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he rose up against enemies and distinguished himself greatly against them, and after this he took up the magistracy. 4.31 Not long after, the evils from Tephrike were also swaggering against us, the evildoers there having found an opportunity for an attack against us, as the Agarenes were occupied in wars both on land and sea. But nevertheless, the emperor overcame the boasters, being prospered by divine aid and his experience in generalship; after which, having also campaigned against Germanikeia and Samosata, distinguished cities and lands of the Saracens, and indeed having also straitened Melitene by a continuous raid, he set up trophies against them, and with a conspicuous victory he returned to the queen of cities. 4.32 Nor were the naval forces campaigning against us from Africa by sea at peace, by which all of Hesperia had been enslaved, in the numerous cities of both Sicily and, moreover, of Longibardia, to the number of 50 and 100, apart from Gallerianus. The emperor Basil effected their rescue, while Nasar and Prokopios held the generalship at that time. And the name Italy was derived from Italus the Sicilian progenitor, the father having become ruler of the land of Italy, and the son of Sicania or Trinacria. And Italy is also named thus, from a certain cow that crossed over, which the natives, seeing in a group making the sea-voyage to them from another land and being pursued by its owners, shouted: 'italos, italos,' which in their own dialect is interpreted as 'ox,' or it derived its name from a certain robber Italus killed there by Herakles. And Longibardia from a certain Longibarbos who first took possession of the land, on whom a great beard had also flourished; for 'longa' among the Longibards is 'great,' and 'barba' is 'beard'. 4.33 The misfortunes concerning Syracuse were intervening for some time; for it had been besieged by the Ishmaelites. for which the emperor had sent out Adrianos, a noble man, with a populous navy for its liberation. Who, going down as far as the Peloponnese, put in at the harbor so named Hierax, having been hindered there by a most difficult voyage for 50 days; and while he was being pressed by distress on account of the confinement from the winds, one of the useful men had arrived, bringing grievous news that at the fifth hour yesterday Syracuse had been captured. whose name is from some daughters of Archias who founded it, Syra and Cossa, or from a certain lake there, or from the fountain formerly Syrakous but now Arethousa. And when he was investigating the truth and inquiring whence he knew this, he himself answered that in a place, which is named Helos, I have a field at a distance of about 8 miles. And during the past evening while I was making my rounds, some of the shepherds approached me and said that they had heard from the local demons, who were saying that Syracuse had become captive to the spear, and that they themselves were present at it, whence the truth was also made clear. But I, not consenting to this, fell into disbelief, insisting on hearing it myself. during which, having arrived at the field at the first hour together with the shepherds, I arrived at the designated place where the airy beings were spending their time. To one of the shepherds asking about their activity, they replied that they were in the city of Syracuse, being sated with the remaining Christian blood; and that the one inquiring to know about such things knows what was done, and that they knew both his name and his official rank. which Adrianos, not believing, still considered stale news. And after the 15th day had come, the things from them considered false appeared true by those who had with difficulty come from there. Such foreknowledge of the local spirits, therefore, or rather to say, the knowledge of things being done, has remained for those in the same country until the reign of the most pious Leo, as they say. Then indeed, having gathered the naval army under him, he arrives at Constantinople, and becomes a suppliant in a certain sanctuary, asking to be pardoned for the

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ἐχθρῶν διανίστατο καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ἄγαν ἠρίστευσε, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπείληπτο μαγιστρότητος. 4.31 Οὐ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς Τεφρικῆς κακὰ καθ' ἡμῶν ἐβρενθύετο, χώραν λαβόντων τῶν ἐκεῖσε κακούργων τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιθέσεως ἀπησχολημένους Ἀγαρηνῶν ἐν πολέμοις ἐπί τε γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης. ἀλλ' ὅμως περιγίνεται τῶν ἀλαζόνων αὐτοκράτωρ ὑπερμαχήσει θείᾳ καὶ στρατηγετῶν ἐμπειρίᾳ κατευοδούμενος· μεθ' οὓς καὶ κατὰ Γερμανικείας ἐκστρατεύσας καὶ Σαμοσάτων, ἐκπρεπεῖς πόλεις Σαρακηνῶν καὶ χώρας, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ Μελιτηνὴν στενώσας ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς συνεχοῦς, κατ' αὐτῶν ἵστησι τρόπαια, καὶ μετὰ νίκης εὐσήμου πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν ἐπάνεισιν. 4.32 Οὐδὲ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἅλα διὰ Ἀφρικῶν καθ' ἡμῶν στρατεύματα ναύμαχα δι' ἠρεμίας ἐτύγχανεν, δι' ὧν Ἑσπέρα πᾶσα καταδεδούλωτο, ἐν πόλεσι τῆς τε Σικελίας, ἔτι μὴν καὶ Λογγιβαρδίας πολυαριθμήτοις ἐπὶ νʹ τε καὶ ρʹ, τοῦ Γαλλεριανοῦ χωρίς. ὧν τὴν ἀνάρρυσιν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Βασίλειος ἀπειργάσατο Νάσαρ καὶ Προκοπίου κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ στρατηγίας ἀντεχομένων. καὶ τὸ μὲν ὄνομα Ἰταλία ἐφεῦρεν ἀπὸ Ἰταλοῦ τοῦ Σικελοῦ γενετῆρος, τοῦ μὲν πατρὸς τῆς Ἰταλίας χώρας, τοῦ δὲ υἱοῦ Σικανίας ἢ Τρινακρίας ἐγκρατῶν γεγονότων. Ἰταλία δὲ καὶ οὕτως, ἀπό τινος περαιωσαμένης βοός, ἣν ἀθρόαν ἰδόντες ἐγχώριοι ἐκ γῆς ἑτέρας τὸν ἀπόπλουν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ποιουμένην διωκομένην τε παρὰ τῶν κτητόρων αὐτῆς ἐβόησαν· ἰταλός, ἰταλός, ὃ τῇ ἑαυτῶν διαλέκτῳ ἑρμηνεύεται βοῦς, ἢ ἀπό τινος λῃστοῦ Ἰταλοῦ δι' Ἡρακλέους ἐκεῖσε ἀναιρεθέντος τὴν κλῆσιν ἠγάγετο. Λογγιβαρβία δὲ ἀπό τινος Λογγιβάρβου τοῦ πρώτως κατασχόντος τὴν χώραν, ἐφ' ὅτῳ καὶ μέγα ἐξήνθιστο γένειον· λόγγη γὰρ παρὰ Λογγιβάρβοις τὸ μέγα, βάρβα δὲ τὸ γένειον. 4.33 Τὰ δὲ κατὰ Συράκουσαν διεμεσολάβει χρόνων τινῶν δυστυχήματα· ἐπεπολιόρκητο γὰρ παρὰ τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν. καθ' ἣν ἐξεπεπόμφει ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Ἀδριανὸν ἄνδρα γενναῖον σὺν ναυτικῷ πολυάνδρῳ πρὸς τὴν αὐτῆς ἀπολύτρωσιν. ὃς κατιὼν μέχρι Πελοποννήσου Ἱέρακι οὕτω κατονομαζομένῳ λιμένι προσλιμενεύεται, παρεμποδισθεὶς ἐκεῖσε δυσπλοίᾳ χαλεπωτάτῃ ἐπὶ ἡμέρας νʹ· καὶ κατὰ τοῦτον αὐτοῦ δυσφορίᾳ πιεζομένου διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀνέμων ἐγκάθειρξιν, προσεδεδημήκει τις τῶν χρησίμων ἀγγελίαν ἐπικομιζόμενος δυσαχθῆ, ὡς κατὰ εʹ ὥραν τὴν πρὸς τὸ χθὲς τὰς Συρακούσας ἡλῶσθαι. αἷς ὄνομα ἀπό τινων κτισασῶν ταύτας Ἀρχίου θυγατρῶν Σύρας καὶ Κόσσης, ἢ ἀπό τινος ἐκεῖσε λίμνης, ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς πρὶν μὲν κρήνης Συρακοῦς νῦν δὲ Ἀρεθούσης. τοῦ δὲ τὸ ἀληθὲς πολυπραγμονοῦντος καὶ ὁπόθεν ἐπίστασθαι τοῦτο διερευνῶντος, αὐτὸς ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι περ ἐν χώρῳ, ὃς Ἕλος ὠνόμασται, ἀγρὸς πάρεστί μοι ὡς ἀπὸ μιλίων ηʹ πρὸς διάστημα. καὶ κατὰ τὴν παριοῦσαν ἑσπέραν καθ' ὅν μοι περιπολεύοντι προσίασί τινες ποιμαινόντων καὶ ἔφασκον, ὡς ἐκ τῶν ἐπιχωριαζόντων δαιμόνων διακηκοέναι φραζόντων γενέσθαι τὴν Συράκουσαν δοριάλωτον, ἐν ταύτῃ τε παρεῖναι αὐτούς, ὅθεν καὶ διατρανοῦσθαι ἀλήθειαν. αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο μὴ κατανεύων εἰς ἀπιστίαν ἐχώρει, τὴν αὐτηκοΐαν σφετεριζόμενος. καθ' ἣν ἐν καταλήψει γενόμενος τοῦ ἀγροῦ πρώτην καθ' ὥραν <σὺν> καὶ ποιμέσι συγκατειλήφει τὸν ὡρισμένον χῶρον, ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ ἀέρια τὴν διατριβὴν ἐπεποίηντο. ὧν τὴν διαγωγὴν πυνθανομένῳ τινὶ τῶν ποιμένων προσαπεκρίναντο κατὰ πόλιν Συράκουσαν εἶναι τοῦ περιλειφθέντος Χριστιανικοῦ αἵματος ἐμφορεῖσθαι· τὸν δὲ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων εἰδέναι διερευνώμενον τὸ πραχθὲν γινώσκειν, τό τε ὄνομα καὶ τὸν ἀρχικὸν βαθμὸν ἐξεπίστασθαι. οἷς ὁ Ἀδριανὸς μὴ πιστεύων ἔτι ὑπελογίζετο ἕωλα. καὶ μετὰ ιεʹ ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν ὡς ψευδῆ νομιζόμενα παρὰ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν μόλις ἐληλυθότων ἀληθῆ κατεφαίνετο. τῶν οὖν ἐγχωρίων πνευμάτων ἡ τοιαύτη πρόγνωσις, ἢ μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν ἡ ἐπὶ τῶν πραττομένων γνῶσις, τοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν χώραν ἄχρι βασιλείας τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου, ὥς φασι, Λέοντος προσμεμένηκεν. τότε δὴ στρατὸν τὸν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ναύμαχον συναγείρας τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐπιδημεῖ, καὶ ἱκέτης ἔν τινι ἱερῷ παραγίνεται ἐξαιτῶν συγκεχωρῆσθαι τοῦ