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and to us after those things, as God brought upon each the punishments worthy of what had been sinned. 15.2 But in these circumstances it was easy for us also to find no small opportunity for a return to the better and for salvation, making their destruction our own security. 15.3 Nevertheless, since He who searches the hearts saw our mind holding with all haste to the path that leads to destruction, and no saving commandments or educational efforts remained, from which a perceptive and sober soul learns anew what is good, shunning the worse deeds, because of which the wrath comes upon the sons of disobedience, as the apostle says, and it was necessary that wickedness be eradicated, lest by its further progress it might harm others too, 15.4 for this reason He allowed that dreadful and terrible blow to be inflicted upon us, so that what we were not taught by the suffering of others, this we, having suffered, might make an example for others. 16.1 But why speak at length? For it is now time to take up the critical narratives, and to present in this account how we endured that painful siege, so as to be for those who come after a subject of admonition and an exhortation to clear teaching. 16.2 For while we were in this state, a certain swift messenger arrived from the one holding the scepters of the Romans, Leo the most pious emperor, announcing the attack of the barbarians, I mean the ill-omened Hagarenes, and that we should arm ourselves with all speed and prepare for battle, saying that some refugees had arrived from those very barbarians, who had foretold to the emperor their plan, whatever it is, and that they have made all their rush against this city, having been assured by many of those already subdued by them that it is unwalled on the seaward side and easy to attack in battles from the ships. 16.3 When this evil news was announced, therefore, a rumor spread throughout the whole city, and fear and confusion, as an unaccustomed and terrible matter fell upon our ears at the beginning, but we decided nonetheless to procure our own safety, and to prepare everything for defense against the enemies, and to be roused for the war against them. 16.4 However, the reasoning of each one was weary both with other cares and with inexperience in fighting, not yet being experienced in the matter, nor having been taught how it begins; 16.5 moreover, the fact that the wall was not suitable where we expected the attack plunged the souls of all into despair. 16.6 For it was truly suspect, not only to us who were inexperienced in war and unarmed, but even to those who were trained and had at their disposal the resources for such matters. 17.1 We decided, therefore, if we had to do anything, to work on the wall itself and to attend first to its security and improvement. 17.2 But he who brought us this message from the emperor did not for the time being advise this (he was called Petronas, numbered in the list of the protospatharioi, who had been charged to stay for a short time in the city and to impart to it some aid and necessary cooperation in its affairs), but said he had devised another most wise plan, as very effective and salutary, if only our sins, which prepared the way for our destruction, had not caused its undoing. 17.3 For since the man was renowned and had much experience of affairs, having realized on his own that if he should wish to take care of the construction of the wall, he would both cause trouble for the city and be of no more help than those who had concerned themselves with this before him, he turned his mind to another kind of security (and consider how clever and suitable it was). 17.4 For knowing that the whole southern part of the city is washed by the waters of the sea, and that with the war attacking from there, the barbarians would easily be able to accomplish whatever they might wish in it, with nothing preventing them from getting over the structure of the wall because it was at ground level and very low, and the ships rather

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καὶ ἡμῖν μετ' ἐκείνας, ἀξίας τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἑκάστῳ τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγοντος τοῦ θεοῦ. 15.2 ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις καὶ ἡμᾶς οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀφορμὴν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἐπιστροφῆς καὶ σωτηρίας εὔκολον ἦν ἐξευρεῖν, τὴν ἐκείνων καταστροφὴν οἰκείαν ἀσφάλειαν ποιουμένους. 15.3 ὅμως ἐπειδὴ τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν εἶδεν ὁ τὰς καρδίας ἐρευνῶν πάσῃ σπουδῇ τῆς ἐπ' ἀπωλείᾳ ἀγούσης ἐχόμενον, μηδεμίαν δὲ τῶν σωτηρίων ἐντολῶν καὶ παιδευτικῶν ἐνεργειῶν ὑπολειφθεῖσαν, ἐξ ὧν αἰσθητικὴ καὶ νήφουσα ψυχὴ τὸ καλὸν μεταμανθάνει, διαφεύγουσα τῶν χειρόνων τὰς πράξεις, δι' ἃς ἐπέρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ἔδει δὲ τὴν κακίαν ἐκτριβῆναι, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ἐπὶ πλεῖον προόδῳ καὶ ἑτέρους λυμαίνοιτο, 15.4 διὰ τοῦτο ἀφῆκεν ἡμῖν ἐπενεχθῆναι τὴν φοβερὰν ἐκείνην καὶ φρικώδη πληγήν, ἵν' ὅπερ ἄλλων πασχόντων ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐδιδασκόμεθα, τοῦτο ἡμεῖς παθόντες ἄλλοις ὑπόδειγμα ποιησώμεθα. 16.1 Ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ μακρολογεῖν; καιρὸς γὰρ ἤδη τῶν καιρίων διηγημάτων ἐφάψασθαι, καὶ ὅπως τὴν ὀδυνηρὰν ἐκείνην πολιορκίαν ὑπέστημεν παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς εἶναι τοῖς μετέπειτα νουθεσίας ὑπόθεσιν καὶ ἐναργοῦς διδασκαλίας παραίνεσιν. 16.2 ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ὄντων ἡμῶν ἧκέ τις ταχυδρόμος ἄγγελος ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατοῦντος τὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων σκῆπτρα, Λέοντος τοῦ φιλευσεβοῦς ἄνακτος, τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν βαρβάρων, λέγω δὴ τῶν δυσωνύμων Ἀγαρηνῶν, καταμηνύων καὶ ὡς τάχος ὁπλίζεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν μάχην ἡμᾶς συσκευάζεσθαι, πρόσφυγάς τινας ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν βαρβάρων ἀφῖχθαι λέγων, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν, ἥτις ἐστί, προειπόντας τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τήνδε πεποίηνται, ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἤδη τῶν ὑπ' αὐτῶν προχειρωθέντων βεβαιωθέντες ὡς ἀτείχιστός ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν μέρους καὶ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν νηῶν μάχαις εὐεπιχείρητος. 16.3 ταύτης οὖν ἀγγελθείσης τῆς πονηρᾶς ἀγγελίας, θροῦς μὲν ἐγένετο κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ φόβος καὶ τάραχος, ἀσυνήθους πράγματος καὶ φοβεροῦ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἡμῶν ἐν ἀρχαῖς προσπεσόντος, ἐβουλευσάμεθα δ' ὅμως τὴν οἰκείαν περιποιήσασθαι σωτηρίαν, καὶ ὅσα πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἄμυναν καταρτίζειν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν κατ' αὐτῶν πόλεμον διεγείρεσθαι. 16.4 πλὴν ἔκαμνε μὲν ὁ λογισμὸς ἑκάστου καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις μερίμναις τῆς ἀπειρίας τοῦ μάχεσθαι, μήπω τοῦ πράγματος ὢν ἐν πείρᾳ, μηδ' ὅπως τὴν ἀρχὴν λαμβάνει δεδιδαγμένος· 16.5 πλέον δὲ τὸ μὴ ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι τὸ τεῖχος ἔνθα καὶ τὴν προσβολὴν ἐσκοποῦμεν, τὰς ἁπάντων ψυχὰς κατεβύθιζε. 16.6 καὶ γὰρ ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς ὕποπτον, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀπειροπολέμοις καὶ ἀόπλοις ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς γεγυμνασμένοις καὶ προαποκειμένας ἔχουσι τὰς τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων αἰτίας. 17.1 Ἐβουλευσάμεθα δ' οὖν, εἴ τι καὶ δέοι πράττειν, ἐν αὐτῷ πράττειν τῷ τείχει καὶ πρώτης ἔχεσθαι τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀσφαλείας καὶ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον μεταποιήσεως. 17.2 οὐ συνεβούλευε δ' ἡμῖν τοῦτο τέως ὁ ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν ἀγγελίαν πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως κομίσας (Πετρωνᾶς δὲ οὗτος ἐκαλεῖτο, τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν πρωτοσπαθαρίων ἐναριθμούμενος, ὃς ἦν ἐπιτετραμμένος ἐγχρονίσαι μικρὸν τῇ πόλει καί τινος αὐτῇ μεταδοῦναι βοηθείας καὶ δεούσης ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι συνεργείας), ἄλλην δέ τινα σοφωτάτην ἔλεγεν ἐξευρεῖν ἐπίνοιαν, ὡς λίαν ἐνεργῆ καὶ σωτήριον, εἰ μὴ καὶ ταύτης αἱ προοδοποιοῦσαι τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἀπώλειαν ἁμαρτίαι ἀναίρεσιν καθυπέβαλον. 17.3 ἐλλόγιμος γὰρ ὢν ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ πολλὴν πραγμάτων ἐσχηκὼς πεῖραν, καθ' ἑαυτὸν συνιδὼν ὡς εἰ θελήσοι τοῦ τείχους τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἐπιμεληθῆναι, καὶ κόπους παρέξει τῇ πόλει καὶ πλέον οὐδὲν τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ περὶ τούτου φροντισάντων ὀνήσειεν, ἐφ' ἕτερον εἶδος ἀσφαλείας (καὶ σκόπει πῶς εὐφυὲς καὶ ἁρμόδιον) τὸν νοῦν μετηγάγετο. 17.4 εἰδὼς γὰρ ὡς ἅπαν περικλύζεται τὸ κατὰ νότον μέρος τῆς πόλεως ἀπὸ τῶν θαλασσίων ὑδάτων, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ προσπίπτοντος τοῦ πολέμου εὐχερῶς ἔχειν τοὺς βαρβάρους πᾶν ὁτιοῦν βούλοιντ' ἂν ἐν αὐτῷ διαπράξασθαι, μηδενὸς κωλύοντος αὐτοὺς ὑπεράνω τῆς οἰκοδομῆς γενέσθαι τοῦ τείχους διὰ τὸ πρόσγειον καὶ χθαμαλωτάτην εἶναι τάς τε νῆας μᾶλλον