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with the king himself watching and the phalanxes standing on either side. 7.9.4 And I think that by avoiding the suspicion of slander through the slaughter of the slanderer, Neantzes renders himself more suspect. For why did he not wait for the proof? But, as it seems, wishing to destroy beforehand the tongue that was revealing his treacheries, he dared a rather reckless deed, worthy of a barbarian's soul, and as suspect as it was daring. However, the emperor did not immediately proceed against the barbarian nor did he attack as was necessary, but at once restrained his heart, which was throbbing with anger and wrath, so as not to startle his prey and throw the phalanxes into confusion. And he was storing up and digging in his anger for Neantzes, divining this man's treachery and apostasy both from his previous deeds and from other signs. For the fortunes of war stood on a razor's edge, and for this reason the emperor for the time being held his barking anger in check, being at a loss at that moment as to what he should do. 7.9.5 Neantzes, however, after a short while approached and, dismounting from his own horse, asked the emperor for another. And he immediately gives him one of the chosen horses with the imperial saddle-cloth. Mounting it, since the battalions were already advancing against each other through the space between the armies, making a show of riding against the Scythians, he turned the point of his spear backwards and goes to his kinsmen, urging them on with many arguments against the imperial battle-line. 7.9.6 And they, following his advice, joined in a fierce battle with the emperor and routed him completely. But the emperor, seeing the phalanxes broken and everyone fleeing, being at a loss, did not wish to take risks without reason. Therefore, turning his reins, he reaches the flowing river near Rusion. And from there, pulling back the bridle, with some chosen men, as far as was possible he fought off his pursuers, making cavalry charges against them, killing many, and at times being wounded himself. But when from another direction George, called Pyrrhos, also fleeing reached the river, the emperor, enraged at him, summoned him to his side. And when he saw the rashness of the Scythians and that they were increasing in number as time went on with others coming to their aid, he left George there with the rest, having ordered him to oppose the Scythians with caution until he himself should return. Swiftly turning the bit of his horse, he reached the other side of the river and enters Rusion, and as many of the fleeing soldiers as he found there, and all the native Rusiotes who were of military age, and indeed even the peasants with their own wagons, he commanded to come out quickly and take up a position on the bank of the river. And when this was done quicker than words, and having arranged them in some ranks, he crossed again to George and ran back, although he was oppressed by a quartan ague, so that his teeth chattered from the shivering. 7.9.7 And when the entire Scythian army had gathered and saw the double battle-line and the emperor fighting in this way, recognizing his love of danger and that he is the same in victories as in defeats, and recognizing his irresistible impetus, they stood fast, not losing the courage for an engagement with him. But the emperor, partly because he was seized by the shivering, but mostly because not all the scattered troops had yet managed to reassemble, himself stood fast, riding along the line and maneuvering his horse moderately and showing his boldness against them. It happened therefore that both armies stood motionless until evening. But when night was now advancing, they returned to their own camps without a fight. For they were afraid and yet could not bring themselves to despair of the war. But those who in the first battle elsewhere

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αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ βασιλέως ὁρῶντος καὶ ἑκατέρωθεν τῶν φαλάγγων ἱσταμένων. 7.9.4 Καὶ οἶμαι τὴν ὑποψίαν τῆς συκοφαντίας ὁ Νεάντζης ἐκκλίνων ἐκ τῆς σφαγῆς τοῦ συκοφαντοῦντος ὕποπτον μᾶλλον ἑαυτὸν καθιστᾷ. Τί γὰρ μὴ τὸν ἔλεγχον περιέμενεν; Ἀλλ', ὡς ἔοικε, γλῶτταν ἐθέ λων προαναιρεῖν ἐξορχουμένην τὰς κατ' αὐτὸν δολιότητας τολμᾷ τι καὶ παραβολώτερον πρᾶγμα ποιήσας βαρβαρικῆς μὲν ψυχῆς ἄξιον, ὕποπτον δὲ τοσοῦτον ὅσον καὶ τόλμης ἐφίκετο. Οὐ μὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς ἐπεπορεύσατο τὸν βάρ βαρον οὐδὲ ἐπεξῆλθε δέον ὄν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν καρδίαν παλ λομένην εἰς θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν ἐπέσχεν αὐτίκα, ἵνα μὴ προσοβήσῃ τὴν θήραν καὶ ταράξῃ τὰς φάλαγγας. Ἐτα μιεύετο δὲ καὶ ὑπώρυττε τὴν ὀργὴν τῷ Νεάντζῃ τούτου προδοσίαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τὴν ἀποστασίαν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προειργασμένων καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων προμαντευόμενος. Ἐπὶ ξυροῦ γὰρ ἀκμῆς εἱστήκει τὰ τοῦ πολέμου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο περιυ λακτοῦντα τὸν θυμὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς τέως ἐπεῖχεν, ἀπορῶν τὸ τηνικαῦτα ὅ τι καὶ δράσειεν. 7.9.5 Ὁ μέντοι Νεάντζης μετὰ μικρὸν προσελθὼν καὶ τοῦ σφετέρου ἀποβὰς ἵππου ἄλλον ᾐτεῖτο τὸν βασιλέα. Καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτῷ παραχρῆμα ἵππον τῶν ἐκκρίτων μετὰ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐφεστρίδος. Εἰς ὃν ἀναβάς, ἐπεὶ τὰ τάγματα κατ' ἀλλήλων διὰ τοῦ μεσαιχ μίου ἤδη ᾔεσαν, σχῆμα κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἱππασίας ποιη σάμενος τὴν ἀκωκὴν τοῦ δόρατος ὄπισθεν στρέψας πρὸς τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς φοιτᾷ πολλὰ κατὰ τῆς βασιλικῆς παρατά ξεως αὐτοῖς παραινῶν. 7.9.6 Οἱ δὲ ταῖς ὑποθημοσύναις αὐτοῦ χρώμενοι καρτερὸν τὸν μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος συνά ψαντες πόλεμον τρέπουσι κατὰ κράτος. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διασπασθείσας τὰς φάλαγγας ὁρῶν καὶ φεύγοντας ἅπαντας ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ γενόμενος παρακινδυνεύειν ἀλόγως οὐκ ἤθε λεν. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ τὰς ἡνίας στρέψας μέχρι τοῦ ῥέοντος ποταμοῦ ἐγγὺς τοῦ Ῥουσίου καταλαμβάνει. Κἀκεῖθεν τὸν χαλινὸν ἀνασειράσας μετά τινων λογάδων ὡς ἐνὸν πρὸς τοὺς διώκοντας ἀπεμάχετο ἱππασίας κατ' αὐτῶν ποιούμε νος, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ κτείνων, ἔστιν οὗ καὶ αὐτὸς πληττό μενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐξ ἑτέρου μέρους καὶ Γεώργιος ὁ Πύρ ρος καλούμενος φεύγων τὸν ποταμὸν κατελάμβανεν, ἐμβριμησάμενος τοῦτον ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ μετεκαλέσατο πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Ὡς δὲ τὸ ἰταμὸν τῶν Σκυθῶν ἑώρα καὶ ὅτι ὅσαι ὧραι πληθύνουσι καὶ ἄλλων ἐρχομένων εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν ἀρωγήν, τὸν μὲν Γεώργιον αὐτοῦ που καταλέλοιπε μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν παραγγείλας μετὰ φειδοῦς ἀντικαθίστασθαι τοῖς Σκύθαις, μέχρις ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπανέλθοι. Γοργῶς δὲ τοῦ ἵππου τὸ ψά λιον περιστρέψας τὴν περαίαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ καταλαβὼν εἴσεισιν εἰς τὸ Ῥούσιον, καὶ ὅσους τῶν φευγόντων στρα τιωτῶν κεῖθι κατέλαβε, καὶ τοὺς αὐτόχθονας ἅπαντας Ῥουσιώτας ὁπόσοι στρατεύσιμον τὴν ἡλικίαν εἶχον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς δὴ τοὺς ἀγρότας μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαξῶν παρε κελεύσατο θᾶττον ἐξεληλυθότας παρὰ τῷ χείλει τοῦ ποτα μοῦ καταστῆναι. Τούτου δὲ θᾶττον ἢ λόγος γεγονότος καὶ κατὰ στοίχους τινὰς καταστήσας αὐτοὺς αὖθις πρὸς τὸν Γεώργιον διαπεράσας ἀναδεδραμήκει, καίτοι ὑπὸ τεταρ ταϊκοῦ ῥίγους πιεζόμενος, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ὑπὸ τῆς φρίκης προσαράσσειν. 7.9.7 Ἐπισυναχθὲν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅπαν Σκυθικὸν στράτευμα ὡς τὴν διττὴν ἐθεάσαντο παράταξιν καὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα οὕτως ἀγωνιζόμενον, τὸ φιλοκίνδυνον αὐτοῦ ἐπεγνωκότες καὶ ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς κἀν ταῖς νίκαις κἀν ταῖς ἥτταις ἐστί, τὴν ἀνύποιστον τούτου ἐπεγνωκότες ὁρμὴν ἑστήκεσαν μὴ ἀποθαρροῦντες τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ συμ πλοκήν. Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ μέν τι ὑπὸ τοῦ ῥίγους συνε χόμενος, τὸ δὲ πλεῖστον ὅτι οὔπω οἱ σκεδασθέντες ἅπαντες ἔφθασαν συνεληλυθέναι, ἵστατο καὶ αὐτὸς παραθέων καὶ μετρίως ἱππαζόμενος καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν θάρσος ἐνδεικνύμενος. Συνέβαινεν οὖν ἄμφω τὰ στρατεύματα ἀτρεμοῦντα μέχρις ἑσπέρας ἑστάναι. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἡ νὺξ ἤδη προῄει, ἀμαχητὶ πρὸς τὰς ἰδίας ἐπανέστρεψαν παρεμβολάς. Ἐδεδίεσαν γὰρ καὶ ἀποθαρρεῖν οὐκ εἶχον τὸν πόλεμον. Οἱ δέ γε κατὰ τὴν πρώτην μάχην ἄλλοσε