,

has become, and has embraced an emigrant and has settled a foreigner and an incomer, when your share, broken off from the East and the primeval tribe, was being 1.5.12 divided. Do not dissolve the noble law of hospitality, lest men speak ill of philanthropy, and you teach your hearers to abominate piety as a cause of evils. And if you desire money, this has already been accomplished for you by the Romans; for the nation is ambitious, and magnificence and generosity are a treasure to it. 1.5.13 You also have a land both wide and having increase over a great length, so that the inhabitants are never confined, nor do those who tread upon it lack for 1.5.14 luxury. Return, therefore, to your own land, which the Romans have also bestowed on you, and do not divert your power beyond your own 1.5.15 borders. For winds will do no harm, even if they should attack violently, a strong and lofty tree, which has abundant foliage, a sturdy trunk, living roots, and ample shade, which the seasons and water nourish, either irrigating it with channels or, with rains from heaven, both flooding and fattening it. 1.5.16 But those who stretch an unbridled foot beyond their own territory will at long last learn wisdom with some just punishment, being unable to bear the shame, which is more grievous than their sufferings." 1.6.1 When this great reproof was being delivered in words, a boiling of blood caused a great rage to surge up in the Khagan, and his whole face was reddened by his anger, with his eyes becoming saffron-colored with the flame of his vexation, and his entire demeanor indicating that he would not spare the ambassadors; and with his eyebrows rising high and threatening almost to fly over his forehead, the greatest danger hung over Comentiolus from the dialogue. 1.6.2 For the barbarian, having violated the respect due to ambassadors, dishonored Comentiolus with bonds, and with the insertion of wood in a foot-stock he crushed his feet, and he tore apart the ambassador's tent, and from that point, by some local law, the penalty of death was 1.6.3 threatened. But on the next day, his anger was calmed, and the most powerful of the Avars were pacified with persuasive words, persuading their leader not to decree death against Comentiolus, and they persuaded him that it would be sufficient for the ambassadors to be wronged as far as the bonds. The Khagan, therefore, having consented, sent them dishonored to the emperor, having granted them a salvation they did not expect for themselves. 1.6.4 In the following year, Elpidius, having been appointed to the same embassy, was sent out again, and when he came to the Khagan, he requested that an ambassador go with him to the emperor, so that he might rekindle the treaties and that another twenty thousand gold pieces might be additions to the agreements. 1.6.5 The Khagan adopted these words and sent Targitius, a conspicuous man in the Avar tribe, to the Caesar along with Elpidius. Both came to the emperor, and an agreement and compact was made that the Romans should indeed pay down twenty thousand gold pieces in addition to the eighty thousand, or face war for their 1.6.6 neglect. Therefore the agreements seemed in a way to be warmed up again, and the war obtained a truce. But after some short turn of time, the well-being of the peace was corrupted, and the Avar tribe again attacked the Romans, but not openly, but rather more craftily and deceitfully. 1.7.1 For he let loose the nation of the Sclavenes, and a very great part of the Roman land was shorn, and as far as the so-called Long Walls, darting as it were, they suddenly attacked and wrought great slaughter at first sight. 1.7.2 Wherefore the emperor, in fear, garrisoned the Long Walls and led the multitudes of his troops out of the city, contriving as it were a most considerable 1.7.3 impromptu defense around the city. Then, yes then, Comentiolus was entrusted with a not ungraceful command of a brigade and, attacking in Thrace, he drove off the multitudes of the Sclavenes, and he came to the Erginia, a river so-called, and having unexpectedly come upon the Sclavenes

γέγονε καὶ μετανάστην ἐνηγκαλίσατο καὶ ξένον καὶ ἔπηλυν εἰσῳκίσατο, ὅτε τῆς ἕω τοῦ τε ἀρχεγόνου φύλου ὁ σὸς ἀποδασμὸς ἀπερρωγὼς διε1.5.12 σχίζετο. μὴ τὸν καλὸν τῆς φιλοξενίας διαλύσῃς θεσμόν, καὶ κατείπωσι φιλανθρωπίας οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ διδάξῃς τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὡς αἰτίαν κακῶν βδελύττεσθαι τὴν εὐσέβειαν. εἰ δὲ καὶ χρημάτων ἐρᾷς, ἤδη σοι τοῦτο παρὰ ῾Ρωμαίοις διήνυσται· φιλότιμον γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ θησαυρὸς αὐτῷ τὸ μεγαλο1.5.13 πρεπὲς καὶ φιλόδωρον. ἔστι δέ σοι καὶ γῆ εὐρεῖά τε καὶ πολλῷ τῷ μήκει τὴν ἐπίδοσιν ἔχουσα, ὡς μήτε στενοχωρεῖσθαί ποτε τοὺς οἰκήτορας μήτε θρύψεως ἀπορεῖν τοὺς ἐπι1.5.14 βαίνοντας. ἐπάνηκε τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὴν σαυτοῦ, ἣν καὶ σοὶ ῾Ρωμαῖοι πεφιλοτίμηνται, καὶ περαιτέρω τῶν σῶν ὅρων τὴν 1.5.15 σὴν μὴ μετοχέτευε δύναμιν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀδικήσουσιν ἄνεμοι, εἰ καὶ ῥαγδαίως ἐπιφοιτήσωσιν, δένδρον εὐσθενὲς καὶ μετάρσιον, ᾧπερ ἡ κόμη πολλὴ στερρόν τε τὸ πρέμνον ἔμβιοί τε αἱ ῥίζαι ἀμφιλαφές τε τὸ σκίασμα, ὅπερ διατρέφουσιν ὧραι καὶ ὕδωρ, ἢ τοῖς ὀχετοῖς κατάρδον, ἢ τοῖς ὑετοῖς οὐρανόθεν 1.5.16 περιλιμνάζον τε καὶ πιαῖνον. οἱ δὲ καὶ ἀκόλαστον πόδα περαιτέρω τῶν οἰκείων ἐκτείνοντες μετά τινος ἐνδίκου ποινῆς ὀψέ ποτε φιλοσοφήσουσιν, τὴν αἰσχύνην ἀνιαροτέραν τῶν παθημάτων φέρειν οὐκ ἔχοντες." 1.6.1 ᾿Επεὶ δ' ὁ μέγας οὗτος διεπερατοῦτο τοῖς ῥήμασιν ἔλεγχος, ἀνάζεσις αἵματος μέγαν τῷ Χαγάνῳ θυμὸν ἐπεκύμαινεν, τό τε πρόσωπον ἅπαν ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς ἐφοινίσσετο, τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑποκροκαινομένων τῇ φλογὶ τῆς ἀνίας δι' ὅλου τε τοῦ σχήματος ὑποδηλούντων ὅτι μὴ τῶν πρέσβεων φείσεται· τῶν τε ὀφρύων ἐς μέγα ἐξανισταμένων καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν τῶν μετώπων ἀπειλουσῶν ὑπερίπτασθαι, μέγιστος ἀπῃώ1.6.2 ρητο τῷ Κομεντιόλῳ ἐκ τῆς διαλέξεως κίνδυνος· τὴν γὰρ τῶν πρέσβεων ὁ βάρβαρος διαφθείρας αἰδῶ δεσμοῖς τὸν Κομεντίολον ἠτίμωσεν, ἐνέρσει τε ξύλων ποδοκάκῃ τοὺς πόδας ὑπέθλιβεν, τό τε σκηνοπήγιον διέρρηξε τὸ τοῦ πρέσβεως, κἀντεῦθεν ἐπιχωρίῳ νόμῳ τινὶ ζημία θάνατος ἦν ἀπειλού1.6.3 μενος. τῇ δ' ὑστεραίᾳ τὰ τοῦ θυμοῦ κατηυνάζετο, λόγοις τε πιθανοῖς παρηγοροῦντο οἱ τῶν ᾿Αβάρων δυνατώτατοι τὸν ἡγεμόνα ὑποπείθοντες ὅπως μὴ δογματίσοι κατὰ Κομεντιόλου τὸν θάνατον, καὶ πείθουσι μέχρι τῶν δεσμῶν ἀποχρήσειν ἀδικεῖσθαι τοὺς πρέσβεις. ἐπινεύσας γοῦν ὁ Χαγάνος ἠτιμωμένους ἐς βασιλέα ἐξέπεμπε σωτηρίαν οὐ προσδόκιμόν σφισιν αὐτοῖς δωρησάμενος. 1.6.4 Τοῦ δ' ἐπιόντος ἔτους πάλιν ὁ ᾿Ελπίδιος ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτῇ πρεσβείᾳ χειροτονηθεὶς ἀποστέλλεται, καὶ ὡς τὸν Χαγάνον γενόμενος ἐξῄτει πρεσβευτὴν ἅμα αὐτῷ ἐς βασιλέα γενέσθαι, ὅπως ἀναζωπυρώσειε τὰς σπονδὰς καὶ εἴκοσιν ἑτέρων χιλιάδες 1.6.5 χρυσῶν ταῖς συνθήκαις εἴησαν ἐπαυξήματα. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τοὺς λόγους εἰσεποιήσατο Ταργίτιόν τε, τῷ τῶν ᾿Αβάρων φύλῳ ἄνδρα περίβλεπτον, ὡς τὸν Καίσαρα σὺν ᾿Ελπιδίῳ παρέπεμπεν. ἧκον δ' ἄμφω ἐς βασιλέα, ῥήτρα τε καὶ ὁμολογία ἐγίνετο ἦ μὴν εἴκοσι χιλιάδας πρὸς ταῖς ὀγδοήκοντα καταθεῖναι ῾Ρωμαίους χρυσῶν, ἢ πόλεμον ἀντιλαμβάνειν παρα1.6.6 μελήσαντας. τοιγάρτοι αἱ συνθῆκαι δοκοῦσί πως ἀναθάλπεσθαι, καὶ ὁ πόλεμος ἐκεχειρίαν ἐλάμβανεν. μετά τινα δὲ βραχεῖαν χρόνου ῥοπὴν ἡ τῆς εἰρήνης εὐεξία νοθεύεται, καὶ πάλιν ῾Ρωμαίοις τὸ τῶν ᾿Αβάρων ἐπιτίθεται φῦλον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀναφανδόν, ῥαδιουργικώτερον δέ πως καὶ δολερώτερον. 1.7.1 τὸ γὰρ τῶν Σκλαυηνῶν ἔθνος ἐπαφίησιν, καὶ πλεῖστα τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων γῆς ἀποκείρεται, καὶ τῶν Μακρῶν μέχρι καλουμένων τειχῶν, οἷα διάττοντες, ἀθρόον προσβαλόντες ταῖς 1.7.2 ὄψεσι πολὺν ἀπεργάζονται φόνον. διὸ καὶ δεδιὼς βασιλεὺς τὰ Μακρὰ διεφρούρησε τείχη καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτὸν τῶν στρατευμάτων πληθῦς ἀπεξῆγε τῆς πόλεως, ὥσπερ ἀξιολογώτατον 1.7.3 ἔρυμα περὶ τὸ ἄστυ αὐτοσχέδιον μηχανώμενος. τότε δή, τότε Κομεντίολος οὐκ ἄκομψον ταξιαρχίαν πιστεύεται κατά τε τὴν Θρᾴκην ἐπιὼν ἀπελαύνει τῶν Σκλαυηνῶν τὰ πλήθη, ἀφικνεῖται δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ᾿Εργινίαν, οὕτω καλούμενον ποταμόν, καὶ ἀδοκήτως ἐπιστὰς τοῖς Σκλαυηνοῖς