by the river they dwelt in famous homes, Cromna and Aegialus and high Erythini. Therefore he says that the race of mules first sprang from there, showing this as a proof of their wickedness and depravity. And these things Homer says about the Paphlagonians. But the coastal cities, both Sinope and Amastra and Teium and the so-called Aminsos, are Greek cities and colonies of Greeks. And the river Halys defines Paphlagonia from the east, and on the west the so-called Billaios. And this is Paphlagonia. And the Paphlagonians are an Egyptian race, from Phineus who first inhabited Paphlagonia, who had a son, Paphlagon, from whom the country also inherited its name. Paphlagonia has so many notable cities: first, the metropolis Gangra, second, Amastra, third, Sora, fourth, Dadybra, fifth, Ionopolis, sixth, Pompeiopolis; for they are a spectacle and a reproach and a thing of contempt of the human race. asia.8 ˉˉΗ. The eighth theme, named Chaldia And the so-called theme of Chaldia and the metropolis called Trapezus are colonies of Greeks, just as Xenophon also says in the Anabasis of Cyrus; but the upper and inland parts are the beginnings of Lesser Armenia. And this is confirmed from the names themselves: for both the so-called Keltzene and Syspeiritis and Goizanon. And the divine Scripture also testifies about these things in the fourth book of Kings; for the Assyrians, taking the inhabitants of Samaria captive, settled them by the river Gozan. And it received the name of being called Chaldia from the appellation of the Persians and of their ancient homeland Chaldia, from which they are also named Chaldaeans. asia.9 ˉˉΘ. The ninth theme of Mesopotamia And the theme of Mesopotamia is not of long standing, nor was it anything great and famous, but a certain nameless and unmentionable kleisoura. And in the days of my blessed and holy father Leo, that Pankratoukas the Armenian and Poukrikas and Tautoukas his brothers sought refuge and handed over the fortresses there, and the place was enlarged and it became a strategis by name. asia.10 ˉˉΙ. The tenth theme of Koloneia And Koloneia is a most fortified and precipitous fortress; and from this small city the region received the name of being called Koloneia; and the Greeks call high and raised hills 'kolonoi'. And it is a beginning of Lesser Armenia, beginning from Neocaesarea, the homeland of Gregory the Wonderworker, and the so-called Bald Mountain. And extending towards the city of the Arabrakenoi, the homeland of the most renowned and great-martyr Eustratius, and reaching as far as Nicopolis and the so-called Tephrike, which was ruled by that Chrysocher, the famous leader of the Manichaeans, and Karbeas, his more unholy one; whom my grandfather, the lord Basil, the fortunate and most pious of the emperors of our time, exterminated and sent to the depths of Hades. And so this is Koloneia. And as we said before, the ancient origin of the theme derives from the first principality of the Armenians. asia.11 ˉˉΙˉˉΑ. The eleventh theme of Sebasteia And likewise the theme of Sebasteia also itself begins from Second Armenia. And the name of the city it has received from the Augustus Caesar Julius, who first strengthened the rule of Caesar and made the polyarchy a monarchy. And he was called Caesar not from his rank, but from the cutting open of his mother's womb. For when she died, the infant struggled and kicked; and when her womb was cut open, he came out roaring, like some lion's cub; and the Romans call the cutting open 'tzaisai'. From which he was also named Tzaisar on account of the cutting open, as we have said. And these things are about Sebasteia. Therefore all the cities called Caesarea have received their name from this dearest Caesar. asia.12 ˉˉΙˉˉΒ. The twelfth theme of Lykandos And Lykandos very recently was designated to the rank of a theme, but also of a city upon

ποταμὸν κλυτὰ δώματ' ἔναιον Κρῶμνάν τ' Αἰγιαλόν τε καὶ ὑψηλοὺς Ἐρυθίνους. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἡμιόνων γένος ἐκεῖθεν πρῶτον ἐκφῦναι λέγει, τεκμήριον τοῦτο τῆς αὐτῶν πονηρίας καὶ μοχθηρίας δεικνύς. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν Ὅμηρος περὶ Παφλαγόνων. Αἱ δὲ παραθαλάσσιοι πόλεις, ἥ τε Σινώπη καὶ Ἄμαστρα καὶ τὸ Τήϊον καὶ ἡ λεγομένη Ἀμινσός, Ἑλληνίδες εἰσὶ πόλεις καὶ Ἑλλήνων ἄποικοι. ∆ιορίζει δὲ τὴν Παφλαγονίαν Ἅλυς μὲν ποταμὸς ἐξ ἀνατολῶν, πρὸς δὲ δυσμὰς ὁ καλούμενος Βίλλαιος. Καὶ αὕτη μὲν ἡ Παφλαγονία. Εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ Παφλαγόνες γένος Αἰγύπτιον, ἀπὸ Φινέως τοῦ πρώτου τὴν Παφλαγονίαν οἰκήσαντος, ὃς ἔσχεν υἱὸν Παφλαγόνα, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἡ χώρα τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐκληρονόμησεν. Ἔχει δὲ πόλεις ἐπισήμους ἡ Παφλαγονία τοσαύτας· πρώτην μὲν μητρόπολιν Γάγγραν, δευτέραν δὲ Ἄμαστραν, τρίτην Σῶραν, τετάρτην ∆άδυβραν, πέμπτην Ἰωνόπολιν, ἕκτην Πομπηϊούπολιν· πομπὴ γάρ εἰσι καὶ ὄνειδος καὶ ἐξουθένημα τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου γένους. ασια.8 ˉˉΗ. Ὄγδοον θέμα τὸ ὀνομαζόμενον Χαλδία Τὸ δὲ καλούμενον θέμα Χαλδία καὶ ἡ μητρόπολις λεγομένη Τραπεζοῦς Ἑλλήνων εἰσὶν ἀποικίαι, καθὼς καὶ Ξενοφῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀναβάσει Κύρου λέγει· τὰ δὲ ἄνω καὶ μεσόγαια τῆς μικρᾶς Ἀρμενίας εἰσὶ προοίμια. Τοῦτο δὲ πιστοῦται ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ὀνομάτων· ἥ τε γὰρ Κελτζηνὴ καλουμένη καὶ ὁ Συσπειρίτης καὶ τὸ Γοιζάνον. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ περὶ τούτων ἡ θεία Γραφὴ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν· τοὺς γὰρ κατοικοῦντας τὴν Σαμάρειαν αἰχμαλώτους λαβόντες Ἀσσύριοι κατῴκισαν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ Γοιζάνῳ. Ἔλαβε δὲ τὴν προσωνυμίαν τοῦ καλεῖσθαι Χαλδία ἐκ τῆς τῶν Περσῶν προσηγορίας καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀρχαιογόνου πατρίδος Χαλδίας, ὅθεν καὶ Χαλδαῖοι προσονομάζονται. ασια.9 ˉˉΘ. Ἔνατον θέμα τῆς Μεσοποταμίασ Τὸ δὲ θέμα τῆς Μεσοποταμίας οὐ πολυχρόνιόν ἐστιν, οὐδὲ μέγα τι ἦν καὶ περιβόητον, ἀλλὰ κλεισοῦρά τις ἀνώνυμος καὶ ἀκατονόμαστος. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ ἁγίου πατρός μου Λέοντος προσέφυγε Παγκρατούκας ἐκεῖνος ὁ Ἀρμένιος καὶ Πουκρίκας καὶ Ταυτούκας οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ παρέδωκαν τὰ ἐκεῖσε καστέλλια, καὶ ἐπλατύνθη ὁ τόπος καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς ὄνομα στρατηγίδος. ασια.10 ˉˉΙ. ∆έκατον θέμα Κολωνείασ Ἡ δὲ Κολώνεια κάστρον ἐστὶν ὀχυρώτατον καὶ κρημνῶδες· καὶ ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ πολίσματος ἔλαβεν ἡ χώρα τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τοῦ καλεῖσθαι Κολώ νεια· κολωνοὺς δὲ τοὺς ὑψηλοὺς καὶ ἐπηρμένους λόφους καλοῦσιν Ἕλληνες. Ἀπαρχὴ δέ ἐστι τῆς μικρᾶς Ἀρμενίας, ἀρχομένη μὲν ἀπὸ Νεοκαισαρείας, τῆς τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ Γρηγορίου πατρίδος καὶ τοῦ καλουμένου Φαλακροῦ ὄρους. Πλατυνομένη δὲ πρός τε τὴν Ἀραβρακηνῶν πόλιν τὴν τοῦ περιφανεστάτου καὶ μεγαλομάρτυρος Εὐστρατίου πατρίδα καὶ διήκουσα μέχρι Νικοπόλεως καὶ τῆς καλουμένης Τεφρικῆς, ἧς ἦρχε Χρυσόχειρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῶν Μανιχαίων περιβόητος ἀρχηγὸς καὶ Καρβέας, ὁ τούτου ἀνοσιώτερος· οὓς ἐξωλόθρευσε καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἅιδου κευθμῶνας ἀπέπεμψεν ὁ ἐμὸς πάππος κύριος Βασίλειος ὁ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς βασιλέων εὐτυχής τε καὶ εὐσεβέστατος. Καὶ ὧδε μὲν ἡ Κολώνεια. Ὡς δὲ προείπομεν, ἡ ἀρχαιογονία τοῦ θέματος ἐκ τῆς πρώτης τῶν Ἀρμενίων ἀρχῆς κατάγεται. ασια.11 ˉˉΙˉˉΑ. Ἑνδέκατον θέμα Σεβαστείασ Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ θέμα Σεβαστείας καὶ αὐτὸ ἐκ τῆς δευτέρας Ἀρμενίας ἀπάρχεται. Τὸ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ὄνομα ἐκ τοῦ σεβαστοῦ Καίσαρος Ἰουλίου προσείληφε, τοῦ τὴν Καίσαρος ἀρχὴν πρώτου κρατυναμένου καὶ μοναρχίαν τὴν πολυαρχίαν κατασκευάσαντος. Καῖσαρ δὲ ἐπεκλήθη οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἀξίας, ἀλλὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀνατομῆς τῆς γαστρὸς μητέρος αὐτοῦ. Τελευτησάσης γὰρ αὐτῆς, ἔσπαιρε τὸ βρέφος καὶ ἀπελάκτιζε· καὶ διατμηθείσης τῆς γαστρὸς αὐτῆς, ἐξῆλθε βρυχώμενος, ὥσπερ τις σκύμνος λέοντος· τὴν δὲ ἀνατομὴν τζαῖσαι καλοῦσιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι. Ὅθεν καὶ Τζαῖσαρ ἐπωνομάσθη διὰ τὴν ἀνατομὴν ὥσπερ εἴπομεν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ Σεβαστείας. Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ πόλεις αἱ καλούμεναι Καισάρειαι ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ φιλτάτου Καίσαρος τὴν προσωνυμίαν ἐσχήκασιν. ασια.12 ˉˉΙˉˉΒ. ∆ωδέκατον θέμα τῆς Λυκανδοῦ Ἡ δὲ Λυκανδὸς χθὲς καὶ πρὸς μικροῦ εἰς τάξιν θέματος ἐχρημάτισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλεως ἐπὶ