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they had decided, even if perhaps this did not reach its conclusion, since the enemy suddenly attacked, and quicker than we all had expected; "for if," they said, "the enemy surrounds the city and are constantly at war, while we go to the market, which is far away, to buy our necessities, we will hand over the city to them, because of the desertion of the walls, without them having undergone any effort at all." And so, with everything well arranged in every way and, as far as was possible, with everyone prepared to suffer everything for the fatherland, we all showed the same zeal, and we were basing our entire hope on God and the Myrrh-Gushing Martyr, and we were on the lookout night and day for the attack of the barbarians, expecting them each day according to the reports.

6

A few days passed again and a third messenger had already arrived at the city, announcing the arrival of Mourat at Langadas, and how that plain, extending for a great length, was not sufficient for such a multitude of troops; and he also reported that the preparation was beyond description and not easy to speak of. Again, therefore, we were in haste and again in great diligence. The appointed day came, and about midnight a great earthquake occurred in the city and cast fear into the souls of all, and everyone considered this a sign of no good things; for so had the earthquakes that had shaken the city long before prepared the people and given them such an impression, having themselves also foretold anomalies in their affairs and having brought a swarm of terrible things upon the city. And this by night. But as dawn broke and the sun had not yet clearly cast its rays upon the earth, a part of the army was seen approaching the city, neither holding a raised standard, as is the custom, nor marching in squadrons. This was the manner: it seemed good to Mourat to approach us, the inhabitants of the city, first with some friendly words, so that none of the things that later happened would occur and the city be badly taken; for hopes were nourishing him that with his words he could immediately make it submit and that it would not choose to be conquered through war. And he did this for two reasons: that that army of myriad men might not have to undergo war and then, having failed, suffer great shame, and because he was persuaded by the words of those urging him to come to the city; for there were those who were always pushing him and persuading him that, if he only appeared, he could readily take it without war and toils. He therefore sent Christian men, not unknown, from other cities, to advise us on our salvation and to stir us up against the Latins as much as possible; who, when they arrived and feared that their bodies would be wounded by the missiles sent from the walls, turned back, having declared nothing or little to the one part which they had been able to approach. On which account, having returned, they seemed to some to be blameworthy; "for it was necessary to go around often and to many parts of the walls and to make clear the promises to Mourat, and to use words of counsel, so that they might prepare them to be eager to come together and consider what was expedient; they were not well-disposed towards us," they said, "having neglected the command." But nevertheless, thus they were seen to have acted, whether willingly or unwillingly.

7

But Mourat, seeing that he was attempting futile things in this matter (for not only were some not persuaded by what they proclaimed from outside, but they also did not shrink from showering him with insults out of folly and irrational audacity) became wholly possessed by anger and ordered the army to move and encamp around the city. And they advanced, like swarms of bees, thirsting greatly for our blood and eager to devour all of us completely. And approaching the city and pitching their tents, as is the custom, they surrounded it all like a fortress, so that almost nowhere was a place to be seen empty of men. Then the generals each in

4

κεκρίκασιν, εἰ καὶ πέρας ἴσως τοῦτο λαβεῖν οὐκ ἔσχεν, ἐπιθεμένων αἴφνης τῶν πολεμίων καὶ θᾶττον ἢ πάντες προσεδοκῶμεν· «ἂν γὰρ τὴν πόλιν», ἔφησαν, «κυκλώσωσι μὲν οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ τοῦ πολεμεῖν συνεχῶς γίνωνται, ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀγοράν, πόρρω κειμένην, ἀπίωμεν τὰ πρὸς χρείαν ὠνούμενοι, παρέξομεν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν τειχῶν ἐρημίας τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῖς, μηδένα πόνον μηδαμῶς προϋπενεγκοῦσι.» Καλῶς οὖν διὰ πάντων καί, ὡς παρεῖχεν ἡ δύναμις, παρεσκευασμένων ἁπάντων πάντα παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος, προθυμίαν πάντες ἐνεδειξάμεθα τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα πᾶσαν ἐπὶ θεῷ καὶ τῷ Μυροβλύτῃ Μάρτυρι σαλεύοντες ἦμεν καὶ περιεσκοποῦμεν νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν βαρβάρων, καθ' ἑκάστην κατὰ τὰς ἀγγελίας αὐτοὺς ἐκδεχόμενοι.

6 Ἡμέραι παρῆλθον αὖθις ὀλίγαι καὶ τρίτος ἄγγελος ἤδη πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἀφῖκτο, τὴν εἰς τὰ Λαγκαδᾶ τοῦ Μουράτου δηλῶν ἄφιξιν καὶ ὡς οὐχ ἱκανὸν τὸ πεδίον, εἰς πολὺ μῆκος ἐκτεταμένον ἐκεῖνο, πρὸς τοσαύτην πληθὺν στρατευμάτων· διήγγειλε δὲ καὶ τὴν παρασκευὴν ὑπὲρ λόγον οὖσαν καὶ μὴ ῥᾳδίαν ῥηθῆναι. Πάλιν οὖν ἡμεῖς ἐν σπουδῇ καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ μεγάλῃ. Παρῆν δὲ ἡ κυρία τῶν ἡμερῶν, καὶ περὶ μέσας νύκτας σεισμὸς τῇ πόλει γίνεται μέγας καὶ φόβον ταῖς ἁπάντων ἐνῆκε ψυχαῖς, τεκμήριόν τε τοῦτο οὐκ ἀγαθῶν ἡγήσαντο πάντες πραγμάτων· οὕτω γάρ, οἳ πρὸ μακροῦ τὴν πόλιν ἐκεῖνοι συνέσειον [συ]σεισμοί, παρεσκεύασαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ τοιαύτην ἔδωκαν ὑπόληψιν ἔχειν ἀνωμαλίας πραγμάτων κἀκεῖνοι προηγγελκότες καὶ δεινῶν ἑσμὸν ἐπαγαγόντες τῇ πόλει. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν νυκτός. Ἀρξαμένης δὲ τῆς ἕω καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου καθαρῶς οὔπω τῇ γῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐπαφιέντος, τῆς στρατιᾶς τι μέρος ὁρᾶται τῇ πόλει προβάλλον, μήτε σημαίαν, ὡς ἔθος, ἠρμένην ἔχοντες, μήτε βαδίζοντες ἰλαδόν. Ὁ δὲ τρόπος· ἔδοξε τῷ Μουράτῃ φιλίοις τισὶ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἡμᾶς τῇ πόλει ῥήμασιν ὑπελθεῖν πρότερον, ὥστε μή τι τῶν ἐν ὑστέροις συμβεβηκότων γενέσθαι καὶ κακῶς τὴν πόλιν ἁλῶναι· ὑπέτρεφον γὰρ ἐλπίδες τοῖς αὐτοῦ λόγοις ταύτην εὐθὺς ὑποκλῖναι καὶ μὴ ἂν ἑλέσθαι κρατηθῆναι διὰ πολέμου. Τοῦτο δ' ἐποίησε δυοῖν ἕνεκα, τοῦ τε μὴ πόλεμον ὑποστῆναι τὸν μυριάνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον στρατόν, εἶτ' ἀποτυχόντα, μεγάλην αἰσχύνην ὀφλῆσαι καὶ τοῦ πεισθῆναι τοῖς λόγοις τῶν ἐπειγόντων αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀφῖχθαι· καὶ γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ τοῦτον ἀεὶ συνωθοῦντες καὶ πείθοντες, ὡς, εἰ μόνον ὀφθείη, ταύτην ἑτοίμως ἄνευ πολέμου καὶ πόνων λαβεῖν. Πέπομφε τοίνυν ἄνδρας χριστιανούς, οὐκ ἀγνῶτας, πόλεων ἐξ ἑτέρων, ἡμῖν τὰ σωτήρια συμβουλεύσοντας καὶ κατὰ τῶν Λατίνων διεγεροῦντας ὡς οἷόν τε· οἳ καὶ παραγενόμενοι καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν πεμπομένοις βέλεσι μὴ τρωθῆναι τὰ σώματα δεδιότες, ὀπισθόρμητοι γίνονται, μηδὲν ἢ ὀλίγα πρὸς ἓν μέρος δηλώσαντες, ᾧ προσπελάσαι δεδύνηνται. Ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ μεμπταῖοι γενέσθαι ἔδοξάν τισιν ὑποστρέψαντες· «δέον γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ κατὰ πολλὰ τῶν τειχῶν μέρη περιιέναι καὶ τὰ ὑπεσχημένα τῷ Μουράτῃ φανερὰ καταστῆσαι, λόγοις τε χρήσασθαι συμβουλίας, ὡς ἂν προθύμους παρασκευάσωσι πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συνελθότας σκέψασθαι τὸ συνοῖσον, οὐ καλῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς διετέθησαν», εἶπον, «ἠμεληκότες τοῦ ἐπιτάγματος». Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν οὗτοι πράξαντες ὤφθησαν, εἴτ' ἐθελονταὶ εἴτε καὶ ἄκοντες.

7 Ὁ δὲ Μουράτης ἀνηνύτοις ἰδὼν ἐπιχειρεῖν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει (οὐ γὰρ οἷς ἔξωθεν μόνον ἐκήρυττον ἐπείθοντό τινες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλύνειν τοῦτον ὕβρεσιν ὑπ' ἀβελτηρίας καὶ ἀλόγου θρασύτητος οὐκ ἀπώκνουν) τοῦ θυμοῦ τε γέγονεν ὅλος καὶ τὸν στρατὸν προσέταξε μεταστῆναι καὶ περὶ τὴν πόλιν στρατοπεδεύσασθαι. Οἱ δὲ προσεχώρουν, ἅτε μελισσῶν σμήνη, τοῦ ἡμετέρου λίαν διψῶντες αἵματος καὶ πάντας ἄρδην καταπιεῖν γλιχόμενοι. Τῇ πόλει δὲ προσεγγίσαντες καὶ τὰς σκηνάς, ὥσπερ ἔθος, πηξάμενοι, δίκην φρουρίου πᾶσαν περιέλαβον ταύτην, ὡς μηδαμοῦ σχεδὸν κενὸν ἀνθρώπων φαίνεσθαι τόπον. Εἶτα τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ἕκαστον ἐν