83
having escaped, again he failed in the attempt; so that finally he went through to the place Pros Hestiais and the so-called Losthenion, and to attempt to cross over to Bithynia. But having also been defeated in a naval battle, he went to Thrace; and from there having set out for Greece with his son Recitach, and two brothers and his wife, and about 30,000 Scythians, and having arrived at the so-called stable of Diomedes, he is killed, having mounted his horse at dawn, and having been thrown by it onto an upright spear standing by the wall of his tent. But some asserted that the blow was inflicted on him by his son Recitach, who had been flogged by him. And his wife Sigilda, being present, buries him by night. And Recitach, son of Theoderic, succeeds to the command of the host; but his paternal uncles held power alongside him, whom he killed a little later, and he ruled the Thracians alone, perpetrating more monstrous things than his father. 212 Ibid.: That in the time of Zeno a certain Theosebius, resembling Procopius the son of Marcian, having traveled through most of the cities of the east, seemed to deceive (or: he deceived) many people with the belief about him. 213 Ibid.: That against the other Theoderic, who had rebelled again, and was plundering the Roman domain and the neighboring parts of Greece, he sends John the Scythian and Moschianus as generals, having first treacherously murdered Sabinianus the commander in Illyricum. 214 Ibid.: That Zeno begins his hostility toward Illus, first demanding to receive Longinus, then having sent John the Scythian as his successor in command. And he also addresses the people as an enemy against Illus, and orders his closest associates to be driven out of the city, and he gives their properties as gifts to the cities of the Isaurians. 2. But Illus, having entered into open revolt, then restores Marcian, and was sending to Odoacer, the tyrant of western Rome, and to the rulers of the Persians and Armenians; and he was also preparing ships. And Odoacer replied that he was unable to ally with him, but the others promised the alliance, whenever someone should come to them. But Zeno prepares Conon son of Phuscianus, who was enrolled among the priests, to take up arms again against Illus, and he appoints Linges his bastard brother as general. In response to which Illus, bringing Verina to Tarsus, prepared her to use the imperial robes, and as one who was mistress of the empire, to proclaim Leontius emperor, standing on a platform. And this man was of obscure parents, and from the city of Dalisandus. When therefore he came to power, he immediately arranged the offices in the way he thought best; and having made distributions of money, he arrived at Antioch. 3. But Zeno, since he perceived that Recitach was defecting out of envy for Theoderic, arranged for him to be killed by the son of Valimer, who was a cousin of Recitach, and who held an old grudge against him as the one who had killed his *. And he carried out the killing in a suburb called Boniphatiana, when Recitach was going from the bath to a feast, by running him through the side. 4. And for the war against Illus he sends Theoderic the consul; and when he had arrived at Nicomedia he recalls him, having conceived a suspicion of disloyalty; and he sends in his place some of the so-called Rogi with Armenarichus, the son of Aspar. And he also sent a fleet by sea, having appointed as admirals John, who was against Basiliscus, and Paul, who from being a slave had become his sacellarius. 5. And at this time there arrive, sent from Illus, Artemidorus the shield-bearer of Trocundes, and Papimus, who was Illus' master of horse. When preparations had therefore been made by both emperors, the army of Illus was at a disadvantage, so that it was greatly afraid to look upon the fortress of Cherris; and first he sent to it things sufficient for a diversion, and his wife Asteria; and he wrote to others and to the empress Verina, and to Leontius, to leave Antioch and come to him more quickly. But when
83
διαδραμὼν, αὖθις τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως ἥμαρτεν· ὡς λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸν Πρὸς Ἑστίαις τόπον καὶ τὸ καλούμενον Λωσθένιον διελθεῖν, καὶ διαπορθμεύσασθαι κατὰ τὴν Βιθυνίαν ἐγχειρεῖν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ ναυμαχίαν ἡττηθεὶς, ᾤχετο πρὸς τὴν Θρᾴκην· ἐκεῖθέν τε ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀφορ μηθεὶς σὺν τῷ παιδὶ Ῥεκιτὰχ, καὶ ἀδελφοῖς δύο καὶ γαμετῇ, Σκυθῶν τε ἀμφὶ τὰς λʹ χιλιάδας, γενόμενός τε κατὰ τὸν ∆ιομήδους καλούμενον στάβλον ἀναιρεῖται, ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ ἀναβὰς τὸν ἵππον, καὶ καταβληθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ δόρατος ὀρθοῦ παρὰ τὸν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῖχον ἱσταμένου. Οἱ δὲ καὶ τὴν πληγὴν αὐτῷ ἐπενεχθῆναι ἰσχυρίσαντο ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς Ῥεκιτὰχ, μαστιγωθέντος πρὸς αὐτοῦ. Παροῦσα δὲ ἡ γαμετὴ Σίγιλδα, νύκτωρ καταθάπτει τοῦτον. Καὶ τὴν μὲν τοῦ πλήθους ἐπικράτειαν διαδέχεται Ῥεκιτὰχ Θευδερίχου παῖς· παρεδυνάστευον δὲ αὐτῷ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς θεῖοι, οὓς ἀνελὼν μικρὸν ὕστερον, μόνος τῆς Θρᾳκῶν ἐδυνάστευεν, ἀτοπώτερα τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπεργαζόμενος. 212 Ibid.: Ὅτι ἐπὶ Ζήνωνος Θεοσέβιός τις Προκοπίῳ τῷ Μαρκιανοῦ ἐμφερὴς, πλείστας περινοστήσας τῶν τῆς ἀνατολῆς πόλεων, πολλοὺς τῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπατῆσαι (ἠπάτησε?) δόξῃ. 213 ιβιδ.: Ὅτι πρὸς Θευδέριχον τὸν ἕτερον αὖθις νεωτερίσαντα, καὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν καὶ τὰ πρόσοικα τῆς Ἑλλάδος ληιζόμενον, Ἰωάννην τὸν Σκύθην πέμπει καὶ Μοσχιανὸν στρατηγοὺς, δολοφονήσας πρότερον Σαβινιανὸν τὸν ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς ἄρχοντα. 214 Ibid.: Ὅτι Ζήνων τῆς πρὸς Ἰλλοῦν ἔχθρας κατάρχεται, πρῶτα μὲν Λογγῖνον λαβεῖν ἐξαιτούμενος, ἔπειτα Ἰωάννην τὸν Σκύθην διάδοχον αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀποστείλας. ∆ημηγορεῖ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ὅσα ἐχθρὸς κατὰ τοῦ Ἰλλοῦ, καὶ κελεύει τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους αὐτοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἀπελαύνεσθαι, καὶ τὰς περιουσίας τούτων δωρεῖται ταῖς Ἰσαύρων πόλεσιν. 2. Ὁ δὲ Ἰλλοῦς ἐς φανερὰν ἀποστασίαν ἐλθὼν, τότε Μαρκιανὸν ἀναζώννυσι, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Ὀδόακρον ἔστελλε, τὸν τῆς ἑσπερίας Ῥώμης τύραννον, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τῶν Περσῶν καὶ Ἀρμενίων ἄρχοντας· παρεσκεύαζεν δὲ καὶ πλοῖα. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ὀδόακρος τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι συμμαχεῖν ἀπεκρίνατο, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι τὴν συμμαχίαν ὑπέσχοντο, ἐπιδάν τις πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἥξει. Ζήνων δὲ Κόνωνα τὸν Φουσκιανοῦ, ἐν ἱερεῦσι καταλεγόμενον, ἀναλαβεῖν αὖθις τὰ ὅπλα παρασκευάζει κατ' Ἰλλοῦ, Λίγγην δὲ τὸν νόθον αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸν στρατηγὸν ἀναδείκνυσιν. Πρὸς ἅπερ Ἰλλοῦς ἐν Ταρσῷ ἀγαγὼν τὴν Βηρίναν, στολῇ χρήσασθαι βασιλικῇ παρεσκεύασε, καὶ οἷα κυρίαν οὖσαν τῆς βασιλείας, Λεόντιον ἀναγορεῦσαι βασιλέα, στᾶσαν ἐν βήματι. Ἦν δὲ οὗτος γόνεών τε ἀφανῶν, καὶ πόλεως ∆αλισάνδου. Ὡς οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν προῆλθεν, αὐτίκα τὰς ἀρχὰς διῳκήσατο, καθ' ὃν ἐδοκίμασε τρόπον· καὶ χρημάτων διανομὰς ποιησάμενος, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἀφίκετο. 3. Ὁ δὲ Ζήνων τὸν Ῥεκιτὰχ, ἐπειδὴ ᾔσθετο φθόνῳ πρὸς Θευδέριχον ἀφιστάμενον, ἀναιρεθῆναι διεπράξατο πρὸς τοῦ Οὐαλίμερος παιδὸς, ἀνεψιοῦ ὄντος τοῦ Ῥεκιτὰχ, ἔχοντος καὶ παλαιὰν ὀργὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἷα τὸν * αὐτοῦ ἀποκτείναντα. Ἔπραττε δὲ τὴν ἀναίρεσιν ἐν προαστείῳ Βονοφατιαναῖς προσαγορευομένῳ, ἡνίκα πρὸς τὴν ἑστίασιν ἐκ βαλανείου ᾔει ὁ Ῥεκιτὰχ, διελάσας αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευράν. 4. Ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν Ἰλλοῦ πόλεμον στέλλει Θευδέριχον ὕπατον· καὶ γενόμενον κατὰ τὴν Νικομήδειαν ἐπανάγει, ἔννοιαν λαβὼν ἀπιστίας· πέμπει δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ τινὰς τῶν καλουμένων Ῥόγων σὺν Ἀρμεναρίχῳ τῷ Ἄσπαρος παιδί. Καὶ στόλον δὲ διὰ θαλάσσης ἠφίει, ναυάρχους ἐπιστήσας Ἰωάννην τὸν κατὰ Βασιλίσκον, καὶ Παῦλον τὸν ἐκ δούλων γενόμενον αὐτοῦ σακελλάριον. 5. Ἐν δὲ τούτῳ παραγίνονται ἐκ τῶν Ἰλλοῦ ἀποσταλέντες Ἀρτεμίδωρος ὁ Τροκούνδου ὑπασπιστὴς, καὶ Πάπιμος, ὃς ἦν ἵππαρχος τῷ Ἰλλοῦ. Ἐξ ἑκατέρων τοίνυν βασιλέων παρασκευῆς γενομένης, ἐμειονεκτεῖτο τὸ Ἰλλοῦ στράτευμα, ὡς εὐλαβηθὲν σφόδρα ἐπὶ τὸ Χέρρεως ἰδεῖν φρούριον· καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τά τε πρὸς ἀποστροφὴν ἀρκοῦντα ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν γαμετὴν Ἀστερίαν· καὶ ἄλλοι καὶ Βηρίνῃ τῇ βασιλίσσῃ ἐπέστελλε, καὶ Λεοντίῳ, ἐκλιπόντι τὴν Ἀντιοχέων θᾶττον ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὡς δὲ