38

Ioutotzas begot a son, Falitzis, the present archon, and the fourth son, Zaltas, begot a son, Taxis. It is to be known, that all the sons of Arpad are dead, but his grandsons, Fales and Tases, and their cousin, Taxis, are alive. It is to be known, that Tebelis is dead, and his son is Termatzous, who recently came up as a 'friend' with Boultzous, the third archon and karchas of Tourkia. It is to be known, that Boultzous, the karchas, is the son of Kale, the karchas, and that Kale is a proper name, while karchas is a title, just like gylas, which is greater than karchas. 41 Concerning the country of Moravia. It is to be known, that the archon of Moravia, Sventoplok, was valiant and formidable to the nations neighboring him. This same Sventoplok had three sons, and at his death he divided his country into three parts, and to his three sons he left one part each, leaving the first as great archon, and the other two to be under the command of the first son. And he admonished them not to fall into dissension and conflict with one another, showing them an example of this sort: for he brought three rods and tied them together, and gave them to the first son to break, and when he was not strong enough, he gave them again to the second, and likewise to the third, and then, in this way, dividing the three rods, he gave one to each of the three; and they, taking them and being ordered to break them, immediately broke them. And through such an example he admonished them, saying: "If you remain undivided in unanimity and love, you will be unconquerable by your adversaries and indestructible; but if strife and rivalry arise among you, and you are separated into three principalities, not subject to the first brother, you will be both destroyed by one another and utterly exterminated by your neighboring enemies." After the death of this Sventoplok, they continued for one year in peace, but strife and sedition falling upon them, and making civil war against one another, the Turks came and utterly exterminated them, and seized their country, in which they dwell even now. And the remnants of the people were scattered, taking refuge in the neighboring nations, among the Bulgarians and Turks and Croats and among the other nations. 42 Geography from Thessalonica as far as the river Danube and the fortress of Belegrada, and of Tourkia and Patzinakia as far as the Khazar fortress of Sarkel and of Rosia and as far as the Nekropyla, which are on the Pontic sea near the river Danapris, and of Cherson together and Bosporos, in which are the fortresses of the Klimata, then as far as the Maeotic lake, which is also called a sea on account of its size, and as far as the fortress called Tamatarcha, and in addition to these, of Zichia and Papagia and Kasachia and Alania and Abasgia and as far as the fortress of Soterioupolis. It is to be known, that from Thessalonica as far as the river Danube, on which is the fortress called Belegrada, is a journey of eight days, even if one travels not speedily, but with rests. And the Turks dwell beyond the river Danube in the land of Moravia, but also on this side between the Danube and the Sava river. And from the lower parts of the river Danube, opposite Distra, Patzinakia extends, and their settlement holds sway as far as Sarkel, the fortress of the Khazars, in which three hundred garrison troops are stationed, being changed annually. Sarkel is interpreted by them as "white house", which was built by the spatharokandidatos Petronas, surnamed Kamateros, when the Khazars asked the emperor Theophilos for this fortress to be built for them. For that chagan and the pech of Khazaria sent ambassadors to the same emperor Theophilos, and asked that the fortress Sarkel be built for them, to which the emperor, persuaded by their request, the aforesaid

38

Ἰουτοτζᾶς ἐποίησεν υἱὸν τὸν Φαλίτζιν, τὸν νυνὶ ἄρχοντα, ὁ δὲ τέταρτος υἱός, ὁ Ζαλτᾶς ἐποίησεν υἱὸν τὸν Ταξίν. Ἰστέον, ὅτι πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Ἀρπαδῆ ἐτελεύτησαν, οἱ δὲ ἔγγονοι αὐτοῦ, ὅ τε Φαλῆς καὶ ὁ Τασῆς καὶ ὁ ἐξάδελφος αὐτῶν, ὁ Ταξίς, ζῶσιν. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ Τεβέλης, καὶ ἔστιν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ Τερματζοῦς, ὁ ἀρτίως ἀνελθὼν φίλος μετὰ τοῦ Βουλτζοῦ, τοῦ τρίτου ἄρχοντος καὶ καρχᾶ Τουρκίας. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ὁ Βουλτζοῦς, ὁ καρχᾶς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Καλῆ, τοῦ καρχᾶ, καὶ ὅτι τὸ μὲν Καλῆ ἐστιν ὄνομα κύριον, τὸ δὲ καρχᾶς ἐστιν ἀξίωμα, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ γυλᾶς, ὅ ἐστιν μεῖζον τοῦ καρχᾶ. 41 Περὶ τῆς χώρας τῆς Μοραβίας. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ὁ Μοραβίας ἄρχων, ὁ Σφενδοπλόκος, ἀνδρεῖος καὶ φοβερὸς εἰς τὰ πλησιάζοντα αὐτῷ ἔθνη γέγονεν. Ἔσχε δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς Σφενδοπλόκος τρεῖς υἱούς, καὶ τελευτῶν διεῖλεν εἰς τρία μέρη τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν, καὶ τοῖς τρισὶν υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀνὰ μιᾶς μερίδος κατέλιπεν, τὸν πρῶτον καταλείψας ἄρχοντα μέγαν, τοὺς δὲ ἑτέρους δύο τοῦ εἶναι ὑπὸ τὸν λόγον τοῦ πρώτου υἱοῦ. Παρῄνεσεν δὲ αὐτοὺς τοῦ μὴ εἰς διάστασιν καὶ κατ' ἀλλήλων γενέσθαι, παράδειγμα αὐτοῖς τοιοῦτον ὑποδείξας· ῥάβδους γὰρ τρεῖς ἐνεγκὼν καὶ συνδήσας, δέδωκεν τῷ πρώτῳ υἱῷ τοῦ ταύτας κλάσαι, τοῦ δὲ μὴ ἰσχύσαντος, πάλιν δέδωκεν τῷ δευτέρῳ, ὡσαύτως καὶ τῷ τρίτῳ, καὶ εἶθ' οὕτως διαιρῶν τὰς τρεῖς ῥάβδους δέδωκεν τοῖς τρισὶ πρὸς μίαν· οἱ δὲ λαβόντες καὶ κελευσθέντες ταύτας κλάσαι, εὐθέως αὐτὰς κατέκλασαν. Καὶ διὰ τοιούτου ὑποδείγματος παρῄνεσεν αὐτοὺς εἰπών, ὡς ὅτι· "Εἰ μὲν διαμένετε ἐν ὁμοψυχίᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ ἀδιαίρετοι, ἀκαταγώνιστοι παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ ἀνάλωτοι γενήσεσθε· εἰ δὲ ἐν ὑμῖν γένηται ἔρις καὶ φιλονικία, καὶ διαχωρισθῆτε εἰς τρεῖς ἀρχάς, μὴ ὑποκείμενοι τῷ πρώτῳ ἀδελφῷ, καὶ ὑπ' ἀλλήλων ἀφανισθήσεσθε, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πλησιαζόντων ὑμῖν ἐχθρῶν παντελῶς ἐξολοθρευθήσεσθε." Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Σφενδοπλόκου ἕνα χρόνον ἐν εἰρήνῃ διατελέσαντες, ἔριδος καὶ στάσεως ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἐμπεσούσης, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐμφύλιον πόλεμον ποιήσαντες, ἐλθόντες οἱ Τοῦρκοι τούτους παντελῶς ἐξωλόθρευσαν, καὶ ἐκράτησαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν χώραν, εἰς ἣν καὶ ἀρτίως οἰκοῦσιν. Καὶ οἱ ὑπολειφθέντες τοῦ λαοῦ διεσκορπίσθησαν, προσφυγόντες εἰς τὰ παρακείμενα ἔθνη, εἴς τε τοὺς Βουλγάρους καὶ Τούρκους καὶ Χρωβάτους καὶ εἰς τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη. 42 Γεωγραφία ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης μέχρι τοῦ ∆ανούβεως ποταμοῦ καὶ τοῦ κάστρου Βελεγράδας, Τουρκίας τε καὶ Πατζινακίας μέχρι τοῦ Χαζαρικοῦ κάστρου Σάρκελ καὶ τῆς Ῥωσίας καὶ μέχρι τῶν Νεκροπύλων, τῶν ὄντων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Πόντου θάλασσαν πλησίον τοῦ ∆ανάπρεως ποταμοῦ, καὶ Χερσῶνος ὁμοῦ καὶ Βοσπόρου, ἐν οἷς τὰ κάστρα τῶν κλιμάτων εἰσίν, εἶτα μέχρι λίμνης Μαιώτιδος, τῆς καὶ θαλάσσης διὰ τὸ μέγεθος ἐπονομαζομένης, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ κάστρου Ταμάταρχα λεγομένου, πρὸς τούτοις δὲ καὶ Ζιχίας καὶ Παπαγίας καὶ Κασαχίας καὶ Ἀλανίας καὶ Ἀβασγίας καὶ μέχρι τοῦ κάστρου Σωτηριουπόλεως. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης μέχρι τοῦ ποταμοῦ ∆ανούβεως, ἐν ᾧ τὸ κάστρον ἐστὶν τὸ Βελέγραδα ἐπονομαζόμενον, ἔστιν ὁδὸς ἡμερῶν ὀκτώ, εἰ καὶ μὴ διὰ τάχους τις, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀναπαύσεως πορεύεται. Καὶ κατοικοῦσιν μὲν οἱ Τοῦρκοι πέραθεν τοῦ ∆ανούβεως ποταμοῦ εἰς τὴν τῆς Μοραβίας γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔνθεν μέσον τοῦ ∆ανούβεως καὶ τοῦ Σάβα ποταμοῦ. Ἀπὸ δὲ κάτωθεν τῶν μερῶν ∆ανούβεως ποταμοῦ τῆς ∆ίστρας ἀντίπερα ἡ Πατζινακία παρέρχεται, καὶ κατακρατεῖ ἡ κατοικία αὐτῶν μέχρι τοῦ Σάρκελ, τοῦ τῶν Χαζάρων κάστρου, ἐν ᾧ ταξεῶται καθέζονται τριακόσιοι, κατὰ χρόνον ἐναλλασσόμενοι. Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ παρὰ αὐτοῖς τὸ Σάρκελ "ἄσπρον ὁσπίτιον", ὅπερ ἐκτίσθη παρὰ σπαθαροκανδιδάτου Πετρωνᾶ, τοῦ ἐπονομαζομένου Καματηροῦ, τὸν βασιλέα Θεόφιλον πρὸς τὸ κτισθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὸ κάστρον τοῦτο τῶν Χαζάρων αἰτησαμένων. Ὁ γὰρ χαγάνος ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὁ πὲχ Χαζαρίας εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν βασιλέα Θεόφιλον πρέσβεις ἐναποστείλαντες, κτισθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὸ κάστρον τὸ Σάρκελ ᾐτήσαντο, οἷς ὁ βασιλεύς, τῇ τούτων αἰτήσει πεισθείς, τὸν προρρηθέντα