,

Having become witnesses of these things, all the men of the city gathered together and violently thrust out of the city the man who had been sent by the general against the priest, and having shut the gates of the wall, they praised the emperor with acclamations, 7.3.10 but they heaped insults upon the general. But Peter, having surrounded it, encamped at a distance from the city. And since the results of his undertaking were shameful to him, he abandoned the town, and began to march forward, being sent off from the city with great curses. 7.4.1 And on the sixth day, he drew up a thousand men to reconnoiter the enemy. These fell upon one hundred and ten Bul-7.4.2 gars. The barbarians, therefore, since peace existed between the Romans and the Khagan, were marching without concern; but the Romans, by the decision of the general, used their javelins against the barbarians. The Bulgars sent envoys, renounced battle, and ad-7.4.3 vised the Romans not to break the peace. The commander of the contingent sent the envoys to the general, who was situated eight miles from the place. And so Peter, rejecting the words of peace, indicated to the scouts to destroy the barbarians immediately 7.4.4 with the slaughter of the sword. The Bulgars, therefore, having arrayed themselves for battle as best they could [for the battle], engaged in close combat, and having drawn themselves up very heroically, forced the Romans to turn 7.4.5 to flight. When this had indeed happened, the barbarians also withdrew little by little, turning back frequently, "exchanging knee for little knee", that we might also mix something of the Homeric tablet into our narrative; for they feared lest somehow a reinforcing force, having joined the 7.4.6 defeated, might again be arrayed for war. Peter, therefore, having failed in his plan, stripped the taxiarch of the scouts of his clothing and flogged him in a servile manner. The barbarians therefore came to the Khagan and laid bare to him what had followed. The barbarian therefore sent envoys to Peter and reproached him for somehow breaking the truce. 7.4.7 But Peter beguiled the envoys with plausible words and alleged ignorance of the mistake. With splendid gifts, therefore, and compensation for the spoils, he converted the barbarian to goodwill. 7.4.8 And on the fourth day, he came near the neighboring river, and having collected twenty men he had sent them to cross the river and to observe the 7.4. movements of the enemy. Those, therefore, who had crossed the river were all captured. The manner of their capture was this. It is customary for those assigned to scouting to always make their march 7.4.10 by night, and when day is shining to give themselves over to sleep. These men, having made a long journey on the previous day, and then being weary in their bodies, at twilight turned to rest 7.4.11 near a certain thicket. Around the third watch of the morning, with everyone asleep, and with no one standing guard, the barbarians came upon the thicket. The Sclavenes therefore, having dismounted from their horses, attempted to cool themselves down and to give their horses 7.4.12 some rest. Therefore, as a consequence, the Romans were discovered. And having been captured alive, the wretched men were questioned to recount whatever the Romans had planned. They therefore, despairing of their safety, related 7.4.13 everything. And Peiragastos (he was the phylarch of that multitude of barbarians), having taken up his forces, encamped at the crossings of the river and hid himself in the woods like some unseen vine-shoot. 7.5.1 But the general, the brother of the emperor, having failed to ascertain that enemies were present there, ordered the army to cross the river. When a thousand had accordingly swum across the river, 7.5.2 the barbarians killed them all. The general, having learned this, urged the multitudes to make the crossing not piecemeal [but together], so that not crossing the river little by little

τούτων οἱ τῆς πόλεως μάρτυρες γεγονότες ἅπαντες συναθροίζονται καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἀποσταλέντα κατὰ τοῦ ἱερέως ἐξωθοῦσι βίᾳ τῆς πόλεως, τάς τε πύλας τοῦ τείχους συγκλείσαντες καθύμνουν ταῖς εὐφημίαις τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, 7.3.10 τὸν δὲ στρατηγὸν ὕβρεσι περιέβαλλον. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος περιστοιχίσας ἀπὸ σημείου τῆς πόλεως ἐνηυλίζετο. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως ἦν αὐτῷ κατονείδιστα, καταλιμπάνει τὸ πόλισμα, καὶ ἐς τὸ πρόσω βαδίσεως ἔναρξιν ἐποιεῖτο μεγάλαις βλασφημίαις προπεμπόμενος ἐκ τῆς πόλεως. 7.4.1 ῞Εκτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ σκοπῆσαι τοὺς πολεμίους ἄνδρας χιλίους συνέταξεν. οὗτοι ἑκατοντάσι δέκα Βουλ7.4.2 γάροις προσπίπτουσιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν βάρβαροι, ἅτε δὴ εἰρήνης ῾Ρωμαίοις καὶ Χαγάνῳ ὑπούσης, ἀπεριμερίμνως ἐποιοῦντο τὴν βάδισιν· οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι γνώμῃ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων τοῖς ἀκοντίοις ἐκέχρηντο. οἱ δὲ Βούλγαροι πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμπον τήν τε μάχην ἀπεκηρυκεύοντο καὶ παρῄ7.4.3 νουν ῾Ρωμαίοις τὴν εἰρήνην μὴ διαφθείρειν. ὁ δὲ τοῦ συντάγματος ἔξαρχος πρὸς τὸν στρατηγὸν τοὺς πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμπεν ἀπὸ σημείων ὀκτὼ πεφυκότα τοῦ χωρίου. καὶ οὖν ὁ Πέτρος τοὺς εἰρηναίους λόγους ἀποσεισάμενος τοῖς προθέουσιν ἐδήλου φόνῳ μαχαίρας τοὺς βαρβάρους παρα7.4.4 χρῆμα ὀλλύναι. οἱ μὲν οὖν Βούλγαροι πρὸς μάχην ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν συμφραξάμενοι [πρὸς τὴν μάχην] χεῖρας ἐνέμιξαν, καὶ λίαν ἡρωϊκῶς συνταξάμενοι εἰς φυγὴν ἀποκλῖναι ῾Ρωμαίους 7.4.5 ἠνάγκασαν. τούτου δῆτα γεγονότος ὑπαναχωροῦσι κατὰ μικρὸν καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι ἐντροπαλιζόμενοι, ὀλίγον γόνυ γουνὸς ἐπαμείβοντες, ἵνα καί τι τῆς ῾Ομηρικῆς δέλτου τοῖς διηγήμασιν ἀναμίξωμεν· ἐδεδίεσαν γὰρ μή πως ἐπίθετος δύναμις τοῖς 7.4.6 ἡττηθεῖσι προσομιλήσασα αὖθις συσταίη πρὸς πόλεμον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος διητυχηκὼς τοῦ βουλήματος τὸν ταξίαρχον τῶν προθεόντων τῆς ἐσθῆτος γυμνώσας δουλοπρεπῶς ἐμαστίγωσεν. παραγίνονται τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὸν Χαγάνον οἱ βάρβαροι καὶ τὰ παρηκολουθηκότα παραγυμνοῦσιν αὐτῷ. ὁ μὲν οὖν βάρβαρος ὡς τὸν Πέτρον πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμπε καὶ παρα7.4.7 σπονδοῦντί πως αὐτῷ κατωνείδιζεν. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος τοὺς πρέσβεις πιθανοῖς λόγοις ἀπεβουκόλησε καὶ ἄγνοιαν τοῦ σφάλματος προεφέρετο. δώροις τοίνυν λαμπροῖς καὶ λαφύρων ζημίαις μετατίθησι τὸν βάρβαρον πρὸς εὐμένειαν. 7.4.8 Τετάρτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ πλησίον γίνεται τοῦ γείτονος ποταμοῦ, καὶ εἴκοσι συλλεξάμενος ἄνδρας ἐπεπόμφει διαπεραιοῦσθαι τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ διανοῆσαι τὰ τῶν πολεμίων 7.4. κινήματα. οἱ μὲν οὖν τὸν ποταμὸν διαπορθμευσάμενοι ἥλωσαν ἅπαντες. ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἁλώσεως οὗτος. εἴθισται τοῖς ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ συνταττομένοις ἀεὶ τὰς νύκτας ποιεῖσθαι τὴν 7.4.10 βάδισιν, ἡμέρας δὲ λαμπούσης ὕπνοις προσομιλεῖν. οὗτοι πολλὴν τῇ προτεραίᾳ διαπεποιηκότες πορείαν, εἶτα κεκοπιακότες ἐπὶ τοῖς σώμασιν, ὑπὸ τὸ λυκόφως εἰς ἀνάπαυλαν 7.4.11 τρέπονται περί τινα πλησίον λόχμην. περὶ δὲ τρίτην ἕω πάντων καθευδόντων, καὶ μὴ ὑπόντος τοῦ διαφρουροῦντός τινος, γίνονται περὶ τὴν λόχμην οἱ βάρβαροι. ἀποβάντες τοίνυν οἱ Σκλαυηνοὶ τῶν ἵππων ἐνεχείρουν ψυχάζειν τοῖς 7.4.12 τε ἵπποις ἀνακωχῆς μεταδιδόναι τινός. τοιγαροῦν ἐκ τοῦ παρήκοντος γίνονται οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι κατάφωροι. καὶ ζωγρηθέντες οἱ δείλαιοι ἀνητάζοντο διεξελθεῖν, ὅσα τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις βεβούληται. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπογνόντες τὴν σωτηρίαν διεξῄε7.4.13 σαν ἅπαντα. ὁ δὲ Πειράγαστος (φύλαρχος δὲ οὗτος τῆς πληθύος ἐκείνης τῶν βαρβάρων) τὰς δυνάμεις ἀναλαβὼν ἐπὶ τὰς τοῦ ποταμοῦ διαβάσεις στρατοπεδεύεται καὶ ταῖς ὕλαις ἐγκρύπτεται οἷά τις ἐπιφυλλὶς ἀθεώρητος. 7.5.1 ὁ δὲ στρατηγός, ὁ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἀδελφός, ἀπευδοκιμήσας ἐντεῦθεν πολεμίους ὑπεῖναι κελεύει τὸν ποταμὸν διαπεραιοῦσθαι τὸ στράτευμα. χιλίων τοίνυν διανηξαμένων τὸν ποταμόν, 7.5.2 ἅπαντας ἀναιροῦσιν οἱ βάρβαροι. τοῦτο διεγνωκὼς ὁ στρατηγὸς κατεπείγει τὰ πλήθη μὴ ἀνακερμάτιστον [ἀλλὰ σύμφωνον] ποιήσασθαι τὴν διάβασιν, ἵνα μὴ κατ' ὀλίγον τὸν ποταμὸν περαιούμενοι