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as the Lydian would say, a stationing, in which they were believed to be guarded by God. 16. Our affairs, then, were very dire indeed, with those outside the city not at all withstanding the irresistible rush of the Persians, and for this reason some were being slain and others displaced, some into cities and fortresses and others into islands, and others still into the safe places on the opposite shore, looking and rushing to wherever they might be saved, while those inside were exceedingly lacking in necessities because of the destruction of the outer regions. The emperor, therefore, on account of these things, struggling as he was able against the incursions of these calamities, having given up on those Alans and his own forces, and being tossed about on the unsound foreign troops, sends also to Kazanes, the Khan, as they would say, of the eastern Tocharians, and proposes marriage alliances, and asks him to come to the aid of the Romans' affairs, which were in an extreme state. And he accepts the request, and also accepted the marriage alliance (for he agreed to it for a natural daughter, of whom the emperor himself was considered the father), and gave firm promises that he would come after the accursed 403 ones. When this was rumored, as was likely, for the rest their eagerness for contractions was managed differently, even if they had been unconcerned for the time being; but for one of these, Alaeddin, who had overrun the region of Lydia, so that the things there seemed the booty of Mysians, not Lydians, his thoughts having been shaken by the rumor, it seemed good to take thought for himself and his own for the advantages that came from caution. At any rate, to those in the fortress of Sardis, which was otherwise strong as the acropolis of an ancient city, impassable on one side and precipitous on the rest, he sent and negotiated with explicit agreements because of the attack contained within by them, to the effect that, with the fortress divided by a long and secure wall, they should have one half and his men the other, and from there be bound by the bonds of harmony, and that they, going out freely, should attend to their own labors from which they would be fed, while his own men should by all means do their own things, refraining, as was likely, from them, but attacking others from whom they would profit in their own piratical manner. They, then, demanded such things, 404 and held on to the fortress tenaciously; but for the others, to resist was considered futile, while to obey, even if not safe for themselves because of the proximity of the enemy (for it was not possible for lambs and wolves to swear common oaths), nevertheless, on account of the pressing necessity and for the sake of drawing water and sowing seed it seemed tolerable, and they came to an agreement. And so they receive a great many of the Persians (and one would have seen heaps of their money with them, as was likely), not living together with those brought in except insofar as the wall between them separated them from each other. But at a certain small gate some even had dealings with each other, as it was said. These things, at any rate, were so for a time, and they had a truce from their evils in the fortress. But when the reports about the Tocharians gradually weakened and they now had courage and recovered themselves from their fears, those who were formerly suppliants become their own masters and remember their former ways and plan to attack their neighbors. But the sophism was, in fact, against themselves; for the Romans, being equally able to plot against them, were for this purpose also being kept awake by them, considering it more profitable to act first than to suffer. And so, anticipating the plot, they send 405 to the then commander of the Roman regiments, a primicerius by rank of the court. And that night, having prepared a sufficient force, he attacks the fortress, and he was visible, expected by some but unexpected by others. Whence some indeed receive him gladly, but upon the others as they slept stood a terrible dream, and from this the most difficult things had beset them.

17. The emperor Michael, however, having recovered from his illness, was still at Pege, and for the great duke who came from the turmoil around him at Cyzicus, for whom it was fitting that a servant should render homage and enjoy the sight of his master, the city was altogether off-limits by order; for the things from

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καθὼς ἂν ὁ Λυδὸς εἴποι, ἐπιστασία, ἐν ᾗ παρὰ θεοῦ φυλάττεσθαι ἐπιστεύοντο. 16. Ἦν μὲν οὖν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς καὶ λίαν δεινά, τῶν μὲν ἐκτὸς πόλεως οὐδὲν ὑποστάντων τὴν τῶν Περσῶν ἀνυπόστατον ῥύμην, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῶν μὲν φονευομένων τῶν δ' ἀπανιστα μένων, τῶν μὲν εἰς πόλεις καὶ φρούρια τῶν δ' εἰς νήσους, ἄλ λων δὲ καὶ εἰς τὰ κατ' ἀντιπεραίαν ἀσφαλῆ, ὅπου ἂν καὶ σω θεῖεν, βλεπόντων καὶ ὁρμώντων, τῶν δ' ἐντὸς καὶ λίαν ἐνδεῶς ἐχόντων τῶν ἀναγκαίων διὰ τὴν τῶν ἐξωτερικῶν ἐξαπώλειαν. βα σιλεὺς μὲν οὖν διὰ ταῦτα ὡς οἷόν τ' ἦν ἀντιπαλαμώμενος πρὸς τὰς τῶν δεινῶν ἐπιρροίας, Ἀλανῶν μὲν ἐκείνων καὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἀπεγνωκώς, ἐπὶ σαθροῖς δὲ σαλεύων τοῖς ξενικοῖς, πέμπει καὶ πρὸς Καζάνην τὸν τῶν ἀνατολικῶν Τοχάρων, ὡς αὐτοὶ φαῖεν ἄν, Κάνιν, καὶ γαμικὰς ἐπιμιξίας προτείνει, καὶ ἐπαμύνειν προσαξιοῖ τοῖς τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐσχάτως ἔχουσι πράγμασιν. ὁ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀξίωσιν δέχεται, καὶ τὸ κῆδος (ἐπὶ γὰρ φυσικῇ θυγατρί, ἧς αὐτὸς βασιλεὺς πατὴρ ἐνομίζετο, συνεφώνει) προσαπεδέ χετο, καὶ ὑποσχέσεις ἀσφαλῶς ἐδίδου μετελεύσεσθαι τοὺς ἀλά 403 στορας. τοῦτο φημισθέν, ὡς εἰκός, τοῖς μὲν λοιποῖς ἄλλως ᾠκονομεῖτο ἡ περὶ τὰς συστολὰς σπουδή, κἂν ἠφροντίστουν τὸ τέως· ἑνὶ δὲ τούτων τῷ Ἀλάϊδι τὰ κατὰ τὴν Λυδίαν καταδρα μόντι, ὥστε καὶ λείαν Μυσῶν, οὐ Λυδῶν φανῆναι τἀκεῖ, κα τασεισθέντι τῇ φήμῃ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἔδοξε προνοεῖν ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις τῶν ἐκ φυλακῆς συμφερόντων. ἀμέλει τοι καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸ τῶν Σάρδεων φρούριον ὀχυρὸν ἄλλως ὂν ὡς παλαιᾶς ἀκρόπολιν πόλεως, καθ' ἓν ἄβατον μέρος καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἀπόκρη μνον, διὰ τὴν παρ' ἐκείνων ἐγκεκλεισμένην ἐπίθεσιν πέμπων ἐπὶ ῥηταῖς ὁμολογίαις συνέπραττεν, ἐφ' ᾧ τοῦ φρουρίου διαμεμερι σμένου μακρῷ τινὶ τείχει καὶ ἀσφαλεῖ ἥμισυ μὲν ἐκείνους ἥμισυ δ' αὐτοὺς ἔχειν, κἀντεῦθεν δεσμοῖς ὁμονοίας συνδεῖσθαι, καὶ ἀνέδην ἐξιόντας ἐκείνους μὲν τοῖς ἰδίοις ἔργοις προσανέχειν ἐξ ὧν τραφήσονται, αὐτοὺς δὲ τὰ οἰκεῖα πάντως ποιεῖν, αὐτῶν μέν, ὡς εἰκός, ἀπέχοντας, ἄλλοις δ' ἐπιτιθεμένους ἐξ ὧν κερδανοῦσι τὸν οἰκεῖον τρόπον καὶ λῃστρικόν. ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτ' ἠξίουν, 404 καὶ λιπαρῶς ἀντείχοντο τοῦ φρουρίου· τοῖς δὲ τὸ μὲν ἀνθίστα σθαι μάταιον ἐνομίζετο, τὸ δ' εὐπειθεῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀσφαλὲς διὰ τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν γειτνίασιν (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἀρνειοῖς καὶ λύκοις κοινὰ ταμέσθαι τὰ ὅρκια), ὅμως διὰ τὴν ἐφεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην καὶ τοῦ ὑδρεύεσθαί τε καὶ κατασπείρειν ἕνεκα ἀνεκτὸν ἐδόκει, καὶ συγκατέβαινον. καὶ δὴ πολλούς τινας τῶν Περσῶν ὑποδέχονται (σωροὺς δὲ χρημάτων αὐτῶν, ὡς εἰκός, σὺν αὐ τοῖς εἶδέ τις ἄν), παρὰ τοσοῦτον οὐ συνοικοῦντες τοῖς εἰσα χθεῖσι παρ' ὅσον τὸ μεταξὺ τεῖχος σφᾶς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διεῖργε. κατά τινα δὲ πυλίδα καὶ συμμετεῖχον ἀλλήλοις ἔνιοι, ὡς ἐλέγετο. ταῦτα γοῦν ἦσαν ἐπὶ χρόνον, καὶ ἀνακωχὴν τῶν κακῶν κατὰ τὸ φρούριον εἶχον. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ μὲν τῆς φήμης τῶν Τοχάρων κατ' ὀλίγον ἠσθένουν καὶ ἤδη θάρρος εἶχον ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τῶν φόβων ἑαυτοὺς ἀνελάμβανον, οἱ τέως ἱκέται ἑαυτῶν γίνονται καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἀναμιμνήσκονται καὶ ἐπιχειρεῖν τοῖς γειτονοῦσι βου λεύονται. ἦν δὲ ἄρα τὸ σόφισμα καθ' αὑτῶν· ἐξ ἴσου γὰρ καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀντεπιβουλεύειν ἐκείνοις ἔχοντες πρὸς τοῦτο καὶ διυπνί ζοντο παρ' ἐκείνων, τὸ φθῆναι πρᾶξαι παρὰ τὸ παθεῖν κερδα λεώτερον ἡγησάμενοι. καὶ δὴ προλαβόντες τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν πέμ 405 πουσι πρὸς τὸν τηνικάδε τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ταγμάτων ἄρχοντα πρι μικήριον ἐξ ἀξιώματος τῆς αὐλῆς. καὶ νυκτὸς ἐκεῖνος λαὸν ἱκα νὸν ἐξετοιμασάμενος προσβάλλει τῷ φρουρίῳ, καὶ ἐμφανὴς ἦν τοῖς μὲν προσδοκώμενος τοῖς δ' ἀπροσδόκητος. ὅθεν καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀσμένως δέχονται τοῦτον, τοῖς δ' ἐφίσταται κοιμωμένοις δεινὸς ὄνειρος, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν διατεθείκει σφᾶς τὰ παγχάλεπα.

17. Ὁ μέντοι γε βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ ῥαΐσας τῆς νόσου ἔτι μὲν παρὰ ταῖς Πηγαῖς ἦν, καὶ τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ προσελθόντι ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν Κύζικον τῶν ἀμφ' αὑτὸν κυδοιμοῦ, ἐφ' ᾧπερ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἀπονείμαι μὲν τὴν προσκύνησιν, ἀπολαύοι δέ γε τῆς θέας δεσπότου δοῦλος, ἄβατος ἦν ἡ πόλις τὸ παράπαν ἐξ ἐπιτάγμα τος· τὰ γὰρ ἐξ