the name, as we said, of being called Kibyrrhaiote from Kibyra, a humble and insignificant little city, for insult not for praise, because they often became defiant and insolent towards the commands of the emperors. The island of Rhodes lies in the middle of the theme; it looks towards north and south, delta-shaped in form, and triangular in outline. It is a colony of Dorians from the Peloponnese, of Argives and Lacedaemonians descended from the race of Herakles, just as Homer himself in the Catalogue of Ships says these things about it: Tlepolemos, the son of Herakles, a man both brave and tall, brought nine ships of proud Rhodians from Rhodes, they who dwelt in Rhodes, marshalled in three bands, Lindos and Ialysos and white Kameiros. And so much for Rhodes. asia.15 ˉˉΙˉˉΕ. The Fifteenth Theme: Province of the island of Cyprus The province of the island of Cyprus is under a consularis, that is, a counsellor, with thirteen cities: Constantia the metropolis, Kition, Amathous, Kyreneia, Paphos, Arsinoe, Soloi, Lapithos, Kermeia [that is Leukousia], Kythereia, Tamasia, [Kourion, Nemeuos,] Trimithous, whence came Saint Spyridon, Karpassos. Cyprus is a large and most famous island, situated in the Pamphylian Gulf, as Dionysios the Periegete says: And Cyprus lies towards the dawn within the Pamphylian sea. It was named after Kypros the daughter of Kinyras, or of Byblos and Aphrodite, as Philostephanos in his *On Islands* and Istros in his *Colonies of the Egyptians* have related. It was formerly ruled by many and various kings. But such a kingdom was destroyed by the Macedonians, that is, the Ptolemies. For until Alexander the Macedonian it was ruled by kings, or rather, tyrants, by which tyrants the philosopher Anaxarchos was also killed after the death of Alexander, for which reason Isocrates the rhetorician also composed various speeches for Demonikos, its ruler. When the Romans prevailed, it became a province, and was divided, as has been said before, into thirteen cities. As time passed and the Roman arms rusted from neglect, the Saracens conquered it in the reign of Herakleios. And Aboubacharos, having first crossed into it, whose daughter's tomb is also seen in it, conquered it. But the blessed and most renowned among emperors, my grandfather Basil, established it in the rank of a theme, and sent across to it that famous general Alexios, an Armenian by race, who also ruled it for seven years. But it was taken away again by the Saracens and they levy tribute on it just as before. asia.16 ˉˉΙˉ. The Sixteenth Theme of Samos This island got its name of Samos from Ankaios and Samia, the daughter of the river Maiandros, or because of the high and precipitous nature of the island. For the ancient Greeks called a high place *samos*. Polykrates, that most fortunate man, ruled this island, of whom Herodotus also made no small mention. Most excellent wise men have come from it: both Pythagoras the Samian, the son of Mnesarchos, and Epikouros the son of Neokles, and Melissos and many others. When, therefore, the division of the themes took place, because the island was most prominent, they made it the metropolis and the capital of the naval theme. For the mainland and the coast opposite Samos, both Ephesus itself and Magnesia and Tralleis and Myrina and Teos and Lebedos and as far as Atramyttion, the upper and inland parts were allotted to the *strategos* of the Thrakesians, that is, to him who commands that cavalry regiment. The theme of Samos is divided into two *tourmai*, one being that of Ephesus, the second that of Atramyttion. And the *strategos* of the theme got the city of Smyrna as his praetorium. And this about the theme of Samos. asia.17 ˉˉΙˉˉΖ. The Seventeenth Theme of the Aegean Sea The so-called Aegean Sea, itself also constituted as a theme, received its name from Aigeus, the son of Poseidon, as the commentators on Homer say. It is not

τὴν προσωνυμίαν, ὥσπερ ἔφαμεν, τοῦ καλεῖσθαι Κιβυρραιώτης ἀπὸ Κιβύρρας, εὐτελοῦς καὶ ἀκατονομάστου πολίσματος, πρὸς ὕβριν οὐ πρὸς ἔπαινον, διὰ τὸ πολλάκις αὐθάδεις τε καὶ ὑβριστὰς γενέσθαι πρὸς τὰς τῶν βασιλέων ἐπιταγάς. Ἡ δὲ Ῥόδος ἡ νῆσος μέση μὲν κεῖται τοῦ θέματος· ἀποβλέπει δὲ πρὸς βορρᾶν τε καὶ νότον, δελτωτὴ τὸ σχῆμα, τὴν δὲ γραμμὴν τρίγωνος. ∆ωριέων δέ ἐστιν ἄποικος τῶν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου, Ἀργείων τε καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἡρακλέους γενεᾶς καταγομένων, καθὼς καὶ αὐτὸς Ὅμηρος ἐν τῷ τῶν νεῶν καταλόγῳ περὶ αὐτῆς τάδε φησί· Τληπόλεμος δ' Ἡρακλείδης ἠΰς τε μέγας τε ἐκ Ῥόδου ἐννέα νῆας ἄγεν Ῥοδίων ἀγερώχων, οἳ Ῥόδον ἀμφενέμοντο διὰ τρίχα κοσμηθέντες, Λίνδον Ἰηλυσόν τε καὶ ἀργινόεντα Κάμειρον. Καὶ ὧδε τὰ περὶ Ῥόδου. ασια.15 ˉˉΙˉˉΕ. Πεντεκαιδέκατον θέμα· Ἐπαρχία τῆς νήσου Κύπρου Ἐπαρχία Κύπρου τῆς νήσου ὑπὸ κονσιλάριον, τουτέστι βουλευτήν, πόλεις δεκατρεῖς· Κωνσταντία μητρόπολις, Κίτιον, Ἀμαθοῦς, Κυρήνεια, Πάφος, Ἀρσινόη, Σόλοι, Λάπιθος, Κέρμεια [ἤτοι Λευκουσία], Κυθερεία, Ταμασία, [Κούριον, Νέμευος,] Τρίμυθος, ὅθεν ὁ ἅγιος Σπυρίδων, Κάρπασος. Ἡ μὲν Κύπρος ἡ νῆσός ἐστι μεγάλη καὶ ἐπιφανεστάτη, κειμένη ἐν τῷ Παμφυλίῳ κόλπῳ, καθώς φησιν ὁ Περιηγητὴς ∆ιονύσιος· Κύπρος δ' εἰς αὐγὰς Παμφυλίου ἔνδοθι πόντου. Ἐκλήθη δὲ ἀπὸ Κύπρου τῆς θυγατρὸς Κινύρου, ἢ τῆς Βύβλου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης, ὡς Φιλοστέφανος ἐν τῷ Περὶ νήσων καὶ Ἴστρος ἐν Ἀποικίαις Αἰγυπτίων ἱστόρησαν. Ἐβασιλεύετο δὲ πρότερον ὑπὸ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων βασιλέων. Κατελύθη δὲ ἡ τοιαύτη βασιλεία ὑπὸ τῶν Μακεδόνων, τουτέστι τῶν Πτολεμαίων. Ἕως γὰρ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος ἐβασιλεύετο, ἤγουν ἐτυραννεῖτο, ὑφ' ὧν τυράννων καὶ Ἀνάξαρχος ὁ φιλόσοφος ἀναιρεῖται μετὰ τὸν θάνατον Ἀλεξάνδρου, διὸ καὶ Ἰσοκράτης ὁ ῥήτωρ πρὸς ∆ημόνικον τὸν αὐτῆς βασιλεύοντα λόγους διαφόρους πεποίηκε. Κρατησάντων δὲ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐπαρχία γέγονε, καὶ διῃρέθη, ὡς προλέλεκται, εἰς πόλεις δεκατρεῖς. Τοῦ χρόνου δὲ παραδραμόντος καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὅπλων κατιωθέντων ἐξ ἀμελείας, ἐκράτησαν αὐτῆς οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Ἡρακλείου. Καὶ πρῶτος ἐν αὐτῇ διαπεράσας Ἀβουβάχαρος, οὗ καὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς τάφος ἐν αὐτῇ φαίνεται, ταύτης ἐκράτησεν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος καὶ περιώνυμος ἐν βασιλεῦσι ὁ ἐμὸς πάππος Βασίλειος εἰς θέματος τάξιν αὐτὴν κατέστησε, καὶ διεπέρασεν ἐν αὐτῇ Ἀλέξιον στρατηγὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν περιβόητον, τὸ γένος Ἀρμένιον, ὃς καὶ ἐπεκράτησεν αὐτῆς χρόνους ἑπτά. Πάλιν δὲ ἀφῃρέθη ὑπὸ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν καὶ ταύτην φορολογοῦσι ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον. ασια.16 ˉˉΙˉ. Ἑξκαιδέκατον θέμα Σάμου Ἡ νῆσος αὕτη ὀνομασίαν ἔσχε τοῦ καλεῖσθαι Σάμος ἀπὸ Ἀγκαίου καὶ Σαμίας τῆς Μαιάνδρου τοῦ ποταμοῦ θυγατρός, ἢ διὰ τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῆς νήσου καὶ ἀπόκρημνον. Οἱ γὰρ παλαιοὶ Ἕλληνες σάμον τὸ ὑψηλὸν ἐκάλουν τόπον. Ταύτης ἐκράτησε τῆς νήσου Πολυκράτης ἐκεῖνος ὁ εὐτυχέστατος, οὗ καὶ Ἡρόδοτος μνείαν οὐ μικρὰν ἐποιήσατο. Σοφοὶ δὲ γεγόνασιν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐξοχώτατοι ὅ τε Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος, ὁ Μνησάρχου υἱός, Ἑπίκουρός τε ὁ Νεοκλέους, καὶ Μελισσὸς καὶ ἄλλοι πλείονες. Ὅτε γοῦν ἐγένετο ὁ μερισμὸς τῶν θεμάτων, διὰ τὸ εἶναι ἐπιφανεστάτην τὴν νῆσον, μητρόπολιν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀρχὴν τοῦ θέματος τῶν πλωϊζομένων τεθείκασιν. Ἡ γὰρ μεσόγειος καὶ ἡ καταντικρὺ ἄκρα τῆς Σάμου, αὐτή τε ἡ Ἔφεσος καὶ Μαγνησία καὶ Τράλλεις ἥ τε Μύρινα καὶ Τέως καὶ Λέβεδος καὶ ἕως τοῦ Ἀτραμυττίου, τὰ ἄνω καὶ πρόσγεια τῷ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων στρατηγῷ, ἤγουν τῷ ἡγουμένῳ τοῦ ἱππικοῦ τάγματος ἐκείνῳ ἐκληροδοτήθησαν. ∆ιῄ ρηται δὲ τὸ θέμα τῆς Σάμου εἰς τούρμας δύο, μίαν μὲν τὴν Ἐφέσιον, δευτέραν δὲ τὴν Ἀτραμυττηνήν. Ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τοῦ θέματος αὐτὴν ἔλαχε Σμύρναν τὴν πόλιν πραιτώριον. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τοῦ θέματος Σάμου. ασια.17 ˉˉΙˉˉΖ. Ἑπτακαιδέκατον θέμα τοῦ Αἰγαίου πελάγουσ Τὸ δὲ καλούμενον Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος, καὶ αὐτὸ χρηματίζον εἰς θέμα, ἀπὸ Αἰγέως τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος υἱοῦ τὴν προσωνυμίαν ἔλαχε, καθώς φασιν οἱ τὸν Ὅμηρον σχολιογραφήσαντες. Οὐκ ἔστι