἀεὶ σπουδὴν οἱ Ῥῶς τίθενταιδιά τε τὸ μὴ παραβλάπτεσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ διὰ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔθνοςσυμμαχίαν παρ' αὐτῶν λαμβάνειν καὶ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς εἰς βοήθειαν, ὡς ἂν καὶ τῆς ἔχθρας αὐτῶν ἀπαλλάττωνται καὶ τῆς βοηθείας καταπολαύοιεν. Ὅτι οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν ταύτην τῶν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν οἱ Ῥῶς παραγίνεσθαι δύνανται, εἰ μὴ μετὰ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν εἰρηνεύοντες, οὔτε πολέμου χάριν, οὔτε πραγματείας, ἐπειδήἐν τῷ μετὰ τῶν πλοίων εἰς τοὺς φραγμοὺς τοῦ ποταμοῦ γίνεσθαι τοὺς Ῥῶς καὶ μὴ δύνασθαι διελθεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐξαγάγωσι τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰ πλοῖα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων βαστάζοντες διαβάσωσιν, ἐπιτίθενται τότε αὐτοῖς οἱ τοῦ τοιούτου ἔθνους τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν, καὶ ῥᾳδίως, ἅτε πρὸς δύο πόνους ἀντέχειν μὴ δύνανται, τροποῦνται καὶ κατασφάζονται. 3 Περὶ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν καὶ Τούρκων. Ὅτι καὶ τὸ τῶν Τούρκων γένος μεγάλως πτοεῖται καὶ δέδιε τοὺς εἰρημένους Πατζινακίτας διὰ τὸ πολλάκις ἡττηθῆναι παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ τελείως σχεδὸν παραδοθῆναι ἀφανισμῷ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀεὶ φοβεροὶ τοῖς Τούρκοις οἱ Πατζινακῖται νομίζονται, καὶ συστέλλονται ἀπ' αὐτῶν. 4 Περὶ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν καὶ Ῥῶς καὶ Τούρκων. Ὅτι τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων μετὰ τῶν Πατζινακιτῶν εἰρηνεύοντος, οὔτε οἱ Ῥῶς πολέμου νόμῳ κατὰ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐπικρατείας, οὔτε οἱ Τοῦρκοι δύνανται ἐπελθεῖν, ἀλλ' οὔτε ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης μεγάλα καὶ ὑπέρογκα χρήματά τε καὶ πράγματα παρὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δύνανται ἀπαιτεῖν, δεδιότες τὴν διὰ τοῦ τοιούτου ἔθνους παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως κατ'