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and they charged fiercely against the Romans; but they, not withstanding the charge of the barbarians, both turned and were put to flight. And twenty of the horsemen died, and five and as many more foot soldiers; but the others were saved, with many from the army quickly coming to their aid. But the emperor, when he had encamped again at Pelekanon, immediately sent messengers to Byzantium to the protostrator to report what had happened, and he commanded that ships be prepared at the strait, as the army was going to be ferried across after one or two days. But fearing lest, which 1.355 is what happened, a report about his wound should be rumored otherwise than it was, he also made known concerning it, that he had been wounded in the thigh, but the wound offered no cause for suspicion, and that he was not making the return for this reason, but because it seemed expedient to do so even before he was wounded. But the grand domestic, when he had arranged the affairs of the camp well, taking as many of the army as seemed good to him, at the entrance of the camp, since it was naturally well suited, being narrow like an isthmus, with the area within widening considerably, camped for the night for the sake of guarding the army. 8. But Orkhan, when night fell, gathering all the satraps under him, said, 'I think that none of you today is ignorant of the experience and the daring of the Romans in battle. And I think that they themselves would agree with me, that neither in our time, nor in the time of our ancestors have any other Romans fought so very gloriously and with all experience. For though all day long we were trying to throw them into disarray either by deceit or by panic or by a charge and reckless audacity or by some one method, they were not at all moved from their proper resolve, but with experience they kept their formation, and with courage and bravery always appearing superior to us, they killed many of us, while not a few of them died. And what is indeed more wondrous, is that even after the withdrawal of the army, when a few men were left behind, and many times their number from our side 1.356 attacked them, not only did they not overcome them, but they also lost those of their own who most excelled in courage and daring. And after them, when again others attacked, although foolishly and seemingly fighting poorly, so that I thought we would destroy all of them, nevertheless, except for a few who fell, all the others were saved contrary to expectation; of whom it seems to me the emperor will punish the general for his disorderliness, in spite of their being saved. Therefore, from all these things, it is reasonable to think that the emperor will campaign against us on the next day with more confidence than before, and that we, being unable to withstand the battle, will by necessity flee, disgracefully and ignobly defeated. But if, when it is possible to be saved without danger and moreover to escape the dishonor from defeat—for no one with any sense would blame us for having avoided a manifest danger—we then through contentiousness place ourselves into the utmost dangers, will we not then seem to be acting foolishly and plotting against ourselves? Wherefore it seems good to me, to abandon this camp, and since the place has many other very secure and difficult to access retreats, to go to one of them and there await the outcome. For it is better to withdraw in safety, than to flee, with the Romans pursuing.' Such things did Orkhan counsel with the Persian commanders, and it seemed to be the best and most advantageous course for them, and all voted in favor. But Kolaouzes Salingari and Kataigialos 1.357 Patatoures, being now past their prime in age and of the same age as Atouman, the father of Orkhan, and experienced in many wars and dangers, said that the plans decided upon did not please them, nor that, when it was possible to make a trial of the Romans without danger, they should, through ill counsel, hand over a bloodless victory to them. For to abandon the camp is nothing other than to be openly defeated. Therefore, that we are not able to stand against the emperor, not even we ourselves would deny, they said, and one must consider everything rather than face to face

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καὶ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐπεφέροντο ὀξέως· οἱ δὲ μὴ ἐνεγκόντες τῶν βαρβάρων τὴν ὁρμὴν, ἐτράποντό τε καὶ κατέστησαν εἰς φυγήν. καὶ εἴκοσι μὲν ἀπέθανον ἐκ τῶν ἱππέων, πέντε δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι τοσοῦτοι πεζοί· οἱ δ' ἄλλοι διεσώθησαν, ἐκ τῆς στρατιᾶς πολλῶν ὀξέως ἐπιβοηθησάντων. βασιλεὺς δ' ἐπεὶ ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο πάλιν κατὰ τὸν Πελεκάνον, εἰς Βυζάντιον εὐθὺς τοὺς μηνύσοντας ἔπεμπε πρωτοστράτορι τὰ γεγενημένα, ἐκέλευέ τε ναῦς ἔχειν παρεσκευασμένας πρὸς τὸν πόρον, ὡς τῆς στρατιᾶς μετὰ μίαν ἡμέραν ἢ δευτέραν περαιωθησομένης. δείσας δὲ μὴ, ὅπερ 1.355 ἐγένετο, περὶ τοῦ τραύματος αὐτοῦ ἑτέρως ἢ ὡς ἔχει φημισθῇ, ἐδήλου καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὡς τρωθείη μὲν τὸν μηρὸν, οὐδεμίαν δὲ τὸ τραῦμα ἔχειν ὑποψίαν, οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἐπάνοδον ποιεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' οὕτω δόξαν λυσιτελεῖν καὶ πρὶν τρωθῆναι. ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος, ἐπεὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν στρατοπεδείαν κατεστήσατο καλῶς, ὅσους ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ τῆς στρατιᾶς παραλαβὼν, κατὰ τὴν εἰσβολὴν τοῦ στρατοπέδου, ἐπεὶ ἐπεφύκει καλῶς καθάπερ ἰσθμὸς οὖσα στενὴ, τοῦ ἔνδοθεν ἐπιπολὺ πλατυνομένου, ηὐλίσατο τὴν νύκτα φυλακῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς στρατιᾶς. ηʹ. Ὀρχάνης δὲ, ἐπεὶ ἐπελάβετο ἡ νὺξ, τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν σατράπας πάντας συναγαγὼν, «τὴν μὲν ἐμπειρίαν» εἶπε «καὶ τὴν τόλμαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὴν κατὰ τὰς μάχας οὐδένα σήμερον ὑμῶν οἴομαι ἠγνοηκέναι. δοκῶ δέ μοι καὶ αὐτοὺς ἂν ἐμοὶ συνομολογῆσαι, ὡς οὔτ' ἐφ' ἡμῶν, οὔτ' ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων προγόνων ἕτεροί τινες Ῥωμαίων οὕτως εὐκλεῶς ἄγαν ἠγωνίσαντο καὶ μετὰ πάσης ἐμπειρίας. διὰ πάσης γὰρ ἡμέρας ἡμῶν ἢ ἀπάτῃ ἢ ἐκπλήξει ἢ ὁρμῇ καὶ θρασύτητι παραβόλῳ ἢ ἑνί γέ τῳ τρόπῳ εἰς ἀταξίαν αὐτοὺς πειρωμένων ἐμβαλεῖν, οἱ δ' οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἐκινήθησαν τοῦ προσήκοντος φρονήματος αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐμπειρίᾳ μὲν ἐφύλαξαν τὴν τάξιν, ἀνδρίᾳ δὲ καὶ εὐψυχίᾳ κρείττους ἀεὶ φαινόμενοι ἡμῶν, ἀπέκτειναν μὲν πολλοὺς ἡμῶν, ἐκείνων δὲ ἀπέθανον οὐδὲ ὀλίγοι. καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστότερον, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάζευξιν τῆς στρατιᾶς ὀλίγων τινῶν ὀπίσω ὑπολιπομένων, πολλαπλασίους ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων 1.356 ἐπιθέμενοι αὐτοῖς, οὐ μόνον οὐ περιεγένοντο αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἀπέβαλον τοὺς ἀνδρίᾳ μάλιστα προέχοντας καὶ τόλμῃ. καὶ μετ' αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἑτέρων καίτοι γε ἀνοήτως προσβαλόντων καὶ φαύλως ἀγωνισαμένων τὸ δοκεῖν, ὡς ἐμὲ οἰηθῆναι πάντας αὐτοὺς διαφθερεῖν ἡμᾶς, ὅμως πλὴν ὀλίγων τῶν πεσόντων, οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες παρὰ δόξαν διεσώθησαν· ὧν μοι καὶ δοκεῖ τὸν στρατηγὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς ἀταξίας ἕνεκα εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν ζημιώσειν. ἐκ τοίνυν τούτων πάντων εἰκὸς τὸν βασιλέα οἴεσθαι εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον θαῤῥοῦντα ἡμῖν ἐπιστρατεύσειν, ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ δυναμένους πρὸς τὴν μάχην ἀντισχεῖν, φεύγειν ἀνάγκῃ ἡττηθέντας αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀγεννῶς. εἰ δὲ παρὸν ἀκινδύνως σώζεσθαι καὶ προσέτι καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἥττης ἀδοξίαν διαφυγεῖν, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν ἡμῖν μέμψαιτο τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων τὸν προῦπτον παραιτησαμένοις κίνδυνον, ἔπειθ' ὑπὸ φιλονεικίας εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους ἑαυτοὺς καταστήσομεν κινδύνους, οὐκ ἄρα δόξομεν ἀνοηταίνειν καὶ ἐπιβουλεύειν ἑαυτοῖς; διὸ δή μοι καὶ δοκεῖ, τουτὶ μὲν τὸ στρατόπεδον καταλιπεῖν, ἑτέρας δὲ πολλὰς ἀναχωρήσεις ὀχυρωτάτας καὶ δυσπροσόδους ἔχοντος τοῦ τόπου, εἴς τινα αὐτῶν ἐλθεῖν κἀκεῖ τὸ ἀποβησόμενον περιμένειν. βέλτιον γὰρ μετὰ ἀδείας ἀναχωρεῖν, ἢ φεύγειν, τῶν Ῥωμαίων διωκόντων.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν Ὀρχάνης μετὰ τῶν ἐν τέλει ἐβουλεύετο Περσῶν, καὶ ἐδόκει ἄριστα εἶναι καὶ λυσιτελοῦντα ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐπεψηφίζοντο πάντες. Κολαούζης δὲ Σαλιγγαρὶ καὶ Καταιγίαλος 1.357 Πατατούρης, ἔξωροι μὲν ἤδη τὰς ἡλικίας ὄντες καὶ Ἀτουμάνῳ τῷ Ὀρχάνη πατρὶ ἡλικιῶται, πολλῶν δὲ ἔμπειροι πολέμων καὶ κινδύνων, οὐκ ἔφασαν αὐτοῖς ἀρέσκειν τὰ βεβουλευμένα, οὐδὲ, ἐξὸν ἀκινδύνως ἀποπειρᾶσθαι Ῥωμαίων, ἔτι ὑπὸ κακοβουλίας ἀναιμωτὶ τὴν νίκην αὐτοῖς παραδιδόναι. τὸ γὰρ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐκλιπεῖν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἢ ἡττῆσθαι προφανῶς. τὸ μὲν οὖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι δύνασθαι πρὸς βασιλέα, οὐδ' αὐτοὶ ἀρνηθείημεν, εἶπον, ἂν, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον διανοητέον ἢ κατὰ στόμα