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to consider how they might bring their plan to completion, they were deprived of life; 26.5 For they had only just set foot on the steps, when stones, released against them like a dense hailstorm, delivered them over at once to the sea and to destruction. 26.6 At this, all the ships sailed backwards, not having the courage for the time being to attempt any other such thing; but only with volleys of arrows, which overshadowed the very air, they shot from a distance, while they themselves were no less shot at both by arrows sent accurately and missing few, and by the discharges from the stone-throwers, the mere whistling of which as they passed through the air worked the barbarians into a frenzy. 27.1 For by now the aforementioned Niketas, who had been sent by the emperor, was running along the whole wall, encouraging the people, 27.2 saying, “Men of Thessaloniki, before this I had other opinions of you, and I would not have judged you to be so noble and so bold in the work of war, having neither experienced nor accomplished any such thing in the past; but now the crisis of the affair has provided hopes concerning you that are not ignoble. 27.3 For I see you all vigorous in body and manly in spirit and wholly engaged in the matters at hand, mocking your adversaries and bravely turning aside their engines. And you do nothing unseemly; 27.4 for the struggle is for yourselves, honorable men both in appearance and in the excellences of your souls, and for the rest of the city, whose renown is rivaled by nothing of note. 27.5 For if you prove superior to the danger here, praise from all is owed to you; but if you suffer any of the undesirable things with which the barbarians have threatened you, there is nowhere to liken the calamity or the magnitude of the shame. 27.6 For this reason, stand nobly, securing victory for both your fatherland and yourselves, and do not turn your backs to the hands of the enemy, nor leave a strange new tale for posterity, having exchanged so great a danger for a little indolence.” 27.7 With these exhortations anointing the people and instilling no little courage in the souls of all, he made his circuit. 27.8 And the general, as if having forgotten his own suffering, although it was severe from the fall we mentioned before, and provided a pain greater than his strength, mounting a mule, not astride but sideways and as the pains of his crushed limbs allowed, he too went around, stationing the more eager of the soldiers at certain necessary places on the wall, so that their conduct might perhaps incite their neighbors to imitation as they prepared for war. 28.1 The barbarians, having attacked together not just once but many times throughout that entire day, and having been beaten back more than before, at a single signal abandoned the sea-battle and withdrew with their ships, and moored at a certain shore to the east of the city. 28.2 Then, disembarking from their ships, they again used their arrows against those who had been assigned their station there on the high wall, where a certain gate extends, called the Gate of Rome, neighboring the sea. 28.3 There, having fought until deep night, and as if worn out by the struggle, they kept quiet with their ships, perhaps considering how they might attack us the next day, and preparing other devices. 28.4 But now that we had been given a little respite from the war, another care again entered our minds: to keep watch on those on the battlements all around the city, and to be suspicious of the barbarians, lest they had secretly laid some nocturnal ambush or trap and, getting inside the wall, should accomplish everything. 28.5 For they are especially clever at these things, and as soon as they have conceived of a plan they proceed to the deed, counting all danger as nothing, and attending to one thing only: to begin what they have planned. 28.6 And even if perhaps the outcome of the matter turns out contrary to how they envisioned, they consider it glorious to have for the time being dared to attempt the impossible.

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σκοπῆσαι πῶς τὴν ἐπίνοιαν συμπεράνωσι, τῆς ζωῆς ἀπελύοντο· 26.5 μόνον γὰρ ὅτι ταῖς βαθμίσι τὰ ἴχνη ἐκίνησαν, καὶ δίκην χαλάζης πυκνῆς οἱ λίθοι κατ' αὐτῶν ἀφεθέντες ὁμοῦ τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ τῷ ὀλέθρῳ τούτους ἐξανεσκεύασαν. 26.6 ἐν τούτοις ὀπισθόρμητοι πᾶσαι χωροῦσιν αἱ νῆες, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου τοιούτου τέως ἐπιχειρεῖν τολμηρῶς ἔχουσαι· μόναις δὲ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν βελῶν νιφάσι, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀέρα συσκιαζούσαις, ἔβαλλον ἀπὸ μηκόθεν, οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ αὐτῶν βαλλομένων τοῖς τε βέλεσι πεμπομένοις εὐστόχως καὶ ὀλίγα διαμαρτάνουσι καὶ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν πετροβόλων καταφοραῖς, ὧν καὶ αὐτὸς μόνος ὁ διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος ἐγγινόμενος ῥοῖζος ἔκστασιν τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐναπειργάζετο. 27.1 Ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ὁ λεχθεὶς Νικήτας, ὁ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως σταλείς, τὸ τεῖχος ἅπαν διέτρεχε τὸν δῆμον παραθαρρύνων, 27.2 «ἄνδρες» λέγων «Θεσσαλονικεῖς, ἄλλας μὲν εἶχον πρὸ τοῦδε περὶ ὑμῶν ὑπολήψεις, καὶ οὐκ ἂν οὕτως γενναίους καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τοῦ πολέμου τολμηροὺς ἔκρινον εἶναι, μηδὲν τοιοῦτον μήτε πειραθέντας πάλαι μήτε κατενεργήσαντας· νυνὶ δὲ τοῦ πράγματος ἡ ἀκμὴ οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς ἔχειν τὰς περὶ ὑμῶν παρέσχεν ἐλπίδας. 27.3 ὁρῶ γὰρ πάντας ὑμᾶς τοῖς τε σώμασι σφριγῶντας καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀνδριζομένους καὶ ὅλους ὄντας τῶν προκειμένων, τῶν ἀντιπάλων κατεγγελῶντας καὶ τὰς μηχανὰς αὐτῶν γενναίως ἐκτρεπομένους. καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς πράττετε· 27.4 περὶ γὰρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ ἀγών, ἀνδρῶν τιμίων καὶ τοῖς εἴδεσι καὶ τοῖς ψυχικοῖς προτερήμασι, καὶ περὶ τῆς λοιπῆς πόλεως, ἧς οὐδὲν ἐρίζει τῶν ἀξιολόγων εἰς περιφάνειαν. 27.5 ὑπεράνω μὲν γὰρ γενομένοις τοῦ τῇδε κινδύνου ὁ παρὰ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ἔπαινος ἐποφείλεται· παθοῦσι δέ τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων, καὶ ὧν οἱ βάρβαροι κατηπείληνται, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπου τὴν συμφορὰν εἰκάζειν ἐστὶν ἢ τῆς αἰσχύνης τὸ μέγεθος. 27.6 διὰ τοῦτο στῆτε γενναίως τῇ τε πατρίδι καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν νίκην περιποιούμενοι, καὶ μὴ δῶτε νῶτα χερσὶ πολεμίων, μηδὲ καινόν τι καταλίποιτε τῷ βίῳ διήγημα, μικρᾶς ῥᾳθυμίας κίνδυνον τοσοῦτον ἀνταλλαξάμενοι.» 27.7 τούτοις τοῖς παρακλητικοῖς ὑπαλείφων τὸν δῆμον καὶ θάρσος οὐκ ὀλίγον ταῖς ἁπάντων ψυχαῖς ἐνιεὶς τὴν περίοδον ἐποιεῖτο. 27.8 ὁ δὲ δὴ στρατηγὸς ὥσπερ τοῦ οἰκείου πάθους ἐκλελησμένος, καίπερ χαλεποῦ τε ὄντος ἐξ οὗ προείπομεν πτώματος, καὶ μείζονα τῆς δυνάμεως τὴν ὀδύνην παρεχομένου, ἡμιόνῳ τινὶ ἐπιβάς, οὐ περιβάδην ἀλλὰ κατὰ πλευρὰν καὶ ὡς αἱ τῶν θλασθέντων μελῶν ἀλγηδόνες ἐπέτρεπον, περιῄει καὶ αὐτός, τοὺς προθυμοτέρους τῶν ταξεωτῶν κατά τινας χρειώδεις τόπους τοῦ τείχους ἐγκαθιστῶν, ὡς ἂν τὸ κατ' αὐτοὺς τυχὸν καὶ τοὺς πλησίον πρὸς μίμησιν ἐρεθίζοντες τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον διατίθενται. 28.1 Οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ οὐχ ἅπαξ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις διὰ πάσης ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας συνεφορμήσαντες, μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον πεπληγμένοι πρὸς τοὐπίσω χωρήσαντες, ὑφ' ἑνὶ συνθήματι τὴν πρὸς καθ' ὕδατα λιπόντες μάχην ὑπανεχώρουν ταῖς ναυσί, καί τινι πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ὄντι τῆς πόλεως αἰγιαλῷ προσωρμίσθησαν. 28.2 εἶτα τῶν νηῶν ἐκβάντες πάλιν τοῖς βέλεσιν ἐχρῶντο κατὰ τῶν ἐκεῖσε λαχόντων τὴν στάσιν ἐν τῷ μετεώρῳ τείχει, ἔνθα καὶ πύλη τις διεξέχει, Ῥώμη καλουμένη, γειτνιάζουσα τῇ θαλάσσῃ. 28.3 οὗ δὴ μέχρι βαθείας νυκτὸς μαχεσάμενοι, καὶ ὥσπερ κεκμηκότες τῇ ἀγωνίᾳ, καθησύχασαν ταῖς ναυσί, τάχα σκεπτόμενοι πῶς ἐπιθῶνται τῇ ἑξῆς ἡμῖν, καὶ πρὸς ἑτέρας μηχανὰς σκευαζόμενοι. 28.4 ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς τοῦ πολέμου μικρὸν ἀνεθέντας ἄλλη πάλιν φροντὶς ἐπεισήρχετο, ἐπαγρυπνεῖν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσι διὰ πάσης κύκλωθεν τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ὑποβλέπεσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους, μή τινα λόχον νυκτερινὸν ἢ ἐνέδραν λάθωσι πεποιηκότες καὶ ἐν τῷ τείχει γενόμενοι τὸ πᾶν ἐξανύσωσιν. 28.5 εἰσὶ γὰρ εὐφυεῖς πρὸς ταῦτα μάλιστα, καὶ ἅμα τῷ διανοηθῆναι πρὸς τὸ ἔργον χωροῦντες, πάντα κίνδυνον εἰς μηδὲν τιθέμενοι, ἑνὶ δὲ μόνῳ προσέχοντες τῷ κατάρξασθαι τοῦ βεβουλευμένου. 28.6 κἂν τάχα καὶ ἐναντίως ἢ ὡς ἐφώρασαν τὸ τέλος ἐκβῇ τοῦ πράγματος, δόξαν ἔχειν ἡγοῦνται τὸ τέως ἀδυνάτοις πειρᾶσθαι τολμηρῶς ἐπιχειρεῖν.