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he did to the Huns from beyond the Ister. For he wrote to one of the rulers that, "To the better of you I have sent gifts; and I, thinking you to be the better, wrote this for your sake, but a certain other took these away by force, saying that he is better. Strive, therefore, that you surpass all, and take what was taken away, punishing him accordingly. But if you do not do this, it is clear that he is the greater, and we will certainly attach ourselves to him, and you will be deprived of so many things." Having learned these things, the Hun stirred up war against his countrymen. And so these nations, fighting for a long time, were destroyed by one another. 218 Ibid.: In the time of the emperor Justinian, Zabergan, having crossed the Ister with seven thousand Huns, reached near the imperial land, plundering the areas in between, since no army was guarding them anywhere; for in the time of the emperors before him the Roman army reached a peak of six hundred and forty-five thousand fighting men; but Justinian barely reduced it to one hundred and fifty thousand. So that it was not even able to be sufficient in Lazica and Armenia and Libya and for the Goths and in Italy. 219 Exc. De virt.: That Phocas had a friend, Callinice, from among the leading women. The same Phocas was a blood-drinker. End of the history of John the monk.

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ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ Ἴστρου Οὔννοις ἐποίησεν. Ἔγραψε γὰρ πρὸς ἕνα τῶν ἀρχόντων, ὅτι «Τῷ κρείττονι ὑμῶν πέπομφα δῶρα· καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν σὲ οἰόμενος εἶναι τὸν κρείττονα διὰ σὲ τοῦτο ἔγραψα, ἕτερος δέ τις ἀφείλετο ταῦτα βίᾳ λέγων ἐκεῖνος εἶναι κρείττων. Σπούδασον οὖν ὅτι σὺ πάντων ὑπερέχεις, καὶ λάβε τὰ ἀφαιρεθέντα τιμωρησάμενος αὐτὸν κατὰ λόγον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, εὔδηλον ὅτι ἔστιν ὁ μείζων, καὶ πάντως ἡμεῖς ἐκείνῳ προσκεισόμεθα, καὶ σὺ στερηθήσῃ τοσούτων.» Ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Οὖννος ἐκρότησε πόλεμον κατὰ τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν. Καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ πολὺ μαχόμενα ταῦτα τὰ ἔθνη ὑπ' ἀλλήλων ἀπώλοντο. 218 Ibid.: Ἐπὶ Ἰουστινιανοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως σὺν Οὔννοις ἑπτακισχιλίοις διαβὰς τὸν Ἴστρον Ζαβεργὰν ἐγγὺς γῆς βασιλίδος ἔφθασε λεηλατῶν τὰ μεταξὺ, ἅτε μὴ στρατιᾶς που φρουρούσης· ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλέων εἰς ἑξακοσίας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας μαχίμων ἀνδρῶν ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκορυφοῦτο στρατός· Ἰουστινιανὸς δὲ μόλις εἰς ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα περιέστησεν. Ὥστε μηδὲ δύνασθαι ἐξαρκεῖν ἐν τῇ Λαζικῇ καὶ Ἀρμενίᾳ καὶ Λιβύῃ καὶ Γότθοις καὶ Ἰταλίᾳ. 219 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι εἶχε φίλην ὁ Φωκᾶς Καλλινίκην ἀπὸ προϊσταμένων. Ὁ αὐτὸς Φωκᾶς ὑπῆρχεν αἱμοπότης. Τέλος τῆς ἱστορίας Ἰωάννου μοναχοῦ.