,

to publish to the multitude. The Romans, therefore, holding an assembly, were blaspheming against Maurice, but the commander, having calmed the anger of the armies with intelligence and persuasion, publicly posted the more cheerful of the emperor's letters for the armed 7.1.7 populace. The generous things contained in them were these: that the most distinguished of the Romans who had fallen into some misfortunes from their magnanimity in dangers should have rest from then on, and that these men, being discharged veterans in the cities, should be provisioned at imperial expense, and that the children of those who had served in the army and lost their fathers in wars should be enrolled for the 7.1.8 war in place of their parents. Therefore, having gathered the soldiery on some high platforms, he won them over with these things and persuasively subdued them. From this, the matters of grief took a turn, and everyone was turned toward goodwill for Maurice the emperor. 7.1. Therefore the Caesar was acclaimed, having been released from the recent slanders; for the multitude, being unstable, in no way stands upon a firm foundation, being transformed randomly and as it happens by the outbursts of the moment. 7.2.1 In this way, then, the general settled the painful matters with the army; and it was the fourth day, and he reported to the emperor about the sedition of the forces, and leaving Odessus he moves to the regions on the left, and having come to the city of Marcian, he ordered a thousand from the army to run ahead. And so these men encounter six hundred Sclavenes bringing back much Roman 7.2.2 booty; for having plundered Zaldapa and Aquis and Scopis, they were again carrying off spoils from the unfortunate, and their baggage of spoils was on a great multitude of 7.2.3 wagons. And when the barbarians saw the Romans approaching, and then were seen in return, they turned to the slaughter of the captives. Therefore, the age of the male 7.2.4 captives from puberty upwards is killed. And since the encounter was inescapable for the barbarians, putting the wagons together they surrounded themselves with a palisade, placing the women along with the youths in the very middle 7.2.5 of the laager. But the Romans, having drawn near to the Getae (for this is the older name for the barbarians), did not dare to come to close quarters; for they feared the javelins coming from the palisade against the horses from the 7.2.6 barbarians. Therefore their commander (Alexander was his name), in the ancestral tongue of the Romans, urged the Romans to dismount from their horses and to engage in the dangers of war in close 7.2.7 combat. But the Romans, dismounting from their horses, approach the palisade and were both giving and receiving 7.2.8 volleys of missiles. Therefore, as the battle was continuing for each force, a certain Roman leaped in and, having been let up, climbs upon one of the wagons joined to the palisade and guarding the barbarian [camp], then standing on this he struck those approaching 7.2. with his sword. Therefore the disaster became unmanageable for the barbarians; for from there the Romans break the barbarians' palisade. But the barbarians, having despaired of being saved, were slaughtering the remaining portion of the captives. And the Romans, attacking forcefully, late and with difficulty killed the barbarians around the 7.2.10 palisade. And it was the second day, and the victors were recounting to the general the things that had happened. And on the fifth day the general, having arrived in this place and indeed having seen the rewards of the advance guard, requited with gifts those who had behaved 7.2.11 bravely. And on the next day Peter, trying to hunt, comes to a deep grove. Therefore, as a very large boar was lurking in this valley, and the barking of the dogs became great, the beast rises up from its lair 7.2.12 and goes against Peter. But the general, having turned his horse to flight, dislocated his left foot, having crashed against a tall tree. Therefore Peter, gangrenous with unbearable pains, lingers in the place, upon

δημοσιεῦσαι πληθύϊ. οἱ μὲν οὖν ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἐκκλησίαν ποιήσαντες ἐς Μαυρίκιον ἐβλασφήμουν, ὁ δὲ πολέμαρχος συνέσει καὶ πειθοῖ τὴν τῶν στρατοπέδων κατευνάσας ὀργὴν τὰς ἱλαρωτέρας τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιστολῶν τοῖς ἐνόπλοις 7.1.7 ἐστηλίτευσε δήμοις. ἦν δὲ τὰ φιλοτίμως ἐν αὐταῖς περιεχόμενα τάδε, τοὺς ἀριστεύοντας τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν κινδύνων μεγαλοψυχίας περιπεπτωκότας τισὶ συμφοραῖς ἔχειν ἀπὸ τοῦ λοιποῦ τὴν ἀνάπαυλαν, τούτους δὲ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀπομάχους πεφυκότας σιτίζεσθαι δαπάναις βασιλικαῖς, τοὺς δὲ παῖδας τῶν στρατευσαμένων καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἀποβαλόντας τοὺς φύσαντας ἀντὶ τῶν τεκόντων ἐγγράφεσθαι πρὸς τὸν 7.1.8 πόλεμον. ταῦτα τοιγαροῦν ἐπὶ βημάτων τινῶν ὑψηλῶν τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ἐκκλησιάσας ἐπέστρεφε πιθανῶς τε κατεδούλου. ἔνθεν καὶ μεταβολὴν τὰ τῆς ἀνίας ἐλάμβανεν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐς Μαυρίκιον εὔνοιαν τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἅπας ἐτέτραπτο. 7.1. τοιγαροῦν κατευφημεῖτο ὁ Καῖσαρ τῶν πρὸ μικροῦ ἀπολελυμένος διαβολῶν· τὸ γὰρ πλῆθος ἀβέβαιον ὂν σταθμῶν οὐδαμῶς ἐπιβέβηκεν, ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ παρήκοντος ἐκφοραῖς μεταμορφούμενον εἰκῇ καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν. 7.2.1 οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς λυπηροῖς πρὸς τὸ στρατόπεδον διελύσατο· τετάρτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι τὰ περὶ τῆς στάσεως τῶν δυνάμεων κατεμήνυεν, ἀπολιπών τε τὴν ᾿Οδησσὸν ἐπὶ τὰ εὐώνυμα τῶν χώρων μεταφοιτᾷ, τῇ τε Μαρκιανοῦ συγγενόμενος πόλει χιλίους προθέειν τοῦ στρατοπέδου προσέταξεν. καὶ οὖν ἐντυγχάνουσιν οὗτοι ἑξακοσίοις Σκλαυηνοῖς λείαν 7.2.2 ἐπαγομένοις ῾Ρωμαίων πολλήν· τὰ γὰρ Ζαλδαπὰ καὶ ῎Ακυς καὶ Σκόπις καταπρονομεύσαντες αὖθις ἐλαφυραγώγουν τοὺς ἀτυχήσαντας, ἦν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ πλήθους πολλοῦ ἁμαξῶν ἡ 7.2.3 ἀποσκευὴ τῶν λαφύρων. ὡς δὲ ἐπιόντας ἔβλεψαν τοὺς ῾Ρωμαίους οἱ βάρβαροι, εἶτα καὶ ἀντεβλέφθησαν, ἐπὶ τὸν φόνον τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐτράποντο. ἀναιρεῖται τοίνυν ἡ τῶν ἀρρένων 7.2.4 αἰχμαλώτων ἡβηδὸν ἡλικία. ἐπεὶ δὲ δύσφευκτος τοῖς βαρβάροις ὑπῆν ἡ συνάντησις, τὰς ἁμάξας συνθέντες περιεβάλοντο χάρακα, ἅμα τοῖς μειρακίοις τὰ γύναια εἰς τὸ μεσαί7.2.5 τατον τῆς τάφρου ἐναποθέμενοι. οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι πεπλησιακότες τοῖς Γέταις (τοῦτο γὰρ τοῖς βαρβάροις τὸ πρεσβύτερον ὄνομα) οὐκ ἐθάρρουν εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν· ἐδεδίεσαν γὰρ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος κατὰ τῶν ἵππων ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀκόντια προερχό7.2.6 μενα. ὁ τοίνυν τούτων ἐπιστατῶν (᾿Αλέξανδρος ὄνομα αὐτῷ) τῇ πατρίῳ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων φωνῇ τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐνεκελεύετο ἀποβῆναι τῶν ἵππων καὶ κατασυστάδην τῶν πολεμικῶν 7.2.7 κινδύνων ἐφάπτεσθαι. ἀτὰρ οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἀποβάντες τῶν ἵππων προσομιλοῦσι τῷ χάρακι ἐδίδοσάν τε καὶ ἀντελάμβανον 7.2.8 τὰς ἐκπομπὰς τῶν βελῶν. τῆς μάχης τοιγαροῦν διαρκούσης ἑκατέρᾳ δυνάμει, ῾Ρωμαῖός τις εἰσεπήδησε καὶ ἀνεὶς ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἐπιβαίνει ἁμάξης συνηνωμένης τῷ χάρακι καὶ περιφρουρούσης τὸ βάρβαρον, εἶτα στὰς ἐπὶ ταύτης τῷ ξίφει τοὺς πλησιά7.2. ζοντας ἔπαιεν. γίνεται τοίνυν τοῖς βαρβάροις ἀμεθόδευτον τὸ κακόν· λύουσι γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι τῶν βαρβάρων τὸν χάρακα. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ἀπειρηκότες τοῦ σώζεσθαι τὴν ἐπίλοιπον τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας μοῖραν ἀπέσφαττον. οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἐγκρατῶς ἐπιθέμενοι ὀψέ που καὶ μόλις τοὺς περὶ τὸν 7.2.10 χάρακα βαρβάρους ἀπέκτειναν. δευτέρα δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ οἱ νενικηκότες τῷ στρατηγῷ τὰ συγκυρήσαντα διεξῄεσαν. πεμπταῖος δὲ ὁ στρατηγὸς κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον γενόμενος καὶ δὴ τὰ ἐπίχειρα τῶν προθεόντων ἰδὼν ἠμείψατο τοὺς 7.2.11 ἀνδραγαθήσαντας δώροις. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ κυνηγετεῖν ὁ Πέτρος πειρώμενος γίνεται πρὸς ἄλσος βαθύ. συὸς τοίνυν μεγίστου ἐν τούτῳ τῷ τέμπει κατεμφωλεύοντος, καὶ τῆς ὑλακῆς τῶν κυνῶν γενομένης μεγάλης, τὸ θηρίον τοῦ ἑδράσματος ἐξανίστα7.2.12 ται καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Πέτρου χωρεῖ. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς πρὸς φυγὴν ἀναστρέψας τὸν ἵππον τὸν εὐώνυμον πόδα ἐξέθλιψεν, δένδρῳ ὑψιτενεῖ προσραγείς. ὀδύναις τοιγαροῦν ὁ Πέτρος ἀφορήτοις σφακελιζόμενος ἐνδιατρίβει τῷ χώρῳ, ἐπὶ