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16 [What would you say about the myrrh-holding, precious reliquary of our own Trophy-bearer and Martyr? Not at all did our enemies, in an excess of madness, like savage raging beasts, leave this undisturbed and remaining as it was before, except not for the reason for which the other tombs of our ancestors were opened and overthrown and the relics deposited in them were cast upon the ground. For in them, since many of the Turks found money, deposited by the citizens for the hope which we have already declared, for this reason they opened and destroyed almost all of them. But here for two reasons: for the considerable adornment around it fashioned with gold and silver and precious stones and pearls, and for the divine myrrh that provides health. For some only stripped it of its adornment, but others, being envious, as it were, wished to deprive us of the abundance of myrrh and of the healing from it, and they willed this for us, so that we would have nothing of these to enjoy henceforth, whenever each might need it. Therefore, having also cast down the marble slabs over the myrrh, they hastened to empty it and to cast out the holy and divine relic of the martyr; for they thought to achieve this purpose and leave us in want of the inexhaustible myrrh. But their desire did not turn out in the end as they themselves wrongly expected. So they drew out the myrrh with both hands for many days. And to some it seemed like something ridiculous; but those who had more understanding than the others were diligent to carry this to their own homes and to touch it with reverence and respect; for they had heard from those who had experienced it that it is more effective than medical drugs, for whatever ailment one might use it. But they were not able to render the spring of myrrh dry and waterless, although they made a great struggle for this. And rightly so; for the things granted by God to the worthy are not equal to human things, since they are not subject to the same limits.] [They showed this evil intent also concerning the most holy relic of the venerable and myrrh-gushing Theodora, which, lying on the surface, was both cast upon the ground (O the audacity and polluted hands!) and was broken into pieces, which indeed some of the God-loving people, having picked them up, one here and another there, previously carried away as a free clinic. But later these were also collected, some of those who had taken them selling them for a price of silver, and others giving them freely because of the God-loving mind they had, which, having been fitted together again into the integrity of one body, through the working of miracles daily gush forth abundantly, to the glory again of Him who brings all things to all by the words of an ineffable dispensation.]

17 [When these things had so transpired and every kind of disorder had occurred (for the destruction had spread through all the parts of the city), Murad took pity on the city for these things. And first he drives out the Turks who had entered with the western general, who had divided the houses of the captives among themselves and had hoped to possess them for their whole life, and who were not eager to leave the city, saying, "The money is enough for you, and the slaves you have acquired beyond hope; but I wish to have the city, having for its sake completed a journey of many days and endured hardship, as you know." Then, having gone to the Gallikos river, which flows near the city especially during the winter season, he considered a plan altogether unexpected by all and constitutive for the captured city. For seeing such a great city, so situated, both communicating with the sea and being advantageous in all respects, he pitied it and wished to settle it again. And indeed, first he commanded a number of the more distinguished men, both by blood and by kinship, to be freed from slavery, having himself provided the ransom, and for these men to settle in the city, then that the parts of it which had fallen in the war be quickly

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16 [Τί δ' ἂν εἴποις περὶ τῆς μυροδόχου τιμίας λάρνακος τοῦ ἡμεδαποῦ Τροπαιούχου καὶ Μάρτυρος; Ἥκιστα καὶ ταύτην εἴασαν ἀπερίτρεπτον καὶ μένουσαν, ὡς τὸ πρὶν, μανίας ὑπερβολῇ οἱ καθ' ἡμῶν, ὥσπερ θῆρες λυττήσαντες ἄγριοι, πλὴν οὐ δι' αἰτίαν καθ' ἣν καὶ τἆλλα τῶν πάλαι ἐξ ἡμῶν γενομένων ἠνέῳκτό τε καὶ καταβέβλητο μνήματα καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἐναποκείμενα λείψανα κατὰ γῆς ἀπερρίφησαν. Ἐν αὐτοῖς γάρ, καθότι πολλοὶ τῶν Τούρκων χρημάτων ἐπέτυχον, ἐναποτεθέντων παρὰ τῶν πολιτῶν, δι' ἣν ἐλπίδα φθάσαντες δεδηλώκειμεν, διὰ τοῦτο πάντα σχεδὸν ἠνέῳξαν καὶ κατέστρεψαν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ δυοῖν εἵνεκα, τοῦ τε περὶ αὐτὴν οὐκ ὀλίγου χρυσῷ καὶ ἀργύρῳ καὶ λίθοις τιμίοις καὶ μαργάροις κατεσκευασμένου κόσμου καὶ τῶν ὑγείας παρεκτικῶν θείων μύρων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ κόσμου μόνον αὐτὴν ἀπεγύμνωσαν, οἱ δὲ βασκήναντες, οἷον ἡμῖν τῆς ἀφθονίας τῶν μύρων καὶ τῆς ἐκ τούτων ἰάσεως ἀφῃρηκέναι καὶ ταῦθ' ἡμᾶς ἐβουλήθησαν, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχειν τοῦ λοιποῦ τούτων ἀπολαύειν, ὁσάκις ἂν ἕκαστος δέοιτο. ∆ιὸ καὶ καταβεβληκότες τὰς ἐπ' αὐτῇ μαρμάρους τῶν μύρων ἔσπευδον αὐτὴν ἐκκενῶσαι καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ θεῖον λείψανον τοῦ μάρτυρος ἐκβαλεῖν· ἡγοῦντο γὰρ τοῦ σκοποῦ τούτου κατατυχεῖν καὶ ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀκενώτων μύρων καταλιπεῖν ἐνδεεῖς. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τέλος, οἷον αὐτοὶ σφαλερῶς προσεδόκων, ἡ σφῶν ἐπιθυμία ἐξέβη. Ἐξήντλουν οὖν τὸ μύρον ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις ἐφ' ἱκανὰς τὰς ἡμέρας. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ὥς τι γελοῖον ἐδόκει· οἷς δὲ νοῦς ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπῆν, τούτοις ἦν ἐπιμελὲς πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν τοῦτο μετακομίζειν καὶ μετ' αἰδοῦς ἅπτεσθαι καὶ σεβάσματος· ἠκηκόεισαν γὰρ πρὸς τῶν πεπειραμένων ὡς ἰατρικῶν φαρμάκων ἐστὶν ἐνεργέστερον, εἰς οἷον ἄν τις χρήσαιτο πάθος. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐδύναντο τὴν τῶν μύρων πηγὴν ξηρὰν καὶ ἄνικμον ἀποφῆναι, καίπερ πολὺν ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιούμενοι τὸν ἀγῶνα. Καὶ εἰκότως· οὐ γὰρ ἴσα τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις τὰ πρὸς θεοῦ τοῖς ἀξίοις κεχαρισμένα, ἐπειδήπερ μηδὲ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὑπόκεινται ὅροις.] [Ταύτην τὴν πονηρὰν ἐπεδείξαντο γνώμην καὶ περὶ τὸ τῆς ὁσίας καὶ μυροβλύτιδος Θεοδώρας ἱερώτατον λείψανον, ὃ καὶ ὡς ἐπιπολῆς κείμενον ἀπερρίφη τε κατὰ γῆς (ὢ τόλμης καὶ μιαρῶν χειρῶν!) καὶ κατεθραύσθη εἰς μέρη, ἃ δὴ καὶ τῶν φιλοθέων τινὲς ἀνελόμενοι ἄλλος μὲν ἀλλαχοῦ πρότερον ὡς ἰατρεῖον ἄμισθον ἀπεκόμισαν. Ὕστερον δὲ καὶ ταῦτα συνῆκται, τῶν εἰληφότων τῶν μὲν ἀποδομένων ταῦτα τιμῆς ἀργυρίων, τῶν δὲ χαρισαμένων δι' ἣν ἔσχον φιλόθεον γνώμην, ἃ καὶ εἰς ἑνὸς αὖθις συναρμοσθέντα σώματος ὁλομέλειαν θαυμάτων ἐνεργείᾳ καθ' ἑκάστην ἀφθόνως πηγάζουσιν εἰς δόξαν καὶ αὖθις τοῦ πάντα πᾶσιν ἐπάγοντος λόγοις οἰκονομίας ἀρρήτου.]

17 [Τούτων οὕτω προβεβηκότων καὶ ἀκοσμίας πάσης γεγενημένης (διὰ πάντων γὰρ τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει κεχώρηκεν ἡ καταφθορὰ) οἶκτον ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Μουράτης λαμβάνει τῆς πόλεως. Καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τοὺς εἰσιόντας ἅμα τῷ κατὰ δύσιν στρατηγῷ Τούρκους τὰς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων οἰκίας ἑαυτοῖς διανείμαντας καὶ ταύτας ἔχειν διὰ βίου παντὸς ἠλπικότας ἐξελαύνει, καὶ μὴ προθυμουμένους, τῆς πόλεως, ἐπειπὼν ὡς «ἀρκεῖ μὲν ὑμῖν τὰ χρήματα καὶ οὓς παρ' ἐλπίδα δούλους ἐκτήσασθε· τὴν δέ γε πόλιν ἔχειν ἔγωγε βούλομαι, πολλῶν διὰ ταύτην διηνυκὼς ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν καὶ πόνον ὑπενεγκών, ὅσον ἐγνώκατε». Ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς τὸν Γαλλικὸν ποταμὸν μεταβάς, ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως ῥέοντα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν μάλιστα τοῦ χειμῶνος, βουλὴν ἐσκέψατο πᾶσί τε ἀδόκητον ὅλως καὶ συστατικὴν τῆς ἑαλωκυίας. Ἰδὼν γὰρ πόλιν τοσαύτην καὶ οὕτω κειμένην τῇ θαλάττῃ τε προσομιλοῦσαν καὶ πάντα δεξιὰν οὖσαν, ᾤκτειρέ τε αὐτὴν καὶ πάλιν οἰκίσαι βεβούλητο. Καὶ δὴ πρῶτον μὲν ἀνθρώπους ἀριθμητοὺς τῶν ἐπισημοτέρων καθ' αἷμά τε καὶ συγγένειαν τῆς δουλείας ἀπηλλάχθαι προσέταξε, παρεσχηκὼς αὐτὸς τὰ λύτρα καὶ τῇ πόλει τούτους ἐγκατοικῆσαι, ἔπειτα δὲ τὰ καταπεπτωκότα ταύτης ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ μέρη ταχέως τε