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he was traversing savage territory; for this path had been 8.4.6 impassable for ninety years. The general therefore argued against the old man's words. But since the worse counsel prevailed, the Roman 8.4.7 forces began their journey. During these days a great and exceptional cold set in, and since the frost was great, and the bitterness of the winds was fiercely pressing, many of the force perished and the greatest 8.4.8 part of the baggage animals. Indeed, Comentiolus arrived at the city of Philippopolis most grievously and wretchedly. Therefore, having spent the entire winter season there, he arrived at Byzantium at the beginning of spring. In the following summer he was again appointed general by the emperor Maurice. 8.4. In the nineteenth year of the reign of the emperor Maurice, nothing was done between the Romans and the barbarians. In the twentieth year, the emperor Maurice appointed his brother Peter 8.4.10 as general of Europe. Before this year, Theodosius, the emperor's son, was paraded as a bridegroom, and his father gave him for lawful marriage the daughter of Germanus, a most distinguished man and very illustrious in the senatorial 8.4.11 council. Therefore, a few days after the wedding, in the winter season, a food shortage afflicted the Byzantines. So when this famine occurred, and on the fortieth day after the birthday festival of the great god Jesus, whom the nations throughout the world honor as Christ, 8.4.12 the multitudes rose in sedition against the emperor. The emperor was accustomed to celebrate with the people. Therefore, as the emperor was making supplications with the crowds, some from the multitude, becoming mutinous, blasphemed against Maurice and threw stones 8.4.13 at the emperor. So Maurice ordered the bodyguards to threaten the attackers with iron clubs (these are called *distria* in the Roman tongue), but he ordered them to feign their attacks only as a pretense; but Germanus, covering Theodosius under his cloak, led him out from the procession through the place called Hilara (this is a place in the city) and saved him. 8.5.1 And so the emperor was saved by the bodyguards without having caused an interruption to the procession. Then they arrived at the church of the Mother of God, which the Byzantines honorably call 8.5.2 Lachernae. This sanctuary has become exceedingly revered and is worshipped by the city to the highest degree; for it is said that the garments of the virgin Mary, whom we Romans venerate as properly and solely the Theotokos, were deposited there in a gold-spangled 8.5.3 shrine. Therefore, having performed the entire sacred mystery in this church according to custom, the emperor went to the palace. On the next day, having disciplined the more prominent of the seditionists with some minor 8.5.4 punishments, he exiled them from the city. The exile was not for many days; for the emperor, quickly changing his mind in his grief, gave the exiles permission to enter the city. 8.5.5 So Peter the general, having gathered his forces, advanced to the Ister and arrived at Palastolon, and having made a fortified camp, he thus passed the summer season; and at the beginning of autumn the general came to the region of Dardania. For he had heard that the multitudes of the Avars had gathered around the so-called Cataracts and that Apsich 8.5.6 was encamped there. Therefore, when the Romans arrived there, Peter the general exchanged words with Apsich, the second-in-command of the Avar force. Apsich was attempting to subjugate the so-called 8.5.7 Cataracts away from the Romans. But since the general was displeased that peace should be kindled on such terms, each force disbanded, and the Chagan advanced upon the so-called Constantiola, while the Romans returned to their Thracian quarters. 8.5.8 And of the

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ἀνήμερον διεξήρχετο· ὑπεῖναι γὰρ τὴν τρίβον ταύτην 8.4.6 ἀδιεξόδευτον ἀπὸ ἐτῶν ἐνενήκοντα. ἀντιτείνει τοίνυν ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῖς τοῦ γέροντος λόγοις. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τῆς χείρονος ἐπιβολῆς ἐπροτέρησεν, ἀπάρχονται τῆς ὁδοιπορίας αἱ τῶν 8.4.7 ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμεις. κατὰ ταύτας δὴ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐπεδήμησε μέγα καὶ ἐξαίσιον ψῦχος, καὶ μεγάλου γεγονότος τοῦ κρύους, καὶ τῆς τῶν πνευμάτων πικρότητος ἐγκρατῶς ἐγκειμένης, ὄλλυνται πολλοὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν τε νωτοφόρων ζώων ἡ 8.4.8 πλείστη ἀπόμοιρα. λίαν γοῦν καὶ ἀπευκτῶς ὁ Κομεντίολος ἐπὶ τὴν Φιλίππου πόλιν ἀφίκετο. τοίνυν ἐκεῖσε τὴν ἅπασαν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν ἐνδιατρίψας ἔαρος ἀρχομένου ἐς Βυζάντιον παραγίνεται. τῷ δὲ ἐπιόντι θέρει πάλιν στρατηγὸς ὑπὸ Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἀναδείκνυται. 8.4. ᾿Εννεακαιδεκάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ τῆς βασιλείας Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος οὐδὲν ῾Ρωμαίοις καὶ βαρβάροις ἐπράχθη. ἔτει δὲ εἰκοστῷ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος Πέτρον 8.4.10 στρατηγὸν προεστήσατο τῆς Εὐρώπης. πρὸ τούτου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ Θεοδόσιος, ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως υἱός, νυμφίος πομπεύεται, καὶ πρὸς ἔννομον γάμον δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ Γερμανοῦ τὸ θυγάτριον, ἀνδρὸς λίαν ἐξόχου καὶ τῶν ἐς συγκλήτου βουλὴν 8.4.11 ἄγαν ἐπιφανοῦς. μετ' ὀλίγας τοίνυν ἡμέρας τοῦ γάμου, ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος, σιτοδεία τις τοῖς Βυζαντίοις ἐνέσκηψεν. τούτου δῆτα τοῦ λιμοῦ γεγονότος, καὶ τῆς τεσσαρακοστῆς ἡμέρας προελθούσης τῆς γενεθλιακῆς πανηγύρεως τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ, ὃν Χριστὸν τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔθνη γεραίρουσιν, 8.4.12 καταστασιάζει τὰ πλήθη τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. εἰώθει δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς συνεορτάζειν τοῖς δήμοις. τοῦ τοίνυν βασιλέως ἅμα τοῖς ὄχλοις τὰς λιτὰς ποιουμένου, νεωτερίσαντες ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τινὲς ἐς Μαυρίκιον ἐβλασφήμουν καὶ λίθους ἐξέπεμ8.4.13 πον κατὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μαυρίκιος κελεύει τοῖς σωματοφύλαξιν ἀπειλεῖν ταῖς σιδηραῖς κατὰ τῶν ἐπιόντων κορύναις (ταῦτα δὲ ἄρα τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων φωνῇ δίστρια λέγεται), μέχρι δὲ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως κελεύει τούτοις τὰς ἐπιφορὰς σχηματίσασθαι· ὁ δὲ Γερμανὸς ὑποκάτω τῆς χλαμύδος καλύψας τὸν Θεοδόσιον διὰ τῶν λεγομένων ῾Ιλαρᾶς (τόπος δὲ οὗτος τοῦ ἄστεος) ἐκ τῶν λιτανευμάτων ὑπεξαγαγὼν διεσώσατο. 8.5.1 καὶ οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων διασώζεται μὴ δεδωκὼς ἐγκοπὴν τῷ λιτανεύματι. εἶτα πρὸς τὸν τῆς θεομήτορος νεὼν παρεγένοντο, ὃν Λακέρνας ἀποκαλοῦσι 8.5.2 τιμῶντες Βυζάντιοι. τὸ δὲ τέμενος τοῦτο τῶν σεβασμίων λίαν καθέστηκε θρησκεύεταί τε ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄστεος ἐς τὰ μάλιστα· λέγεται γὰρ περιστόλια τῆς παρθένου Μαρίας, ἣν θεοτόκον κυρίως καὶ μόνην οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι πρεσβεύομεν, ἐν σηκῷ χρυσο8.5.3 πάστῳ ἀποτεθῆναι ἐνταῦθα. ἅπασαν τοιγαροῦν τὴν ἱερὰν μυσταγωγίαν ἐν τούτῳ δὴ τῷ ναῷ κατὰ <τὸ> εἰωθὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς λατρεύσας πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια γίνεται. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ τοὺς ἐπισημοτέρους τῶν καταστασιασάντων μικροῖς τισιν 8.5.4 αἰκισμοῖς σωφρονίσας ἐξορίζει τοῦ ἄστεος. ἡ δὲ ἐξορία ἀμακροημέρευτος ἦν· θᾶττον γὰρ μεταβαλὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν λύπην δίδωσι τοῖς ἐξορίστοις ἐξουσίαν ἐπιβαίνειν τοῦ ἄστεος. 8.5.5 Μενοῦνγε ὁ Πέτρος ὁ στρατηγὸς τὰς δυνάμεις ἀθροίσας ἐπὶ τὸν ῎Ιστρον χωρεῖ καὶ εἰς Παλάστολον ἀφικνεῖται, καὶ χάρακα ποιησάμενος οὕτω τὴν τοῦ θέρους ὥραν διήνυεν· μετοπώρου τε ἀρχομένου ἐπὶ τὸ κλίτος τῆς ∆αρδανίας ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐνεδήμησεν. ἠκηκόει γὰρ περὶ τοὺς λεγομένους Καταράκτας ἀθροισθῆναι τῶν ᾿Αβάρων τὰ πλήθη τόν τε 8.5.6 ᾿Αψὶχ ἐνθαδὶ στρατοπεδεύεσθαι. τοίνυν τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων γεγονό-των αὐτόθι, Πέτρος ὁ στρατηγὸς πρὸς τὸν ᾿Αψίχ, τὸν ὑποστράτηγον τῆς ᾿Αβάρων δυνάμεως, ἐδίδου καὶ ἀντελάμβανε λόγους. ὁ δὲ ᾿Αψὶχ τοὺς λεγομένους Καταράκτας ἀπὸ ῾Ρω-8.5.7 μαίων ἐνεχείρει δουλώσασθαι. δυσανασχετοῦντος δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ μὴ τοιαύταις συνθήκαις ζωπυρεῖν τὴν εἰρήνην, ἑκατέρα διαλύεται δύναμις, καὶ ὁ μὲν Χαγάνος ἐπὶ τὴν λεγομένην Κωνσταντίολαν ἐχώρησεν, οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἐπὶ τὰς Θρᾳκῴας διατριβὰς ἐπανέζευξαν. 8.5.8 Τοῦ δὲ