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ten thousand times worse than the worst death is the change and loss of the pious faith of the Christians for the worship of the Muslims and the circumcision of Mohammed. O, that hour worthy of the greatest lamentation, O, uncontrollable tempest. Who of us did not join in the wailing then? what ear can bear the sound, what eye the sight? For in so many and such and so great necessities we had no one to help or to rouse or to encourage us, since the one emperor was worn out by disease and old age, and was unable to arm himself or mount a horse, but was inside the palace and did what he could. The other mounted his horse, armed as was necessary, and went out the gate of Saint Romanos, and stood there near the gate.

17. When the hour which the godless Mirzaites was awaiting arrived, that is, one hour from midday, he mounted a tall and large horse, and the five hundred men around him, whom he brought, the Turko-monks, so that they might have the profit and plunder of the nuns of the city, shouted a hymn in the Persian dialect to Mohammed and acclamations to Mirzaites. And they did this three times, until he himself came to the battle. Moreover, they carried before him a shield of unnatural size, so that from this the foolishly-marveling nations of the Muslims might admire that Mirzaites. And when he came near the ranks of the Muslims, he shouted loudly, “Rasoul, Rasoul Machoumete.” And drawing his sword and spurring his horse, and shouting to the ranks “Allah Tangri, Rasoul Machoumete,” the multitudes of the Muslims shouted together with him, and with an assault and a cry and clashes and instruments and myriad other shouts and trumpets they reached the walls of the castle from the Xyloporta to the Chryseia, at the same, I say, and one hour of that day. And they carried every instrument of war in their hands, and they leaned against the walls, they set up ladders, they were climbing into the castle, they were piercing the towers. And no one was found to hinder them out of the very great fear and cowardice which the Romans had received.

18. For who did not tremble at that hour? who did not shudder at the sight of it? what ear can bear the sound, what eye the sight? For in the twinkling of an eye they shot myriads of arrows, that is, sagitta, upon the Romans, and they fell on the walls of the city and within, so that they covered the sky and obscured the very light of the sun, and fear seized all of us and cowardice struck us, and we hid for a little while. But not far, but we stood behind the battlements. When the Turks, seeing the castle bare of men, supposed it to be unguarded, they all charged against us with the greatest boldness. And some were climbing into the castle with ladders, others with those grappling hooks and scythes. Others were piercing the towers with battering rams, others were breaking down the castle with mallets, others burned the gates of the outer castle, and the impious men did everything daring and courageous to our consternation. Seeing these things, the unfortunate and despairing Romans came to their senses, and having considered how and from where, having no hand of help from elsewhere nor anyone to rouse and encourage the people for the battle against the Turks at that most dreadful hour. And these men, bringing themselves forth, were roused to manliness and courage. For those who were formerly cowardly and fleeing and cowering were suddenly found to be daring and noble warriors and brave and scornful of blows and terrible wounds and all kinds of deaths.

19. And strengthened in their courage by the help of the All-Holy, they rush, sword in hand, against the impious, and with stones, and as smoke stirs up a swarm, one after another they...

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μυριοπλάσιον τοῦ κακίστου θανάτου κάκιστον τῇ μεταθέσει καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς πίστεως τῶν Χριστιανῶν πρὸς τῶν Μουσουλμάνων τὸ σέβας καὶ τὴν περιτομὴν τοῦ Μωάμεθ. Ὢ θρήνου μεγίστου ἄξιος ἡ ὥρα ἐκείνη, ὢ τρικυμίας ἀκατασχέτου. Τίς ἡμῶν τὰς οἰμωγὰς οὐ συνεπένθησε τότε; τίς ἀκοὴ φέρει τὸ ἄκουσμα, ποία ὄψις τὸ θέαμα; Καὶ γὰρ εἰς τὰς τοσαύτας καὶ τοιαύτας καὶ τηλικαύτας ἀνάγκας οὐδένα βοηθοῦντα ἢ διεγεῖραι ἢ παροτρῦναι ἡμεῖς εἴχομεν, ἐπεὶ ὁ μὲν εἷς βασιλεὺς κατατρυχόμενος ὑπῆρχεν ἐκ νόσου καὶ γήρους, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁπλισθῆναι ἢ ἀναβῆναι ἐφ' ἵππου, ἀλλὰ ἐντὸς τοῦ παλατίου εὑρίσκετο καὶ τὸ κατὰ δύναμιν ἔπραττεν. Ὁ δ' ἄλλος ἀνέβη ἐφ' ἵππου καθωπλισμένος ὡς ἔδει, καὶ τὴν πύλην ἐξῆλθε Ῥωμανοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου, καὶ ἔστη ἐκεῖσε πλησίον τῆς πόρτης.

17. Ὡς δὲ ἔφθασεν ἡ ὥρα ὁποία ἣν ὁ ἄθεος ἀνέμενε Μηρσαΐτης, ἤγουν ἡ μία ἐκάζοθεν ἐκ τὸ μέσον ἡμέρας, ἀνέβην ἐφ' ἵππου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ μεγάλου, καὶ οἱ περὶ ἐκεῖνον πεντακόσιοι ἄνδρες τοὺς ἔφερεν Τουρκοκαλογέρους, ὡς ἵνα ἔχωσιν οὗτοι κέρδος καὶ κοῦρσος τὰς καλογραίας τῆς πόλεως, ἀνεβόησαν ὕμνον τῇ Περσικῇ διαλέκτῳ πρὸς τὸν Μωάμεθ καὶ εὐφημίας πρὸς Μηρσαΐτην. Καὶ τρὶς ἐποιήσαντο τοῦτο, ἕως ὅτε αὐτὸς ἔλθη πρὸς τὴν μάχην. Πλὴν καὶ σκουτάριον ἐβάσταζον ἔμπροσθεν τούτου μέγιστον παρὰ φύσιν, ὡς ἵνα θαυμάζουσιν ἀπὸ τούτου τὰ μωροθαύμαστα ἔθνη τῶν Μουσουλμάνων τὸν Μηρσαΐτην ἐκεῖνον. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὅταν πλησίον ἦλθε πρὸς τὰς συντάξεις τῶν Μουσουλμάνων, ἀνεβόησε μέγα, «Ῥασούλ, Ῥασοὺλ Μαχουμέτη». Καὶ γυμνώσας τὸ ξίφος καὶ ὠθήσας τὸν ἵππον, καὶ κράξας πρὸς τὰς συντάξεις τὸ «Ἀλὰχ Ταγκρύ, Ῥασοὺλ Μαχουμέτη», συνανεβόησαν ἅμα καὶ τῶν Μουσουλμάνων τὰ πλήθη, καὶ μετὰ ὁρμῆς καὶ κραυγῆς καὶ κρότων καὶ ὀργάνων καὶ μυρίων ἄλλων ἀλαλαγμάτων τε καὶ σαλπίγγων ἔφθασαν εἰς τὰ τείχη τοῦ κάστρου ἀπὸ τῆς Ξυλοπόρτης ἕως καὶ τῆς Χρυσίας, τὴν αὐτὴν λέγω καὶ μίαν ὥραν τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης. Καὶ πᾶν πολεμικὸν ὄργανον ἔφερον ἀνὰ χεῖρας, καὶ ἠκούμβησαν εἰς τὰ τείχη, ἔθηκαν σκάλας, ἀνέβαιναν εἰς τὸ κάστρον, ἐτρυποῦσαν τοὺς πύργους. Καὶ οὐδεὶς εὑρέθην ὁ ἐμποδίσας ἐκείνους ἐκ τοῦ μεγίστου φόβου καὶ δειλίας ὁποίας ἔλαβον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι.

18. Τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἐτρόμαξε τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην; τίς οὐκ ἔφριξε ταύτης τὴν θέαν; τίς ἀκοὴ φέρει τὸ ἄκουσμα, ποία ὄψις τὸ θέαμα; Καὶ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ μυριάδας βελῶν, τουτέστι σαγίττας, ἐτόξευσαν ἐπάνω τῶν Ῥωμαίων, καὶ ἔπεσον εἰς τὰ τείχη τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐντός, ὥστε καὶ τὸν αἰθέρα ἐκάλυψαν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου ἐσκέπασαν, καὶ ἡμᾶς πάντας φόβος ἐκράτησε καὶ δειλία ἐξέπληξε, καὶ μικρὸν ἀπεκρύβημεν. Ἀλλ' οὐ μακράν, ἀλλ' ὄπισθεν τῶν προμαχιονίων ἐστάθημεν. Ὡς δὲ οἱ Τοῦρκοι γυμνὸν τὸ κάστρον ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπους ἰδόντες ὑπέλαβον ἀφυλάκτως εἶναι, καὶ μετὰ θράσους μεγίστου καθ' ἡμῶν εἰσβάλλουσι πάντες. Καὶ οἱ μὲν μετὰ σκαλῶν ἀνέβαινον δι' ᾧ εἰς τὸ κάστρον, οἱ δὲ καὶ μὲ τὰς ἀγγύρας καὶ τὰς φάλκας ἐκείνας. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτρυποῦσαν μὲ συστὰς τοὺς πύργους, ἄλλοι ἐχαλοῦσαν μὲ τζόκους τὸ κάστρον, ἄλλοι ἔκαψαν τὰς πόρτας τοῦ ἔξω κάστρου, καὶ πᾶν τολμηρὸν καὶ ἀνδρεῖον οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἐποιοῦντο πρὸς κατάπληξιν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ταῦτα ὁρῶντες οἱ δυστυχεῖς καὶ ἀπελπισμένοι Ῥωμαῖοι εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπανῆλθον, καὶ περιεργασθέντες πῶς πόθεν, ἀλλαχόθεν χεῖραν οὐκ ἔχοντες βοηθείας οὔτε τινὰ πρὸς τὸ διεγεῖραι καὶ παροτρῦναι τὸν λαὸν πρὸς τῶν Τούρκων τὴν μάχην τὴν φρικτοτάτην ὥραν ἐκείνην. Καὶ ἐξενεγκόντες οὗτοι ἑαυτοὺς διεγείρονται πρὸς ἀνδρείαν καὶ τόλμην. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ δειλοὶ τὸ πρότερον καὶ φυγοὶ καὶ κατατρυπούμενοι ἄφνω τολμηροὶ εὑρέθησαν καὶ γενναῖοι πολεμισταὶ καὶ ἀνδρεῖοι καὶ περιφρονηταὶ τῶν πληγῶν καὶ δεινῶν λαβωμάτων καὶ τῶν παντοίων θανάτων.

19. Καὶ τῆς Παναγίας τῇ βοηθείᾳ τῇ τόλμῃ ῥωσθέντες ὁρμῶσι ξιφήρεις κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ μὲ λίθους, καὶ ὡς καπνοῦ κινήσαντος σμῆνος ἄλλος ἐπ' ἄλλῳ διε