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They were resolving to leave Europe and cross over to Asia, and to make their move to Chalcedon.7.15.6 And the city of Chalcedon is situated opposite the imperial city. For Chalcedon was thought to be a convenient base of operations for the Byzantines. 7.15.7 But the emperor, taking his bodyguards, whom the Romans call *excubitores*, and gathering the heavy infantry, guarded the Long Walls. And he also had a very large portion 7.15.8 of the demes of Byzantium. It was the eighth day, and the senate advised the Caesar to send an embassy to the Khagan. The emperor, summoning Harmaton, appointed him ambassador and sent him to the 7.15. Khagan. So Harmaton went to Drizipera, bearing a multitude of gifts. But the Khagan, lamenting his present fortunes, grieved inconsolably for the loss 7.15.10 of his sons and the ruin of his forces. And after the ambassador had spent ten days there, he did not come to terms with the Khagan; for his grief was sharp and the circumstances of the disaster were intractable. It was the twelfth day, and the ambassador was brought into the 7.15.11 barbarian's tent. So the ambassador flattered the barbarian with gentle words; but the Khagan was reluctant to accept the imperial gifts, all but exclaiming the tragic line, "an enemy's gifts are no-gifts and profitless." And so the ambassador, using many words, persuaded the barbarian to be honored by the 7.15.12 gifts. On the next day, the barbarian, having established peace, looked toward withdrawal. And the Khagan said the following in these words: "May God judge between Maurice and between the Khagan, between the Avars and 7.15.13 between the Romans." For he accused the emperor of having disturbed the peace. And the words were not out of place; for in fact the Romans, having become counterfeiters of the peace and creators of the war, fell into the aforementioned 7.15.14 misfortunes; for the results of evil beginnings present harsh appearances. And it was agreed between the Romans and Avars that the Ister would be the boundary, but with the right to cross the river against the Sclavenes. And another twenty thousand gold pieces were added to the treaty. With these terms, then, the war between the Avars and Romans came to an end. 7.16.1 In this year, while Menas was administering the Egyptian prefecture, an appearance of certain strange things occurred near the streams of the Nile. For it was necessary for the one in charge of the rule of the Egyptians to arrive at the so-called Delta; a place which took its name from the shape of the region. 7.16.2 Therefore, at about dawn, as the governor was making his way along the banks of the river, a man astonishing in size came up from the depths of the river, in face resembling a giant, sharp in gaze, with reddish-blond hair mixed with some gray, in his jaw resembling those who are well-built and engage in wrestling, in his loins resembling sailors, broad-chested, heroic in his back, 7.16.3 strong in his arms. But he offered the sight down to his waist, while the nature of the waters concealed the remaining parts of his body; for he resembled a man ashamed to show his generative 7.16.4 parts to the audience. Seeing him, the governor of Alexandria adjured him repeatedly with oaths. And what he said was this, that if it was an visitation of some demons, the apparition should break up the spectacle without harm and embrace tranquility; but if some creative powers had brought forth this being that was seen, it should not break up the viewing until all had been sated with this wondrous 7.16.5 sight. And the story was that he was the Nile himself, whom the words of poets are accustomed to fashion. So that Nilic creature (for I have not yet dared to say man), being charmed by the oaths, remained in sight 7.16.6 and presented the appearance of its body to all. And on the third

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Εὐρώπην καταλιπεῖν ἂν δοκιμάζειν αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς τὴν ᾿Ασίαν μεταφοιτᾶν πρός τε Χαλκηδόνα ποιή7.15.6 σασθαι τὴν μετάστασιν. ἡ δὲ Χαλκηδὼν πόλις καθέστηκεν εἰς τὸ ἀντιπέρας τοῦ βασιλείου πολίσματος. ἐνομίζετο γὰρ ὁρμητήριον εὔθετον ὑπεῖναι τοῖς Βυζαντίοις ἡ Χαλκηδών. 7.15.7 ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ τοὺς σωματοφύλακας ἀναλαβών, οὓς ἐξκουβίτωρας ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἀναγορεύουσιν, καὶ τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν συλλεξάμενος τὰ Μακρὰ διεφρούρησε τείχη. ὑπῆν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκ 7.15.8 [τῆς] τῶν δήμων τῶν ἐς Βυζάντιον πλείστη ἀπόμοιρα. ὀγδόη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ ἡ σύγκλητος παρῄνει τῷ Καίσαρι πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον πρεσβείαν ἐκπέμψασθαι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ῾Αρμάτωνα πρέσβιν χειροτονεῖ καὶ ὡς τὸν 7.15. Χαγάνον ἐξέπεμψεν. ὁ μὲν οὖν ῾Αρμάτων ἐς τὰ ∆ριζίπερα γίνεται πλήθη δώρων ἐπιφερόμενος. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τὰς παρούσας τύχας κατοδυρόμενος ἐθρήνει ἀσχέτως τὴν ἀποβολὴν 7.15.10 τῶν υἱῶν τήν τε τῶν δυνάμεων λύμην. δέκα δὲ ἡμέρας ἐνδιατρίψας ὁ πρέσβις τῷ Χαγάνῳ πρὸς λόγους οὐ γίνεται· ἦν γὰρ τὸ πένθος δριμὺ καὶ τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς ἀμεθόδευτα. δωδεκάτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ εἰσάγεται ὁ πρέσβις εἰς τὴν τοῦ 7.15.11 βαρβάρου σκηνήν. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρέσβις λόγοις ἠπίοις κολακεύει τὸν βάρβαρον· ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος δυσανασχέτως εἶχε τὰ βασιλικὰ καταδέξασθαι δῶρα, μονονουχὶ τὸ τῆς τραγῳδίας ἐπιφθεγγόμενος "ἐχθρῶν ἄδωρα δῶρα κοὐκ ὀνήσιμα." καὶ γοῦν ὁ πρέσβις πλείστοις λόγοις χρησάμενος πείθει τιμηθῆναι τοῖς 7.15.12 δώροις τὸν βάρβαρον. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ τὴν εἰρήνην ὁ βάρβαρος συστησάμενος πρὸς τὴν ἀνάζευξιν ἔβλεπεν. ἔφασκε δὲ ὁ Χαγάνος ἐπὶ λέξεως τάδε· "κρίναι ὁ θεὸς ἀναμέσον Μαυρικίου καὶ ἀναμέσον Χαγάνου, ἀναμέσον ᾿Αβάρων καὶ 7.15.13 ἀναμέσον ῾Ρωμαίων." κατῃτιᾶτο γὰρ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα τὴν εἰρήνην σαλεῦσαι. οὐκ ἀπὸ δὲ τρόπου τὰ ῥήματα· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι παραχαράκται τῆς εἰρήνης γενόμενοι καὶ τοῦ πολέμου δημιουργοὶ τοῖς προηγορευμένοις περιπίπτουσιν 7.15.14 ἀτυχήμασιν· τῶν γὰρ κακῶν ἐνάρξεων τὰ ἀποτελευτήματα χαλεπὰς τὰς ἐπιφανείας παρέχεται. διομολογεῖται δὲ ῾Ρωμαίοις καὶ ᾿Αβάροις ὁ ῎Ιστρος μεσίτης, κατὰ δὲ Σκλαυηνῶν ἐξουσία τὸν ποταμὸν διανήξασθαι. ἐπεντίθενται δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι εἴκοσι χιλιάδες χρυσῶν ταῖς σπονδαῖς. ἐν τούτοις δῆτα ᾿Αβάροις καὶ ῾Ρωμαίοις ὁ πόλεμος πέρας ἐλάμβανεν. 7.16.1 Κατὰ τοῦτον δὴ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν Αἰγυπτιακὴν ἐπαρχότητα Μηνᾶ διανύοντος, πρὸς τοῖς ῥείθροις τοῦ Νείλου παραδόξων τινῶν ἐπιφάνεια γίνεται. ἐδέησε γὰρ τὸν ἐπιβεβηκότα τῆς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀρχῆς ἀφικέσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ∆έλτα· τόπος δὲ οὗτος ἐκ τοῦ σχήματος τοῦ χώρου τὴν 7.16.2 ὀνομασίαν ἀπολαβών. τοίνυν περὶ πρώτην ἕω ἐπὶ τὰς ὄχθας τοῦ ποταμοῦ ποιουμένου τοῦ ἡγεμόνος τὴν πάροδον, ἄνεισιν ἐκ τῶν λαγόνων τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀνὴρ κατάπληκτος τῷ μεγέθει, τὸ πρόσωπον γίγασιν ἐμφερής, τὸ βλέμμα δριμύς, τὴν κόμην ἐπίξανθος μεμιγμένῃ τινὶ πολιᾷ, τὴν παρειὰν τοῖς εὐσωματοῦσι καὶ πρὸς τὰς παλαίστρας γινομένοις παρεοικώς, τὴν ψύαν τοῖς ναυτικοῖς ἐμφερής, εὔστερνος, τὰ νῶτα ἡρωϊκός, 7.16.3 τοὺς βραχίονας ἰσχυρός. ἀλλὰ μέχρι τῆς κύστεως τὴν ἱστορίαν παρείχετο, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων φύσις ἀπέκρυπτεν· ἐῴκει γὰρ αἰσχυνομένῳ ἀνδρὶ τὰ παιδουργὰ 7.16.4 τοῖς τοῦ θεάτρου ἐπιδείξασθαι μόρια. τοῦτον ὁ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἡγεμὼν θεασάμενος ἔβαλλε τοῖς ὅρκοις πυκνῶς. ἃ δὲ ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος, ταῦτά ἐστιν, εἰ μὲν δαιμονίων τινῶν καθέστηκεν ἐπιφοίτησις, ἀβλαβῶς καταλῦσαι τὸ θέατρον καὶ τὴν ἠρεμίαν ἀσπάσασθαι τὸ φαινόμενον· εἰ δὲ δημιουργικαὶ φροντίδες τινὲς τοῦτον δὴ τὸν ὁρώμενον προηνέγκαντο, τὰ τῆς θεωρίας μὴ λῦσαι πρὶν πάντας ἐμφορηθῆναι τῆς παρα7.16.5 δόξου ταύτης ὁράσεως. λόγος δὲ ἐκεῖνον αὐτὸν πεφυκέναι τὸν Νεῖλον, ὃν εἰώθασι ποιητῶν ἀναπλάττεσθαι ῥήματα. τὸ μὲν οὖν Νειλῷον ζῶον ἐκεῖνο (εἰπεῖν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον οὔπω τεθάρρηκα) τοῖς ὅρκοις κατεπᾳδόμενον ἐς τὸ φανερὸν διήρκει 7.16.6 καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐμφάνειαν τοῖς πᾶσι παρείχετο. τρίτῃ δὲ