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was being guarded by Alexander, and he challenged the Mysians as if to battle. For it was not possible to attack their camp because the pass was rough and narrow and guarded by them. And having spent the day there under arms, since no one came out to oppose him, he returned again to his own camp. And not many days later he came again, leading his army armed for battle, and spent the day just as before at the entrances of the narrows. But not even so did the Mysians dare to come out into the open space and contend with the emperor on equal terms. But he returned again to his own camp, having struck terror into the barbarians with his boldness. But Alexander, seeing that he was now unable to stand against the emperor in a pitched battle, sent an embassy and negotiated for peace. And he demanded that each side keep what they held, and abstain from war. But the emperor said that he had neither started the war himself, nor deprived the Mysians of any of their possessions; but being wronged by them as they were starting a war, he was compelled to defend himself, and to recover what had been taken by them. And that he was still deprived of Anchialus, which if he should recover, he was ready to make a peaceful treaty with them. And yet, if he had been contentious 1.462 and inexorable regarding restitutions, he ought to have shown all zeal, so as to acquire for himself by war some of their possessions as well. But because both armies held to the same religion; and besides, because peace seems more desirable than any war, he would rather choose it, if only he might recover his own possessions. But Alexander insisted that he himself was doing no wrong; for Anchialus and the other towns, which he had taken, did not belong to the Romans more than to the Mysians. For they had been subject to those who reigned before him for a considerable time. Therefore, the emperor was doing more wrong by demanding Anchialus in addition to what he had taken. But the emperor replied that one should not make injustice a matter of right, nor think that because they had deprived them for a time, it was just for this reason to deprive them forever. For such cities were not only subjects of the Romans from ancient times, but most of them were both founded and settled by them, having sent out colonies; but only yesterday and the day before had the Mysians made them their own, from the time of king Sventislav, who had married his sister, when the war against the Catalans and the Persians had been started by the Romans; who had done the most harm to their affairs, on account of whom they had not been able to recover these things from them. and that now he was doing no wrong, but was holding what was his and demanding what was missing, which 1.463 he should give back if he desired peace; but if not, he at least could not give it up, but would try in every way to preserve his rule, Alexander, since they were encamped near each other and made their replies with little delay, said that one who was discussing rule should not use proofs and persuasive words, but should award justice with weapons and a stronger hand. By which he himself, now using them from a position of superiority, was negotiating securely about the borders of the land; but I would have easily yielded Anchialus, if it did not bring great cowardice and blame upon me and my army. For in addition to not daring to stand against you, nor to contend in a pitched battle, although you attacked us first once and twice, if we also concede Anchialus for no exchange, we will most clearly confess our defeat among all men. But for the sake of some pretext for his shame, if he wished, he could give back Diampolis and receive Anchialus. And in any case, to know precisely that, as they say, he is exchanging bronze for gold. And when this was done, he asked that he himself have what would result and that he himself be freed from shame, seeming to have an equal exchange for an equal. But the emperor, since the words seemed both friendly and worthy of acceptance, on the one hand because Anchialus was not, so to speak, different from Diampolis, and on the other hand because if he should give up anything for the sake of peace, he thought it would bring no blame upon him; and besides,

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Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐφρουρεῖτο, καὶ προὐκαλεῖτο ὡς ἐς μάχην τοὺς Μυσούς. προσβάλλειν γὰρ αὐτῶν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ οὐκ ἐνῆν διὰ τὴν δίοδον οὖσαν τραχεῖαν καὶ στενὴν καὶ φρουρουμένην ὑπ' αὐτῶν. διημερεύσας δὲ ἐκεῖ ἐν ὅπλοις, ἐπεὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντεπεξῄει, εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον στρατόπεδον πάλιν ἐπανῆλθε. καὶ ὕστερον ἡμέραις οὐ πολλαῖς πάλιν ἧκεν ἄγων ὡπλισμένην τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην, καὶ διημέρευσεν ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον πρὸς τῶν στενῶν τὰς εἰσβολάς. Μυσοὶ δὲ οὐδ' οὕτως ἐτόλμησαν εἰς τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν ἐξελθόντες ἐκ τοῦ ἴσου διαγωνίσασθαι πρὸς βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον τὸ οἰκεῖον πάλιν ἐπανέζευξε καταπλήξας τῇ τόλμῃ τοὺς βαρβάρους. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ὁρῶν ἤδη ἀδύνατος ὢν ἐκ παρατάξεως ἀντιστῆναι βασιλεῖ, πρεσβείαν πέμψας διελέγετο περὶ εἰρήνης. ἠξίου τε ἔχοντας ἑκάτερον ἃ ἔχουσι, πολέμου ἀποσχέσθαι. βασιλεὺς δὲ οὔτε πολέμου ἔφασκεν αὐτὸς ἄρξαι, οὔτε ἀποστερῆσαί τινα τῶν Μυσοῖς διαφερόντων· ἀλλ' ἀδικούμενος ὑπ' αὐτῶν πολέμου ὑπαρχόντων, ἀμύνεσθαί τε ἀναγκαίως, καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀφῃρημένα ἀνασώζεσθαι. ἀποστερεῖσθαι δὲ ἔτι Ἀγχιάλου, ἣν εἰ ἀπολήψεται, σπονδὰς θέσθαι ἕτοιμος εἶναι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρηνικάς. καίτοι γε ἐχρῆν εἰ φιλόνεικος ἦν 1.462 καὶ ἀπαραίτητος πρὸς τὰς ἀντιδόσεις, πᾶσαν ἐπιδείξασθαι σπουδὴν, ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῖς διαφερόντων τινὰ κτήσασθαι πολέμῳ. διὰ δὲ τὸ τὰ στρατεύματα ἀμφότερα τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεσθαι θρησκείας· ἄλλως θ' ὅτι καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη παντὸς πολέμου εἶναι δοκεῖ αἱρετωτέρα, μᾶλλον αὐτὴν αἱρεῖσθαι, εἰ τὰ οἰκεῖα μόνον ἀπολήψεται. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ἰσχυρίζετο ἀδικεῖν οὐδὲ αὐτός· Ἀγχίαλόν τε γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πολίσματα, ἃ ἦν ἀφῃρημένος, οὐ Ῥωμαίοις προσήκειν μᾶλλον ἢ Μυσοῖς. τοῖς γὰρ πρὸ αὐτοῦ βεβασιλευκόσιν ἐξ ἱκανοῦ εἶναι ὑποχείρια τοῦ χρόνου. διὸ καὶ μᾶλλον βασιλέα ἀδικεῖν πρὸς οἷς ἀφῄρηται ἀπαιτοῦντα καὶ Ἀγχίαλον. βασιλέως δὲ ἀποκριναμένου μὴ δεῖν τὴν ἀδικίαν ἐν δικαιώματος ποιεῖσθαι λόγῳ, μηδὲ ὅτι ἐπὶ χρόνον ἀπεστέρησαν, οἴεσθαι διὰ τοῦτο δίκαιον εἶναι καὶ διηνεκῶς ἀποστερεῖν. τὰς γὰρ τοιαύτας πόλεις οὐ μόνον ἄνωθεν ἐκ παλαιοῦ ὑπηκόους Ῥωμαίοις εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τὰς πλείους ὑπ' αὐτῶν τε ἐκτίσθαι καὶ κατῳκίσθαι ἀποικίας πεπομφότων· οὔπω δὲ χθὲς καὶ πρώην ὑφ' ἑαυτοὺς πεποιῆσθαι Μυσοὺς ἐκ τῶν Σφεντισθλάβου τοῦ βασιλέως χρόνων, ὃς ἦν τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὴν γεγαμηκὼς, τοῦ πρὸς Κατελάνους καὶ Πέρσας τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις πολέμου κεκινημένου· ὃς πλεῖστα δὴ ἐκάκωσε τὰ πράγματα αὐτοῖς, δι' ὃν οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἀνασώσεσθαι ἠδυνήθησαν ἐξ αὐτῶν. νυνί τε αὐτὸν ἀδικεῖν οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ τά τε ὄντα ἔχειν καὶ τὰ ἐλλείποντα ἀπαιτεῖν, ἃ 1.463 εἰ μὲν εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμοίη ἀποδιδόναι· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀλλ' αὐτόν γε μὴ δύνασθαι προΐεσθαι, τρόπῳ δὲ παντὶ πειράσεσθαι διασώζειν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐπεὶ ἐγγὺς ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο ἀλλήλων καὶ δι' ἐλαχίστου τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ἐποιοῦντο, οὐκ ἔφασκε δεῖν περὶ ἀρχῆς τινα διαλεγόμενον ἀποδείξεσι χρῆσθαι καὶ λόγοις πιθανοῖς, ἀλλ' ὅπλοις καὶ χειρὶ βιαιοτέρᾳ τὰ δίκαια βραβεύειν. οἷς καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὑπερέχοντος χρώμενον νυνὶ, περὶ γῆς ὅρων διαλέγεσθαι ἀσφαλῶς· ἐγὼ δὲ παρεχώρησα ἂν καὶ Ἀγχιάλου ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾴστου, εἰ μὴ πολλὴν ἐμοί τε καὶ στρατιᾷ τὴν ἀτολμίαν καὶ τὴν μέμψιν ἐπῆγε. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τολμῆσαι, μηδὲ ἐκ παρατάξεως διαγωνίσασθαι ὑμῖν, καίτοι γε ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς πρώτοις ἐπελθοῦσιν, εἰ καὶ Ἀγχιάλου ἐπ' οὐδεμιᾷ παραχωρήσομεν ἀντιδόσει, σαφέστατα δὴ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὁμολογήσομεν τὴν ἧτταν. ἀλλά τινος ἕνεκα αἰσχύνης προκαλύμματος εἰ βούλοιτο ∆ιάμπολιν ἀποδόντα, τὴν Ἀγχίαλον ἀπολαμβάνειν. πάντως δὲ εἰδέναι ἀκριβῶς, ὡς, ὅ φασι, χάλκεα χρυσείων ἀνταλλάττεται. τούτου δὲ γενομένου, αὐτόν τε ἔχειν ἃ συμβήσεται αἰτεῖ καὶ αὐτὸν αἰσχύνης ἀπηλλάχθαι, ἴσ' ἀντ' ἴσων δοκοῦντα ἔχειν. βασιλεὺς δ' ἐπεὶ ἐδόκουν οἱ λόγοι προσηνεῖς τε εἶναι καὶ ἄξιοι παραδέχεσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν Ἀγχιάλου, ∆ιαμπόλεως οὐδ' ὅσον εἰπεῖν διαφερούσης, τοῦτο δ' εἴτι καὶ πρόοιτο τῆς εἰρήνης ἕνεκα, οὐδεμίαν αὐτῷ μέμψιν ἂν οἰηθεὶς ἐπαγαγεῖν· ἄλλως τε καὶ