117

first being related, so that we might show that from the many and widespread strategies of the emperor Alexius, now from himself, now from the enemies who flocked in, the places received many names; and I learn of something of this sort also in the case of Alexander, the king of the Macedonians. For in one place Alexandria in Egypt, and in another Alexandria in India were named after him; and we know that from Lysimachus, one of his soldiers, Lysimachia was named. Therefore, I would not be surprised if the emperor Alexius, having adopted an Alexandrian zeal, in some places from nations either gathered together or summoned by him, attached novelties of names to the places, or from what he himself accomplished, he gave his own name to the places. Let so much have been cast down more historically about the aforementioned Ozolimne. But the Cumans, since they had a scarcity of necessities, returned to their own lands on the condition that, having gathered their necessities, they would turn back again against the Scythians.

7.6.1 In the meantime, the emperor, being situated at Beroe, gathers and arms the prisoners of war and all the rest of the heavy-armed force. At that time also the Count of Flanders, returning from Jerusalem, meets the emperor there and gives the customary oath to the Latins, promising that as soon as he reached home he would send him five hundred cavalry as allies. The emperor, therefore, having honored such a man, sent him on his way to his own lands rejoicing. Departing from there, then, the emperor with the forces he had again collected, reached Adrianople. 7.6.2 But the Scythians, having passed through the intervening valleys between Goloe and Diampolis, pitched their camp at the place called Marcella. And the emperor, having learned about the Cumans, since they were expected to return, was afraid, suspecting their arrival. Therefore, having summoned Synesius and having furnished him with golden-bulled letters for the Scythians, he sends him out, having ordered that if they should be persuaded to make a treaty and give hostages, he should check their forward rush and prepare them to remain in the place they had previously occupied, and so to supply them with necessities in abundance. For he was considering using them against the Cumans, if they should again reach the Ister and attempt to advance further. But if the Scythians were not persuaded, to leave them there somewhere and to return. 7.6.3 The said Synesius came upon them and, after speaking what was appropriate, persuaded them to become subject to the emperor by treaty. And remaining there steadfastly, he treated them all with consideration, removing every pretext for a quarrel. But the Cumans, having returned again prepared for the war against the Scythians and not finding them, but having learned of their arrival through the passes and that, having occupied Marcella, they had entered into a peace treaty with the emperor, they asked to pass through the passes and attack the Scythians. But he refused this, having already made a treaty with the Scythians, saying, "We have no need of help at present; having taken sufficient gifts, return." And having treated the ambassadors kindly and given them sufficient gifts, he sent them away in peace. This instilled confidence in the Scythians, and breaking the treaty, they held to their former inhumanity, plundering the neighboring cities and lands. For for the most part, every barbarian nation is unstable and is not by nature disposed to keep treaties. 7.6.4 Seeing this, Synesius returns to the emperor, having become on his own initiative a messenger of the Scythians' lack of gratitude and transgression. And when they had occupied Philippopolis, the emperor, having learned this, was at a loss, not having sufficient forces against so great a multitude to undertake a battle with them at all. But such was he at finding resources in difficulties and accustomed not to lose heart in any way in perilous circumstances, he decided it was necessary

117

πρώτως ἱστορούμενα, ἵν' ἐνδειξαίμεθα ὅτι τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Ἀλεξίου ταῖς πολλαῖς καὶ πανταχοῦ στρατηγίαις νῦν μὲν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπισυρρυέντων ἐχθρῶν πολλὰς ἐλάμβανον οἱ τόποι προσηγορίας· τοιοῦτον δέ τι καὶ ἐπὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ τῶν Μακεδόνων βασιλέως καταμανθάνω. Καὶ γὰρ ὅπου μὲν Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ κατ' Αἴγυπτον, ὅπου δὲ Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ κατ' Ἰνδοὺς ἀπ' ἐκείνου ὠνόμασται· ἴσμεν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ Λυσιμάχου ἑνὸς τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν στρατιωτῶν Λυσιμαχίαν κατονομάζεσθαι. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν θαυμασαίμην εἰ καὶ ὁ βασι λεὺς Ἀλέξιος ζῆλον ἀλεξάνδρειον ἀναλαβὼν ὅπου μὲν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἢ συρραγέντων ἢ προσκεκλημένων παρ' αὐτοῦ περι ῆψε τοῖς τόποις ὀνομάτων καινότητας ἢ ἀφ' ὧν αὐτὸς κατεπράξατο τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προσηγορίας τοῖς τόποις μετέ δωκε. Τοσαῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν εἰρημένης Ὀζολίμνης ἐπερρίφθω ἱστορικώτερον. Οἱ δὲ Κόμανοι, ἐπεὶ σπάνιν τῶν χρειωδῶν εἶχον, παλινδρομοῦσιν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ χρειώδη συγκομισάμενοι αὖθις κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐπανα στρέψαι.

7.6.1 Συνάγεται ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κείμενος εἰς Βερόην, ἐξοπλίζει τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἅπαν ὁπλιτικόν. Τότε καὶ ὁ Φλάντρας κόμης ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπανερχόμενος ἐκεῖσε καταλαμβάνει τὸν αὐτοκράτορα καὶ τὸν συνήθη τοῖς Λατίνοις ἀποδίδωσιν ὅρκον ὑποσχόμενος ἅμα τῷ τὰ οἴκοι καταλαβεῖν συμμάχους ἀποστεῖλαί οἱ ἱππεῖς πεντακοσίους. Φιλοτιμησάμενος τοίνυν τὸν τοιοῦ τον ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὰ σφέτερα χαίροντα προέπεμψεν. Ἀπάρας οὖν ἐκεῖθεν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ μεθ' ὧν αὖθις συνελέ ξατο δυνάμεων καταλαμβάνει τὴν Ἀδριανούπολιν. 7.6.2 Οἱ δὲ Σκύθαι διεληλυθότες τὰ μεταξὺ τέμπη μέσον Γολόης καὶ ∆ιαμπόλεως κατὰ τὴν λεγομένην Μαρκέλλαν τὸν χάρακα ἐπήξαντο. Ὁ δέ γε αὐτοκράτωρ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Κομάνους μεμαθηκώς, ἐπεὶ προσδόκιμοι ἐπαναστρέψαι ἦσαν, ἐδεδίει τὴν ἐκείνων ἔλευσιν ὑφορώμενος. Μεταπεμ ψάμενος τοίνυν τὸν Συνέσιον καὶ τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς Σκύθας χρυσοβούλλοις λόγοις ἐφοδιάσας ἐκπέμπει παραγγείλας ὡς εἰ μὲν πεισθεῖεν σπείσασθαι καὶ δοῖεν ὁμήρους, ἀνα χαιτίσαι αὐτοὺς τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω φορᾶς καὶ παρασκευάσαι μένειν ἐν ᾧ προκατέλαβον τόπῳ καὶ οὕτω χορηγεῖν αὐτοῖς δαψιλῆ τὰ χρειώδη. Ἐσκόπει γὰρ τούτοις κατὰ τῶν Κομά νων χρήσασθαι, εἰ τὸν Ἴστρον αὖθις καταλαβόντες πρὸς τὰ πρόσω χωρεῖν ἐπιχειρήσαιεν. Εἰ δέ γε οἱ Σκύθαι μὴ πείθονται, αὐτοῦ που καταλιπεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑποστρέψαι. 7.6.3 Κατέλαβε τούτους ὁ ῥηθεὶς Συνέσιος καὶ τὰ εἰκότα προσομιλήσας ἔπεισεν ὑποσπόνδους γενέσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ. Κἀκεῖσε προσκαρτερῶν πάντας αὐτοὺς θεραπείας ἠξίου πᾶσαν περιαιρῶν σκανδάλου πρόφασιν. Ἐπαναστρέψαντες δὲ αὖθις οἱ Κόμανοι παρεσκευασμένοι πρὸς τὸν κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν πόλεμον καὶ μὴ ἐντυχόντες αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεμαθη κότες τὴν τούτων διὰ τῶν κλεισουρῶν ἔλευσιν καὶ ὅτι τὴν Μαρκέλλαν καταλαβόντες εἰς εἰρηνικὰς ἦλθον μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως σπονδάς, ἐξαιτοῦνται διελθεῖν τὰς κλεισούρας καὶ προσβαλεῖν τοῖς Σκύθαις. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἀνένευσε προεφθακὼς σπείσασθαι μετὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν εἰπὼν ὡς «Οὐ χρεία τὸ παρὸν βοηθείας ἡμῖν· λαβόντες ἱκανὰ ἐπαναστρέ ψατε.» Καὶ φιλοφρονησάμενος τοὺς πρέσβεις δῶρά τε ἱκανὰ ἐπιδοὺς μετ' εἰρήνης ἀπέστειλε. Τοῦτο θάρσος τοῖς Σκύθαις ἐνέβαλε καὶ παρασπονδήσαντες τῆς προτέρας ἀπανθρωπίας εἴχοντο λῃζόμενοι τὰς παρακειμένας πόλεις καὶ χώρας. Ἀστατεῖ γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν ἅπαν τὸ βάρβαρον καὶ σπονδὰς φυλάττειν οὐ πέφυκε. 7.6.4 Τοῦτο θεασάμενος ὁ Συνέσιος ἐπανέρχεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα αὐτεπάγγελτος μηνυτὴς γεγονὼς τῆς τῶν Σκυθῶν ἀγνωμοσύνης καὶ παρα βάσεως. Τὴν Φιλιππούπολιν δὲ τούτων καταλαβόντων τοῦτο μεμαθηκὼς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ καθίστατο ἀπο χρώσας πρὸς τοσαῦτα πλήθη μὴ ἔχων δυνάμεις ὥστε ὅλως τὴν μετ' αὐτῶν μάχην ἀναδέξασθαι. Ὁποῖος δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἐν ἀμηχάνοις πόρους εὑρίσκων καὶ μηδ' ὁπωσοῦν καταπίπτειν ἐν περιστάσεσιν εἰωθώς, δεῖν ἔγνω