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Tatikios, learning of this, immediately pursued after them; but on foot, they say, beside a Lydian chariot. For the Scythians, getting there first, passed through the Sidera (so are the straits named); and not catching them there, having gathered his entire forces, he returns to Adrianople. And leaving the Celts there somewhere, and having ordered each of the soldiers to go home, he himself with a portion of the army returns to the queen of cities.

7.t.1 ALEXIAD VII

7.1.1 When spring appeared, Tzelgu, having passed through the straits above the Danube (this man was a preeminent leader of the Scythian army), leading a mixed army of about eighty thousand from the Sauromatians and Scythians and not a few from the Dacian army, of whom the so-called Solomon was leader, was plundering the cities lying near Charioupolis. And arriving at Charioupolis itself and taking much booty, he seized a certain place called Skoteinon. Having learned this, Nicholas Maurokatakalon and Vebetziotes, who had received his surname from his birthplace, with the forces under them seize Pamphylos. But seeing the people around the towns of the neighboring lands being driven together into the cities and forts through great terror, they departed from the so-called place of Pamphylos and seize the small town of Koule, bringing the entire army with them. And coming up behind them and finding the so-called kopos of the Roman army (this is a term common to the soldiers), the Scythians followed, tracking the Roman army as it were. 7.1.2 When the day was already dawning, Tzelgu drew up his own forces and planned the war against Maurokatakalon. But that man went up to the ridge overlooking the plain with some chosen men to spy out the barbarian forces. Seeing the multitude of the Scythians, he was convulsed at the prospect of engaging in war, but he held back, considering that the Roman army did not amount to even a fraction of the barbarians' force. Returning with the chosen men of the entire hoplite force and Ioannakes himself, he considered whether it was necessary to attack the Scythians. Since they were urging this, and since he himself was more inclined toward it, he divided the forces into three parts and, ordering the battle cry to be sounded, he engages the barbarians. Many, then, at that time fall wounded, and not fewer are killed; and Tzelgu himself, fighting nobly and throwing whole phalanxes into confusion, was struck a mortal blow and deprived of his life. But the majority, falling into the stream between the so-called Skoteinon and Koule while fleeing, were drowned, being trampled by one another. Thus, having won a brilliant victory against the Scythians, the emperor's men entered the great city. And having received gifts and honors from the emperor in proportion, they returned with the then-appointed Grand Domestic of the West, Adrianos Komnenos, the emperor's own brother.

7.2.1 Thus having been driven from the regions of Macedonia and Philippopolis, they returned again to the area around the Ister and were encamped, and as if our own land were their own

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Αἰσθόμενος δὲ ὁ Τατίκιος τούτου παραχρῆμα κατόπιν αὐτῶν ἤλαυνεν· ἀλλὰ πεζός φασι παρὰ Λύδιον ἅρμα. Προφθάσαντες γὰρ οἱ Σκύθαι διῆλθον τὴν Σιδηρᾶν· τέμπη δ' οὕτως εἰσὶ κατονομαζόμενα· κἀκεῖσε δὲ τούτους μὴ καταλαβὼν ἀναλαβόμενος τὰς ὅλας δυνάμεις πρὸς Ἀδριανούπολιν ἐπαναζεύγνυσι. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν Κελτοὺς αὐτοῦ που καταλιπών, τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν οἴκοι πορευθῆναι ἕκαστον κελεύσας μετά τινος μερίδος τῆς στρατιᾶς αὐτὸς ἐπαναζεύγνυσι πρὸς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν.

7.t.1 ΑΛΕΞΙΑΣ Ζʹ

7.1.1 Ἔαρος δὲ ἐπιφανέντος διελθὼν ὁ Τζελγοὺ τὰ ὑπερ κείμενα τοῦ

∆ανούβεως τέμπη (ἡγεμὼν δὲ οὗτος ὑπερέ χων τοῦ Σκυθικοῦ στρατεύματος) σύμμικτον ἐπαγόμενος στράτευμα ὡσεὶ χιλιάδας ὀγδοήκοντα ἔκ τε Σαυροματῶν καὶ Σκυθῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ακικοῦ στρατεύματος οὐκ ὀλί γους, ὧν ὁ οὕτω καλούμενος Σολομὼν δημαγωγὸς ἦν, τὰς κατὰ τὴν Χαριούπολιν παρακειμένας πόλεις ἐλῄζετο. Καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν δὲ φθάσας τὴν Χαριούπολιν καὶ λείαν πολλὴν ἀναλαβόμενος κατέλαβε τόπον τινὰ Σκοτεινὸν καλούμενον. Μεμαθηκὼς τοῦτο ὁ Μαυροκατακαλὼν Νικόλαος καὶ ὁ Βεμπετζιώτης τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνεγκαμένης λαχὼν μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοὺς δυνάμεων καταλαμβάνουσι τὸ Πάμ φυλον. Ὁρῶντες δὲ τοὺς περὶ τὰς κωμοπόλεις τῶν παρα κειμένων χωρῶν πρὸς τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰ φρούρια συνελαυ νομένους διὰ πτοίαν πολλὴν ἀπάραντες τοῦ οὑτωσὶ καλουμένου Παμφύλου τόπου καταλαμβάνουσι τὸ τοῦ Κούλη πολίχνιον τὸ ἅπαν συνεπαγόμενοι στράτευμα. Ὄπισθεν δὲ τούτων ἐρχόμενοι καὶ τὸν οὑτωσὶ καλούμενον κοπὸν τοῦ ῥωμαϊκοῦ στρατεύματος (λέξις δὲ αὕτη συνήθης τοῖς στρατιώταις) εὑρόντες οἱ Σκύθαι παρείποντο ἰχνηλατοῦν τες οἷον τὸ ῥωμαϊκὸν στράτευμα. 7.1.2 Αὐγαζούσης δὲ ἤδη τῆς ἡμέρας τὰς ἰδίας ὁ Τζελγοὺ καθιστᾷ δυνάμεις καὶ τὸν κατὰ τοῦ Μαυροκατακαλὼν ἐβουλεύετο πόλεμον. Ἐκεῖ νος δὲ κατὰ τὸν ὑπερκείμενον τῆς πεδιάδος αὐχένα ἀνῆλθε μετά τινων λογάδων κατασκοπήσων τὰς βαρβαρι κὰς δυνάμεις. Ὁρῶν δὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐσφάδᾳζε μὲν τὴν συμπλοκὴν τοῦ πολέμου, ἀνεβάλλετο δὲ τὴν ῥωμαϊκὴν στρατιὰν κατανοῶν μηδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν σῴζου σαν τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων δυνάμεως. Ἐπανελθὼν δὲ μετὰ τῶν λογάδων τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ παντὸς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰωαννάκη διεσκοπεῖτο, εἰ χρὴ προσβαλεῖν τοῖς Σκύθαις. Τῶν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἐποτρυνόντων, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τοῦτο μᾶλλον κατάρροπος ἦν, τριχῆ διελὼν τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ τὸ ἐνυάλιον ἠχῆσαι κελεύσας ξυμμίγνυται τοῖς βαρβάροις. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν τηνικαῦτα τρωθέντες πίπτουσι, κτείνονται δὲ οὐχ ἥττους· καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Τζελγοὺ γενναίως μαχόμενος καὶ ὅλας συνταράσσων φάλαγγας καιρίαν πληγεὶς ἀφῄρηται τὴν ψυχήν. Οἱ πλείους δὲ ἐν τῷ φεύγειν πίπτοντες εἰς τὸν ἀναμεταξὺ τοῦ καλουμένου Σκοτεινοῦ καὶ τοῦ Κούλη ῥύακα ἀπεπνίγοντο ὑπ' ἀλλήλων συμπατούμενοι. Λαμπρὰν τοίνυν τὴν κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν νίκην ἀράμενοι οἱ τοῦ βασι λέως εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὴν μεγαλόπολιν. ∆ωρεὰς δὲ καὶ τιμὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως δεξάμενοι κατὰ τὸ ἀνάλογον ὑπέστρε ψαν μετὰ τοῦ τηνικαῦτα προχειρισθέντος μεγάλου δομεσ τίκου τῆς δύσεως Ἀδριανοῦ Κομνηνοῦ καὶ αὐταδέλφου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος.

7.2.1 Οὕτως δὲ τῶν κατὰ Μακεδονίαν καὶ Φιλιππούπολιν μερῶν ἀπελαθέντες περὶ τὸν Ἴστρον αὖθις ἐπαναστρέψαν τες ηὐλίζοντο καὶ ὥσπερ ἰδίαν τὴν ἡμεδαπὴν