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having been scattered elsewhere, little by little they began returning to Rousion; but the majority of these were also completely inexperienced in battle. But Monastras and Ouzas and Synesios, men fond of war and most warlike, having passed through the place then called Asprou, they too, without a fight, seized Rousion.

7.10.1 But the emperor, compelled by the chill that gripped him, as I said, lay down to recover himself a little. But nevertheless, not even so did he rest, considering what it was necessary to do on the morrow. But Tatranes approached (this man was a Scythian who had often deserted to the emperor and returned again to his home and so many times had been deemed worthy of sympathy by him and, having conceived a great affection for him on account of such great forbearance, for the future both thought and acted on his behalf with his whole soul) and said: "I have an expectation, O Emperor, that tomorrow the Scythians will surround us and thus seek battle with us. It is necessary, therefore, to act first and draw up for battle outside the walls at daybreak." The emperor praised him and, having approved the plan, agreed to carry it out at sunrise. But he, having said these things, went away and declared such things to the leaders of the Scythians: "Do not be elated on account of the emperor's previous defeats, nor, seeing that we are few, be confident in a battle with us with high hopes. The ruler is invincible in strength and a large mercenary force is already expected to arrive. And if you do not embrace peace with him, birds of prey will devour your bodies." 7.10.2 Such were the words of Tatranes to the Scythians. But the emperor, planning to capture their horses grazing on the plain (for they were very numerous), since they were plundering our land day and night, sent for both Ouzas and Monastras and instructed them, with picked horsemen, to pass behind the Scythians around dawn, to seize the plains and to capture all the horses and the other beasts along with their herdsmen, and urged them not to be afraid. "For while we," he said, "are fighting them face to face, you will easily accomplish what was ordered." And he in no way missed his mark; for the word had immediately become deed. 7.10.3 But he, expecting the Scythians' attack against him, gave no sleep to his eyes, nor did he doze at all, but sending for the soldiers throughout the entire night, and especially those skilled in archery, he spoke at length about the Scythians, anointing them, as it were, and advising them on what would be advantageous for the battle expected on the morrow, how one must draw the bow and shoot arrows, sometimes to rein in the horses and again to give them rein, and to dismount from the horses, if this too were necessary. But these were the deeds of the night; and having slept a little, when, as the day was already dawning, all the chosen men of the Scythians, having crossed the river, seemed to be seeking battle, and the emperor's conjecture was already being fulfilled (for he was clever at foreseeing the future, having gained much experience from the frequency of the daily wars rising up against him), he immediately mounted his horse and ordered the battle-trumpet to sound, and having drawn up the phalanxes, he himself stood at the front. But seeing the Scythians advancing more rashly than before, he immediately instructed those skilled in archery to dismount from their horses and to go against them on foot and to draw their bows continuously; and the rest of the battle line advanced behind them, with the emperor himself commanding the center of the army. 7.10.4 And they attacked the Scythians with daring. And when the battle became fierce, partly because of the density of the arrows, and partly seeing the close-ordered formation of the Roman battalion and the emperor himself eagerly

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ἀλλαχῇ σκεδασθέντες κατὰ μικρὸν αὖθις πρὸς τὸ Ῥούσιον ἐπανήρχοντο· οἱ πλείους δὲ τού των καὶ μάχης παντελῶς ἄγευστοι. Ὁ δέ γε Μοναστρᾶς καὶ Οὐζᾶς καὶ ὁ Συνέσιος, ἄνδρες ἀρηΐφιλοι καὶ μαχι μώτατοι, διὰ τοῦ Ἄσπρου καλουμένου τῷ τότε διελθόντες χωρίου ἀπόμαχοι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸ Ῥούσιον καταλαμβάνουσιν.

7.10.1 Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνέχοντος αὐτὸν, ὡς ἔφην, ῥίγους βιαζόμενος κατεκλίθη μικρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀνακτη σόμενος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδ' οὕτως ἠρέμει σκεπτόμενος τί ἂν χρὴ τὴν αὔριον ποιῆσαι. Προσελθὼν δ' ὁ Τατράνης (Σκύθης δὲ οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ πολλάκις αὐτομολήσας πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα καὶ παλινδρομήσας αὖθις οἴκαδε καὶ τοσαυ τάκις παρ' αὐτοῦ συμπαθείας ἀξιωθεὶς καὶ πολὺν τὸν πόθον εἰς αὐτὸν διὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἀνεξικακίαν ἐσχηκὼς τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ λοιποῦ ὅλῃ ψυχῇ καὶ φρονῶν καὶ πραγ ματευόμενος) ἔφη· «Ἐλπίς ἐστί μοι, βασιλεῦ, κατὰ τὴν αὔριον τοὺς Σκύθας κυκλῶσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ οὕτω τὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν ἀναζητῆσαι πόλεμον. Χρὴ τοίνυν προλαβόντας ἔξω τῶν τειχῶν αὐγαζούσης ἡμέρας παρατάξασθαι.» Ἐπαι νέσας δὲ τοῦτον ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀποδεξάμενος τῆς βουλῆς συνέθετο ἡλίου ἀνίσχοντος πέρας ταύτην λαβεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτ' εἰπὼν ἀπελθὼν τοιαῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ἀπεστο μάτισε τῶν Σκυθῶν· «Μὴ ἐπαίρεσθε διὰ τὰς προγεγενη μένας ἥττας τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, μηδὲ ὀλιγοστοὺς ὁρῶντες ἡμᾶς τὴν μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐπ' ἀγαθαῖς ἐλπίσι θαρρεῖτε μάχην. Ἄμαχος τὴν ἰσχύν ἐστιν ὁ κρατῶν καὶ πολὺ μισθοφορικὸν ὅσον ἤδη ἐλπίζεται καταλαβεῖν. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰρήνην ἀσπάσεσθε, τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν οἰωνοὶ ἔδονται.» 7.10.2 Τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ τοῦ Τατράνη πρὸς τοὺς Σκύθας. Ὁ δέ γε αὐτοκράτωρ μελετήσας τοὺς κατὰ πεδιάδα νεμομένους ἵππους αὐτῶν ἀναλαβέσθαι (ἦσαν γὰρ παμπληθεῖς) λῃζο μένων ὁσημέραι τε καὶ νύκτες τὴν ἡμεδαπὴν χώραν μετα πεμψάμενος τόν τε Οὐζᾶν καὶ τὸν Μοναστρᾶν ἐπέσκηψε μεθ' ἱππέων ἐκκρίτων ἐξ ὀπισθίων τῶν Σκυθῶν διελθόντας κατὰ τὸ περίορθρον τὰς πεδιάδας καταλαβεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἅπαντας καὶ τἆλλα κτήνη σὺν αὐτοῖς νομεῦσιν ἀναλαβέσθαι καὶ μὴ δεδιέναι παρεκελεύετο. «Ἡμῶν γάρ, φησι, κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῖς μαχομένων ὑμεῖς ῥᾳδίως τὸ κελευσθὲν ἐκπληρώσετε.» Οὐδαμῶς δὲ τοῦ σκοποῦ διημάρ τηκεν· ὁ γὰρ λόγος ἔργον εὐθὺς ἐγεγόνει. 7.10.3 Αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐπέλευσιν προσδόκιμον ἔχων οὐκ ἐδίδου ὕπνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, οὐδ' ἐπινυστάζων ὅλως ἦν, ἀλλὰ μεταπεμπόμενος δι' ὅλης νυκτὸς τοὺς στρατιώ τας καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς τῆς τοξείας εἰδήμονας πολλὰ περὶ τῶν Σκυθῶν ὡμίλει ἐπαλείφων οἷον αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ συνοί σοντα πρὸς τὴν ἐλπιζομένην ἐς νέωτα μάχην ξυμβουλεύων, ὅπως δεῖ τόξον τείνειν καὶ βέλη πέμπειν, ἔστιν οὗ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἀνασειράζειν καὶ αὖθις ἐνδιδόναι τὸν χαλινὸν καὶ ἀποβαίνειν τῶν ἵππων, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο χρή. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἔργα· μικρὸν δὲ ὑπνώσας, ἐπεὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἤδη ἐπιφωσκούσης οἱ λογάδες ἅπαντες τῶν Σκυ θῶν διαπεραιωθέντες τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν πόλεμον ἀναζητεῖν ἐῴκεσαν καὶ ἤδη πέρας ὁ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐλάμβανε στο χασμός (δεινὸς γὰρ ἦν προϊδέσθαι τὸ μέλλον ἐμπειρίαν πολλὴν τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν ὁσημέραι κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐπανιστα μένων πολέμων λαβών), ἐπιβὰς παραχρῆμα τοῦ ἵππου τὴν ἐνυάλιον ἠχῆσαι προσέταττε σάλπιγγα καὶ τὰς φάλαγγας καταστησάμενος αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου εἰστήκει. Ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς Σκύθας ἰταμώτερον ἢ πρότερον ἐπικαταλαμβάνον τας παραχρῆμα τοὺς τῆς τοξείας εἰδήμονας ἀποβῆναι τῶν ἵππων καὶ βάδην κατ' αὐτῶν ἰέναι ἐπέσκηψε καὶ συνεχῆ τὰ τόξα τείνειν· τὸ δέ γε λοιπὸν τῆς παρατάξεως κατόπιν τούτων ἵετο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ μέσον διέπων τοῦ στρατεύματος. 7.10.4 Οἱ δὲ τοῖς Σκύθαις μετὰ τόλμης προσέβαλον. Καρτερᾶς δὲ τῆς μάχης γεγονυίας τὸ μὲν τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν βελῶν, τὸ δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ ῥωμαϊκοῦ συντάγ ματος συνασπισμὸν ὁρῶντες καὶ αὐτὸν δὴ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἐκθύμως