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attacking, how safely and with the greatest possible good counsel, than which nothing is better, they managed their affairs, securing their rule from this point, and this even when it had been circumscribed for them into a small area, being prominent from the beginning over only three cities, Nicaea, Prusa, and the third, Philadelphia, having been driven from their fatherland for reasons we 27 know, having learned them, it does not seem to me, even if we wished to speak, to be accomplishable, both because many and great things happened while they were ruling, and requiring very much leisure to speak of, and because we do not know precisely what happened and for what reasons each thing came to pass, especially since it has occurred to others to speak about those things, not in error, I think, and so that they would not safely trust themselves in recounting each detail, but accurately and as knowing from being involved in the affairs and still surviving after they were brought to an end; and the contrivance of time was idle, with things being done and at the same time being committed to writing, with Hermes, as it were, fighting against and watching Leto, or rather cutting short her progress. For these reasons, then, the events of that time must be omitted by us, as being impossible and otherwise extraneous to our proposed subject. But one thing alone must be said for now, and perhaps it is not superfluous, that some blame that one thing alone both for the security and stability of affairs then, and for the present overthrow and confusion, except not being in the same state, but when present and performed as it should be, it was a cause of security, and when absent and neglected as it should not have been, a cause of the present confusion.

γʹ. Ὅπως οἱ παλαιοὶ κατωχύρουν τὰς ἄκρας. They therefore, being caught between two enemies, on the east the Persians, and on the west the Italians, who held not only the coast, but also the high country, and being put in a very tight spot from both sides, so as not to be allowed even to breathe freely, on the one hand, with Italian allies they went against the Persians, and on the other, having taken on a Scythian force, which had just then appeared and been taken on, they pushed back the Italians. Their aim was to secure the middle ground with safe 29 frontiers. And the area toward the sea they could not secure with any other fortification than the sea—for it was not possible, with the Italians ruling the sea and also holding the forward positions, to live securely for the future—but the eastern front they could fortify with rugged mountains, if they could seize them first. And for these reasons, since they could not fight on both fronts at once, and because the mountains to the east, extending for a great distance and guaranteeing safety to those who would inhabit them, not having been continuously occupied beforehand by the Persians, were available for them to seize and through their security to put their own affairs in good order, but they were not able to use the sea region as a fortification before driving the Italians out from there, they made treaties more with the Persians and granted a truce to the war against them, having arranged to give a yearly tribute, which indeed they gave for not long, but they assailed the Italians with all their forces. And toiling through frequent labors and irresistible wars, they drove them out and, having provided for the sea to be sailed by their own ships, they gave sufficient security to the Romans living there; then turning their backs, with the Persians willing or not, they set upon the mountains, and having secured them with many and strong settlers from all parts, they made these into strong walls and, as it were, unassailable bulwarks for the Roman state.

δʹ. Ὅπως τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἄκραις ἐπεμελοῦντο ἀνδρῶν καὶ πραγμάτων. Nor indeed did they leave the inhabitants in the mountains uncared for, as if they would be ready to migrate, if somehow the enemies should attack, having nothing to persuade them to stay and, beyond their strength, if opportunity allowed, to fight manfully against them; but they rewarded all with tax exemptions, and from these, the more distinguished and those whose spirit was bold, with grants by imperial letters. And so, as time went on, they increased in their properties, and much wealth 31 flowed to them. From

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ἐπιόντας, ὅπως ἀσφαλῶς καὶ μεθ' ὅτι πλείστης τῆς εὐβουλίας, ἧς οὐδὲν ἄμεινον, διῴκουν τὰ πράγματα, τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐντεῦθεν κατοχυροῦντες, καὶ ταῦτα περιγραφείσης εἰς μικρὸν ταύτης αὐτοῖς, ἐπὶ τρισὶ καὶ μόναις ἐπιπολαζούσαις ἀρχῆθεν ταῖς πόλεσι, Νικαίᾳ, Προύσῃ τε καὶ τρίτῃ Φιλαδελφείᾳ, τῆς πατρίδος ἐκπεσοῦσιν ἐξ ὧν αἰτιῶν ἴδμεν 27 μαθόντες, οὔ μοι δοκεῖ, κἂν λέγειν θέλωμεν, ἀνυστὰ τῷ τε πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ξυμβῆναι, μεταξὺ κρατούντων ἐκείνων, καὶ πολλῆς εἰπεῖν μάλιστα δεόμενα ἀσχολίας, καὶ τῷ μηδ' ἡμᾶς ἐς τἀκριβὲς εἰδέναι τί καὶ ἐφ' οἵαις ταῖς αἰτίαις ξυνέπεσεν ἕκαστον, ἄλλως τε ὅτι καὶ ἄλλοις εἰπεῖν ἐπῆλθε περὶ ἐκείνων, οὐ πεπλανημένως, οἶμαι, καὶ ὥστε μὴ σφᾶς ἑαυτοῖς ἀσφαλῶς πιστεύειν ἐπεξιόντας καθ' ἕκαστον, ἀλλ' ἀκριβῶς καὶ ὡς εἰδότας ἐξ ὧν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἦσαν καὶ περιῆσαν ἔτι εἰς τέλος πραχθέντων· καὶ τὸ τοῦ χρόνου μηχάνημα ἄπρακτον ἦν, ἅμα πραττομένων καὶ ἅμα γραφῇ διδομένων, ἀντιμαχομένου καὶ ἀντισκοποῦντος οἷον τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ τῇ Λητοῖ, ἢ καὶ μᾶλλον τὴν ἐκείνης πρόοδον ἀνακόπτοντος. Ταῦτ' ἄρα καὶ τὰ κατ' ἐκεῖνο συμβάντα τοῦ χρόνου ἐατέον ἡμῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἀνυστὰ καὶ ἄλλως τοῦ προκειμένου σκοποῦ ἐξαγώνια. Ἓν δὲ καὶ μόνον τέως λεκτέον ἐστί, καὶ ἴσως οὐ περιττόν, ὅτι καὶ μόνον ἐκεῖνό τινες αἰτιῶνται καὶ τῆς τότε τῶν πραγμάτων ἀσφαλείας καὶ καταστάσεως καὶ τῆς νῦν ἀνατροπῆς καὶ συγχύ σεως, πλὴν οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὸν οὕτως ἔχον, ἀλλὰ παρὸν μὲν καὶ ὡς ἐχρῆν τελούμενον ἀσφαλείας, ἀπὸν δὲ καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἐχρῆν παρορώμενον τῆς παρούσης συγχύσεως.

γʹ. Ὅπως οἱ παλαιοὶ κατωχύρουν τὰς ἄκρας. Ἐκεῖνοι τοίνυν δυοῖν μέσον ἐχθροῖν ἐναπειλημμένοι, ἐξ ἕω μὲν Περσῶν, ἐκ δύσεως δ' Ἰταλῶν, οὐ μόνον τὸ πρὸς τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀνώτατον κατασχόντων, καὶ εἰς στενὸν κομιδῇ ἀμφοτέρωθεν καταστάντες, ὡς μηδ' ἐλευθέρως ἀναπνεῖν ἐᾶσθαι, τῇ μὲν Ἰταλικὸν ἔχοντες συμμαχικὸν ἐπῄεσαν Πέρσαις, τῇ δὲ Σκυθικὸν προσλαβόμενοι, ἄρτι τότε φανέν τε καὶ προσληφθέν, ἀνώθουν τοὺς Ἰταλούς. Σκοπὸς δ' ἦν ἐκείνοις ἄκραις ἀσφαλέσι 29 τὸ μέσον κατοχυροῦν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν πρὸς θάλασσαν οὐκ εἶχον ὀχυρώματι ἄλλῳ ἢ θαλάσσῃ κατασφαλίζεσθαιοὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν, θαλασσοκρατούντων τῶν Ἰταλῶν καὶ προσκατεχόντων τὰ πρόσω, ἀσφαλῶς τὸ λοιπὸν διάξειν, τὸ δὲ πρὸς ἕω ὀχυροῦν εἶχον ἐρυμνοῖς ὄρεσιν, εἰ προλάβοιεν. Καὶ διὰ ταῦτα, ἐπεὶ οὐκ εἶχον ἅμα πρὸς ἑκάτερα μάχεσθαι καὶ ὅτι τὰ μὲν πρὸς ἕω ὄρη μέχρι πολλοῦ ἀνέχοντα καὶ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς κατεγγυῶντα τοῖς κατοικήσουσι, τοῖς Πέρσαις οὐκέτι διηνεκῶς προσκαταληφθέντα, προσδόκιμα σφίσι κατασχεῖν ἦσαν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀσφαλείας τὰ οἰκεῖα εὖ θέσθαι, τῷ δὲ τῆς θαλάττης μέρει οὐχ οἷοί τ' ἦσαν χρήσασθαι ὀχυρώματι πρότερον ἢ τοὺς Ἰταλοὺς ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκεῖθεν, ἐσπένδοντο μὲν πλέον τοῖς Πέρσαις καὶ ἀνακωχὴν ἐδίδουν τῷ πρὸς ἐκείνους πολέμῳ, ἐτήσιον τέλος τάξαντες διδόναι, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐδίδουν οὐκ ἐς μακρόν, τοῖς δ' Ἰταλοῖς ὅλαις ἐπεῖχον ὁρμαῖς. Συχνοῖς δὲ πόνοις καὶ ἀκαταγωνίστοις πολέμοις ἐνιδροῦντες, ἐκείνους μὲν ἐξῶσαν καί, ναυσὶν οἰκείαις παραπλέειν παρεσχηκότες τὴν θάλασσαν, ἱκανὴν τοῖς ἐκεῖσε τῶν Ῥωμαίων οἰκοῦσιν ἐδίδουν ἀσφάλειαν· εἶτα νῶτα στρέψαντες, ἑκόντων ἀκόντων Περσῶν, ὄρεσιν ἐπεβάλοντο, συχνοῖς δὲ τοῖς πανταχόθεν ἐποίκοις καὶ ἰσχυροῖς κατασφαλισάμενοι, ἐρυμνὰ τείχη καὶ οἷον δυσεπιχειρήτους θριγκοὺς τῇ Ῥωμαΐδι ταῦτα κατέστησαν.

δʹ. Ὅπως τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἄκραις ἐπεμελοῦντο ἀνδρῶν καὶ πραγμάτων. Οὐ μὴν δὲ καὶ ἀτημελήτους τοὺς πρὸς τοῖς ὄρεσιν οἰκοῦντας εἴων, ὡς ἑτοίμους μεταναστεύσοντας, εἴ που ἀμηγέπη οἱ ἐναντίοι προσβάλοιεν, μηδὲν ἔχοντας τὸ πεῖθον μένειν καὶ παρὰ δύναμιν, εἴ ποι παρείκοι, πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀνδρίζεσθαι· ἀλλ' ἀτελείαις μὲν τοὺς πάντας, προνοίαις δ' ἐκ τούτων τοὺς ἐπιδοξοτέρους καὶ οἷς τολμῆεν τὸ φρόνημα γράμμασιν ἐδωροῦντο βασιλι κοῖς. Καὶ δή, τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος, ηὔξανον ταῖς περιουσίαις, καὶ πλοῦτος 31 ἐπέρρει σφίσι συχνός. Παρ'