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having surrounded [it] with a very strong [wall], and having joined each mountain to this, he checked the passage for the barbarians, and for the torrent it is necessary, while pooling inside the wall, then being carried over it to go wherever it may happen. 4.2.23 And all the cities of Greece, which are inside the walls at Thermopylae, he established to be 4.2.24 in safety, having renewed all the circuit-walls. for they had fallen into ruin long before, in Corinth because of the occurrence of extraordinary earthquakes, and in Athens and Plataea and in the places in Boeotia having been weakened by the length of time, and with no one at all among men 4.2.25 having cared for them. and he left nothing exposed to attack or unguarded, since for him, watching out for his subjects, the thought occurred that the barbarians overrunning, if it should so happen, the areas around Thermopylae, as soon as they should learn that there would be no advantage for them having crossed this fortification, since the rest of Greece had become walled everywhere, would immediately lose heart, knowing well that it would be necessary for them to besiege 4.2.26 each city. For a prolonged expectation does not endure to suffer hardship, nor does it strive for a benefit that is postponed, but it trades future fortune for hesitation in these matters. 4.2.27 Having accomplished these things, the emperor Justinian, since he learned that all the cities in the Peloponnesus were unwalled, reasoning that much time would be wasted for him, if he were to take care of them one by one, fortified the whole Isthmus in safety, since most of it had fallen down 4.2.28 already. And he built forts there and established guard-posts. And in this way he has made all the places in the Peloponnesus to be inaccessible to the enemy, even if they should work some mischief against the fortification at Thermopylae. But these things have proceeded in this way. 4.3.1 There was a certain city in Thessaly, Diocletianopolis by name, having been prosperous in the old days, but as time went on, with barbarians falling upon it, it was destroyed and became desolate of inhabitants for a very long time; and a certain lake happens to be near it, which is named Kastoria. And an island in the middle of the lake is surrounded by the 4.3.2 waters. and one entrance into it from the lake is left in a narrow space, extending not more than fifteen 4.3.3 feet. And a very high mountain rises over the island, half of it being covered by the lake, and lying on the remaining part. 4.3.4 For this reason indeed this emperor, disregarding the site of Diocletianopolis as being clearly easy of access and having suffered long before what has been said, built a very strong city on the island, and the name, as was likely, he left 4.3.5 to the city. However, in the case of Echinaeus and Thebes and Pharsalus and all the other cities in Thessaly, among which are Demetrias and Metropolis by name and Gomphoi and Trica, having renewed the circuit-walls, he strengthened them in safety, since they had been weakened by long time and were easy to capture, if anyone should approach. 4.3.6 But since we have arrived in Thessaly, come now, in our account 4.3.6 let us go both to Mount Pelion and the Peneius river. 4.3.7 The Peneius flows from Mount Pelion with a gentle stream, and the city of Larissa, flowed around by it, is beautified, Phthia no longer being there, this indeed the work of long 4.3.8 time. And this river is carried very gently indeed all the way to the sea. The land is therefore fruitful with all kinds of crops and exceedingly filled with drinkable waters, of which the inhabitants here were least able to enjoy the benefit, being constantly terrified and always expecting that the barbarians would fall upon them; since there was nowhere in these regions a fortress, where having fled for refuge they 4.3.9 would be saved. But also both Larissa and Caesarea, their defences being exceedingly weakened, happened to be practically 4.3.10 unwalled. But the emperor Justinian, having made both walls very strong, settled the land with genuine 4.3.11 prosperity. And not far away rise precipitous mountains, thick with sky-high trees; and the mountains are home 4.3.12 to the Centaurs. and for the Lapiths in this land there was against the race of Centaurs the

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ὀχυρωτάτῳ περιβαλών, τούτῳ τε συνάψας ὄρος ἑκάτερον τοῖς μὲν βαρβάροις τὴν δίοδον ἀνεχαίτισε, τῷ δὲ χειμάρρῳ ἐπάναγκές ἐστι λιμνάζοντι τοῦ τείχους ἐντός, εἶτα ἐφύπερθεν αὐτοῦ φερομένῳ ὅπῃ παρατύχοι ἰέναι. 4.2.23 Καὶ πόλεις δὲ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἁπάσας, αἵπερ ἐντός εἰσι τῶν ἐν Θερμοπύλαις τειχῶν, ἐν τῷ βεβαίῳ κατεστήσατο 4.2.24 εἶναι, τοὺς περιβόλους ἀνανεωσάμενος ἅπαντας. κατερηρίπεσαν γὰρ πολλῷ πρότερον, ἐν Κορίνθῳ μὲν σεισμῶν ἐπιγενομένων ἐξαισίων, Ἀθήνησι δὲ καὶ Πλαταιᾶσι κἀν τοῖς ἐπὶ Βοιωτίας χωρίοις χρόνου μὲν μήκει πεπονηκότες, ἐπιμελησαμένου δὲ αὐτῶν οὐδενὸς τῶν πάντων ἀνθρώ4.2.25 πων. ἐπίμαχον δὲ ἢ ἀφύλακτον οὐδὲν εἴασεν, ἐπεὶ αὐτῷ προεγρηγορότι τῶν κατηκόων ἔννοια γέγονεν ὡς οἱ βάρβαροι καταθέοντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, τά γε ἀμφὶ Θερμοπύλας χωρία, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα πύθωνται οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ὄφελος ἔσεσθαι ὑπερβεβηκόσι τὸ ἔρυμα τοῦτο, τειχήρους πανταχόθι γεγενημένης τῆς ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος, ἐθελοκακήσουσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἐξεπιστάμενοι ὡς πολιορκεῖν 4.2.26 σφίσι πόλιν ἑκάστην ἐπάναγκες ἔσται. προσδοκία γὰρ μηκυνομένη ταλαιπωρεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχεται, οὐδὲ ἀναβαλλομένης ὠφελείας ἐφίεται, ἀλλ' ἀποδίδοται τῆς περὶ ταῦτα ὀκνήσεως τὴν μέλλουσαν τύχην. 4.2.27 Ταῦτα διαπεπραγμένος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεύς, ἐπεὶ τὰς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ πόλεις ἁπάσας ἀτειχίστους ἐμάνθανεν εἶναι, λογισάμενος ὅτι δή οἱ πολὺς τετρίψεται χρόνος, εἰ κατὰ μιᾶς ἐπιμελοῖτο, τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ὅλον ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐτειχίσατο, ἐπεὶ αὐτοῦ καταπεπτώκει τὰ πολλὰ 4.2.28 ἤδη. φρούριά τε ταύτῃ ἐδείματο καὶ φυλακτήρια κατεστήσατο. τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ ἄβατα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἅπαντα πεποίηκεν εἶναι τὰ ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ χωρία, εἰ καί τι ἐς τὸ ἐν Θερμοπύλαις ὀχύρωμα κακουργήσοιεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τῇδε κεχώρηκε. 4.3.1 Πόλις δὲ ἦν τις ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας, ∆ιοκλητιανούπολις ὄνομα, εὐδαίμων μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν γεγενημένη, προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου βαρβάρων οἱ ἐπιπεσόντων καταλυθεῖσα καὶ οἰκητόρων ἔρημος γεγονυῖα ἐπὶ μακρότατον· λίμνη δέ τις αὐτῇ ἐν γειτόνων τυγχάνει οὖσα, ἣ Καστορία ὠνόμασται. καὶ νῆσος κατὰ μέσον τῆς λίμνης τοῖς ὕδασι 4.3.2 περιβέβληται. μία δὲ εἰς αὐτὴν εἴσοδος ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης ἐν στενῷ λέλειπται, οὐ πλέον ἐς πεντεκαίδεκα διήκουσα 4.3.3 πόδας. ὄρος τε τῇ νήσῳ ἐπανέστηκεν ὑψηλὸν ἄγαν, ἥμισυ μὲν τῇ λίμνῃ καλυπτόμενον, τῷ δὲ λειπομένῳ ἐγκείμενον. 4.3.4 διὸ δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος τὸν ∆ιοκλητιανουπόλεως ὑπεριδὼν χῶρον ἅτε που διαφανῶς εὐέφοδον ὄντα καὶ πεπονθότα πολλῷ πρότερον ἅπερ ἐρρήθη, πόλιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ὀχυρωτάτην ἐδείματο, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἀφῆκε 4.3.5 τῇ πόλει. ἐπὶ μέντοι Ἐχιναίου τε καὶ Θηβῶν καὶ Φαρσάλου καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας πόλεων ἁπασῶν, ἐν αἷς ∆ημητριάς τέ ἐστι καὶ Μητρόπολις ὄνομα καὶ Γόμφοι καὶ Τρίκα, τοὺς περιβόλους ἀνανεωσάμενος, ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐκρατύνατο, χρόνῳ τε καταπεπονηκότας μακρῷ, εὐπετῶς τε ἁλωτοὺς ὄντας, εἴ τις προσίοι. 4.3.6 Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἐς Θεσσαλίαν ἀφίγμεθα, φέρε δή, τῷ λόγῳ 4.3.6 ἐπί τε τὸ ὄρος τὸ Πήλιον καὶ Πηνειὸν ποταμὸν ἴωμεν. 4.3.7 ῥεῖ μὲν ἐξ ὄρους τοῦ Πηλίου πρᾴῳ τῷ ῥείθρῳ ὁ Πηνειός, ὡράϊσται δὲ αὐτῷ περιρρεομένη πόλις ἡ Λάρισσα, τῆς Φθίας ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι οὔσης, τοῦτο δὴ τοῦ μακροῦ 4.3.8 χρόνου τὸ διαπόνημα. φέρεται δὲ ὁ ποταμὸς οὗτος εὖ μάλα προσηνῶς ἄχρι ἐς θάλασσαν. εὔφορός τε οὖν ἐστιν ἡ χώρα καρπῶν παντοδαπῶν καὶ ποτίμοις ὕδασι κατακορὴς ἄγαν, ὧνπερ ὀνίνασθαι ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον περίφοβοι ὄντες οἱ τῇδε ᾠκημένοι διηνεκὲς καὶ καραδοκοῦντες ἀεὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐγκείσεσθαι σφίσιν· ἐπεὶ οὐδαμῆ τῶν ταύτῃ χωρίων ὀχύρωμα ἦν, ὅπη ἂν καταφυγόντες 4.3.9 σωθήσονται. ἀλλὰ καὶ Λάρισσαν καὶ Καισάρειαν, πεπονηκότων σφίσιν ὑπεράγαν τῶν ἐρυμάτων, σχεδόν τι 4.3.10 ἀτειχίστους εἶναι ξυνέβαινε. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς ἄμφω τείχη ἰσχυρότατα ποιησάμενος γνησίᾳ τὴν χώραν 4.3.11 εὐδαιμονίᾳ ξυνῴκισεν. οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ἄποθεν ὄρη ἀνέχει ἀπόκρημνα, οὐρανομήκεσιν ἀμφιλαφῆ δένδροις· οἰκεῖα 4.3.12 δὲ Κενταύροις τὰ ὄρη. καὶ γέγονε Λαπίθαις ἐν τῇδε τῇ χώρᾳ πρὸς τὸ Κενταύρων γένος ἡ