You have these men, stirring up your zeal both through words and through deeds. Show to them the most noble and steadfast resistance inherent in you by nature; let them see your strong arms striving against enemies, and let them marvel, and let them glorify God in this. For I, being wholly devoted to you and as if entering and dwelling in your very hearts, have been so moved and stirred by love and longing for you, that I have prepared and made myself ready, with God's approval and assent, to campaign with you, and to be confirmed by sight itself in those things which I have long heard proclaimed and have been told by word of mouth.

5 If, therefore, there is also in you some desire to see both us and our son as your fellow horsemen and comrades-in-arms and fellow soldiers, now confirm such a desire by your deeds, increase your heartfelt love for us by your actions, so that, strengthened and emboldened by your valiant exploits and victories and dominations over the enemy and by your invincible trophies, I shall become more eager to embrace the campaign with you. For formerly there was a certain rumor running about concerning the most impious Hamdan and the Christ-hating Tarsians, that they are both brave and possess a people invincible in wars, on account of which you, being frightened and disheartened, used to avoid conflict with them; but now this is not so. For as you yourselves know, that so-and-so, having been sent with the rest of the generals some time ago against the lands and castles of God-cursed Tarsus, and having entered into their innermost parts, and having armed the people with him with all zeal and with exhorting words, what a campaign he wrought, and how many qa'ids and a great multitude of the Tarsians he subdued, has escaped the notice of none of you. But also the force sent a short while ago into Mesopotamia, with the Patrician so-and-so and the rest, having cast down and effortlessly subjugated the noble and—as he thought—invincible constitution of Hamdan's army, will surely persuade your souls to become more daring and more confident for the conflict against the enemy. 6 For a great and mighty report concerning your courage used to fill the ears of the pagans, that you have an irresistible onslaught, that you possess incomparable courage, that you display an unhumbled spirit for wars. But since some contingents of such pagans have now campaigned with you, they were amazed by the bravery and nobility of the others who distinguished themselves in previous campaigns with their own eyes, now let them be astounded also at your daring, let them marvel at your unconquered and invincible strength against the barbarians. Become for me a marvel and an astonishment to the pagans, and a strength and a reinforcement to your own people; strengthen your souls, make mighty your arms, whet your teeth like wild boars, and let no one attempt to turn his back to the enemy, since he who considers this will first renounce his own life. Let your valiant deeds be spoken of even in foreign lands, let the pagans who are with you also be astounded at your achievements, let them become heralds to their own kinsmen of the trophies and victory-bringing signs, as they shall see you accomplish them. 7 We say these things also to the Christ-loving and God-gathered armies of the East and to those from Macedonia and Thrace who have campaigned with you, and we declare and make it known; for these men too have become your fellow soldiers and fellow travelers, and often in wars

ἔχετε τούτους καὶ διὰ λόγων καὶ δι' ἔργων τὸ ὑμῶν διεγεροῦντας πρόθυμον. δείξατε τούτοις τὴν ἐνοῦσαν ὑμῖν ἐκ φύσεως γενναιοτάτην καὶ καρτερὰν ἔνστασιν· ἰδέτωσαν ὑμῶν τοὺς ἰσχυροὺς βραχίονας κατ' ἐχθρῶν ἀγωνιζομένους, καὶ θαυμασάτωσαν, καὶ Θεὸν ἐν τούτῳ δοξασάτωσαν. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ὅλος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀνακείμενος καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ὥσπερ ἐμβατεύων καὶ εἰσοικιζόμενος τοσοῦτον τῷ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔρωτι καὶ τῷ πόθῳ διεκινήθην καὶ ἀνεκράθην, ὥστε καὶ ἑτοιμασθῆναι καὶ εὐτρεπισθῆναι καὶ Θεοῦ συνευδοκοῦντος καὶ ἐπινεύοντος συνεκστρατεῦσαι μεθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ δι' ὄψεως αὐτῆς βεβαιωθῆναι, ἃ διὰ τῶν λόγων πάλαι προενηχούμην καὶ ἤκουον.

5 Εἰ οὖν ἐστιν καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν τις πόθος τοῦ θεάσασθαι ἡμᾶς τε καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον υἱὸν συνιππότας ὑμῶν καὶ συνοπλίτας καὶ συστρατιώτας, νῦν διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν τὸν τοιοῦτον βεβαιώσατε πόθον, διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐγκάρδιον ἀγάπην αὐξήσατε, ἵνα ταῖς ὑμῶν ἀριστείαις καὶ νίκαις καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπικρατείαις καὶ τοῖς ἀηττήτοις τροπαίοις νευρούμενος καὶ θαρσοποιούμενος προθυμότερος γενήσομαι τὴν μεθ' ὑμῶν ἐκστρατείαν ἀσπάσασθαι. πρότερον μὲν γὰρ ὑπέτρεχέ τις φήμη περὶ τοῦ δυσσεβεστάτου Χαμβδᾶ καὶ τῶν μισοχρίστων Ταρσιτῶν, ὡς εἰσὶν ἀνδρεῖοί τε καὶ λαὸν πρὸς πολέμους ἄμαχον κέκτηνται, ἐξ οὗ πτοούμενοι καὶ καταχαυνούμενοι τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους συμπλοκὴν ὑπεφεύγετε· ἀλλὰ νῦν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν· ὡς γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ἀποσταλεὶς ὁ δεῖνα μετὰ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν στρατηγῶν πρὸ καιροῦ τινος κατὰ τῶν χωρῶν καὶ κάστρων τῆς θεολέστου Ταρσοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἐνδότατα τούτων εἰσελθών, καὶ πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ καὶ λόγοις προτρεπτικοῖς τὸν σὺν αὐτῷ λαὸν καθοπλίσας ὁποῖον εἰργάσατο ταξείδιον, καὶ ὁπόσους ἐχειρώσατο καΐτας καὶ λαὸν πλεῖστον τῶν Ταρσιτῶν, οὐδένα ὑμῶν διέλαθεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἀποσταλεὶς λαὸς πρὸ μικροῦ ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ, μετὰ τοῦ Πατρικίου ὁ δεῖνα καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τοῦ Χαμβδᾶ καὶ ἀκαταγώνιστον-ὡς ᾤετο-σύστημα τοῦ στρατεύματος αὐτοῦ καταβαλὼν καὶ ἀπονητὶ χειρωσάμενος πάντως πείσει τὰς ὑμετέρας ψυχὰς εὐτολμοτέρας γενέσθαι, καὶ θαρραλεωτέρας πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν συμπλοκήν. 6 Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ὑμῶν ἀνδρείας πολλὴ καὶ μεγάλη φήμη τῶν ἐθνικῶν κατεκράτει ἀκοῶν, ὡς ἀνυπόστατον ἔχετε τὴν ὁρμήν, ὡς ἀσύγκριτον τὴν ἀνδρείαν κέκτησθε, ὡς ἀταπείνωτον τὸ φρόνημα πρὸς πολέμους ἐνδείκνυσθε. ἐπεὶ δὲ νῦν μοῖραί τινες τῶν τοιούτων ἐθνῶν μεθ' ὑμῶν συνεξεστράτευσαν, τῶν μὲν ἄλλων, τῶν ἐν τοῖς προτέροις ταξειδίοις ἀριστευσάντων αὐταῖς ὄψεσι τό τε ἀνδρεῖον καὶ γενναῖον ἐξεπλάγησαν, νῦν καταπλαγήτωσαν καὶ τὴν ὑμῶν εὐτολμίαν, θαυμασάτωσαν τὴν πρὸς βαρβάρους ἀνίκητον ἰσχὺν καὶ ἀήττητον. γένεσθέ μοι καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν θαῦμα καὶ ἔκπληξις, καὶ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ἰσχὺς καὶ κραταίωσις· νευρώσατε τὰς ψυχάς, κρατύνατε τοὺς βραχίονας, παραθήξατε τοὺς ὀδόντας δίκην ἀγρίων συῶν, καὶ μηδεὶς νῶτα δοῦναι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς πειραθῇ, ὡς ὅ γε τοῦτο κατὰ νοῦν βαλλόμενος πρότερον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀπαγορεύσει ζωήν. λαληθήτωσαν τὰ ὑμῶν ἀριστεύματα καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀλλοτρίαις χώραις, ἐκπλαγήτωσαν καὶ οἱ συνόντες ὑμῖν ἐθνικοὶ τὰ ὑμῶν κατορθώματα, γενέσθωσαν κήρυκες τοῖς αὐτῶν συμφυλέταις τῶν τε τροπαίων καὶ νικοποιῶν συμβόλων, ὡς ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐργασαμένους θεάσωνται. 7 Ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τὰ τῆς ἀνατολῆς φιλόχριστα καὶ θεοσύλλεκτά φαμεν στρατεύματα καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας καὶ Θρᾴκης συνεκστρατεύσαντας ὑμῖν, καὶ δηλοῦμεν καὶ γνωρίζομεν· καὐτοὶ γὰρ οὗτοι συστρατιῶται καὶ συνέκδημοι γεγόνασιν ὑμῶν, καὶ πολλάκις ἐν πολέμοις