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we shall become an object of slaughter, or perhaps, considering us as nothing, when they have approached the walls of the city they will not permit us to enter the Queen of Cities, having us camp somewhere there around its gates. Therefore we must take the risk and not die in a cowardly manner. I, for my part, will go out now, and as many of you as wish, when I have run out ahead and leapt into the midst of the Scythians, you will follow; but as many as cannot do this or do not wish to, do not even go outside the gates.” 8.1.5 At once, then, having armed himself, he goes out through the gate that sloped down toward the lake. And having run alongside the walls and swerved a little, he comes up from behind the ridge. For he decided that those with him would not join him in hand-to-hand combat with the Scythians. And he, having drawn his spear, was the first to thrust himself into the midst of the Scythians, striking the first one who met him. But the soldiers with him were not left out of the fight either, and from there they killed the greater part, and took some as prisoners. Then, as he was accustomed to contrive, he dresses the soldiers in the Scythians' clothes and orders them to mount the Scythian horses, and having handed over the soldiers' horses and their standards and the severed heads of the Scythians to some of the more loyal men, he ordered them, having taken them, to go inside the fort and wait for him. Therefore, having arranged these things thus, he goes down with the Scythian standards and the soldiers who were dressed in Scythian garments toward the river flowing near Choirobacchoi, where he thought the Scythians returning from the raid would pass through. And those raiders, seeing them standing there and thinking that they too were Scythians, fell upon them unguardedly, and some were slain, and others were captured.

8.2.1 When evening came (for it was a Saturday), he returns with the captives. And having waited through the following day, when the second day was already dawning, he went out of the fort; And having divided his men, he led in front those holding the Scythian standards, and behind them the Scythian captives, each of them held by villagers; and having impaled the severed heads on spears, he ordered them to be carried aloft again by others among these, and so to make their journey. And behind these, at a moderate distance, he was following with his own men and the standards customary to the Romans. 8.2.2 As Septuagesima Sunday was dawning, Palaiologos, being eager in matters of war, had gone forth from Byzantium before the others. But knowing the swiftness of the Scythians, he did not make his journey carelessly, but separating a few of the attendants accompanying him, he ordered them to run ahead of him some distance and to scout the plains and the groves and the roads, so that if any Scythians should appear anywhere, they might quickly return and report to him. Traveling in this way, then, when in the plain called Dimylia they saw those dressed in Scythian garments and carrying Scythian standards, they turned back and said that the Scythians were already upon them. And he was immediately in arms. But another came on his heels and began to insist, saying that behind the supposed Scythians, at a considerable distance, Roman standards had appeared and soldiers were running behind. 8.2.3 Now those who reported these things partly guessed the truth, and partly guessed wrong. For the army pressing on from behind was truly both Roman in appearance and in actions, and the emperor was leading them, but the one going ahead and equipped in Scythian fashion were all of the Roman army, but were dressed in Scythian garments, having been attired in them just as they were, according to the emperor's command, whenever

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παρανάλωμα φόνου γενησόμεθα ἢ παρ' οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς λογισάμενοι ἴσως τοῖς τείχεσι τῆς πόλεως προσπελάσαντες οὐκ ἐγχωρήσουσιν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν εἰσελθεῖν αὐτοῦ που περὶ τὰς πύλας αὐτῆς αὐλισά μενοι. Λοιπὸν κινδυνεῦσαι ἡμᾶς χρὴ καὶ μὴ ἀνάνδρως ἀποθανεῖν. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἤδη ἔξειμι καὶ ὁπόσοι βούλεσθε, προεκδραμόντος ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐς μέσον τῶν Σκυθῶν εἰσπηδή σαντος συνέψεσθε, ὁπόσοι δὲ τοῦτο οὐ δύνασθε ἢ οὐ βούλεσθε, μηδὲ τῶν πυλῶν ἐκτὸς γένοισθε.» 8.1.5 Παρα χρῆμα γοῦν διὰ τῆς ἀπονενευκυίας ὡς πρὸς τὴν λίμνην πύλης ὁπλισάμενος ἔξεισι. Καὶ παραδραμὼν τὰ τείχη καὶ μικρὸν παρεγκλίνας ἐξ ὀπισθίων τοῦ αὐχένος ἄνεισιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ συνέψεσθαι τούτῳ διέγνω τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸν κατασυστάδην μετὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν πόλεμον. Καὶ πρῶτος αὐτὸς δόρυ σπασάμενος ἐς μέσους Σκύθας ἑαυτὸν ὤθησε παίσας τὸν πρώτως αὐτῷ ὑπαντιάσαντα. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ στρατιῶται τῆς μάχης ἀπελείφθησαν κἀν τεῦθεν τοὺς μὲν πλείους ἔκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ζωγρίαν ἦγον. Εἶτα ὁποῖα ἐκεῖνος μηχανᾶσθαι εἰώθει, τὰς τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐσθῆτας τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀμφιέννυσι καὶ τῶν Σκυθικῶν ἵππων ἐπιβῆναι κελεύει, τοὺς δὲ ἵππους τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τὰς τούτων σημαίας καὶ τὰς ἀποτμη θείσας τῶν Σκυθῶν κεφαλὰς παραδούς τισι τῶν εὐνου στέρων παραλαβόντας προσέταξεν εἴσω τοῦ κάστρου γενέσθαι ἀπεκδεχομένους αὐτόν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν οὕτως οἰκονομήσας ἐκεῖνος μετὰ τῶν σκυθικῶν σημαιῶν καὶ τῶν τὰ σκυθικὰ ἄμφια περιβεβλημένων στρατιωτῶν κάτεισιν ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἀγχοῦ Χοιροβάκχων ῥέοντα ποταμόν, ὅπου καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς προνομῆς ὑποστρέφοντας Σκύθας ἐνόμιζε διελθεῖν. Οἱ δὲ προνομεῖς ἐκεῖνοι θεασάμενοι τού τους ἱσταμένους ἐκεῖσε καὶ νομίσαντες Σκύθας καὶ αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἀφυλάκτως τούτοις προσπίπτοντες οἱ μὲν ἀνῃροῦντο, ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ κατείχοντο.

8.2.1 Ἑσπέρας δὲ καταλαβούσης (σάββατον δὲ ἦν) ἐπαν έρχεται μετὰ τῶν δορυαλώτων. Καρτερήσας δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν αὐγαζούσης ἤδη τῆς δευτέρας ἐξῆλθε τοῦ κάστρου· Καὶ διελὼν τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν μὲν εἰσή γαγε τοὺς τὰς τῶν Σκυθῶν σημαίας κατέχοντας, ὄπισθεν δὲ τοὺς δορυαλώτους τῶν Σκυθῶν, παρὰ χωριτῶν ἕκαστον τούτων κατεχομένους· τὰς δὲ ἀποτμηθείσας κεφαλὰς δόρασι περιπείρας παρ' ἑτέρων αὖθις ἐν τούτοις ἀπαιωρουμένας παρεκελεύσατο οὕτως τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ποιεῖσθαι. Τούτων δὲ ὄπισθεν ἐκ διαστήματος μετρίου ἀπέχων μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν συνήθων τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις σημαιῶν ἑπόμενος ἦν. 8.2.2 Αὐγαζούσης δὲ τῆς ἀπόκρεω κυριακῆς ὁ Παλαιο λόγος θερμουργὸς ὢν περὶ τὰς πολεμικὰς πράξεις πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξεληλύθει τοῦ Βυζαντίου. Τὸ δὲ ὀξύρροπον τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐπιστάμενος οὐκ ἀπεριμερίμνως τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ἐποιεῖτο, ἀλλ' ἀποδιελὼν τῶν συνεφεπομένων αὐτῷ θερα πόντων ὀλίγους παρεκελεύσατο αὐτοῦ προεκτρέχειν διά στημα καὶ τὰς πεδιάδας καὶ τὰ ἄλση καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς περια θρεῖν, ἵν' εἴ πού τινες τῶν Σκυθῶν ἀναφενεῖεν, ταχὺ ὑποστρέψαντες ἀπαγγείλωσιν αὐτῷ. Οὕτω γοῦν πορευό μενοι, ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὴν πεδιάδα τὴν οὕτω καλουμένην ∆ιμυ λίαν τοὺς τὰ σκυθικὰ περιβεβλημένους ἄμφια καὶ σκυθικὰς σημαίας ἐθεάσαντο, εἰς τοὐπίσω ἀναστρέψαντες τοὺς Σκύθας ἤδη καταλαμβάνειν ἔφασαν. Ὁ δὲ παραχρῆμα ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἦν. Κατὰ πόδας δὲ καὶ ἕτερος ἐλθὼν διενί στατο λέγων ὡς ὄπισθεν τῶν τάχα Σκυθῶν ἐξ ἱκανοῦ διαστήματος ῥωμαϊκαὶ ἀνεφάνησαν σημαῖαι καὶ στρα τιῶται κατόπιν θέοντες. 8.2.3 Οἱ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἀπαγγέλ λοντες τὸ μέν τι καὶ ἐστοχάζοντο τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ δὲ καὶ παρεστοχάζοντο. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κατόπιν ἐλαῦνον στρά τευμα ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ ῥωμαϊκὸν ἦν καὶ τοῖς σχήμασι καὶ τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν ἡγεμόνευε, τὸ δὲ προπορευόμενον καὶ σκυθικῶς ἐσταλμένον τῆς ῥωμαϊκῆς μὲν ἦσαν ἅπαντες στρατιᾶς, σκυθικὰς δὲ στολὰς ἠμφιέν νυντο, τοῦτο μὲν καὶ οὕτως ἐσχηκότες ὥσπερ ἦσαν ἀμφια σάμενοι ταύτας κατὰ τὸ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος παράγγελμα, ὁπόταν