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to plan their destruction through skirmishes and ambushes. And thus taking aim at the places and cities where they were about to arrive in the morning, he himself anticipated their arrival in the evening; but if he learned they were to occupy a certain place in the evening, he would pre-occupy such a place in the morning. And as far as he was able, he fought them from afar with skirmishes and ambushes, so that they would not gain control of the fortresses. Therefore both the Scythians and the emperor occupy Cypsella. 7.6.5 But since the expected mercenary force had not yet arrived, the emperor, knowing the swiftness of the Scythians and seeing them already taking even the queen of cities with great speed, was at a loss. And not having sufficient forces against so great a multitude, he considered the lesser evil, as they say, the better option and looked again toward treaties of peace. So he sent envoys to them to inquire about peace; and they again submitted to the emperor's will. But before the peace treaties, Neantzes had already arrived as a deserter. 7.6.6 So Migidenos is sent to bring provisions from the neighboring regions; whose son, in the war that later took place at the ... place, rushing fiercely against the Patzinaks and being dragged by a Scythian woman, was captured with an iron hook, having been pulled inside the wagons. The emperor, at the request of his father, purchased his severed head; but from unbearable grief, for three days and nights the father struck his breast with a stone and died. But the Scythians' peace did not last for long, but again they turned back to their own vomit, like dogs. Therefore, departing from Cypsella, they occupy Taurocomon, and wintering there, they plundered the neighboring towns.

7.7.1 But when spring had already appeared, they came from there to Charioupolis. But the emperor, staying at Bulgarophygon, was no longer delaying, but cutting off a considerable part of the army, all chosen men and indeed the youths called archontopouloi, all with newly grown beards, irresistible in their charge, he ordered them to attack from the rear those stationed at the end of the wagons. The regiment of the archontopouloi was first devised by Alexius. For since the Roman state was short of soldiers because of the negligence of the emperors from of old, he gathered from all over the sons of fallen soldiers and trained them for arms and war and named them archontopouloi, as if they were sons born of rulers, so that by the name, being reminded of the nobility and bravery of their parents, they too might recall their impetuous valor and become braver, with the occasion dictating boldness and strength to them. Such then was the regiment of the archontopouloi, to speak briefly, numbering up to two thousand, just as once the so-called Sacred Band was devised for the Laconians. 7.7.2 These newly-recruited archontopouloi, therefore, went forth equipped for war. But the Scythians, lying in ambush below the ridge, were watching for their attacks; and seeing them charge against the wagons, they rushed against them with irresistible force. And when the hand-to-hand combat ensued, about three hundred of the archontopouloi fell, fighting with spirit. For them the emperor groaned deeply for a long time, shedding hot tears and calling each by name as if he were away on a journey. 7.7.3 Therefore the Patzinaks, having defeated those arrayed against them, passed through Charioupolis and headed towards Apros, plundering everything. So the emperor, using his former method again, anticipated them and entered Apros; for he did not have sufficient forces with him, just as

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δι' ἀκροβολισμῶν καὶ λόχων τὴν τούτων μελετῆσαι καθαίρεσιν. Καὶ οὕτως στο χαζόμενος τῶν τόπων καὶ τῶν πόλεων ἔνθα καταλαμβά νειν ἐκεῖνοι πρωΐας ἔμελλον, αὐτὸς ἑσπέρας τὴν τούτων προκατελάμβανεν ἔλευσιν· εἰ δὲ ἑσπέρας τούτους μεμαθή κοι τόπον τινὰ καταλαμβάνειν, ἐκεῖνος τὸν τοιοῦτον πρωΐας προκατελάμβανε. Καὶ ὡς δύναμις δι' ἀκροβολισμῶν καὶ λόχων πόρρωθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπεμάχετο, ὡς μὴ ἐγκρατεῖς αὐτοὺς γίνεσθαι τῶν φρουρίων. Καταλαμβάνουσι τοίνυν ἄμφω οἵ τε Σκύθαι καὶ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὰ Κύψελλα. 7.6.5 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ ἐλπιζόμενον μισθοφορικὸν οὔπω κατέλαβε, γινώσκων ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ ὀξυκίνητον τῶν Σκυθῶν καὶ ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς ἤδη καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλίδα καταλαμβάνοντας τῶν πόλεων ξὺν τάχει πολλῷ ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν. Καὶ μὴ ἀποχρώσας δυνάμεις πρὸς τοσαῦτα πλήθη ἔχων τὸ μὴ χεῖρον, ὅ φασι, βέλτιον λογισάμενος πρὸς εἰρηνικὰς αὖθις ἀπεῖδε σπονδάς. Ἐρωτᾷ γοῦν πρέσβεις ἀποστείλας πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὰ περὶ εἰρήνης· οἱ δ' αὖθις τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπεῖ ξαν θελήματι. Προέφθασε δὲ πρὸ τῶν εἰρηνικῶν σπονδῶν αὐτόμολος παραγενέσθαι ὁ Νεάντζης. 7.6.6 Πέμπεται τοί νυν ὁ Μιγιδηνὸς ὥστε πανηγύρεις ἐξάγειν ἐκ τῶν παρα κειμένων χωρῶν· οὗ ὁ υἱὸς εἰς τὸν γεγονότα πόλεμον ὕστερον κατὰ τὸν ... τόπον ὀξέως κατὰ τῶν Πατζινάκων ὁρμήσας καὶ παρασυρεὶς παρὰ γυναικὸς Σκυθίδος ἑάλω διὰ σιδηρᾶς ἅρπης εἴσω τῶν ἁμαξῶν ἑλκυσθείς. Οὗ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτμηθεῖσαν ἐπρίατο ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξ αἰτήσεως τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀφορήτου θλίψεως ἐπὶ τρισὶ νυχθημέροις διὰ χερμάδος λίθου τύπτων τὸ στέρνον ὁ πατὴρ τελευτᾷ. Οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης τῶν Σκυθῶν διήρκει, ἀλλ' αὖθις πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον ἔμετον ὡς κύνες ἐστράφησαν. Ἀπάραντες οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν Κυψέλλων κατα λαμβάνουσι τὸν Ταυρόκωμον κἀκεῖ παραχειμάσαντες ἐλῄ ζοντο τὰς παρακειμένας κωμοπόλεις.

7.7.1 Ἔαρος δὲ ἤδη ἀναφανέντος ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Χαριούπολιν ἔρχονται. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ Βουλγαρόφυγον δια τρίβων οὐκέτι ἐν ἀναβολαῖς ἦν, ἀλλὰ μέρος τοῦ στρατοῦ ἀποτεμόμενος ἱκανὸν λογάδας ἅπαντας καὶ αὐτοὺς δὴ τοὺς ἀρχοντοπούλους καλουμένους νέους, ἀρτιφυεῖς πάν τας τὸ γένειον, τὴν ὁρμὴν ἀνυποστάτους, προσέταξεν ἐξ ὀπισθίων τοῖς κατὰ τὸ ἄκρον τῶν ἁμαξῶν ἱσταμένοις προσβαλεῖν. Τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀρχοντοπούλων τάγμα παρὰ Ἀλε ξίου πρώτως ἐφεύρητο. Ἀστρατίαν γὰρ ἐχούσης τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν τῶν ἀνέκαθεν αὐτοκρατόρων συλλεξάμενος ἁπανταχόθεν τοὺς τῶν ἀποπεπτωκότων στρατιωτῶν υἱεῖς ἐγύμνασέ τε πρὸς ὅπλα καὶ πόλεμον καὶ ἀρχοντοπούλους ὠνόμασεν ὡσανεὶ ἐξ ἀρχόντων υἱοὺς γεγονότας, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος εἰς τὴν τῶν γονέων εὐγέ νειάν τε καὶ ἀνδρείαν ἀναφερόμενοι καὶ οὗτοι θούριδος ἀλκῆς μνήσαιντό τε καὶ ἀνδρειότεροι γένοιντο τοῦ καιροῦ τούτοις τόλμαν καὶ ῥώμην ὑπαγορεύοντος. Τοιοῦτον δὴ τὸ τῶν ἀρχοντοπούλων τάγμα, ὡς ἐν ὀλίγῳ εἰπεῖν, εἰς δύο χιλιάδας συμποσούμενον, ὥσπερ ποτὲ καὶ τοῖς Λάκωσιν ἐφεύρητο ὁ ἱερὸς λεγόμενος λόχος. 7.7.2 Οὗτοι τοίνυν οἱ νεόλεκτοι ἀρχοντόπουλοι ἐσταλμένοι πολεμικῶς ᾔεσαν. Οἱ δὲ κάτωθεν τοῦ αὐχένος προλοχίζοντες Σκύθαι τὰς τούτων ἐφόδους ἐπετήρουν· καὶ θεασάμενοι τούτους κατὰ τῶν ἁμαξῶν ἐφωρμηκότας ἀσχέτῳ ῥύμῃ κατ' αὐτῶν ἵενται. Καὶ ἀγχεμάχου τῆς συμπλοκῆς καταστάσης πίπτουσι τῶν ἀρχοντοπούλων ὡσεὶ τριακόσιοι ἐκθύμως μαχόμενοι. Περὶ ὧν ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον βύθιον ἔστενεν ὁ βασιλεὺς δάκρυα θερμὰ ἐκχέων καὶ ὀνομαστὶ ἕκαστον καθαπερεὶ ἀπόδημον ἀνακαλούμενος. 7.7.3 Ἡττήσαντες οὖν οἱ Πατζινάκοι τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους διὰ τῆς Χαριουπόλεως διελθόντες ἀπονε νεύκασι πρὸς τὸν Ἄπρων ἅπαντα λῃζόμενοι. Τῇ γοῦν προτέρᾳ μεθόδῳ χρησάμενος αὖθις ὁ βασιλεὺς προκατα λαμβάνει τούτους καὶ εἴσεισιν εἰς τὸν Ἄπρων· οὐ γὰρ προσ ῆσαν αὐτῷ ἀποχρῶσαι δυνάμεις, καθάπερ