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and plundering unsparingly, so as to have subdued up to one hundred and fifty castles, some by treachery and others by siege, the emperor, hearing these things, was greatly vexed, and lying awake with worries about these matters, he sought how he might be able easily either to rout the enemies completely or at least to drive away from the Roman domain and expel the hostile force. And the forces already sent forth for the sake of the 293 Ragusans and the whole nation of the Dalmatians, which Niketas the patrician, of the house of Ooryphas, commanded, as we have already said, he did not judge a match for so great a multitude of barbarians, especially because there was a need often to engage in battles towards the interior and to be far removed from the sea, which seemed for a naval army disadvantageous and impossible; but to send other forces from here again he did not judge to be profitable, both because of the expense of the campaign and the need for the regions here. And having wisely deliberated, he sent an embassy to Louis, the king of Francia, and to the Pope of Rome to aid the forces from here and to fight alongside them against the Hagarenes who had settled in Bari, ordering also the aforementioned regions of the Sclaveni to take part in the work, having been ferried across the Dalmatian sea by the inhabitants of Ragusa and their local ships. When all these things had happened together and a great force had been gathered, and since the Roman admiral also far surpassed all in intelligence and courage, Bari was quickly captured. And the castle itself and the country and all that was captured were taken under Roman authority, and the country received back its own inhabitants, but that Soldanos and the people of the Hagarenes under him the king of Francia took and led away to Capua; for he ruled this city and also Benevento. And the first 294 campaign of the emperor in the west received such an end, and the ruling city was adorned with the spoils from there and with glory. 56 But since history often loves to vary the narrative with digressive stories and to entertain the ears of the readers, it must be explained also what happened to be accomplished between the king of Francia and Soldanos the emir of Africa and the inhabitants of Capua and Benevento. For, being in Capua for a period of two years with the king of Francia, Soldanos was never seen by anyone to laugh at all. But the king promised a gift of gold to the one who made him be caught laughing. Someone therefore reported to the king that he had seen the hitherto sullen Soldanos laughing, and for this he provided witnesses. Whom the king summoned and inquired the reason for his change and his laughter. But he said, "Having seen a wagon and having observed its wheels, how their high part is brought low and the low part is raised up again, and having taken this as an image of the unstable and uncertain fortune of men, I laughed, on the one hand, reflecting on how we are lifted up by such uncertain things, and on the other hand, thinking it not impossible that I too, just as from a high position I have become low, so also from a lowly state it might be possible to be raised to greatness again." When the king heard this, and taking his own affairs to mind and considering him wise, he began 295 to grant him freedom of speech and companionship. (57) But he, being cunning and not unversed in Phoenician wiles, knew how to procure his own salvation from the slander of both parties. For often to him, both as one sensible and wise from an old man's experience and as one unfortunate from a fortunate state, the rulers of the castles of Capua and Benevento came. But he, feigning friendship towards them, said that he wished to reveal to them a secret plan of the king, but that he feared the danger from its disclosure. And when they swore it would not be divulged

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καὶ ἀφειδῶς ληϊζόμενοι, ὡς καὶ μέχρι τῶν πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν κάστρων τὰ μὲν ἐκ προδοσίας τὰ δὲ πολιορκίᾳ χειρώσασθαι, ἀκούων ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠνιᾶτο σφοδρῶς, καὶ ταῖς περὶ τούτων φροντίσιν ἐπαγρυπνῶν ἐζήτει πῶς αν εὐπετῶς δυνηθείη η τελέως τροπώσασθαι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς η καν ἐκ τῆς ̔Ρωμαϊκῆς ἐπικρατείας ἀπώσασθαι καὶ ἐξελάσαι τὸ δυσμενές. καὶ τὰς μὲν ηδη χάριν τῶν 293 ̔Ραουσαίων καὶ ολου τοῦ εθνους τῶν ∆αλματῶν προαποσταλείσας δυνάμεις, ων ηρχεν, ὡς φθάσαντες ειπομεν, ὁ κατὰ τὸν ̓Ωορύ- φαν Νικήτας πατρίκιος, οὐκ ἀξιομάχους πρὸς τοσαύτην τῶν βαρ- βάρων πληθὺν ἐδοκίμασε, μάλιστα διὰ τὸ χρείαν ειναι καὶ πρὸς τὴν μεσόγαιον πολλάκις ποιεῖσθαι τὰς συμπλοκὰς καὶ πολὺ τῆς θαλάττης ἀπαρτᾶσθαι, οπερ ἐδόκει πρὸς νηΐτην στρατὸν ἀσύμ- φορον καὶ ἀδύνατον· αλλας δὲ πάλιν ἀπ' ἐντεῦθεν ἀποστέλλειν δυνάμεις οὐκ εκρινεν ειναι λυσιτελὲς διά τε τὸ τῆς ἐκστρατείας δα- πανηρὸν καὶ τὴν χρείαν τὴν τῶν ἐνταῦθα χωρῶν. καὶ συνετῶς βουλευσάμενος πρὸς Λοδοΐχον τὸν ῥῆγα Φραγγίας καὶ τὸν πάπαν ̔Ρώμης διαπρεσβεύεται συνεπικουρῆσαι ταῖς ἐντεῦθεν δυνάμεσι καὶ μετὰ τούτων συμπαρατάξασθαι κατὰ τῶν ἐν Βάρει κατοικη- σάντων ̓Αγαρηνῶν, κελεύσας καὶ τὰς ὀλίγῳ πρόσθεν μνημονευ- θείσας χώρας τῶν Σκλαβηνῶν συνεπιλαβέσθαι τοῦ εργου, διὰ τῶν οἰκητόρων ̔Ραουσίου καὶ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐγχωρίων πλοίων πε- ραιωθέντας τὸ πέλαγος ∆αλματῶν. ων ὁμοῦ πάντων γεγενημέ- νων καὶ μεγάλης ἀθροισθείσης δυνάμεως, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ̔Ρωμαϊκὸς ναύαρχος συνέσει καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ πολὺ πάντων διέφερε, θᾶττον ἡ Βάρις ἁλίσκεται. καὶ τὸ μὲν κάστρον αὐτὸ καὶ ἡ χώρα καὶ πᾶν τὸ αἰχμάλωτον εἰς τὴν ̔Ρωμαϊκὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀναλαμβάνεται, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἡ χώρα ἀπολαμβάνει οἰκήτορας, τὸν δὲ Σολδάνον ἐκεῖνον καὶ τὸν ὑπ' αὐτὸν λαὸν τῶν ̓Αγαρηνῶν ὁ ῥὴξ Φραγγίας ἀναλαβόμενος ἐν Καπύῃ ἀπήγαγεν· ταύτης γὰρ αὐτὸς ηρχεν ετι καὶ προσέτι Βενεβενδοῦ. καὶ ἡ μὲν πρώτη κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν 294 στρατεία τῷ βασιλεῖ τοιοῦτον πέρας ἐδέξατο, καὶ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν λαφύροις καὶ τῇ δόξῃ κατεκοσμήθη ἡ βασιλεύουσα. 56 ̓Επειδὴ δὲ πολλάκις ἡ ἱστορία φιλεῖ καὶ ταῖς κατὰ παρέκβασιν διηγήσεσι τὸν λόγον ποικίλλειν καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐντυγχα- νόντων ψυχαγωγεῖν ἀκοάς, ἐπεξηγητέον καὶ οσα μεταξὺ τοῦ ῥηγὸς Φραγγίας καὶ Σολδάνου τοῦ ̓Αφρικῆς ἀμηρᾶ καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων Καπύης καὶ Βενεβενδοῦ συνέβη καταπραχθῆναι. ἐπὶ διετίαν γὰρ ἐν Καπύῃ συνὼν ὁ Σολδάνος τῷ τῆς Φραγγίας ῥηγὶ οὐδέποτε ωφθη ὑπό τινος τὸ παράπαν γελῶν. ὁ δὲ ῥὴξ τῷ κατάφωρον αὐτὸν γελῶντα πεποιηκότι χρυσίου δόσιν κατεπηγγείλατο. προσ- ήγγειλεν ουν τίς ποτε τῷ ῥηγὶ γελῶντα τὸν μέχρι τότε σκυθρωπὸν Σολδάνον θεάσασθαι, καὶ τούτου παρείχετο μάρτυρας. ον κα- λέσας ὁ ῥὴξ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς μεταβολῆς καὶ τοῦ γέλωτος ἐπυνθά- νετο. ὁ δὲ "αμαξάν" φησι "κατιδὼν καὶ τοὺς ταύτης κατανοή- σας τροχούς, πῶς καὶ τὸ μετέωρον τούτων ταπεινοῦται καὶ τὸ ταπεινὸν αυθις μετεωρίζεται, καὶ ὡς εἰκόνα ταῦτα λαβὼν τῆς ἀσταθμήτου καὶ ἀβεβαίου τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐδαιμονίας, ἐγέλασα αμα μὲν ἐνθυμηθεὶς πῶς ἐφ' ουτως ἀβεβαίων πραγμάτων ἐπαι- ρόμεθα, αμα δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἀδύνατον οἰηθεὶς τὸ καὶ ἐμέ, ωσπερ ἐκ μετεώρου γέγονα ταπεινός, ουτως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ χαμερποῦς ἐνδέχε- σθαι πάλιν ἀρθῆναι πρὸς μέγεθος." απερ ἀκούσας ὁ ῥήξ, καὶ ἐν νῷ τὰ οἰκεῖα λαβὼν καὶ ἐκεῖνον συνετὸν λογισάμενος, ηρξατο 295 παρρησίας καὶ συνδιαιτήσεως μεταδιδόναι αὐτῷ. (57) ὁ δὲ πανοῦργος ων καὶ δόλων Φοινικικῶν οὐκ ἀμέτοχος ἐκ τῆς ἑκατέρων εγνω διαβολῆς σωτηρίαν ἑαυτῷ πραγματεύεσθαι. πολλάκις γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ὡς ἐκ γεροντικῆς ἐμπειρίας συνετὸν καὶ σοφὸν καὶ ὡς ἐξ εὐτυχοῦς δυστυχῆ, οἱ τῶν κάστρων Καπύης καὶ Βενε- βενδοῦ παρεγίνοντο αρχοντες. ὁ δὲ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν πλατ- τόμενος ἐξενεγκεῖν τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπόρρητον βούλευμα τοῦ ῥηγὸς ελεγεν βούλεσθαι, δεδοικέναι δὲ τὸν ἐκ μηνύσεως κίνδυνον. τῶν δὲ διομοσαμένων ἀνέκφορον