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Leo was sailing his ship through the sea, surveying the wall and wickedly contemplating from where he might launch an attack. 24.6 The rest of the ships, having moored at one spot on the eastern shore, were making preparations. 24.7 And our citizens, for their part, armed themselves, dividing the battlements among them and anointing themselves for the impending contest. 24.8 For it was truly a contest, and a renowned one among the great contests, not one bringing forth the praise of spectators for some wrestler’s struggle in the bodily grapplings against his opponent, nor one offering prizes of some material substance providing brief pleasure to the victor, nor again a defeat bringing the vanquished down only to shame, but one either to crown so great a city, saved from so great a danger, with an inimitable prize, or for it to suffer some of the threatened things and bear inconsolable grief. 25.1 But when that beast had surveyed the entire wall, and also that the strait of the harbor was barricaded with an iron chain and some sunken ships, he considered making the assault rather from that point where he determined that neither would the hidden obstacles of the previously submerged monoliths outside hinder the ships' attack, nor indeed would they have to face intensified warfare from the high, already-built wall; 25.2 but where the deepening water of the sea breaks against the lower wall, having noted these places and returned to his companions, he initiated the contest. 25.3 They, then, having quickly dispersed their ships to the aforesaid places, and using a barbaric and harsh shout, charged the wall, rowing with their oars, and beating a terrifying rhythm on drums made of hides, and disturbing those on the battlements with many other terrifying things. 25.4 But those standing at the wall shouted back more, and with a louder voice, invoking the saving weapon of the cross as an ally against the enemy, 25.5 so much so that the barbarians, having heard that cry of a great multitude, more terrifying than any sound, felt dizzy for a time and expected to accomplish nothing, calculating the size of the populace from the shout, and that it would not be easy to readily sack so great a city against so many stripped for battle, a city which they could compare with no precedent. 25.6 Nevertheless, so that they might not seem to have shrunk from the first assault, not without fear, nor again with the madness they later employed, but with a certain frenzy mixed with fear, they came near and defended themselves against the enemy with volleys of arrows. 25.7 Then they attempted something even more shameless and strove to charge closer, like some barking dogs stirring up their own temper, enraged by the missiles hurled against them from the wall. 25.8 For the people of the city did not neglect archery, but used it rather effectively and skillfully, having stationed in those places all the Slavs who had flocked in from the nearby regions, for whom nothing else is so easily undertaken as shooting at a target and their arrows' momentum enduring anything. 26.1 But while both sides were thus shooting and being shot at, and the battle was showing itself to be evenly matched, some of the barbarians, separated from the rest, being as was likely bolder and more reckless than the others, and having hurled themselves from the ship into the sea, and having brought down a wooden ladder with them, pushed it forward in the water, trying to ascend the wall by it, paying no heed to the missiles sent against them from there. 26.2 For until they drew near they covered their bodies, both by swimming in the water and by protecting their heads with their shields; 26.3 but when they got close, having emerged from the water they resisted the volleys more stoutly, struggling against them, holding only their shields over their heads, then having quickly raised the ladder against the battlements they attempted to go up by it and get inside. 26.4 But death forestalled their plan, and before exactly

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Λέων περιῄει τῇ νηῒ διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ τεῖχος ἀποσκοπῶν καὶ πόθεν ἐφορμήσας προσβάλοι κακούργως ἐμμελετῶν. 24.6 αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ νῆες ὑφ' ἑνὶ χώρῳ τοῦ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς αἰγιαλοῦ προσορμισθεῖσαι συνεσκευάζοντο. 24.7 οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς δὲ πολῖται καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐφράττοντο, τὰς ἐπάλξεις διελόμενοι καὶ ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὸν προκείμενον ἀγῶνα συνεπαλείφοντες. 24.8 καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀγὼν ἀληθῶς, καὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἀγώνων ὁ διαβόητος, οὐ παλαιστοῦ τινος ἀγωνίαν ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον τοῦ σώματος ἀντιρρήσεσι τὸν παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἔπαινον προξενῶν, οὐκ ἔπαθλα προτιθεὶς ὕλης τινὸς πρὸς ὀλίγον τέρψιν τῷ νικήσαντι παρεχόμενα, οὐδὲ πάλιν ἧτταν μέχρις αἰσχύνης μόνης τὸν νικηθέντα καταβιβάζουσαν, ἀλλ' ἢ περισωθεῖσαν τοσαύτην πόλιν ἐκ τοσούτου κινδύνου γέρας ἀμίμητον ἀναδήσασθαι, ἢ παθοῦσάν τι τῶν ἀπειλουμένων ἀπαρηγόρητον ὀδύνην ἐνέγκασθαι. 25.1 Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ τεῖχος ἅπαν ὁ θὴρ ἐκεῖνος κατεῖδεν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸν πορθμὸν τοῦ λιμένος ἁλύσει σιδηρᾷ καί τισι ναυσὶ βεβυθισμέναις ὄντα κατάφρακτον, μᾶλλον ἐκεῖθεν τὴν προσβολὴν ποιήσασθαι διεσκέψατο, ὅθεν διέγνω μήτε τὰς ἔξωθεν κωλύειν τῶν προβυθισθέντων μονολίθων ἐνέδρας τὴν τῶν νηῶν ἔφοδον. μήτε μὴν ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ τοῦ ἤδη δομηθέντος τείχους ἐπίτασιν πολέμου ταύτας ἐκδέχεσθαι· 25.2 ἀλλ' ἔνθα βαθυνόμενον τὸ τῆς θαλάσσης ὕδωρ τῷ χθαμαλωτέρῳ τείχει προσρήγνυται, τοὺς τόπους σημειωσάμενος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους ἀνθυποστρέψας, ἐνέδωκε τὸν ἀγῶνα. 25.3 οἱ δὴ τὸ τάχος τοῖς λεχθεῖσι τόποις ταῖς ναυσὶ διασπαρέντες, βοῇ τε χρησάμενοι βαρβαρικῇ καὶ τραχείᾳ, ἐφώρμησαν τῷ τείχει, ταῖς κώπαις ἐλαύνοντες, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν δέρρεων κατεσκευασμένοις τυμπάνοις καταπληκτικὸν κτυποῦντες, καὶ πολλοῖς ἄλλοις φοβήτροις τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσιν ἐκταράττοντες. 25.4 ἀντεβόησαν δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ γεγωνοτέραν φωνὴν οἱ πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος ἑστῶτες τὸ σωτήριον ὅπλον τοῦ σταυροῦ πρὸς τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπικαλούμενοι συμμαχίαν, 25.5 καὶ τοσοῦτον ὡς ἀκηκοότας τοὺς βαρβάρους τὸν πολυάνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον καὶ παντὸς ἀκούσματος φοβερώτερον ἀλαλαγμὸν ἰλιγγιᾶσαι τέως καὶ μηδὲν ἀνύσειν προσδοκᾶν, τοῦ δήμου τὴν πληθὺν ἀναλογισαμένους ἐκ τῆς βοῆς, καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἂν πρὸς τοσούτους ἀποδυσαμένους εἰς μάχην εὐχερῶς ἔχειν πόλιν τοσαύτην ῥᾳδίως ἐκπορθεῖν, ἣν οὐδενὶ παραδείγματι συγκρίνειν εἶχον. 25.6 ὅμως ἵνα μὴ δόξωσι κατεπτηχέναι τὴν πρώτην προσβολήν, οὐκ ἀδεῶς μέν, οὐδὲ πάλιν μεθ' ἧς ὕστερον ἐχρῶντο μανίας, ἀλλά τινι λύσσῃ φόβῳ συγκεκραμένῃ πλησίον γενόμενοι ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν βελῶν νιφάσι τοὺς ἐξ ἐναντίας ἠμύνοντο. 25.7 ἔπειτα δέ τι καὶ ἀναιδέστερον ἐπεχείρουν καὶ πλησιέστερον ἐφορμᾶν ἐφιλονείκουν, καθάπερ τινὲς ὑλακτικοὶ κύνες τὸν οἰκεῖον θυμὸν διεγείροντες, τοῖς κατ' αὐτῶν φερομένοις ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἐξαγριούμενοι. 25.8 οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ τῆς πόλεως τῆς τοξικῆς κατημέλουν, ἀλλ' ἐχρῶντο ταύτῃ μᾶλλον ἐναργῶς καὶ ἐπιτηδείως, πάντας τοὺς ἐκ τῶν πλησίον χωρῶν προσρυέντας Σκλαβήνους τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις καταστησάμενοι, ὧν οὐδέν ἐστιν οὕτως τῶν ἄλλων εὐεπιχείρητον ὡς τὸ κατὰ σκοποῦ βάλλειν καὶ μηδὲν τῶν βελῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ῥύμην ἀνθυποφέρειν. 26.1 Ἀλλ' οὕτω βαλλόντων ἑκατέρων καὶ βαλλομένων, ἰσοπαλῆ τε τὴν μάχην προσπίπτουσαν ἐνδεικνυμένων, διαιρεθέντες τινὲς τῶν βαρβάρων, τῶν ἄλλων ὡς εἰκὸς εὐτολμότεροι καὶ θρασύτεροι, καὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ τῆς νηὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἀκοντίσαντες, κλίμακά τε ξυλίνην μεθ' ἑαυτῶν συγκαθελόντες, ὤθουν ἄγοντες ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι, πειρώμενοι δι' αὐτῆς ἀνιέναι τῷ τείχει, μηδένα λόγον τῶν ἐκεῖθεν κατ' αὐτῶν πεμπομένων ποιούμενοι. 26.2 μέχρι γὰρ τοῦ πλησίον γενέσθαι ἐκάλυπτον τὰ σώματα, νηχόμενοί τε τῷ ὕδατι καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ταῖς ἀσπίσι περιφραττόμενοι· 26.3 ὅτε δ' ἐγγύθεν ἐγένοντο, τὸ ὕδωρ ἀποδυσάμενοι ῥωμαλεώτερον ἀντεῖχον ταῖς βολαῖς προσπαλαίοντες, τὰς ἀσπίδας μόνας φέροντες ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς, εἶτα τὴν κλίμακα θᾶττον κατὰ τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἀνελκύσαντες ἐπεχείρουν δι' αὐτῆς ἀνιέναι καὶ εἴσω χωρεῖν. 26.4 ἀλλὰ προέφθασε τὸ βεβουλευμένον ὁ θάνατος, καὶ πρὶν ἀκριβῶς