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Therefore the Romans, having heard this, were turning towards tyranny. But the general, being afraid, made an apology to the camps, that this was not true. And he showed the army other letters ordering him that those who had excelled and been saved from dangers should rest in the cities and be cared for in their old age at public expense, and that the sons of the soldiers should be enrolled in the places of their own parents; and with this persuasion he calmed the people, and they acclaimed the Caesar. And Peter reported these things to the emperor. And having come to Marcianopolis, he sends a thousand to run ahead. These men, encountering Sclavenes carrying off much Roman plunder, put them to flight; but the barbarians, having slaughtered the captives ....... and having taken much spoil, returned to Roman territory. In the same year the emperor built the round sundial of the Magnaura; and he set up his own column in the central court, and deposited there the armory. 15. 9. 3. 5. 18. 3. In this year, as Peter the general was hunting, and a wild boar met him, his foot was crushed in a tree, and he was bedridden for a long time with unbearable pains. But the emperor assailed him with most shameful letters and unbearable reproaches, hearing that Sclavene nations were moving against Byzantium. But Peter, forcing himself, arrived at Novae. And the notable soldiers of the city, together with the bishop, went to meet the general; when the 275 general saw them and admired both their equipment and their courage, he ordered them to leave the city and mingle with the Roman host; but the soldiers, who were assigned to guard the city, were not persuaded to do this. But the general, becoming angry, sent Genzon with a multitude of soldiers. But they, having learned of this, fled into the church and, having closed the doors of the sanctuary, sat inside. But Genzon, out of respect for the sanctuary, remained inactive; But Peter, being angered, relieves Genzon of his command and sends a scribe to bring the bishop to him in disgrace. But the people of the city, having gathered with their entire households, dishonorably drive the scribe out of the city; and having closed the gates of the city, they acclaimed the emperor Maurice, but assailed the general with insults; and so Peter withdrew from there in disgrace. And he sends a thousand ahead on reconnaissance; and they encounter Bulgars, a thousand in number. But the Bulgars, trusting in the peace of the Khagan, were marching without a care; but the Romans made a rush against the Bulgars. But the Bulgars send seven men, advising not to break the peace. Having heard these things, the vanguard reports these things to the general. But the general said: "Not even if the emperor should come by would I spare them." And when a battle took place, the Romans are routed. But the barbarians did not pursue them, so that they would not, by conquering, fall into danger. And the general severely flogged the taxiarch of the vanguard. When the Khagan learned this, he sent envoys to Peter, blaming him for the beginning of hostilities, and that the Romans had broken the peace without just cause. But Peter, using deceitful words, insisted that he did not know of the movement, and to give back double all the spoils; and so in two parts the barbarians, having recovered the lost spoils, maintain the peace. But Peter proceeds against Piragastus, the exarch of the Sclavenes, but the barbarians, meeting them by the bank of the river, prevented them from crossing. But the Romans, shooting arrows from the ferries, turned them back; and as they were routed, Piragastus is struck in 276 the flank and dies. And having crossed, the Romans took much spoil and returned to their own lands. But as the guides went astray and they came upon waterless places, the army was in danger; therefore, having marched through

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τοίνυν Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτο ἀκηκοότες πρὸς τυραννίδα ἐτρέποντο. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς φοβηθεὶς τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἀπελογεῖτο, ὡς οὐκ ἀληθὲς τοῦτό ἐστιν. καὶ ἐπεδείκνυε τῷ στρατῷ ἕτερα γράμματα παρακελευόμενα αὐτῷ, ὥστε τοὺς ἀριστεύσαντας καὶ ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων διασωθέντας ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀναπαύεσθαι καὶ γηροτροφεῖσθαι ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων, τοὺς δὲ παῖδας τῶν στρατιωτῶν εἰς τοὺς τόπους τῶν οἰκείων γονέων ἐγγράφεσθαι· καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πιθανότητι τὸν λαὸν κατεπράϋνεν, καὶ τὸν καίσαρα ἀνευφήμησαν. ταῦτα δὲ ὁ Πέτρος τῷ βασιλεῖ κατεμήνυσεν. ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐπὶ Μαρκιανούπολιν ἀποστέλλει χιλίους προτρέχειν. οὗτοι περιτυχόντες Σκλαυινοῖς ἐπιφερομένοις Ῥωμαϊκὴν λεηλασίαν πολλὴν τούτους τρέπονται· οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀποσφάξαντες ....... καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας πολλῆς κρατήσαντες ἐπὶ τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ ὑπέστρεψαν. Τῷ δ' αὐτῷ ἔτει ἔκτισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ἡλιακὸν τῆς Μαγναύρας τὸ στρογγύλον· καὶ ἔστησεν ἐν τῷ μεσιαύλῳ τὴν ἰδίαν στήλην, καὶ ἀπέθετο ἐκεῖ τὸ ἀρμαμέντον. ιεʹ. θʹ. γʹ. εʹ. ιηʹ. γʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Πέτρου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ κυνηγοῦντος, καὶ ὑὸς ἀγρίου αὐτῷ συναντήσαντος, τὸν πόδα τούτου ἐν δένδρῳ ἐξέθλιψεν, καὶ ἀφορήτοις ὀδύναις χρόνῳ πολλῷ ἐνοσιλεύετο. ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ γράμμασιν αἰσχίστοις καὶ ὀνειδισμοῖς ἀφορήτοις αὐτὸν περιέβαλεν ἀκούων Σκλαυινὰ ἔθνη κατὰ τοῦ Βυζαντίου κινεῖσθαι. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος βιασάμενος εἰς Νόβας παρεγένετο. οἱ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐπίσημοι στρατιῶται ἅμα τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ τῷ στρατηγῷ ὑπήντων· οὓς ἰδὼν ὁ 275 στρατηγὸς καὶ θαυμάσας τήν τε ἐξόπλισιν καὶ ἀνδρείαν αὐτῶν κελεύει καταλιπόντας τὸ ἄστυ τῇ Ῥωμαϊκῇ πληθύϊ συναναμίγνυσθαι· οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται ἐπὶ φρουρᾷ τῆς πόλεως συντεταγμένοι οὐκ ἐπείθοντο τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. θυμωθεὶς δὲ ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀπέστειλε Γένζωνα μετὰ πλήθους στρατιωτῶν. οἱ δὲ μαθόντες ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὰς θύρας τοῦ ναοῦ κλείσαντες ἐκάθηντο ἔνδον. ὁ δὲ Γένζων τῇ αἰδοῖ τοῦ ναοῦ ἄπρακτος διέμεινεν· Πέτρος δὲ ὀργισθεὶς ἀποχειροτονεῖ τὸν Γένζωνα τῆς στρατηγίας καὶ ἐκπέμπει σκρίβωνα ἠτιμωμένως τὸν ἐπίσκοπον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγαγεῖν. οἱ δὲ τῆς πόλεως πανοικεὶ συναχθέντες ἀτίμως τὸν σκρίβωνα τῆς πόλεως ἀπελαύνουσιν· καὶ τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως κλείσαντες τὸν μὲν Μαυρίκιον βασιλέα εὐφήμουν, τὸν δὲ στρατηγὸν ὕβρεσι περιέβαλλον· καὶ οὕτως ἀτίμως ὁ Πέτρος ἐκεῖθεν ἀνεχώρησεν. προπέμπει δὲ χιλίους ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ· οἱ δὲ περιτυγχάνουσι Βουλγάροις χιλίοις τὸν ἀριθμόν. οἱ δὲ Βούλγαροι θαρροῦντες τῇ εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Χαγάνου ἀμερίμνως ἐβάδιζον· οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς τοὺς Βουλγάρους τὰς ὁρμὰς ἐποιοῦντο. οἱ δὲ Βούλγαροι ἀποστέλλουσιν ἄνδρας ἑπτὰ παραινοῦντες μὴ παραλῦσαι τὴν εἰρήνην. τούτων ἀκούσαντες οἱ προτρέχοντες μηνύουσι τῷ στρατηγῷ ταῦτα. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς ἔφη· "οὐδὲ εἰ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ παρέλθῃ, τούτων φείσομαι." συμβολῆς δὲ πολέμου γενομένης, τρέπονται Ῥωμαῖοι. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι οὐκ ἐδίωξαν αὐτούς, ἵνα μὴ νικῶντες κινδύνῳ περιπέσωσιν. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τὸν ταξίαρχον τῶν προτρεχόντων χαλεπῶς ἐμαστίγωσεν. τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ Χαγάνος πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον ἐξέπεμψε τὴν ἔναρξιν αἰτιώμενος, καὶ ὡς Ῥωμαῖοι ἄνευ δικαίας αἰτίας τὴν εἰρήνην διέλυσαν. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀπατηλοῖς λόγοις χρησάμενος μὴ εἰδέναι τὴν κίνησιν διϊσχυρίζετο, διπλασίονα δὲ διδόναι τὰ σκῦλα ἅπαντα· καὶ οὕτως ἐν μοίραις δύο οἱ βάρβαροι τὰ ἀπολωλότα σκῦλα ἀναλαβόντες στέγουσι τὴν εἰρήνην. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος κατὰ Πηραγάστου, τοῦ ἐξάρχου τῶν Σκλαυινῶν, χωρεῖ, οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι περὶ τὴν ὄχθαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τούτοις ὑπαντήσαντες διεκώλυον τοῦ περᾶσαι. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἀπὸ τῶν πορθμίων τοξεύοντες τούτους ἀπέστρεψαν· καὶ τραπέντων αὐτῶν, πλήττεται κατὰ 276 τῆς λαγόνος ὁ Πηράγαστος καὶ θνήσκει. περάσαντες δὲ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι αἰχμαλωσίας πολλῆς ἐκράτησαν καὶ εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐπανέζευξαν. πλανηθέντων δὲ τῶν ὁδηγῶν καὶ ἀνύδροις τόποις περιπεσόντων, ἐκινδύνευε τὸ στρατόπεδον· βαδίσαντες τοίνυν διὰ