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or address him, and to set death as the penalty for their audacity, and that these men, as the supposed ringleaders of those deserters from the fleet, should be scourged in the hippodrome, and readily be led through the city's forum with their arms bound behind them, then, secured in fetters, be sent off to the Peloponnese, so that in the very place from which they were thought to have fled, they might also receive their fitting punishment. To carry this out, John the strategos of the Peloponnese, called the Cretan, was entrusted; who, in service to the imperial command, ordered as many gibbets to be set up in Methone as there were prisoners sent, and impaled those sent as the ringleaders of the flight. When the Roman fleet heard and saw this, they pitied those men as cowardly and wretched, and were themselves strengthened for the dangers ahead, casting aside all softness and luxury, and they urged their commander to lead them quickly against the enemy. 63 At this time, he himself, having filled the deficit in his force with 304 soldiers from the Peloponnese and with Mardaites, and having taken the strategos as an ally, prepared for an attack. The Saracens, having already imputed great cowardice to the Roman fleet because it seemed to them that the intervening time was being wasted in vain, and with great freedom leaving their own ships and plundering the subject lands and islands, suddenly, the Roman naval force appeared near them unnoticed, and when the general gave the signal, it attacked the enemy unexpectedly in the night. And having no time either to rally or to turn to their defence, they were wretchedly slaughtered, and their ships were consumed by fire along with their crews and everything with them. And as many ships as escaped the danger of the fire, Nasar brought them to the church of God in Methone and presented them as thank-offerings, and he allowed the people under his command to profit from the spoils and the remaining bodies. He reported these things quickly to the emperor, and inquired what should be done from this point on and where he should turn. The emperor praised him for what had been accomplished and commanded him to proceed further. 64 Since, therefore, the army was eager due to their previous successes, it crossed over to Sicily and Panormos, and going against the cities there, as many as were tributary to the Hagarenes from Carthage, he plundered them; and he captured very many merchant ships and boats, whose cargo was abundant oil and many other 305 more precious things. And they say that oil became so cheap then from such a supply that a litra was sold for an obol. (65) And having crossed over also to the regions of Italy, the same fleet, and having united with the Roman infantry and cavalry forces, which Prokopios the protovestiarios of the emperor led and Leo the then strategos of the Thracians and Macedonians, whom they called Apostyppes, accomplished many things beneficial to the Roman empire; for the same Nasar defeated the fleet that had again come out from Africa at the island called Stylae, and the castles held by the Hagarenes in both Calabria and Lombardy, except for very few, he freed them all from the barbarian hand and brought them under Roman authority. And thus indeed the naval force, having shown itself superior to deceit and envy and nemesis, returned to the emperor with much booty and crowns of victory, filling the whole state with gladness, and giving the emperor many reasons for thanksgiving and praise to God. 66 But the land forces did not entirely escape envy, but though they accomplished manly and brilliant deeds, yet from strife and rivalry that arose during the very conflict they lost their greater general. For when Leo had a dispute with Prokopios, though they engaged the enemy nevertheless, it happened

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η προσφθέγξασθαι, ἐπιτίμιον δὲ τῆς τόλμης ὁρίσασθαι θάνατον, καὶ τούτους ὡς δῆθεν ἐξάρχους τῶν λειποτακτησάντων ἐκείνων πλωΐμων ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρόμῳ διὰ μαστίγων ἐπεξελθεῖν, καὶ ἑτοίμως διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀγορᾶς περιηγκωνισμένους διεξελθεῖν, ειτα ποδοκάκαις ἀσφαλισθέντας ἐκπεμφθῆναι πρὸς Πελοπόννησον, ὡς αν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οθεν ἀποφυγεῖν ἐνομίζοντο, καὶ τὴν προσήκου- σαν τιμωρίαν προσδέξωνται. ὑπηρετήσασθαι δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ̓Ιωάν- νης ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐπετράπη Πελοποννήσου, ὁ λεγόμενος Κρητικός· ος τῇ βασιλικῇ κελεύσει καθυπουργῶν ἰσαρίθμους τῶν ἀποστα- λέντων δεσμίων ἐν Μεθώνῃ φούρκας στῆναι προσέταξε καὶ τοὺς ὡς ἐξάρχους τῆς φυγῆς πεμφθέντας ἀνεσκολόπισεν. απερ ὁ ̔Ρω- μαϊκὸς στόλος ἀκούσας τε καὶ ἰδὼν ἐκείνους τε ὡς δειλοὺς καὶ ἀθλίους ᾠκτείρησε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπερρώσθη πρὸς τὰ δεινά, πᾶσαν ἀποθέμενος μαλακίαν τε καὶ τρυφήν, καὶ αγειν αὐτοὺς ταχέως πρὸς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους παρεκάλουν τὸν ἡγεμόνα. 63 ̓Εν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ λεῖπον τῆς στρατείας ἀπὸ 304 τῶν κατὰ Πελοπόννησον στρατιωτῶν καὶ Μαρδαϊτῶν ἀναπληρώ- σας, καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν συνεργὸν προσλαβόμενος, πρὸς ἐπίθεσιν εὐτρεπίζεται. τῶν δὲ Σαρακηνῶν ηδη πολλὴν δειλίαν τοῦ ̔Ρω- μαϊκοῦ καταγνόντων στόλου διὰ τὸ δοκεῖν τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον μά- την αὐτοῖς κατατρίβεσθαι, καὶ ἐπ' ἀδείας πολλῆς ἀπὸ τῶν οἰ- κείων ἐξερχομένων νεῶν καὶ τὰς ὑποκειμένας ληϊζομένων χώρας καὶ νήσους, ἐξαίφνης πλησίον αὐτῶν ἀφανῶς γεγονὼς ὁ τῶν ̔Ρω- μαίων στρατὸς ναυτικός, τὸ σύνθημα δόντος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ἐπι- τίθεται τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπροόπτως ἐν τῇ νυκτί. καὶ μήτε συστῆ- ναι μήτε πρὸς ἀλκὴν τραπῆναι σχόντες καιρὸν δυστυχῶς ἀπεσφάτ- τοντο, καὶ αἱ τούτων ναῦς πυρὶ μετὰ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς κατεφλέγοντο. οσαι δὲ τὸν τοῦ πυρὸς κίνδυνον διέφυγον, ταύτας τῇ ἐν Μεθώνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ φέρων ὁ Νάσαρ ὡς χαριστήρια ἐδωρήσατο, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λαφύρων καὶ τῶν περιλει- φθέντων σωμάτων ὠφεληθῆναι τὸν ὑπ' αὐτὸν λαὸν συνεχώρησεν. δηλοποιεῖ δὲ ταῦτα θᾶττον τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ τί χρὴ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν πράττειν καὶ ποῖ τραπέσθαι πυνθάνεται. ον ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις ἐπαινέσας ὁ βασιλεὺς προσωτέρω χωρεῖν ἐγκε- λεύεται. 64 ̓Επεὶ ουν τοῖς προκατειργασμένοις πρόθυμος ην ὁ στρατός, διαπεραιοῦται πρὸς Σικελίαν καὶ Πάνορμον, καὶ τὰς ἐνταῦθα πόλεις, οσαι τοῖς ἐκ Καρχηδόνος ̓Αγαρηνοῖς ἐτέλουν ὑπό- φοροι, ἐπιὼν ἐληΐζετο· καὶ φορτηγῶν νεῶν καὶ σκαφῶν παμπολ- λῶν ἐκράτησεν, ων ὁ φόρτος ελαιόν τε δαψιλὲς ην καὶ αλλα τῶν 305 τιμιωτέρων πολλά. τοσοῦτον δέ φασιν ἐπευωνηθῆναι τότε τὸ ελαιον ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης προσαγωγῆς ωστε ὀβολοῦ τὴν λίτραν πι- πράσκεσθαι. (65) διαπεράσας δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰ τῆς ̓Ιταλίας μέρη ὁ αὐτὸς στόλος, καὶ ταῖς ὁπλιτικαῖς καὶ ἱππικαῖς τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων δυνάμεσιν ἑνωθείς, ων Προκόπιος ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως ἡγεῖτο πρωτο- βεστιάριος καὶ Λέων ὁ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν καὶ Μακεδόνων τότε στρα- τηγός, ον ̓Αποστύππην ἐκάλουν, πολλὰ καὶ ἐπωφελῆ τῇ ̔Ρωμαίων ἀρχῇ κατεπράξατο· τόν τε γὰρ ἐξ ̓Αφρικῆς αυθις ἐξελθόντα στό- λον ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τῇ καλουμένῃ Στῆλαι ὁ αὐτὸς Νάσαρ κατεπολέ- μησε, καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ̓Αγαρηνῶν κατεχόμενα κάστρα εν τε Κα- λαβρίᾳ καὶ Λαγοβαρδίᾳ, πλὴν ὀλίγων πάνυ, πάντα τῆς βαρβα- ρικῆς χειρὸς ἠλευθέρωσε καὶ πρὸς τὴν ̔Ρωμαίων ἐξουσίαν μετή- γαγε. καὶ ουτω μὲν ὁ ναυτικὸς στρατὸς κρείττων δόλου καὶ φθόνου φανεὶς καὶ νεμέσεως μετὰ πολλῶν λαφύρων καὶ νικητικῶν στεφάνων ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς βασιλέα, εὐφροσύνης ἐμπλήσας πᾶν τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ βασιλεῖ πολλὰς ἀφορμὰς παρασχὼν τῆς πρὸς θεὸν εὐχαριστίας καὶ ἀνθομολογήσεως. 66 Αἱ πεζικαὶ δὲ δυνάμεις οὐ πάντῃ τὸν φθόνον διέφυ- γον, ἀλλ' εργα μὲν ἀνδρικὰ καὶ λαμπρὰ κατειργάσαντο, ἐξ εριδος δὲ καὶ φιλονεικίας κατ' αὐτὸν τὸν ἀγῶνα συμπεσούσης ἀπώλεσαν τὸν μείζονα στρατηγόν. τοῦ γὰρ Λέοντος διενεχθέντος πρὸς τὸν Προκόπιον, συμβαλόντων δὲ ομως τοῖς πολεμίοις, συνέβη