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inhabiting the cities, have become independent, subject neither to the emperor of the Romans, nor to any other. But after some time, during the reign of Basil, the celebrated and ever-memorable emperor, when Saracens had come from Africa, both the Soldanus and Saba and Kalfus, with 30 ships, they seized in Dalmatia, and sacked the city of Boutoba and the city of Rossa and the lower city of Dekatera. And they came also to the city of Raousion, and laid siege to it for fifteen months. Then, being hard pressed, the Raousaioi sent word to Basil, the ever-memorable emperor of the Romans, saying to him thus: "Have mercy on us, and do not allow us to be destroyed by the deniers of Christ." But the emperor, moved with compassion, sent the patrikios Niketas, droungarios of the fleet, whose surname was Ooryphas, with one hundred chelandia. But the Saracens, having learned of the arrival with the fleet of the patrikios droungarios of the fleet, fled, leaving the city of Raousion, and crossed over to Langobardia, and having besieged the city of Baris, they sacked it. Then the Soldanus, having built palaces there, held all of Langobardia as far as Rome for forty years. The emperor, therefore, for this reason sent to both Lodoichos, the king of Frankia, and the pope of Rome, so that they might give joint assistance to the army sent by the emperor. And they, yielding to the emperor's request, both the king and the pope, both came with a great force, and having united with the army sent by the emperor along with the Croat and Serb and Zachlumian and Terbounian and Kanalite and Raousaioi with all the cities from Dalmatia (for all these were present by imperial command), and having crossed into Langobardia, they besieged the city of Baris and sacked it. It must be known that the inhabitants of the city of Raousion transported the Croats and the other Sklavarchontes across to Langobardia with their own ships. And the city of Baris and the country and all the captives the emperor of the Romans took, but the Soldanus and the other Saracens Lodoichos, the king of Frankia, took, and led them away to the city of Capua and to the city of Benebendum. And no one saw him laughing. And the king said that: "If anyone truly reports to me or points out the Soldanus laughing, I will give him much money." And after this, someone saw him laughing, and reported it to king Lodoichos. And he, having summoned the Soldanus, asked him in what manner he had laughed. And he said: "I saw a wagon and the wheels on it turning, and for this reason I laughed, because I too was once at the head, and now I am beneath all, and again God is able to exalt me." And from that time Lodoichos would invite him to his table, and would eat with him. But the archons of Capua and Benebendum would come to the Soldanus asking him about cures and treatment of horses and other matters, as an old and experienced man. But the Soldanus, being crafty and crooked, said to them that: "I wish to say a thing to you, and I am afraid lest it be revealed by you to the king, and I lose my own life." But they swore an oath to him, and taking courage he said to them that: "The king wishes to exile all of you to great Frankia, and if you disbelieve, wait a little, and I will convince you." And having gone away, he said to Lodoichos that: "The archons of this place are wicked, and you are not able to rule this land unless you destroy the powerful men who oppose you. But bind the chief men of the city, and send them to your own country, and then, as you wish, the rest will be subject to you." And when he had persuaded him, so that he would fulfill his counsel, and he had ordered iron chains to be made for exiling them, the Soldanus went away and said to the archons that: "Do you still not believe that the king is making you exiles, and completely ex

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κάστρα οἰκοῦντες γεγόνασιν αὐτοκέφαλοι, μήτε τῷ βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων, μήτε ἄλλῳ τινὶ ὑποκείμενοι. Μετὰ δὲ χρόνον τινὰ ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Βασιλείου, τοῦ ἀοιδίμου καὶ ἀειμνήστου βασιλέως, ἐλθόντων Σαρακηνῶν ἀπὸ Ἀφρικῆς, τοῦ τε Σολδανοῦ καὶ τοῦ Σάβα καὶ τοῦ Καλφοῦς, μετὰ καραβίων λʹ, κατέλαβον ἐν ∆ελματίᾳ, καὶ ἐπόρθησαν τὸ κάστρον τὰ Βούτοβα καὶ τὸ κάστρον τὴν Ῥῶσσαν καὶ τὸ κάστρον τὰ ∆εκάτερα, τὸ κάτω. Καὶ ἦλθον καὶ εἰς τὸ κάστρον Ῥαουσίου, καὶ παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ μῆνας δεκαπέντε. Τότε βιασθέντες οἱ Ῥαουσαῖοι ἐδηλοποίησαν Βασιλείῳ, τῷ ἀειμνήστῳ βασιλεῖ Ῥωμαίων, λέγοντες αὐτῷ οὕτως· "Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, καὶ μὴ ἐάσῃς ἀπολέσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἀρνητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ." Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἀπέστειλεν τὸν πατρίκιον Νικήτα, δρουγγάριον τοῦ πλωΐμου, οὗ τὸ ἐπίκλην Ὠορύφας, μετὰ χελανδίων ἑκατόν. Οἱ δὲ Σαρακηνοὶ μαθόντες τὴν μετὰ τοῦ στόλου ἄφιξιν τοῦ πατρικίου δρουγγα ρίου τοῦ πλωΐμου, ἔφυγον καταλιπόντες τὸ κάστρον Ῥαουσίου, καὶ ἀντεπέρασαν ἐν Λαγουβαρδίᾳ, καὶ πολιορκήσαντες τὸ κάστρον Βάρεως, τοῦτο ἐπόρθησαν. Τότε ὁ Σολδανὸς κτίσας ἐκεῖσε παλάτια, κατεκράτησεν τὴν πᾶσαν Λαγουβαρδίαν μέχρι Ῥώμης ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα. Ὁ οὖν βασιλεὺς διὰ τὴν αἰτίαν ταύτην ἀπέστειλεν πρός τε τὸν Λοδόϊχον, τὸν ῥῆγα Φραγγίας καὶ τὸν πάπα Ῥώμης, ἵνα συνεπαμύνηται τῷ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποσταλέντι στρατῷ. Οἱ δὲ ὑπείξαντες τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως αἰτήσει, ὅ τε ῥὴξ καὶ ὁ πάπας, ἦλθον ἀμφότεροι μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς, καὶ ἑνωθέντες τῷ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποσταλέντι στρατῷ ἅμα τῷ Χρωβάτῳ καὶ Σέρβλῳ καὶ Ζαχλούμῳ καὶ Τερβουνιώταις καὶ Καναλίταις καὶ Ῥαουσαίοις μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ∆ελματίας κάστρων (οὗτοι γὰρ πάντες βασιλικῇ κελεύσει παρῆσαν), καὶ περασάντων ἐν Λαγουβαρδίᾳ, παρεκάθισαν τὸ κάστρον Βάρεως καὶ ἐπόρθησαν αὐτό. Ἰστέον, ὅτι τοὺς Χρωβάτους καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς Σκλαβάρχοντας οἱ τοῦ κάστρου Ῥαουσίου οἰκήτορες μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων αὐτῶν καραβίων διεπέρασαν ἐν Λαγουβαρδίᾳ. Καὶ τὸ μὲν κάστρον Βάρεως καὶ τὴν χώραν καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν πᾶσαν ἀνελάβετο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ῥωμαίων, τὸν δὲ Σολδανὸν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς Σαρακηνοὺς ἀνελάβετο Λοδόϊχος, ὁ ῥὴξ Φραγγίας, καὶ ἀπήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ κάστρῳ Καπύης καὶ ἐν τῷ κάστρῳ Βενεβενδοῦ. Καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτὸν εἶδεν γελῶντα. Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ ῥήξ, ὅτι· "Εἴ τίς μοι τὸν Σολδανὸν μετὰ ἀληθείας ἀναγγείλῃ ἢ ὑποδείξῃ γελῶντα, δώσω αὐτῷ χρήματα πολλά." Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο εἶδέν τις αὐτὸν γελῶντα, καὶ τῷ ῥηγὶ Λοδοΐχῳ ἀπήγγειλεν. Ὁ δὲ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν Σολδανὸν ἠρώτησεν αὐτόν, ποίῳ τρόπῳ ἐγέλασεν. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· "Ἅμαξαν εἶδον καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ τροχοὺς κυλιομένους, καὶ τούτου χάριν ἐγέλασα, ὅτι καὶ ἐγώ ποτε κεφαλὴ ἐγενόμην, καὶ ἀρτίως εἰμὶ ὑποκάτω πάντων, καὶ πάλιν δύναται ὁ Θεὸς ὑψῶσαί με." Καὶ ἀπὸ τότε προσεκαλεῖτο αὐτὸν ὁ Λοδόϊχος εἰς τὴν τράπεζαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνήσθιεν αὐτῷ. Οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες τῆς Καπύης καὶ Βενεβενδοῦ ἤρχοντο πρὸς τὸν Σολδανὸν ἐρωτῶντες αὐτὸν περὶ ἰατρειῶν καὶ θεραπείας ἀλόγων καὶ λοιπῶν ὑποθέσεων, ὡς γέροντα καὶ πεπειραμένον. Ὁ δὲ Σολδανὸς πανοῦργος ὢν καὶ σκολιὸς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, ὅτι· "Πρᾶγμα θέλω εἰπεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ δέδοικα τοῦ μὴ παρ' ὑμῶν κατάδηλον γενέσθαι πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα, καὶ ἀπολέσω τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ζωήν." Οἱ δὲ ὤμοσαν αὐτῷ, καὶ θαρρήσας εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, ὅτι· "Ὁ ῥὴξ ἐξορίσαι θέλει πάντας ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ Φραγγίᾳ, καὶ ἐὰν ἀπιστῆτε, ἐκδέξασθε μικρόν, κἀγὼ πληροφορῶ ὑμᾶς." Καὶ ἀπελθὼν εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν Λοδόϊχον, ὅτι· "Οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῦ τόπου τούτου κακοί εἰσιν, καὶ σὺ οὐ δύνασαι κυριεῦσαι τὴν χώραν ταύτην, ἐὰν μὴ ἀφανίσῃς τοὺς δυνατούς, τοὺς ἀντιπίπτοντάς σε· ἀλλὰ δέσμευσον τοὺς πρώτους τοῦ κάστρου, καὶ ἀπόστειλον αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν χώραν σου, καὶ τότε, ὡς θέλεις, οἱ λοιποὶ ὑποταγήσονταί σοι." Καὶ ὅτε παρέπεισεν αὐτόν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὥρισεν γενέσθαι ἁλύσεις σιδηρᾶς εἰς τὸ ἐξορίσαι αὐτούς, ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Σολδανὸς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ὅτι· "Ἀκμὴν οὐ πιστεύετε, ὅτι ὁ ῥὴξ ἐξορίστους ὑμᾶς ποιεῖ, καὶ παντελῶς ἐξ