,

he was dividing the force. He arranged three divisions and dispersed them in three parts among the barbarians 2.10. and he exhorted Martinus to command the right wing, and he appointed Castus as commander of the other flank; while the general took command of the center of the force. The number of the fighting force was six thousand; for four thousand were unfit for battle because of their cowardice, whom the general ordered to guard the so-called rampart along with the baggage train. 2.10.10 So Castus, taking up his own contingent, roamed about the left parts of the country, and he came to Zaldapa and to Mount Haemus. But unexpectedly he attacked the barbarians at dawn, and finding them undefended, he won renown with his spear and carried off a glorious trophy; for he destroyed a very great portion of the barbarian host. 2.10.11 And so with much booty he adorned his victory and gave it to a certain shield-bearer to carry away. Would that he had not! For the barbarians, having gathered together on the next day, took this plunder away from him. 2.10.12 But Martinus, having come to the region around the city of Tomi, there observed the Chagan and the Avar host encamped. So the Romans lay in ambush and suddenly attacked fiercely. And death was a kind of submerged reef for the barbarians, as a kind of ebb-tide suddenly sucking down 2.10.13 the enemy. But the Chagan was fortunate to have his safety as an unexpected godsend and was a companion to flight; for an island in the lake, unnoticed, saved the barbarian. For he would have been caught and would have become a glorious captive for the Romans. For this very great and most renowned danger had fallen upon the barbarians. And indeed it was true from the Avar deserters that they had withdrawn on the fifth day. 2.10.14 And so Martinus departed at dawn to the place appointed by the general on the previous day, and Castus concurred, having come to the same place as Martinus. and by the meeting they gave and received great strength from each other, their contingents having obtained the strongest security through their union. 2.11.1 But Comentiolus, having sent away the agreement and the treaties from the day before, accomplished nothing with a view to promptness, nor did he depart to Castus and Martinus on account of the multitude of barbarians being drawn to their rear and being engaged in a rout. 2.11.2 A report also accuses Rusticius, the commander of a certain contingent, of suggesting to the general to be negligent about his arrival and to neglect the rendezvous with Martinus and Castus, both because of the uncertainty and elusiveness of fortune, and because the emperor's will was not so, and was not urging him to undertake such great dangers. 2.11.3 And so the general lent his ears to Rusticius, and what was being urged was done with negligence. But Martinus and Castus, having learned that the general had come to the city of Marcianopolis, returned to him. And when the sun was beginning its circular, light-bringing course, Comentiolus with his whole army proceeded to his own camp, where he had also left the elite troops of the Roman army. 2.11.4 After that, he encamped at the narrow passes of Haemus, leading his forces up to the hills and the high ravines. The place is called Sabulente Canalion by a certain local name. But come, let us describe this in our account and attempt to shape it with some power of expression. 2.11.5 This place is most beautiful and lofty, lying supine in the middle of the mountain, a sloping plain, all covered with flowery groves. Verdant meadows in this place 2.11.6 are a festival and a feast for the eyes. Shady pastimes are in it, concealing the traveler with the thickness of the wood and providing much shelter at midday for those who happen upon them, whenever by the sun's rays even the inner parts of the earth are scorched. And it is pleasant to see, but not easy to describe. 2.11.7 An abundance of waters flows around the place, neither vexing the one who drinks by excess of coldness, nor wearying the one who is cooling off

δυνάμεως διεχώριζεν. τρεῖς δὲ τάξεις συντέταχε καὶ τρίχα ἀνὰ τοὺς βαρβάρους 2.10. διέσπειρεν· καὶ τοῦ μὲν δεξιοῦ λόχου ταξιαρχεῖν Μαρτίνῳ παρεκελεύετο, Κάστον δὲ λοχαγὸν τοῦ ἑτέρου κέρατος προεστήσατο· τὸ δὲ μεσαίτατον τῆς δυνάμεως ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀνελάμβανεν. ἡ δὲ πληθὺς τῆς μαχίμου δυνάμεως ἓξ χιλιάδες ὑπῆσαν· αἱ γὰρ τέτταρες διὰ κακίαν ψυχῆς ἦσαν ἀπόμαχοι, ἃς καὶ προσέταττεν ὁ στρατηγὸς μετά γε τῆς ἀποσκευῆς διὰ 2.10.10 φυλακῆς ἔχειν τὸν λεγόμενον χάρακα. ὁ μὲν οὖν Κάστος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἀράμενος σύνταγμα τὰ τῆς χώρας περιενόστει λαιά, ἧκε δὲ ἐπὶ Ζαλδαπὰ ἐπί τε Αἷμον τὸ ὄρος. ἀτὰρ ἀδοκήτως τοῖς βαρβάροις ἑωθινὸς κατεσπίλασεν ἀφράκτους τε εὑρόμενος ἐνευδοκίμει τῷ δόρατι περίδοξόν τε ἀπεφέρετο τρόπαιον· τοῦ γὰρ πλήθους τῶν βαρβάρων ἀποδασμὸν διέφθειρε 2.10.11 μέγιστον. καὶ οὖν λαφύροις πολλοῖς τὴν ἀριστείαν ἀνεκαλλώπιζεν ἀποίσειν τε ὑπασπιστῇ ἐδίδου τινί. ὡς εἴθε μὴ ὤφελεν· τοῦτον γὰρ ἀφαιροῦνται τὴν προνομὴν ἐναθροι2.10.12 σθέντες τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ οἱ βάρβαροι. Μαρτῖνος δ' ἐς τὰ περὶ Τόμεα τὴν πόλιν γενόμενος ἐνθαδὶ τὸν Χαγάνον τό τε ᾿Αβαρικὸν αὐλιζόμενον ἐπεσκόπευεν. ἐλλοχῶσι γοῦν οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι καὶ ἀθρόον καρτερῶς ἐπιτίθενται. καὶ ὕφαλός τις ἐνῆν τοῖς βαρβάροις ὁ θάνατος, ᾗ τις ἄμπωτις ἐξαπιναίως καταρροφοῦσά 2.10.13 πως τὸ πολέμιον. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος παράδοξόν τι ἕρμαιον τὴν σωτηρίαν ηὐτύχησε καὶ φυγῇ συνέριθος ἦν· ἐλάνθανε γὰρ νῆσος ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τὸν βάρβαρον διασώζουσα. ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἥλω καὶ περίδοξον ἐγεγόνει ῾Ρωμαίοις ζωάγριον. μέγιστος γὰρ οὑτοσὶ καὶ ὀνομαστότατος τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐνέσκηψε κίνδυνος. ἦν δ' ἄρα τἀληθὲς καὶ παρὰ τῶν αὐτομολησάντων 2.10.14 ᾿Αβάρων πέμπτῃ ἡμέρᾳ νοσφίσασθαι. καὶ δῆτα ἀνέζευξεν ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ ὁ Μαρτῖνος, ἔνθα τῷ στρατηγῷ τῇ προτεραίᾳ διώριστο, ὡμορρόθει δὲ καὶ Κάστος ἐς ταὐτὸν Μαρτίνῳ γενόμενος. πλείστης τε δυνάμεως ἐδίδοσάν τε καὶ ἀντελάμβανον τῇ συντυχίᾳ παρ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ συντάγματα ἀσυλίαν ἐχυρωτάτην εἰληχότες διὰ τὴν σύμμιξιν. 2.11.1 Κομεντίολος δὲ τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἀποπεμψάμενος τάς τε πρὸ τῆς προτεραίας συνθήκας οὐδέν τι διεπράξατο ἐς ἐντρέχειαν βλέπον, οὔτε ὡς τὸν Κάστον καὶ Μαρτῖνον ἀπῴχετο διὰ τὸ πλῆθος βαρβάρων ἐς νῶτα διασύρεσθαι καὶ ἐν τροπαίῳ συμπλέκεσθαι. 2.11.2 λόγος δὲ καταιτιᾶται καὶ ῾Ρουστίκιον συντάγματός τινος ἡγεμονεύοντα τῷ στρατηγῷ ὑποτίθεσθαι ὀλιγώρως ἔχειν περὶ τὴν ἄφιξιν καὶ παραμελεῖν τῆς ἐς Μαρτῖνον καὶ Κάστον ἀντανόδου διά τε τὸ τῆς τύχης ἀσαφὲς καὶ δυσέφικτον, τήν τε βασιλέως γνώμην μὴ οὕτως ἔχειν, καὶ τηλικούτοις μὴ 2.11.3 ἐγχειρεῖν κινδύνοις ἐπείγουσαν. καὶ δῆτα ἐξεδίδου ὁ στρατηγὸς ῾Ρουστικίῳ τὰ ὦτα, καὶ τὸ σπουδαζόμενον τῇ ῥαθυμίᾳ ἐγίνετο. Μαρτῖνος δὲ καὶ Κάστος ἐς Μαρκιανοῦ πόλιν τὸν στρατηγὸν ἥκειν πυθόμενοι παρ' αὐτὸν ἐπανῄεσαν. ἡλίου δ' ὑπαρχομένου τῆς κυκλικῆς τῆς φωσφόρου δινήσεως, πανστρατιᾷ Κομεντίολος ἐπὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἐχώρησε χάρακα, ἔνθα καὶ τοὺς ἀπολέκτους τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ καταλελοίπει στρατεύματος. 2.11.4 μετ' ἐκεῖνο δῆτα ἐπὶ τοὺς στενωποὺς τοῦ Αἵμου στρατοπεδεύεται, ἐπί τε τοὺς γηλόφους καὶ τοὺς ἐφ' ὕψους αὐλῶνας ἀνάγων. Σαβουλέντε δὲ Κανάλιον ὁ τόπος ὠνόμασται ἐπιχωρίῳ προσηγορίᾳ τινί. ἀλλὰ φέρε τοῦτον ὑπογράψωμεν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ φραστικῇ τινι δυνάμει διαμορφοῦν ἐγχειρήσωμεν. 2.11.5 χῶρος δ' οὗτος πάγκαλος καὶ μετέωρος, ἀνὰ τὸ τοῦ ὄρους μεσαίτατον ὕπτιος τὴν θέσιν, πεδίον καθειμένον, ἀνθοφόροις προσαυλαῖς ἅπαν κατάκομον. λειμῶνες δὲ τούτῳ χλοάζοντες 2.11.6 ὀφθαλμῶν ἑορτὴ καὶ ἑστίασις. διατριβαὶ δὲ αὐτῷ κατάσκιοι, τῷ λασίῳ τῆς ὕλης τὸν ἐπιβάτην ἐγκρύπτουσαι καὶ πολλὴν ἀλέαν μεσημβρίας ὥρᾳ τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ἀποτίκτουσαι, ὁπότε ταῖς ἡλιακαῖς ἀκτῖσι καὶ τὰ τῆς γῆς ἐνδόμυχα κατῃθάλωται. καὶ ἔστιν ὁρᾶν μὲν ἡδύ, εἰπεῖν δ' οὐ ῥᾴδιον. 2.11.7 περιρρεῖ δὲ τὸν τόπον ὑδάτων ἀφθονία, μήτε τὸν πίνοντα παραλυποῦσα ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῆς ψυχρότητος, μήτε τὸν ψυχάζοντα ἀποκναίουσα