he marveled greatly and asked whence and who and of what city she was. And she answered that she was Mysian by race from ***; this is a small town of Thrace. Therefore the emperor, taking the occasion from the woman, sending an embassy to the king of Thrace, named Cotys, received from there immigrant men with women and children, a sufficient multitude. From this race, those inhabiting Asia Minor were named Thrakesians, because they were industrious, laborious, and artisans. And the whole theme of the Thrakesians consists of such races: Lydians, Maeonians, Carians, Ionians; and Ionians are called those who inhabit both Miletus and Ephesus; and those of the interior are Sardians, both Lydians and Maeonians and Carians and the inhabitants of Lesser Phrygia. And thus the Thrakesians. And this history Nicolaus of Damascus writes in his eighteenth book, who was the secretary of Herod the king. And they were named Thrakesians because they were from the land of the Thracians, as we said. And there are twenty cities in Asia: first Ephesus, second Smyrna, third Sardis, fourth Miletus, fifth Priene, sixth Colophon, seventh Thyatira, eighth Pergamum, ninth Magnesia, tenth Tralles, eleventh Hierapolis, twelfth Colossae, now called Chonae, where there is a renowned church of the archangel Michael, thirteenth Laodicea, fourteenth Nyssa, fifteenth Stratonicea, sixteenth Alabanda, seventeenth Alinda, eighteenth Myrina, nineteenth Teos, twentieth Lebedus, [twenty-first Philadelphia] and some others. And these things about this. asia.4 D. The fourth theme, called Opsikion. The theme called Opsikion has an appellation known to all; for *opsikion* is said in Latin, which means in the Greek language those who go before the emperor for good order and honor. Whence the leader of the Opsikion is not called a *strategos*, but is addressed by the name and title of *komes*. And the region of the Opsikion is inhabited by so many tribes and peoples, beginning from the sea, that is of the Astacene Gulf, and of the Dascylian promontory, and as far as Triton and the mountains of Sigriane and Proconnesus itself and as far as Abydus itself, and Cyzicus and Parion. And the parts below and by the sea, beginning from the Astacene Gulf and of the Pylae and as far as the interior of what is called Mysian Olympus and the land of the so-called Dagotthenoi and Prusias itself, Bithynians inhabit; and the parts to the south of Olympus and as far as the river Rhyndacus, Mysians inhabit; and the parts towards the sea and Cyzicus, Phrygians and Greeks inhabit, having acquired their name from the river Granicus; in which occurred the first battle of Alexander of Macedon against the generals of the Persians. And it extends upwards as far as Dorylaeum and Cotyaeum itself, from which is that most famous and ancient Aesop who first introduced fables into life, and as far as the town of Meros to the east. And to the west it ends at Abydus, and in width from the river Rhyndacus and as far as the town called Domaterou. And thus the Opsikion. And we stated its name because it goes before the emperor and prepares and directs his roads and lodgings. And there are these peoples that make up the Opsikion: Bithynians, Mysians, Phrygians, Dardanians, who are also called Trojans. And the theme called Opsikion has these notable cities: first Nicaea, which is also a metropolis, second Cotyaeum, third Dorylaeum, fourth Midaeum, fifth Apamea, sixth Myrlea, seventh Lampsacus, eighth Parion, ninth Cyzicus, tenth Abydus. asia.5 E. The fifth theme, called Optimatos. The so-called, I know not how to say it, theme of Optimatos has no

μεγάλως ἐθαύμασε καὶ ἠρώτησε πόθεν καὶ τίς καὶ ποίας ἐστὶ πόλεως. Ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο Μυσὴ μὲν εἶναι τὸ γένος ἐκ ***· Θρᾴκης δ' ἐστὶν αὕτη πολίχνιον. Λαβὼν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀφορμήν, πρεσβείαν πρὸς τὸν τῆς Θρᾴκης βασιλέα ποιησάμενος Κότυν ὀνομαζόμενον, ἐκεῖθεν ἔλαβεν ἄνδρας μετοίκους μετὰ γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων ὄχλον ἱκανόν. Ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γένους ὠνομάσθησαν οἱ τὴν μικρὰν Ἀσίαν οἰκοῦντες Θρᾳκήσιοι, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐργοπόνους ἐργώδεις τε καὶ χειρώνακτας. Ὅλον δὲ τὸ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων θέμα ἐκ γενῶν συνίσταται τοιῶνδε· Λυδῶν, Μαιόνων, Καρῶν, Ἰώνων· καὶ Ἴωνες μὲν καλοῦνται οἱ κατοικοῦντες Μίλητόν τε καὶ Ἔφεσον· οἱ δὲ τὸ μεσόγαιον Σαρδιανοί, Λυδοί τε καὶ Μαίονες καὶ Κᾶρες καὶ οἱ τῆς μικρᾶς Φρυγίας οἰκήτορες. Καὶ οὕτως μὲν οἱ Θρᾳκήσιοι. Ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἱστορίαν Νικόλαος ὁ ∆αμασκηνὸς γράφει ἐν τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ αὐτοῦ βιβλίῳ, ὁ γεγονὼς ὑπογραφεὺς Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως. Ὠνομάσθησαν δὲ Θρᾳκήσιοι διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς τῶν Θρᾳκῶν γῆς, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν. Εἰσὶ δὲ πόλεις περὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν εἴκοσι· πρώτη μὲν Ἔφεσος, δευτέρα δὲ Σμύρνα, τρίτη Σάρδεις, τετάρτη Μίλητος, πέμπτη Πριήνη, ἕκτη Κολοφών, ἑβδόμη Θυάτειρα, ὀγδόη τὸ Πέργαμον, ἐνάτη Μαγνησία, δεκάτη Τράλλη, ἑνδεκάτη Ἱεράπολις, δωδεκάτη Κολοσσαὶ αἱ νῦν λεγόμεναι Χῶναι, οὗ ἔστι ναὸς διαβόητος τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ, τρισκαιδεκάτη Λαοδίκεια, τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη Νύσσα, πεντεκαιδεκάτη Στρατονίκεια, ἑξκαιδεκάτη Ἀλάβανδα, ἑπτακαιδεκάτη Ἀλίνδα, ὀκτωκαιδεκάτη Μύρινα, ἐννεακαιδεκάτη Τέως, εἰκοστὴ Λέβεδος, [εἰκοστὴ πρώτη Φιλαδέλφεια] καὶ ἄλλαι τινές. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τοῦτον. ασια.4 ˉˉ∆. Τέταρτον θέμα τὸ ὀνομαζόμενον Ὀψίκιον Τὸ δὲ θέμα τὸ καλούμενον Ὀψίκιον πᾶσιν ἔχει γνώριμον τὴν προσηγορίαν· ὀψίκιον γὰρ ῥωμαϊστὶ λέγεται, ὅπερ σημαίνει τῇ Ἑλλήνων φωνῇ τοὺς προπορευομένους ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ εὐταξίᾳ καὶ τιμῇ. Ὅθεν οὐδὲ στρατηγὸς χρηματίζει ὁ τοῦ Ὀψικίου ἡγούμενος, ἀλλὰ κόμης καὶ ὀνομασίαν καὶ τὴν προσωνυμίαν προσαγορεύεται. Ἡ δὲ περιοχὴ τοῦ Ὀψικίου ὑπὸ τοσούτων φυλῶν τε καὶ ἐθνῶν κατοικεῖται, ἀπὸ μὲν θαλάσσης ἀρχόμενον, τουτέστι τοῦ Ἀστακηνοῦ κόλπου, καὶ τοῦ ∆ασκυλίου ἀκρωτηρίου, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Τρίτωνος καὶ τῶν ὀρέων Σιγριανῆς καὶ αὐτῆς Προικοννήσου καὶ ἕως αὐτῆς τῆς Ἀβύδου Κυζίκου τε καὶ Παρίου. Καὶ τὰ μὲν κάτω καὶ παρὰ θάλασσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀστακηνοῦ κόλπου ἀρχόμενα καὶ τῶν Πυλῶν καὶ ἕως τῆς μεσογαίου τοῦ Μυσίου Ὀλύμπου προσαγορευομένου καὶ τῆς χώρας τῶν καλουμένων ∆αγοτθηνῶν καὶ αὐτῆς Προυσιάδος κατοικοῦσι Βιθυνοί· τὰ δὲ πρὸς νότον τοῦ Ὀλύμπου καὶ ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ῥυνδακοῦ κατοικοῦσι Μυσοί· τὰ δὲ πρὸς θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν Κύζικον κατοικοῦσι Φρύγες τε καὶ Γραικοί, ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Γρανικοῦ τὴν ὀνομασίαν πλουτήσαντες· ἐν ᾧ γέγονεν ἡ πρώτη μάχη πρὸς τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῶν Περσῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος. Ἄνω δὲ παρεκτείνεται μέχρι τοῦ ∆ορυλαείου καὶ αὐτοῦ Κοτυαείου, ἐξ οὗπέρ ἐστιν ὁ ὀνομαστότατος καὶ παλαιὸς ἐκεῖνος Αἴσωπος ὁ τὴν μυθοποιίαν πρῶτος εἰς τὸν βίον εἰσαγαγών, καὶ ἕως τῆς κωμοπόλεως Μηροῦ κατὰ ἀνατολάς. Πρὸς δὲ τὰς δυσμὰς καταλήγει εἰς Ἄβυδον, πρὸς δὲ πλάτος ἀπὸ τοῦ Ῥυνδακοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ μέχρι τῆς κωμοπόλεως τῆς καλουμένης ∆οματεροῦ. Καὶ οὕτω μὲν τὸ Ὀψίκιον. Καὶ τὴν ὀνομασίαν αὐτοῦ εἴπομεν διὰ τὸ προπορεύεσθαι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ καταρτίζειν καὶ διευθύνειν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ μονάς. Εἰσὶ δὲ ἔθνη τὰ συμπληροῦντα τὸ Ὀψίκιον τοσαῦτα· Βιθυνοί, Μυσοί, Φρύγες, ∆άρδανοι, οἱ καὶ Τρῶες λεγόμενοι. Ἔχει δὲ πόλεις ἐπισήμους τὸ θέμα τὸ καλούμενον Ὀψίκιον τοσαύτας· πρώτην μὲν Νίκαιαν τὴν καὶ μητρόπολιν χρηματίζουσαν, δευτέραν δὲ Κοτυάειον, τρίτην ∆ορυλάειον, τετάρτην Μηδάειον, πέμπτην Ἀπάμειαν, ἕκτην Μύρλειαν, ἑβδόμην Λάμψακον, ὀγδόην Πάριον, ἐνάτην Κύζικον, δεκάτην Ἄβυδον. ασια.5 ˉˉΕ. Πέμπτον θέμα τὸ λεγόμενον Ὀπτίματοσ Τὸ καλούμενον οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως εἰπεῖν θέμα Ὀπτίματος οὐδεμίαν ἔχει