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to rise above from the stern part, and from on high be able to wound those on the battlements, 17.5 he planned to hide a certain barrier and a contrived trap in the waters themselves, so that safety for the city and an obstacle for the enemy might be accomplished by it. 17.6 For there were many tombs carved from a single stone in both the eastern and western part of the city, in which the Greeks who inhabited this place long ago used to bury their own dead; 17.7 gathering these and by a certain strange method, which he alone had discovered, sinking them in the sea, and concealing them in the waters in a row at a certain small distance apart, he was contriving a strange, seaward bulwark, in truth stronger and safer than the wall put up on the land. 17.8 And indeed it would have come to fruition, providing all safety for the city, so that the ships could not approach at all and impart their own harm, if this too had not been prevented by our wickedness and come to nothing. 18.1 For when such an undersea barrier had already reached about the middle of the dangerous place and was cutting away every fearful and wicked suspicion of ours, another man came, he too sent by the emperor, urgently summoning Petronas who had been appointed to this task and transferring all responsibility for the city to himself; 18.2 This man was called Leo, appointed general of the whole surrounding region and having taken on all the care of the matters being prepared for the battle. 18.3 and to him it seemed best to cease for the time being the care of this work and to complete the building of the wall. 18.4 For as soon as he arrived, he at once transferred all the people assigned to this task to bringing the necessary materials to the artisans, so that by the great number of hands, perhaps, and by the abundant supply of what was needed, the desired project might be brought to completion. So now, therefore, the work of building was active again. 18.5 But as much as the wall, being raised in height, seemed to ward off the ill will of the enemy, so much did the part that was lacking seem to us, the citizens, to hint at a suspicion of every danger. 18.6 For since it stretched for a great length, it was not possible for all of it to be repaired so that we no longer suspected disaster from it, and time bore witness that the enemy's attack was at hand while the middle part of the construction had not yet been reached, from which we also suspected the harm would come. 18.7 For reports more frightening and more frequent than the previous ones were buzzing in all our ears, that the barbarians were already approaching, having completed most of their voyage. 18.8 For there was nowhere for them to delay even for a short time, because most of the islands had been sacked by them beforehand, and the cities which had their habitation by the sea had been turned to flight by the sheer terror of the news of them, and there was nothing which could withstand their onslaught or the force of their arms. 18.9 For they said that the barbarian ships were fifty-four in all, each of them being no less than a city in size and other appointments, in which was a mixed crowd of desperate and frenzied men, both Ishmaelites who inhabit Syria and Ethiopians who border the Egyptians, all bloodthirsty and beast-minded men, well-practiced in the knowledge of killing and having practiced slaughters with piratical ingenuity, so that no one could even by hearsay bear the experience of them, but each one hastened to retreat from his native land, thinking it better to live with wild beasts in the mountains than to be captured by them and suffer a most painful death. 19.1 But while things were in this state, again a certain messenger came, more terrifying than those already mentioned, making it very clear to all that the barbarians' attack was nearer. 19.2 This man was called Niketas, a general in rank and in the good order of his counsels. 19.3 This man, having come to aid the

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ὑπερανέχειν ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ πρύμναν μέρους, καὶ ἀπὸ μετεώρου δύνασθαι τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσιν ὄντας κατατιτρώσκειν, 17.5 ἐβουλεύσατο φραγμόν τινα καὶ τετεχνημένην ἐνέδραν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐγκρύψαι τοῖς ὕδασιν, ὡς ἂν καὶ τῇ πόλει τὸ ἀσφαλὲς καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐμπόδιον κατ' αὐτὸ γένηται. 17.6 πολλοὶ γὰρ ἦσαν ἐκ μονολίθου γεγλυμμένοι τύμβοι κατά τε τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν καὶ δύσιν μέρος τῆς πόλεως, ἐν οἷς πάλαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκροὺς οἱ τήνδε κατοικοῦντες ἐνεταφίαζον Ἕλληνες· 17.7 οὓς καὶ συνάγων καί τινι παραδόξῳ μεθόδῳ, ἣν αὐτὸς μόνος ἐξεῦρε, τῇ θαλάσσῃ βυθίζων, καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ μικροῦ τινος διαστήματος στοιχηδὸν τούτους τοῖς ὕδασιν ὑποκρύβων, θαλάσσιόν τε καὶ ξένον ἔρυμα καὶ τοῦ πρὸς ὕψος τῇ χέρσῳ προβεβλημένου τείχους ὀχυρώτερόν τε καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κατετεχνάζετο. 17.8 καὶ δὴ καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἂν ἐξέβη πᾶσαν ἀσφάλειαν τῇ πόλει περιποιούμενον, ὡς μηδὲ δύνασθαι τὰς νῆας πλησιάσαι τὸ παράπαν καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν μεταδοῦναι βλάβης, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τὴν μοχθηρίαν ἡμῶν ἐκωλύθη καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν προεχώρησεν. 18.1 Ἤδη γὰρ περὶ τὰ μέσα που τοῦ κινδυνώδους τόπου πεφθακότος τοῦ τοιούτου διαποντίου φραγμοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν ἡμῶν ὑπόνοιαν ἐπίφοβον καὶ πονηρὰν ὑποτέμνοντος, ἧκέ τις ἕτερος, καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως πεμφθείς, τὸν εἰς τοῦτο ταχθέντα Πετρωνᾶν σπουδαίως μεταπεμπόμενος καὶ τὴν φροντίδα πᾶσαν τῆς πόλεως εἰς ἑαυτὸν μετατιθείς· 18.2 Λέων δὲ οὗτος ἐκαλεῖτο, πάσης τῆς περιχώρου προχειρισθεὶς στρατηγὸς καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν πρὸς τὴν μάχην εὐτρεπιζομένων πραγμάτων ἀναδεξάμενος. 18.3 ᾧ καὶ ἔδοξε τὴν τοῦ ἔργου τούτου σχολάσαι τέως φροντίδα καὶ τοῦ τείχους τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἐξανύεσθαι. 18.4 ἅμα γὰρ ἧκε, καὶ μεθίστησιν εὐθὺς τὸν δῆμον ἅπαντα τὸν εἰς τοῦτο τεταγμένον πρὸς τὸ τὰς χρειώδεις ὕλας τοῖς τεχνίταις ἐπικομίζειν, ὡς ἂν τῇ πολυχειρίᾳ τυχὸν καὶ τῇ τῶν δεόντων δαψιλεῖ χορηγίᾳ τὸ σπουδαζόμενον εἰς ἔργον ἄγοιτο. ἤδη μὲν οὖν πάλιν τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἦν ἐνεργῆ. 18.5 ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐδόκει τὸ πρὸς ὕψος ἐγειρόμενον τοῦ τείχους τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων ἀπείργειν κακόνοιαν, τοσοῦτον ἐφαίνετο τὸ λεῖπον τοῖς πολίταις ἡμῖν παντὸς κινδύνου καθυπεμφαῖνον ὑπόνοιαν. 18.6 οὔτε γὰρ ἅπαν διορθωθῆναι δυνατῶς εἶχε πολλῷ μήκει διατεινόμενον πρὸς τὸ μηκέτι τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ συμφορὰν ἡμᾶς ὑποπτεύειν, καὶ ὁ χρόνος τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἔφοδον ἐφεστάναι προεμαρτύρατο μήπω τοῦ μέσου χώρου τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἁψαμένης, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὴν βλάβην ὑποπτευόμεθα. 18.7 ἀγγελίαι γὰρ τῶν προτέρων φοβερώτεραι καὶ συχνότεραι τὰς ἁπάντων ἡμῶν ἀκοὰς περιεθρύλλουν, καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐγγίζειν ἤδη τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ πλοὸς διανύσαντας. 18.8 οὐκ ἦν γὰρ ὅπου καὶ πρὸς μικρὸν αὐτοὺς ἐμβραδῦναι, διὰ τὸ τὰς πλείονας νήσους ὑπ' αὐτῶν προεκπορθηθῆναι, καὶ τὰς πρὸς θάλασσαν ἐχούσας πόλεις τὴν οἴκησιν τῇ καταπλήξει μόνῃ τῆς ἀκοῆς αὐτῶν πρὸς φυγὴν ἐκτραπῆναι, καὶ μηδὲν ὑπάρχειν ὃ τὴν ὁρμὴν αὐτῶν ἢ τὴν τῶν ὅπλων συνέχειαν ἐξαρκεῖν ὑπομεῖναι. 18.9 τέτταρας γὰρ ὁμοῦ καὶ πεντήκοντα τὰς βαρβαρικὰς εἶναι προέλεγον νῆας, οὐδὲν ἧττον πόλεως ἑκάστης αὐτῶν τῷ μεγέθει καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις κατασκευαῖς τυγχανούσης, ἐν αἷς ἦν παμμιγής τις ὄχλος ἀπονενοημένων καὶ μανιωδῶν, τῶν τε τὴν Συρίαν οἰκούντων Ἰσμαηλιτῶν καὶ τῶν ὁμορούντων Αἰγυπτίοις Αἰθιόπων, πάντων αἱμοβόρων καὶ θηριογνωμόνων ἀνθρώπων, πολλὴν τὴν ἐν τοῖς φόνοις ἐπιστήμην ἐξησκημένων καὶ ταῖς λῃστρικαῖς ἐπινοίαις τὰς σφαγὰς ἐμμελετησάντων, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαί τινα κἂν ἀκοῇ τὴν τούτων ἐκδέξασθαι πεῖραν, ἀλλὰ σπεύδειν ἕκαστον ὑποχωρεῖν τῆς ἐνεγκαμένης, κρεῖττον ἡγούμενον τὴν μετὰ θηρῶν ἀγρίων ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν οἴκησιν ἢ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ληφθῆναι καὶ πολυώδυνον ἀπενέγκασθαι θάνατον. 19.1 Πλὴν ἐν τούτοις τούτων ἐχόντων πάλιν φοβερώτερός τις τῶν ἤδη λεχθέντων ἐλήλυθεν ἄγγελος, τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν ἔφοδον πλησιέστερον οὖσαν ἅπασι προδηλῶν. 19.2 Νικήτας δὲ οὗτος ἐκαλεῖτο, στρατηγὸς τὴν ἀξίαν καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς βουλεύμασιν εὐταξίαν. 19.3 οὗτος ἐλθὼν συνεπαμῦναι τῇ