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to honor with services. In the same year, the emperor Maurice decreed that the procession in honor of the holy Mother of God should take place at Blachernae, and that encomia should be spoken for the mistress, naming it a Panegyris. Years of the world ϛπαʹ. Years of the divine incarnation φπαʹ. Emperor of the Romans, Maurice, for 20 years. 7th year. Emperor of the Persians, Chosroes, for 39 years. 1st year. Bishop of Constantinople, John, for 13 years. 8th year. Bishop of Jerusalem, John, for 20 years. 17th year. Bishop of Alexandria, Eulogius, for 27 years. 10th year. Bishop of Antioch, Gregory, for 24 years. 19th year. In this year, the emperor Maurice, having adopted Chosroes, the king of the Persians, sent to him Domentianus, bishop of Melitene, his own kinsman, along with Narses, entrusting to the latter the command of the war. These, taking Chosroes and all the Roman forces, invaded Persia. But Bahram, learning this, took the forces around him and encamped in a place called Alexandrina, thinking to prevent the armies coming from Armenia from uniting with Narses. For Maurice had ordered John Mystacon, the general of Armenia, to take his troops and unite with Narses, in order to wage war against Bahram together. But during the night, all the Roman forces united and drew up in battle array against Bahram. But Bahram encamped near the mountain, seized by cowardice. When a terrible battle was joined, Narses, despising the Indian beasts, broke the central phalanx of the barbarians. When this happened, the remaining phalanxes of Bahram were weakened, and a great flight of the tyrant took place. And Narses, pursuing relentlessly, was slaying the Persians, and taking six thousand captive, he brought them in chains to Chosroes; but Chosroes killed them all with the spear. And as many as happened to be Turks, these he sent to the emperor in Byzantium. And when the Turks, who had the sign of the cross tattooed in black on their foreheads, were asked by the emperor 267 by what means they bore this sign? The Turks said that many years before a plague had occurred in Turkia, and that some of the Christians among them had suggested doing this, from which salvation came upon the land. The army of the Romans took Bahram's tent and his baggage train, along with the elephants, and brought them to Chosroes. But Bahram took flight to the inner parts of Persia, and thus the war against him was ended. And Chosroes, crowned with a great victory, recovered his own throne and feasted the Romans in celebration of the victory. And Narses, departing for his own lands, said to Chosroes: "Remember, Chosroes, this present day. The Romans grant you the kingdom." But Chosroes, fearing assassination, asked Maurice to have a thousand Romans as his guard; and Maurice, having great affection for the barbarian, fulfilled his request. And so the Persian war of the Romans ceased. Years of the world ϛπβʹ. Years of the divine incarnation φπβʹ. Emperor of the Romans, Maurice, for 20 years. 8th year. Emperor of the Persians, Chosroes, for 39 years. 2nd year. Bishop of Constantinople, John, for 13 years. 9th year. Bishop of Jerusalem, John, for 20 years. 18th year. Bishop of Alexandria, Eulogius, for 27 years. 11th year. Bishop of Antioch, Gregory, for 24 years. 20th year. In this year, on the 26th of the month of March, in the 8th indiction, on the day of holy Pascha, at the age of four and a half years, Theodosius, the son of Maurice, was crowned by John, patriarch of Constantinople. In the same year, the emperor Maurice completed the church of the Holy Forty, which Tiberius had begun to build, being on the Mese, which place they said was formerly a praetorium. But when a profound peace had taken hold of the East, an Avar war surged against Europe. For this reason, the emperor Maurice transferred the forces from the East to Thrace. 268 9th. 3rd. 10th. 19th. 12th. 21st. In this year, at the beginning of spring, and of the

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θεραπείαις τιμῆσαι. Τῷ δ' αὐτῷ ἔτει κατέδειξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος γενέσθαι εἰς 266 τὴν μνήμην τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου τὴν λιτὴν ἐν Βλαχέρναις καὶ ἐγκώμια λέγειν τῆς δεσποίνης, ὀνομάσας αὐτὴν Πανήγυριν. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛπαʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη φπαʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ἔτη κʹ. ζʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ἔτη λθʹ. αʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη ιγʹ. ηʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη κʹ. ιζʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. ιʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Γρηγόριος ἔτη κδʹ. ιθʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει τεκνοποιηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος Χοσρόην, τὸν βασιλέα Περσῶν, ∆ομετιανόν, ἐπίσκοπον Μελιτηνῆς, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξέπεμψεν, τὸν ἴδιον συγγενῆ, σὺν Ναρσῇ, τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ πολέμου τούτῳ καταπιστεύσας. οἵ τινες παραλαβόντες τὸν Χοσρόην καὶ πάσας τὰς Ῥωμαϊκὰς δυνάμεις εἰς τὴν Περσίδα εἰσβάλλουσιν. ὁ δὲ Βαρὰμ τοῦτο μαθών, τὰς περὶ αὐτὸν δυνάμεις ἀναλαβὼν ἐν τόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρινῆς ὀνομαζομένῳ ἐστρατοπέδευσεν, κωλύειν οἰόμενος τὰ ἐκ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ἐρχόμενα στρατεύματα τοῦ μὴ ἑνωθῆναι τῷ Ναρσῇ. ἐκέλευσε γὰρ Μαυρίκιος Ἰωάννην τὸν Μυστάκωνα, τὸν τῆς Ἀρμενίας στρατηλάτην, ἀναλαβεῖν τὰ στρατεύματα καὶ ἑνωθῆναι τῷ Ναρσῇ, τοῦ ἅμα συστήσασθαι τὸν πρὸς τὸν Βαρὰμ πόλεμον. διὰ δὲ τῆς νυκτὸς ἡνώθησαν πᾶσαι αἱ Ῥωμαϊκαὶ δυνάμεις καὶ παρετάξαντο κατὰ Βαράμ. ὁ δὲ Βαρὰμ πρὸς τὸ ὄρος ἐστρατοπέδευσε δειλίᾳ κατεχόμενος. πολέμου δὲ φοβεροῦ κροτηθέντος, ὁ Ναρσῆς τῶν Ἰνδικῶν καταφρονήσας θηρίων τὴν μέσην τῶν βαρβάρων διέλυσε φάλαγγα. τούτου δὲ γενομένου καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ τοῦ Βαρὰμ ἠσθένησαν φάλαγγες, καὶ γίνεται τοῦ τυράννου μεγάλη φυγή. ὁ δὲ Ναρσῆς ἀκατασχέτως διώκων ἀνῄρει τοὺς Πέρσας, ἓξ δὲ χιλιάδας ζωγρήσας πρὸς Χοσρόην δεσμίους ἤγαγεν· ὁ δὲ Χοσρόης πάντας ἀνεῖλε τῷ δόρατι. ὅσοι δὲ Τοῦρκοι ἐτύγχανον, τούτους τῷ αὐτοκράτορι εἰς Βυζάντιον ἔπεμψεν. τῶν δὲ Τούρκων ἐν τοῖς μετώποις τὸν τύπον τοῦ σταυροῦ διὰ μέλανος κεντητοῦ ἐχόντων, ἐρωτωμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοκρά267 τορος, ποίῳ τρόπῳ τοῦτο τὸ σημεῖον ἐπιφέρονται; οἱ Τοῦρκοι ἔφασκον πρὸ πολλῶν χρόνων λοιμὸν ἐν Τουρκίᾳ γενέσθαι, τινὰς δὲ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς Χριστιανῶν ὑποθέσθαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν σωτηρία κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐγένετο. ὁ δὲ στρατὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Βαρὰμ καὶ τὸ τοῦλδον παραλαβόντες μετὰ τῶν ἐλεφάντων τῷ Χοσρόῃ προσήνεγκαν. ὁ δὲ Βαρὰμ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐνδότερα μέρη τῆς Περσίδος τὴν φυγὴν ἐποιήσατο καὶ οὕτως ὁ κατ' αὐτὸν διαλύεται πόλεμος. ὁ δὲ Χοσρόης μεγάλην νίκην ἀναδησάμενος τὸν ἴδιον ἀπέλαβε θρόνον καὶ ἐπινίκια εἱστία Ῥωμαίους. ὁ δὲ Ναρσῆς ἀναζευγνύων ἐπὶ τὰ ἴδια τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἔλεγεν· "μέμνησο, Χοσρόη, τῆς παρούσης ἡμέρας. Ῥωμαῖοί σοι τὴν βασιλείαν χαρίζονται." Χοσρόης δὲ τὴν δολοφονίαν δεδοικὼς ἐζήτει Μαυρίκιον χιλίους Ῥωμαίους εἰς φυλακὴν αὐτοῦ ἔχειν· ὁ δὲ Μαυρίκιος ἀγάπην πολλὴν πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον κεκτημένος ἐπλήρου τὸ αἴτημα αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὕτως ὁ Περσικὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων κατεπέπαυτο πόλεμος. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛπβʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη φπβʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ἔτη κʹ. ηʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ἔτη λθʹ. βʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη ιγʹ. θʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἔτη κʹ. ιηʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. ιαʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Γρηγόριος ἔτη κδʹ. κʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει μηνὶ Μαρτίῳ κϛʹ, ἰνδικτιῶνος ηʹ, τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου πάσχα χρόνων τεσσάρων ἥμισυ ἐστέφθη Θεοδόσιος, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Μαυρικίου, ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου, πατριάρχου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. τῷ δ' αὐτῷ ἔτει ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῶν ἁγίων τεσσαράκοντα, ἣν ἀπήρξατο κτίζειν Τιβέριος, ἀνεπλήρωσεν ἐν τῇ Μέσῃ οὖσαν, ὅνπερ τόπον ἔλεγον πρώην εἶναι πραιτώριον. εἰρήνης δὲ βαθείας τὴν ἀνατολὴν καταλαβούσης, Ἀβαρικὸς ἐπὶ τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐκύμαινε πόλεμος. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος τὰς δυνάμεις ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην μετήγαγεν. 268 θʹ. γʹ. ιʹ. ιθʹ. ιβʹ. καʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἀρχομένου τοῦ ἔαρος, καὶ τῶν