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powerful and from the adjacent forts, some of which were subject to the Triballi, he took by assault; and having taken thought for the other western cities, he returned again to Didymoteichon. But Michael, the king of the Mysians, having been brought to war by some disputes with Krales, the ruler of the Triballi, prepared to march against him. And knowing that the emperor was also his enemy, he sent an embassy to him, and begged him to attack Krales, as he would be easily crushed by both of them. And since it seemed to the emperor also to be the right time to exact vengeance from the Triballi for the wrongs they had done the Romans, he promised the campaign to Michael, adding that even if he himself had not called upon him, he himself had intended to march with an army against the Triballi, as he had been most greatly wronged by them; and he himself, having gathered his army and provided everything it needed, invaded the land of the Triballi through Pelagonia and ravaged some of it. And he took by assault a certain fort called Boutzounin, and Deuritzan and Doubrounin and Kaballarion and Siderokastron, also forts, he brought to surrender by agreement. And Michael himself also, marching with his whole army against the Triballi through Paeonia, encamped in a place called Belmasdin in the local tongue, looking down on the enemy, as if they would not dare to attack him. But Stephen Krales, the ruler of the Triballi, since he saw himself surrounded 1.429 on both sides by the fire of war, did not think he was able to oppose both kings by dividing his army; but chose rather the king of the Mysians as his opponent and coming himself also with his whole army, he encamped opposite him, in a strategic location, which had a narrow and difficult pass, where he stationed an infantry force to guard, so that no one might be able to go against him through it. And having sent heralds to each other, since they were irreconcilable and it seemed they must fight, they agreed to a truce for that day, intending to fight on the next. But since provisions were already failing the army of the Mysians, King Michael decided that during the truce they were observing, he should select a force and send it for grain; and the greater part of the army was scattered among the neighboring villages for plunder. But Krales, seeing the army of the Mysians scattered, and thinking it was the right time to attack Michael, who had been outmaneuvered by him, as quickly as he could, taking up his armed force and bringing with him three hundred cataphracts from the Alamani, caring little for the treaty, advanced against the Mysians. And Michael, seeing the army of the Triballi advancing, realized he had been deceived, but as quickly as he could he also armed his army, and led it out as if for battle; and before it could be drawn up in order, the Triballi fell upon them, and routed the Mysians and won a decisive victory. And some of them they killed in the battle, but as many as were taken alive, being stripped of their arms, were 1.430 released. For it is not lawful for them to enslave one another, being of the same race. But King Michael, having received a mortal wound, was captured while still alive and was led away to the enemy's camp. But he died after surviving a short while. And the Triballi plundered the camp of the Mysians. And the army that had been scattered for grain, learning of their king's defeat, some of them were caught here and there and were destroyed, but the majority of them secured their safety by flight. But Krales, after the victory, did not march against the emperor of the Romans, who was likewise pressing on and besieging the cities on the borders of his own and the Romans' dominion, but remained encamped not nearby. Whether he was gathering a larger army, as the present one did not seem to be a match for the Romans, or whether he was planning something else, remained unknown. And after a short time, it was reported to the emperor that the powerful men among the Mysians, their own king Michael having died, whether currying favor with Stephen Krales or planning something else, had driven out the emperor's sister with her children, and to Stephen's sister, who had previously been married to Michael, together with her children the

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δυνατὴ καὶ ἐκ τῶν παρακειμένων αὐτῇ φρουρίων τινὰ ὄντων ὑπηκόων Τριβαλοῖς, εἷλεν ἐξ ἐφόδου· τῶν τε ἑσπερίων ἑτέρων πόλεων προνοησάμενος, αὖθις εἰς ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐπανῆκε. Μιχαὴλ δ' ὁ τῶν Μυσῶν βασιλεὺς ἔκ τινων διαφορῶν πρὸς Κράλην τὸν Τριβαλῶν ἄρχοντα ἐκπολεμωθεὶς, παρεσκευάζετο ὡς αὐτῷ ἐπιστρατεύσων. εἰδὼς δὲ καὶ βασιλέα πολέμιον αὐτῷ ὄντα, πέμψας πρεσβείαν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἐδεῖτο αὐτοῦ ἐπιθέσθαι Κράλῃ, ὡς ὑπ' ἀμφοτέρων ῥᾳδίως ἐκτριβησομένῳ. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐδόκει καὶ βασιλεῖ καιρὸν εἶναι δίκας παρὰ Τριβαλῶν λαβεῖν ὧν ἠδίκησαν Ῥωμαίους, Μιχαὴλ μὲν ὑπέσχετο τὴν ἐκστρατείαν, προσθεὶς ὡς εἰ μὴ παρεκάλει καὶ αὐτὸς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς διενοεῖτο στρατιᾷ ἐπὶ Τριβαλοὺς ἐλθεῖν ὡς τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικημένος ὑπ' αὐτῶν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀθροίσας τὴν στρατιὰν καὶ πάντα ἐκπορισάμενος ὧν ἐδεῖτο, διὰ Πελαγονίας ἐσέβαλεν ἐς τὴν γῆν τῶν Τριβαλῶν καὶ ἔτεμέ τινα αὐτῆς. καὶ Βουτζοῦνιν μέν τι φρούριον προσαγορευόμενον εἷλεν ἐξ ἐφόδου, ∆εύριτζαν δὲ καὶ ∆ουβροῦνιν καὶ Καβαλλάριον καὶ Σιδηρόκαστρον, φρούρια καὶ αὐτὰ, παρεστήσατο ὁμολογίᾳ. Μιχαὴλ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ Παιονίας πανστρατιᾷ ἐπιστρατεύσας Τριβαλοῖς, ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἐν τόπῳ Βελμάσδιν ἐγχωρίως προσαγορευομένῳ, περιορώμενος τοὺς πολεμίους, ὡς οὐκ ἂν τολμήσοντας προσβαλεῖν αὐτῷ. Στέφανος δὲ Κράλης ὁ τῶν Τριβαλῶν ἄρχων, ἐπεὶ ἑκατέρωθεν συνεώρα τῷ πολεμίῳ πυρὶ 1.429 περισχεθεὶς, ἑκατέροις μὲν ἀντιτάξασθαι τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, διελόμενος τὴν στρατιὰν, οὐκ ᾤετο εἶναι δυνατός· εἵλετο δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν Μυσῶν βασιλέα ἀνταγωνιστὴν καὶ πανστρατιᾷ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν παρεστρατοπέδευσε μὲν αὐτῷ, ἐν ἐπικαίρῳ δὲ χωρίῳ, στενὴν ἔχοντι τὴν δίοδον καὶ σκληρὰν, ᾗ ἐπέστησε στρατιὰν πεζὴν φρουρεῖν, ὡς μή τις δύναιτο δι' αὐτῆς ἰέναι ἐπ' αὐτόν. ἐπικηρυκευσάμενοι δὲ ἀλλήλοις, ἐπεὶ ἀσυμβάτως εἶχον καὶ ἐδόκει πολεμητέα εἶναι, ἐκεχειρίαν ἄγειν συνέθεντο ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν ὡς μαχούμενοι ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν. ἐπιλελοιπότος δὲ ἤδη σίτου τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τῶν Μυσῶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς Μιχαὴλ ἔγνω δεῖν καθ' ἣν τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν ἦγον, στρατιὰν ἀπολεξάμενος, πέμψαι ἐπὶ σῖτον· καὶ διεσκέδαστο τὸ πλεῖον τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ παρακείμενα χωρία ἐφ' ἁρπαγήν. ὁρῶν δὲ ὁ Κράλης τὴν Μυσῶν διεσκεδασμένην στρατιὰν καὶ νομίσας καιρὸν εἶναι ἐπιθέσθαι Μιχαὴλ καταστρατηγηθέντι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς εἶχε τάχους, ὡπλισμένην τὴν στρατιὰν ἀναλαβὼν καὶ τριακοσίους ἐξ Ἀλαμανῶν ἐπαγόμενος καταφράκτους, ὀλίγα τῶν συνθηκῶν φροντίσας, ἐπὶ Μυσοὺς ἐχώρει. Μιχαὴλ δὲ ὁρῶν τὴν Τριβαλῶν στρατιὰν ἐπαγομένην, ἔγνω μὲν ἠπατημένος, πλὴν ὡς εἶχε τάχους καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν στρατιὰν ὁπλίσας, ἐξῆγεν ὡς ἐς μάχην· καὶ πρὶν εἰς τάξιν καταστῆναι, οἱ Τριβαλοὶ ἐπιπεσόντες, ἐτρέψαντό τε τοὺς Μυσοὺς καὶ ἐνίκων κατὰ κράτος. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτῶν παρὰ τὴν μάχην, ὅσοι δὲ ἑάλωσαν ζῶντες, γυμνούμενοι τῶν ὅπλων, ἀ 1.430 πελύοντο. οὐ γὰρ ἔξεστιν αὐτοῖς ἀλλήλους ἀνδραποδίζειν ὄντας ὁμοφύλους. βασιλεὺς δὲ ὁ Μιχαὴλ τραυματίας γενόμενος καιρίως ἑάλω μὲν ἔτι ζῶν καὶ ἀπήχθη παρὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον τῶν πολεμίων. ἐτελεύτησε δὲ μικρὸν ἐπιβιούς. τὸ δὲ στρατόπεδον τῶν Μυσῶν ἐπόρθησαν οἱ Τριβαλοί. ἡ δ' ἐπὶ τὸν σῖτον διεσκεδασμένη στρατιὰ, τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως πυθόμενοι τὴν ἧτταν, οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ἄλλοι ἄλλοσε καταλαμβανόμενοι διεφθείροντο, οἱ πλείους δὲ αὐτῶν φυγῇ ἐπορίσαντο τὴν σωτηρίαν. ὁ Κράλης δὲ μετὰ τὴν νίκην βασιλεῖ μὲν οὐκ ἐπεστράτευσε Ῥωμαίων ἐπικειμένῳ ὁμοίως καὶ πολιορκοῦντι τὰς ἐν τοῖς μεθορίοις αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας πόλεις, ἀλλ' ἔμεινεν ἐστρατοπεδευμένος οὐκ ἐγγύς· εἴτε δὲ μείζονα συναθροίζων στρατιὰν, ὡς τῆς οὔσης οὐκ ἀξιομάχου Ῥωμαίοις δοκούσης εἶναι, εἴθ' ἕτερόν τι διανοούμενος, ἔμεινεν ἐν ἀδήλῳ. μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ ἠγγέλλετο τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὡς οἱ δυνατοὶ παρὰ Μυσοῖς, τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως Μιχαὴλ ἀποθανόντος, εἴτε Στέφανον θεραπεύοντες τὸν Κράλην, εἴθ' ὅ, τι ἕτερον διανοούμενοι, τὴν μὲν βασιλέως ἀδελφὴν ἀπήλασαν μετὰ τῶν τέκνων, τῇ δὲ ἀδελφῇ Στεφάνου, ἣ πρότερον συνῴκει Μιχαὴλ, ἅμα τέκνοις τά τε