Georgius Pachymeres, Chronicle II

But on the contrary, things were not safe from then on for the emperor's peoples. For as soon as it was announced to the 314 Persians that the emperor had withdrawn, taking greater courage they overran that whole land, and rushed out into the very plain of the Maeander, as it is called. And having inflicted many harsh things on those there, and having gathered much booty, they were returning amidst Roman routs. And yet they did not from then on relax their audacity, but rather, despising the affairs around the emperor, they openly encamped in Roman territory. And while the emperor was shut up in Magnesia, the enemy, roaming about daily, were accomplishing the greatest things. And the people were either slaughtered or were emigrating in haste, and some were saved by crossing to the nearby islands, others to the west. And from then on, the advance into the interior was easy for the Persians, the way being paved, as it were, by the departures of the locals, and they had a sufficiency of provisions from the abundance of those departing.

19. At that time the Alans around the emperor were thinking of their return, and at first they begged the emperor to release them, but then they also began to press him. for they had been toiling for a long time, so that they needed some rest, being unaccustomed to wars of so many days' duration; for they, when campaigning with Nogai, would engage their opponents on foot, fight for a short while, and having settled 315 matters, would live the rest of the time in ease and luxury, but to be so worn down by battles and campaigns they neither knew how nor were they able. Saying these things, they made it clear that they were ready to depart even if the emperor did not release them, and to resist those who attempted to restrain them. When the emperor learned this, and as many other unwelcome things beset him—for on the one hand, whatever Roman fighting force was around him, having learned that their homes were already on the verge of destruction, were abandoning the campaign around the emperor and withdrawing, each to look after his own affairs; and his uncle Asan had died, and his other uncle, the despotes Michael, having fallen ill, was also withdrawing homewards, and everything depended on the Alans. He did not have the opportunity to force them, but nevertheless he detained them for a fixed period of three months with agreements under oath, that he would either satisfy them with pay or release them from there, hoping through letters and messages to his father and emperor to obtain a provision for these things, either of money or of counsel. But the emperor, when he learned this, was anxious both to secure what was proper for his son and to provide what was necessary for the nation; 316 for he judged it not at all safe for them to withdraw from there. But while he was occupied with these things, on the one hand the affairs of the church began to be disturbed again, and on the other hand terrible things happened in the parts here, about which will be spoken later. But it is good to relate the affairs of the Alans to the end, even if those things happened in the meantime, so that the account of these matters may be continuous.

20. Therefore, while the emperor was occupied with these necessary things, terrible events surrounded him on all sides, so that there were others harming the Romans there, but here Amourios and Laminses and Atman and countless others were attacking. Thus when the three-month period was spent, the Alans set out to withdraw even against the emperor's will. The emperor, therefore, for these reasons, since he could not remain seated any longer in Magnesia (for he was unable to help those being harmed, and it was grievous to be powerless, and endless mockery was to be expected from the enemy, and besides he also feared for himself since all things were in turmoil), he also decided, though secretly, to withdraw, on the one hand stealing away from the eyes of his own 317 men, and on the other hand deceiving the suspicions of the enemy. Wherefore he also withdrew from there by night and in winter. But he was not going to escape the notice of his own men completely, nor indeed put the enemy in complete ignorance by wishing to do such things. At any rate, he makes use, on the one hand because of the

μὴν δὲ καὶ ἀκίνδυνα ἦσαν ἐντεῦθεν τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως λαοῖς. ἅμα γὰρ ἀγγελθὲν τοῖς 314 Πέρσαις ὡς ὑποστρέψαι ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ θάρρος λαβόντες μεῖζον πᾶσαν ἐκείνην τὴν γῆν κατατρέχουσι, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν τοῦ Μαι νομένου κάμπον ἐκθέουσι. καὶ πολλὰ μὲν τοὺς ἐκεῖ δράσαντες χαλεπά, πολλὴν δὲ λείαν περιβαλόμενοι, ἐν τροπαίοις Ῥωμαίοις ὑπέστρεφον. οὐ μὴν δὲ ὥστε καὶ καθυφεικέναι τοῦ θράσους ἐν τεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον κατολιγωρήσαντες τῶν περὶ τὸν βασι λέα πραγμάτων φανερῶς ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο. καὶ βασιλεὺς μὲν ἐπὶ Μαγνησίας ἐγκέκλειστο, οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι ὁση μέραι περιερχόμενοι τὰ μέγιστα ἔπραττον. καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ μὲν κα τεσφάττετο ὁ δ' ἀπανίστατο φθάνων, καὶ οἱ μὲν πρὸς νήσους τὰς ἐγγιζούσας οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὴν δύσιν διαπεραιούμενοι διεσώζοντο. ἦν δ' ἐντεῦθεν Πέρσαις καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐντὸς προσχώρησις εὐμα ρής, προοδοποιουμένοις οἷον ταῖς τῶν προσχώρων ἀναχωρήσεσιν, ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων αὐτάρκως ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀναχωρούν των περιουσίας.

19. Τότε καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ἀλανοὶ νόστου ἐμέ μνηντο, καὶ ἀπολύειν σφᾶς βασιλέα πρῶτον μὲν ἱκέτευον, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ κατήπειγον. ἐπὶ χρόνον γὰρ καὶ προσταλαιπωρεῖσθαι, ὥστε δεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀνέσεως ἀήθεσιν οὖσι πολέμων ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πολυημέρων· αὐτοὺς γὰρ Νογᾷ συστρατεύοντας, κατὰ πόδας τοῖς ἀντιπάλοις συμπλεκομένους, ἐπ' ὀλίγον μάχεσθαι, καὶ τὰ 315 πράγματα καθιστάντας τὸ λοιπὸν ἐν ἀνέσει τε καὶ τρυφῇ διαζῆν, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δὲ κατατρύχεσθαι μάχαις καὶ ἐκστρατείαις μήτ' εἰ δέναι μήτε μὴν δύνασθαι. ταῦτα λέγοντες δῆλοί τε ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι ὄντες ἀναχωρεῖν καὶ βασιλέως μὴ ἀφιέντος, καὶ τοῖς ἐπισχεῖν ὡρμημένοις ἀντιστῆναι. ταῦτα μὲν μαθὼν βασιλεύς, καὶ πολ λῶν ἀβουλήτων ἑτέρων αὐτὸν περιστάντωνκαὶ γὰρ ἔνθεν μὲν ὅσον ἦν περὶ αὐτὸν Ῥωμαϊκὸν μάχιμον, πεπυσμένοι περὶ τῶν σφῶν οἰκιῶν κειμένων ἤδη εἰς ὄλεθρον, ἀφέντες τὴν περὶ τὸν βα σιλέα στρατείαν ἀνεχώρουν, τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος περιποιησόμενος· ὁ τούτου τε θεῖος ὁ Ἀσὰν ἐτεθνήκει, ὁ δ' ἕτερος θεῖος αὐτοῦ Μιχαὴλ ὁ δεσπότης νόσῳ περιπεσὼν ἀνεχώρει καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τὰ οἴκοι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἀλανοῖς. τὸ μὲν βιάζεσθαι σφᾶς καιρὸν οὐκ εἶχεν, ὅμως δὲ κατεῖχεν ἐκείνους ἐπὶ ῥητῷ τριμηνιαίῳ καιρῷ ἐφ' ὁμολογίαις ἐν ὅρκοις, ἦ μὴν ἢ ἱκανοῦν ῥόγαις ἢ ἀπο λύειν ἐντεῦθεν, ἐλπίζων διὰ τῶν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ βασιλέα γραφῶν τε καὶ μηνυμάτων πόρον ἐπὶ τούτοις σχεῖν ἢ μὴν χρημά των ἢ καὶ βουλῆς. βασιλεὺς δὲ μαθὼν ἐν φροντίδι ἦν τοῦ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ περιποιεῖν τὰ προσήκοντα καὶ τῷ ἔθνει τὰ ἀναγκαία ἐξι 316 κανοῦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅλως ἀσφαλὲς ἔκρινεν ἀναχωρεῖν ἐκείνους ἐκεῖ θεν. ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις ὄντος, ἔνθεν μὲν τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἄρ χονται καὶ αὖθις ταράσσεσθαι, ἔνθεν δὲ τὰ περὶ τὰ τῇδε μέρη ξυμπίπτειν δεινά, περὶ ὧν ἐσαῦθις ῥηθήσεται. καλὸν δὲ συνεί ρειν ἐς τέλος τὰ τῶν Ἀλανῶν, εἰ κἀκεῖνα ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ξυμβεβή κει, ὡς ἂν ἡ περὶ τούτων ξύμφρασις συνεχὴς ᾖ.

20. Ἐνεσχολακότος τοιγαροῦν τούτοις ὡς ἀναγκαίοις τοῦ βασιλέως κύκλῳ τὰ δεινὰ περιέστησαν, ὡς ἐκεῖ μὲν ἄλλους εἶναι τοὺς τὴν Ῥωμαίων κακοῦντας, ἐνταῦθα δ' Ἀμούριον καὶ Λαμίνσην καὶ Ἀτμᾶνα καὶ μυρίους ἄλλους τοὺς ἐπιόντας. οὕτω τοῦ τριμηνιαίου κατατριφθέντος καιροῦ Ἀλανοὶ καὶ ἄκοντος βασιλέως ἀναχωρεῖν ὥρμων. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς διὰ ταῦτα, ἐπεὶ οὐκ εἶχεν ἐν Μαγνησίᾳ καὶ ἔτι καθῆσθαι (οὔτε γὰρ προσβοηθεῖν εἶχε τοῖς κακουμένοις, καὶ ἀνία ἦν μὴ ἰσχύοντι, μυρία δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν προσεδοκᾶτο ἡ ἐπιμώκησις, ἄλλως τε δὲ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐδεδοίκει τῶν ὅλων ἀνεστατωμένων), ἔγνω καὶ αὐτός, πλὴν ἀφα νῶς, ἀναχωρεῖν, ἔνθεν μὲν τοὺς τῶν ἰδίων ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑποκλέ 317 ψας, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑπονοίας παραλογισάμενος. ὅθεν καὶ ὑπὸ νυκτὶ καὶ χειμῶνι ἐκεῖθεν ἀναχωρεῖ. ἀλλ' οὔτε τοὺς ἰδίους ἔμελλε λήσειν εἰς τέλος, οὔτε μὴν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐν παντελεῖ καταστῆσαι ἀγνοίᾳ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν βουλόμενος. χρᾶται γοῦν διὰ μὲν τοὺς