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When the elder emperor had praised and approved the plan, both those of the notables who had come with the young emperor and those who were with the elder in Byzantium, at the command of the emperors, were seated in the middle of the imperial courts, to deliberate about the war. When there had been silence for a little while, those in Byzantium invited those who had come with the young emperor to state the reasons for which they had convened the assembly, saying that they would listen to whatever they might say. And when they urged the grand domestic to speak, as they themselves both wished and thought the same things, the grand domestic spoke as follows: ‘Fellow soldiers, all men consider it equally just both to blame the one who, through cowardice, relinquishes his existing glory, and to hate the one who, through audacity, aspires to that which is not his due. Wherefore I myself have come to advise, not that we should lay claim to a glory that is not our due, but that we should not, through a want of courage in the face of dangers, diminish that which was preserved for us by our ancestors through struggles and toils. And do not be surprised if, though it is fitting for emperors to deliberate about such matters, I myself have set the proposal before you. For I believe that both an autonomous city 1.183 and a kingdom benefit private citizens more when flourishing as a whole, than when suffering ill as a whole while each of the citizens fares well individually. For one who is unfortunate in a prosperous fatherland would most likely be saved; but one who fares well in an unfortunate one no less perishes along with it. Since, therefore, both a city and a kingdom are able to endure the misfortunes of individuals, but each individual is powerless against its misfortunes, how is it not necessary for everyone to defend it in every way? As for the outrages which the king of the Mysians committed against us, you have all heard them yourselves. For while others engage in raids, or, if they ever even invade with an army, reach only the border and, as soon as their presence is perceived, flee back to their own land, he himself, making his encampments as if not in an enemy's, but in his own land, sat securely and ravaged our land for twelve days; and he even advanced as far as Beroe and Trajanopolis, laying it waste. But if it seems to anyone that the damage is bearable because, through foresight, the cattle and the people were shut up in the cities and forts, making the loss less than it should have been, let him know that he deceives himself. For if we do not punish them worthily now, they will make a second invasion and a third; and not only will they deprive the peoples of the cities, who start from lesser means, of even these, but they will also inflict many great losses on us, the powerful, who have many fine possessions throughout the land. Therefore, indeed, I 1.184 advise you to go to close quarters with the enemy, employing not only the spirit of our ancestors, but also their contempt. For they, having a more fortified courage from always conquering the Mysians, advanced against them with contempt, and for us too, if we show ourselves to be emulators of their valor and zeal, the same will be possible. And we have many sure pledges that we would overcome them in the war. For our army is larger and our war-gear is stronger, and many of you of the senate far surpass their kings not only in wisdom, but also in courage and experience in strategies; and in money, not only from public funds but also from our private ones, we are stronger than they. If we should not use these things now, I am at a loss to know when we would enjoy the benefit from them. Therefore, as we are superior to them in all things, let us teach them not that it is profitable to invade our land, but that it is desirable to enjoy their own land unharmed; and let us eagerly contend together with our emperors in this war, with our money, our servants, and our very bodies, and let us aid the honor of the Roman dominion, in which we all exult, so that it is not despised by the barbarians, and let us not flee the toils. As for what I have said, then, in advising you to take up the war eagerly, I think that not even you yourselves, after consideration, would argue that these things are not well said. But that I myself have also prepared for the same

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Ἐπαινέσαντος δὲ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου βασιλέως καὶ ἐπιτρέψαντος τὴν βουλὴν, οἵ τε μετὰ τοῦ νέου βασιλέως ἐλθόντες καὶ οἱ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ συνόντες ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, προστεταχότων τῶν βασιλέων, ἐν μέσαις ταῖς βασιλείοις ἐκαθέσθησαν αὐλαῖς, βουλευσόμενοι περὶ τοῦ πολέμου. σιγῆς δὲ γενομένης ἐπὶ μικρὸν, οἱ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ τοὺς μετὰ τοῦ νέου προὐκαλοῦντο βασιλέως ἐλθόντας, ἐφ' οἷς συνήγαγον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λέγειν, ὡς αὐτῶν ἅττα ἂν λέγωσιν ἀκουσομένων. ἐκείνων δὲ τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον προτρεπομένων λέγειν ὡς καὶ αὐτῶν τὰ ἴσα καὶ βουλομένων καὶ φρονούντων, ὁ μέγας δομέστικος εἶπε τοιάδε· «ἄνδρες συστρατιῶται, ἐν ἴσῳ πάντες ἄνθρωποι δικαιοῦσι τῷ τε τῆς ὑπαρχούσης δόξης ὑφιεμένῳ μέμφεσθαι διὰ μαλακίαν, καὶ τὸν τῆς μὴ προσηκούσης θρασύτητι ἐφιέμενον μισεῖν. διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ τῆς μὴ προσηκούσης ἡμῖν δόξης ἀντέχεσθαι παρελήλυθα συμβουλεύσων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγῶσι καὶ πόνοις διασωθεῖσαν ἀτολμίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ ἐλάσσω μὴ ποιεῖν. μὴ θαυμάσητε δὲ, εἰ, βασιλεῦσι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων βουλεύεσθαι προσῆκον, αὐτὸς ὑμῖν προὔθηκα τὴν βουλήν. ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ καὶ πόλιν αὐτονομουμένην 1.183 καὶ βασιλείαν πλείω τοὺς ἰδιώτας ὠφελεῖν σύμπασαν ὀρθουμένην, ἢ κακῶς πάσχουσαν ἀθρόαν, καθ' ἕκαστον δὲ εὐπραγοῦσαν τῶν πολιτῶν. δυστυχῶν μὲν γὰρ ἐν εὐπραγούσῃ τῇ πατρίδι μάλιστ' ἄν τις διασώζοιτο· εὖ δὲ φερόμενος ἐν ἀτυχούσῃ οὐδὲν ἧττον συναπόλλυται. ὁπότε οὖν καὶ πόλις καὶ βασιλεία πρὸς μὲν τὰς ἰδίας συμφορὰς οἵα τε ἀντέχειν, εἷς δὲ ἕκαστος ἀδύνατος πρὸς τὰς ἐκείνης, πῶς οὐ χρὴ παντὶ τρόπῳ πάντας ἀμύνειν αὐτῇ; ἃ μὲν οὖν εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ τῶν Μυσῶν ἐξύβρισε βασιλεὺς, πάντες ἀκηκόατε καὶ αὐτοί. τῶν ἄλλων γὰρ λῃστείαις χρωμένων, ἢ, εἴποτε καὶ ἐσβάλλοιεν στρατιᾷ, ἄχρι τῆς ἄκρας ἀφικνουμένων καὶ ἅμα τῷ αἴσθησιν παρασχεῖν ἀποδιδρασκόντων εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν, αὐτὸς ὥσπερ οὐκ εἰς πολεμίαν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ποιούμενος τὰς στρατοπεδείας, ἀσφαλῶς καθήμενος ἐδῄου τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν ἐπὶ δυοκαίδεκα ἡμέραις· καὶ προῆλθέ γε ἄχρι Βήρας καὶ Τραιανουπόλεως, τέμνων αὐτήν. εἴ τῳ δὲ δοκεῖ διὰ τὸ ἐκ προνοίας ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι καὶ τοῖς φρουρίοις τά τε βοσκήματα καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐγκατακλεισθέντας ἐλάσσω, ἣ ἐχρῆν γενέσθαι, τὴν ζημίαν ἀνεκτὸν εἶναι, ἴστω ἐξαπατῶν ἑαυτόν. ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ νῦν τιμωρησώμεθα αὐτοὺς ἀξίως, καὶ δευτέραν ἐσβολὴν ποιήσονται καὶ τρίτην· καὶ οὐ μόνον τοὺς τῶν πόλεων δήμους ἀπ' ἐλασσόνων ὁρμωμένους ἀποστερήσουσι καὶ τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς δυνατοὺς, πολλὰ καλὰ κτήματα ἔχοντας κατὰ τὴν χώραν, ζημιώσουσι πολλά. διὸ δὴ καὶ πα 1.184 ραινῶ ὑμῖν, ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις, μὴ φρονήματι μόνον τῶν προγόνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταφρονήματι χρωμένους. ἐκεῖνοί τε γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἀεὶ νικᾷν τοὺς Μυσοὺς ἐχυρωτέραν ἔχοντες τὴν τόλμαν, καταφρονητικῶς ἐπῄεσαν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἡμῖν, ἐὰν τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρετῆς καὶ προθυμίας φανῶμεν ζηλωταὶ, τὸ αὐτὸ ἐξέσται. ἔχομεν δὲ καὶ πολλὰ ἐνέχυρα ἀσφαλῆ τοῦ περιγενέσθαι ἂν αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ. ἥ τε γὰρ ἡμετέρα στρατιὰ πλείων καὶ τὰ πολέμια κραταιοτέρα, ὑμῶν τε τῆς συγκλήτου πολλοὶ τῶν ἐκείνων βασιλέων οὐ φρονήσει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ πείρᾳ τῇ πρὸς στρατηγίας ὑπερέχετε πολύ· χρήμασί τε οὐκ ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ἐῤῥώμεθα μᾶλλον ἐκείνων. οἷς εἰ μὴ χρησαίμεθα νῦν, ὁπότε ἂν ἀπολαύσαιμεν τῆς ἐξ αὐτῶν ὠφελείας ἀπορῶ. ὡς οὖν ἐν πᾶσιν ὑπερέχοντες αὐτῶν, διδάξωμεν αὐτοὺς οὐ τὸ ἐς τὴν ἡμετέραν εἰσβάλλειν ὂν λυσιτελὲς, ἀλλὰ τὸ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσινῆ καρποῦσθαι ἀγαπητόν· καὶ προθύμως συναγωνισώμεθα κατὰ τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον τοῖς ἡμετέροις βασιλεῦσι καὶ χρήμασι καὶ οἰκέταις καὶ τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτοῖς, τῇ τε τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας τιμῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων καταφρονεῖσθαι, ᾗ ἀγαλλόμεθα πάντες, βοηθῶμεν καὶ μὴ φεύγωμεν τοὺς πόνους. ἃ μὲν οὖν εἶπον, προθύμως ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου παραινῶν ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ αὐτοὺς ἂν λογισαμένους ὡς οὐ καλῶς ἔχουσιν, ἀντειπεῖν δοκῶ. ὅτι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἴσην παρεσκεύασμαι καὶ αὐτὸς