123

And some were being prevented by the threats of those in power and disciplined by fear; but those who dared, if ever someone ran out ahead seeming capable of leading a shortcut (one might call such a man a captain), they set out on a course beyond all perception, so that it happened that at one time a few succeeded against many, being naked and unarmed, but often they also failed. And there was hardly a day on which they were not heard either attacking the fortresses by the sea, or carrying off captives, or killing, and all the more so when we resorted to supplications to God, a most pitiable thing. And only this 412 strait separated them. And often during the day they appeared to those looking on from here, both infantry and cavalry; and if ever someone, either being desperate from want and hoping to profit from here from what was left behind by others, or indeed dared to set out for some other need or for the care of his own property, he was immediately either captured or killed. And you would have seen many slaughtered or wounded to death, and sometimes even without a head and as headless trunks. And the city was filled with those who had gathered, and was overcrowded with those lying everywhere at random and in the open, trusting to live by breath alone; for from this, famine and indeed plague divided the wretched among themselves. And the city-dwellers shared in the evil, and some were immediately seized by the terrible things and went about in want and helplessness, while others very soon expected for themselves the same things that had happened to their neighbors. But they, attacking not only Chele and Astrabete, but also the fortress of Hieron, were committing every terrible deed, as if the emperor were sleeping or not alive. And Nicomedia was weakened, and by famine and lack of water was changing to a more helpless state. But the renowned Nicaea had been shut up, and having been shorn 413 of its surrounding graces, it too was distressed by want. And now Belokoma, now Angelokoma, now Anagourdes and Platanea and the Melangeia and all the surrounding areas, having become deserted of their inhabitants, drew forth the laments of those who knew them. Kroulla and Katoikia had suffered these things, and worse. For while the way from Herakleia and Nemikome to Nicaea had been closed off, and the old and customary passages were a source of terrible suspicion and trial for those who had often been in danger, the sortie towards Nicaea by way of Kios, shady and well-covered, though it had somehow been opened for passage, was thus at that time also a matter of very great fear and suspicion; for the Bebrycians, who take their name from Pylai and Pythia, were also suffering the same things as the Chalcidians and Halizonians. And it was necessary for those who disembarked from the sea at Kios, after waiting out the day, to entrust their safety to the night, and having reached the coast there to use the voyage around the Askania, and thus disembarking at the shore gate of the city to slip through into Nicaea, since it was not possible then to open the gates with the enemy pressing, and the Nicaeans were in the greatest danger. For these reasons, the ruler, unable 414 to check the whole of the disaster, sends a certain Siouros, an honored commander of the *tzangkratores*, together with some partial disbursements of money, so that he might enable others from there to serve as soldiers. And when they appeared in the parts around Katoikia, the people took heart and were openly hoping for safety. But this was a disaster and destruction for them. For in a great multitude by night, about five thousand of the enemy attack, and having escaped all notice, they seize the roads to the fortress beforehand. And those who fell upon them from the other side offered a ready escape, supposedly, to the fortress for those fleeing from behind; for it was not even possible to suspect the trial, since even for those who did suspect it, it was not enough to be saved. And then those who stood their ground were slaughtered, and an immense multitude of women and little children fleeing to the fortress were ready prey for those who had seized it beforehand. and finally those who had previously been sent to help the others contrive their own safety by flight, having also lost the imperial funds; then the enemy, having kindled a fire, completely destroyed the beauties there. then also Atman, returning with those around him, since

123

καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκωλύοντο ἀπειλαῖς τῶν κρατούντων καὶ φόβῳ σωφρονιζόμενοι· οἱ δὲ τολμῶντες, ἤν πού τις προεξέδραμε ἱκανὸς δοκῶν ἄγειν σύντομον (λοχαγὸν τὸν τοιοῦτον εἴπῃ τις ἂν) καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ παρὰ πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν ἐξήρχοντο, ὥστε καὶ συνέβαινε ποτὲ μὲν εὐστοχεῖν ὀλίγοις πρὸς πολλοὺς γυμνοῖς καὶ ἀνόπλοις, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ σφάλλεσθαι. καὶ οὐκ ἦν σχεδὸν ἡμέρα καθ' ἣν ἢ μὴ τοῖς κατὰ θάλασσαν φρουρίοις προσβάλλοντες ἠκούοντο ἢ μὴ ἀπάγοντες αἰχμαλώτους ἢ μὴ φονεύοντες, καὶ μᾶλλον ὅτε καὶ ἱκεσίαις ἐχρώμεθα πρὸς θεόν, τὸ οἴκτιστον. διεῖχε δὲ μόνος ὁ 412 πορθμὸς οὗτος. καὶ πολλάκις μὲν μεθ' ἡμέραν ἐφαίνοντο τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀφορῶσι καὶ πεζοὶ καὶ ἱππεῖς· κἄν που δέ τις ἢ ἐνδείᾳ ἐξαπορούμενος κἀντεῦθεν ἐλπίζων κερδαίνειν ἐκ τῶν ὑπολελειμ μένων ἄλλοις, ἢ μὴν καὶ κατὰ χρείαν ἑτέραν ἢ τοῦ σφετέρου κτήματος ἐπιμέλειαν ἐξορμᾶν ἐτόλμα, αὐτίκα ἢ ἡλίσκετο ἢ ἐκτεί νετο. καὶ πολλοὺς ἂν εἶδες ἐσφαγμένους ἢ τετρωμένους εἰς θά νατον, ἔστι δ' οὗ καὶ κεφαλῆς ἄνευ καὶ κόρσας ἀναύχενας. πε πλήθει δὲ τῶν ἀγρομένων ἡ πόλις, καὶ ἐστενοχωρεῖτο τοῖς παν ταχοῦ κειμένοις εἰκῇ τε καὶ ὑπαιθρίοις, πνοῇ ζῆν καὶ μόνῃ πι στευομένοις· λιμὸς γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν καί γε λοιμὸς τοὺς ἀθλίους διε μεριζέτην. καὶ οἱ ἀστικοὶ τοῦ κακοῦ παραπήλαυον, καὶ οἱ μὲν αὐτίκα τοῖς δεινοῖς συνείχοντο καὶ ἄποροι διῄεσαν καὶ ἀμήχανοι, οἱ δὲ ὅσον οὔπω τὰ τοῖς πλησίον συμβάντα καὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἐπ' ἴσης ἤλπιζον. οἱ δὲ μὴ μόνον Χηλῇ τε καὶ Ἀστραβητῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἱεροῦ φρουρίῳ προσβάλλοντες τὰ πάνδεινα διεπράττοντο, ὥσπερ ὑπνώττοντος βασιλέως ἢ μὴ ζῶντος. Νικομήδεια δ' ἐξησθένει, λιμῷ τε καὶ ἐνδείᾳ ὕδατος πρὸς τὸ ἀμηχανώτερον μετεβάλλετο. ἡ δέ γε περίπυστος Νίκαια ἀποκέκλειστο, καὶ τὰς πέριξ χάριτας 413 ἀποκειραμένη ἐνδείᾳ καὶ αὕτη ἐστενοχώρητο. καὶ νῦν μὲν Βη λόκωμα, νῦν δ' Ἀγγελόκωμα, νῦν δ' Ἀναγουρδὴς καὶ Πλατανέα καὶ τὰ Μελάγγεια καὶ τὰ πέριξ πάντα τῶν ἐνοικούντων ἔρημα γεγονότα θρήνους ἐφείλκοντο τῶν εἰδότων. ταῦτα Κρούλλα καὶ Κατοικία πεπόνθει καὶ χείριστα. ὡς γὰρ ἀποκέκλειστο μὲν ἡ ἐξ Ἡρακλείου καὶ Νεμικώμεως πρὸς τὴν Νίκαιαν, καὶ αἱ παλαιαὶ καὶ συνήθεις δίοδοι εἰς δεινὴν ὑποψίαν καὶ πεῖραν ἦσαν πολλάκις κινδυνευσάντων, ἡ δὲ κατὰ Κίον κατάσκιος καὶ συνηρεφὴς εἰ καίως πως πολισθεῖσα διεκδρομὴ πρὸς Νίκαιαν ἤνοικτο, οὕτω ἐν φόβῳ καὶ τότε μεγίστῳ καὶ ὑποψίᾳ· τὰ γὰρ αὐτὰ τοῖς Χαλκι δεῦσι καὶ Ἁλιζῶσι καὶ οἱ Βέβρυκες ἐκ Πυλῶν καὶ Πυθίων παρω νυμούμενοι ἔπασχον. καὶ ἦν τοῖς ἀποβᾶσι θαλάσσης κατὰ τὴν Κίον, τὴν ἡμέραν προσκαρτερήσασι, νυκτὶ πιστεύειν τὴν σωτη ρίαν, καὶ καταλαβοῦσι τὸ ἐκεῖσε παράλιον τῷ περὶ τὴν Ἀσκα νίαν πλῷ χρῆσθαι, καὶ οὕτω κατὰ τὴν τοῦ αἰγιαλοῦ πύλην τῆς πόλεως ἀποβαίνουσι διεκπαίειν εἰς Νίκαιαν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν τότε τὰς πύλας ἀνοίγεσθαι ἐπικειμένων τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τὰ μέγιστα Νι καεῖς ἐκινδύνευον. διὰ ταῦτα τὸ ὅλον ὁ κρατῶν ἀναστέλλειν οὐκ 414 ἔχων τῆς συμφορᾶς πέμπει τινὰ Σιοῦρον στρατοπεδάρχην τῶν τζαγκρατόρων τετιμημένον, συνάμα τισὶ καὶ μερικαῖς ἐξόδοις χρημάτων, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἄλλους ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς τὸ στρατεύεσθαι ἱκανώσειε. τῶν δὲ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Κατοικίαν μέρεσι φανέντων ἀνατεθαρσήκασιν οἱ λαοί, καὶ ἐμφανεῖς ἦσαν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐλπί ζοντες. τὸ δ' ἦν συμφορὰ τούτοις καὶ ὄλεθρος. ἐπιτίθενται γὰρ παμπληθεὶ νυκτὸς ὡσεὶ πεντακισχίλιοι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ τὰς πρὸς τὸ φρούριον ὁδούς, λαθόντες πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν, προκατα λαμβάνουσιν. οἱ δ' ἐπεισπεσόντες ἑτέρωθεν ἑτοίμην ἐδίδουν δῆ θεν πρὸς τὸ φρούριον τὴν φυγὴν κατὰ νώτου φεύγουσιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ὑπιδέσθαι τὴν πεῖραν, ὅπου γε καὶ ὑπειδομένοις οὐκ ἦν ἱκανὰ πρὸς τὸ σώζεσθαι. καὶ τότε οἱ μὲν ὑποστάντες ἐσφάττοντο, γύναια δὲ καὶ παιδάρια πλῆθος μυρίον πρὸς τὸ φρούριον φεύγον τα ἄγρα ἦν ἑτοίμη τοῖς προκαταλαβοῦσι. καὶ τέλος οἱ τέως τοῖς ἄλλοις προσεπαμύνειν ἀποστελλόμενοι δρασμῷ μηχανῶνται τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ αὐτὰ προσαποβαλόντες τὰ βασιλικὰ χρήματα· ἔπειτα πῦρ ἐναύσαντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ κάλλη εἰς τέλος ἠμάθυ ναν. τότε καὶ Ἀτμὰν ὑποστρέφων σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὑτόν, ἐπεὶ