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13th. Amos bishop of Jerusalem, 8 years. 2nd. Eulogius bishop of Alexandria, 27 years. 15th. Gregory bishop of Antioch, 24 years. 24th. In this year, when Priscus again occupied the Ister and plundered the Sclavene nations and sent much booty to the emperor, the emperor sent Tatimer to Priscus and ordered the Romans to spend the winter time there. But the Romans, having learned this, argued against it, that it was not possible for this to happen both because of the multitudes of the barbarians and the land being hostile and the unbearable cold. But Priscus with persuasive words convinced them to winter there and to fulfill the emperor's command. But the emperor Maurice, having heard these things, made Philippicus, his own son-in-law, the general of the east, Count of the Excubitors, trusting him, as he had joined his sister to him. And Philippicus began to build in Chrysopolis the monastery of our all-holy lady the Theotokos and a palace in it meant to receive Maurice the emperor and his children, having made fish-ponds and parks within for his service, and in Constantinople the house called that of Philippicus. Cyriacus bishop of Constantinople, 11 years. Anastasius again bishop of Antioch, 6 years. 13th. 7th. 1st. 3rd. 16th. 1st. In this year in the suburbs of Byzantium monsters are born, a four-footed child, and another with two heads. And those who diligently write histories say that they do not signify good things for the cities, 273 in which such things are born. But the emperor removes Priscus from his command, and makes Peter, his own brother, general of the Roman force. So Priscus, taking up the forces before Peter arrived, crosses the river. But the Khagan, having heard of the movement of the Roman army, was greatly amazed and sent to Priscus, seeking to learn the reason and to receive a share of the plunder and thus to swim across the river. For he was very angry at the successes of the Romans. Priscus therefore sends about these matters to the Khagan an ambassador, Theodore the physician, adorned with sagacity and intelligence. He, seeing that the Khagan was proud and was making his replies rather arrogantly (for he threatened that he was lord of all nations) soothed the barbarian's pride with an old story. For he said: "Listen, Khagan, to a useful story. Sesostris, the king of the Egyptians, both renowned and very prosperous, brilliant in wealth and invincible in his forces, enslaved very many and great nations. Thence falling into arrogance, having constructed a chariot welded with gold and from precious stones, he sits upon it and places under the yoke four of the defeated kings to pull the chariot. And while this was happening during a public festival, one of the four kings frequently turned his gaze backwards and watched the wheel turning. And when Sesostris asked, "Why do you fix your eyes behind you?" he said this: "I marvel at the wheel, which is unstable and moves now one way, now another, and sometimes humbles the high, and again raises up the humble." And Sesostris, having wisely considered the parable, decreed that the kings should no longer pull the chariot." The Khagan, having heard these things and smiling slightly, said to keep the peace, and that it was up to the preference of Priscus, if he wished to honor the Khagan with any of the spoils. And Priscus gave the captives 274 to the Khagan in exchange for the crossing. And taking all the spoils he crossed the river without danger. And the Khagan, receiving these things, was greatly pleased; and Priscus came to Byzantium. And Peter took over the command. 14th. 8th. 2nd. 4th. 17th. 2nd. In this year the emperor ordered the general Peter, that the Romans should receive the third part of their pay in gold, and the third in arms, and the other third in all sorts of clothing. The

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ιγʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἀμὼς ἔτη ηʹ. βʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. ιεʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Γρηγόριος ἔτη κδʹ. κδʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει τοῦ Πρίσκου πάλιν τὸν Ἴστρον καταλαβόντος καὶ τὰ Σκλαυινῶν ἔθνη πραιδεύσαντος καὶ πολλὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναπέμψαντος, ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Τατίμερα ἀποστείλας πρὸς Πρίσκον παρακελεύεται αὐτόθι τὸν χειμῶνα διατρῖψαι τοὺς Ῥωμαίους καιρόν. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτο μεμαθηκότες ἀντέλεγον, ὡς οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τοῦτο γενέσθαι διά τε τὰ πλήθη τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ τὸ πολεμίαν ὑπεῖναι τὴν χώραν καὶ τὰ ψύχη ἀφόρητα. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος λόγοις πιθανοῖς ἔπεισεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ χειμάσαι καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως κέλευσιν πληρῶσαι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ταῦτα ἀκηκοὼς Φιλιππικόν, τὸν ἴδιον γαμβρόν, τὸν τῆς ἀνατολῆς στρατηγόν, ἐποίησε κόμητα τῶν ἐκσκουβιτόρων θαρρῶν αὐτῷ, ὡς τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὴν αὐτῷ ζεύξας. ὁ δὲ Φιλιππικὸς ἤρξατο κτίζειν ἐν Χρυσοπόλει τὴν μονὴν τῆς παναγίας δεσποίνης ἡμῶν θεοτόκου καὶ παλάτιον ἐν αὐτῇ ὀφεῖλον ὑποδέχεσθαι Μαυρίκιον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ, ποιήσας ἰχθυοτροφεῖα καὶ παραδείσια ἔνδοθεν [ἔσω] εἰς τὴν θεραπείαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν ἐπιλεγομένην τὰ Φιλιππικοῦ. Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπος Κυριακὸς ἔτη ιαʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Ἀναστάσιος πάλιν ἔτη ϛʹ. ιγʹ. ζʹ. αʹ. γʹ. ιϛʹ. αʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει εἰς τὰ τοῦ Βυζαντίου προάστεια τίκτονται τέρατα, παιδίον τετράπουν, καὶ ἄλλο δικόρυφον. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ τὰς ἱστορίας ἐπιμελῶς ἐγγράφοντες μὴ σημαίνειν ἀγαθὰ ταῖς πόλεσιν, 273 ἐν αἷς ἂν τεχθῶσι τὰ τοιαῦτα. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὸν Πρίσκον τῆς στρατηγίας ἀποπαύει, Πέτρον δέ, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφόν, στρατηγὸν τῆς δυνάμεως ποιεῖται Ῥωμαίων. ὁ μὲν οὖν Πρίσκος τὰς δυνάμεις ἀράμενος πρὶν ἢ τὸν Πέτρον φθάσαι διαπερᾷ τὸν ποταμόν· ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τὴν μετάβασιν τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ λαοῦ ἀκηκοὼς λίαν ἐθαύμαζε καὶ πρὸς τὸν Πρίσκον ἀπέστειλεν, μαθεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιζητῶν καὶ μοῖραν λαβεῖν τῆς πραίδας καὶ οὕτω τὸν ποταμὸν διανήξασθαι. λίαν γὰρ ἐχαλέπαινεν ἐπὶ τοῖς εὐτυχήμασι τῶν Ῥωμαίων. πέμπει τοίνυν ὁ Πρίσκος περὶ τούτων πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον πρέσβιν Θεόδωρον τὸν ἰατρὸν ἀγχινοίᾳ καὶ συνέσει κεκοσμημένον. οὗτος ἑωρακὼς τὸν Χαγάνον μέγα φρονοῦντα καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἀλαζονικώτερον ποιούμενον (ἠπείλει γὰρ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν αὐτὸν εἶναι κύριον) διηγήματι παλαιῷ τὸν βαρβαρικὸν κατεπράϋνε τῦφον. ἔφασκε γάρ· "ἄκουσον, Χαγάνε, ἐπωφελοῦς διηγήματος. Σεσῶστρις, ὁ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλεύς, περιφανής τε καὶ λίαν εὐδαίμων, τῷ πλούτῳ λαμπρὸς καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἀκαταμάχητος, πλεῖστα καὶ μεγάλα ἐδουλώσατο ἔθνη· ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἀλαζονείαν περιπεσών, χρυσοκόλλητον ὄχημα ἐκ λίθων τιμίων κατασκευάσας ἐπικάθηται τούτῳ καὶ ὑποβάλλει τῷ ζυγῷ τῶν ἡττηθέντων βασιλέων τέσσαρας ἕλκειν τὸ ὄχημα. τούτου δὲ γινομένου ἐν ἐπισήμῳ ἑορτῇ, εἷς τῶν τεσσάρων βασιλέων συχνῶς τὸ ὄμμα ἐπέστρεφεν εἰς τοὐπίσω καὶ τὸν τροχὸν ἑώρα κυλιόμενον· τῷ δὲ Σεσώστρει ἐπερωτῶντι, "διὰ τί ὄπισθεν ἐπιστηρίζεις τὰ ὄμματα;" τοῦτον εἰπεῖν· "τὸν τροχὸν θαυμάζω ἀστατοῦντα καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλως κινούμενον, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν τὰ ὑψηλὰ ταπεινοῦντα, αὖθις δὲ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἀνυψοῦντα." τὸν δὲ Σεσῶστριν συνετῶς τὴν παραβολὴν ἐπισκέψαντα νομοθετῆσαι τὸ μηκέτι τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἕλκειν τὸ ὄχημα." ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος ταῦτα ἀκηκοὼς καὶ ὑπογελάσας ἔφησε τὴν εἰρήνην ἄγειν, τῇ δὲ προαιρέσει Πρίσκου, εἴ τι ἂν θέλῃ τῶν λαφύρων τὸν Χαγάνον τιμῆσαι. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπέδωκε 274 τῷ Χαγάνῳ ὑπὲρ τῆς διαβάσεως. τὰ δὲ λάφυρα πάντα λαβὼν ἀκινδύνως τὸν ποταμὸν διεπέρασεν. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος ταῦτα δεξάμενος ἥσθη μεγάλως· καὶ ὁ Πρίσκος εἰς Βυζάντιον ἧκεν. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος τὴν στρατηγίαν παρέλαβεν. ιδʹ. ηʹ. βʹ. δʹ. ιζʹ. βʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Πέτρῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ, ὥστε τὴν τρίτην μοῖραν τῆς ῥόγας διὰ χρυσοῦ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους λαβεῖν, καὶ τὴν τρίτην δι' ὅπλων, τὴν δὲ ἑτέραν τρίτην δι' ἐσθῆτος παντοίας. οἱ