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As summer was pressing on, a report came to Maurice the emperor that the Khagan had deliberately created a delay in the war, so that while the Roman multitude was off its guard, 8.5. he might by some sudden movement attack the regions around Byzantium. And so he commands the general to leave Adrianople 8.5.10 and orders him to make the crossings around the Ister. Peter, therefore, was preparing to encamp against the Sclavenian multitude and wrote to Bonosus; this man was a distinguished member of the emperor's bodyguards, whom the masses were accustomed to call a *scribo*; 8.5.11 for it was necessary for him at that time to be of service to Peter the general. The request of the letter was that he furnish the Roman transport vessels 8.5.12 to the forces, so that they might swim across the river. And Peter placed Guduin in command of the fighting men as his second-in-command. Therefore Guduin, having crossed the river, destroyed multitudes of the enemy by the edge of the sword, and having taken many captives, he won great renown. The Romans, therefore, were attempting to return across the river to their own territory, but Guduin 8.5.13 for the time being prevented them from doing this. But the Khagan, having learned of the Roman attacks, sent out Apsich with armies, in order to destroy the nation of the Antes, which happened to be an ally of the Romans. 8.6.1 While these things were happening, certain multitudes of the Avars revolted and were hastening to desert to the emperor. The Khagan, therefore, was disturbed at this news, and having become very fearful, he was much engaged in supplicating and devising many methods to win back the revolted force. 8.6.2 Then, as the autumn season was at hand, and Maurice the emperor was annoying Peter for the Roman forces to spend the wintertime in the lands of the Sclavenes, and as the Romans were burdened by the emperor's plan because of the lack of plunder and the poor condition of the horses, and furthermore because multitudes of barbarians were swarming around the country on the opposite side of the Ister, and because the general was enforcing the royal command, a very great 8.6.3 mutiny arose in the armies. Maurice therefore through frequent missives was pressing Peter for the Romans to do this, but the Romans stood opposed with a more resolute decision. Therefore they swam across the river as if on a journey. And when this was done, they arrived in Palastolum, their souls intoxicated with the greatest rage. 8.6.4 And Peter encamped about ten stades from the camp. And so the general, being indignant with the forces, was driven to an irrational desperation and did not 8.6.5 deign to encamp with the soldiery. And it was the third day, and he said to Guduin; and what he said were these things, that it seemed in a dream that royal missives had been sent to him, and that the 8.6.6 heading of the letter ran thus in these words: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the true God, the divine grace, he who presides over the churches, supplies what is lacking for the benefit of all and on the present occasion appoints this man as the new master." Peter therefore was at a loss and was vexed, and he was distressed and bewildered, being surrounded on all sides, as to what 8.6.7 might be the outcomes of the dreams that had appeared. Guduin, therefore, being astounded both by the confusion of the multitude and by <the> manifestations of the dreams, was held speechless. But on the next day the forces moved the camp, and having passed Assemus (this is a fort) they arrived in Curisca, from where they were about to cross over to the encampments of the barbarians; for they had somewhat changed their 8.6.8 haughtiness. In these days, at any rate, vessels were being built. And while this was happening, violent rains fell, and an onset of cold also attacked. For this reason indeed the multi8.6. tude mutinied again, not wanting to swim across the river. Therefore the Romans send eight envoys to Peter, who was stationed twenty stades from the camp, among whom happened to be Phocas the

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θέρους ἐπείγοντος ἀκοὴ γίνεται Μαυρικίῳ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ὡς ἐπίτηδες ὁ Χαγάνος ἀναβολὴν τῷ πολέμῳ παρέσχετο, ὅπως ὑπορρεμβομένης τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων πληθύος 8.5. ἀθρόᾳ κινήσει τινὶ τοῖς περὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ἐπισταίη. καὶ οὖν τὴν ᾿Αδριανούπολιν καταλιπεῖν τῷ στρατηγῷ ἐγκελεύεται 8.5.10 περί τε τὸν ῎Ιστρον προστάττει τὰς διαβάσεις ποιήσασθαι. ὁ μὲν οὖν Πέτρος κατὰ τῆς Σκλαυηνίας πληθύος στρατοπεδεύεσθαι παρεσκεύαζεν ἔγραψέ τε Βωνώσῳ· ἀνὴρ δὲ οὗτος τῶν σωματοφυλάκων τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιφανής, ὃν σκρίβωνα 8.5.11 εἴωθε τὰ πλήθη ἀποκαλεῖν· τοῦτον γὰρ ἐδέησε κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ διακονεῖσθαι Πέτρῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ. ἡ δὲ τοῦ γράμματος ἀξίωσις ἦν ἐφ' ᾧ τὰς τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων πορθμίδας χορηγεῖν 8.5.12 ταῖς δυνάμεσιν, ὅπως τὸν ποταμὸν διανήξονται. τοῦ δὲ μαχίμου ὁ Πέτρος τὸν Γούδουϊν ὑποστράτηγον προεστήσατο. τοίνυν ὁ Γούδουϊς τὸν ποταμὸν διαβὰς στόματι μαχαίρας πλήθη πολεμίων ἀνεῖλεν, αἰχμαλωσίας δὲ κρατήσας πολλῆς μεγάλην περιβάλλεται εὔκλειαν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἐπανήκειν διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπειρῶντο, ὁ δὲ Γούδουϊς 8.5.13 τοῦτο ποιεῖν αὐτοὺς διεκώλυε τέως. ἀτὰρ τὰς ῾Ρωμαίων ἐφόδους ὁ Χαγάνος μεμαθηκὼς τὸν ᾿Αψὶχ μετὰ στρατοπέδων ἐξέπεμπεν, ὅπως τὸ τῶν ᾿Αντῶν διολέσειεν ἔθνος, ὃ σύμμαχον ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐτύγχανεν ὄν. 8.6.1 τούτων δὴ γιγνομένων, ἀποστατοῦσι τῶν ᾿Αβάρων πλήθη τινὰ αὐτομολεῖν τε τῷ αὐτοκράτορι κατηπείγοντο. ταράττεται οὖν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀκούσματι ὁ Χαγάνος, καὶ περιδεὴς γεγονὼς πολὺς ἦν ἀντιβολῶν καὶ σοφιστεύων μεθόδους πολλὰς ἀντιμεταστῆσαι τὴν ἀποστατήσασαν δύναμιν. 8.6.2 ῞Ωρας τοίνυν μετοπωρινῆς ἐνδημούσης, καὶ Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐνοχλοῦντος τὸν Πέτρον ἐν ταῖς τῶν Σκλαυηνῶν χώραις τὰς ῾Ρωμαϊκὰς δυνάμεις τὸν τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐνδιατρῖψαι καιρόν, τῶν τε ῾Ρωμαίων βαρυνομένων ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως βουλῇ διά τε τὴν λείαν αὐτὴν διά τε τὴν τῆς ἵππου ταπείνωσιν, ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ διὰ τὸ πλήθη βαρβάρων περικυμαίνειν τὴν χώραν τὴν ἀντιπέρας τοῦ ῎Ιστρου, καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τὸ βασιλικὸν κρατύνοντος πρόσταγμα, στάσις 8.6.3 μεγίστη τοῖς στρατεύμασι γίγνεται. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μαυρίκιος διὰ πυκνῶν συλλαβῶν ἐπετίθετο Πέτρῳ τοῦτο τοὺς ῾Ρωμαίους ποιήσασθαι, οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἀντιπεριΐσταντο πρὸς συντονωτέραν ἀπόφασιν. διὸ τὸν ποταμὸν παροδικῶς διενήξαντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, ἀφικνοῦνται ἐν Παλαστόλῳ, μεγίστῳ θυμῷ 8.6.4 τὰς ψυχὰς μεθυσθέντες. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος στρατοπεδεύεται ὡς ἀπὸ δέκα σημείων τοῦ χάρακος. καὶ οὖν ὁ στρατηγὸς διαγανακτῶν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἐς ἀπόνοιαν ἄλογον ἔβλεπεν οὐκ 8.6.5 ἠξίου τε τῷ ὁπλιτικῷ συναυλίζεσθαι. τρίτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ τῷ Γούδουϊ ἔφησεν· ἃ δὲ ἔφησε ταῦτα ἐκεῖνά ἐστιν, δόξαι κατ' ὄναρ βασιλικὰς ἐπιπεμφθῆναι αὐτῷ συλλαβάς, τὴν δὲ 8.6.6 τῆς ἐπιστολῆς προγραφὴν ἔχειν ἐπὶ λέξεως οὕτως· "ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεός, ἡ θεία χάρις, ὁ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν προεστὼς τὰ ἐλλείποντα ἀναπληροῖ εἰς τὸ πᾶσι συμφέρον καὶ προΐστησιν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος τόνδε τῆς νέας δεσπότην." διηπορεῖτο τοίνυν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ἤσχαλλεν, ἠδημόνει τε καὶ ἐστροβεῖτο περικυκώμενος πάντοθεν, τίνες 8.6.7 εἴησαν ἂν αἱ τῶν φανέντων ἐνυπνίων ἐκβάσεις. ὁ μὲν οὖν Γούδουϊς καταπλαγεὶς ἐπί τε τῷ ταράχῳ τοῦ πλήθους ἐπί τε <ταῖς> τῶν ὀνείρων ἐκφάσεσιν ἀφωνίᾳ κατείχετο. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ μεταποιοῦσιν αἱ δυνάμεις τὸν χάρακα, καὶ τὰ ῎Ασημα παραμείψαντες (φρούριον δὲ τοῦτο) γίνονται ἐν Κουρίσκᾳ, ὅθεν διαπορθμίσασθαι ἤμελλον εἰς τὰς τῶν βαρβάρων σκηνώσεις· ἦσαν γάρ τι μικρὸν μεταβεβληκότες τὸ 8.6.8 φρύαγμα. ἐν ταύταις γοῦν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐναυπηγοῦντο ἀγγεῖα. καὶ τούτου δὴ γιγνομένου ὑετοὶ ἐπιπίπτουσι λάβροι, συνεπιτίθεται δὲ καὶ ψύχους ἐπιβολή. ταύτῃ δῆτα ἐπιστασιάζει τὸ πλῆ8.6. θος μὴ βουλόμενον τὸν ποταμὸν διανήξασθαι. πέμπουσι τοίνυν πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον εἴκοσι σημεῖα ἀπῳκισμένον τοῦ χάρακος πρέσβεις οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι ὀκτώ, ἐξ ὧν ἐτύγχανεν ὢν καὶ Φωκᾶς ὁ