Histories
To keep, but to change their name, no longer being called by their ancestral name, and the emperors of byzantium prided themselves on calling themselv
That these, having descended into lower asia, to phrygia, lydia and cappadocia, made the things in this country subject to them. and now one can see,
In a short time he showed them to be prosperous, and so many of the nomads who came to him warred with him and together carried on the war against the
Leaving a poor one, died in prousa. we know that this man of this race both established other things as best as possible, and established his rule in
Turning back from asia, they went on foot to the chersonese, again having in mind to cross into asia by whatever means they could. and having somehow
The city then. there when the news came to the king of the hellenes, that nicaea was being besieged and that those in the city, unless someone came to
And amurath. suleiman, the son of orkhan, having thus taken over the kingdom, immediately went against the hellenes and made war, and carrying off as
Abandoned it and fled, and was in retreat. and under him the affairs of the greeks were expected to reach the ultimate danger, being overturned by the
And seeing that the enemy had no guards, and that they were for the most part by the tearos river—since it provides the finest and most healthful wate
Among the nations of the inhabited world, whether, having been separated from the portion of the illyrians, it inhabited this land, or, as some say, f
He sent the younger manuel to the peloponnese as ruler of mystras, and the elder he made king over the greeks. and john, the son of andronikos, when h
Each to his own. that having sent envoys there they should request a truce, and come to terms with him, on the condition that they would follow him wh
The bank of the ravine, having come as close as possible to the camp of the enemies, so that he might be heard most easily, and calling each man by na
The people of the city were treating him with vexation, or as was necessary, as things were, he departed as quickly as possible by sea, having in mind
Of orchanes, as has been previously shown by me. and now so much might be said as a sufficient reminder. for when john took possession of the empire,
Having hired horses, arrived at prousa to king amurates. 1.49 after these things, he campaigned against the triballians and against eleazar, the leade
And under his hand and to the children of the rulers as moderately as possible. and he was most ready to honor each man and to address them, and most
And having captured certain towns, he enslaved their populations, and sending an army he plundered the land of the albanians as far as the coastal reg
The emperors of the hellenes concerning the empire of byzantium, 1.58 manuel undertook to pay a tribute of thirty thousand gold coins, and to lead him
Having crossed into europe, sending troops as far as macedonia, he was ravaging the country towards the ionian sea and the albanians there, and having
From the pyrenees mountain, whence the tartessus also flows to the western ocean. and upper germany is, as far as it proceeds, extending to colonia an
Some say that they were anciently the getae, and that, living near haemus and being hard-pressed by the scythians, they withdrew to this land, which t
Sigismund, having been in extreme danger, and having narrowly escaped capture, embarking on a trireme on the river 1.71 was sailing to byzantium to th
The country not to be passable for the enemies, nor easy to be subdued. and following, he showed forth deeds worthy of mention, both fighting, if some
Each his own ways. later, however, as the following summer came, since the emperor of byzantium did not present himself at the gates and it was report
To iberia, and on the north to germany, and on the west to the ocean and the britannic isles and it extends from the alps outside of italy as far as
Becoming good. and orlando, the general, besieged by thirst, to have died, and rinaldo, having succeeded him in the war, to have left it to the kings
To be turned, a certain woman, not unattractive in appearance, saying that god spoke to her, led the celts who followed and obeyed her. the woman, by
At least for eleven. therefore, ebbing by night and by day, it floods again, returning. and when the moon is in the middle of the sky, until the horiz
The archbishop of sparta, and they, coming together, took counsel among themselves, and they banded together with one another, and they made an agreem
And of the scythians even now still a very great multitude, having been scattered in many places throughout europe, it is possible to see. and indeed
By doing so you will both gratify him, and the race in asia and in europe will be grateful to you for this. and if they have done anything contrary to
Both on behalf of the city of melitene on the euphrates and on behalf of the rulers who were staying with us. so then king temeres marched against pa
He was a horse-breeder, and meeting and conversing with those who pastured their herds in those very regions, he made an agreement with them, that by
The foreigners, if they happened to arrive at the camp in need of grain. so that at a nod from the great king the whole army would indeed be set in mo
They sin against us in any way whatsoever. but if you would grant this sin to me as i am asking, may even more good things than these come to you. sa
Arabia, alleging that it was allied with the cadusii, who were being warred upon by him, he campaigned. and twice he fought with the army of the arabs
To the lawgivers previously sent forth by god to the inhabited world. and they consider circumcision above all things to be a purification for them, i
Having captured several cities, he proceeded toward samarkand. but he learned that the scythians, having set out from the tanais, had overrun his coun
Of the house of kings, and his name was hacı giray. when they were entrusted to this king, having arrived in this country, they drove towards the iste
Those of the libyans who crossed over this way, and of the prussians against both the samatians and the nomadic scythians, who were settled 1.124 in a
1.127 of the mingrelians and sarmatians, and lead1.127ing as many slaves as possible to the bosphorus, taking them to the city of kaffa and to the so-
Forces, and they fought, and when a fierce battle took place, the scythians gained no advantage. afterwards, as the scythians pushed forward and engag
Thinking but as many as are the most numerous armenians throughout this country, are indeed monothelites and jacobites and very many are manichaeans.
He made both truces and peace, and it befell him that the turkish rulers from lower asia came to him, and the matters concerning melitene. they had la
To present himself at the gates of temir. and if he did these things, he would be a friend and ally of king temir but if he did not, king temir would
These things, as he was in the land of the armenians campaigning against temir, he was deliberating how indeed he might best fight the battle. and hav
To the soldiers, which will be a gain to us and not be lost. and if it comes to us, we shall have many times more in profit and if to the persian, it
And very many towns were deserted, with the horsemen of temir running everywhere through the land of bayezid. and concerning bayezid, it happened thus
To mock the children and wives of kings, and you act insolently towards your natural masters. to him saying such things, he made his words a laughing
Of the land within the ganges and the indus, and having subdued the country there, he established his palace in that very city and it happened then t
He subdued samarkand. not much later, using the king of the nine as an ally and making his capital in the prosperous assyrian city of tabriz, he conti
In this way to his brother, and having routed him destroyed much of his army in the battle, and indeed capturing jesus alive, he killed him, after he
They followed him as he rode out. thus indeed were the affairs of musa çelebi concerning the two continents, having contended most nobly of all those
Manuel, the emperor's son, lacking in neither knowledge nor wisdom, seemed at that time both capable of leading in war and was held in high esteem. be
They joined together and fought. after not long, the army from asia was routed and had rushed into flight. mehmed chordinos indeed was saved by fleein
However to the camp. and when the troops perceived him mutilated, they fled and went to his brother. thereupon he himself, without hesitating, fled at
If the enemies, having taken away their country, pursued any of the men, arriving there he would dwell. and the 1.175 city having become great in a sh
They sent embassies. and those in the city being at a loss, and not having any course of action, said they were ready to obey the genoese, and 1.178 t
They had suffered incurable things from the beast but they accomplished nothing. this mariangelos, the first of this house, but a briton by birth, ar
A senate called the 'called upon,' about three hundred in number. they elect these men and the other magistrates in the great council, having chosen t
Emperors, whenever they go out to war, and privately each year the ten triremes, which they send out every year as far as the ionian and to the aegean
Naval force. these men were proceeding against proconnesus, with their ships on the high seas. but the peloponnesian ship had been left behind, as it
Of the war against mehmet. 1.192 the greeks, then, held these men in custody for a considerable time, and after this they led them to lemnos and to im
The greater part of elis and indeed pylos and no small part of the country of messene, as far as driving on to laconia. however, the peloponnesian gre
Still yielding to peace. but after this the rulers of naples, setting out from the island of corcyra (for the kings of parthenope then held the island
The city of thebes for he left corinth to his brother-in-law theodore, the emperor's brother. and the city of athens, having previously taken it from
A suitable brother. and after this, summoning the peloponnesians to the isthmus, he both fortified the isthmus and, having established a garrison ther
To make them king, (for with triremes they were preventing the crossing of amurates to europe, and blocking the propontis and the hellespont to the cr
To be, nor that he would ever deprive them in the future. having then persuaded the greeks, therefore, he marched forward into europe, and everything
With it being moored, he makes an agreement with the master of the ship to ferry both himself and the janissaries 2.7 and his court officials and the
Having chosen them, he has them here as sons of good men. and the gates, to speak concisely, are so arranged and two generals are appointed by the su
Therefore the greeks sent envoys to amurates and begged him but he sent them away and did not accept their request. after this, since nothing came of
Hellas, a great and prosperous city, was taken by amurad. he allowed, however, his neighboring subjects to inhabit this city. 2.15 but he, returning h
Of him, and having sent their leading men, both others and the wealthy loukas notaras, he made a treaty. so the emperor of the hellenes, when peace wa
Sending [forces], he was ravaging the country. and then indeed, when the leader of the triballians learned that the king was advancing against him, he
We learned that he had previously come to the king's gates and induced the king to allow him to dispose of the country as he saw fit. these things had
Flowing in it, it empties into the ister. this king of the illyrians, then, since his country was being ravaged by isam, and since having gathered an
Their leader. for bayezid, son of murad, having driven this man's father from the country, and myrxa, leader of the kaninoi, and many other rulers of
With the spring it seemed good to march out. but after the counsel of sabatines the eunuch, a man of much experience in his wars, he both entrusted th
He both deposed and routed the general, winning a most glorious victory, from which indeed the affairs of the paeonians returned to their former state
In the beginning, his affairs were thus but amurates after these things sent triremes against the land of colchis, both to ravage the country and to
This city, then, has often fallen into calamities, the families of the city being led into irreparable evils against one another, and bringing their o
He did not cease at all, until the leader of milan died. but this king of the aragonese, ruling over valencia and aragon and the islands of sardinia a
To give him a handkerchief, with this the king was to show his favor for the liaison. but we pass over these things, having been said to this extent,
For those inhabiting the land of navarre, bringing him from tarragon, because he had married the king's daughter, they established him as king for the
Waging war. and the libyan king of granada pays tribute to the king of the iberians, whenever he makes a truce but often he marches out, besieges the
They were driving towards the camp and as for the figs, 2.55 splitting each one open, they inserted a single gold coin inside, and put them together
He urged the tyrants of asia to revolt. murad son of mehmed set out and marched against him, and he sent orders to turahan, the governor of thessaly,
They were unable to mount the wall, as the greeks defended it stoutly. there, since nothing was going their way, they separated and sailed away to ita
Doing it. and take care to get rid of this woman no longer live with her. but send away the young man too. and when he learned this, he was astonish
Might be weighed in the balance. they elect rulers of the city's affairs and one called among them a standard-bearer, for a term of three months, to w
A synod for them in italy, and to mark, the archbishop of ephesus, who did not at all accept the dogma of the latins from the beginning, and to schola
Were present with him when he died. so after his death they sent for francesco, surnamed sforza, and having appointed him general they entrusted to hi
About six thousand horsemen and won a conspicuous victory. not much later, marching upon the city, where he had also previously stayed, and acting, he
The one part they give to the child for the rule, and the other again to the other child, so that no dispute might arise among them, is left for the p
His emperor, and he came to byzantium, and not much later he himself and his wife's brother were captured by the emperor of the hellenes, john. and wh
I will present them, so that neither they nor the rest of those toward the west will ever wish to come against you. 2.84 thus spoke chasimes, the son
Especially, as they had resolved to defend themselves. and they guarded the entrance, as they were able, defending as best they could. and the paeonia
Having sent to asia, and he entrusted the rule of thessaly to another man to govern. and turahan was thus put in prison but george, the leader of the
A small town, however, the one situated in the region of the city of phanarion on pindus, and receives a ruler from the emperor. the part extending do
Sending messengers to the emperor, he incited him to campaign against the peloponnese. but these things happened much later at that time it had been
To march against europe, taking with them both the dacians and dracul, the son of myrxes, so that being present for the war he might both join in with
Should announce to amurates either peace. for if he were at peace with amurates, it would be necessary for him, as amurates marched through the pontus
Camp. for it was the custom of this race, after the nomadic scythians indeed most of all of whom we know, when fleeing to regroup easily and return ag
For since you are a king, it would be right for you to engage with a king. the speech persuaded the young man who heard these things, desiring as he
Having seized both, he killed them immediately. this man, then, was brought home, and not much later they chose him as general and overseer of their a
Wherever he might be in the country, was present at thebes, when neres also came to him, leading an army from athens. and coming 2.113 to pagae he enc
Having sufficient provisions, others mules, others both together, and others also horses, so that the baggage animals of the army were doubled. and be
The thousand, to march through the interior, while he himself marched through sicyon straight for achaea. arriving at sicyon, the city, on the day the
He was besieging, and was striking the wall with cannons, and cast down no small part of it. and after this he attacked with the janissaries with the
Their city of krujë. and here, having led out the women and children, 2.124 he placed them in the cities of the venetians, but he left the men in the
And arianites, having in mind to join them as they advanced further into europe for so it had been prearranged with them as well. but when amurates,
Nothing to me, for as soon as it was roused from sleep, the hare went off fleeing when it sensed the noise, and though the dogs pursued for a short wh
Of the enemies. and now it seems so. for you see how the king's porte stood, in no way eager for battle, nor are they willing to risk themselves, as t
2.135 you act without deceit and treachery, and you are friends for the future. and if you should render any favor to the emperor by accomplishing wha
The turks to the river called morava, along the bank, and he himself, having packed up, rode away home. but john, as if fleeing, was withdrawing towar
Acropolis. but he persuaded both the commander of the acropolis and the garrison to attack the governor with him and to seize the city. but when one o
As he was passing to the throne he killed him, stopping his breath with water. a saraptares, his wine-pourer, killed him, and his name was ..., who di
He was making them subject. so these things went thus far. 2.147 laonikos' demonstration of histories viii. in the following summer, mehmed, son of mu
The number of baggage animals in the king's army happened to be double their number for it is customary for baggage animals to be brought into the ar
They set up four of the king's towers and battlements, raised on timbers, intending to immediately set them on fire. the mines, however, did not advan
Of the emperor, bringing wheat. when he learned this, he quickly manned both the triremes and the boats, and sent them against the ships which were al
But whomever i perceive loitering in the tents and not fighting at the wall, not even if he should fly away like the birds would it be sufficient for
And these men, then, thus, as a great many perished for no reason, hastening to get ahead of one another, fell into that spectacle, and the gates were
He was led away, he was sold in galatia, and embarking on a ship he escaped to the peloponnesus. if, then, the sultan had recognized him, that he was
These things are not to be endured, that the emperor should take away our children, having nothing with which he might blame us at present, since he h
Serving him with money, and once when he saw him disturbed by the rumor, sending more money he ordered him to be of good courage and not to listen to
Having clashed with raoul, the ruler's general, he was captured and had his two eyes put out by the ruler. having thus accused these men, as amurad wa
Marching along with the turks against bordonia, a fortified country, into which the albanians, having placed their children and women, had built both
The ister. having arrived there, all his troops overran the country of the triballians, and they stripped the land of its horses, plundering it, while
Belgrade with a large army) and he himself, having also filled the best ships, as many as were available to him in buda, went down the river 2.180 as
Of them. but the others, as they rushed to the wall and saw the paeonians there also on the battlements, they forced the paeonians and, running over,
And by the plague, which befell the paeonians in their camp and pressed them very hard, so that they could not even breathe for some considerable time
That chedrechabareos the vice-prefect died from drinking hemlock. but having betrothed the daughter of the king of the celts, he did not manage to hav
Matters, urging them to contribute to the war against the barbarians. 2.191 these things, however, had been done by the pontiff pius, who was competin
He sent him away to his own province. this man, however, upon returning to his own country, awaited the attack of the king's army, and held the countr
These things appointed him chief of the gates. so when he had driven out zagan, his own brother-in-law, from his position of honor, this man became ev
He might campaign. the governors, prefects, and soldiers of the cities, therefore, bring this tenth, in addition to the tribute, so-called the bostina
Might overtake, and he would stand to resist and prevent them from harming his own country as they advanced. this man, taking command of the army of e
A small town, neither enslaving them nor committing any other unseemly act, he sent them with their wives and children to byzantium to settle. and of
To the king, that we know his soul 2.208 is the noblest of all the kings of the ottomans who have come before, and that his power is the greatest in t
Five hundred staters, and to the leader, on condition that he surrender aigion and patras and the surrounding country to us. if not, let them know tha
The wealth of the acropolis and your own things, and to depart, leaving the acropolis to the sultan. having heard these things, the young man asked f
To defend themselves. yunus shouted these things, and taking the cavalry, he ran upon the greeks. the last ones received the first, but afterwards, a
Of david of trebizond, paying the tribute and keeping the treaty. for the kings of colchis are said to have formerly been kings of byzantium, of the h
And of the emperor, he was passing through with the army, wanting to attack by sea against the zychian, wherever he might be found for the zychian ar
The lordship and of korion and kakhetion and typhlision, these cities being near to samachion, with turks inhabiting it and holding it apart from the
He besieged it for a short time, but being hard-pressed he withdrew, and went up again to the sultan, in need of reinforcements. and it happened also
By the difficulty of the place, they prepared to defend themselves against those coming to make war on them, the king's army. the newcomers, therefore
These women, however, when they came out of the city, they took and drove to the camp. but the king, learning how everything concerning epidaurus had
Of his towns. for when the greeks perceived that the king had subjugated the interior and destroyed as many men 2.234 as possible of the cities, each
Descending into the camp, they mingled with the turks. but the emperor, having gathered those of the gates and the cavalry who were present, sent them
The following summer, when spring had arrived, mehmed marched against the ruler of kastamonu and sinope, accusing him because he was a friend to uzun
He was withdrawing from the city, being transported to europe to the land, which the emperor had provided for him. there, when the emperor took over t
Khasanes my son has sent, being well-disposed indeed to your affairs, and neither being vexed by your good fortune, nor refusing to do you a favor, fo
To demetrius, the greek ruler of the peloponnese, he granted both prosperity and islands and the prosperous city of ainos, and being in a secure posit
To the king, making it clear, that one of the king’s sons or his nephew, as has been said, should come to the despoina, who was the wife of uzun hasan
Of the king, so that he might strengthen his rule for him, and so that he would not have troubles if the leading men of dacia changed their minds agai
However, sending everywhere, he ordered him to bring the army well-equipped, and all the couriers to follow him on this campaign. and the king's heral
Black bogdan was coming to close quarters as if to invade the land of the dacians, but he was prevented by one part of the army, which was stationed t
The arriving turks remained, where each was encamped, established. and the king's heralds, since vlad was about to attack 2.260 immediately, going abo
He ordered the troops to be with him night and day. advancing thus with his army in formation, he arrived further into dacia at the city, in which vla
Showing themselves, they crossed the istrus with great haste. and the sultan, having ordered ali, son of michael, to follow behind the army, when he h
To campaign against lesbos. but the ruler of lesbos, dominicus, or kyriakos in greek, being the younger brother, conspired against, arrested, and depo
He ordered the war preparations to be transported by sea to the island, and he himself, arriving at a certain plain, crossed over to the island. he hi
A form, to cut the body in two. therefore, placing the cut at the diaphragm, whereby it happens that for this reason the one being executed is kept fr
And the bridge at skopje on the axios river and a palace in adrianople, beyond the tearos, where it flows into the hebros and a small town in asia ne
To the king's herald, that the tribute was ready and had been prepared, but that he was not eager, by sending the money to the king, to be deprived of
He crossed the illyrian river, which was navigable. the infantry army by ships, which he ordered to be built there. he let loose the horses 2.282 into
It is situated in a certain marshy place. and great marshes beside it, stretching for a great distance, make it strong and not passable. at that time,
Having killed his father and many of his army, behaving unlawfully toward his father and contrary to justice. he therefore also sent frequent embassie
The venetians were angered by the king's officers being brought against them and being harsh to their subjects, but they nevertheless abided by the tr
And by slandering the governors he contrives things advantageous to himself, and pretending great things little by little, suddenly, if he could, to f
Reporting. and immediately after, it seemed best to send envoys to the great high priest, and likewise to send envoys to the paeonians immediately, be
They died in the war, and others were also captured by the turks. these things, however, we blame you for at present. we promise to take revenge very
Sailing to aegina. when he arrived at aegina, he again ordered him to ferry him over to euboea. and having landed in attica, from there he came to the
Machumutes to thessaly. and he, 2.303 having considered the letters, packing up from there, was marching forward and having marched near boeotia, a m
The king's power has been removed from the way, and the power of the venetians themselves has been gathered to the utmost. for if they were not able t
he was making them subject. So these things went thus far. 2.147 LAONIKOS' DEMONSTRATION OF HISTORIES VIII. In the following summer, Mehmed, son of Murad, after preparing as much quicklime as possible in Asia, built in Europe by the Propontis on the Bosphorus, where it is narrowest to cross from Asia, the fortress called Laimokopia. And he gathered everyone there, both those in Asia and those in Europe, and dividing this fortress into sections, he built it with his generals and commanders. He did this so that the crossing to Asia would be safe for him, and so that the westerners would not be able to come with triremes and hinder his crossing and stir up trouble for his affairs in Asia. It was also destined to be of great advantage to him for the siege of Byzantium. He built three towers, the greatest of all that we know of, two on the landward side, so that men sallying out from them could ward off anyone coming by sea, and he built this one largest of all, and he roofed the towers with lead. The width of the wall was twenty-two feet, and that of the towers even more than this, thirty. And when it was built in three months, he immediately overran the territory of Byzantium, bringing war upon it. 2.148 In the following winter, he sent Turahan against the Peloponnese, waging war at the same time also against the brothers of the emperor of the Hellenes. He, therefore, taking the army of Thessaly and Europe, as much as is assigned to the division of the general of Europe at Pherae, campaigned against the Peloponnese, taking with him his sons and the rulers of the cities of Thessaly and Macedonia. And having invaded, he marched through the interior, formerly called Arcadia, and riding through Tegea and Mantinea he descended upon Ithome and the land of Messenia, and after plundering the beasts of burden there for many days, he brought Neopolichne to surrender. And besieging Sideropolichne, since he was not able to take it, he led his army away, marching out along the road. There, as he was marching out, the younger Achmates was captured by Asanes, the brother of the ruler's wife, who had set an ambush here in the region of Mycenae, where he was about to pass through on his march out. So they took him to Sparta to the ruler and held him in custody, until they gave him back. In the following summer, as spring was just beginning, Mehmed, son of Murad, campaigned against the city of Byzantium, having indeed intended this right after the city called Laimokopia on the Propontis had been built for him. And while winter was still hanging on there, sending messengers everywhere in Asia and Europe to build ships along the coast, 2.149 he prepared vessels and triremes, and had cannons made, the largest indeed that we know to have existed anywhere at that time. And when it seemed to him that it was now time to march out, he first sent Saratzias, the general of Europe, taking with him the army of Europe, to bring the cannons to Byzantium, and other engines, and indeed a great cannon. This cannon was such that it took seventy yoke of oxen and up to two thousand men to draw it. This man, arriving, had previously besieged the towers in the territory of Byzantium in which the country folk who worked the fields were taking refuge; some he took by starvation, and others he took by storm, leading the men away and slaughtering them. And then indeed, when he arrived, he overran the territory of Byzantium. Not long after, the sultan himself also advanced and encamped from sea to sea. And in the area to the right of the sultan, toward the so-called Golden Gates, the entire army of Asia was encamped, and in the area to the left, toward the so-called Wooden Gate, the army of Europe. And in the middle the sultan himself was established, with the janissaries and those of the Porte who were accustomed to camp around the sultan. And Zaganos, the sultan's brother-in-law, was encamped in the area opposite, above the city of Galata. The entire army is said to have been about four hundred thousand. And of the
ὑποχείρια ἐποιεῖτο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐς τοσοῦτον ἐγένετο. 2.147 ΛΑΟΝΙΚΟΥ ΑΠΟ∆ΕΙΞΙΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΩΝ Η. Τοῦ δ' ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους Μεχμέτης
ὁ Ἀμουράτεω, παρασκευασάμενος ἄσβεστον ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ ὡς πλεῖστον, ᾠκοδόμει τὴν ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ κατὰ τὴν Προποντίδα ἐν τῷ Βοσπόρῳ,
ᾗ στενώτατόν ἐστι διαβῆναι ἀπὸ Ἀσίας, πολίχνην Λαιμοκοπίην καλουμένην. καὶ σύμπαντας μὲν συνήθροισεν ἐνταῦθα τούς τε ἐν τῇ
Ἀσίᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ, καὶ ἐπιδιελόμενος ἐς μοίρας τὴν πολίχνην ταύτην τοῖς τε στρατηγοῖς καὶ ὑπάρχοις ᾠκοδόμει. τοῦτο δὲ
ἐποίει ὥστε ἀσφαλῆ αὐτῷ εἶναι τὴν ἐς τὴν Ἀσίαν διάβασιν, καὶ μὴ τοὺς ἑσπερίους δύνασθαι ἐπιόντας τριήρεσι διακωλύειν αὐτῷ
τὴν διάβασιν καὶ καινοτομεῖσθαι τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ αὐτῷ πράγματα. μέγα δὲ προφέρειν αὐτῷ ἔμελλε καὶ ἐς τὴν Βυζαντίου πολιορκίαν.
ᾠκοδόμει δὲ πύργους τρεῖς μεγίστους πάντων, ὧν ἴσμεν, δύο μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἤπειρον, ὥστε ὡρμημένους ἀπὸ τούτων ἀμύνειν τῷ ἐπὶ
τῇ θαλάττῃ ἐρχομένῳ, τοῦτον δὲ μέγιστον ἐπῳκοδόμει, καὶ μολίβδῳ τοὺς πύργους ἐστέγετο. τὸ δὲ πλάτος τοῦ τείχους πόδας δύο
καὶ εἴκοσι, τῶν δὲ πύργων καὶ πλέον τούτων, τριάκοντα. ὡς δ' ἐπιτετείχιστο ἐς τρεῖς μῆνας, ἐπέδραμέ τε αὐτίκα τὴν Βυζαντίου
χώραν, πόλεμον αὐτῷ ἐξενεγκών. 2.148 Τοῦ δ' ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος Τουραχάνην ἔπεμπεν ἐπὶ Πελοπόννησον, πολεμῶν ἅμα καὶ τοῖς
βασιλέως Ἑλλήνων ἀδελφοῖς. οὗτος μὲν οὖν λαβὼν τὸ Θετταλίας τε καὶ Εὐρώπης στράτευμα, ὅσον ἐπὶ Φερρῶν ἐς τὴν τοῦ Εὐρώπης στρατηγοῦ
τάττεται μοῖραν, ἐστρατεύετο ἐπὶ Πελοπόννησον, τούς τε παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἅμα ἀγόμενος καὶ ἄρχοντας τῶν Θετταλίας καὶ Μακεδονίας
πόλεων. καὶ ἐσβαλὼν ἐπορεύετο τὴν μεσόγαιον, Ἀρκαδίαν τὸ παλαιὸν καλουμένην, καὶ διὰ Τεγέης καὶ Μαντινείας ἐλαύνων κατῄει
ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰθώμην καὶ Μεσηνίαν χώραν, καὶ ληϊσάμενος ἐπὶ ἡμέρας συχνὰς τὰ τῇδε ὑποζύγια Νεοπολίχνην παρεστήσατο. καὶ Σιδηροπολίχνην
πολιορκῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἑλεῖν, ἀπήγαγε τὸν στρατόν, ἐξελαύνων διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ. ἐνταῦθα ἐξελαύνοντος αὐτοῦ ὁ νεώτερος Ἀχμάτης
ἑάλω ὑπὸ Ἀσάνεω τοῦ ἡγεμόνος γυναικὸς ἀδελφοῦ, ἐνεδρεύσαντος ταύτῃ περὶ Μυκήνης χώραν, ᾗ ἔμελλεν ἐξελαύνων διεξιέναι. τοῦτον
μὲν οὖν ἀπαγαγόντες ἐς Σπάρτην παρὰ τὸν ἡγεμόνα εἶχον ἐν φυλακῇ, ἐς ὃ δὴ ἀπέδωκαν. Τοῦ δ' ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους ἅμα ἦρι εὐθὺς
καθισταμένῳ ἐστρατεύετο Μεχμέτης ὁ Ἀμουράτεω ἐπὶ τὴν Βυζαντίου πόλιν, καὶ πρότερον μὲν εὐθὺς διανοούμενος, ἐπεί τε ἐτετείχιστο
αὐτῷ τὴν ἐν τῇ Προποντίδι Λαιμοκοπίην καλουμένην πόλιν. καὶ χειμῶνος τὸ τῇδε εὐθὺς ἔτι ἐπηρτημένου περιαγγέλλων ἁπανταχῇ τῆς
τε Ἀσίας καὶ Εὐρώπης ἐς τὴν πάραλλον ναυπηγεῖσθαι, πλοῖά 2.149 τε καὶ τριήρεις παρεσκευάζετο, τηλεβόλους ποιούμενος μεγίστους
δή, ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐς ἐκεῖνον ἴσμεν τὸν χρόνον ἄλλῃ πῃ γεγονέναι. ὡς δὲ ἐδόκει αὐτῷ ἤδη ὥρα εἶναι ἐξελαύνειν, ἔπεμπε μὲν πρῶτα τὸν
τῆς Εὐρώπης στρατηγὸν Σαρατζίαν παραλαβόντα τε τὸν τῆς Εὐρώπης στρατόν, τούς τε τηλεβόλους ἄγειν ἐς Βυζάντιον ἄλλας τε μηχανὰς
καὶ δὴ καὶ τηλεβόλον μέγαν. εἶναι δὲ τοῦτον τὸν τηλεβόλον ὡς ζεύγη βοῶν ἕλκειν ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἄνδρας ἐς δισχιλίους. ἀφικόμενος
μὲν οὖν οὗτος καὶ πρότερον τοὺς ἐν τῇ Βυζαντίου χώρᾳ πύργους, ἐς οὓς διεσώζοντο οἱ περὶ τὰ ἔργα ἀγροῖκοι ἄνδρες, τοὺς μὲν
ἐξεπολιόρκησε λιμῷ, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἑλὼν κατὰ κράτος τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀπαγαγὼν κατέσφαξε. καὶ τότε δὴ ὡς ἀφίκετο ἐπιών, ἐπέδραμε τὴν
Βυζαντίου χώραν. οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ἐπελαύνων καὶ αὐτὸς βασιλεὺς ἐστρατοπεδεύετο ἀπὸ θαλάττης εἰς θάλατταν. καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐπὶ
δεξιᾷ χῶρον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐς τὰς χρυσέας καλουμένας πύλας ἐστρατοπεδεύετο τὸ τῆς Ἀσίας ἅπαν στράτευμα, ἐς δὲ τὸ εὐώνυμον χωρίον
κατὰ τὴν ξυλίνην καλουμένην πύλην ὁ τῆς Εὐρώπης στρατός· ἐν μέσῳ δ' αὐτὸς ἵδρυτο βασιλεύς, ἔχων τε τοὺς νεήλυδας καὶ τῶν θυρῶν,
ὅσοι εἰώθασι περὶ βασιλέα σκηνοῦν. Ζάγανος δὲ ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως κηδεστὴς ἐστρατοπεδεύετο ἐς τὸν καταντικρὺ χῶρον ὑπὲρ τὴν Γαλατίην
πόλιν. λέγεται δὲ γενέσθαι ξύμπαντα τὸν στρατὸν ἀμφὶ τὰς τεσσαράκοντα μυριάδας. τῶν δὲ
