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What and how many grievous misfortunes have coincided? all the leaders of the peoples were utterly taken captive and led away to Syria, with whom were both patricians and those in various offices, and they themselves endured the same misfortune; but some of them were an attempt of the cut of the sword and a fall worthy of lamentations. 3.12 But why does my purpose command me to make a tragedy of the city's affairs, as if I were some other Jeremiah, Baruch, or Zechariah for the affairs of Jerusalem? so that the calamity may not be magnified exceedingly. And concerning them, the emperor again sent ambassadors to the amermoumnes, to give back to him all the captives of the city, of whom he refused to strip the city, although many advised it, and especially his sub-generals who were related to him by birth, in whom he had placed his confidence, and those who had come to his alliance, and indeed the magnates for his service, negotiating the ransom for two hundred centenaria with one hundred nomismata; but he did not persuade him, who said he had spent a little less than a thousand centenaria on account of the assembled people as their share of the expedition. 3.13 It is also said by some in this way, that after Theophilos had campaigned with the Persians and achieved the victory against the Hagarenes, and again had gone out with the Persians and sacked Sozopetra, the city that had given birth to the amermoumnes, it happened that the latter was enraged by this. Therefore, having collected a diverse army from Egypt and Palestine, and towards Tarsus of Cilicia, which was named for the fall of Bellerophon who went there and suffered in his ankle; or Tersos from Mount Taurus formerly being called Tersia, because it was the first to become dry when the earth was flooded by a deluge; for *tersai* is said to mean to be dried up. And this place is hard to enter, as the Taurus is visible and it is enclosed by its hills, and through its middle the Cydnus river flows, making the country fertile. And indeed, it had been founded by Erichthonius, but was seized by Orsanus, one of the Titans, and received a re-foundation. There was once an island in the river Cydnus, which, being washed around by it, has come to its present position. Then, it was blessed with repairs and a greater settlement by Semiramis, and they say that an image of her was dedicated there to Heracles, standing beside Ninus her husband; and after this, having fallen into ruin through population shifts, it was rebuilt from its foundations by Sardanapalus, along with Anchiale, on which is inscribed: 'The king of Nineveh, son of Anakyndaraxes, in one day built both Tarsus and Anchiale.' But the amermoumnes sent his own son out ahead towards the east with the easternmost of the brave Turks, and those neighboring them, up to 10,000, with the entire army from the Armenians, both of the Vaspurakanites, and of the prince of princes himself, and Amer then governing Melitene, who gathered and encamped at Dazimon. For thus his subordinates made a plan for the amermoumnes: that his son should go forth with a suitable force; and if he should be victorious, it will be a victory for you also; but if the opposite, at least safety. 3.14 Theophilos, having heard these things, gathered an army from both those <ἐξ> assembled from the east and west and from the Persians; Manuel had recently come out from Syria and was then claiming command of the Schools, the generalship he held before his flight; So as the army was advancing near Anzen, a place so called, the emperor chose to view the enemy's army; whom Manuel led up to one of the higher places, he saw by conjecture that the Saracen army was smaller than that of the Romans. Manuel agreed with this conjecture, but nevertheless he said to him in opposition: 'O master, consider the thicket of spears on both sides, from which you will know which is stronger.' Therefore, Theophilos and the magnates around him having taken counsel, Manuel and Theophobos proposed to engage in war by night, but others by day;

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οἷα καὶ ὅσα συγκεκύρηκεν ἀνιαρὰ δυστυχήματα; πάντες ἀρχηγοὶ λαῶν ἄρδην αἰχμάλωτοι πρὸς Συρίαν ἀπήγοντο, μεθ' ὧν πατρίκιοί τε καὶ οἱ διαφόροις ἐν ἀξιώμασι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν ἴσην δυστυχίαν διεκαρτέρουν· τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῆς διὰ ξιφῶν τομῆς ὑπῆρξαν ἐγχείρημα καὶ πτῶμα θρήνων ἐπάξιον. 3.12 Ἀλλὰ τί τὰ τῆς πόλεώς μοι ἐκτραγῳδεῖν, ὡς ἄλλῳ τινὶ Ἱερεμίᾳ καὶ Βαροὺχ καὶ Ζαχαρίᾳ τὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἡ προαίρεσις ἐγκελεύεται; ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἡ συμφορὰ μεγεθύνηται. καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν αὗθις ἀφίησι πρέσβεις ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ἀμεραμνουνῆ, ἀναδοῦναι πάντας αὐτῷ αἰχμαλώτους τῆς πόλεως, ὧν ἀπογυμνῶσαι αὐτὴν πολλῶν βουλευομένων ἠπείθησεν, καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς πρὸς γένος αὐτῷ πλησιάζοντας ὑποστρατήγους αὐτοῦ, οἷς ἐπωχύρωτο, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ συμμαχίαν προσπεφοιτηκότας, καὶ μὴν τοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν θεραπείαν αὐτοῦ μεγιστᾶνας, ἐπὶ κεντηναρίοις διακοσίοις σὺν μιᾷ ἑκατοντάδι νομισμάτων πραγματευόμενος τὴν ἀνάρρυσιν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔπεισεν εἰπόντα κεντηνάρια χίλια παρὰ μικρὸν λόγῳ τοῦ συνειλεγμένου λαοῦ ἐν ἐξόδου μοίρᾳ καταναλῶσαι. 3.13 Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὧδέ πως παρά τισιν, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ ἐκστρατεῦσαι Θεόφιλον σὺν Πέρσαις καὶ τὴν κατ' Ἀγαρηνῶν νίκην ἐργάσασθαι καὶ αὖθις ἐξιέναι μετὰ Περσῶν καὶ Σωζόπετραν πόλιν τὴν μαιευσαμένην τὸν ἀμεραμνουνῆ ἐκπορθῆσαι, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν κεχολῶσθαι τοῦτον συμβέβηκεν. διὸ στρατιὰν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ Παλαιστίνης συλλεξάμενος διάφορον, καὶ πρὸς τὸ Ταρσοῦ τῆς Κίλικος, ἥτις ὠνόμασται τῇ πτώσει Βελλεροφόντου ἐκεῖσε φοιτήσαντος καὶ κατὰ τὸν ταρσὸν πεπονθότος· ἢ Τερσὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ταῦρον τὸ ὄρος Τερσίαν κεκλῆσθαι τὸ πρίν, διὰ τὸ πρῶτον ἀνικμωθῆναι αὐτὸ κατακλυσμῷ ἐξυδατωθείσης γῆς· τέρσαι γὰρ τὸ ἀναξηράνθαι λέγεται. ὑπάρχει δὲ αὕτη παράδυτος, τῷ ἐμφανῆ εἶναι τὸν Ταῦρον καὶ τούτου τοῖς γηλόφοις εἴργεσθαι, ταύτης δὲ διὰ μέσου Κύδνον τὸν ποταμὸν ὁδεύοντα εὔφορον χρηματίζειν τὴν χώραν. καὶ μὴν ὑπὸ Ἐριχθονίου κτίσεως ἐτετεύχει, κατεσχέθη δὲ παρὰ Ὀρσάνου ἑνὸς τῶν Τιτάνων καὶ ἐπικτίσεως εἴληχεν. ἦν δὲ πάλαι Κύδνῳ τῷ ποταμῷ νῆσος, ἥτις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ περικλυζομένη εἰς τὴν νῦν θέσιν ἐλήλυθεν. εἶτα παρὰ Σεμιράμεως ἐπισκευῆς καὶ οἰκισμοῦ μείζονος εὐτύχησεν, αὐτῆς τε εἰκόνα ἐκεῖσέ φασιν ἀφωσιῶσθαι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ, παρισταμένην Νίνῳ τῷ ταύτης ἀνδρί· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐρειπωθεῖσα ταῖς μετοικήσεσιν παρὰ Σαρδαναπάλου ἐκ βάθρων σὺν Ἀγχιάλῃ ἀνέκτισται, ἐφ' αἷς ἐπιγέγραπται· Νινευὴς βασιλεὺς, Ἀνακυνδαράξου παῖς, ἐν μιῇ ἡμέρᾳ Ταρσόν τε καὶ Ἀγχιάλην ἔδειμεν. τὸν δὲ ἴδιον υἱὸν ὁ ἀμεραμνουνῆ προεξέπεμψεν κατὰ τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν σὺν τοῖς ἀνατολικωτάτοις τῶν ἀνδρικῶν Τούρκων, καὶ αὐτοῖς γειτνιάζουσιν, ἄχρι χιλιάδων ιʹ, μετὰ πάσης τῆς ἐξ Ἀρμενίων στρατιᾶς, τοῦ τε Βεσπαρακανίτου, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῶν ἀρχόντων, καὶ Ἄμερ τηνικαῦτα τὴν Μελιτηνὴν διέποντος, οἳ κατὰ τὸν ∆αζυμῶνα συνήχθησαν στρατοπεδευσάμενοι. οὕτως γὰρ τοῦ ἀμεραμνουνῆ οἱ ὑπὸ χεῖρα βουλὴν συντιθέασιν, τὸν μὲν αὐτοῦ υἱὸν μετὰ προσηκούσης προεξιέναι δυνάμεως· καὶ εἰ μὲν οὗτος νικήσειεν, ἔσται καὶ σοὶ νικητήριον· εἰ δέ γε τὸ ἐναντίον, κἂν τὸ σωτήριον. 3.14 Ταῦτα Θεόφιλος διακηκοὼς ἔκ τε τῶν <ἐξ> ἀνατολῆς ἀγηγερμένων καὶ δύσεως καὶ Περσῶν ἐπαγείρει στρατόπεδον· ἦν δὲ ἀπὸ Συρίας ὁ Μανουὴλ νεωστὶ ἐξεληλυθὼς καὶ τῆς πρὸ τῆς φυγῆς στρατηγήσεως τότε τῶν σχολῶν προστασίας μεταποιούμενος· προϊόντος οὖν τοῦ στρατοπέδου κατὰ τὸν Ἀνζῆν, οὕτω χωρίον καλούμενον, προῃρέθη ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ τῶν ἐναντίων θεάσασθαι στράτευμα· ὃν κατά τινα τῶν ὑπερκειμένων τόπων τοῦ Μανουὴλ προβιβάσαντος, στοχαστικῶς κατεῖδεν στρατὸν τὸν Σαρακηνικὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐλάττονα. πρὸς ὃν στοχασμὸν συντίθεται Μανουήλ, ἀλλ' ὅμως αὐτῷ ἀντειρήκει· ὦ δέσποτα, τὸν ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν ἐκ δοράτων καλαμῶνα στοχάσθητι, ἐξ οὗ γνώσῃ τὸ καρτερώτερον. συμβεβουλευκότες οὖν ὅ τε Θεόφιλος καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν μεγιστᾶνες, ὁ μὲν Μανουὴλ καὶ ὁ Θεόφοβος ὑπετίθοντο συνιστᾶν ἐν νυκτὶ πόλεμον, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν δὲ ἕτεροι·