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they do. But when the crowds flowed together, the Carthaginians came into great fear. Gennadius, therefore, <who> happened to be general of Libya at that very time, having seen the war organized against him with a certain untold multitude, defeated the barbarians by trickery. 7.6.7 For pretending to have done all that the barbarians wanted, and having turned the barbarians to relaxation, he attacks them while they were feasting. Therefore, as a great slaughter and conspicuous plunder occurred, the Carthaginian war was reaching its conclusion. Thus, therefore, <the> matters concerning Libya were arranged well and very finely for the Romans. 7.6.8 In these days a comet appears in the summer heat. 7.6.8 Concerning these stars, therefore, which seemed to be composed together, the philosophers resort to meteorological starting points, which the Stagirites and Platonists wrote down in the Helicon of memory's books; 7.6. but certain astrologers and historiographers declared them a prediction of some grievous things to come. But let us, having granted the accounts concerning these things to the delay of the narrative, compel the history to aim at its target. 7.7.1 With the beginning of spring, Priscus also departs from Byzantium. Then he gathered the forces near Astica, and having examined the number of the force, the general finds that a great multitude of the Romans had been destroyed. 7.7.2 He attempts, therefore, to make the mistakes of Peter manifest to Maurice the emperor. Nevertheless, he is persuaded by certain counselors 7.7.3 to hide the errors. Therefore, having made fifteen fortified camps and having crossed the Ister river, on the fourth day, the general also arrives at Upper Novae. But the Khagan, having learned this, sent ambassadors to Priscus and sought to learn the reason for the arrival of the Romans. 7.7.4 But the general said the places were naturally suited for hunts, both good for riding and very well-watered. But the Khagan declared that the Romans were treading on foreign land, that Priscus had broken the treaty, and that the peace was being invisibly torn apart by him. 7.7.5 Therefore Priscus said that the ground was Roman, but the barbarian that the Romans had acquired this by arms and the laws of war. Therefore, with the Khagan arguing and disputing about these places, they say that Priscus reproached the Khagan with his flight from the east. 7.7.6 But since we have made mention of the Scythians by the Caucasus and those turned towards the north, come now, come, let us set forth what happened in these times to these greatest nations, interrupting the history as with certain intercalary narratives. 7.7.7 In the present summer, during this very year, the one celebrated by the Turks as Khagan in the east sent ambassadors to Maurice the emperor, and having composed a letter, he inscribed victories in it. 7.7.8 The inscription of the letter was literally thus: "To the king of the Romans, the Khagan, the great lord of seven races and master of the seven climes of the world." For in reality, this very Khagan, having defeated the ethnarch of the Abdeli (I mean, those called Hephthalites), conquered and assumed the rule of the nation. 7.7. Therefore, exalted greatly by the victory and having made Stembiskhagan an ally, he enslaved the nation of the Avars. But let no one suppose that we are misrepresenting history by thinking that the Avars of these times are the barbarians dwelling in Europe and Pannonia, and that their arrival was earlier than the times of Maurice the emperor. 7.7.10 For the barbarians around the Ister falsely assumed the name of Avars; and from where their race is, will be told presently. At any rate, when the Avars were defeated, (for we are returning to the account) some, towards those who hold Taugast, the escapes 7.7.11

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ποιοῦνται. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ πλήθη συνέρρευσαν, ἐς μέγα φόβου οἱ Καρχηδόνιοι γίνονται. ὁ μὲν οὖν Γεννάδιος, <ὃς> τὸ τηνικαῦτα δὴ καιροῦ στρατηγὸς ἐτύγχανεν ὢν τῆς Λιβύης, τεθεαμένος ἀμυθήτῳ πλήθει τινὶ τὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ συστάντα πόλεμον, δόλῳ τοὺς βαρβάρους 7.6.7 κατεπολεμήσατο. ὑποκρινόμενος γὰρ πεποιῆσθαι ἅπαντα, ὅσα περ οἱ βάρβαροι βούλονται, καὶ εἰς ἄνεσιν περιτρέψας τὸ βάρβαρον εὐωχουμένοις αὐτοῖς ἐπιτίθεται. τοῦ φόνου τοιγαροῦν γεγονότος πολλοῦ τῆς τε λείας περιφανοῦς ὁ Καρχηδόνιος πόλεμος ἐλάμβανε τὴν διάλυσιν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν <τὰ> κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην εὖ καὶ μάλα καλῶς διετίθετο τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις. 7.6.8 ᾿Εν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις κομήτης ἐν τῷ ὑπεκκαύματι 7.6.8 φαίνεται. περὶ τούτων τοιγαροῦν τῶν δοκούντων συνεστάναι ἀστέρων οἱ μὲν φιλόσοφοι πρὸς μετεωρολογικὰς καταφεύγουσιν ἀφορμάς, ἃς Σταγειρῖται καὶ Πλάτωνες ἐν τῷ ῾Ελικῶνι τῆς 7.6. μνήμης βίβλοις ἐναπεγράψαντο· ἀστρολόγοι δὲ καὶ ἱστοριογράφοι τινὲς προαγόρευσιν ἐσομένων τινῶν λυπηρῶν ἀπεφήναντο. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τοὺς περὶ τούτων λόγους τῇ ἀναβολῇ τῆς διηγήσεως χαρισάμενοι πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν ἐπιτοξάζεσθαι τὴν ἱστορίαν καταναγκάσωμεν. 7.7.1 ῏Ηρος ἀρχομένου καὶ ὁ Πρίσκος τοῦ Βυζαντίου ἀποφοιτᾷ. εἶτα πρὸς τῇ ᾿Αστικῇ τὰς δυνάμεις συνήθροισε τόν τε ἀριθμὸν τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξετάσας εὑρίσκει ὁ στρατηγὸς πολὺ 7.7.2 τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων πλῆθος διαφθαρέν. πειρᾶται τοιγαροῦν ἐς Μαυρίκιον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα κατάδηλα τὰ τοῦ Πέτρου ποιήσασθαι σφάλματα. ὅμως ὑποπείθεται ὑπὸ συμβούλων τινῶν 7.7.3 κρύψαι τὰ πλημμελήματα. δέκα τοίνυν καὶ πέντε ποιησάμενος χάρακας τόν τε ῎Ιστρον διαπεραιωθεὶς ποταμόν, τετάρτη ἡμέρα, καὶ εἰς Νόβας τὰς ἄνω ὁ στρατηγὸς παραγίνεται. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τοῦτο μεμαθηκὼς ὡς τὸν Πρίσκον πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψε τήν τε αἰτίαν ἐξηρευνᾶτο μαθεῖν τῆς τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων 7.7.4 ἀφίξεως. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τοὺς τόπους ἔφασκεν εὐφυεῖς ἐς κυνηγέσια πεφυκέναι, ἱππασίμους τε καὶ λίαν εὐύδρους. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος ἐδήλου ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίας γῆς ἐπιβαίνειν ῾Ρωμαίους, παρασπονδῆσαί τε Πρίσκον, καὶ ἀοράτως τὴν εἰρήνην ὑπ' 7.7.5 αὐτοῦ περισχίζεσθαι. ἔφασκε τοίνυν ὁ Πρίσκος ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν ὑπεῖναι τὸ ἔδαφος, ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος ὅπλοις καὶ νόμοις πολέμων ῾Ρωμαίους ἀποκτήσασθαι τοῦτο. τοῦ τοίνυν Χαγάνου ζυγομαχοῦντος καὶ διαμφιβάλλοντος περὶ τούτων τῶν τόπων, φασὶ τὸν Πρίσκον τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἕω ἀπόδρασιν ὀνειδίσαι Χαγάνῳ. 7.7.6 ᾿Αλλ' ἐπεὶ περὶ τῶν Σκυθῶν τῶν πρὸς τῷ Καυκάσῳ τῶν τε πρὸς βορρᾶν τετραμμένων μνήμην ἐποιησάμεθα, φέρε δή, φέρε τὰ παρηκολουθηκότα κατὰ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους τοῖς μεγίστοις ἔθνεσι τούτοις ὥσπερ ἐμβόλιμά τινα διηγήματα 7.7.7 τὴν ἱστορίαν μεσολαβήσαντες παραθώμεθα. θέρους ἐνεστῶτος κατὰ τοῦτον δὴ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ὁ πρὸς τῇ ἕῳ ὑπὸ τῶν Τούρκων Χαγάνος ὑμνούμενος πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψε Μαυρικίῳ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, ἐπιστολήν τε συντεταχὼς ἐπινίκια ἐνεχάραττεν 7.7.8 ἐν αὐτῇ. ἡ δὲ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἐπιγραφὴ εἶχεν ἐπὶ λέξεως οὕτως "τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων ὁ Χαγάνος ὁ μέγας δεσπότης ἑπτὰ γενεῶν καὶ κύριος κλιμάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης ἑπτά." τῷ ὄντι γὰρ τὸν ἐθνάρχην τῶν ᾿Αβδελῶν (φημὶ δὴ τῶν λεγομένων ᾿Εφθαλιτῶν) καταπολεμήσας οὗτος αὐτὸς ὁ Χαγάνος 7.7. ἐνίκησε τήν τε τοῦ ἔθνους ἀρχὴν περιεβάλετο. ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ τοίνυν εἰς μέγα ἀρθεὶς καὶ τὸν Στεμβισχάδαν σύμμαχον ποιησάμενος τὸ τῶν ᾿Αβάρων ἔθνος κατεδουλώσατο. ἀλλὰ μή τις οἰέσθω παριστορεῖν ἡμᾶς τὰ κατὰ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους ᾿Αβάρους εἶναι διανοούμενος τοὺς ἀνὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην καὶ τὴν Παννονίαν προσοικοῦντας βαρβάρους, καὶ τούτων τὴν ἄφιξιν πρεσβυτέραν γενέσθαι τῶν χρόνων Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. 7.7.10 ψευδωνύμως γὰρ ᾿Αβάρων προσηγορίαν οἱ περὶ τὸν ῎Ιστρον περιεβάλοντο βάρβαροι· ὅθεν δὲ τὸ γένος αὐτοῖς, ὅσον οὔπω εἰρήσεται. ἡττηθέντων γοῦν τῶν ᾿Αβάρων, (πρὸς γὰρ τὸν λόγον ἐπάνιμεν) οἱ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς κατέχοντας τὴν Ταυγὰστ τὰς ἀπο7.7.11 φυγὰς