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to be at peace, having previously occupied whatever the Ister divides from the dominion of the Romans, but suddenly rising up, they migrated towards our land. The reason for their migration was the implacable enmity of the Getae against them, who, though bordering them, were plundering them. For this reason, watching for an opportunity, when they saw the Ister frozen over, using it as if it were dry land, they migrated from there to us, a whole nation, burdened upon our borders, and they were dreadfully plundering the neighboring cities and lands. 3.8.7 Having heard this, the emperor Isaac judged it necessary to occupy Triaditza. Since he had forestalled the eastern barbarians from their attempts, this particular area had become most trouble-free for him. And so, having gathered the entire army, he took the road leading there, wishing to drive them from the Roman borders. Having drawn up the entire army in good order, he, as general, advanced against them. But they, seeing him, were immediately divided and became of different opinions. But he, not trusting them at all, advanced with his strong phalanx against their strongest and most formidable part, and indeed, drawing near to them, he struck terror into them with both himself and his army. For they did not dare to look in the face of one who was like a thunderbolt-bearer, and seeing the unbreakable close formation of the army, they themselves dispersed. So, retreating for a short distance, and having proclaimed war against him for the third day, they abandoned their tents that very day and took to flight. But he, occupying the place where they had been encamped, and having torn down their tents and carried off the booty that was found, returned as a trophy-bearer. 3.8.8 But when he was around the foothills of Lovitzos, a torrential downpour overtook him and an unseasonable snowstorm, it being the twenty-fourth of September, on which the memory of the great martyr Thekla is celebrated. So, with the river streams flooding and the water overflowing, the whole of that plain could be seen as a sea, in which both the imperial tent and the entire army were encamped. From there, all the necessary provisions disappeared, swept away by the river currents, and the men and the cattle were frozen stiff by the cold. And the sky roared with thunder, and continuous lightning flashes, having no interval of time at all, threatened as if to set that entire earthly place on fire. 3.8.9 Seeing these things, the emperor was at a loss. But when there was a moderate pause, having lost very many who had been caught in the whirlpools of the river currents, he went out from there with his chosen men and, going with them under a certain oak tree, he stood. But sensing a very great sound and a cry as if coming from the oak, and as more violent winds were blowing at that time, he was frightened lest the oak be brought down by their force, and moving away a distance so great that the oak, if it should be brought down, would not reach to strike him, he stood speechless. And it, immediately as if on a signal, was torn up from its roots and was seen lying on the ground. 3.8.10 But the emperor stood marveling at God's solicitude for him; and having learned of a rumored revolt in the east, he entered the palace. And at that time, in the name of the great martyr Thekla, he built a very beautiful temple, magnificently constructed and at considerable expense, having variety of handiwork, and having offered in it thank-offerings for his deliverance as befits Christians, he continuously performed the divine hymns in it. Thus was the aforementioned sacred precinct rebuilt in the name of the great martyr Thekla, in which the empress and mother of the autocrator Alexios, as the account has already indicated, made her constant petitions. 3.8.11 And I too saw her for a certain short time and marveled. And that the things already said are not a boast, all know and would confess, if they should wish, all those who are willing to uncover the truth without passion. For if I had chosen to praise, but not history

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ἡσυχάζειν, νεμόμενοι πρότερον ὁπόσα ὁ Ἴστρος πρὸς τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων διορίζει ἡγεμονίαν, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον ἀπαναστάντες πρὸς τὴν ἡμεδαπὴν γῆν μετῳκίσθησαν. Αἰτία δὲ τῆς τούτων μετοικήσεως ἡ τῶν Γετῶν κατ' αὐτῶν ἄσπονδος ἔχθρα ὁμορούντων μὲν ἐκείνοις, τούτους δὲ λῃστευόντων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καιρὸν ἐπιτηροῦντες, ἐπεὶ τὸν Ἴστρον ἀποκρυσταλλωθέντα εἶδον, ὥσπερ ἠπείρῳ τούτῳ χρησάμενοι ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς μετανίστανται ὅλον ἔθνος τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐπιφορτισθὲν ὁρίοις καὶ δεινῶς ἐλῄζοντο τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις καὶ χώρας. 3.8.7 Τοῦτ' ἐνωτισθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσαάκιος δέον ἔκρινε τὴν Τριά διτζαν καταλαβεῖν. Ἐπεὶ τοὺς ἑῴους βαρβάρους τῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων φθάσας ἀνεῖρξε, καὶ τοῦτο δὴ ἀπραγμο νέστατον αὐτῷ ἐγεγόνει τὸ τμῆμα. Καὶ δὴ τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν συλλεξάμενος τῆς πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖσε φερούσης ὁδοῦ ἥψατο ἀπελάσαι βουλόμενος τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ὅρων αὐτούς. Καταστήσας δὲ τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν ἐν εὐταξίᾳ στρατηγὸς κατ' αὐτῶν ἵεται. Οἱ δὲ τοῦτον θεασάμενοι εὐθὺς διαιρε θέντες διαφόρου γνώμης γεγόνασιν. Ὁ δὲ οὐ πάνυ πι στεύειν αὐτοῖς ἔχων ἐπὶ τὸ καρτερώτατον καὶ δυσμαχώτε ρον μέρος αὐτῶν σὺν καρτερᾷ τῇ φάλαγγι ἵεται καὶ δὴ πλησιάσας αὐτοῖς ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ κατέ πληξε. Πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὸν οἷα δὴ κεραυνοφόρον ἀντωπεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμων, τοῦ δὲ στρατοπέδου τὸν ἀρραγῆ συνασπισμὸν βλέποντες αὐτοὶ διελύοντο. Ὑποχωρήσαντες οὖν πρὸς μικρόν, πόλεμον ἐς τρίτην αὐτῷ ἐπαγγειλάμενοι τὰς σκηνὰς αὐθήμερον ἀφέντες φυγαδείᾳ ἐχρήσαντο. Ὁ δὲ καταλαβών, ἔνθα οὗτοι ηὐλίζοντο, καὶ τάς τε σκηνὰς αὐτῶν κατασκάψας καὶ τὴν εὑρημένην λείαν ἀπαγαγὼν τροπαιοφόρος ἐπάνεισι. 3.8.8 Γενομένου δὲ περὶ τοὺς τοῦ Λοβιτζοῦ πρόποδας, ῥαγδαῖος ὄμβρος αὐτὸν καταλαμβάνει καὶ νιφετὸς ἔξωρος εἰκοστὴν πρὸς τῇ τετάρτῃ τοῦ Σε πτεμβρίου ἄγοντος, ἐν ᾗ ἡ τῆς μεγαλομάρτυρος Θέκλης μνήμη τελεῖται. Πλημμύρας οὖν γενομένης τῶν ποταμίων ῥευμάτων καὶ ὑπερχειλήσαντος τοῦ ὕδατος θάλασσαν ἦν ὁρᾶν ἅπαν τὸ πεδίον ἐκεῖνο, ἐν ᾧ ἥ τε βασιλικὴ σκηνὴ καὶ τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἅπαν κατεσκήνου. Ἐντεῦθεν τὰ πρὸς χρείαν ἅπαντα ἠφανίσθησαν τοῖς ποταμίοις ῥεύμασι παρασυρέντα, οἱ ἄνθρωποι δὲ καὶ τὰ κτήνη ὑπὸ τοῦ κρύους ἐπήγνυντο. Ἐμυκᾶτο δὲ καὶ βροντῶν οὐρανός, ἀστραπαὶ δὲ συνεχεῖς, χρονικὴν μὴ ἔχουσαι τὸ παράπαν διάστασιν, τὸ περίγειον ἐκεῖνο ἅπαν ἐμπρῆσαι οἷον ἠπείλουν. 3.8.9 Ταῦτα ὁρῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν. Ἀναστολῆς δὲ μετρίας γενομένης πλείστους τε ἀποβαλὼν ταῖς δίναις τῶν ποταμίων συσχεθέντας ῥευμάτων ἐκεῖθεν μετὰ τῶν λογάδων ἔξεισι καὶ ὑπὸ φηγόν τινα μετ' αὐτῶν ἀπελθὼν ἵστατο. Ἤχου δὲ μεγίστου καὶ βοῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ δρυὸς οἷον ἐξερχομένου αἰσθόμενος καὶ σφοδροτέρων ἀνέ μων τηνικαῦτα πνεόντων πτοηθείς, μὴ τῇ τούτων βίᾳ ὁ δρῦς κατενεχθῇ, τοσοῦτον διάστημα ἀποστάς, ὁπόσον ὁ δρῦς, εἰ κατενεχθείη, μὴ φθάσῃ πατάξαι αὐτόν, ἐννεὸς ἵστατο. Ὁ δ' εὐθὺς ὥσπερ ἐκ συνθήματος ῥιζόθεν ἀνα σπασθεὶς εἰς γῆν ὡρᾶτο κείμενος. 3.8.10 Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς θαυμάζων εἱστήκει τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν κηδεμονίαν· λογοποιουμένην δὲ ἀποστασίαν περὶ τὴν ἕω μαθὼν εἴσεισιν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια. Καὶ τηνικαῦτα ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς μεγαλομάρτυρος Θέκλης ναὸν περικαλλῆ ἐδείματο μεγαλοπρεπῶς μὲν κατεσκευασμένον καὶ ἱκανῇ δαπάνῃ, χειρός τε τὸ ποικίλον ἔχοντα, σῶστρά τε θύσας ἐν αὐτῷ Χριστιανοῖς προσήκοντα τοὺς θείους ὕμνους διὰ παντὸς ἐν αὐτῷ ἀπεπλήρου. Οὕτως τὸ ἤδη ῥηθὲν ἱερὸν τέμενος ἐπ' ὀνόματι τῆς μεγαλομάρτυρος Θέκλης ἀνῳκοδόμητο, ἐν ᾧ τὰς ἐντεύξεις, ὡς ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐδήλωσεν, ἡ βασιλὶς καὶ μήτηρ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Ἀλεξίου συνεχεῖς ἐπεποίητο. 3.8.11 Ἣν κἀγὼ βραχύν τινα τεθέαμαι χρόνον καὶ τεθαύμακα. Καὶ ὅτι μὴ κόμπος τὰ ἤδη ῥηθέντα, ἴσασιν ἅπαντες καὶ ὁμολογήσαιεν, εἴ γε βούλοιντο, ὁπόσοι ἄτερ πάθους τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐκκαλύπτειν ἐθέλουσιν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐγκωμιάζειν προειλόμην, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἱστορίαν