,

with him also Comentiolus, a man pre-eminent among the bodyguards of the emperor, whom the Romans call a *scribo* in the Latin tongue. So they both came to the Khagan at Anchialus and asked for a truce, 1.4.8 as they had been ordered. But when he was not moderate about the injustices, but even more arrogantly threatened to tear down the so-called Long Walls, and while Elpidius was yielding in his words and not even thus soothing his swelling 1.4. arrogance, Comentiolus magnanimously displayed the nobility of his tongue, guarding Roman freedom undefiled like some chaste mistress and not corrupting it with adulterous flatteries, while the more notable of the Avars were present with the Khagan, he used the following words. 1.5.1 "The Romans thought, Khagan, that you both worship your ancestral gods and respect the salt of oaths and in no way cast aside right hands and treaties, nor that the axle of peace would be overturned by you, but indeed that you would remember the many imperial gifts and Roman friendliness, and that you would never have been forgetful of the beneficence, which is to say hospitality, toward your ancestors, nor that you would tolerate others under your command committing injustice against the Romans; 1.5.2 for it is fitting that leaders be and be called more temperate than their subjects, so that as much as they excel in power, 1.5.3 so much may they also differ in virtue. Therefore, on account of the goodwill from the peace, the Romans disregard the terrible things previously done by you and have become forgetful of many injustices, and being distinguished in philanthropy among all nations, they have not moved their weapons out of a desire for retaliation; 1.5.4 for they held the future tranquility of greater account than the former injustices which had been rather rashly undertaken, bidding farewell 1.5.5 to retaliations. But since all things tending toward virtue have been overlooked by you, and the eye of justice is blind, and the feet of providence are lame, being unable to measure out a worthy recompense for what has been done, and your will is a god to you, carried wherever it pleases, the Romans will not forget their own valor, but will indeed raise a very great war against you, 1.5.6 and will work much slaughter. For war is more pleasing to them than peace, whenever the enemy will not embrace tranquility. For what is more glorious on earth than the Romans, who have always contended for freedom and glory and fatherland and children? For if among certain most insignificant birds, in order that neither be defeated nor one yield to the other, there is a stubborn war and a frenzied battle, what then do you think of men, and Romans at that, a most warlike nation and a most renowned empire? which it is not easy to despise, 1.5.7 except perhaps only at the very outset. Do not, then, boast today over things wickedly and faithlessly arranged; for to be proud of accomplishments is perhaps praiseworthy, but to be arrogant in wickedness ought to be characterized as a portion of hubris, 1.5.8 not of glory. Great are your recent feats of ingratitude; but greatest too is the power of the Romans, and the care of the Caesar, and the aid of the tributary nations, and the weight of their money, and their religion, the most pious among all the nations of the world, 1.5. and for this reason also the most powerful. Against these you only wished to campaign, but neglected how it might be. And what marks of glory will you carry away among the neighboring nations, by being ungrateful to the Romans? Or what pledge of faith 1.5.10 is left to you? Your gods are insulted by you; oaths are violated, truces are broken, benefactors suffer evil at your hands; gifts possessing a venerable power do not persuade. Let us be at peace. Do not turn your opportunity into evil prating, and try to harm those who have done no wrong, but only because they are neighbors. 1.5.11 Respect, before your own head, this Roman and our soil; this is salutary for you

αὐτῷ καὶ Κομεντίολον, ἄνδρα τῶν σωματοφυλάκων τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπερφερόμενον, ὃν σκρίβωνα τῇ Λατινίδι φωνῇ ῾Ρωμαῖοι κατονομάζουσιν. ἧκον γοῦν ἄμφω παρὰ τὸν Χαγάνον ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αγχίαλον καὶ περὶ σπονδῶν 1.4.8 ἠξίουν ὡς προσετάχθησαν. τοῦ δὲ μὴ μετριοπαθοῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀδικήμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσαπειλοῦντος αὐθαδικώτερον τὰ λεγόμενα τείχη καθαιρήσειν Μακρά, καὶ τοῦ μὲν ᾿Ελπιδίου ὑποχαλῶντος τοῖς λόγοις καὶ μηδὲ οὑτωσὶ θεραπεύοντος οἰδαινό1.4. μενον φρύαγμα, Κομεντίολος μεγαλοφρόνως τὴν τῆς γλώττης εὐγένειαν ἐπεδείκνυτο τήν τε ῾Ρωμαϊκὴν ἐλευθερίαν δίκην σώφρονος δεσποίνης τινὸς ἄχραντον θαλαμεύων καὶ μὴ διαφθείρων μοιχικαῖς κολακείαις, τῶν ἀξιολογωτέρων τῶν ᾿Αβάρων ἅμα τῷ Χαγάνῳ παρόντων, τοῖσδε προσεχρήσατο ῥήμασιν. 1.5.1 "᾿Εδόκουν σε ῾Ρωμαῖοι, Χαγάνε, τούς τε πατρῴους θρησκεύειν θεοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἅλας τῶν ὅρκων αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ δεξιὰς καὶ συνθήκας μηδαμῶς ἀποσείεσθαι, μηδὲ τὸν τῆς εἰρήνης ἄξονα διὰ σοῦ καταβάλλεσθαι, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ δώρων βασιλικῶν μεμνῆσθαι πολλῶν καὶ φιλοφροσύνης ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς, καὶ τῆς περὶ τοὺς σοὺς προγόνους εὐεργείας, ταὐτὸν δὲ φιλοξενίας εἰπεῖν, ἐπιλήσμονα μὴ γεγενῆσθαί ποτε, μήτε δ' ἑτέρων τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ τεταγμένων ἀδικούντων ῾Ρωμαίους 1.5.2 ἀνέχεσθαι· πρέπει γὰρ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας σωφρονεστέρους τῶν ὑπηκόων καὶ εἶναι καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι, ἵνα ὅσον τῷ κράτει 1.5.3 ὑπερέχωσιν, τοσοῦτον καὶ τῇ ἀρετῇ διενέγκωσιν. τοιγαροῦν διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς εἰρήνης εὔνοιαν ἀμνημονοῦσι ῾Ρωμαῖοι τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ προϋπηργμένων δεινῶν καὶ πολλῶν ἀδικημάτων γεγόνασιν ἐπιλήσμονες, καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν διαφέροντες οὐ πρὸς ὄρεξιν ἀντιλυπήσεως κεκινήκασιν ὅπλα· 1.5.4 τὴν γὰρ ἐς ὕστερον ἠρεμίαν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀδικημάτων νεανικώτερον ἐγχειρηθέντων περὶ πολλοῦ ἐπεποίηντο, χαίρειν 1.5.5 φράσαντες ταῖς ἀντιδόσεσιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα σοι παρῶπται τὰ πρὸς καλοκαγαθίαν ὁρῶντα, καὶ δίκης ὄμμα τυφλόν, καὶ πόδες προνοίας χωλεύουσιν ἀμοιβὴν ἀξίαν τοῖς βεβιωμένοις ἀντιμετρεῖν οὐ δυνάμενοι, θεὸς δέ σοι τὸ βούλημα ὅποι καὶ θέλει φερόμενον, οὐκ ἐπιλήσονται ῾Ρωμαῖοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέγιστον κομιδῇ κατὰ σοῦ συστήσονται 1.5.6 πόλεμον, καὶ φόνον πολὺν χειρουργήσουσιν. προσηνέστερος γὰρ αὐτοῖς τῆς εἰρήνης ὁ πόλεμος, ὅτε μὴ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἀσπάσοιτο τὸ πολέμιον. τί γὰρ ῾Ρωμαίων τῶν πώποτε γῆς εὐκλεέστερον ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας ἀθλούντων καὶ δόξης καὶ πατρίδος καὶ παίδων; εἰ γὰρ ὄρνισιν εὐτελεστάτοις τισὶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἡττηθῆναι ἑκάτερον μήτε εἶξαι θατέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον πόλεμος καρτερὸς καὶ μαινόλις ἔστι παράταξις, τί δῆτα ἀνθρώπους οἴει καὶ ῾Ρωμαίους, ἔθνος τε μαχιμώτατον καὶ βασιλείαν ὀνομαστοτάτην; ἧς οὐ ῥᾴδιον κατα1.5.7 φρονεῖν, εἰ μή γε μόνον αὐταῖς ταῖς ἐνάρξεσιν. μὴ τοίνυν μεγαλαύχει ἐπὶ τοῖς κακῶς διατεθεῖσι καὶ ἀπίστως τὸ τήμερον· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς κατωρθωμένοις τὸ μέγα φρονεῖν ἴσως ἐπαινετόν· τὸ δ' ἐπὶ κακίᾳ βρενθύεσθαι ἐν ὕβρεως μοίρᾳ, 1.5.8 οὐκ ἐν εὐκλείᾳ προσήκει χαρακτηρίζεσθαι. μεγάλα σοι τὰ πρὸ μικροῦ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης ἀνδραγαθήματα· ἀλλὰ μεγίστη καὶ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων ἡ δύναμις, ἥ τε τοῦ Καίσαρος ἐπιμέλεια, καὶ τῶν ὑποφόρων ἐθνῶν τὸ ἐπίκουρον, ἥ τε τῶν χρημάτων ῥοπή, τό τε τῆς θρησκείας παρὰ πάντα τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης 1.5. ἔθνη εὐσεβέστατον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δυνατώτατον. οἷς ἀντιστρατεύειν μόνον ἠθέλησας, τοῦ δὲ ὅπως ἂν εἴη ἠμέλησας. ποίους δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ὁμόροις ἔθνεσιν εὐδοξίας χαρακτῆρας ἀποίσῃ, ῾Ρωμαίους ἀγνωμονῶν; ἢ τί σοι λοιπὸν 1.5.10 ἐνέχυρον πίστεως καταλέλειπται; οἱ σοὶ παρὰ σοῦ παροινοῦνται θεοί· ὅρκοι βιάζονται, σπονδαὶ καταλέλυνται, εὐεργέται πάσχουσι κακῶς ὑπὸ σοῦ· οὐ πείθουσι δῶρα δύναμιν αἰδέσιμον ἔχοντα. ἔασον ἡμᾶς ἠρεμεῖν. μὴ τὴν σὴν εὐκαιρίαν πρὸς κακὴν ἀδολεσχίαν μετάβαλλε, καὶ τοὺς μηδὲν ἠδικηκότας, μόνον δὲ διὰ τὸ γείτονας εἶναι, λυμαίνειν πειρώμενος. 1.5.11 αἰδέσθητι πρὸ τῆς σῆς κορυφῆς τὸ ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν τουτὶ καὶ ἡμέτερον ἔδαφος· τοῦτό σοι σωτήριον