John Cananus, Constantinople Under Siege

22. And since the light of the sun was also declining towards the west, and the Romans stood unshaken for the most terrible battle of the Turks, and they fought bravely, the impious ones, having been found unsuccessful and shamed and defeated by them, shamelessly turned and fled. And it is clear that their instruments of war and battle, some they unwillingly left behind for the Romans near the castle, and others, further away, they willingly gave over to the fire. And this seemed a portent and an extraordinary deed, how those who were previously arrogant and exultant were suddenly found downcast and useless, and how those who previously desired war with the Romans, unexpectedly for the rest fled from them. For truly this deed was invisibly sent from a divine power. And the Romans, seeing this, were astonished at the miracle, but rejoiced at the flight of those enemies, and rejoicing they said: 'O sweetness of this day and hour, O wondrous alteration and unhoped-for change, O unexpected freedom and gladness, O ineffable cheerfulness and inexpressible pleasure.'

23. For as the much-suffering Romans were saying these things, they rejoiced and leaping up were glad, they clapped their hands, and clearly gave thanks to God, and to the Panagia they sent up hymns, and glorifying from their soul they said: 'This much-hymned and much-celebrated and extraordinary and excellent and wonderful and worthy of wonder miracle of the Panagia truly and undoubtedly existed, as we also have the testimonies from indisputable witnesses according to the pious laws. For the testimonies from enemies, they say, are more trustworthy. And since our enemies and foes have given such testimony, the miracle of the Panagia is most true indeed. For Mirsaites, a patriarch of the Turks, said that the city was destined to be captured by us, as the wise men of Persia in the time of Mohammed calculated concerning this, and found that in the year and the month and the day of this hour the city was destined to be taken by us. And this was to happen according to the power of the stars and the art of the astronomers.'

24. But that woman wearing bright garments and walking upon the castle and the battlements fearlessly at the hour of the battle, she worked against the powers of the stars and the art of the astrologers. However, she did not have her power from the earth nor from men, but from heaven and an invisible power. Likewise all the armies of the Turks also testified under oath along with that Mirsaites, and they were relating to all that at the hour of the battle, when with boldness and unrestrained impetus they reached the walls of the castle, in order to climb up and pursue the Romans and capture the city, then they saw a woman wearing bright robes and walking upon the battlements of the outer castle. And seeing her, darkness and dizziness and trembling and fear suddenly entered the souls of them all, and they looked to flight, and not to war at all, for from the power and art of that woman they received their cowardice, and the city was freed.

25. And these things happened in the time of the six thousand nine hundred and thirtieth year, in the month of August on the 24th, on the second day, at the seventh hour of the day. And on the side of the Turks, more than one thousand were wounded and died, but from our side in truth, fewer than a hundred were wounded, and no more than thirty died. And rejoice, O friends, rejoice both in the freedom of the city, and in the nobility and fearlessness of the Romans, and in the most wonderful miracle of the Panagia, and hymn her, glorify her, and send up hymns of thanksgiving for the greatest work of freedom, of which

22. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸς δυσμὰς ἐξέκλινε τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου, καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀκλονήτως ἵσταντο πρὸς τὴν μάχην τὴν φρικτοτάτην τῶν Τούρκων, καὶ ἠγωνίζοντο καὶ ἀνδρείως, οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἀπὸ τούτων καὶ ἄπρακτοι εὑρεθέντες καὶ ᾐσχυμμένοι καὶ ἡττημένοι ἀναιδῶς στρα φέντες ἔφευγον. Καὶ δῆλον ὅτι τὰ πολεμικὰ καὶ μάχιμα τούτων ὅπλα τὰ μὲν πλησίον τοῦ κάστρου τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἄκοντες καταλείψαντες, τὰ δὲ μακρότερα ἑκόντες τῷ πυρὶ παρέδωκαν. Καὶ τέρας ἔδοξε τοῦτο καὶ ἐξαίσιον ἔργον, πῶς οἱ ἐπηρμένοι καὶ γαυριώμενοι τὸ πρότερον ἄφνω κατηφεῖς εὑρέθησαν καὶ ἀχρεῖοι, καὶ πῶς οἱ πρότερον ἐπεθύμουν τὸν πόλεμον τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἀπαραπροσδοκήτως τὸ λοιπὸν ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τούτων. Καὶ γὰρ ἀληθῶς τοῦτο ἔργον ἀοράτως ἐπέμφθη ἐκ δυνάμεως θείας. Καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτο ἰδόντες ἐξεπλήττοντο μὲν τὸ θαῦμα, ἔχαιρον δὲ τὴν φυγήν τε τῶν πολεμίων ἐκείνων, καὶ χαίροντες ἔλεγον· «Ὢ γλυκύτητα ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ὥρας, ὢ μεταλλαγῆς θαυμασίας καὶ ἐναλλαγῆς ἀνελπίστου, ὢ ἀπαραπροσδοκήτου ἐλευθερίας καὶ εὐφροσύνης, ὢ εὐθυμίας ἀνεκλαλήτου καὶ ἡδονῆς ἀνεκφράστου».

23. Καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν πολυάθλων Ῥωμαίων λεγόντων ἔχαιρον ἅμα καὶ σκιρτῶντες εὐθύμουν, τὰς παλάμας ἐκρότουν, καὶ τρανῶς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαρίστουν, καὶ τὴν Παναγίαν ἀνέπεμπον ὕμνους, καὶ ἐκ ψυχῆς δοξάζοντες ἔλεγον· «Τοῦτο τὸ πολυύμνητον καὶ πολυθρύλητον καὶ ἐξαίσιον καὶ ἐξαίρετον καὶ θαυμάσιον καὶ θαύματος ἄξιον θαῦμα τῆς Παναγίας ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀναμφιβόλως ὑπῆρχεν, ὡς καὶ τὰς μαρτυρίας ἔχομεν παρὰ μαρτύρων ἀπαραγράπτων κατὰ τοὺς φιλευσεβεῖς νόμους. Φάσκοντες γὰρ αἱ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μαρτυρίαι ἀξιο πιστότεραί εἰσιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι ἡμῶν δέδωκαν μαρτυρίαν τοιαύτην, πάνυ ἐστὶν ἀληθέστατον τὸ θαῦμα τῆς Παναγίας. Ἔλεγεν γὰρ Μηρσαΐτης καὶ πατριάρχης τῶν Τούρκων, ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐπρόκειτο παρ' ἡμῶν αἰχμαλωτισθῆναι, ὡς οἱ σοφοὶ τῆς Περσίας εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ Μωάμεθ ἐψηφοφόρησαν περὶ τούτου, καὶ εὗρον ὅτι εἰς τὸ ἔτος καὶ τὸν μῆνα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτης τῆς ὥρας ἡ πόλις παρ' ἡμῶν πρόκειται κρατηθῆναι. Καὶ ἔμελλε τοῦτο γενέσθαι κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ἀστέρων καὶ τὴν τέχνην τῶν ἀστρονόμων».

24. Ἀμὴ ἡ γυναῖκα ἐκείνη ἡ ὀξέα φοροῦσα καὶ περιπατοῦσα τοῦ κάστρου καὶ τῶν προμαχιονίων ἐπάνω ἀφόβως τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὥραν, ἐκείνη ἀντέπραξε τὰς δυνάμεις τῶν ἄστρων καὶ τὴν τέχνην τῶν ἀστρολόγων. Πλὴν οὐκ ἀπὸ γῆς οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τὴν δύναμιν εἶχεν, ἀλλ' ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀοράτου δυνάμεως. Ὁμοίως καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα πάντα τῶν Τούρκων ἐσυνεμαρτύρουν ἐνόρκως τὸν Μηρσαΐτην ἐκεῖνον, καὶ ἐδιηγοῦντο πρὸς πάντας ὅτι τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὥραν, ὅταν μὲ θράσους καὶ ὁρμῆς ἀκρατήτου ἔφθασαν εἰς τὰ τείχη τοῦ κάστρου, ἵνα ἀναβῶσιν ἐπάνω καὶ διώξωσι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους καὶ τὴν πόλιν αἰχμαλωτίσουν, τότε εἶδον γυναῖκαν ὀξέα ῥοῦκα φοροῦσαν καὶ περιπατοῦσαν ἐπάνω τῶν προμαχιονίων τοῦ ἔξω κάστρου. Καὶ ταύτην ἰδόντες, σκότος καὶ ζάλη καὶ τρόμος καὶ φόβος ἄφνω εἰς τὰς ψυχὰς εἰσῆλθε τῶν πάντων, καὶ πρὸς φυγὴν ἔβλεψαν, καὶ εἰς πόλεμον οὐδὲ ὅλως, καὶ ἀπὸ δυνάμεώς τε καὶ τέχνης τῆς γυναικὸς γὰρ ἐκείνης ἔλαβον τὴν δειλίαν, καὶ ἠλευθερώθη ἡ πόλις.

25. Ἐγένοντο δὲ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἑξακισχιλιοστοῦ ἐννακοσιοστοῦ τριακοστοῦ ἔτους, μηνὸς Αὐγούστου κδʹ, ἡμέρᾳ δευτέρᾳ, ὥρᾳ τῆς ἡμέρας ἑβδόμῃ. Καὶ παρὰ μὲν τῶν Τούρκων ἐλαβώθησαν καὶ ἀπέθανον ἐπέκεινα μιᾶς χιλιάδος, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἡμετέρων μετὰ ἀληθείας ἐλαβώθησαν μὲν ἐλάττονες ἀπὸ ἑκατόν, ἀπέθανον δὲ οὐ πλείονες τῶν τριάκοντα. Καὶ χαίρετε, ὦ φίλοι, χαίρετε τὸ μὲν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς πόλεως, τὸ δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὸ γενναῖον καὶ ἀκατάπληκτον, τὸ δὲ τὸ πανθαύμαστον θαῦμα τῆς Παναγίας, καὶ ταύτην ὑμνήσατε, δοξολογήσατε, καὶ ὕμνους εὐχαριστηρίους ἀναπέμψατε εἰς τὸ μέγιστον ἔργον τῆς ἐλευθερίας, ἧς