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and the middle of the Hyrcanian sea. When winter came, the Romans did not return to their own lands, but wintered in Persia. In the same year, Tiberius began to build the public building of Blachernae and renovated many churches, hostels, and homes for the aged; and he ordered that he be written in contracts as Tiberius Constantinus. Bishop of Constantinople, John, for 13 years. 4. 9. 1. 10. 3. 12. In this year, on the 6th of the month of April, in the 15th indiction, Eutychius the patriarch died, and after six days John, deacon of the great church, the Faster, was ordained. And the emperor Tiberius, having purchased bodies of barbarians, established an army in his own name, clothing and arming them, 15,000 strong, having given them as general Maurice, the count of the foederati, and as his subordinate general, Narses; and he sent them against the Persians. When a great war was waged, the Romans were overwhelmingly victorious and took away from the Persians cities and lands, which they had received under Justinian and Justin. And Maurice, having gone to Constantinople, was received by the emperor with great honor, and Tibe252rius celebrated the victories of Maurice and took him as a son-in-law for Constantina, his own daughter. And likewise he also joined his daughter Charito to Germanus the general, making both of them Caesars. And on the 14th of the month of August, in the 15th indiction, having eaten early, remarkable, and poisoned mulberries, he fell into a consumption; and being about to die, having summoned the patriarch John and the senate along with the armies in the tribunal and having been brought on a litter, being unable to speak, through a reader he made known to the people what was advantageous for the affairs of the Romans and proclaimed Maurice, his own son-in-law, emperor. And when all had acclaimed the emperor's purpose and Maurice the emperor, Tiberius, having returned to his own bed, died, having reigned for 3 years, 10 months, and 8 days. Year of the world 6075. Year of the divine incarnation 575. Emperor of the Romans, Maurice, for 20 years. 1. King of the Persians, Hormisdas, for 15 years. 10. Bishop of Constantinople, John, for 13 years. 2. Bishop of Jerusalem, John, for 20 years. 11. Bishop of Alexandria, Eulogius, for 27 years. 4. Bishop of Antioch, Gregory, for 24 years. 13. In this year Maurice became emperor, being 43 years old, and after a little while he celebrated his wedding, with his father Paul having come to Byzantium, and Marites, the eunuch who was a great man of the palace, acted as best man. And in the month of April a fire broke out in the Forum, and storms of wind cooperating with the fire destroyed many houses. And on the 10th of the month of May there was a great earthquake, and all fled to the churches, and the birthday hippodrome races were not held. And in the same month the Avars sent an embassy to the emperor Maurice, who, having a short time before subdued Sirmium, a notable city of Europe, demanded that to the eighty thousand gold pieces which they received annually from the Romans, an253other 20 be added; and the emperor, desiring peace, agreed to this. And he also asked for an elephant, an Indian animal, to be sent out to him for a spectacle; and the emperor sent the largest of all to him; and having seen it, he sent it back again to the emperor. Likewise he also asked for a golden couch to be sent to him; and the emperor sent this too, but he sent it back, having scorned it. And he asked again for another 20 thousand to be added to the 100. But when the emperor did not agree, the Khagan campaigned and destroyed the city of Singidunum and subdued many other cities belonging to Illyricum. And he took Anchialus, and threatened to destroy the Long Walls as well. And the emperor sent out Elpidius the patrician with Comentiolus as ambassadors to the Khagan. And the barbarian agreed to keep the peace on the terms of the treaty. And in the east, John Mystacon

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καὶ μέσον τῆς Ὑρκανικῆς θαλάσσης. χειμῶνος δὲ γενομένου, οὐκ ἐπανέζευξαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι εἰς τὰ ἴδια, ἀλλὰ ἐν Περσίδι παρεχείμασαν. Τῷ δ' αὐτῷ ἔτει ἤρξατο κτίζειν Τιβέριος τὸ δημόσιον Βλαχερνῶν καὶ ἀνενέωσε πολλὰς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ξενῶνας καὶ γηροκομεῖα· καὶ ἐκέλευσε γράφεσθαι ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς συμβολαίοις Τιβέριος Κωνσταντῖνος. Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη ιγʹ. δʹ. θʹ. αʹ. ιʹ. γʹ. ιβʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει μηνὶ Ἀπριλλίῳ ϛʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ιεʹ, ἐτελεύτησεν Εὐτύχιος ὁ πατριάρχης, καὶ ἐχειροτονήθη μετὰ ἓξ ἡμέρας Ἰωάννης, διάκονος τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας, ὁ Νηστευτής. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Τιβέριος ἀγοράσας σώματα ἐθνικῶν κατέστησε στράτευμα εἰς ὄνομα ἴδιον, ἀμφιάσας καὶ καθοπλίσας αὐτοὺς χιλιάδας ιεʹ, δεδωκὼς αὐτοῖς στρατηγὸν Μαυρίκιον, τὸν κόμητα τῶν φοιδεράτων, καὶ ὑποστράτηγον αὐτοῦ Ναρσῆν· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς κατὰ Περσῶν. πολέμου δὲ κροτηθέντος μεγάλου, νικῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι κατὰ κράτος καὶ ἀφείλαντο ἐκ τῶν Περσῶν πόλεις τε καὶ χώρας, ἃς ἐπὶ Ἰουστινιανοῦ καὶ Ἰουστίνου παρέλαβον. ἀπελθὼν δὲ Μαυρίκιος ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐδέχθη ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως μετὰ τιμῆς μεγάλης, καὶ ἐθριάμ252 βευσε Τιβέριος τὰς νίκας Μαυρικίου καὶ προσελάβετο αὐτὸν γαμβρὸν εἰς Κωνσταντῖναν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θυγατέρα. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Γερμανῷ τῷ στρατηγῷ ἔζευξε τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ Χαριτώ, ποιήσας ἀμφοτέρους καίσαρας. Τῷ δὲ Αὐγούστῳ μηνὶ ιδʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ιεʹ, φαγὼν συκάμινα πρώϊμα ἀξιοθέατα νενοθευμένα φθίσει περιέπεσεν· καὶ μέλλων τεθνάναι προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν πατριάρχην Ἰωάννην καὶ τὴν σύγκλητον ἅμα τοῖς στρατεύμασιν ἐν τῷ τριβουναλίῳ καὶ ἀχθεὶς ἐν φορείῳ, λαλῆσαι μὴ δυνάμενος δι' ἐπαναγνωστικοῦ τὰ συμφέροντα τοῖς πράγμασι τῶν Ῥωμαίων τῷ λαῷ κατάδηλα πεποίηκε καὶ Μαυρίκιον, τὸν ἴδιον γαμβρόν, βασιλέα ἀνηγόρευσεν. πάντων δὲ εὐφημησάντων τὸν βασιλέως σκοπὸν καὶ Μαυρίκιον τὸν βασιλέα, ὑποστρέψας Τιβέριος ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ κλίνῃ τέθνηκε βασιλεύσας ἔτη γʹ μῆνας ιʹ ἡμέρας ηʹ. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛοεʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη φοεʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ἔτη κʹ. αʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Ὁρμίσδας ἔτη ιεʹ. ιʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη ιγʹ. βʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη κʹ. ιαʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. δʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Γρηγόριος ἔτη κδʹ. ιγʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἐβασίλευσε Μαυρίκιος ἐτῶν ὑπάρχων μγʹ, καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον τὸν γάμον πεποίηκεν, Παύλου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐλθόντος εἰς τὸ Βυζάντιον, καὶ παρενύμφευσε Μαρίτης ὁ εὐνοῦχος τοῦ παλατίου μέγας ὑπάρχων. τῷ δὲ Ἀπριλλίῳ μηνὶ γέγονεν ἐν τῷ Φόρῳ ἐμπυρισμός, καὶ ἀνέμων καταιγίδες συνεργοῦσαι τῷ πυρὶ πολλὰς, οἰκίας διώλεσαν. καὶ τῇ ιʹ τοῦ Μαΐου μηνὸς γέγονε σεισμὸς μέγας, καὶ πάντες κατέφυγον εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὸ γενέθλιον ἱππικὸν οὐκ ἐπετελέσθη. τῷ δ' αὐτῷ μηνὶ πρεσβεύουσιν οἱ Ἄβαρεις πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Μαυρίκιον, οἳ πρὸ ὀλίγου χρόνου τὸ Σέρμιον χειρωσάμενοι, πόλιν τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐπίσημον, ἠξίουν ταῖς ὀγδοήκοντα χιλιάσι τοῦ χρυσοῦ, αἷς ἐλάμβανον κατ' ἔτος παρὰ Ῥωμαίων, προσ253 τεθῆναι ἄλλας κʹ· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης ἐφιέμενος τοῦτο κατεδέξατο. ᾔτησε δὲ καὶ ἐλέφαντα, ζῶον Ἰνδικόν, ἐκπεμφθῆναι αὐτῷ πρὸς θέαν· καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν μείζονα πάντων ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ τοῦτον θεασάμενος πάλιν ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὁμοίως καὶ κλίνην χρυσῆν ᾔτησε σταλῆναι αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καὶ ταύτην ἀπέστειλεν, αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἀπέστρεψεν εὐτελίσας αὐτήν. ᾔτει δὲ πάλιν ἄλλας κʹ χιλιάδας προστεθῆναι ταῖς ρʹ. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως μὴ καταδεξαμένου, στρατεύσας ὁ Χαγάνος τὴν Σιγγιδόνα πόλιν κατέστρεψε καὶ πολλὰς ἑτέρας πόλεις ἐχειρώσατο τὰς ὑπὸ τὸ Ἰλλυρικὸν τελούσας. παρέλαβε δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἀγχίαλον, ἠπείλει δὲ καὶ τὰ Μακρὰ τείχη καταστρέψαι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἐλπίδιον τὸν πατρίκιον σὺν Κομεντιόλῳ πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον ἐξαπέστειλεν. καὶ ὁ βάρβαρος ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν πάκτων συνθήκαις εἰρήνην ἄγειν καθωμολόγησεν. ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀνατολῇ Ἰωάννην τὸν Μυστάκωνα