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to do what was said, he said that the king wished to send all of you to his own country of Francia bound in iron chains, as there was otherwise for him no secure way of holding your cities. But since they did not yet consider what was reported to be very credible, and were seeking a still clearer understanding, the Soldan again said such things to the king, that the possession of these castles is not secure for you, as long as their rulers reside here; but if you wish to rule them securely, send them quickly to Francia as prisoners. So, being persuaded by such words, the king ordered chains to be forged quickly for some pressing need. Then the Soldan, seeing the rulers again, said, "Do you still not believe me concerning what I said? Investigate and see what all the smiths are working on at the king's command; and if 296 you find chains and bonds, do not disbelieve what is said to you for your salvation." The rulers, therefore, realizing from this that the barbarian was speaking the truth, no longer disbelieved the other things, but sought a way to defend themselves against the king. And so, a little later, when he went out for a hunt, they closed the gates against him and no longer permitted him entry. And he, being unable to do anything about this immediately, returned again to his own country. (58) The Soldan then approached the rulers, demanding the favor for his information; and this was to be permitted to depart to his own country. Having been permitted, then, and having arrived at Carthage and recovered his own rule, and not having desisted from being evil, he campaigned against Capua and Benevento, repaying them these thank-offerings for his salvation. But they sent an embassy to the king. But they were sent away with insolence, as he said he rejoiced at their destruction. The leaders of such castles sent a messenger to the emperor. The emperor, therefore, being compassionate and humane, quickly sent out the envoy to declare to them to expect help from here soon. But the minister of the message fell into the hands of the enemies before he could give the replies to those who had sent him. The Soldan therefore said to him that if you will serve my will, you shall both be deemed worthy of safety and enjoy gifts. When he 297 had agreed to do all that was ordered, "I want," he said, "you to stand outside the castle, and to say to those within that I, for my part, have fulfilled my ministry and have done all that was commanded me; but do not expect help from the emperor; for he has not heard your prayer." And when he promised to say these things thus, he was sent with the servants of the Soldan to say these things to those in the city. But when he was near the wall, and had requested the first men of the city to come for a hearing, he said, "Even if death is evident for me and the slaughter is at hand, nevertheless I will not hide the truth. But I ask and adjure you to grant me the favor for my descendants and my wife. For I, O my lords, although I am now held in the hands of the enemies, have nevertheless fulfilled my ministry and brought your embassy to the emperor of the Romans, and you may soon expect help from there. Therefore, stand bravely and do not be cowardly; for he who will deliver you is coming, even if not me." When the Soldan's servants heard this and were furiously enraged at the deception, they immediately cut him down with their swords. The Soldan, therefore, fearing the expected force from the emperor, lifted the siege and returned to his own country. And from that time on, the leaders of such castles remained faithful to the emperor, and they kept them in subjection to him. 298 59 And it happened in those times that another fleet of Hagarenes against the

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ποιήσασθαι τὸ λαλούμενον, εφη βού- λεσθαι τὸν ῥῆγα πάντας ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν τῆς Φραγ- γίας σιδηροδεσμίους ἐκπέμψαι ὡς οὐκ αλλως ουσης αὐτῷ ἀσφα- λοῦς τῆς τῶν ὑμετέρων διακρατήσεως πόλεων. τῶν δὲ μὴ πάνυ πιστὸν τέως ἡγησαμένων τὸ μηνυόμενον, ζητούντων δὲ σαφεστέ- ραν ετι κατάληψιν, πάλιν πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα ὁ Σολδάνος τοιαῦτα φησίν, ὡς οὐκ εστι σοι ἀσφαλὴς ἡ τῶν κάστρων τούτων κατά- σχεσις, εως οἱ τούτων αρχοντες ἐνταῦθα ἐπιχωριάζουσιν· ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει βεβαίως δεσπόζειν αὐτῶν, τούτους θᾶττον πρὸς Φραγγίαν δεσμίους ἀπόστειλον. πεισθεὶς ουν τοῖς τοιούτοις λόγοις ὁ ῥὴξ ἁλύσεις διωρίσατο συντόμως χαλκευθῆναι ὡς ἐπὶ χρείᾳ κατεπει- γούσῃ τινί. ἰδὼν ουν αυθις ὁ Σολδάνος τοὺς αρχοντας, "οὐδ' ετι μοι" φησὶ "πιστεύετε περὶ ων ελεγον; ἐρευνήσαντες ιδετε τί οἱ χαλκεῖς πάντες ἐργάζονται τῇ τοῦ ῥηγὸς προστάξει· καὶ ἐὰν 296 ευρητε ἁλύσεις τε καὶ δεσμά, μὴ ἀπιστήσητε τῶν πρὸς σωτηρίαν ὑμῶν λεγομένων ὑμῖν." γνόντες ουν ἐν τούτοις τὸν βάρβαρον οἱ αρχοντες ἀληθεύοντα οὐδὲ πρὸς ταλλα ετι ἠπίστησαν, τρόπον δὲ ἐζήτουν οπως τὸν ῥῆγα ἀμύνωνται. καὶ δὴ μετ' ὀλίγον πρὸς κυ- νηγέσιον ἐξελθόντος αὐτοῦ, ἀποκλείουσι κατ' αὐτοῦ τὰς πύλας καὶ οὐκέτι τὴν εισοδον συγχωροῦσιν αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ μηδὲν ἐκ τούτου παραχρῆμα δυνάμενος πράξασθαι πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν αυθις ἀνθυπενόστησε. (58) πρόσεισιν ουν τοῖς αρχουσιν ὁ Σολδάνος, τὴν χάριν τῆς μηνύσεως ἀπαιτῶν· ἡ δὲ ην τὸ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν πατρίδα συγχωρηθῆναι αὐτῷ ἀπελθεῖν. συγχωρηθεὶς ουν καὶ κατὰ Καρχηδόνα γενόμενος καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρχὴν ἀπολαβὼν καὶ τοῦ κακὸς ειναι μὴ ἐκστὰς ἐκστρατεύει κατὰ Καπύης τε καὶ Βενε- βενδοῦ, τὰ χαριστήρια τούτοις τῆς σωτηρίας ἀποδιδούς. οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ῥῆγα διαπρεσβεύονται. ἀλλὰ μεθ' υβρεως ἀποπέμπον- ται, ἐπιχαίρειν εἰπόντος τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ αὐτῶν. στέλλουσιν αγγελον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα οἱ τῶν τοιούτων κάστρων ἐξηγούμενοι. συμ- παθὴς ουν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ων θᾶττον ἐκπέμπει τὸν πρεσβευτὴν δηλώσοντα τούτοις προσδέχεσθαι συντόμως τὴν ἐν- τεῦθεν βοήθειαν. γίνεται δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐγκρατὴς ὁ τῆς ἀγγε- λίας διάκονος πρὸ τοῦ δοῦναι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις τοῖς ἀποστείλασι. λέγει ουν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Σολδάνος ὡς εἰ ὑπηρετήσεις μου τῷ βου- λήματι, καὶ σωτηρίας ἀξιωθήσῃ καὶ δωρεῶν ἀπολαύσεις. τοῦ 297 δὲ συνθεμένου τὸ κεκελευσμένον απαν ποιεῖν, "βούλομαι" εφη "στῆναί σε τοῦ κάστρου ἐκτός, καὶ τοῖς ενδον εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐγὼ μὲν τὴν διακονίαν μου ἐξεπλήρωσα καὶ τὰ προσταγέντα μοι πάντα πε- ποίηκα· ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως βοήθειαν μὴ προσδέχεσθε· οὐ γὰρ ηκουσεν ὑμῶν τῆς δεήσεως." ὑποσχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα ουτως ἐρεῖν, ἀποστέλλεται μετὰ τῶν τοῦ Σολδάνου ὑπηρετῶν τοῦ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει εἰπεῖν. ὁ δὲ πλησίον τοῦ τείχους γενόμενος, καὶ τοὺς πρώτους παραγενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν αἰτησάμενος, εφη "εἰ καὶ πρόδηλός μοι τυγχάνει ὁ θάνατος καὶ ἐν χερσὶν ἡ σφαγή, ἀλλ' ομως οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. πλὴν αἰτῶ καὶ ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς ἀποδοῦναί μοι τὴν χάριν εἰς τὰ ἐμὰ εκγονα καὶ τὴν σύνευνον. ἐγὼ γάρ, ω κύριοί μου, εἰ καὶ νῦν ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων περιεσχέθην χερσίν, ἀλλ' ομως τὴν διακονίαν μου ἐπλήρωσα καὶ τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν πρεσβείαν τῷ βασιλεῖ ̔Ρωμαίων προσήγαγον, καὶ συντόμως προσδέχεσθε τὴν ἐκεῖθεν βοήθειαν. διὸ στῆτε γενναίως καὶ μὴ δειλανδρήσητε· ερχεται γὰρ ὁ ὑμᾶς ῥυόμενος, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐμέ." ταῦτα ουν οἱ τοῦ Σολδάνου ὑπηρέται ἀκούσαντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀπάτην ἐκμανέντες σφοδρῶς, εὐθέως αὐτὸν τοῖς ξίφεσι κατακόπτουσι. φοβηθεὶς ουν ὁ Σολδάνος τὴν ἐκ βασιλέως προσδοκωμένην δύναμιν ελυσε τὴν πολιορκίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χώραν ὑπέστρεψεν. καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου διέμει- ναν πιστοὶ βασιλεῖ οἱ τῶν τοιούτων ἐξηγούμενοι κάστρων, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ συνετήρησαν δούλωσιν. 298 59 Συνέβη δὲ κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς ἐκείνους καὶ αλλον στό- λον ̓Αγαρηνῶν κατὰ τῆς