70

of the treacherous Bosporians. And after some time, while Stratophilus, son of Philomusus, was stephanephoros and protos of the Chersonites, Gycia, being exceedingly wise and wishing to test the Chersonites and to know if they would truly fulfill the promise of their oath and bury her in the midst of the city, having taken counsel with her handmaidens, she made herself out to be ailing and to have died. And when the handmaidens had laid her out, they informed the citizens, saying: 'Our lady has passed away, and show us in what place she is to be buried.' But the Chersonites, hearing that Gycia was dead, having considered among themselves, no longer hastened to fulfill the obligation of their oath, so that she should be buried in the midst of the city, but taking her up, they carried her outside the city to bury her. And when the bier was set down by the tomb, Gycia sat up and, looking around at all the citizens, said: 'Is this your promise under oath? Is this how you keep your word in all things? Woe, then, to him who trusts a Chersonite citizen.' And the Chersonites, seeing the mockery she had made of them, being greatly ashamed at the matter of their transgression, begged her earnestly to be quiet and to forgive them their fault and not to reproach them any further. Thereupon they bound themselves to her with second oaths, so that they would no longer bury her outside the city, but in the midst of the city, which indeed they also did. For even while she was still alive, in the place she had chosen, they set up her sarcophagus, and raised a bronze statue and another, and gilding this one they set it up by her tomb for greater assurance. It is to be known that outside the fortress of Tamatarcha there are many springs giving forth naphtha. It is to be known that in Zichia, near the place of Pagi, which is in the region of Papagia, where the Zichians dwell, there are nine springs giving forth naphtha, except that the oils of the nine springs are not of the same color, but some of them are red, some yellow, and some blacker. It is to be known that in Zichia, in the place called Papagi, near which is also a village named Sapaxi, which is interpreted as 'dust', there is there a fount giving forth naphtha. It is to be known that there is also another fount there giving forth naphtha in the village called Chamouch. And Chamouch is the name of the ancient man who founded the village; therefore that village was called Chamouch for this reason. And such places are distant from the sea a journey of one day for a man on his own horse. It is to be known that in the theme of Derzene, near the village of Sapikion and the village called Episkopeion, there is a spring giving forth naphtha. It is to be known that in the theme of Tziliapert below the village of Srechiabarax there is a spring there giving forth naphtha. It is to be known that if ever the men of the fortress of Cherson should revolt, or should wish to act contrary to the imperial commands, then as many Chersonite vessels as may be found in the city must be brought in along with their cargo, while the Chersonite sailors and passengers are to be bound and shut up in the arsenals, and then three imperial agents must be sent out: one to the coast of the theme of the Armeniacs, another to the coast of the theme of Paphlagonia, and another to the coast of the theme of the Bucellarians, so that they may seize all Chersonite vessels, and bring in the cargo and the vessels, and bind the men and shut them up in the public prisons, and report on these matters, and as they may be received. In addition, these imperial agents are to prevent also the Paphlagonian and Bucellarian ships and the coasters of the Pontus from crossing to Cherson with grain or wine or any other necessity or merchandise. Then likewise the strategos must receive orders to cut off both the ten litrai, which are given from the public treasury to the fortress of Cherson, and the two of the pact, and then the strategos is to withdraw from Cherson and depart to another fortress and

70

τῶν ἐπιβούλων Βοσποριανῶν. Μετὰ δὲ χρόνους τινάς, στεφανηφοροῦντος καὶ πρωτεύοντος τῆς Χερσωνιτῶν Στρατοφίλου, τοῦ Φιλομούσου, πάνυ σοφωτάτη οὖσα ἡ Γυκία καὶ θέλουσα δοκιμάσαι τοὺς Χερσωνίτας καὶ γνῶναι, εἰ ἄρα ἀληθῶς μέλλουσιν τὴν τοῦ ὅρκου ὑπόσχεσιν ἐκπληροῦν καὶ θάπτειν αὐτὴν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεως, συλλογισαμένη μετὰ τῶν παιδισκῶν αὐτῆς, ἐποίησεν ἑαυτήν τινα ἀηδιζομένην καὶ ἀποθανοῦσαν. Καὶ κηδεύσασαι αὐτὴν αἱ παιδίσκαι, ἐμήνυσαν τοῖς πολίταις λέγουσαι, ὅτι· "Ἡ κυρία ἡμῶν ἐτελεύτησεν, καὶ ἐν ποίῳ τόπῳ μέλλει θάπτεσθαι, ὑποδείξατε ἡμῖν." Οἱ δὲ Χερσωνῖται ἀκούσαντες, ὅτι τέθνηκεν ἡ Γυκία, σκεψάμενοι καθ' ἑαυτούς, οὐκέτι τὸ ἱκανὸν τοῦ ὅρκου ἔσπευσαν ποιῆσαι, ὥστε ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεως αὐτὴν ταφῆναι, ἀλλὰ ἄραντες αὐτὴν ἐξήνεγκαν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως θάψαι. Ἀποτεθέντος δὲ τοῦ κραββάτου πρὸς τὸ μνῆμα, ἀνακαθίσασα ἡ Γυκία καὶ περιβλεψαμένη πάντας τοὺς πολίτας, λέγει· "Αὕτη ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἡ μεθ' ὅρκου ὑπόσχεσις; Οὕτως ἀληθεύετε περὶ πάντων; Ἄβαλε λοιπὸν τῷ πιστεύοντι Χερσωνίτῃ πολίτῃ." Οἱ δὲ Χερσωνῖται ἰδόντες τὴν ὑπ' αὐτῆς γενομένην αὐτῶν χλεύην, αἰσχυνθέντες μεγάλως ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι τῆς παραβασίας πράγματι, παρεκάλουν αὐτὴν πολλὰ τοῦ ἡσυχάσαι καὶ παραχωρῆσαι αὐτοῖς τὸ πταῖσμα καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ὀνειδίζειν αὐτοῖς. Λοιπὸν δευτέροις ὅρκοις αὐτὴν ἐπιστώσαντο, ὥστε μηκέτι ἔξω τῆς πόλεως θάψαι αὐτήν, ἀλλ' ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεως, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐποίησαν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτῆς ζώσης ἔτι, ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ᾑρετίσατο, τὴν σορὸν αὐτῆς ἐστήσαντο, καὶ ἀνδριάντα χαλκοῦν καὶ ἕτερον ἤγειραν, καὶ τοῦτον χρυσώσαντες ἔστησαν πρὸς τῇ ταφῇ αὐτῆς πρὸς περισσοτέραν πίστωσιν. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἔξω τοῦ κάστρου Ταμάταρχα πολλαὶ πηγαὶ ὑπάρχουσιν ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσαι. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἐν Ζιχίᾳ πρὸς τὸν τόπον τῆς Πάγης, τῆς οὔσης εἰς τὸ μέρος τῆς Παπαγίας, ἐν ᾧ κατοικοῦσι Ζιχοί, ἐννέα πηγαὶ εἰσὶν ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσαι, πλὴν οὐχ ὁμοχροοῦσιν τῶν ἐννέα πηγῶν τὰ ἔλαια, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν εἰσιν ἐρυθρά, τὰ δὲ ξανθά, τὰ δὲ μελανώτερα. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἐν Ζιχίᾳ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῷ καλουμένῳ Πάπαγι, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πλησίον ἔστι χωρίον ἐπονομαζόμενον Σαπαξί, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται "κονιορτός", ἔστιν ἐκεῖσε βρύσις ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσα. Ἰστέον, ὅτι καὶ ἑτέρα βρύσις ἔστιν ἐκεῖσε ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσα ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ τῷ καλουμένῳ Χαμούχ. Τὸ δὲ Χαμούχ ἐστιν ὄνομα τοῦ συστησαμένου ἀρχαίου ἀνδρὸς τὸ χωρίον· τὸ οὖν χωρίον ἐκεῖνο διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη Χαμούχ. Ἀπέχουσι δὲ οἱ τοιοῦτοι τόποι ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης ὁδὸν ἰδιοκαβάλλου ἡμέρας μιᾶς. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἐν τῷ θέματι ∆ερζηνῆς πλησίον τοῦ χωρίου τοῦ Σαπικίου καὶ τοῦ χωρίου τοῦ ὀνομαζομένου Ἐπισκοπείου, ἔστιν πηγὴ ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσα. Ἰστέον, ὅτι ἐν τῷ θέματι τοῦ Τζιλιάπερτ ὑπὸ τὸ χωρίον τὸ Σρεχιαβαρὰξ ἔστιν ἐκεῖσε πηγὴ ἄφθαν ἀναδιδοῦσα. Ἰστέον, ὅτι εἰ ἀντάρωσί ποτε οἱ τοῦ κάστρου Χερσῶνος, ἢ ἐναντία τῶν βασιλικῶν κελεύσεων βουληθῶσι διαπράξασθαι, ὀφείλουσιν τηνικαῦτα, ὅσα εὑρεθῶσιν ἐν τῇ πόλει Χερσωνίτικα καράβια, μετὰ τοῦ γόμου αὐτῶν εἰσκομίζεσθαι, οἱ δὲ ναῦται καὶ ἐπιβάται Χερσωνῖται ἵνα δεσμεύωνται καὶ ἐναποκλείωνται εἰς τὰ ἐργαλεῖα, εἶθ' οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν ἀποσταλῆναι τρεῖς βασιλικοί· εἷς μὲν ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ τοῦ θέματος τῶν Ἀρμενιάκων, ἕτερος δὲ ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ τοῦ θέματος Παφλαγονίας καὶ ἄλλος ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ τοῦ θέματος τῶν Βουκελλαρίων, ἵνα πάντα τὰ Χερσωνίτικα καράβια κρατῶσιν, καὶ τὸν μὲν γόμον καὶ τὰ καράβια εἰσκομίζωσιν, τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους δεσμεύωσι καὶ ἐναποκλείωσιν εἰς δημοσίους φυλακάς, καὶ ἀναγάγωσι περὶ τούτων, καὶ ὡς ἂν δέξωνται. Πρὸς τούτοις ἵνα οἱ τοιοῦτοι βασιλικοὶ κωλύωσι καὶ τὰ Παφλαγονικὰ καὶ Βουκελλαρικὰ πλοῖα καὶ πλαγίτικα τοῦ Πόντου τοῦ μὴ διαπερᾶν ἐν Χερσῶνι μετὰ σίτου ἢ οἴνου ἢ οἱασδήποτε χρείας ἢ πραγματείας. Εἶθ' οὕτως ὀφείλει δέξασθαι καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ κόψαι καὶ τὰς δέκα λίτρας, τὰς διδομένας ἀπὸ τοῦ δημοσίου εἰς τὸ κάστρον Χερσῶνος, καὶ τὰς δύο τοῦ πάκτου, καὶ τηνικαῦτα ἀναχωρῆσαι ἀπὸ Χερσῶνος τὸν στρατηγὸν καὶ ἀπελθεῖν ἐν ἑτέρῳ κάστρῳ καὶ