of Berroia, having joined with both the Arabs and the Turks and having gathered a strong force, was considering coming to grips with the emperor and fighting. But while the emperor was inside the captured city and was still fighting at the towers in part against the remaining remnant of those holding the towers, two battle lines, walling off the enemy, were drawn up on guard duty. There are very great plains around Hierapolis, in which some of the Saracens appeared riding horses, and except for some hills there is nothing rising up to a great mountain, and the place is scorching and the water lukewarm, partaking of the air's inflammation and heat. But the enemy, little by little approaching the battle lines that were standing firm, turned back again—for the emir Machmoutios was still away—but after engaging in some skirmishes, they forced some of the Romans to ride past, and they did this twice and three times. But in another engagement they no longer pursued the Romans for a short distance and stopped, but having ridden past them they clashed hand-to-hand with the tagma of the Stratelatai, and having passed by the tagma of the Scholae, they killed many, and forced the rest to flee shamefully, leaving the regiment of the Scholae on the right. Which, seeing the defeat of the 130 Romans, was not moved from its position at all, but stood motionless as if nothing new had happened, as if it were afraid that it might be discovered standing there, and was contriving by every means to remain unnoticed. But the enemy, having turned back, quickly defeated this one too, having killed many, shutting up the rest in the camp, and strategically taking away their standards. And having beheaded many of the soldiers, they sent them as a proof to the people of Aleppo. It was worthy of wonder that, with such a great rout and Roman defeat having occurred, none of the remaining companies and captains was roused to defense, but all sat inside, as if encamped in a friendly land, and were eager to mind their own business, and they had no stirring of soul, or zeal, or anxiety at all.
But the emperor, being inside the city, having learned this, was annoyed not moderately, and having returned quickly with the Cappadocians who were with him, he contrived to find a remedy for the disaster. For that night held everyone in hopes that were not good, inasmuch as the Armenian infantry, having been ordered to spend the night by the ditch, contemplated rebellion. Day had not yet advanced and the enemy surrounded the palisade. For the ruler of Aleppo, having learned what had happened, came with all his force as if to capture the emperor with a single shout. But the emperor, while drawing up the battle plan inside his tent, around the third hour suddenly came out on horseback. The month of November was then on its twentieth day, of the 7th indiction. With no shout of buccinae or trumpets or any other signal having been clearly given, but with the standards of the army raised and the host going out in formation, the enemy began to gather in one place, where they saw the Romans charging, and how great the struggle was, and what the outcome of the future would be, was instilled in their souls. And when those in the front line shouted the war cry, the Romans defeated and dispatched many 131 of the enemy. And when the rest of the host also charged out, their flight became irresistible. Those pursuing after them killed many, and took not a few alive. But with the pursuit not having gone on for very long, the Romans missed a great opportunity and were deprived of a most beautiful victory and missed a very great boast. For although the Arabian horses were swift runners, they were not courageous nor did they persevere in the race, and the Romans were not willing to make their weakness their own strength. And having turned back their reins by imperial command, they rendered the victory blunt for themselves, being satisfied only with turning back the enemy, with the emperor also considering this a great good fortune, that for the time being the cowards had recovered their strength and the dead, so to speak,
Βερροίας, συνάψας τοῖς τε Ἄραψι καὶ τοῖς Τούρκοις καὶ δύναμιν ἁδρὰν συστησάμενος εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ μαχέσασθαι διεσκέπτετο. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἔνδον ὄντος τῆς ἑαλωκυίας πόλεως πυργομαχοῦντός τε ἔτι ἐν μέρει κατὰ τὸ ὑπόλοιπον λείψανον τῆς πυργοκρατείας παρατάξεις δύο, διατειχίζουσαι τοὺς ἐναντίους, εἰς φυλακὴν κατετάχθησαν. Εἰσὶ δὲ περὶ τὴν Ἱεράπολιν πεδία μέγιστα, ἐν οἷς τινες τῶν Σαρακηνῶν διεφάνησαν ἱππαζόμενοι, καὶ πλὴν γηλόφων οὐδέν ἐστι τὸ ὑπερανεστηκὸς εἰς ὄρος μέγα, καυσώδης δὲ ὁ τόπος καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ χλιαρόν, μεταλαμβάνον τῆς τοῦ ἀέρος φλεγμονῆς τε καὶ καύσεως. Οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι κατὰ μικρὸν ταῖς ἱσταμέναις πλησιάζοντες παρατάξεσιν αὖθις ἀνθυπέστρεφον ἀπῆν γὰρ ἔτι ὁ ἀμηρᾶς Μαχμούτιος-ἀκροβολισμοὺς δὲ ποιησάμενοι παρελάσαι μέν τινας τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατηνάγκασαν καὶ δὶς τοῦτο καὶ τρὶς πεποιήκασιν. Ἐν ἑτέρᾳ δὲ συμβολῇ οὐκέτι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους μικρὸν ἐπεδίωξαν καὶ ἔστησαν, ἀλλὰ παρελάσαντες αὐτοὺς τῷ τάγματι τῶν στρατηλατῶν εἰς χεῖρας συνερράγησαν, καὶ παρελθόντες τὸ τῶν σχολῶν τάγμα πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλον, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς φυγεῖν αἰσχρῶς κατηνάγκασαν, ἐν δεξιᾷ καταλιπόντες τὸ τῶν σχολῶν σύνταγμα. Ὅπερ τὴν τῶν 130 Ῥωμαίων ἧτταν ὁρῶν οὐδόλως μετεκινήθη τῆς στάσεως, ἀλλ' ὡς μηδενὸς καινοῦ γεγονότος ἀτρεμοῦν ἵστατο, ὡσανεὶ ἐδεδοίκει μὴ φωραθείη ἐκεῖσε ἱστάμενον, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ λαθεῖν μηχανώμενον. Ὑποστρέψαντες δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι ταχὺ καὶ τοῦτο κατηγωνίσαντο, ἀνῃρηκότες μὲν πολλούς, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν κατακλείσαντες καὶ τὰ σημεῖα τούτων στρατηγικῶς ἀφελόμενοι. Πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τραχηλοκοπήσαντες εἰς ἔνδειγμα τοῖς Χαλεπίταις ἀπέστειλαν. Θαυμάζειν δὲ ἄξιον ἦν, ὅτι τοσαύτης καταφορᾶς καὶ ἥττης γενομένης ῥωμαϊκῆς οὐδεὶς τῶν λοιπῶν λόχων τε καὶ λοχαγῶν εἰς ἄμυναν διηρέθιστο, ἀλλὰ πάντες ἔνδον καθήμενοι, ὡς διὰ φιλίας γῆς ἐνσκηνούμενοι, ἰδιοπραγεῖν ἐσπούδαζον, καὶ κίνησις ψυχῆς καὶ προθυμία καὶ ἀγωνία τούτοις τὸ παράπαν οὐδεμία ἦν.
Ἀλλ' ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔνδον ὢν τῆς πόλεως, τοῦτο πυθόμενος ἠνιάθη μὲν οὐ μετρίως, ἐπανελθὼν δὲ συντόμως μετὰ τῶν συνόντων Καππαδοκῶν ἴασιν εὑρεῖν τῷ πταίσματι ἐμηχανᾶτο. Ἡ γὰρ νὺξ ἐκείνη πάντας εἶχεν ἐν ἐλπίσιν οὐκ ἀγαθαῖς, καθότι καὶ τὸ ἐξ Ἀρμενίων πεζόν, περὶ τὴν τάφρον διανυκτερεύειν ἐπιταχθέν, ἀποστασίαν ἐμελέτησεν. Οὔπω δ' ἡμέρα προῄει καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι τὸν χάρακα περιέζωσαν. Τὸ γὰρ συμβὰν ὁ τοῦ Χάλεπ ἄρχων ἀναμαθὼν μεθ' ὅλης ἧκε τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως ὡς αὐτοβοεὶ αἱρήσων τὸν βασιλέα. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔνδον τῆς σκηνῆς διαγράφων τὸν πόλεμον περὶ τρίτην ὥραν ἀθρόον ἐξελήλυθεν ἔφιππος. Εἰκοστὴν ἤνυε τηνικαῦτα ὁ Νοέμβριος μὴν τῆς ζʹ ἰνδικτιῶνος. Βοῆς βυκίνων ἢ σαλπίγγων ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς σημείου μὴ δοθέντος τρανῶς, τῶν δὲ σημαιῶν τοῦ στρατοῦ ἐξαρθεισῶν καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐξιούσης συντεταγμένης ἤρξαντο οἱ πολέμιοι περὶ μέρος ἓν ἀθροίζεσθαι, οὗ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους εἶδον ἐπελαύνοντας, καὶ ὁ ἀγὼν ὅσος καὶ ἡ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἔκβασις οἵα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐναπέστακτο. Τῶν δὲ κατὰ μέτωπον τὸ ἐνυάλιον ἀλαλαξάντων πολλοὺς 131 τῶν ἐναντίων οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κατηγωνίσαντο καὶ διεχειρίσαντο. Ἐξορμήσαντος δὲ καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ πλήθους φυγὴ τούτων ἀνυπόστατος γίνεται. Οἱ δὲ κατόπιν τούτων ἐλαύνοντες πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνεῖλον, οὐκ ὀλίγους δὲ ζωγρήσαντες ἔλαβον. Τῆς δὲ διώξεως μὴ γενομένης μέχρι πολλοῦ μεγάλης εὐκληρίας οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι διήμαρτον καὶ νίκης καλλίστης ἐξεστερήθησαν καὶ αὐχήματος μεγίστου ἐξηστόχησαν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀραβικῶν ἵππων ταχυδρομούντων μέν , μὴ εὐψυχούντων δὲ μηδ' ἐγκαρτερούντων τῷ δρόμῳ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἐκείνων ἀτονίαν οἰκείαν εὐτονίαν ποιήσασθαι. Ἐπιστρέψαντες δὲ τοὺς ῥυτῆρας ἐξ ἐπιτάγματος βασιλικοῦ ἀμβλεῖαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν νίκην ἀπειργάσαντο, κορεσθέντες μόνῃ τῇ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀποτροπῇ, μεγάλην εὐτυχίαν καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ βασιλέως λογιζομένου, ὅτι τέως οἱ ἀνάλκιδες ἀνερρώσθησαν καὶ οἱ νεκροί, ὡς εἰπεῖν,