History
And what i have accurately ascertained from those who saw it, these things i will also commit to writing. 2. just now in the month of november, of the
He commanded that the triremes and the other transport ships should all be brought to anchor in a good harbor, and that they should control the sea, a
War. therefore, having gone around and seen that it was by nature difficult to enter and hard to approach for on the one side it had the sea as a saf
They would be frustrated. and having gone out of the camp, and having overrun a part of the country, when he learned from those who had been taken ali
It was easy to attack by assault, being raised to the greatest possible height, and girded with two trenches dug to a corresponding depth), and the de
Having divided his phalanx into three parts by night, he went against the scythians, and falling upon them suddenly, in a brief moment of time he wrou
Meet them, when i give the signal with the trumpets. such was the exhortation that the general delivered and the army shouted 22 and applauded, and w
6. but nikephoros phokas, the colleague of the aforementioned leo (for it is necessary, having summarized the account, to proceed with the history in
The general, having seen this, spurred his horse, quickened his pace, rode in and restrained the soldiers' onslaught, persuading them not to kill the
Having drawn up an irresistible battle-line, went through the land of the hagarenes. to them, having heard of the attack of nikephoros, it did not see
Was dignified by his rank), was hostilely disposed towards nicephorus. 11. he decided, therefore, to attempt a revolution at once but not having at h
, to proclaim him supreme commander, and to entrust the forces of asia to him, so that he might defend and check the assault of the foreigners. for th
He said, if you are persuaded to take up the rule of the east, i shall quickly declare you emperor, and restore you to the imperial thrones. speak wel
For he was gently nursing his little body), then, recovering again, he said, “speak, most brave one, what need is there to consider this?” but he said
I have assumed the imperial office, but compelled by the necessity of you, the army, and you yourselves bear witness for me that i was both shunning s
Before the report of his proclamation could fly abroad, to seize in advance the straits and passages of the sea. for thus he thought that matters woul
Numbering over three thousand, attacked the house of joseph and his collaborators along with the people. and having subjected these to plunder and pil
Especially the monks), they did not allow the man to persist in what he had decided, but urged him both to embrace marriage and not to shun meat-eatin
Makes it flood in a single hour) emboldened by these things, the barbarians mocked the emperor and insolently hurled insults at him, and making sorti
Having fallen upon it, accomplishing nothing noble or vigorous. and he considered the matter an outright disgrace and insult, and an indelible reproac
Having come to the region around tarsus, there he encamped and having pitched a palisade round about, he ordered the crops and the meadows, luxuriant
Having recovered the standards, which, crafted from gold and stones, the tarsians had captured in various battles while routing the roman force, and h
Of the spectacle, turned to flight and ran back to their own houses. and from the pushing and disorderly rush, no little slaughter occurred, with very
To blow favorably upon them, but blowing against them strongly and fiercely, it has sunk their affairs. but the account will now clearly reveal these
To those acting against the divine ordinance, if somehow at least in this way people, being afraid, would abstain from evil deeds, and would cling to
He had taken a fortress, and having crossed mount lebanon transversely, he turned his attention to tripoli, which he saw was fortified and exceptional
Being obliged to drive them away, and to guard the flocks from harm, they, in addition to not driving them away, themselves cut them down and tear the
Having come, and having been befriended by the ruler of the tauroi, and having corrupted him with gifts and bewitched him with persuasive words (for t
Reconciliation and friendship might be secured. the mysians gladly received the embassy, and putting daughters of the royal blood 80 on wagons (for it
They might do. but as they were already considering rushing to their defense, and to stoutly resist the enemy in close combat, as dawn was brightly br
Boasting to all about his brave deeds in wars. 6. having approached the emperor with these words and, 85 as was likely, having bewitched him (for he s
Having lowered from above, one by one they first pulled up all the conspirators, and then john himself. having come up, therefore, beyond all human su
The vengeance for these things, and to those who were slipping he seemed relentless and burdensome, and oppressive to those wishing to lead an indiffe
At the end of the month of december, during the thirteenth indiction of the six thousand four hundred and seventy-eighth year, a throng of select men,
Having captured him, confines him to amaseia. having therefore from this secured sufficient safety for himself and for his affairs, and having purged
To make amends for what nikephoros had improperly introduced. for nikephoros, whether wishing to correct divine matters that were being disturbed by s
And having found him not very accurately versed in secular education, but most diligently trained in divine and our own, he anoints him patriarch of a
The bosporus, but to pass by moesia, which belongs to the romans, and has from of old been a part of macedonia. for it is said that the moesians, bein
To make replies. for we trust in christ, the immortal god, that if you do not depart from this land, you will be driven from it by us even against you
A disgrace by the raids of the scythians to send out bilingual men dressed in scythian attire into the homesteads and customs of the enemy, so that t
The romans on the one hand shouted for joy, and were strengthened for valor but the scythians, growing cowardly at the new and strange nature of the
2. the emperor, when he learned of such a revolt, was disturbed, as was likely, and having brought up bishop stephen from abydos with wingless speed,
He saw that murders along with the ensuing conspirators were proceeding harshly and inhumanely, he decided to no longer delay or be slothful, so that
Considering into what fortunes the unholy and blood-guilty john has enclosed my family, having mercilessly slain the emperor and my uncle, who was his
Eye, and to learn that these things were red, just as they had been from of old. phocas, considering this prodigy a second evil omen, and seeing also
Immediately, lest it be some ill-omened thing, and destruction befall the pursuing mysians but learning they were fleeing at full speed, he both purs
The russian minds were lifted up in audacity and boldness. therefore, the emperor, not enduring their overweening arrogance and their blatant insolenc
Being given out, and going under the earth by the inscrutable wisdom of the creator and again from the 130 celtic mountains gushing up, and winding t
Should set a phalanx against us, things will not end well for us, but in dreadful perplexity and helplessness. therefore, having strengthened your spi
Is called drista) lingering with his whole force. but in this way kalokyres escaped, and night coming on stopped the romans from battle. and just on t
And they killed up to one hundred and fifty vigorous men. but the emperor, learning of such an event, quickly mounted his horse and urged his follower
But the rest of the multitude he bound in fetters and shut up in prisons. he himself, having gathered the entire host of the tauro-scythians, numberin
1. and just as day was dawning, the emperor fortified the camp with a strong palisade in this manner. a certain low hill of dorystolon rises at a dist
He was courting them with gifts and toasts, encouraging them to proceed vigorously to the wars. 3. while these matters were in suspense, and the battl
He flees to a divine and great sanctuary, seen as a pitiful supplicant instead of a haughty and boastful tyrant. whom the men of the drungarius dragge
Having drowned. for it is said that, being possessed by greek 150 orgies, they perform sacrifices and libations for the dead in the greek manner, havi
On the next day (it was the sixth day of the week, and the twenty-fourth day of the month of july), when the sun was setting, the tauro-scythians, hav
Was being concluded. 10. but the romans, following the divine man who went before, 155 engage with the enemy, and a fierce battle having commenced, th
With purity. at any rate, having conferred a few things about a truce with the emperor, seated beside the rowing-bench of the skiff, he departed. but
Was crossed over. this is the greatest of the rivers cutting through asia, 161 and one of those that flow from eden, as we have learned from the divin
The emperor, as one who abused the power of his leadership for certain powerful men, and did not direct the affairs of the church as was established b
Having assembled forces, and having meticulously armed them, departing from the reigning city, he advanced through palestine, a prosperous land, flowi
The mainland is enclosed by strongholds, stretching upon a certain steep hill on the other side it is surrounded by the sea, putting forth a well-hav
Before until fire-bearing ships were secretly sent out from byzantium by those in power. which bardas parsakoutenos the magistros was leading, and ha
I would have been destroyed, if some divine providence had not led me out of that very danger, which caused me to ride out with speed, before the ravi
Furthermore, the star rising in the west at the setting of the morning star, which, making its risings in the evening, kept no fixed position at one c
Of the city, but already becoming feeble, and suffering from a deep and intractable panting. and having just come to the royal hearth, he was shown to
war. Therefore, having gone around and seen that it was by nature difficult to enter and hard to approach; for on the one side it had the sea as a safe guard, and on the other it was built upon a coastal and level rock, on which the cornices had been founded, and the structure presented something new and strange; for it was built of earth and goats' and pigs' hair put together and suitably compressed; and it had such width, that two wagons could easily pass one another in turn along the walkway of the battlements, and it was raised to a sufficient height; and in addition two trenches, reaching the greatest possible width and depth, had been dug around it. Having learned that this was strong, as has been said, and simply unconquerable, he devised the following counter-stratagem. Beginning to build from the shore-line turned toward the south as far as the shore on the other side, he walled off the stretch of the mainland with an enclosure, and confined the city of the Cretans toward the sea, so that the barbarians could not easily advance upon the mainland whenever they wished, but it lay upon him, to make war, and not, whenever it seemed good to them. Having quickly completed such a 12 small wall, Nikephoros hastened to another triumph, which the account will soon declare. Having summoned the officers to the general's tent, and using a louder voice, he spoke as follows: 6. The savage and beastly nature of the descendants of the handmaiden, both their raiding and their enslaving, how much they have murderously wrought against the Romans (and this while dwelling on the island assigned to them, even if by the evil of fortune it had come to be among the Hagarenes), I think has escaped none of you. For is not almost the entire coastline uninhabited from their abductions? Are not most of the islands desolate by their raiding? Because of which, Providence did not endure forever, that the liars, the evil beasts, the lazy gluttons, should prey upon the Christ-named people; but by the will of the ruler has brought us across here, to repay to them sevenfold the retribution which they mercilessly repaid to us. And the proof of what is said is the victory that has occurred. For just now, having almost completed the sea-crossing, and not even having completely spat out the seasickness, as soon as we set foot on the island with the help of the Almighty we made very many of the barbarians the work of the sword; and those of them who were left we shut up in the city without a struggle. I implore you, therefore, fellow soldiers, not to look to ease and luxury; for the example of the fall is fresh for us. For if those sent to scout the 13 land ahead had guarded my instructions along with Nikephoros Pastilas, and had not turned aside to luxury and other pleasure, they would not have been destroyed in such a utter ruin. But now, having disregarded these things, they have borne the penalty of their own folly. It is necessary, therefore, fearing the fall of our comrades, to be sober and to pay attention, and with all zeal and strength to search out and track down the barbarian beasts lurking here, and having dragged them from their lairs and dens, to consign them to destruction. Let us not, therefore, waste the occasion in sluggishness and drunkenness, but being Romans let us display the youthful and noble character of our high birth in the contests. 7. The general spoke, and indeed the army was emboldened, and applauded, and having drawn their swords from their scabbards, was eager to follow him, and to obey wherever he might wish. But he commanded them for the time being to be still and quiet, until he himself should command them to get to work, when it was necessary. But just now, at an untimely hour of the night, having taken with him the youthful and strong part of the army, chosen man by man, he was quietly slipping out of the camp, so that the barbarians might not perceive their departure, and something terrible to the army left behind
πόλεμον. περιελθὼν οὖν καὶ τὴν ἄλλως δυσέμβολον πεφυκὸς ἰδὼν καὶ δυσπρόσοδον· ἐκ τοῦ θατέρου μὲν γὰρ πλευροῦ τὴν θάλατταν
εἶχε φρουρὰν ἀσφαλῆ, κατὰ θάτερον δὲ ἐπ' ἀγχωμάλου καὶ ἰσοπέδου λίθου ἠρήρειστο, ἐφ' ᾗ τὰ γεῖσα τεθεμελίωτο, τό τε δόμημα
καινόν τι προὐβάλλετο καὶ ἀλλόκοτον· ἐκ χοὸς γὰρ καὶ τριχῶν αἰγείων καὶ ὑείων συντεθειμένων καὶ ἐπιεικῶς συμπεπιλημένων ᾠκοδόμητο·
εὖρός τε τοσοῦτον ἔφερεν, ὅσον ἁμάξας δύο εὐπετῶς ἔχειν κατὰ τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἐναλλὰξ διοδεύειν περίδρομον, ἐς ὕψος τε ἀποχρώντως
ἦρτο· καὶ προσέτι ταφρεῖαι δύο ἐς εὖρος ὅτι μάλιστα καὶ βάθος ἱκνούμεναι πέριξ αὐτοῦ ὠρωρύχατο. τοῦτο ἐχυρὸν, ᾗπερ εἴρηται,
καὶ δυσάλωτον ἀτεχνῶς καταμαθὼν, τοιοῦτόν τι ἀντιτεχνάζεται. ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς νότον τετραμμένης ῥηγμῖνος ἀρξάμενος οἰκοδομεῖν
μέχρι τῆς ἐπὶ θάτερα ἠϊόνος, τὸ διῆκον τῆς χέρσου ἑρκίῳ διατειχίζει, καὶ πρὸς πόντον τὸ τῶν Κρητῶν ἄστυ καθείργνυσιν, ὡς μὴ
ἔχοιεν εὐπετῶς τῇ χέρσῳ προσεπιβαίνειν οἱ βάρβαροι, ὅτε καὶ βούλοιντο, ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὲ κεῖσθαι, πολεμητέα εἶναι, καὶ μὴ, ὁπότε
καὶ τοῦτο δοκεῖ. τὸ τοιοῦτον δὴ 12 τειχίον θᾶττον συμπεράνας ὁ Νικηφόρος, ἐφ' ἕτερον ἠπείγετο τρόπαιον, ὅπερ ὁ λόγος αὐτίκα
δηλώσει. παρὰ τὴν στρατήγιον σκηνὴν τοὺς ἐν τέλει συγκαλεσάμενος, καὶ γεγωνοτέρᾳ χρησάμενος τῇ φωνῇ, ἔλεξε τοιάδε· ϛʹ. Τὸ
μὲν ὠμὸν καὶ θηριῶδες τῶν τῆς παιδίσκης ἐκγόνων, τήν τε τούτων καταδρομὴν καὶ τὸν ἀνδραποδισμὸν, ὅσα φονιωδῶς Ῥωμαίοις εἰργάσαντο
(καὶ ταῦτα νῆσον παροικοῦντες τὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῖς τεταγμένην, εἰ καὶ μοχθηρίᾳ τύχης παρὰ τοῖς Ἀγαρηνοῖς ἐγεγόνει), οἴομαι μηδένα
λήσειν ὑμῶν. ἦ γὰρ οὐκ ἀνοίκητος μὲν ἡ παράλιος πᾶσα σχεδὸν ἐκ τῆς τούτων ἀπαγωγῆς; οὐκ ἔρημοι δὲ τῶν νήσων αἱ πλείους τῇ
τούτων καταδρομῇ; δι' ἃ οὐκ ἠνέσχετο πάντως ἡ πρόνοια μέχρι καὶ τοῦ παντὸς, τοὺς ψεύστας, τὰ θηρία τὰ κάκιστα, τὰς ἀργὰς γαστέρας,
καταθοινεῖσθαι λαὸν τὸν Χριστώνυμον· ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ῥοπῇ ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα διεπεραιώσατο , ἑπταπλασίως αὐτοῖς ἀποδοῦναι
τὸ ἀνταπόδομα, ὃ ἀνηλεῶς ἡμῖν ἀνταπέδωκαν. τεκμήριον δὲ τῶν λεγομένων ἡ προβᾶσα νίκη. ἄρτι γὰρ διαπόντιοι σχεδὸν τελοῦντες,
καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἐκ θαλάττης ναυτίαν ὁλοσχερῶς ἀποπτύσαντες, ἅμα τῷ ἐπιβῆναι τῆς νήσου τῇ τοῦ κρείττονος ἀρωγῇ μαχαίρας ἔργον
πλείστους τῶν βαρβάρων ἐθέμεθα· τοὺς δὲ περιλειφθέντας αὐτῶν ἀπονητὶ τῷ ἄστει περιεκλείσαμεν. ἐκλιπαρῶ οὖν, συστρατιῶται,
μὴ πρὸς ῥᾳστώνην ὑμᾶς ἀπιδεῖν καὶ τρυφήν· ἐξ ὑπογυίου γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦ πτώματος τὸ παράδειγμα. εἰ γὰρ τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπισκήψεις σὺν
τῷ Παστιλᾷ Νικηφόρῳ οἱ προκατασκοπεῖν σταλέντες τῆς 13 χώρας ἐφύλαξαν, καὶ μὴ ἐς τρυφὴν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀπέκλεισαν ἡδονὴν, οὐκ
ἂν τοιαύτῃ πανολεθρίᾳ ἀπώλοντο. νῦν δὲ, τούτων ἀλογήσαντες, τῆς σφῶν ἀβελτηρίας ἠνέγκαντο ἐπίχειρα. δεῖ οὖν τὸ τῶν ἑταίρων
πτῶμα εὐλαβηθέντας νήφειν τε καὶ προσέχειν, καὶ ὅλῃ σπουδῇ καὶ ῥώμῃ ἐξερευνῆσαι καὶ ἀνιχνεῦσαι τὰ ἐλλοχῶντα τῇδε βάρβαρα θηρία,
καὶ τῶν χηραμῶν καὶ φωλεῶν ἐξερύσαντας ἀπωλείᾳ παραπέμψασθαι. μὴ οὖν νωθείᾳ καὶ μέθῃ προϊστάμεθα τὸν καιρὸν, ἀλλὰ Ῥωμαῖοι
τελοῦντες τὸ νεανικὸν καὶ γενναῖον τῆς ἡμῶν εὐγενείας παράστημα ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἐπιδειξόμεθα. ζʹ. Εἶπεν ὁ στρατηγὸς, καὶ δῆτα
τὸ στράτευμα ἀνεθάῤῥησέ τε, καὶ ἐπεκρότησε, καὶ τῶν κουλεῶν τὰ ξίφη σπασάμενον, αὐθόρμητον ἦν ἕπεσθαι τούτῳ , καὶ πειθαρχεῖν,
ὅποι καὶ βούλοιτο. ὁ δὲ ἀτρεμεῖν τέως καὶ ἠρεμεῖν διεκέλευεν, ἕως ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπισκήψῃ ἔργου ἔχεσθαι, ὁπηνίκα καὶ δεῖ. ἄρτι δὲ
τῶν νυκτῶν ἀωρὶ τὸ νεανικὸν καὶ ἀκμαῖον διακριδὸν τοῦ στρατοῦ προσεταιρισάμενος, ἡσυχῇ ὑπεξῄει τοῦ χάρακος, ὡς μὴ αἴσθοιντο
τὴν τούτων οἱ βάρβαροι ἄπαρσιν, καὶ δεινόν τι τῇ καταλειφθείσῃ στρατιᾷ
