133

at night they came upon the Helibacia river. Since there was a thicket on the opposite side of the river, the barbarians, hiding in it, shot arrows at those drawing water; therefore, a great outrage having been committed against the Roman troops, they turned to flight, having been defeated by the barbarians. And Maurice, having heard these things, removed Peter from the generalship and sent Priscus again as general of Thrace. Year of the world 6090. Year of the divine incarnation 590. Maurice, emperor of the Romans, 20 years. 16th year. Chosroes, emperor of the Persians, 39 years. 10th year. Cyriacus, bishop of Constantinople, 11 years. 4th year. Amos, bishop of Jerusalem, 8 years. 6th year. Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria, 27 years. 19th year. Anastasius, bishop of Antioch, 6 years. 4th year. In this year Priscus the general, going out into Thrace, numbered the forces and found that a great multitude of them had perished. Taking these up, he arrived at the Ister river at Novae. But the Khagan, learning this, sent envoys to inquire the reason for his arrival. Priscus made the excuse that he had come for hunting. But the Khagan says, "It is not right to hunt in another's territory;" but Priscus said the place was his own and reproached the Khagan for his flight from the east. But the barbarian demolished the wall of Singidunum, and advanced into the land of the Romans. Learning this, Priscus came to the island of the Ister, and taking dromons, he came to the Khagan at Constantiola, wishing to speak with him. When the Khagan came to the bank of the river, Priscus spoke from the ship 277. And the Khagan said to him: "What have you to do, Priscus, with my land? And do you wish to take this from my hands through falsehood? God will judge between me and Maurice the emperor. He will demand the blood of the army of the Romans and of my army from his hands." And Priscus said: "Give back the city of Singidunum to the Romans." And he said, "You attempt to take one city from us. You will see after a little while fifty Roman cities enslaved to the Avars. But Priscus, bringing the ships up to Singidunum by way of the river, sacked it and drove the Bulgars out of it and began to build the wall. But the Khagan sent messengers to him and called his falsely named gods to witness, blaming Priscus for what had happened. And when winter came on, each side withdrew to their own territories. In the same year Peter, the brother of Maurice, built the church of the holy Theotokos of Areobindus, adorning it with various marbles; likewise also Cyriacus the patriarch, the church of the holy Theotokos at the Diaconissa. 17th. 11th. 5th. 7th. 20th. 5th. In this year the Khagan, having gathered the forces around him, advanced against Dalmatia and, having captured Balce and the 40 cities around it, he sacked them all. But Priscus, having learned these things, sent Guduin to spy on what was being done; and overtaking the barbarians as he was making his way through difficult country, he came upon two barbarians who were stupefied with wine; and Guduin questioned them about the movements of the barbarians. And they said that the Khagan had handed over the captives to two thousand hoplites and sent them to their own country. Guduin, having learned these things, hid in a small ravine, and at dawn, coming upon their rear, he suddenly slew them all; and taking the captives, he brought them to Priscus. But the Khagan, learning of the failure 278, returned to his own country; and Priscus returned to his own. Year of the world 6092. Year of the divine incarnation 592. Maurice, emperor of the Romans, 20 years. 18th year. Chosroes, emperor of the Persians, 39 years. 12th year. Cyriacus, bishop of Constantinople, 11 years. 6th year. Amos, bishop of Jerusalem, 8 years. 8th year. Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria, 27 years. 21st year.

133

τῆς νυκτὸς περιτυγχάνουσι τῷ Ἡλιβακίᾳ ποταμῷ. λόχμης δὲ εἰς τὸ ἀντιπέρα ὑπούσης τῷ ποταμῷ, οἱ βάρβαροι ἐν ταύτῃ κρυπτόμενοι τοὺς ἀρυομένους τὸ ὕδωρ ἐτόξευον· μεγάλης τοίνυν ἐπηρείας τοῖς Ῥωμαϊκοῖς γενομένης στρατεύμασιν, πρὸς φυγὴν ἐχώρησαν καταπολεμηθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων. ὁ δὲ Μαυρίκιος ταῦτα ἀκηκοὼς τὸν Πέτρον τῆς στρατηγίας ἀπέπαυσε καὶ τὸν Πρίσκον πάλιν στρατηγὸν τῆς Θρᾴκης ἀπέστειλεν. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛϟʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη φϟʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ἔτη κʹ. ιϛʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ἔτη λθʹ. ιʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Κυριακὸς ἔτη ιαʹ. δʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἀμὼς ἔτη ηʹ. ϛʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. ιθʹ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος Ἀναστάσιος ἔτη ϛʹ. δʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Πρίσκος ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐξελθὼν ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ τὰς δυνάμεις ἠρίθμησε καὶ εὗρεν ὅτι πλῆθος πολὺ διεφθάρη ἐξ αὐτῶν. τούτους δὲ ἀναλαβὼν παραγίνεται εἰς τὸν Ἴστρον ποταμὸν εἰς Νόβας. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τοῦτο μαθὼν πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψε τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθανόμενος τῆς ἀφίξεως. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος προεφασίσατο διὰ κυνηγέσια ἐληλυθέναι. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος, "οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστιν," φησίν "ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ τόπῳ κυνηγεῖν·" ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος ἴδιον ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸν τόπον καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀνατολῆς ἀπόδρασιν τῷ Χαγάνῳ ὠνείδιζεν. ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος τῆς Σιγγιδόνος τὸ τεῖχος κατέλυσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Ῥωμαίων γῆν ἐχώρει. τοῦτο μαθὼν Πρίσκος παραγίνεται εἰς τὴν νῆσον τοῦ Ἴστρου, καὶ παραλαβὼν δρόμωνας παραγίνεται πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον εἰς Κωνσταντίολα, θέλων αὐτῷ ὁμιλῆσαι. ἐλθόντι δὲ τῷ Χαγάνῳ πρὸς τὴν ὄχθαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὁ Πρίσκος ἀπὸ τῆς νηὸς 277 διελέγετο. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· "τί σοι, Πρίσκε, καὶ τῇ γῇ τῇ ἐμῇ; καὶ ταύτην βούλει διὰ ψεύδους λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς ἀναμέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ Μαυρικίου τοῦ βασιλέως. ἐκζητήσει τὸ αἷμα τοῦ στρατοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ τοῦ ἐμοῦ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ." ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος ἔφη· "Σιγγιδόνα τὴν πόλιν ἀπόδος τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις" ὁ δὲ ἔφη, "σὺ μίαν πόλιν ἐγχειρεῖς παρ' ἡμῶν λαβεῖν. ὄψει μετ' ὀλίγον πεντήκοντα πόλεις Ῥωμαϊκὰς δουλουμένας Ἀβάροις. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰς ναῦς τῇ Σιγγιδόνι παραστησάμενος ταύτην ἐπόρθησε καὶ τοὺς Βουλγάρους ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐξεδίωξε καὶ τὸ τεῖχος κτίζειν ἀπήρξατο. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος ἀγγέλους πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπέστειλε καὶ τοὺς ψευδωνύμους ἑαυτοῦ θεοὺς διεμαρτύρατο καταιτιώμενος τῶν γινομένων τὸν Πρίσκον. χειμῶνος δὲ καταλαβόντος, ἑκάτεροι εἰς τὰ ἴδια ὑπεχώρησαν. Τῷ δ' αὐτῷ ἔτει Πέτρος, ὁ ἀδελφὸς Μαυρικίου, ἔκτισε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου τῶν Ἀρεοβίνδου κοσμήσας αὐτὴν ἐκ διαφόρων μαρμάρων· ὁμοίως καὶ Κυριακὸς ὁ πατριάρχης τὰ ∆ιακονίσσης τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῆς ἁγίας θεοτόκου. ιζʹ. ιαʹ. εʹ. ζʹ. κʹ. εʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει συναθροίσας ὁ Χαγάνος τὰς περὶ αὐτὸν δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὴν ∆αλματίαν ἐχώρησε καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Βάλκης καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτὴν μʹ πόλεις πάσας ἐπόρθησεν. ὁ δὲ Πρίσκος ταῦτα μεμαθηκὼς Γουδούην ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ τῶν πραττομένων ἀπέστειλεν· καὶ καταλαβὼν τοὺς βαρβάρους διὰ δυσβάτων χωρίων τὴν βάδισιν ποιούμενος, περιτυγχάνει δύο βαρβάροις τῷ οἴνῳ κεκαρωμένοις· καὶ τούτους διηρώτα ὁ Γουδούης τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων κινήματα. οἱ δὲ ἔφασαν δισχιλίοις ὁπλίταις τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τὸν Χαγάνον παραδεδωκέναι καὶ πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀποστεῖλαι. ταῦτα ὁ Γουδούης μεμαθηκὼς κρύπτεται ἐν μικρᾷ φάραγγι, καὶ ἐξ ἑωθινοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ νῶτα τούτων γενόμενος ἀθρόως πάντας ἀνεῖλεν· καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν λαβὼν πρὸς τὸν Πρίσκον ἤγαγεν. ὁ δὲ Χαγάνος τὰ τῆς ἀποτυχίας 278 μαθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπανέζευξε χώραν· καὶ ὁ Πρίσκος ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ ἴδια. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛϟβʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη φϟβʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος ἔτη κʹ. ιηʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ἔτη λθʹ. ιβʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Κυριακὸς ἔτη ιαʹ. ϛʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ἀμὼς ἔτη ηʹ. ηʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Εὐλόγιος ἔτη κζʹ. καʹ.