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he supplicates the Genoese, and secures his life from them for a thousand gold pieces. But a little before this happened, while he was storing up a Cyclopean penalty for the Magnesians, as if he would do the same things to them, even if he delayed the payment, because he trusted them more than the others and for this reason had stored up there both horses and money, which he had collected from such great wickedness, he was forestalled and overthrown by the foresight of the inhabitants. For fearing necessarily that the same things which were happening to others would happen to them, and especially having suffered before and learned the whole matter as from a foretaste, they looked to revolt. And it was easy for them to realize this; because they had previously been independent and self-governing, trusting in their city, it was a godsend for these men, not only those treasures and horses, but also a fighting multitude which entered and no small portion of the Alans and full granaries, which they supposed would suffice for a time. These things also seemed good to Attaleiotes, who was greatly fearing for himself. And giving and receiving pledges 440 to and from one another, they put some of the Italians within to the sword, and they securely imprisoned others. And having organized themselves as best they could, as men who would certainly die if they gave in (for there was no other hope if they should fall into the hands of the megas doux), they secured the gates and made it clear they were revolting. When, therefore, their actions became known, and being an Italian and so harsh and arrogant, he could not stomach the mockery, putting other matters aside, he took his forces and went there, using not only all the allied Italian force, but also bringing with him no small Roman contingent, and furthermore forcing the Alans into the battle. So attacking each day he laid siege, setting up engines and preparing city-takers, and from many directions with some hot-headed zeal (for he was spurred on by being openly reviled from within) he made an attempt on the face of the wall. Nor, however, were those within neglectful, but first they strengthened the necessary water supply with strong little walls, reaching as far as 441 the place of Makaros, as the place was somehow called; then, when those outside dug up the underground aqueducts from afar along the mountain so as to divert the streams, they marched out in full force and prevented them and, as far as they were able, secured the water-channel for themselves. And setting up stone-throwing and arrow-shooting engines on the towers, they defended themselves stoutly and held out. Finally, when the money was demanded, they not only did not give it, but they also reviled him and mocked him bitterly. For these reasons, time was wasted on the siege, and other matters were neglected, as if there were none who would hold a hand over them. And the Persians again in companies and troops went unrestrained against the deserted places, if they might profit from anything left behind. Therefore no one was left in the countryside, but a few were crammed into the cities, and these as circumstances allowed; but the majority, doing something wiser, some went to islands, others to the opposite shore, and saw their own property from afar, not daring to approach even for a little while. But those who dared, on account of the necessity of their want, immediately suffered terrible things and learned their lesson, and by their own fall they made the 442 others provident for their own lives; for the Persians punished them not as enemies, but as thieves of things they themselves had acquired by the sword, when they fell into their hands, and slaughtered them mercilessly.

27. At this time also a certain young man, a Bulgarian by race, nicknamed Choiroboskos, I think from his former trade, John, having been engaged in certain wars in Moesia, as he claimed, hearing the things being done in the east, and how the Persians, proceeding without order and in companies, were overrunning the deserted lands with no one hindering them, took courage, and having gathered to himself about three hundred in number, mostly archers and mace-bearers, at first being by the sea he wished to cross over, while the emperor was still in the east

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ποτνιᾶται πρὸς Γεννουΐτας, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν χιλιοστύϊ χρυσίνων παρ' ἐκείνων περι ποιεῖται. Ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἢ ταῦτα γενέσθαι πρότερον, Μαγνησιώταις ἐκεῖνος τιμὴν ταμιεύων Κυκλώπειον, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὺς τὰ ὅμοια δράσων, κἂν ὑπερημέρει τὴν ἔκτισιν, τοῦ πιστεύειν ἐκείνοις πλέον τῶν ἄλλων καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο ἀποτεταμιεῦσθαι καὶ ἵππους τῇδε καὶ χρήματα, ἃ δὴ ἐκ τόσης ἀλαστορίας συνέλεγε, φθά νει σφαλῆναι προνοίᾳ τῶν οἰκητόρων. τὰ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις συμ βαίνοντα καὶ αὐτοὶ κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον δείσαντες, καὶ μάλιστα προπαθόντες καὶ ὡς γεύματος τὸ πᾶν προμαθόντες, πρὸς ἀπο στασίαν ἀφορῶσι. τὸ δ' ἦν εὐχερὲς ἐννοῆσαι σφίσιν, ἐκ τοῦ πρὶν καθ' αὑτοὺς εἶναι καὶ διοικεῖσθαι πιστεύοντας τῷ πολίσμα τι, ἕρμαιον εἶναι τούτοις, οὐ θησαυροὺς καὶ μόνον ἐκείνους καὶ ἵππους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλῆθος μάχιμον εἰσελθὸν καὶ μοῖραν οὐκ ὀλί γην τῶν Ἀλανῶν καὶ σιτῶνας πλήρεις, οὓς ἐπὶ χρόνον ἀρκέσον τας ὑπελάμβανον. ταῦτα καὶ τῷ Ἀτταλειώτῃ συνέδοξε περὶ ἑαυτῷ τὰ μάλιστα δεδιότι. καὶ πίστεις διδόντες τε καὶ λαβόντες 440 ἀλλήλοις καὶ παρ' ἀλλήλων τοὺς ἐντὸς Ἰταλοὺς τοὺς μὲν ἔργον μαχαίρας ποιοῦσι τοὺς δὲ καὶ ἀσφαλῶς καθειργνῦσιν. ἑαυτοὺς δὲ τὰ μάλιστα συγκροτήσαντες ὡς θανουμένους πάντως εἰ καθυ φεῖεν (οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐλπίζειν ἄλλο, εἰ ὑπὸ χεῖρας τῷ μεγάλῳ δουκὶ γένοιντο), τὰς πύλας ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ θέμενοι δῆλοι ἦσαν ἀποστα τοῦντες. ὡς γοῦν ἀνάπυστα γεγόνει τἀκείνων, καὶ οὐκ ἦν κα ταπέψαι τὴν χλεύην ὄντα Ἰταλὸν καὶ οὕτως ἀπηνῆ καὶ φρονημα τίαν, τἆλλα θέμενος ἐν δευτέρῳ, παραλαβὼν τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκεῖσε γίνεται, χρώμενος μὲν καὶ παντὶ τῷ Ἰταλικῷ συμμαχοῦντι, οὐκ ὀλίγον δὲ συνεπαγόμενος καὶ Ῥωμαϊκόν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἀλανοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην προσβιαζόμενος. ἑκάστης οὖν προσβάλλων ἐπο λιόρκει, μηχανήματα ἐφιστὰς καὶ ἑλεπόλεις προσετοιμάζων, καὶ πολλαχόθεν θερμαῖς τισὶ προθυμίαις (ἐξωτρύνετο γὰρ καὶ προ φανῶς λοιδορούμενος ἔνδοθεν) κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀπεπειρᾶτο τοῦ τείχους. οὐ μὴν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐντὸς κατημέλουν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος χρῆσιν ἀναγκαίαν οὖσαν ὀχυροῖς τειχίοις μέχρι καὶ 441 ἐς τὰ Μάκαρος, οὕτω πως λεγομένου τοῦ τόπου, φθάσαντες ἐκρατύναντο· ἔπειτα τὰς κατ' ὄρος ὑπονόμους μακρόθεν ὑδρα γωγοὺς τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀνορυξάντων ὥστε μετοχετεύειν τοὺς ῥύακας, ἐκεῖνοι παμπληθεὶ στρατεύσαντες διεκώλυον καὶ ὡς οἷόν τ' αὐ τοῖς τὴν ὀχετηγίαν κατησφαλίζοντο. ἐπὶ τῶν πύργων δὲ πετρο βόλα καὶ ἰοβόλα στήσαντες μηχανήματα καρτερῶς ἠμύναντο καὶ ἀντεῖχον. τέλος τὰ χρήματα ἀπαιτούμενοι, οἱ δὲ μὴ ὅτι γ' ἐδί δουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσελοιδοροῦντο καὶ πικρῶς ἐχλεύαζον. διὰ ταῦτα καὶ χρόνος μὲν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ἐτρίβετο, ἠμελοῦντο δὲ τἆλλα, ὡς μηδ' ἂν ἦσαν οἱ χεῖρα σφῶν ὑπερέξοντες. καὶ οἱ Πέρσαι πάλιν κατὰ λόχους καὶ οὐλαμοὺς ἀνέδην τοῖς ἐρημωθεῖσιν ἐπῄε σαν, ἤν τι που τῶν ὑπολελειμμένων ὄναιντο. οὐδεὶς οὖν ἐν χώραις ὑπελείπετο, ἀλλ' ὀλίγοι μὲν ταῖς πόλεσι παρεβύοντο, καὶ οὗτοι ἐκ τοῦ παρείκοντος, οἱ πλείους δὲ σοφώτερόν τι ποιοῦντες οἱ μὲν εἰς νήσους οἱ δ' εἰς ἀντιπεραίαν ὥρμων, καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν μακρόθεν ἑώρων, προσπελάζειν οὐ τολμῶντες οὐδ' ἐς βραχύ. οἱ δὲ τολμῶντες διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην τῆς ἀπορίας αὐτόθεν πάσχον τες τὰ δεινὰ κατεμάνθανον, καὶ προμηθεῖς τοῦ ζῆν ἐποίουν τοὺς 442 ἄλλους αὐτοὶ πίπτοντες· οὐ γὰρ ὡς πολεμίους σφᾶς οἱ Πέρσαι, ἀλλ' ὡς κλῶπας ὧν αὐτοὶ διὰ σπάθης ἐκτήσαντο, ἀνὰ χεῖρας πεσόντας ἐτιμωροῦντο καὶ ἀνηλεῶς ἔσφαττον.

27. Ἐν τούτῳ καί τις νεανίας τὸ γένος Βούλγαρος, Χοι ροβοσκὸς τοὐπίκλην, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπιτηδεύματος οἶμαι τοῦ πάλαι, Ἰωάννης, πολέμοις τισὶν ἐνδιατρίψας κατὰ Μυσίαν, ὡς ἰσχυρί ζετο, ἀκούων τὰ κατ' ἀνατολὴν δρώμενα, καὶ ὡς ἀσυντάκτως οἱ Πέρσαι χωροῦντες καὶ κατὰ λόχους ἐρημωθείσας τὰς χώρας μηδενὸς κωλύοντος κατατρέχουσιν, ἀναλαμβάνει θάρρος, καὶ εἰς τριακοσίους τῷ ποσῷ προσεταιρισάμενος, τοξοφόρους καὶ κορυνήτας τοὺς πλείστους, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον πρὸς τῇ θαλάσσῃ γε νόμενος ἠβούλετο διαπεραιοῦσθαι, ἔτι κατ' ἀνατολὴν τοῦ βασι λέως