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of the city being handled by the barbarians themselves, on the one hand praising the spoils, and on the other, violently dragging away women and nursing infants from every place and every house, who were wailing piteously and loudly lamenting the loss of their mothers, while others, certain of the rulers or of the famously rich, who for some reasons similar to our own had escaped destruction, were being mercilessly dragged away; 56.5 For already even Niketas himself, who was sent by the emperor, and moreover the general of the surrounding country, had been captured and were being guarded in some barbarian ships. 56.6 For these reasons indeed, we benefited no more than before by caring for our own. 57.1 But it was possible to see in these events something still stranger: the rays of the sun turned from their natural course and the intensity of the season extended along with the burning heat of the trials, so that in a short moment the faces of men grew livid and changed with the disaster, and all alike were longing for and lacking a single drop of water, both those of mature age and those still very young, seeking nothing else but only to cool a little the consuming thirst, and not obtaining even this. 57.2 But amidst these things the span of that day passed, with everyone, at the command of the ill-omened beast, being set apart in heaps in different places by the barbarians, for whom they also set guards to lie in wait to watch them suspiciously through the whole night, lest anyone might be able to escape from their midst. 57.3 And to us ourselves, he ordered about fifty men of the captives to be mixed in the very place where we were being guarded, of whom the greater part were also wounded, carrying the marks of death on their bodies and having no confidence in what was to follow; 57.4 for taking up to ten in number from their midst, they slaughtered them, and not even for these did their hopes of living for the time being remain in safety, but they were shaken and shattered, awaiting the same sentence as those who lay dead. 57.5 But since, as has been said, the night arrived and by itself cut short the final acts concerning these men, some of the barbarians would rush in, going about and clashing some cymbals and shouting war-cries, until dawn came on again, bringing with it a painful expectation for those under suspicion of death. 57.6 But the thirst was consuming everyone no less than the sword, by which also, being severely pressed, we begged those with us to partake of at least the waters passing through the place and to have some brief respite. 57.7 And they assented to this, not because they had any sympathy for us (for how could those who revel in slaughter and breathe out death?), but because that water, being the runoff from all the city's latrines, was sufficient, even without any other plot, to do away with those who partook of it. 57.8 Nevertheless, as if it were a pure and sweet drink from freshly melted snow, so each one with pleasure brought that putridness to his mouth and the cup of stench he supposed in his thoughts to be full of honey. 58.1 Amidst these things, a decree was again brought forth from the tyrant, containing the following: "If anyone of the captured has stored up money anywhere, let him come forward and with this purchase his salvation; but if anyone is caught having no ransom for his own life, let him be beheaded and separated from the living." 58.2 And he ordered this, having heard from the barbarians that they would have deemed no one worthy of mercy when they first entered the city, unless they were assured by the captives themselves that they had some money in secret places able to escape any search. 58.3 Therefore, as many of the captured as had accurate knowledge about what they had previously hidden, immediately made themselves known, hastening the payment as the cause of their life; 58.4 but as many as knew they had nothing of the sort with them, but had only fabricated their agreements on vain hopes, awaited the slaughter which was without doubt decreed for those who were in want. 58.5 And so some of the barbarians were appointed for this, so that the

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τῆς πόλεως χειρουμένων καὶ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων, πῇ μὲν ἐγκωμιαζόντων τὰ σκῦλα, πῇ δὲ γυναῖκας καὶ ὑπομάζια βρέφη ἐκ παντὸς τόπου καὶ πάσης οἰκίας βιαίως ἐφελκομένων, ἐλεεινὸν ὀδυρόμενα καὶ τὴν στέρησιν τῶν μητέρων γοερὸν κλαυθμυρίζοντα, ἄλλων τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὰς ἢ τῶν περιφανῶν πλουσίων κατά τινας παραπλησίους ἡμῶν αἰτίας τὸν ὄλεθρον διακρουσαμένους ἀνηλεῶς ἐπισυρομένων· 56.5 ἤδη γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως σταλεὶς Νικήτας, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὁ τῆς περιχώρου στρατηγὸς χειρωθέντες ὑπῆρχον ἔν τισι ναυσὶ βαρβαρικαῖς φυλαττόμενοι. 56.6 διά τοι ταῦτα οὐδὲν πλέον ἢ πρὸ τοῦδε περὶ τῶν οἰκείων φροντίζοντες ὠφελοῦμεν. 57.1 Ἀλλ' ἦν ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς πραττομένοις καί τι καινότερον, τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀκτῖνας τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν παρατραπείσας καὶ τῷ καύσωνι τῶν πειρασμῶν συνεκταθεῖσαν καὶ τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν ἐπίτασιν, ὡς ἐν ὀλίγῃ ῥοπῇ πελιδνωθῆναι τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὄψεις καὶ πρὸς τὴν συμφορὰν μεταβάλλεσθαι, πάντας δὲ ὁμοίως ἐφίεσθαι καὶ ἀπορεῖν ῥανίδος μιᾶς ὕδατος τούς τε ἐντελεῖς τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τοὺς ἔτι κομιδῇ νέους, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἀναψῦξαι μικρὸν τὴν συνέχουσαν δίψαν ἐπιζητοῦντας, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτου τυγχάνοντας. 57.2 ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης περιῆλθε διάστημα, πάντων προστάξει τοῦ δυσωνύμου θηρὸς κατὰ διαφόρους τόπους σωρηδὸν ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀφορισθέντων, οἷς καὶ φύλακας ἐφήδρευσαν ὑποβλέπεσθαι τούτους διὰ πάσης νυκτός, μή πού τις ἐκ μέσου διαδρᾶναι δυνηθείη. 57.3 καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ αὐτοῖς ᾧπερ ἦμεν φυλαττόμενοι τόπῳ συμμιγῆναι προσέταξε τῶν ἁλόντων ἄνδρας ὡσεὶ πεντήκοντα, ὧν οἱ πλείους καὶ τραυματίαι ἐτύγχανον, τὰ ἴχνη τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς σώμασι περιφέροντες καὶ μηδὲ τοῖς ἑξῆς θαρρεῖν ἔχοντες· 57.4 ἐκ μέσου γὰρ αὐτῶν μέχρι δέκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν λαβόντες ἐναπέσφαξαν, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτοις ὑπῆρχον ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ αἱ περὶ τοῦ ζῆν τέως ἐλπίδες, ἀλλ' ἐκλονοῦντο καὶ διεθρύπτοντο τὴν ὁμοίαν τοῖς κειμένοις ἀπόφασιν περιμένοντες. 57.5 ἀλλ' ἐπειδή, καθὸ λέλεκται, τὰ περὶ τούτων τέλη παρ' ἑαυτῆς ἔφθασεν ἡ νὺξ διακόψασα, ἐσόβουν τινὲς τῶν βαρβάρων περιερχόμενοι καί τισι κυμβάλοις κτυποῦντες καὶ ἀλαλάζοντες, ἕως πάλιν ἔφθασεν ἐπιστὰς ὁ ὄρθρος, ὀδυνηρὰν προσδοκίαν τοῖς ἐν ὑποψίᾳ θανάτου μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ κομιζόμενος. 57.6 ἀλλ' οὐδὲν πλέον ἡ διὰ ξίφους ὡς ἡ διὰ τῆς δίψης πάντας ἀνήλισκεν, ᾗ καὶ σφοδρῶς πιεζόμενοι ἐδεόμεθα τοῖς συνοῦσι κἂν τῶν διερχομένων ὑδάτων τῷ τόπῳ μεταλαβεῖν καί τινος βραχείας μετασχεῖν ἀνοχῆς. 57.7 οἱ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἐνένευον, οὐχ ὅτι τινὶ συμπαθείᾳ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκέχρηντο (πῶς γὰρ οἱ ταῖς σφαγαῖς ἐντρυφῶντες καὶ θάνατον ἀποπνέοντες;), ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκεῖνο τῆς πόλεως ὂν ἁπάσης τῶν ἀφέδρων ἀπόρροια ἱκανὸν ἦν καὶ δίχα πάσης ἄλλης ἐπιβουλῆς τοὺς μετέχοντας ἀπαλλάττειν. 57.8 πλὴν ὡς ἀπὸ χιόνος ἄρτι λυθείσης εἰλικρινὲς καὶ ἡδὺ πόμα, οὕτω μεθ' ἡδονῆς ἕκαστος τῷ στόματι τὴν σαπρίαν ἐκείνην προσέφερε καὶ τὴν κύλικα τῆς δυσωδίας μέλιτος πλήρη τοῖς λογισμοῖς ὑπελάμβανεν. 58.1 Ἐν τούτοις πάλιν ἀπόφασις ἐξήνεκτο παρὰ τοῦ τυράννου, περιέχουσα οὕτως «εἴ τις τῶν συλληφθέντων χρήματά που ταμιευσάμενος ἔχει, παρελθὼν ἐν μέσῳ τούτοις ὠνησάσθω τὴν σωτηρίαν· εἰ δέ τις μηδὲν ἔχων λύτρον τῆς ἰδίας ζωῆς φωραθείη, οὗτος τὴν κεφαλὴν τμηθεὶς τῶν ζώντων διαιρεθείη.» 58.2 προσέταττε δὲ τοῦτο παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀκηκοὼς ὡς οὐκ ἄν τινα φειδοῦς ἠξίουν, ὅτε κατ' ἀρχὰς εἰσήλασαν ἐν τῇ πόλει, εἰ μή που παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων ἐβεβαιοῦντο ἔχειν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀποκρύφοις χρήματά τινα πᾶσαν δυνάμενα διαφυγεῖν ἔρευναν. 58.3 ὅσοι δὴ οὖν τῶν ἑαλωκότων ὑπῆρχον ἔχοντες εἴδησιν ἀκριβῆ περὶ ὧν ἦσαν προκεκρυφότες, εὐθέως ἐκδήλους ἑαυτοὺς καθίστων κατεπείγοντες τὴν δόσιν ὡς τῆς ζωῆς παραιτίαν· 58.4 ὅσοι δὲ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔχειν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ἐπεγίνωσκον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ματαίαις μόνον ἐλπίσι τὰς συνθήκας ἐπλάσαντο, τὴν σφαγὴν ἐξεδέχοντο ἀναμφιβόλως τοῖς ἐνδεῶς ἔχουσι κεκριμένην. 58.5 τάττονται δὴ οὖν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῶν βαρβάρων τινές, ὥστε τοὺς