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The castle of Tetrangourin is a small islet in the sea, having a very narrow neck to the land like a little bridge, on which the inhabitants pass into the same castle. It is called Tetrangourin because it is small like a cucumber. And in the same castle is laid the holy martyr Lawrence, the archdeacon. That the castle of Dekatera is interpreted in the dialect of the Romans as "constricted and choked", because the sea enters like a narrow tongue for 15 or even 20 miles, and the castle is at the end-point of the sea. And this castle has high mountains around it, so that one sees the sun only in summer, when it is at its zenith, but in winter, not at all. And in the same castle lies the holy Tryphon intact, healing every sickness, especially those tyrannized by unclean spirits; and his church is domed. That the castle of Diadora is called in the dialect of the Romans "iam era", which is interpreted "it was already"; that is, when Rome was founded, this castle was already built; and the castle is large. But the common usage calls it Diadora. And in the same castle lies in the flesh the holy Anastasia, the virgin, who was the daughter of Eustathius who ruled at that time, and the holy Chrysogonus, monk and martyr, and his holy chain. And the church of the holy Anastasia is a basilica, similar to the church of the Chalke, with green and white columns, all depicted with ancient woodwork; and its floor is of marvelous mosaic work. And there is another domed church near it, the Holy Trinity, and above its church again another church like a catechumenon, also domed, into which one also ascends by a spiral staircase. That there are islands under the dominion of Dalmatia as far as Beneventum, dense and very many, so that ships there never fear the surge. Among these islands is the castle of Vekla, and on another island, Arbe, and on another island, Opsara, and on another island, Lumbricaton, which are inhabited to this day. But the rest are uninhabited, having deserted castles, whose names are thus: Katau-trebeno, Pizuch, Selbo, Skerda, Aloep, Skerdakissa, Pyrotima, Meleta, Estiunez and very many others, whose names are not understood. But the remaining castles, which are on the mainland of the theme and were seized by the said Slavs, stand uninhabited and deserted, with no one living in them. 30 Account of the theme of Dalmatia. If knowledge is a fine thing for all, then we too, by apprehending the knowledge of affairs, are not far from this. Wherefore we make clear to all those after us on the one hand the explanation of these things, on the other, of certain other noteworthy matters, so that a twofold benefit may ensue. Therefore, for those seeking to know about the taking of Dalmatia, how it was taken by the Slavic nations, it is possible to learn from this, but first its position must be described. Of old, then, Dalmatia had its beginning from the borders of Dyrrachium, that is from Antibari, and it extended as far as the mountains of Istria, and widened as far as the river Danube. And all this territory was under the rule of the Romans, and this theme happened to be more glorious than the other western themes, but it was taken by the Slavic nations in the following manner. There is a castle near Aspalathos, which is called Salona, the work of the emperor Diocletian, but Aspalathos itself was also built by Diocletian, and his palaces happened to be there, but in Salona dwelt his nobles and many of the populace. And this castle was the head of all Dalmatia. Therefore, every year mounted soldiers were mustered from the other castles of Dalmatia, and were sent out from Salona, up to one thousand, and they kept guard on the river Danube on account of the Avars. For the Avars had their haunts on the other side of the river Danube, where now are

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κάστρον τὸ Τετραγγούριν νησίον ἐστὶν μικρὸν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἔχον καὶ τράχηλον ἕως τῆς γῆς στενώτατον δίκην γεφυρίου, ἐν ᾧ διέρχονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ κάστρον. Τετραγγούριν δὲ καλεῖται διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸ μικρὸν δίκην ἀγγουρίου. Ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ κάστρῳ ἀπόκειται ὁ ἅγιος μάρτυς Λαυρέντιος, ὁ ἀρχιδιάκων. Ὅτι τὸ κάστρον τῶν ∆εκατέρων ἑρμηνεύεται τῇ Ῥωμαίων διαλέκτῳ "ἐστενωμένον καὶ πεπνιγμένον", διότι εἰσέρχεται ἡ θάλασσα ὥσπερ γλῶσσα ἐστενωμένη μέχρι τῶν ιεʹ ἢ καὶ κʹ μιλίων, καὶ εἰς τὸ τῆς θαλάσσης συμπλήρωμά ἐστιν τὸ κάστρον. Ἔχει δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον κάστρον κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ὄρη ὑψηλά, ὥστε μόνῳ τῷ καλοκαιρίῳ βλέπειν τὸν ἥλιον διὰ τὸ μεσουρανεῖν, τῷ δὲ χειμῶνι οὐδαμῶς. Ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ κάστρῳ κεῖται ὁ ἅγιος Τρύφων ἀκέραιος πᾶσαν νόσον ἰώμενος, μάλιστα τοὺς ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων τυραννουμένους· ὁ δὲ ναὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν εἰληματικός. Ὅτι τὸ κάστρον τῶν ∆ιαδώρων καλεῖται τῇ Ῥωμαίων διαλέκτῳ "ἰὰμ ἔρα", ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται "ἀπάρτι ἦτον"· δηλονότι ὅτε ἡ Ῥώμη ἐκτίσθη, προεκτισμένον ἦν τὸ τοιοῦτον κάστρον· ἔστιν δὲ τὸ κάστρον μέγα. Ἡ δὲ κοινὴ συνήθεια καλεῖ αὐτὸ ∆ιάδωρα. Ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ κάστρῳ κεῖται ἐν σαρκὶ ἡ ἁγία Ἀναστασία, ἡ παρθένος, θυγάτηρ γεγονυῖα Εὐσταθίου τοῦ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον βασιλεύσαντος, καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Χρυσόγονος μοναχὸς καὶ μάρτυς καὶ ἡ ἁγία ἅλυσις αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ναὸς τῆς ἁγίας Ἀναστασίας ἐστὶν δρομικός, ὅμοιος τῷ τῶν Χαλκοπρατείων ναῷ, μετὰ κιόνων πρασίνων καὶ λευκῶν, ὅλος εἰκονισμένος ἐξ ὑλογραφίας ἀρχαίας· ὁ δὲ πάτος αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἀπὸ συγκοπῆς θαυμαστῆς. Ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἕτερος ναὸς πλησίον αὐτοῦ εἰληματικός, ἡ Ἁγία Τριάς, καὶ ἐπάνω τοῦ ναοῦ αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἕτερος ναὸς δίκην κατηχουμένων, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰληματικός, εἰς ὃν καὶ ἀνέρχονται διὰ κοχλίου. Ὅτι εἰσὶν νησία ὑπὸ τὴν ἐπικράτειαν τῆς ∆ελματίας μέχρι Βενεβενδοῦ πυκνὰ καὶ πάμπολλα, ὥστε μηδέποτε φοβεῖσθαι ἐκεῖσε κλύδωνα τὰ πλοῖα. Ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν νησίων ἐστὶν τὸ κάστρον ἡ Βέκλα, καὶ εἰς ἕτερον νησίον ἡ Ἄρβη, καὶ εἰς ἕτερον νησίον τὰ Ὄψαρα, καὶ εἰς ἕτερον νησίον τὸ Λουμβρικάτον, ἅτινα κατοικοῦνται μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Τὰ δὲ λοιπά εἰσιν ἀοίκητα, ἔχοντα ἐρημόκαστρα, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματά εἰσιν οὕτως· Καταυτρεβενώ, Πιζούχ, Σελβώ, Σκερδά, Ἀλωήπ, Σκηρδάκισσα, Πυρότιμα, Μελετᾶ, Ἐστιουνὴζ καὶ ἕτερα πάμπολλα, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα οὐ νοοῦνται. Τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ κάστρα, τὰ ὄντα εἰς τὴν ξηρὰν τοῦ θέματος καὶ κρατηθέντα παρὰ τῶν εἰρημένων Σκλάβων, ἀοίκητα καὶ ἔρημα ἵστανται, μηδενὸς κατοικοῦντος ἐν αὐτοῖς. 30 ∆ιήγησις περὶ τοῦ θέματος ∆ελματίας. Εἰ πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις καλόν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἄρα τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν γνῶσιν καταλαμβάνοντες οὐ πόρρω τούτου γινόμεθα. Ὅθεν καὶ πᾶσι φανερὰν ποιοῦμεν τῶν μεθ' ἡμᾶς πῇ μὲν τούτων τὴν δήλωσιν, πῇ δὲ ἑτέρων ἀξιολόγων τινῶν, ἵνα καὶ διπλοῦν ἐπακολουθῇ τὸ καλόν. Τοῖς οὖν καὶ τῆς ∆ελματίας τὴν παράληψιν ζητοῦσιν, ὅπως ἐλήφθη παρὰ τῶν Σκλαβικῶν ἐθνῶν, ἐντεῦθεν ἔστιν μαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρότερον τὴν θέσιν αὐτῆς διηγητέον. Ἐκ παλαιοῦ τοίνυν ἡ ∆ελματία τὴν ἀρχὴν μὲν εἶχεν ἀπὸ τῶν συνόρων ∆υρραχίου, ἤγουν ἀπὸ Ἀντιβάρεως, καὶ παρετείνετο μὲν μέχρι τῶν τῆς Ἰστρίας ὀρῶν, ἐπλατύνετο δὲ μέχρι τοῦ ∆ανουβίου ποταμοῦ. Ἦν δὲ ἅπασα ἡ τοιαύτη περίχωρος ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχήν, καὶ ἐνδοξότερον τῶν ἄλλων ἑσπερίων θεμάτων τὸ τοιοῦτον θέμα ἐτύγχανε, πλὴν παρελήφθη παρὰ τῶν Σκλαβικῶν ἐθνῶν τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. Κάστρον ἐστὶν πλησίον Ἀσπαλάθου, ὃ Σαλῶνα λέγεται, ἔργον ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν Ἀσπάλαθος καὶ αὐτὴ παρὰ ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ ἐκτίσθη, καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ βασιλικὰ ἐκεῖσε ἐτύγχανον, εἰς δὲ Σαλῶνα κατῴκουν οἵ τε μεγιστᾶνες αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὄχλων ἱκανοί. Ὑπῆρχε δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον κάστρον κεφαλὴ πάσης τῆς ∆ελματίας. Ἠθροίζοντο οὖν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν κάστρων ∆ελματίας στρατιῶται ἔφιπποι, καὶ ἀπεστέλλοντο ἀπὸ Σαλῶνος μέχρι τῶν χιλίων, καὶ ἐφύλαττον εἰς τὸν ∆ανούβιν ποταμὸν ἕνεκεν τῶν Ἀβάρων. Οἱ γὰρ Ἄβαρεις ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ ∆ανουβίου ποταμοῦ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιοῦντο, ἔνθα ἀρτίως εἰσὶν