,

to be mounted on the thrones of Caesars. But how this was so has been clearly related by the renowned Menander; concerning which matters I have no leisure to go through those long accounts in greater detail, nor to retell again what has been clearly stated and 1.3.6 to be worn out by poetic reproaches. When the city had fallen into the hands of the Huns, treaties were put forward, so that the enemy might embrace peace 1.3.7 and they might wisely cultivate tranquility. But the terms were disgraceful to the Romans; for after such a culmination of evil, sitting like some judges of a contest, they offered splendid gifts to the barbarians as if a prize for glory, and they agreed that eighty thousand gold pieces should be paid down to the barbarians each year through the trade of silver 1.3.8 and of varied clothing. But the treaties did not last longer than two years; for the so-called Khagan of the Huns acted insolently towards the Romans. A certain rumor had spread concerning him before the peace was broken, that animals were kept by the Romans which were most remarkable in size and body. Therefore he requested the emperor to come for a viewing of these. 1.3. And the emperor quickly gratified his desire for the sight and granted a viewing of the elephants, sending to him the most outstanding of the beasts kept by him. 1.3.10 But when the Khagan saw the Indian animal, the elephant, he immediately dismissed the spectacle and ordered the beast to return to the Caesar, whether being astounded or despising the object of wonder, I cannot say; for I would not have concealed it. 1.3.11 He also troubled the Caesar to have a golden couch crafted and sent to him; for the summit of his present fortune exalted him to such an extent. But the emperor, having prepared the gift 1.3.12 in a kingly manner, sent for him. But he, putting on airs, 1.3.12 was all the more haughty as if being insulted by the unworthiness of the gift, and he sent back the golden couch to the emperor as something cheap and inelegant, rather 1.3.13 arrogantly. Indeed, he demanded to receive from the Romans, in addition to the eighty thousand gold pieces, another twenty thousand each year; and so, when the emperor was displeased, he scorned the treaties and gave the oaths to the winds to carry away, 1.4.1 and at once raising the war-loving trumpet he gathered his forces and suddenly took the city of Singidunum, which was unwalled and lacking instruments of war because great negligence had overflowed from Thrace as a result of the peace; for peace is unguarded 1.4.2 and does not tolerate foresight. And most of the inhabitants of the city were caught while dwelling in the fields, the harvest compelling them to do this; for it was the summer season, 1.4.3 and they were storing up what they needed to live on. But the barbarian did not take the city without a struggle; for a very great conflict had occurred at the gates of the city, and it happened that many of the Avars were destroyed, and they carried off, as the saying goes, a Cadmean victory; and he plunders many other neighboring cities. These, however, very easily and without effort; for the evil was unseen 1.4.4 and unexpected by their hopes. And having taken Augustae and Viminacium (these are splendid cities tributary to Illyricum), he immediately encamped and blockaded Anchialus, 1.4.5 and ravaged the surrounding villages; but they say he did not destroy the house of the hot waters. A certain story reached us, that the Khagan's women washed themselves there and asked him as a reward for their enjoyment not to tear down the buildings of the waters. And these little waters are said to be good for those who bathe and to contribute to their health. 1.4.6 And when three months had passed, the Romans sent an embassy to the Khagan and declared an end to the war, sending Elpidius, a man who had been raised to the senatorial council, who had governed Sicily and ascended the tribunals of the praetor; this is a certain office among the Romans that is not inelegant. 1.4.7 And they were paired with

Καισάρων ἐποχεῖσθαι καθέδρας. τὸ δ' ὅπως Μενάνδρῳ τῷ περιφανεῖ σαφῶς διηγόρευται· περὶ ὧν οὔ μοι σχολὴ ἐπεξεργαστικώτερον τοῖς μακροῖς ἐκείνοις λόγοις ἐπεξελθεῖν, αὖθις δ' ἀριζήλως εἰρημένα μυθολογεύειν καὶ 1.3.6 ποιητικοῖς ἐπιτρίβεσθαι μώμοις. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐν χερσὶ τὸ ἄστυ ἐγεγόνει τῶν Οὔννων, προῆλθον αἱ σπονδαί, ὅπως ἡσυχίαν 1.3.7 ἀσπάσοιτο τὸ πολέμιον καὶ τὴν ἠρεμίαν φιλοσοφήσοιεν. αἱ δὲ συνθῆκαι ἐπονείδιστοι ῾Ρωμαίοις· μετὰ γὰρ τηλικοῦτον κολοφῶνα κακοῦ, οἷά πως ἀγωνοθέται καθήμενοι, ὥσπερ ἆθλον εὐδοξίας δῶρα λαμπρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροις παρείχοντο ὀγδοήκοντά τε χιλιάδας χρυσῶν καθωμολόγουν ἀν' ἔτος ἕκαστον τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐγκαταβάλλεσθαι δι' ἐμπορίας ἀργύρου 1.3.8 τε καὶ ποικίλης ἐσθῆτος. οὐ περαιτέρω δὲ διήρκεσαν τῶν δύο ἐνιαυτῶν αἱ σπονδαί· κατηυθαδίσατο γὰρ ῾Ρωμαίων ὁ παρὰ τοῖς Οὔννοις Χαγάνος οὕτω λεγόμενος. φήμη δέ τις ἀμφ' αὐτὸν πρὸ τοῦ τὴν εἰρήνην διαφθαρῆναι περιεκέχυτο, ὡς ζῶα τρέφεται παρὰ ῾Ρωμαίοις τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τῷ σώματι ἐμφανέστατα. διὸ ἐξῄτησε βασιλέα εἰς θέαν τούτων ἐλθεῖν. 1.3. καὶ ψυχαγωγεῖ θᾶττον ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς ἱστορίας τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ δίδωσιν εἰς θεωρίαν ἐλεφάντων γενέσθαι, πέμψας ὡς αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτῷ τρεφομένων θηρίων τὸ ἐξοχώτατον. 1.3.10 ὁπηνίκα δ' εἶδεν τὸ ᾿Ινδικὸν ζῶον ὁ Χαγάνος ἐλέφαντα, παραυτίκα καταλύει τὸ θέατρον καὶ παλιννοστεῖν προστάττει τὸ θηρίον παρὰ τὸν Καίσαρα, ἢ καταπλαγεὶς ἢ ἀποφαυλίσας τὸ θαυμαζόμενον, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐκρυψάμην. 1.3.11 ἐπώχλει δὲ τὸν Καίσαρα καὶ κλίνην χρυσῆν τεχνουργήσαντα ὡς αὐτὸν παραπέμψαι· ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γὰρ τοῦτον μετεώριζεν ἡ τῆς παρούσης τύχης ἀκρώρεια. βασιλεὺς δὲ τὸ δῶρον 1.3.12 ἐξεργασάμενος βασιλικῶς μετεπέμπετο. ὁ δὲ σοβαρευόμενος 1.3.12 πολλῷ μᾶλλον κατεβρενθύετο οἷα προπηλακιζόμενος τῷ ἀναξίῳ τοῦ δωρήματος, ἀπεπέμπετο δὲ παρὰ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ὡς εὐτελές τι καὶ ἄκομψον τὴν χρυσῆν ἀλαζονικώ1.3.13 τερον κλίνην. ναὶ μὴν ἠξίου καὶ πρὸς ταῖς ὀγδοήκοντα τοῦ χρυσοῦ χιλιάσι καὶ ἑτέρας εἴκοσιν ἀν' ἔτος ἕκαστον παρὰ ῾Ρωμαίων ἀποίσεσθαι· καὶ δῆτα δυσανασχετοῦντος τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, περιφρονεῖ τὰς συνθήκας καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους ταῖς αὔραις φέρειν ἐδίδου, 1.4.1 ἀθρόον τε τὴν πολέμῳ φίλην ἀράμενος σάλπιγγα τὰς δυνάμεις συνήθροιζε καὶ τὴν Σιγγηδόνα τὴν πόλιν ἐξαπιναίως ἄφρακτον οὖσαν ἐλάμβανε πολεμικῶν τε ὀργάνων χηρεύουσαν διὰ τὸ ἐκ τῆς εἰρήνης ῥαθυμίαν πολλὴν ὑπερεκχεῖσθαι τῆς Θρᾴκης· ἀφύλακτον γὰρ εἰρήνη 1.4.2 καὶ προμηθείας οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον. τῶν τε τοῦ ἄστεος τοῖς πλείστοις συμπαρομαρτεῖ ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς αὐλιζομένοις, τῆς ἅλω τοῦτο κατεπειγούσης ποιεῖν· θέρους γὰρ ὥρα ὑπῆν, 1.4.3 καὶ ὅσον ἀποζῆν ἐθησαυρίζοντο. ἀκονιτὶ δὲ τὴν πόλιν οὐχ εἷλεν ὁ βάρβαρος· μεγίστη γὰρ συμπλοκὴν ἀνὰ τὰς πύλας συνεπεπτώκει τοῦ ἄστεος, πολλούς τε τῶν ᾿Αβάρων διαφθαρῆναι συνέτυχεν, Καδμείαν τε, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, ἀποφέρεσθαι νίκην· πολλάς τε καὶ ἑτέρας ἀστυγείτονας πόλεις ληΐζεται. ταύτας δὲ ῥᾷστα καὶ πόνων ἐκτός· ἀόρατον γὰρ ἦν τὸ κακὸν 1.4.4 καὶ ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἀκαραδόκητον. ἀνελών τε Αὐγούστας καὶ τὸ Βιμινάκιον (πόλεις δ' αὗται λαμπραὶ ὑπὸ τὸ ᾿Ιλλυρικὸν φορολογούμεναι) παραυτίκα στρατοπεδεύεται καὶ τὴν ᾿Αγχίαλον 1.4.5 περιτέμνεται, τάς τε περιοικίδας κώμας ἐδῄωσεν· τὸν δὲ τῶν θερμῶν ὑδάτων οἶκον οὐκ ἀναστῆσαι φασίν. λόγος δέ τις ὡς ἡμᾶς ἐξεφοίτησεν, ἐνθάδε τὰ τοῦ Χαγάνου ἀπορρύψασθαι γύναια καὶ μισθὸν τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ἐκεῖνον αἰτεῖν μὴ καταρριπτεῖν τὰ τῶν ὑδάτων οἰκοδομήματα. λέγεται δὲ τὰ ὑδάτια ταῦτα τοῖς λουσαμένοις ἀγαθὸν εἶναι καὶ εἰς ὑγείαν τούτοις συμμαχεῖν. 1.4.6 τριῶν δ' ἐπιγενομένων μηνῶν πρεσβεύονται ῾Ρωμαῖοι πρὸς Χαγάνον καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἀπεκηρυκεύσαντο, ᾿Ελπίδιον ἐκπέμψαντες, ἄνδρα ἐς συγκλήτου βουλὴν ἀναγόμενον, τῆς τε Σικελίας ἡγεμονεύσαντα καὶ τῶν τοῦ πραίτωρος ἐπιβάντα βημάτων· ἀρχὴ δέ τις αὕτη παρὰ ῾Ρωμαίοις οὐκ ἄκομψος. 1.4.7 ξυνωρικεύουσι δ'