But I think this was stranger than that, that when rain poured down from what the enemies were scattering, plowing, indeed, but not sowing the beautiful whole city, as if of crops that had sprung up frequently and had grown in height, no grass-eating animal gained anything from there, but it had the choice to feed on dust rather than to eat of what had sprouted, as if they were either poisoned by what polluted the surroundings, or because, like the men, as the story goes, of the ancient Diomedes, they too hated the barbarian, as being unaccustomed to them. And such was this too, not idly cast into the narrative. But the city, when the adversaries rushed in, was suffering such things as a savage war is wont to inflict. And our men, not some but not others, but all fled without turning back, with the exception of a few, as we said; among whom was a certain Voleas of the ecclesiastical quarter, who, after cleaving nearly thirty men with an axe, and rendering others useless for living in other ways, with great haste of the 106 enemies kissed his mother earth. A shame also for David himself, who, swearing that he would never flee, but would fall on his own sword, was then turned to be saved unstained by gore. And the flight being related was not disorganized, but with the chief general giving the first signs of it, as has been set forth before; who, if he had shown his face to the enemy, as the nobler of his fellow-fugitives were urging, would have quickly healed the wound of the city. But those of the enemy host were growing weary both from casting down the fugitives and from packing up spoils. And it was necessary in these circumstances for someone, un-struck and unwounded, to observe and take note of the battle from some high place, with God checking the rush of darts; for a man, entangled in such an evil and having his mind most of all on himself, could not accurately write down the whole, except for the main points, both of what he learned and of what he himself in many ways attended to. We, therefore, having despaired of the acropolis because of the absence of water there, to which the general had been our guide, and having distributed the necessary baggage which we had provided for our own sake and that of those with us, as has been said before, and having also put out of our mind taking refuge in the holy tomb of the Myrrh-gusher, and also in other divine churches (for it did not escape our notice that, with all the fugitives being saved in such places, many would be swept away from life by the shoving and the resulting suffocation), and having remained in the house which is renowned for the saint healing the living, and having both seen and suffered many and countless evils, at which wonder takes us how we endured, at last being dragged by the beard, as they say, we were led away through countless swords raised and bristling like a field thick with ears of corn. And while being shoved and struck with fists and learning insults not of the usual kind, we judged our suffering blessed, praying to be in such circumstances; but when a broadsword exulted against us and a scimitar was laid sideways as if to plunge into our entrails and small spears were pointed threateningly at our ribs, some from here and some from there, but here only deep prayers availed. For how was it possible to utter them? And as far as the Politikon Hippodrome near us, such a state of affairs directed us; and there, finding the already mentioned Siphantos, standing well-horsed with Maurozomes and considering what he might take, we were dragged along by him, ostensibly so that the archbishop might not have further trouble, but in truth so that we might experience second and worse things. For after bending our knees there 108 for a short while in a small hut and having bitten off some dry bread, so that we might drink some water (for our heart was burning within us, as were all our insides), then being ordered to mount with the esteem of an abominable thing (for was not that little horse such a thing?), obeying the one who gave the order and being placed upon it, we were led to where the naval station was, along with a bow-case and quiver, which the saddle happened to be carrying. Woe is me for the evils that followed. For as if the dead were not enough, through whom I travelled on foot as they steamed with heat

Τούτου δὲ οἶμαι καινότερον ἐκεῖνο ἦν, ὅτι περ, ὑετοῦ καταρραγέντος καὶ ἐξ ὧν οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἐσκόρπιζον, ἀροῦντες μέν, οὔκουν σπείροντες δὲ τὸ καλὸν ὅλον ἄστυ, ληΐων ὥσπερ ἀναφυέντων συχνῶν καὶ εἰς μῆκος ἐπιδεδωκότων, οὐδὲν ζῷον ποηφάγον ἐκεῖθεν ἐκέρδανέ τι, ἀλλ' εἶχεν αἵρεσιν κόνεως ἐρέπτεσθαι ἤπερ ἐκ τῶν βεβλαστηκότων φαγεῖν, ὡς ἢ πεφαρμαγμένων οἷς τὸ περιέχον μεμίαντο ἢ καὶ ὅτι κατὰ τοὺς ᾠκειωμένους, ὡς λόγος, τῷ πάλαι ∆ιομήδει συνεμίσουν τὸ βάρβαρον καὶ αὐτοί, οἷα μὴ ἐθάδες ἐκείνων. Καὶ τοιοῦτον μὲν καὶ τοῦτο, παραρριφὲν οὐ περιττῶς εἰς συγγραφήν. Ἡ δὲ πόλις, εἰσπηδησάντων τῶν ἀντιμάχων, ἔπασχεν ὅσα φιλεῖ δρᾶν ἄγριος πόλεμος. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἡμέτεροι, οὐχ ὁ μὲν ὁ δ' οὐ, ἀλλὰ πάντες ἔφευγον ἀμεταστρεπτὶ καθ' ὑπεξαίρεσιν εὐαριθμήτων τινῶν, ὅπερ ἔφαμεν· ἐν οἷς καί τις Βολέας τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ξυνοικίας, ὃς ἐγγὺς ἐς τριάκοντα τοὺς μὲν ἀξίνῃ διχάσας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἄλλως εἰς τὸ ζῆν ἀχρειώσας, πολλῇ σπουδῇ τῶν 106 πολεμίων τὴν μητέρα γῆν ἠσπάσατο. Αἰσχύνη καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ, ὃς μὴ ἄν ποτε φυγεῖν ἀπομνύς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ αὑτοῦ ξίφει πεσεῖν, εἶτα προυτράπετο σωθῆναι λύθρῳ ἄχραντος. Καὶ ἦν ἡ καθιστορουμένη φυγὴ οὐκ ἀσύντακτος, ἀλλ' ἐνδόντος ἀρχάς, ὡς προεκτέθειται, τοῦ κορυφαίου στρατηγοῦ· ὃς εἴπερ ἔδειξε πρόσωπον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ὡς ἐνεκελεύοντο οἱ τῶν συμφευγόντων γενναιότεροι, συνούλωσεν ἂν ταχὺ τὸ τραῦμα τῆς πόλεως. Οἱ δὲ τοῦ πολεμίου στίφους ἔκαμνον καὶ ῥίπτοντες τοὺς φεύγοντας καὶ σαττόμενοι λάφυρα. Καὶ ἐχρῆν μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἄβλητόν τινα καὶ ἀνούτατον ἐκ μετεώρου ποθὲν τὴν μάχην σκέπτεσθαι καὶ παρασημαίνεσθαι, τοῦ Θεοῦ βελέων ἀπερύκοντος ἐρωήν· ἄνθρωπος γάρ, ἐνδεθεὶς τοιούτῳ κακῷ καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτῷ τὰ μάλιστα τὸν νοῦν ἔχων, οὐκ ἂν σχοίη ἀκριβῶς τὸ πᾶν συγγράψασθαι, πλὴν εἰς ὅσον τὰ καίρια, ὧν τε ἔμαθε καὶ οἷς αὐτὸς πολυτρόπως ἐπέστησεν. Ἡμεῖς οὖν τῆς μὲν ἀκροπόλεως ἀπογνόντες διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐκεῖσε ὕδατος ἐκδημίαν, ἧς ὁδηγὸς ὁ στρατηγὸς γέγονε, καὶ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἀποσκευήν, ἣν προεμηθευσάμεθα ἡμῶν τε αὐτῶν χάριν καὶ τῶν περὶ ἡμᾶς, διανειμάμενοι, ὡς καὶ προπέφρασται, μερίμνης δὲ θέμενοι ἔξω καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τάφον τοῦ Μυροβλήτου καταφυγήν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν εἰς ἑτέρους θείους ναούς, οὐ γὰρ δήπουθεν ἐλάνθανεν ἡμᾶς ὡς, πάντων τῶν φευγόντων ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ῥυϊσκομένων, πολλοὶ παρασυρήσονται τοῦ ζῆν ὠθισμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν πνιγμοῖς, καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ παραμείναντες, ὃς περιᾴδεται ζῶντα ἐκθεραπεύειν τὸν ἅγιον, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μυρία κακὰ καὶ τεθεαμένοι καὶ πεπονθότες, ἐφ' οἷς θαῦμα περίεισιν ἡμᾶς ὅπως ἀντέσχομεν, τέλος τοῦ πώγωνος, ὅ φασιν, ἑλκυσθέντες, ἀπηγόμεθα διὰ ξιφῶν μυρίων ἀνατεινομένων καὶ φρισσόντων ὡσεὶ καὶ λήϊον πεπυκνωμένον ἀσταχύεσι. Καὶ ὠθούμενοι μὲν καὶ κονδυλιζόμενοι καὶ ὕβρεις οὐ τὰς ἐν ἔθει μανθάνοντες μακάριον τὸ πάθος ἐκρίνομεν, εὐχόμενοι ἐν τοιούτοις εἶναι· ὅτε δὲ καὶ σπάθη καθ' ἡμῶν ἐγαυροῦτο καὶ παραξιφὶς ἐπλαγίαζεν ὡς εἰς σπλάχνα βάψουσα καὶ δοράτια τὰ μὲν ἔνθεν τὰ δ' ἐκεῖθεν τῶν πλευρῶν εὐθύνοντο ἀπειλητικῶς, ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα εὐχαὶ καὶ μόναι ἀντέπραττον βύθιαι. Προενεγκεῖν γὰρ αὐτὰς πῶς ποτε ἦν; Καὶ ἕως μὲν καὶ τοῦ Πολιτικοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς Ἱπποδρόμου τοιαύτη διάθεσις ἡμᾶς εὔθυνεν· ἐκεῖ δὲ τὸν ἤδη ἀποτεθέντα εἰς μνήμην Σιφάντον εὑρόντες, εὔιππον ἑστηκότα μετά γε καὶ τοῦ Μαυροζώμη καὶ σκεπτόμενον τί ἂν ἕλοι, μεθειλκύσθημεν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, λόγῳ μὲν τῷ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον κόπον σχεῖν τὸν ἀρχιεπίσκοπον, ἀληθῶς δὲ ἵνα δευτέρων χειρόνων πειρασώμεθα. Βραχὺ γὰρ ἐκεῖσε 108 τὰ γόνατα κάμψαντες ἔν τινι μικροκαλύβῃ καὶ ξηροῦ ἄρτου ἀποδακόντες, ἵνα ὕδατος ἐμπιώμεθα, ἦν γὰρ ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν καιομένη ἐν ἡμῖν, ὡς καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐντός, εἶτα κατὰ τιμὴν μυαρίου κελευσθέντες ἐπιβῆναι (μὴ γὰρ οὐ τοιοῦτον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἱππαρίδιον;), πεισθέντες τῷ ἐπιτάξαντι καὶ ἀνατεθέντες εἰς ἐκεῖνο, ἡγόμεθα ἔνθα τὸ ναύσταθμον, μετὰ καὶ γωρυτοῦ καὶ φαρέτρας, ἅπερ ἡ σελλὶς ἔτυχε φέρουσα. Ὤ μοι τῶν ἐντεῦθεν κακῶν. Ὡς γὰρ μὴ ἀρκεσάντων τῶν νεκρῶν, δι' ὧν πεζεύων ὥδευσα θερμοῖς ἀτμιζόντων