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At this time the Khagan, honored among the Avars, having gathered the multitudes around him, proceeded to Thracian Moesia, then he stood over the city of Tomis. When Priscus learned of these things, he approached the city which was being 7.13.2 threatened. Therefore, the Romans and the barbarians, encamped around the city of Tomis, as the winter season came on, by no means broke up their camp. And as 7.13.3 spring was rising, a famine befell the Romans. And as the great festival of the Christians was about to begin, to celebrate both the passion and resurrection of God the savior, and with the famine oppressing the Romans, by some paradoxical providence, the Khagan sent an embassy to the Romans. And the 7.13.4 request was to put an end to the famine. Priscus, therefore, at the novelty of the request, was both perplexed and distrustful; but when the Romans and barbarians had both given and received pledges, having established a five-day truce, they negotiated security from fear. The Khagan therefore provided wagons of provisions 7.13.5 to the starving Romans. For this reason, down to our own times, this act of barbarian philanthropy has become one of the things told as wonders. And on the fourth day, with the Roman force prospering with the most necessary things for life, the Khagan sent ambassadors, asking to receive Indian 7.13.6 spices from Priscus. So the general complied with the barbarian's request and sent out pepper and Indian leaf and cassia and the so-called costus. And the barbarian, having received the Roman gifts, having perfumed himself in the Roman fashion, was exceedingly delighted. Therefore he remained out of the fight until that public and 7.13.7 great festival for the Romans was over. So the opposites encamped together, and there was no fear in either force. Therefore, as the festival was ending, the Khagan sent messengers, asking that the forces be separated from each other. Thus, therefore, the barbarian separated from the Romans. And on the sixth day, the Khagan, 7.13.8 since he had heard that Comentiolus had taken up forces and was about to approach Nicopolis, having gathered his heavy-armed troops, encamped against Comentiolus. But Comentiolus, having heard that the Khagan was coming, proceeded to Moesia 7.13. and pitched his tents at Zicidiba. And on the seventh day he arrived at the city of Iatrus. And the barbarian was twenty parasangs away from the Romans. And in the middle of the night, in secret, the general of the Romans sent a messenger to the Khagan. Then he ordered the Roman force to arm itself, speaking as if for the present occasion; for he said that the Romans would not form a line of battle from the morning. 7.13.10 The Romans, therefore, not suspecting that the general had ordered them to arm for the sake of war, covered their chests with iron tunics; for it seemed to them that the general wished to make an inspection 7.13.11 of the heavy-armed troops. Therefore, as the sun cast its rays upon the earth, the Romans saw the barbarian drawn up in good order, and making his battle formation vigorously against them. So the forces around Comentiolus were blaspheming against the commander, accusing him as the cause of this unprepared disorder. Therefore, a very great uproar having arisen, the barbarian stayed at a distance of two stades from the Roman multitude. The Romans, therefore, seeing the barbarians taking a delay in their attack, 7.14.1 all armed themselves with iron in a very soldierly manner, and there was a good opportunity for them to correct what had been badly overlooked. For Comentiolus was throwing the ranks into confusion, 7.14.2 at one time moving the forces from the center of the phalanx to the left wing, and at another, with wisdom, shifting those from the left forces to the right. Therefore, by the inconsistent transfer of the 7.14.3 ranks, he became the cause of much disorder. From this a disturbance occurred in the ranks. And so the general secretly indicated to the right wing of the battle line the baggage train

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τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ὁ παρὰ τοῖς ᾿Αβάροις Χαγάνος τιμώμενος τὰ περὶ ἑαυτὸν συλλεξάμενος πλήθη περὶ τὴν Θρᾳκικὴν Μυσίαν χωρεῖ, εἶτα Τομέᾳ τῇ πόλει ἐφίσταται. τούτων ὁ Πρίσκος πυθόμενος ἐπηρεαζομένῃ τῇ 7.13.2 πόλει προσομιλεῖ. ῾Ρωμαῖοι τοιγαροῦν καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι εἰς τὰ περὶ Τομέαν τὴν πόλιν στρατοπεδεύοντες ὥρας ἐπιγινομένης χειμῶνος οὐδαμῶς τὸν χάρακα διελύσαντο. τοῦ δὲ 7.13.3 ἦρος ἀνίσχοντος λιμὸς τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐνέσκηψεν. μελλούσης δὲ ἐπιβήσεσθαι τῆς μεγάλης τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἑορτῆς, καὶ πάθος ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀνάστασιν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἑορτάζειν θεοῦ, τοῦ τε λιμοῦ τοὺς ῾Ρωμαίους καταπιέζοντος, παραδόξῳ προνοίᾳ τινὶ ὁ Χαγάνος πρὸς τοὺς ῾Ρωμαίους πρεσβεύεται. ἡ δὲ 7.13.4 ἀξίωσις ἦν λύσιν τῷ λιμῷ ἐπιθεῖναι. ὁ μὲν οὖν Πρίσκος ἐπὶ τῷ καινοπρεπεῖ τῆς ἀξιώσεως διηπόρει τε καὶ ἠπίστει· ἐπεὶ δὲ πίστεις ῾Ρωμαῖοί τε καὶ βάρβαροι ἔδοσαν καὶ ἀντελάμβανον, πενθημέρους σπονδὰς συστησάμενοι τὴν ἀφοβίαν ἐπραγματεύοντο. ἁμάξας τοιγαροῦν ὁ Χαγάνος ἐπισιτισμῶν 7.13.5 λιμώττουσι τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις παρείχετο. διὰ τοῦτο μέχρι τῶν χρόνων τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς τῶν παραδοξολογουμένων τὰ τῆς βαρβαρικῆς φιλανθρωπίας ταύτης καθέστηκεν. τετάρτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ τῆς ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς δυνάμεως εὐθενούσης τοῖς πρὸς τὸ ζῆν ἀναγκαιοτάτοις τῷ βίῳ, ὁ Χαγάνος πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμπεν 7.13.6 ᾿Ινδικὰς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πρίσκου λαβεῖν ἀξιῶν καρυκείας. ὁ μὲν οὖν στρατηγὸς τοῦ βαρβάρου τὴν ἀξίωσιν ἐθεράπευε πέπερί τε ἐξέπεμψε καὶ φύλλον ᾿Ινδικὸν κασίαν τε καὶ τὸν λεγόμενον κόστον. ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος τὰς ῾Ρωμαϊκὰς ἀπολαβὼν δωρεάς, καταρωματισάμενος ἥσθη λίαν περιχαρῶς. γίνεται τοίνυν ἀπόμαχος μέχρις ὅτου ῾Ρωμαίοις ἡ δημοτελὴς ἐκείνη καὶ 7.13.7 μεγάλη πανήγυρις ἐπεπέραστο. συνηυλίζοντο τοιγαροῦν τὰ ἀντίθετα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν δέος ἐν ἑκατέραις δυνάμεσιν. οὐκοῦν ἀποτερματιζούσης τῆς ἑορτῆς ἀγγέλους ὁ Χαγάνος ἐξέπεμψε διακρίνεσθαι ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἀξιῶν τὰς δυνάμεις. οὕτω μὲν οὖν διαχωρίζεται ἀπὸ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων ὁ βάρβαρος. 7.13.8 ῾Εκταῖος δὲ ὁ Χαγάνος, ἐπεὶ ἠκηκόει Κομεντίολον δυνάμεις ἀναλαβόμενον μέλλειν τῇ Νικοπόλει προσομιλεῖν, τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν συλλεξάμενος κατὰ Κομεντιόλου στρατοπεδεύεται. Κομεντίολος δὲ ἥκειν τὸν Χαγάνον ἀκούσας ἐπὶ τὴν Μυσίαν 7.13. χωρεῖ ἐπί τε Ζικίδιβα τὰς σκηνὰς συνεπήξατο. ἑβδομαῖος δὲ εἰς ᾿Ιατρὸν ἀφικνεῖται τὴν πόλιν. ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος εἴκοσι παρασάγγας ἀφεστήκει ῾Ρωμαίων. νυκτὸς δὲ μεσούσης ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον ὁ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων στρατηγὸς ἐξέπεμψεν ἄγγελον. εἶτα τὸ ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν προσέταξεν ἐξοπλίσασθαι, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ παρήκοντος τὸν λόγον ποιούμενος· οὐ 7.13.10 γὰρ ἔφησε ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ ποιήσασθαι παράταξιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ῾Ρωμαῖοι οὐ πολέμου χάριν ὑποτοπήσαντες ὁπλοφορεῖν προστάξαι τούτοις τὸν στρατηγόν, τοῖς σιδηρείοις χιτῶσι τὰ περιστέρνια φράττουσιν· ἐδόκει γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐξέτασιν 7.13.11 τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ ποιήσασθαι ἐθέλειν τὸν στρατηγόν. τὰς ἀκτῖνας τοίνυν ἡλίου περιβαλόντος τῇ γῇ, ὁρῶσιν οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι μετ' εὐκοσμίας συντεταγμένον τὸν βάρβαρον, τήν τε ἔκταξιν κατ' αὐτῶν συντόνως ποιούμενον. αἱ μὲν οὖν δυνάμεις αἱ περὶ τὸν Κομεντίολον ἐβλασφήμουν εἰς τὸν πολέμαρχον αἴτιον αὐτὸν τῆς ἀπαρασκευάστου ταύτης ἀκοσμίας καταιτιώμεναι. θρύλου τοιγαροῦν γεγονότος μεγίστου, μένει ὁ βάρβαρος ἀπὸ σημείων δύο τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων πληθύος. 7.14.1 ῾Ρωμαῖοι τοιγαροῦν θεασάμενοι ἀναβολὴν τῆς ἐπιβολῆς τοὺς βαρβάρους λαμβάνοντας σιδηροφοροῦσιν ἅπαντες λίαν ὁπλιτικῶς, καὶ ἦν αὐτοῖς 7.14.2 τὸ κακῶς παροφθὲν πρὸς διόρθωσιν εὔκαιρον. ὁ γὰρ Κομεντίολος τὰς τάξεις ἐτάραττεν, ποτὲ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς μέσης φάλαγγος τὰς δυνάμεις μετατιθέμενος ἐπὶ τὸ εὐώνυμον κέρας, ποτὲ δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν εὐωνύμων δυνάμεων ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν μεταβάλλων σοφία. τῇ τοίνυν ἀλλοπροσάλλῳ μεταθέσει τῶν 7.14.3 τάξεων πολλῆς αἴτιοις γίνεται ἀκοσμίας. ἐντεῦθεν τάραχος ταῖς τάξεσι συνεκύρησεν. καὶ οὖν ὁ στρατηγὸς τῷ δεξιῷ τῆς παρατάξεως κέρατι ἐν παραβύστῳ ἐδήλου τὴν ἀποσκευὴν