23. But when the dragnet was loosened, as we have said, and the barbarians sacked the cities, the dominion of Thrace was divided into small parts; for both Bulgaria and the Ister itself and the renowned mountain range extending as far as the Pontus, called Haemus, are parts of Thrace, but now are reckoned as foreign. The theme of Thrace was set under the emperor of Constantinople and was for his service, and there was not yet any *strategos* in it; but from the time that the God-hated nation of the Bulgars crossed over the Ister river, then the emperor himself was compelled, because of the raids of the Scythians and of the Bulgars themselves, to bring it to the rank of a theme and to appoint a *strategos* in it. The crossing of the barbarians over the Ister river happened at the end of the reign of Constantine Pogonatus, when also their name became known; for previously they were called Onogoundours. Thrace received its name from Thrax a king, who died in it long ago; or from a Titan nymph, from whom and Cronus came Doloncus, whence the first nation of the Thracians are named Dolonci. And *** also bears witness to the account, counting the nation of the Dolonci with Thrace. Hierocles the grammarian, who wrote the *Synekdemos*, *** saying thus: "The total provinces and cities administered by the emperor of the Romans in Constantinople are 64 provinces and 35 cities". I therefore set as the beginning of Europe the queen of cities and the new Rome of the whole world; for this reason also the theme around it called Thrace, we have placed first among the themes in the parts of Europe, as the city itself, formerly called Byzantium, was founded in the land of the Thracians. Byzantium itself is a colony of Megarians and Lacedaemonians and Boeotians, of the most ancient Greeks; wherefore they are also knowledgeable in the tongue of the Dorians. Let us say, therefore, how the ancient order prevailed and the names of the provinces themselves. Province of Thrace, that is, of Europe; under consulares, that is, councillors, 14 cities: Eudoxiopolis, Heraclea, Arcadiopolis, Bizye, Panion, Ornoi, Ganos, Callipolis, Merizos, Saltike, Sauada, Aphrodisias, Aproi, Coelia. Province of Rhodope; under the same, 7 cities: Parthicopolis, Heraclea of the Strymon, Aenus, Maximianopolis, Serrae, Philippi, Trajanopolis. Province of Haemimontus; under a *hegemon*, 5[6] cities: Adrianopolis,Anchialus, Debeltos, Ploutinopolis, Tzoida. Province of Thrace; under a consular, 5 cities: klima of Mestikon and Akontisma, Philippopolis, Beroe, island of Thasos, island of Samothrace. Province of [Moesia] Scythia; under a *hegemon*, 15 cities: Tomis, Dionysopolis, Akrai, Callatis, Istros, Constantiana, Zelpa, Tropaeum, Axiopolis, Capidava, Carsos, Trosmis, Noviodunum, Aegissus, Halmyris. Thus far the theme of Thrace according to the *Synekdemos* of Hierocles, and after this the theme of Macedonia, which is set under Illyricum and the location there; it begins thus: *** europ.2 The second theme, of Macedonia Macedonia the land was named from Macedon, son of Zeus and Thyia, daughter of Deucalion, as Hesiod the poet says: "And she, becoming pregnant by Zeus who delights in the thunderbolt, bore two sons, Magnes and Macedon, who delights in horses, who dwelt in homes around Pieria and Olympus." Others say from Macedon the son of Aeolus, as Hellanicus, in the first book of *Priestesses at Argos*: "from Macedon the son of Aeolus, from whom the Macedonians are now called, who alone with the Mysians then inhabited it". A portion of Macedonia is also called Maketa, as Marsyas says in the first book of his *Macedonica*: "and they call Oresteia, Maketa, from Macedon". But also Cleidemus in the first book of his *Atthis* knows all of Macedonia to be named Macetia: "and they were driven out beyond the Aigialos, above the so-called Macetia". And those who reigned over Macedonia call themselves descendants of Heracles, that being Heracles the ox-eater and lion-slayer, whose image and

νγʹ. ∆ιασαπείσης δὲ τῆς σαγήνης, ὡς εἴπομεν, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκπορθησάντων τὰς πόλεις, εἰς μικρὰ τμήματα διῃρέθη ἡ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἀρχή· ἥ τε γὰρ Βουλγαρία καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἴστρος καὶ τὸ περιώνυμον ὄρος τὸ διῆκον ἄχρι τοῦ Πόντου, τὸ καλούμενον Αἷμος, τῆς Θρᾴκης εἰσὶ μέρη, νυνὶ δὲ ἀλλότρια χρηματίζουσι. Τὸ δὲ τῆς Θρᾴκης θέμα ὑπὸ τὸν βασιλέα Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐτέτακτο καὶ εἰς ὑπουργίαν αὐτοῦ ἐχρημάτιζε, καὶ οὐδέπω τις στρατηγὸς ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ· ἀφ' οὗ δὲ τὸ θεομίσητον τῶν Βουλγάρων ἔθνος ἐπεραιώθη εἰς τὸν Ἴστρον ποταμόν, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠναγκάσθη διὰ τὰς ἐπιδρομὰς τῶν Σκυθῶν καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν Βουλγάρων εἰς θέματος τάξιν ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸ καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐν αὐτῷ χειροτονῆσαι. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἡ τῶν βαρβάρων περαίωσις ἐπὶ τὸν Ἴστρον ποταμὸν εἰς τὰ τέλη τῆς βασιλείας Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Πωγωνάτου, ὅτε καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν φανερὸν ἐγένετο· πρότερον γὰρ Ὀνογουνδούρους αὐτοὺς ἐκάλουν. Ἡ δὲ Θρᾴκη ὀνομασίαν μὲν ἔσχεν ἀπὸ Θρᾳκὸς βασιλέως, τοῦ πάλαι ἐν αὐτῇ τελευτήσαντος· ἢ ἀπὸ νύμφης Τιτανίδος, ἀφ' ἧς καὶ Κρόνου ∆όλογκος, ὅθεν τὸ πρῶτον ἔθνος τῶν Θρᾳκῶν ∆όλογκοι ὀνομάζονται. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῷ λόγῳ καὶ *** τὸ τῶν ∆ολόγκων ἔθνος τῇ Θρᾴκῃ συναριθμῶν. Ἱεροκλῆς δὲ ὁ γραμματικὸς ὁ γράψας τὸν Συνέκδημον *** λέγων οὕτως· "εἰσὶν αἱ πᾶσαι ἐπαρχίαι καὶ πόλεις, αἱ ὑπὸ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ῥωμαίων διοικούμεναι τὸν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, ἐπαρχίαι μὲν ξδʹ, πόλεις δὲ λεʹ". Ἀρχὴν οὖν τῆς Εὐρώπης τὴν βασιλίδα τῶν πόλεων καὶ τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς τὴν νέαν Ῥώμην ἐγὼ τίθημι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν θέμα τὸ καλούμενον Θρᾴκη, τῶν ἐν τοῖς Εὐρώπης μέρεσι θεμάτων πρῶτον τεθείκαμεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς πόλεως τῆς πάλαι Βυζαντίδος καλουμένης ἐν τῇ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν ἱδρυνθείσης χώρᾳ. Αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ Βυζάντιον Μεγαρέων καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Βοιωτῶν ἐστιν ἀποικία, τῶν ἀρχαιοτάτων Ἑλλήνων· διὸ καὶ τῆς τῶν ∆ωριέων γλώττης ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ τυγχάνουσιν. Εἴπωμεν τοίνυν ὡς ἡ ἀρχαία τάξις ἐκράτει καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐπαρχιῶν τὰ ὀνόματα. Ἐπαρχία Θρᾴκης, ἤγουν Εὐρώπης· ὑπὸ κονσιλαρίων, τουτέστι βουλευτῶν, πόλεις ιδʹ· Εὐδοξιούπολις, Ἡράκλεια, Ἀρκαδιούπολις, Βιζύη, Πάνιον, Ὄρνοι, Γάνος, Καλλίπολις, Μήριζος, Σαλτική, Σαύαδα, Ἀφροδισία, Ἄπρος, Κοιλία. Ἐπαρχία Ῥοδόπης· ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτόν, πόλεις ζʹ· Παρθικόπολις, Ἡράκλεια Στρύμνου, Αἶνος, Μαξιμιανούπολις, Σέρραι, Φίλιπποι, Τραϊανούπολις. Ἐπαρχία Ἡμιμόντου· ὑφ' ἡγεμόνα, πόλεις ε[ξ]ʹ· Ἀδριανούπολις,Ἀγχίαλος, ∆εβελτός, Πλουτινούπολις, Τζόϊδα. Ἐπαρχία Θρᾴκης· ὑπὸ κονσιλάριον, πόλεις εʹ· κλίμα Μεστικὸν καὶ Ἀκόντισμα, Φιλιππούπολις, Βερόη, νῆσος Θάσος, νῆσος Σαμοθρᾴκη. Ἐπαρχία [Μυσίας] Σκυθίας· ὑφ' ἡγεμόνα, πόλεις ιεʹ· Τόμις, ∆ιονυσόπολις, Ἄκραι, Καλλάτις, Ἴστρος, Κωνσταντιανά, Ζέλπα, Τρόπαιος, Ἀξιούπολις, Καπίδαβα, Κάρσος, Τρόσμις, Νοβιόδουνος, Αἴγισσος, Ἁλμυρίς. Ἕως ὧδε τὸ τῆς Θρᾴκης θέμα κατὰ τὸν Ἱεροκλέους Συνέκδημον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὸ τῆς Μακεδονίας θέμα, ὃ ὑπὸ τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖσε τοποθεσίαν τέτακται· ἄρχεται οὖν οὕτως· *** ευροπ.2 ∆εύτερον θέμα Μακεδονίασ Μακεδονία ἡ χώρα ὠνομάσθη ἀπὸ Μακεδόνος τοῦ ∆ιὸς καὶ Θυίας τῆς ∆ευκαλίωνος, ὥς φησιν Ἡσίοδος ὁ ποιητής· Ἣ δ' ὑποκυσαμένη ∆ιὶ γείνατο τερπικεραύνῳ υἷε δύω, Μάγνητα Μακηδόνα θ' ἱππιοχάρμην, οἳ περὶ Πιερίην καὶ Ὄλυμπον δώματ' ἔναιον. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἀπὸ Μακεδόνος τοῦ Αἰόλου, ὡς Ἑλλάνικος, Ἱερειῶν πρώτῃτῶν ἐν Ἄργει· "ἐκ Μακεδόνος τοῦ Αἰόλου, ἀφ' οὗ νῦν Μακεδόνες καλοῦνται, μόνοι μετὰ Μυσῶν τότε οἰκοῦντες". Λέγεται δὲ καὶ Μακεδονίας μοῖρα Μάκετα, ὡς Μαρσύας ἐν πρώτῳ Μακεδονικῶν· "καὶ τὴν Ὀρεστείαν δὲ Μάκεταν λέγουσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Μακεδόνος". Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὅλην Μακεδονίαν Μακετίαν οἶδεν ὀνομαζομένην Κλείδημος ἐν πρώτῳ Ἀτθίδος· "καὶ ἐξῳκίσθησαν ὑπὲρ τὸν Αἰγιαλὸν ἄνω τῆς καλουμένης Μακετίας". Οἱ δὲ τῆς Μακεδονίας βασιλεύσαντες ἀπογόνους ἑαυτοὺς Ἡρακλέους ὀνομάζουσιν, Ἡρακλέους ἐκείνου τοῦ βουφάγου καὶ λεοντοφόνου τυγχάνοντος, οὗ τὴν εἰκόνα καὶ