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battle, as the myths from of old maintain for us, boasting that there was a strange race of men in ancient times, and 4.3.13 a certain nature mingled from two creatures. And ancient time has also left some testimony to the myth in a name, of a fort being in the mountains here. For the place 4.3.14 is called Kentauropolis even to my time. whose wall the Emperor Justinian, since it had already fallen down, together with the fort Eurymene, being somewhere thereabouts and having suffered the same fate, rebuilt 4.3.15 and strengthened. And this emperor restored many other forts as well in Thessaly, whose names, together with those fortified in Macedonia, will be written by me in a list not much later. 4.3.16 But now, so that nothing of Hellas may be left unmentioned, we must go to the island of Euboea, since it stands very near Athens 4.3.17 and Marathon. This island of Euboea, then, juts out from Hellas into the sea, but seems somehow to have been carried away, the land having been one before, 4.3.18 but later separated by a strait; for here a certain influx of the sea breaks through the mainland around the city of Chalcis, coming together in a narrow space and being constricted on both sides by the banks 4.3.19 to the width of a stream. And the part of the land cut off has become an island; and the strait 4.3.20 has been named Euripus. Such, then, is Euboea; and a bridge for the strait is made by a single beam laid across it; which when they put it in place, whenever they wish, the inhabitants seem to be mainlanders and go on foot to the land opposite, but when they remove it they cross the channel in their boats and become islanders again, and by the placing and removal of a single piece of wood they both travel on foot and sail; *** enclosed within 4.3.21 they call Pallene. The entrance, however, the inhabitants in ancient times having secured with a cross-wall, and by this means joining the sea on either side, they built a city there, which in former times they called Potidaea, but now Cassandria. 4.3.22 And so time destroyed all the buildings there that indeed a certain Hunnic tribe, not long before, overrunning the regions there, as if managing some kind of side-task, captured without fear both this junction and the city, although since they became men 4.3.23 they had never engaged in siege warfare. But this too became for the Emperor Justinian an occasion to display both his virtue and 4.3.24 magnanimity. For to the difficulties that arise he always makes his own foresight a counterforce, and the worst of what has happened he, by his subsequent good works, 4.3.25 immediately transforms to a better fortune. And of Pallene, to be sure, both the city which stands as a bulwark for the whole country and the cross-wall at the entrance he manifestly made 4.3.26 to be both impregnable and irresistible for those willing to plot against it. These things, then, have been accomplished by him in his deeds concerning Macedonia. 4.3.27 And a certain river flows not far from Thessalonica, Rhechius by name; which indeed, passing through a country both good and fertile, makes its outlet into the sea there. 4.3.28 The river is gentle, the water calm and potable, 4.3.29 the land is low-lying, with many fragrant plants, and a meadow with good pasturage. And in this respect the country is well off for prosperity, but it happened to be very easy of access for barbarians, having neither a fort within forty 4.3.30 stades nor any other defence. For this reason indeed the emperor, by the outlets of the river Rhechius and the sea shore, built a very strong fort, creating it new himself, which has been named Artemision. 4.4.1 And as many other strongholds as have been made in this portion of Europe, it is worth telling. And if, on the one hand, we were making the list of the forts here, which have been built by the Emperor Justinian, among some other men living far away and having a different form of government, where indeed the account was likely to be without witness, I know well that I would have seemed a teller of myths because of the number of the works and altogether untrustworthy. 4.4.2 But as it is (for the sight is not, I suppose, far away, and the people from there who visit us are very numerous) come,

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μάχη, ὡς οἱ μῦθοι ἡμῖν ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἰσχυρίζονται, νεανιευόμενοι γεγονέναι ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἀλλόκοτον καὶ 4.3.13 ζῴων φύσιν τινὰ δυοῖν σύμμικτον. ἀφῆκε δέ τι καὶ τῷ μύθῳ ἐν προσηγορίᾳ μαρτύριον ὁ παλαιὸς χρόνος, φρουρίου ἐν τοῖς τῇδε ὄρεσιν ὄντος. Κενταυρόπολις γὰρ τὸ 4.3.14 χωρίον καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ὀνομάζεται. οὗπερ τὸ τεῖχος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς καταπεπτωκὸς ἤδη σὺν Εὐρυμένῃ τῷ φρουρίῳ ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντι καὶ ταὐτὸ πεπονθότι ἀνοικο4.3.15 δομησάμενος ἐκρατύνατο. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα φρούρια ἐπὶ Θεσσαλίας ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἀνενεώσατο, ὧνπερ τὰ ὀνόματα σὺν τοῖς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τετειχισμένοις ἐν καταλόγῳ γεγράψεταί μοι οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον. 4.3.16 Ἀλλὰ νῦν, ἵνα μηδὲν τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἀπολειφθείη μένον ἄρρητον, ἐς Εὔβοιαν ἡμῖν τὴν νῆσον ἰτέον, ἐπεὶ Ἀθηνῶν 4.3.17 τε καὶ Μαραθῶνος ἄγχιστα ἕστηκεν. Εὔβοια τοίνυν ἡ νῆσος ἥδε προβέβληται μὲν τῆς Ἑλλάδος εἰς θάλασσαν, δοκεῖ δέ που ἀπενεχθῆναι, μιᾶς μὲν οὔσης τῆς γῆς πρό4.3.18 τερον, ἀποσχισθείσης δὲ πορθμῷ ὕστερον· ῥήγνυσι γάρ τις τὴν ἤπειρον ἐνταῦθα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπιρροὴ ἀμφὶ Χαλκίδα πόλιν, ἐν στενῷ τε ξυνιοῦσα καὶ ταῖς ὄχθαις 4.3.19 ἑκατέρωθι σφιγγομένη ἐς ῥύακος εὖρος. καὶ νῆσος μὲν τὸ ἀποτετμημένον τῆς γῆς γέγονεν· Εὔριπος δὲ ὁ πορ4.3.20 θμὸς ἐπωνόμασται. τοιαύτη μὲν οὖν τις ἡ Εὔβοια τυγχάνει οὖσα· ζεῦγμα δὲ τῷ πορθμῷ μία τις ἐγκειμένη ποιεῖται δοκός· ἥνπερ ἐπιτιθέντες μέν, ἡνίκα ἂν ᾖ βουλομένοις σφίσιν, οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ἠπειρῶται δοκοῦσιν εἶναι καὶ εἰς γῆν τὴν ἀντιπέρας πεζοὶ ἴασιν, ἀφαιρούμενοι δὲ ταῖς τε ἀκάτοις διαπορθμεύονται τὸν ἀνάπλουν καὶ νησιῶται γίνονται αὖθις, ἑνός τε ξύλου ἐπιβολῇ καὶ ἀφαιρέσει καὶ πεζεύουσι καὶ ναυτίλλονται· *** ἐντὸς καθειργμένην 4.3.21 καλοῦσι Παλλήνην. τὴν μέντοι εἴσοδον διατειχίσματι τὸ παλαιὸν καταλαβόντες οἱ ἐπιχώριοι, ταύτῃ τε τὴν ἑκατέρωθι συζεύξαντες θάλασσαν, πόλιν ἐνταῦθα ἐδείμαντο, ἣν πάλαι μὲν Ποτίδαιαν, τανῦν δὲ Κασανδρίαν 4.3.22 ὀνομάζουσιν. οὕτω δὲ τὰς ἐνταῦθα οἰκοδομίας ὁ χρόνος διέφθειρε πάσας ὥστε δὴ Οὐννικόν τι ἔθνος οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον καταθέοντες τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία, ὥσπερ τι διαχειρίζοντες οἷόν τι πάρεργον, τό τε ξύμβαμα τοῦτο καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἄφοβοι ἐξεῖλον, καίπερ ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ἄν4.3.23 θρωποι οὐ τειχομαχήσαντες πώποτε. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονε πρόφασις ἀρετήν τε καὶ 4.3.24 μεγαλοφροσύνην ἐνδείξασθαι. τοῖς γὰρ ξυμπίπτουσι χαλεποῖς ἀντίξουν ποιούμενος ἀεὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ πρόνοιαν, τῶν ξυμβεβηκότων τὰ πονηρότατα ταῖς ἐπιγινομέναις 4.3.25 ἀγαθοεργίαις εὐθὺς μεταβιβάζεται ἐς τύχην ἀμείνω. καὶ Παλλήνης ἀμέλει πόλιν τε τὴν προβεβλημένην τῆς χώρας ἁπάσης καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὴν εἴσοδον διατείχισμα τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐθέλουσιν ἄμαχόν τε καὶ ἀνανταγώνιστον διε4.3.26 πράξατο διαφανῶς εἶναι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν πράξεσιν αὐτῷ ταῖς ἐπὶ Μακεδονίαν διαπεπόνηται. 4.3.27 Ῥεῖ δέ τις ποταμὸς Θεσσαλονίκης οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν, Ῥήχιος ὄνομα· ὃς δὴ χώραν ἀγαθήν τε καὶ γεώδη περιερχόμενος τὰς ἐκβολὰς εἰς θάλασσαν τὴν ἐκείνῃ ποιεῖται. 4.3.28 προσηνὴς δὲ ὁ ποταμός ἐστι, γαληνὸν τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πό4.3.29 τιμον, ἡ γῆ χθαμαλή, ἀρόματα πολλά, ἕλος εὔνομον. καὶ ταύτῃ μὲν εὐδαιμονίας ἡ χώρα εὖ ἔχει, βαρβάροις δὲ λίαν εὐέφοδος οὖσα ἐτύγχανεν, οὔτε φρούριον ἐν σημεί4.3.30 οις τεσσαράκοντα οὔτε ἄλλο τι ἔρυμα ἔχουσα. διὸ δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρά τε τὰς τοῦ Ῥηχίου ποταμοῦ ἐκβολὰς καὶ τὴν τῆς θαλάσσης ἠϊόνα φρούριον ᾠκοδομήσατο ἐχυρώτατον, καινουργήσας αὐτός, ὅπερ Ἀρτεμίσιον ἐπωνόμασται. 4.4.1 Ὅσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ὀχυρώματα ἐν τῇδε τῇ τῆς Εὐρώπης πεποίηται μοίρᾳ εἰπεῖν ἄξιον. καὶ εἰ μὲν παρ' ἄλλοις ἀνθρώπων τισὶ μακράν τε ᾠκημένοις καὶ πολιτείαν ἑτέραν ἔχουσι τὸν κατάλογον ἐποιούμεθα τῶν τῇδε φρουρίων, ἅπερ Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ εἴργασται, ἵνα δὴ ἔμελλεν ὁ λόγος ἀμάρτυρος εἶναι, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι μυθολόγος τε ἂν τῶν ἔργων τῷ ἀριθμῷ ἔδοξεν εἶναι καὶ ἄπιστος ὅλως. 4.4.2 νῦν δὲ (ἥ τε γὰρ ὄψις οὐ μακράν που τυγχάνει οὖσα καὶ παμπληθεῖς ἄγαν οἱ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιχωριάζοντες ἡμῖν ἄνθρωποι) φέρε