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acting like Romans. But those around Dalassenos and Opos were unrestrained, hastening to enter inside the castle, even though they were being prevented by their own men, who feared lest, upon entering, they should seize all the booty and money previously deposited by Tzachas, and who were saying, “You hear of the splendid acclamation of the emperor already being made by the Turks and that they have become our tributaries; therefore, it is not right to enter and cruelly slaughter them.” Since the whole of the day had now passed and night was at hand, the Turks, having built another wall in place of the one that had been destroyed, hung on the outside of it pallets and hides and every chance cloth, so that the force of the stones being thrown might be somewhat slackened by them and give way. 7.8.4 And Tzachas, having equipped his existing fleet and having dispatched about eight thousand Turks through the mainland, was marching on the road to Chios; and his fleet followed him, sailing along the coast. But Dalassenos, having learned this, urged the admirals of the fleet to cast off the stern cables, having embarked sufficient soldiers in it and Opos as commander, wishing, if he should anywhere meet him sailing against him, to join battle. But Tzachas, leaving the mainland, made his voyage straight for Chios. And Opos, meeting him around the middle of the night, when he saw him employing a certain new naval tactic (for having constructed an enormous chain, he had bound all his ships together, so that neither could those who turned to flee escape, nor again could those wishing to run ahead be separated from the naval formation), was terrified and, not daring to approach him at all, turned the tillers and sought Chios again. 7.8.5 But Tzachas, skillfully following him, did not slacken his rowing. And when they were about to approach Chios, Opos was the first to moor his ships in the harbor of Chios (for Dalassenos had anticipated him and seized it), but Tzachas, sailing past this already mentioned harbor of Chios, brought his own ships close to the wall of the castle. It was the fourth day of the week. And on the day after, driving everyone off the ships, he both counted and enrolled them. But Dalassenos, having found a certain small town near the harbor, destroyed the palisade which he had previously dug, and going down there and making another trench into a sufficient ditch, he positioned his hoplites somewhere there. And on the day after, both armies, having armed themselves, prepared against each other. But the Roman force stood motionless, Dalassenos having ordered no one to break the shield-wall. But Tzachas urged the greater part of the barbarian line of battle to go against the Romans, and a few mounted men to follow them. The Latins, seeing this, embracing long spears, charged out on horseback against the barbarians. But they, sending their volleys not against the Celts but against their horses, and striking some with their spears, killed very many and thus drove them routed inside the palisade. And from there they fell upon the ships with a senseless rush. 7.8.6 The Romans, seeing the Celts fleeing headlong and being terrified, retreated a little and stood by the wall of the aforementioned small town. And so the barbarians, having come down to the shore, took away some of the ships. The sailors, seeing this, loosening the stern cables, pushed off from the land and, letting down the anchors, stood by, waiting to see what would happen. Dalassenos, however, urged them to sail along the shores around the more western part of the island and to seize Bolissos and there await his arrival; and Bolissos is a small town situated on the promontory of this island. But some Scythians, having approached Tzachas, reported Dalassenos' plan in advance. And he from there at that time

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ῥωμαΐζοντες. Οἱ δ' ἀμφὶ τὸν ∆αλασσηνὸν καὶ τὸν Ὦπον ἀκάθεκτοι ἦσαν σπεύδοντες εἴσω τοῦ κάστρου εἰσελθεῖν, κἂν παρ' αὐτῶν διεκωλύοντο δεδιότων μή πως τὴν προαποτεθεῖσαν παρὰ τοῦ Τζαχᾶ λείαν ἅπασαν καὶ τὰ χρήματα εἰσελθόντες ἀναλάβωνται, καὶ λεγόντων ὡς «Τῆς εὐφημίας τοῦ αὐτο κράτορος λαμπρᾶς ἤδη παρὰ τῶν Τούρκων γινομένης ἀκούετε καὶ ὡς ὑπόσπονδοι ἡμῶν γεγόνασιν· οὐ χρὴ τοίνυν εἰσελθόντας ἀπηνῶς τούτους κατασφάττειν.» Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ πᾶν τῆς ἡμέρας ἤδη παρῳχήκει καὶ νὺξ παρῆν, οἱ Τοῦρκοι ἕτερον τεῖχος ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐρειπωθέντος ἀνοικοδομήσαντες ἀπῃώρησαν τούτου ἔξωθεν στιβάδας καὶ βύρσας καὶ πᾶν τὸ παρατυχὸν πέπλον, ὡς ἂν ἡ σφοδρότης τῶν πεμπομένων λίθων ἐντεῦθεν ὑποχαλῶσα ποσῶς ἐνδίδωσι. 7.8.4 Καὶ ὁ μὲν Τζαχᾶς τὸν προσόντα στόλον αὐτοῦ ἐξοπλίσας καὶ διὰ τῆς ἠπείρου ὡσεὶ ὀκτὼ χιλιάδας στρατεύσας Τούρκους τὴν πρὸς Χίον φέρουσαν ἐβάδιζεν· ὁ δέ γε στόλος αὐτῷ ἐπηκολούθει παραθέων τὴν ᾐόνα. Ὁ δὲ ∆αλασσηνὸς τοῦτο μεμαθηκὼς λῦσαι τὰ πρυμνήσια τοὺς ναυάρχας τοῦ στόλου παρεκελεύσατο ἀποχρῶντας εἰσαγαγὼν ἐν αὐτῷ στρατιώ τας καὶ ἡγεμόνα τὸν Ὦπον, βουλόμενος, εἴ που τούτῳ συναντήσει διαπλῳζομένῳ κατ' αὐτοῦ, συμμῖξαι πρὸς πόλεμον. Ὁ δὲ Τζαχᾶς τὴν ἤπειρον καταλιπὼν κατευθὺ Χίου τὸν ἀπόπλουν ἐποιεῖτο. Καὶ συναντήσας αὐτῷ περὶ μέσας νύκτας ὁ Ὦπος, ὡς εἶδε καινήν τινα τὴν ναυλοχίαν ποιούμενον (καὶ γὰρ ἅλυσιν κατασκευάσας παμμεγέθη ἅπαντα τὰ αὐτοῦ ἐδέσμησε πλοῖα, ὡς μήτε τοὺς τρεπο μένους ἀποδιδράσκειν δύνασθαι μήτ' αὖ πάλιν τοὺς προεκτρέχειν ἐθέλοντας τῆς ναυτικῆς συντάξεως δια κόπτεσθαι), ἐκδειματωθεὶς καὶ μηδὲ προσπελάσαι τούτῳ θαρρήσας ὅλως στρέψας τοὺς οἴακας τὴν Χίον αὖθις ἀνεζήτει. 7.8.5 Ὁ δέ γε Τζαχᾶς σὺν ἐπιστήμῃ ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐνεδίδου τῆς εἰρεσίας. Ἐπὰν δὲ τῇ Χίῳ προσ πελάζειν ἔμελλον, ὁ μὲν Ὦπος τῷ λιμένι πρῶτος τὰς ναῦς προσώρμισε τῆς Χίου (προεφθάκει γὰρ τοῦτον κατα σχεῖν ὁ ∆αλασσηνός), ὁ δὲ Τζαχᾶς παραπλεύσας τουτονὶ τὸν ἤδη ῥηθέντα τῆς Χίου ὅρμον τῷ τείχει τοῦ κάστρου τὰς ἰδίας προσεπέλασε ναῦς. Τετρὰς δὲ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἦν. Τῇ δὲ μετ' αὐτὴν ἐξελάσας τῶν νηῶν ἅπαντας ἠρίθμει τε καὶ ἀπεγράφετο. Ὁ δέ γε ∆αλασσηνός, πολίχνιόν τι ἀγχοῦ τοῦ λιμένος εὑρηκώς, ἠφάνισε μὲν τὸν χάρακα ὃν προφθάσας διώρυξε, κεῖθι δὲ κατελθὼν καὶ ἄλλην διώρυχα ποιήσας εἰς ἀποχρῶντα τάφρον αὐτοῦ που τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν κατέθετο. Τῇ δὲ μετ' αὐτὴν ἄμφω τὰ στρατεύματα ἐξο πλισάμενα κατ' ἀλλήλων παρεσκευάζοντο. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Ῥωμαϊκὸν ἀτρεμοῦν ἵστατο τοῦ ∆αλασσηνοῦ κελεύσαντος μηδένα τὸν συνασπισμὸν λύειν. Ὁ δέ γε Τζαχᾶς τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς βαρβαρικῆς παρατάξεως κατὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἰέναι παρέθηξεν, ὀλιγοστοὺς δὲ καὶ ἱππαζομένους συνέ πεσθαι τούτοις. Τοῦτο οἱ Λατῖνοι θεασάμενοι δόρατα μακρὰ ἐναγκαλισάμενοι κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐξιππάσαντο. Οἱ δὲ οὐ κατὰ τῶν Κελτῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ἵππων τὰς βολὰς πέμποντες καὶ διὰ τῶν δοράτων δέ τινας πλήξαντες πλείστους ἀνεῖλον καὶ εἴσω τοῦ χάρακος τετραμμένους οὕτω συνήλασαν. Οἱ δ' ἐκεῖθεν ἐνέπιπτον εἰς τὰς ναῦς ἀλογίστῳ φορᾷ. 7.8.6 Τοὺς δὲ Κελτοὺς προτροπάδην φεύ γοντας οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι θεασάμενοι καὶ ἐκδειματωθέντες μικρόν τι ἀναποδίσαντες παρὰ τὸ τεῖχος τοῦ ῥηθέντος ἔστησαν πολιχνίου. Κᾆθ' οὕτως οἱ βάρβαροι εἰς τὴν ᾐόνα κατεληλυθότες τινὰς τῶν νηῶν ἀφείλοντο. Τοῦτο οἱ ναυτικοὶ θεασάμενοι λύσαντες τὰ πρυμνήσια ἀπέρραξαν τῆς χέρσου καὶ τὰς ἀγκύρας χαλάσαντες ἵσταντο καρα δοκοῦντες τὸ μέλλον. Ὁ μέντοι ∆αλασσηνὸς παραπεπλευ κέναι τὰς περὶ τὸ δυτικώτερον μέρος ἀκτὰς τῆς νήσου καὶ τὴν Βολισσὸν καταλαβεῖν παρεκελεύσατο καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπεκδέχεσθαι ἔλευσιν· ἡ δὲ Βολισσὸς πολίχνιον κατὰ τὸ ἀκρωτήριον ταυτησὶ τῆς νήσου διακείμενον. Σκύθαι δέ τινες προσεληλυθότες τῷ Τζαχᾷ τὴν τοῦ ∆αλασσηνοῦ βουλὴν προκατήγγειλαν. Ὁ δὲ ἔνθεν μὲν τηνικαῦτα