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When the regiments had occupied Thrace, Maurice went out with them to see the things ravaged by the barbarians. But the Augusta and the patriarch and the senate begged the emperor not to conduct the war himself, but to entrust it to a general; but he did not accept. And as he was going out in the Hebdomon, an eclipse of the sun occurred. There also arose blasts of prodigious winds, a violent south wind. And having come to Rhegium, he delighted the multitudes of the poor with silver coins. And when the emperor went out to hunt, a wild boar of immense size rushed at the Caesar. And the horse, because of the terrifying sight, tried to throw off the Caesar; and having reared up for a long time, it was not able to throw the Caesar; and the boar, wounded by no one, withdrew. And while making the journey to Perinthus by sea, when prodigious winds and rain occurred, with the sailors at a loss, the emperor's vessel was carried along, so that he was miraculously saved at the place called Daonium. And on that night a woman was giving birth and was uttering pitiful cries; and when morning came, the emperor sent to see what the event was. And they saw a child born without eyes and eyelids, having neither hands nor arms, and at its hip it had a fish's tail naturally attached to it. And seeing this, the emperor ordered it to be killed. And on this day the emperor's horse, which wore the golden ornament, suddenly collapsed and fell. And the emperor, taking all these things as omens, was very sorrowful. And on the next day, three men, Sclaveni by race, wearing nothing of iron, were captured by the Romans, carrying only kitharas. And the emperor asked where they were from and where they made their abodes. And they said that they were Sclaveni by race; and that they lived at the edge of the western ocean; and that the Khagan had sent an embassy to them and gifts to their chieftains to ally with him against 269 the Romans; and their commanders sent them to make an apology to the Khagan, that they were not able to send him an alliance because of the length of the journey. For they said that they had made a journey of eighteen months and thus had fallen in with the Romans; and that they carried kitharas as not knowing how to put on any weapons, their country being ignorant of iron. And the emperor, marveling at their stature and the size of their bodies, praised them and sent them on to Heraclea. And having reached Anchialus and learned that ambassadors of the Persians and Franks had arrived in Byzantium, he returned to the palace. ιʹ. δʹ. ιαʹ. κʹ. ιγʹ. κβʹ. In this year the Khagan sought to receive additions to the treaties, but the emperor did not accept the barbarian's words. For this reason the Khagan again began the war and besieged Singidunum and encamped against Sirmium. And the emperor appointed Priscus as general of Europe. And Priscus, having made Salvianus his second-in-command, ordered him to run ahead; and having marched against the barbarians, they joined battle, and the Romans were victorious. And the Khagan, having heard this, took up his forces and proceeded to war. And Salvianus, seeing the multitudes and being struck with terror, came to Priscus. And the Khagan, learning of the Romans' retreat, comes out to Anchialus, that is to Saint Alexander, and gave it over to the all-consuming fire. And having moved on to Drizipera, he attempted to sack the town, having constructed siege engines. But the inhabitants of Drizipera drew up a counterfeit boldness in opposition. For having thrown open the gates, they threatened to fight the barbarians, though they were in extreme cowardice. Then, indeed, then some divine power came upon them. For in the middle of the day the barbarians thought they saw Roman forces sallying forth from the city and about to engage, and being struck with terror, they fled in swift flight and came 2 to Perinthus. But Priscus, not even bearing to look upon the multitudes of the barbarians, having entered the fortress at Tzurulum

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ταγμάτων τὴν Θρᾴκην καταλαβόντων, ἐξῆλθε σὺν αὐτοῖς ὁ Μαυρίκιος ἰδεῖν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων κατεστραμμένα. ἡ δὲ αὐγούστα καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης καὶ ἡ σύγκλητος παρεκάλουν τὸν βασιλέα μὴ αὐτουργῆσαι πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ στρατηγῷ τοῦτον ἐγχειρίσαι· ὁ δὲ οὐ κατεδέξατο. ἐξελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ Ἑβδόμῳ γέγονεν ἡλίου ἔκλειψις. ἐπεγίνοντο δὲ καὶ ἐξαισίων πνευμάτων φυσήματα, νότος βίαιος. ἐν δὲ τῷ Ῥηγίῳ ἐλθόντος, τῶν πενήτων τὰ πλήθη ἀργυρίοις ἐψυχαγώγησεν. ἐπὶ θήραν δὲ ἐξελθὼν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ, ὗς ἄγριος παμμεγέθης κατὰ τοῦ καίσαρος ὥρμησεν. ὁ δὲ ἵππος διὰ τὸ φοβερὸν τοῦ θεάματος ἀποβαλεῖν τὸν καίσαρα ἐγχειρεῖ· ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ ἀκαταστατήσας οὐκ ἠδυνήθη τὸν καίσαρα ῥῖψαι· ὁ δὲ ὗς ὑπ' οὐδενὸς τρωθεὶς ἀνεχώρησεν. ἐπὶ τὴν Πείρινθον δὲ διὰ ναυτιλίας τὴν πορείαν ποιούμενος, ἀνέμων ἐξαισίων καὶ βροχῆς γενομένης, τῶν ναυτῶν ἀπορησάντων, τὸ σκάφος ἐφέρετο τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, ὥστε παραδόξως διασωθῆναι ἐν τῷ λεγομένῳ ∆αονίῳ. τῇ δὲ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ γύναιον ἔτικτε καὶ βοὰς οἰκτρὰς ἠφίει· πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης, ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἰδεῖν, τί τὸ συμβησόμενον. καὶ εἶδον παιδίον γεννηθὲν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ βλεφάρων ἀμέτοχον, μήτε χεῖρας μήτε βραχίονας ἔχον, πρὸς δὲ τῷ ἰσχίῳ ἰχθύος οὐρὰ προσφυῶς ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ. τοῦτο δὲ ἰδὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνελεῖν προσέταξεν. ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ ἵππος τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁ τὸν χρυσοῦν περικείμενος κόσμον, ἀθρόως διερράγη πεσών. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τούτοις πᾶσιν οἰωνισάμενος, περίλυπος ἦν. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ ἄνδρες τρεῖς Σκλαυινοὶ τὸ γένος, μηδέν τι σιδηροῦν περιβαλλόμενοι, ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐκρατήθησαν, κιθάρας μόνας βαστάζοντες. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἠρώτα, πόθεν τε εἶεν καὶ ποῦ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιοῦντο; οἱ δὲ τὸ μὲν γένος ἔφασαν πεφυκέναι Σκλαυινοί· πρὸς τῷ τέλει δὲ τοῦ δυτικοῦ ᾠκηκέναι ὠκεανοῦ· τὸν δὲ Χαγάνον πρὸς αὐτοὺς πρεσβείαν πέμψαι καὶ δῶρα τοῖς ἐθνάρχαις αὐτῶν τοῦ συμμαχῆσαι αὐτῷ κατὰ 269 Ῥωμαίων· οἱ δὲ ταξίαρχοι αὐτῶν ἀπέστειλαν αὐτοὺς ἀπολογήσασθαι τῷ Χαγάνῳ, ὅτι οὐ δύνανται διὰ τὸ μῆκος τῆς ὁδοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτῷ συμμαχίαν. ὀκτωκαίδεκα γὰρ μηνῶν ἔφασκον ποιήσασθαι ὁδοιπορίαν καὶ οὕτω τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις περιπεσεῖν· κιθάρας δὲ περιφέρεσθαι ὡς μὴ εἰδότας ὅπλα περιβαλέσθαι τινά, τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν ἀγνοούσης τὸ σίδηρον. ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ θαυμάσας τήν τε ἡλικίαν καὶ τὰ μεγέθη τοῦ σώματος αὐτῶν, ἐπαινέσας εἰς Ἡράκλειαν αὐτοὺς παρέπεμψεν. καταλαβὼν δὲ τὴν Ἀγχίαλον καὶ μαθών, ὅτι πρέσβεις εἰς τὸ Βυζάντιον Περσῶν τε καὶ Φράγγων παρεγένοντο, ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια. ιʹ. δʹ. ιαʹ. κʹ. ιγʹ. κβʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ὁ Χαγάνος ἐζήτει προσθήκας ταῖς συνθήκαις λαμβάνειν, ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βαρβάρου οὐ παρεδέξατο. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Χαγάνος ἤρατο πάλιν τὸν πόλεμον καὶ πολιορκεῖ τὴν Σιγγιδόνα καὶ στρατοπεδεύει κατὰ τὸ Σέρμιον. ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ στρατηγὸν τῆς Εὐρώπης χειροτονεῖ τὸν Πρίσκον. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος Σαλβιανὸν ὑποστράτηγον ποιήσας προτρέχειν ἐκέλευσεν· καὶ κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων χωρήσαντες συγκροτοῦσι πόλεμον, καὶ νικῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τοῦτο ἀκηκοώς, ἀναλαβὼν τὰς δυνάμεις ἐχώρει πρὸς πόλεμον. ὁ δὲ Σαλβιανὸς ἰδὼν τὰ πλήθη καὶ καταπλαγεὶς πρὸς Πρίσκον ἀφικνεῖται. γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Χαγάνος τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὑποχώρησιν εἰς Ἀγχίαλον ἐξέρχεται ἤτοι εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ τοῦτον τῷ παμφάγῳ πυρὶ παραδέδωκεν. μεταβὰς δὲ εἰς τὰ ∆ριζίπερα ἐπιχειρεῖ ἐκπορθῆσαι τὸ πόλισμα πολιορκητικὰ ἐξεργασάμενος ὄργανα. οἱ δὲ τὰ ∆ριζίπερα οἰκοῦντες ἐπίπλαστον ἀντεπαρετάξαντο θράσος. τάς τε γὰρ πύλας ἀναπετάσαντες ἠπείλουν τοῖς βαρβάροις πολεμεῖν ἐν δειλίᾳ ἐξαισίῳ ὄντες. τότε δὴ τότε θεῖά τις αὐτοῖς ἐπέστη δύναμις. μεσούσης γὰρ ἡμέρας ὁρᾷν ἔδοξαν οἱ βάρβαροι Ῥωμαίων δυνάμεις ἐπεξιούσας τοῦ ἄστεως, καὶ μέλλειν συμπλέκεσθαι, καὶ καταπλαγέντες συντόνῳ φυγῇ ἀποδιδράσκουσι καὶ 2 ἐπὶ τὴν Πείρινθον γίνονται. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος μηδὲ θεωρεῖν φέρων τὰ πλήθη τῶν βαρβάρων, εἰς τὸ Τζουρουλὸν εἰσελθὼν τὸ φρούριον