1. And just as day was dawning, the emperor fortified the camp with a strong palisade in this manner. A certain low hill of Dorystolon rises at a distance on the plain. Having encamped the army on this, he ordered a trench to be dug all around; and that they, carrying out the earth, should deposit it onto the brow of the trench that encircled the 143 camp, and when the mounds of earth were raised to a sufficient height, to plant the spears on top, and to rest the shields on these, touching one another; so that both the trench and the excavated earth would serve as a wall for the army; and it would not be possible for the enemies to cross inside, but they would be prevented from attacking by falling into the trench. For it was customary for the Romans, in this way to set up their encampment in enemy territory. And when he had fortified the palisade in this manner, on the following day, having drawn up the army, he attacked the wall. But the Scythians, leaning out from the towers, launched arrows and stones, and whatever missile weapons there were, against the Roman phalanx. And they themselves with slings and arrows fought back against the Scythians from below. And the battle for both sides consisted of such skirmishes, and the Romans went to the palisade and took their dinner; but the Scythians, as the day was declining, went out from the fortress on horseback, appearing then for the first time mounted on horses. For they had always been accustomed to go into wars on foot, being unpracticed in mounting their horses and fighting against the enemy. But the Romans, quickly arming themselves and mounting their horses, and having taken up their lances (and they use these long ones in battles), charged them with a rush and a violent push. But they, not even knowing how to guide their horses with reins, being struck by the Romans' javelins, turned their backs and were shut up in the fortress. 2. At that very time also the Roman fire-bearing triremes with the grain-carrying transports appeared sailing up the Ister; which when the Romans saw, they were filled with unspeakable joy, but fear seized the Scythians, fearing the liquid fire being brought against them. For they had heard from the elders of their nation, that the army of ten thousand ships of Igor, the one who fathered Sphendosthlabos, the Romans with such Median fire had burned to ashes on the Euxine. From there, in haste, having gathered their skiffs, they dragged them before the wall of the city, where the Ister, flowing by, washes against the other side of Dorystolon. These the fire-bearing ships guarded all around, so that it would not be possible for the Scythians, having embarked on them, to escape to their own land. And on the next day, the Tauro-Scythians, having slipped out of the city, drew themselves up on the plain, holding before them shields that reached to their feet and chain-mail corselets. And the Romans themselves also went out from the palisade, fully armed; and both sides fought fiercely, and the victory seemed doubtful, with now one side, now the other pressing forward. But when a certain Roman, having broken from the phalanx, struck down with a javelin Sphengelos, who was honored as third after Sphendosthlabos among the Tauro-Scythians, then fighting furiously, a man of gigantic stature and youthful vigor; at his fall, the Tauro-Scythians, thrown into confusion, began to retreat from the field at a walking pace and hastened toward the city. At that time also Theodore, surnamed Lalakon, a man 145 hard to face and invincible in both courage and physical strength, killed very many of the enemy with an iron mace. For by the strength of his hand, bringing this down, along with the helmet itself he crushed the head that was covered by it. But thus then the Scythians, having turned their backs, returned through the city. But the emperor, having ordered the recall to be sounded on the trumpet, called the Romans together to the palisade, whom

αʹ. Ἄρτι δὲ ἡμέρας διαυγαζούσης, ἐρυμνῷ χάρακι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐκρατύνετο. γεώλοφός τις χαμαίζηλος τοῦ ∆ορυστόλου ἐκ διαστήματος κατὰ τὸ πεδίον ἀνίσταται. ἐν τούτῳ τὸ στράτευμα διασκηνισάμενος, ταφρείαν ἀνορύττειν κυκλόθεν ἐκέλευε· τόν τε χοῦν ἐκφοροῦντας ἐς τὴν τὸ 143 στρατόπεδον ταινιοῦσαν τῆς τάφρου ὀφρῦν ἀποτίθεσθαι, ἐς ὕψος δὲ ἀποχρῶν αἰρομένων τῶν χωμάτων ἄνωθεν καταπηγνύειν τὰ δόρατα, ἐπερείδειν τε τούτοις τοὺς θυρεοὺς ἀλλήλων ψαύοντας· ὡς ἀντὶ τείχους χρηματίζειν τήν τε τάφρον καὶ τὸν ἐκφορηθέντα χοῦν τῷ στρατεύματι· καὶ μὴ ἐνὸν εἴη τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἔνδον διαβαίνειν, ἀλλ' εἴργεσθαι τῆς ἐφόδου τῇ τάφρῳ ἐγχρίπτουσιν. εἰθισμένον δὲ Ῥωμαίοις, ταύτῃ τὴν σφῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πολεμίας διατίθεσθαι ἔπαυλιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν χάρακα τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκρατύνατο, τῇ ἐπιούσῃ ἐκτάξας τὴν στρατιὰν τῷ τείχει προσέβαλλε. Σκύθαι δὲ, τῶν πύργων προκύπτοντες, βέλη καὶ χερμάδας, καὶ ὅσα ἑκηβόλα πέφυκεν ὄργανα, κατὰ τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἠφίεσαν φάλαγγος. οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ σφενδόναις καὶ βέλεσι Σκύθας ἠμύναντο κάτωθεν. καὶ μέχρι τῶν τοιούτων ἀκροβολισμῶν ἀμφοτέροις ἡ μάχη περιΐστατο, καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα ᾔεσαν, καὶ δεῖπνον εἵλοντο· Σκύθαι δὲ, κλινούσης ἡμέρας, ἔφιπποι τοῦ περιβόλου ἐξῄεσαν, τότε πρώτως φανέντες ἐφ' ἵππων ὀχούμενοι. ἄφιπποι γὰρ παρὰ τοὺς πολέμους ἀεὶ χωρεῖν εἰώθεισαν, ἀνασκήτως ἔχοντες τῶν ἐφιππίων ἐπιβαίνειν, καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀνταγωνίζεσθαι. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ, σπουδῇ τοῖς ὅπλοις φραξάμενοι καὶ τῶν ἵππων ἐπιβάντες, τούς τε κοντοὺς ἀνειληφότες (ἐπιμήκεις δὲ τούτους παρὰ τὰς μάχας μεταχειρίζονται), μετὰ ῥύμης καὶ βιαίου ὠθισμοῦ αὐτοῖς ἐπελαύνουσιν. οἱ δὲ, μηδὲ τοῖς ῥυτῆρσι τοὺς ἵππους χαλιναγωγεῖν ἐπιστάμενοι, πρὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατακοντιζόμενοι, νῶτα δόντες εἰς τὸ τεῖχος κατεκλείοντο. βʹ. Τηνικαῦτα δὴ καὶ αἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πυρφόροι τριήρεις μετὰ τῶν σιτηγῶν πορθμείων διὰ τοῦ Ἴστρου ἐφάνησαν ἀναπλέουσαι· ἃς Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν ἰδόντες ἀῤῥήτου χαρμονῆς ὑπεπλήσθησαν, Σκύθας δὲ δέος ᾕρει, τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον αὐτοῖς ὑγρὸν πῦρ δεδιότας. ἠκηκόεισαν γὰρ πρὸς τῶν γεραιτέρων τοῦ σφῶν ἔθνους, ὡς τὸν μυριόστολον στρατὸν Ἴγγορος, τοῦ τὸν Σφενδοσθλάβον τεκόντος, Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ τοιούτῳ Μηδικῷ πυρὶ κατὰ τὸν Εὔξεινον ἐξετέφρωσαν. ἐντεῦθεν σπουδῇ τὰ ἑαυτῶν συναγαγόντες ἀκάτια, πρὸ τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἄστεος εἵλκυσαν, ἵνα παραῤῥέων ὁ Ἴστρος τὸ θάτερον τοῦ ∆ορυστόλου περικλύζει πλευρόν. ταῦτα αἱ πυρφόροι νῆες κυκλόθεν ἐφρούρουν, ὡς μὴ εἴη Σκύθαις ἐνὸν, αὐτῶν ἐπιβεβηκόσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν σφῶν ἀνασώζεσθαι γῆν. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ Ταυροσκύθαι, τοῦ ἄστεος ὑπεκδύντες, κατὰ τὸ πεδίον ἐτάξαντο, ποδηνεκεῖς θυρεοὺς προβαλλόμενοι καὶ θώρακας ἁλυσιδωτούς. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦ χάρακος ὑπεξῄεσαν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς τεθωρακισμένοι· καὶ καρτερῶς ἄμφω τὰ μέρη διηγωνίζοντο, καὶ ἀμφίδοξος ἡ νίκη ἐδόκει, ἄλλοτε θατέρου μέρους ὠθοῦντος. ἐπεὶ δέ τις Ῥωμαίων τῆς φάλαγγος ἀποῤῥαγεὶς τὸν μετὰ Σφενδοσθλάβον τρίτον παρὰ Ταυροσκύθαις τιμώμενον Σφέγκελον, ἐκθύμως τότε διαγωνιζόμενον, κατηκόντισεν, ἄνδρα γιγαντώδη καὶ νεανικόν· ἐπὶ τῷ τούτου πτώματι διαταραχθέντες Ταυροσκύθαι βάδην τοῦ πεδίου ὑπενόστουν καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἄστυ ἠπείγοντο. τηνικαῦτα καὶ Θεόδωρος, ὁ τὴν κατεπωνυμίαν Λαλάκων, ἀνὴρ κατά τε ἀλκὴν καὶ σώματος ῥώμην 145 δυσάντητος καὶ ἀκαταγώνιστος, πλείστους τῶν δυσμενῶν σιδηρᾷ κορύνῃ ἀπέκτεινεν. ἰσχύϊ γὰρ χειρὸς ταύτην καταφέρων, αὐτῇ κυνῇ καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ περιστελλομένην συνέθλαττε κεφαλήν. ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν τότε Σκύθαι, τὰ νῶτα δόντες, διὰ τοῦ ἄστεος ὑπενόστησαν. Ῥωμαίους δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς, τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν ἐπαυλεῖν ἐγκελεύσας, συνεκαλεῖτο ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα, οὓς