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With the battle lines already broken and the two armies having come to grips with each other, then one could see a slaughter such as no one had ever yet seen. And with the Scythians being terribly slaughtered, as if already abandoned by divine power, those who were slaughtering, exhausted by the violent and frequent motion of their swords, were fainting and were checked in their assault. But the emperor, riding out into the midst of the enemy, threw whole phalanxes into confusion, striking those who stood against him and terrifying even those far off with his battle cries. 8.5.8 And when he saw the sun casting its rays from directly overhead, it being exactly noon, he devised something like this. Having summoned some men, he sent them out for the purpose of having peasants fill wineskins with water, saddle them on their own mules, and drive them out to bring them. And having seen these men, even those from the neighboring areas who had not been summoned did this same thing, refreshing with water—one with an amphora, another with a wineskin, another with whatever vessel they happened to have—those who were delivering them from the terrible hand of the Scythians. And they, drawing a little water, again held fast to the battle. And it was possible to see a strange spectacle, a whole nation, not of ten thousand people, but surpassing all number, with women and children, utterly destroyed on this very day. It was the twenty-ninth day of the month of April, and the third day of the week. And so for this reason the Byzantines sang a little ditty, saying: "Because of one day, the Scythians did not see May." 8.5.9 And when the sun was already towards its setting and all had become the work of swords, both the children, I say, and the mothers, and many were also taken captive, the emperor, having ordered the recall to be sounded, returned to his own camp. And it was a wonder for one to behold how those who formerly went out against the Scythians, buying up ropes and thongs from Byzantium with which to lead as captives the captured Scythians, suffered the opposite, having themselves been captured by the Scythians and become prisoners. But these things were then, when the war with the Scythians took place near Dristra; for then God put down the arrogance of the Romans. But later, at the time which I am narrating, when He knew them to be terrified and to have lost their saving hopes, not having strength against so great a multitude, He unexpectedly granted the victory to them, so that they could both bind and slaughter and take captive the Scythians, and not only this (for perhaps something like this is often accustomed to happen even in partial wars), but also to annihilate a whole nation of countless thousands in one single day.

8.6.1 When the Cuman and Roman regiments had been separated from each other and the emperor at lamp-lighting time had turned to his dinner, the one called Synesios stood there displeased, saying to the emperor: "What is happening and what is this policy? Each of the soldiers has thirty or more Scythian prisoners. The multitude of the Cumans is near us. If, then, the soldiers should fall asleep, as indeed they must, being so exhausted, and the Scythians, having loosed one another and having drawn their scimitars, will kill them, what will be left? But order the majority of them to be killed quickly." But the emperor, looking at him sternly, said: "Even if they are Scythians, they are still men, and even if they are enemies, they are still worthy of pity; and I do not know what has possessed you to speak such nonsense." And he sent away the one who was insisting with anger. 8.6.2 He then ordered a proclamation to be made to the whole army, that having collected all the weapons of the Scythians, they should deposit them in one place, and guard the prisoners. Having ordered these things, he was without care for the rest of the night. And around the middle watch of the night, whether from a divine voice or how, I do not know, nevertheless, as if from one small signal, all the soldiers

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διασπασθείσης ἤδη καὶ προσ χωρησάντων ἀλλήλοιν τοῖν στρατοπέδοιν ἀνδροκτασίαν ἦν θεάσασθαι τηνικαῦτα, ὁποίαν οὐδείς πω ἐθεάσατο. Τῶν δὲ Σκυθῶν δεινῶς ἀποσφαττομένων ὡς ἐγκαταλειφθέντων ἤδη ὑπὸ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως κεκοπιακότες οἱ σφάττοντες τῇ σφοδρᾷ καὶ πυκνῇ κινήσει τῶν ξιφῶν λειποθυμοῦντες ἀνεκόπτοντο τῆς ὁρμῆς. Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐξιππαζόμενος ὅλας συνετάραττε φάλαγγας πλήττων μὲν τοὺς ἀντικαθισταμένους, καταπτήσσων δὲ καὶ τοὺς πόρρω τοῖς ἐμβοήμασιν. 8.5.8 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸν ἥλιον ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τὰς ἀκτῖνας βάλλοντα ἑώρα μεσημβρίας ἀπαρτὶ οὔσης, προμηθεύεταί τι τοιοῦτον. Μεταπεμψάμενός τινας ἀποστέλλει ἐφ' ᾧ ἀγρότας ἀσκοὺς πλήσαντας ὕδατος καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπισάξαντας ἡμιόνοις ἐξελάσαντας ἀγαγεῖν. Τούτους δὲ ἤδη θεασάμενοι καὶ οἱ μὴ προσκληθέντες τῶν πλησιοχώρων τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτ' ἐποίουν τοὺς τῆς δεινῆς τῶν Σκυθῶν χειρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάττοντας ὁ μὲν δι' ἀμφορέως, ὁ δὲ δι' ἀσκοῦ, ὁ δὲ δι' ὁποίου τύχοιεν ἄγγους ἀναψύχοντες ὕδατι. Οἱ δὲ μικρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος σπώμενοι αὖθις τῆς μάχης ἀντείχοντο. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν θέαμα καινόν, ἔθνος ὅλον, οὐ μυριάνθρωπον, ἀλλ' ἀριθμὸν ἅπαντα ὑπερβαῖνον, σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἄρδην κατὰ ταυτηνὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἀπο λωλός. Ἦν δὲ μηνὸς Ἀπριλλίου εἰκοστὴ πρὸς τῇ ἐννάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, τρίτη δὲ τῆς ἑβδομάδος. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ παρῴδιόν τι οἱ Βυζάντιοι ἐπῇδον φάσκοντες· «∆ιὰ μίαν ἡμέραν οἱ Σκύθαι τὸν Μάϊον οὐκ εἶδον». 8.5.9 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ ἥλιος πρὸς δυσμαῖς ἤδη ἦν καὶ ἅπαντες μὲν ξιφῶν ἔργον γεγόνασι, καὶ τὰ τέκνα φημὶ καὶ αἱ μητέρες, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ζωγρία ἐλήφθησαν, τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ κελεύσας ἠχῆσαι πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπάνεισι παρεμβολήν. Καὶ ἦν τῷ κατα νοοῦντι θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι πῶς οἱ πάλαι κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐξερχόμενοι καλῴδια τοῦ Βυζαντίου ἐξωνούμενοι καὶ ἱμάντας, δι' ὧν δεσμώτας ἄγοιεν τοὺς τῶν Σκυθῶν ἑαλω κότας, τοὐναντίον πεπόνθασιν αὐτοί τε παρὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἑαλωκότες καὶ δεσμῶται γενόμενοι. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τότε, ὁπηνίκα κατὰ τὴν ∆ρίστραν ὁ μετὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν γέγονε πόλεμος· καὶ γὰρ τὸ φρύαγμα τότε τῶν Ῥωμαίων καθεῖλε Θεός. Ἐν ὑστέροις δέ, καθ' ὃν ὑφηγοῦμαι καιρόν, ὁπηνίκα περιδεεῖς τούτους ἔγνω καὶ τὰς σῳζούσας ἀπολωλεκότας ἐλπίδας πρὸς τοσαῦτα πλήθη μὴ ἐξισχύοντας, τὴν νίκην παραδόξως ἐχαρίσατο τούτοις, ὡς καὶ δεσμεῖν καὶ σφάτ τειν καὶ ζωγρίαν ἄγειν τοὺς Σκύθας, οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον (τάχα γάρ τι τοιοῦτον κἀν τοῖς μερικοῖς τῶν πολέμων πολ λάκις εἴωθε γίνεσθαι), ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅλον ἔθνος μυρίανδρον κατὰ μίαν καὶ μόνην ἀφανίσαι ἡμέραν.

8.6.1 Τῶν ταγμάτων δὲ τοῦ τε κομανικοῦ καὶ ῥωμαϊκοῦ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διακριθέντων καὶ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς πρὸς δεῖπνον ἀπιδόντος δυσχεραίνων εἱστήκει ὁ καλούμενος Συνέσιος· «Τί τὸ γινόμενον καὶ τίς αὕτη ἡ οἰκονομία;» λέγων πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα. «Ἕκαστος τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀνὰ τριάκοντα καὶ πλείω δεσμώτας ἔχει Σκύθας. Ἡ τῶν Κομάνων πληθὺς ἐγγὺς ἡμῶν ἐστιν. Εἰ γοῦν ὑπνώσαιεν οἱ στρατιῶται, καθά γε καὶ δεῖ, τοσοῦτον κεκοπιακότες καὶ οἱ Σκύθαι ἄλλος ἄλλον λύσαντες καὶ τοὺς ἀκινάκεις σπασάμενοι ἀναιρήσουσιν αὐτούς, τί τὸ λοιπὸν ἔσται; Ἀλλὰ κέλευσον ἀναιρεθῆναι θᾶττον τοὺς πλείονας.» Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς δριμὺ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐνιδὼν ἔφη· «Κἂν Σκύθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντως ἄνθρωποι, κἂν ἐχθροί, ἀλλ' ἐλέους ἄξιοι· αὐτὸς δ' οὐκ οἶδα τί φρονήσας ταῦτα ληρεῖς». Τὸν δ' ἐνιστάμενον μετ' ὀργῆς ἀπεπέμψατο. 8.6.2 Προσέταξε δὲ τηνικαῦτα διαλαλιὰν εἰς ἅπαν τὸ στράτευμα γενέσθαι, ἅπαντα τὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἀναλαβομένους ὅπλα εἰς ἕνα τόπον καταθέσθαι, τοὺς δὲ δεσμώτας παραφυλάττειν. Ταῦτα κελεύσας ἐν ἀμεριμνίᾳ τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς νυκτὸς ἦν. Περὶ μέσην δὲ φυλακὴν τῆς νυκτὸς εἴτ' ἐκ θείας ὀμφῆς εἴτε καὶ ὅπως οὐκ οἶδα, ὅμως δ' οὖν ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς συνθήματος μικροῦ πάντας οἱ στρατιῶται