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Nicholas Mavrokatakalon and other chosen leaders of the infantry, and was considering what should be done. Therefore at that time it was judged necessary to summon the chiefs of the foreign troops, both Uzas (he was of the Sauromatae) and Karatzas the Scythian and the half-barbarian Monastras, and to arrange that they should go and prepare to light fifteen or more torches at each tent, so that the Cumans, seeing so many torches, might think the Roman army was countless, and thence being terrified might not attack them boldly in the future. And this having happened inspired great fear in the souls of the Cumans. But the emperor, having armed himself in the morning and having taken up the forces under him, rushed against them; and when battle had been joined on both sides, the Cumans turned their backs. And the emperor, having divided the army, sent the light-armed troops ahead to pursue, while he himself pursued, riding hard after the fugitives. And having overtaken them around the Iron Pass, he killed many, and took very many captive. 10.4.11 But those of the Cumans who had been sent ahead, having taken all the booty, had withdrawn. And the emperor, having remained all night on the ridge of the Iron Pass, although the winter was severe, reached Goloe as day was dawning. And having stayed there for one day and night in order to honor all who had fought bravely and to deem them worthy of the greatest gifts, and having put his plan into action and having sent everyone home with gladness, he reached the palace in two days and nights.

10.5.1 And having recovered himself a little from his many labors, since he found the Turks overrunning the interior of Bithynia and plundering everything, while the affairs of the west on the other side were drawing the emperor to themselves, laboring more in these matters than in those (for the labor was more towards the urgent matter), he devised a plan truly magnificent and worthy of his soul, and for the security of Bithynia he trenched off their incursions by means of such a construction; and it is worthwhile to describe that construction. 10.5.2 For the river Sangarius and the coast extending in a straight line as far as the place Chele and which bends towards the north, enclose much land within. This land, therefore, the sons of Ishmael, who from of old have been wicked neighbors to us, due to the great lack of anyone to hinder them, easily plundered both through the Maryandeni and those beyond the Sangarius, and especially afflicted the region of Nicomedia, crossing the river. The emperor therefore, checking such an attack of the barbarians and the raiding of the country, and securing especially the region of Nicomedia, seeing a very long ditch below Lake Baanes and having followed it to its end, perceived from both its position and its shape that the place had not been trenched by chance nor tunneled naturally, but was the contrivance of some hand. Therefore, having inquired curiously about the place, he learned from some people that Anastasius Dicorus had overseen such a canal. With what intention, they could not say; but it seemed to the emperor Alexios, that that emperor had wished to divert water from the lake into this man-made channel. Having been led to such a thought, therefore, the emperor Alexios ordered the ditch to be dug out to a very sufficient depth. 10.5.3 And fearing lest the parts of the rivers at the confluence of the streams might ever become fordable, he erected a very strong fortress, having security and inaccessibility from all sides, both from the river and from the height and thickness of its wall-building; whence also it received the name of "Iron". And now this little iron tower is a city before a city and

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Νικόλαον τὸν Μαυροκατακαλὼν καὶ ἑτέρους τῶν ἐκκρίτων ἡγεμόνων τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ καὶ τί χρὴ ποιεῖν διεσκοπεῖτο. ∆έον οὖν τηνικαῦτα ἐκρίθη μεταπέμψασθαι τοὺς τῶν ἐθνι κῶν ἀρχηγούς, τόν τε Οὐζᾶν (ἐκ Σαυροματῶν δὲ οὗτος) καὶ Καρατζᾶν τὸν Σκύθην καὶ τὸν μιξοβάρβαρον Μονα στρᾶν, καὶ παρασκευάσασθαι ἵνα ἀπελθόντες παρασκευά σωσιν ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ σκηνῇ πεντεκαίδεκα καὶ πλείους ἀνάψαι πυρσούς, ὥστε τοὺς Κομάνους τοὺς τοσούτους πυρσοὺς θεασαμένους ἀπειροπληθὲς τὸ ῥωμαϊκὸν νομίσαι στρά τευμα κἀντεῦθεν ἐκδειματωθέντες τοῦ λοιποῦ μὴ θαρσα λέως τούτοις προσβαλεῖν. Τοῦτο δὲ γεγονὸς ταῖς τῶν Κομάνων ψυχαῖς φόβον μέγαν ἐνίησιν. Ὁ δέ γε αὐτοκράτωρ πρωΐας ὁπλισάμενος καὶ τὰς ὑπ' αὐτὸν δυνάμεις ἀναλαβό μενος ἵεται κατ' αὐτῶν· πολέμου δὲ ἐξ ἑκατέρων συρρα γέντος οἱ Κόμανοι τὰ νῶτα διδόασιν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διε λὼν τὸ στράτευμα τοὺς μὲν ψιλοὺς ἔμπροσθεν διώκειν ἐκπέπομφεν, αὐτὸς δὲ φευγόντων ἀκρατῶς ἐλαύνων ἐδίωκε. Τούτους δὲ περὶ τὴν Σιδηρᾶν Κλείσουραν καταλαβὼν πολ λοὺς μὲν ἀναιρεῖ, πλείστους δὲ καὶ ζωγρίαν ἄγει. 10.4.11 Οἱ δέ γε προπεμφθέντες τῶν Κομάνων τὴν λείαν πᾶσαν ἀνα λαβόμενοι ὑπεχώρησαν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς περὶ τὴν ἀκρολοφίαν τῆς Σιδηρᾶς Κλεισούρας παννύχιος διατελέσας χειμῶνος ὄντος σφοδροῦ, αὐγαζούσης ἤδη ἡμέρας τὴν Γολόην κατείληφεν. Ἐκεῖσε δὲ ἡμερονύχθιον ἓν διακαρτερήσας ἐφ' ᾧ τιμῆσαι πάντας τοὺς ἀνδρικῶς ἀγωνισαμέ νους καὶ δωρεῶν μεγίστων ἀξιῶσαι καὶ τὸ βουλευθὲν εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγὼν καὶ μετ' εὐφροσύνης πάντας ἐκπέμψας οἴκαδε ἐν δυσὶ νυχθημέροις κατείληφε τὰ βασίλεια.

10.5.1 Καὶ μικρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀνακτησάμενος τῶν πολλῶν μόχθων, ἐπεὶ τοὺς Τούρκους τὰ ἐντὸς Βιθυνίας κατατρέχοντας εὗρε καὶ λῃζομένους ἅπαντα, τῶν δυτικῶν πραγ μάτων ἐκ θατέρου μέρους πρὸς ἑαυτὰ ἐπισπωμένων τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, πλέον ἐν τούτοις ἢ ἐν ἐκείνοις κάμνων (πρὸς γὰρ τὸ κατεπεῖγον μᾶλλον ὁ πόνος ἦν) ἐπίνοιαν ἐπινοεῖται μάλα μεγαλουργὸν καὶ ἀξίαν τῆς ἐκείνου ψυχῆς καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν Βιθυνίας ἀποταφρεύει τὰς ἐκείνων καταδρομὰς διὰ τοιαύτης κατασκευῆς· ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τὴν κατασκευὴν ἐκείνην διηγήσασθαι. 10.5.2 Ὁ γὰρ Σάγγαρις ποταμὸς καὶ ἡ παραλία ἡ μέχρι τοῦ χωρίου Χηλῆς ἰθυτενῶς καταφερο μένη καὶ ἡ πρὸς βορρᾶν ἀνακάμπτουσα πολλὴν ἔνδον περι κλείουσι χώραν. Ταύτην τοίνυν τὴν χώραν πονηροὶ γείτο νες γεγονότες ἡμῖν ἀνέκαθεν οἱ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ κατὰ πολλὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν κωλυόντων διά τε Μαρυανδηνῶν καὶ τῶν πέραν Σαγγάρεως ῥᾳδίως κατελῄζοντο καὶ μᾶλλον τὴν Νικομήδους ἐπέθλιβον τὸν ποταμὸν διαπεραιούμενοι. Τὴν τοιαύτην τοίνυν ὁρμὴν ἀνακόπτων τῶν βαρβάρων ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὴν τῆς χώρας καταδρομὴν καὶ μάλιστα τὴν Νικομή δους ἀσφαλιζόμενος κατωτέρω τῆς Βαάνης λίμνης μακρό τατον ὄρυγμα κατιδὼν καὶ παρακολουθήσας αὐτῷ μέχρι πέρατος κατενόει ἀπό τε τῆς θέσεως καὶ τοῦ σχήματος, ὡς ἄρα ὁ τόπος οὐκ ἐκ ταὐτομάτου διαβεβόθρωται οὐδὲ συσσεσηράγγωται φυσικῶς, ἀλλὰ χειρός τινος ὑπῆρχε μηχάνημα. Πολυπραγμονήσας οὖν τὸ τοῦ τόπου μανθάνει παρά τινων, ὡς ἄρα τῆς τοιαύτης διώρυχος Ἀναστάσιος ὁ ∆ίκουρος ἐπεστάτησε. Τί μὲν βουλόμενος, οὐκ εἶχον λέγειν· ἐφαίνετο δ' οὖν τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἀλεξίῳ, ὡς δὴ ὁ αὐτο κράτωρ ἐκεῖνος ἐβούλετο ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης ὕδωρ μετοχετεύειν ἐς ταυτηνὶ τὴν χειροποίητον χαράδραν. Πρὸς τοιαύτην τοίνυν ἐνθύμησιν ἀναχθεὶς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Ἀλέξιος τήν τε τάφρον εἰς βάθος ἱκανώτατον διορύσσειν ἐκέλευε. 10.5.3 ∆εδοικὼς δὲ μή ποτε καὶ πορεύσιμα γένοιτο τὰ τῶν ποτα μῶν κατὰ τὰς συναφὰς τῶν ῥευμάτων, ἀνιστᾷ φρούριον ἐρυμνότατον, πανταχόθεν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς καὶ τὸ ἀνεπιχείρη τον ἔχον ἀπό τε τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ τῆς εἰς ὕψος καὶ πάχος τειχοποιίας· ὅθεν καὶ τὴν σιδηρᾶν ἀπηνέγκατο κλῆσιν. Καὶ ἔστι νῦν τὸ σιδηροῦν τουτὶ πυργίον πόλις πρὸ πόλεως καὶ