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for the king to ride around late evening and go through the whole camp, and at its end, to ascend to a place that was somewhat uneven and rose a little above the plain and look down upon the whole army, which he used to call a moving city, protecting all the other Roman cities. And he did this continuously, and if the morning star were about to enter the western horizon, he did not hesitate to do this. The extent of the camp was somewhere around forty stades, if not even more. I therefore, not having experienced good fortune then, being both a king-lover and a fool, having learned that the king was a horseman, mounted the mule as fast as I could and followed him at a run, not considering the unseasonableness of the hour, as I should have. But the king, mounted on a horse, was proceeding more quickly, and when he saw me behind him, unable to keep up with him, assuming that if he went too far I would not follow, he said to me: “Do not be left behind at all, but come more slowly.” So he went away to the usual place, and with him his chosen men gathered, and I myself joined them, following, and we all stood around in a circle. And the king says, “Have you learned of the things recently reported to us?” And we, “Not at all, O king.” And the king: “A certain man, having come a short while ago, reported something undesirable. It was that the Russian Uros has deceived us; for having come here for the sake of gain, he lied about the mediation of peace and swore a false oath. Therefore, all that he has done was a deception, and he has a convenient excuse, as they say, for the breaking of the oaths, that the ruler of the Bulgarians, his son-in-law, does not accept the peace on such terms. What then do you think? Is this true or a word fabricated by a liar?” And we: “It does not seem at all,” we said, “that the account holds to the truth; for this happens to be entirely false and unreliable, because the Russian Uros swore not only on his own behalf but also on behalf of his son-in-law, the ruler of the Bulgarians. How then is it natural for a man who is a Christian to fall into such perjury?” And the king: “Perhaps the desire for money might have persuaded him to slip into such wickedness, and we not only do not have the love of the Bulgarians, but we have also spent so much money in vain.” “By no means,” we said, “is this true, O king.” And the king privately and to me: “And what do you say to these things?” And I: “I am disposed in these matters somehow just as the others are, and I think what was said is much more likely to be false than true. But if, as sometimes happens in some cases, this Uros has wished to set aside the oaths, thinking to have deceived us, yet he will have the divine as an enemy against him, while we will have it fighting on our behalf for truth and justice.” We said these things, and the king agreed with what was said, and we set out to return to the tents; for it was already night, but the moon, being full, provided us light to see. And the king, as we were going, “What do you think about what was said?” he asked again. And we, “This is false, O king.” And this not once nor twice or even three times, but he was asking it many times, being fainthearted as he was in such circumstances. And we, having given the same answers to his questions, fell silent. But he asked again. And when he saw the others were silent, turning his speech to me, he asked: “And what do you say to these things?” adding the title of my office; “for such a matter is fitting for you and is especially your concern.” And he said these things, seeking to find a pretext for anger. And I replied: “For what reason is it mine? For if I have not drawn up the documents well and have not administered the oaths, nor handled him and those around him properly, this is my error and a great fault; but if these things have been done fittingly and as they ought to have been, what concern to me are the things from

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βασιλεῖ περὶ δείλην ἑσπέραν ἐποχεῖσθαι καὶ σύμπαν διέρχεσθαι τὸ στρατόπεδον, καὶ ἀμφὶ τὸ τούτου τέρμα εἰς τόπον ἀγχώμαλόν πως τελοῦντα καὶ μικρὸν ὑπερ ανεστηκότα τῆς πεδιάδος ἀνέρχεσθαι καὶ τὴν ὅλην καθορᾶν στρατιάν, ἣν καὶ πόλιν κινουμένην ὠνόμαζε, πάσας τὰς Ῥωμαϊκὰς ἄλλας πόλεις φυλάττουσαν. τοῦτο δὲ οὕτως ἐποίει διηνεκῶς, καὶ ὁ φωσφόρος δὲ εἴπερ τὸν δυτικὸν εἰσδῦναι ὁρίζοντα ἔμελλεν, οὐ κατώκνει τοῦτο ἐργάσασθαι. τὸ δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου διάστημα ἀμφί που τὰ τεσσαράκοντα στάδια ἦν, εἰ μή γε καὶ πρός. ἔγωγε οὖν οὐκ ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ τότε χρησάμενος ὁ φιλοβασιλεύς τε καὶ μάταιος, πε πυσμένος ἱππότην εἶναι τὸν βασιλέα, τῆς ἡμιόνου ὡς εἶχον τάχους ἐπιβὰς δρομαῖος ἐφειπόμην αὐτῷ, οὐ τὸ τῆς ὥρας ἄωρον κατοπτεύσας, ὅπερ ἔδει. ἐφ' ἵππου δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπιβὰς ταχύτερον ἐπορεύετο, ὡς δὲ εἶδέ με κατόπιν αὐτοῦ μὴ δυνάμενον ἐκείνῳ συνέπεσθαι, ὑπολαβὼν μή πως μα κρύνας οὐχ ἕψομαι, εἰρήκει μοι· «μηδ' ὅλως ἀπολειφθῇς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σχολαιότερον ἔρχου.» Ἀπῄει γοῦν εἰς τὸν συνήθη τόπον, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν λογάδες συνέστησαν, καὶ αὐτὸς σφίσι ξυνῆλθον ἑπόμενος, καὶ περιέστημεν κατὰ κύκλον πάντες. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς «μεμαθήκατε» φησι «τῶν προσφάτως ἀπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν;» καὶ ἡμεῖς «οὔκουν, ὦ βασιλεῦ.» καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς· «ἄνθρωπός τις πρό τινος βραχείας ὥρας ἐλθὼν ἀπήγ γειλέ τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων. τὸ δ' ἦν, ὡς ὁ Ῥῶσος Οὖρος ἡμᾶς ἐξηπάτηκε· χάριν γὰρ κέρδους ἐνταυθοῖ ἀφιγμένος τὴν μεσιτείαν τῆς εἰρήνης ἐψεύσατο καὶ ἐπίορκον ὤμοσε. φενάκη γοῦν ὑπῆρχε τὰ πάντα ἐκείνῳ ὅσα πεποίηκε, καὶ ἀπολογίαν εὐάφορμον ἔχει, ὥς φασι, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὅρκων διάλυσιν, ὅτιπερ ὁ τῶν Βουλγάρων ἄρχων ὁ τούτου γαμβρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ συμφωνίαις τοιαύταις εἰρήνην οὐ καταδέχεται. τί οὖν ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἆρ' ἀληθές ἐστι τοῦτο ἢ ῥῆμα πεπλασμέ νον πρὸς ψευδολόγου;» καὶ ἡμεῖς· «οὐδ' ὅλως δοκεῖ πως» ἔφημεν «ἀληθείας τὸν λόγον ἔχεσθαι· πάνυ γὰρ τυγχάνει οὗτος ψευδὴς καὶ ἀβέβαιος, ὅτιπερ ὁ Ῥῶσος Οὖρος οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τῶν Βουλγάρων ἄρχοντος ἐπωμόσατο. πῶς οὖν ἐστὶ πεφυ κὸς ἄνθρωπον ὄντα Χριστιανὸν ἐπιορκίᾳ τοιαύτῃ περιπε σεῖν;» καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς· «ἡ τῶν χρημάτων ἴσως ἐπιθυμία παρέπεισεν ἂν αὐτὸν εἰς τοιαύτην ἐξολισθῆσαι κακίαν, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ μόνον τὴν τῶν Βουλγάρων ἀγάπην οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαῦτα ἐπὶ κενῆς καταναλώκαμεν χρήματα.» «οὐμενοῦν» ἡμεῖς ἔφημεν «ἀληθὲς τουτὶ καθέστηκε, βασιλεῦ.» καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἰδίᾳ καὶ πρὸς ἐμέ· «σὺ δὲ τί φάσκεις πρὸς ταῦτα;» καὶ αὐτός· «οὑτωσί πως ἐν τούτοις ὡς καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι διάκειμαι, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ψεύδεσθαι τὸ λελεγμένον ἢ ἀληθεύειν οἴομαι. εἰ δέ, οἷα συμβαίνει ποτὲ καὶ ἐν ἐνίοις, καὶ ὁ Οὖρος οὑτοσὶ τοὺς ὅρκους ἠθετηκέναι βεβούληται, δόξας ἡμᾶς ἐξηπατηκέναι, ἀλλ' ἕξει μὲν οὗτος τὸ θεῖον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ πολέμιον, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τοῦ δικαίου ὑπερμαχόμενον.» ταῦτ' εἴπομεν, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς λελεγμένοις συνῄνεσε, καὶ ὑποστρέφειν πρὸς τὰς σκηνὰς ἐφωρμήκαμεν· νὺξ γὰρ ἤδη, ἀλλ' ἡ σελήνη πανσέληνος οὖσα φῶς ἡμῖν παρεῖχεν ὁρᾶν. Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διερχόμενος «τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ περὶ τῶν λελεγ μένων;» αὖθις ἠρώτα. καὶ ἡμεῖς «ψευδὲς τοῦτο, ὦ βασιλεῦ.» τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δὶς ἢ καὶ τρίς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις πυθόμενος ἦν, οἷα ἐκεῖνος μικρόψυχος ἐν τοιαύταις ὢν περιστάσεσι. καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἐξ ἴσου πρὸς τὰς πεύ σεις πεποιηκότες ἐσιωπῶμεν. ὁ δὲ καὶ πάλιν ἠρώτα. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους σιγῶντας ἑώρα, πρὸς μὲ τὸν λόγον ἀπο στρέψας ἠρώτηκε· «σὺ δὲ τί φῂς πρὸς ταῦτα;» τὴν τοῦ ὀφφικίον κλῆσιν προσθείς· «ἡ τοιαύτη γὰρ ὑπόθεσις σοὶ ἁρμόττει καὶ ὡς σὴ καθέστηκε μάλιστα.» ταυτὶ δὲ ἔλεγε πρόφασιν ὀργῆς ζητῶν ἐφευρεῖν. ἦν δ' ἐγώ· «τίνος χάριν ἐστὶν ἐμή; εἰ γὰρ μὴ καλῶς πεποίηκα τὰς γραφὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους τετέλεκα μηδὲ προσηκόντως αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ᾠκονόμηκα, σφάλμα τοῦτο ἐμὸν καὶ πταῖσμα μακρόν· εἰ δὲ πρεπόντως ταῦτα γεγένηται καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἄλλως ἐχρῆν, τί πρὸς ἐμὲ τὰ παρ'