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and with psalms in the middle of the day he is escorted to the monastery of Lips, and thus splendidly and lavishly, bearing only in memory his servitude to Christ and a mere name, according to the custom of many, he is entombed in the outermost sarcophagi. And so he ended his life there, exchanging the tomb for a prison of many years, just as four years before had Strategopoulos, who was condemned with him.

23. The armies of the megas doux, with great courage in themselves, attack Germe, under firm hopes of capturing a multitude of Persians there and of displaying their manliness. But they, shaken by the rumor alone, as they showed, abandoning the fortress with a disorderly flight and ignoble escape, fled. And those who came up behind them, as best they could, were satisfied with those left behind. But, if one is to believe it, the leader inflicted death by hanging on some in the Italian manner, for no other reason than that they wished to make their property their own. 426 And he, whether defending himself on the spot or indeed terrifying the rest, hanged, as was said, up to twelve men, and even their own leader, a warlike man from the Bulgarians and a megas tzaousios by rank, Chranislav, whom, having been captured in the war against Lachanas under the emperor Michael and held in chains in prison, the emperor many years later released from prison and, honoring him with the rank, had him as a leader in those parts for years, and even this very man, as is said, having wounded him readily with his sword, he handed over to those who would hang him. And this would have happened, had not many, worthy of supplication for the man, proposing not a few just arguments, saved him. And from there, having passed through Chliara and the other places, he hastened toward Philadelphia, which, as was said, was in extreme danger. And since Tripolis had been captured before its time, and the surrounding fortresses had submitted to the Persians by agreement due to necessity, and these were the Karmanoi around Alisuras, the best of the Persians, those in the fortresses, sending to him while he was staying around Aulax, report the violence and beg him to come to their aid, being ready to go over to his side, if he should appear, since they were 427 Romans and had yielded to the violence of the moment. And he receives their supplication and promises to help. And indeed, from this he took no little courage and prepared for battle against the Persians. However, his actions did not remain unheard by the Persians, but they themselves, having learned of them, also prepared themselves. And somewhere around Aulax they came together and did not inflict on each other what was worthy of the multitude or the preparation of either side, but it is said, however, that since Alisuras was immediately wounded and for this reason looked to flight, the Persians withdrew in an orderly and proper manner, while for those gathered with the megas doux in three phratries it was not possible to pursue all together in a disorderly fashion. But each seeing that the others would rush forward, nevertheless, due to the fear of the usual Persian ambushes (for it was not possible for Persians to forget their stratagem), being held back, they fell upon them with restraint and, shooting, they maltreated them, so that not a few Persians also fell. For the time being, with the Persians having withdrawn from there, a respite from evils comes to the Philadelphians, and being in danger of famine, they are supplied with grain, and against the dangers, if they should 428 even invade, they stand with good hope. The deed seemed great and was acclaimed, though it was not worthy of so many men and such preparation. And he himself, with those around him, from there with a trembling heart (for the death of Alisuras from the wound had been rumored), passed through those parts, and having secured them as was necessary, comes to Amourion.

24. The megas doux, having stayed in Philadelphia for a short time and collected sufficient money, thought of returning. And indeed, having secured all the fortresses there, he comes to the Magnesians along the Hermos. And then the one who had previously seemed almost a rebel, one of the imperial grooms, Atta leiotes by surname, since he had seized Magnesia without the emperor's knowledge and command and

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καὶ ψαλ μῳδίαις μεσαζούσης ἡμέρας τῇ τοῦ Λίψη μονῇ παραπέμπεται, καὶ οὕτω λαμπρῶς καὶ πολυτελῶς, μόνον δὴ φέρων εἰς μνήμην τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν δουλείαν καὶ ψιλὸν ὄνομα, κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς τοῖς ἐξωτάτω σορίοις ἐνταφιάζεται. καὶ ὁ μὲν τῇδε καταλύει τὸν βίον, εἱρκτῆς πολυετοῦς τὸν τάφον ἀνταλλαξάμενος, ὡς καὶ πρὸ τοῦ χρόνοις τέσσαρσιν ὁ σὺν αὐτῷ κατακριθεὶς Στρατηγό πουλος.

23. Τὰ δὲ περὶ τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα στρατεύματα ἐν πολλῷ τῷ κατὰ σφᾶς θάρρει προσβάλλει τῇ Γέρμῃ, ὑπ' ἐλπισμοῖς ἀρα ρόσι τοῦ πλῆθος Περσῶν τῇδε καταλαβεῖν καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐνδείξασθαι. οἱ δ' ἐκ τῆς φήμης κατασεισθέντες καὶ μόνης, ὡς ἔδειξαν, ἀκόσμῳ φυγῇ καὶ ἀγενεῖ δρασμῷ ἀφέντες τὸ φρού ριον ἀπεδίδρασκον. οἱ δὲ κατόπιν ἐπιστάντες, ὡς εἶχον, τοῖς ἀπολειφθεῖσιν ἐξικανοῦντο. πλὴν εἰ χρὴ πιστεύειν, καί τισι δι' ἀγχόνης μόρον κατὰ τὸν τρόπον τῶν Ἰταλῶν ἐπῆξεν ὁ ἀφηγούμε νος, οὐ παρ' ἄλλο τι ἢ τὸ θέλειν ἐκείνους περιποιεῖν σφέτερα. 426 ὁ δὲ εἴτ' ἀμυνόμενος αὐτόθεν εἴτε μὴν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς δεδιττό μενος, καὶ ὑπὸ τοὺς δώδεκα, ὡς ἐλέγετο, ἀπηγχόνισεν, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν σφῶν ἐξηγούμενον, ἄνδρα ἀρεϊκὸν ἐκ Βουλγάρων καὶ μέγαν ἐξ ἀξιωμάτων τζαούσιον τὸν Χρανίσθλαβον, ὃν ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Λαχανᾶν πολέμου ἐπὶ Μιχαὴλ τοῦ βασιλέως ἁλόντα καὶ δεσμοῖς ἐφ' εἱρκτῆς συνισχημένον πολλοῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις βασιλεὺς τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἐκβαλὼν καὶ τιμήσας τῷ ἀξιώματι τοῖς ἐκεῖ μέρεσιν ἐπὶ χρόνοις ἀρχηγὸν εἶχε, καὶ αὐτὸν γοῦν τοῦτον, ὡς λέγεται, ἐξ ἑτοίμου τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τρώσας τοῖς ἀπαγχονίσουσι παρε δίδου. κἂν καὶ τοῦτ' ἐγεγόνει, εἰ μή γε πολλοὶ καὶ πρὸς ἱκε τείαν ἀξιόχρεῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐκ ὀλίγα προτείνοντες δίκαια ἐξηρήσαντο. κἀντεῦθεν Χλιαρὰ διελθὼν καὶ τἆλλα τὴν ἐπὶ Φιλαδελφείας ἔσπευδεν ἐσχάτως, ὡς ἐρρέθη, κινδυνεύουσαν. κἀπειδὴ ἡλίσκετο μὲν Τρίπολις πρὸ καιροῦ, τὰ δὲ πέριξ φρούρια ἐξ ὁμολογίας διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην Πέρσαις ὑπέκειντο, ἦσαν δ' οὗτοι οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀλισύραν Καρμανοὶ τὰ κράτιστα τῶν Περσῶν, πέμ ψαντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς φρουρίοις κατὰ τὴν περὶ τὸν Αὔλακα διατρί βοντι ἀναγγέλλουσι μὲν τὴν βίαν, προσλιπαροῦσι δ' ἐπαμύνειν ἀντιπροσχωρήσουσιν ἐξ ἑτοίμου, ἤν που φανείη, Ῥωμαίοις γε 427 οὖσι καὶ τῇ τοῦ καιροῦ βίᾳ εἴξασιν. ὁ δὲ δέχεταί τε τὴν ἱκετείαν καὶ ἀμύνειν κατεπαγγέλλεται. οὐ μὴν δ' ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν θάρ ρος λαβὼν οὐκ ὀλίγιστον πρὸς συμπλοκὰς κατὰ Περσῶν ἡτοιμά ζετο. πλὴν δ' ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Πέρσαις ἀνήκουστα τἀκείνου κατέστη, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ μαθόντες προσητοιμάζοντο. καί που περὶ τὸν Αὔλακα συνελθόντες οὐκ ἄξια μὲν τοῦ πλήθους οὐδέ γε τῆς παρασκευῆς ἑκατέρων ἀλλήλους ἔδρασαν, λέγεται δ' ὅμως τρω θέντος αὐτίκα τοῦ Ἀλισύρου καὶ εἰς φυγὴν διὰ ταῦτα βλέψαντος Πέρσας μὲν μετ' εὐκοσμίας καὶ κατὰ τρόπον ἀναχωρεῖν, τοῖς δὲ κατὰ τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα συναχθεῖσι κατὰ φρήτρας τριχῇ οὐκ ἦν ἀτάκτως μίγα πᾶσι διώκειν. ἕκαστοι δ' ὁρῶντες ἀλλήλους εἰ προπηδήσειαν, ὅμως τῷ ὑπὸ τῶν συνήθων ἐνεδρῶν Περσικῶν φόβῳ (μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι Πέρσας ὄντας ἐκλαθέσθαι τῆς μηχανῆς) ἐπεχόμενοι ὑφειμένως ἐνέπιπτον καὶ βάλλοντες κατῃκίζοντο, ὥστε καὶ Πέρσας οὐκ ὀλίγους πεσεῖν. τέως δ' ἐντεῦθεν ἀναχωρησάν των Περσῶν Φιλαδελφεῦσι τῶν κακῶν ἄμπνευσις γίνεται, καὶ λιμῷ κινδυνεύοντες σιταρκοῦνται, καὶ πρὸς τὰ δεινά, ἤν που 428 καὶ ἐπεισφρήσωσιν, εὐέλπιδες ἵστανται. ἔδοξε δὲ μέγα τὸ ἔργον καὶ εὐφημίσθη, μὴ ἄξιον ὂν τοσοῖσδε καὶ οὕτω παρασκευῆς ἔχου σιν. αὐτὸς δὲ σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὑτὸν ἐντεῦθεν τρεμούσῃ καρδίᾳ (καὶ θάνατος γὰρ ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς τῷ Ἀλισύρᾳ ἐπεφήμιστο) τἀκεῖ διελθών, καὶ ὡς ἔδει κατασφαλισάμενος, ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ Ἀμούριον.

24. Ὁ δέ γε μέγας δοὺξ ἐπ' ὀλίγον τῇ Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐν διατρίψας, καὶ ἱκανὰ χρήματα συλλεξάμενος, νόστου ἐμέμνητο. καὶ δὴ τἀκεῖσε πάντα φρούρια κατασφαλισάμενος τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἕρμον Μαγνησιώταις παραγίνεται. καὶ τότε ὁ μὲν πρότερον καὶ ἀποστάτης δόξας ἐγγύς, εἷς τῶν βασιλικῶν ἱπποκόμων, Ἀττα λειώτης τοὐπίκλην, ἅτε παρ' εἴδησιν βασιλέως καὶ προσταγὴν κατασχὼν Μαγνησίαν καὶ