168

Tornikes 631 was abandoned by the rest, and his capture was inescapable from every side; both he and Batatzes took refuge in a holy temple. From there they were brought in fetters to Monomachos; and he condemned them both to the deprivation of sight, and for them the lamps of the body were immediately extinguished, and the rebellion was completely dissolved. Having thus far narrated civil wars, the account will now turn to barbarian wars. Let the attack of the Rus be set forth before the others. This nation had on many other occasions acted against the Romans, but finally being defeated, it had made treaties with the Romans and a marriage alliance, so that through the kinship by marriage the peoples might be bound together in concord, and they would visit one another for trade. And so there were at that time many Tauro-Scythians in the city of Constantine, selling their own goods and buying ours. But it happened that a quarrel arose for some of the Scythians with some Romans, and blows followed this, and wounds, and these were attended by deaths, and among the dead was numbered one of those of high rank among them. This became for the ruler of the country a pretext for the movement against us 632, and immediately having built boats, which among them are called monoxyla, very many, and having embarked in these a multitude almost exceeding number, he launched an undeclared war upon the Romans and entered the Propontis. When the emperor learned of the attack, he sent envoys to them to have them lay down their arms, since the emperor was ready, if anything had happened to their distress, to make amends and satisfaction. But the barbarian received the envoys arrogantly and uttered boastful and haughty words and sent them away dishonorably. The emperor therefore, despairing of treaties, himself also prepared for a naval battle, and since the fleet happened not to be at home, but being far away was occupied with guarding regions, he prepared some triremes and other transport ships and, having placed abundant liquid fire in them, he set them against the barbarian skiffs, and the emperor himself was present, sitting somewhere above the harbor. When much of the day had passed and the barbarians remained quiet and did not break their formation, the emperor ordered Theodorokanos to take three of the triremes and skirmish against the barbarians, in order to draw them into battle. But he did not attempt skirmishes, 633 but a full naval battle, and some of the barbarian skiffs he burned with the wet fire, and others he sank with all hands, and one he captured, having himself leaped inside, cutting some down with his sword, and striking others down and taking them captive as if through fear. When the attack against the enemy with the three triremes was so successful, the emperor gave the signal to the other transport ships, and more put to sea; seeing these approaching, the barbarians no longer thought of battle, but breaking their formation, they turned their sterns and rushed into flight. And then a certain influence from above also fought on the side of the Romans; for a harsh wind suddenly blowing from east to west and stirring up a storm was brought against the skiffs of the barbarians, and many it washed over and gave to the deep, and many it dashed against submerged rocks and reefs and broke to pieces. As for their crews, some the water covered, and others a military detachment lying in wait on the shores destroyed. And so with the multitude of the barbarians overcome, the emperor returned in triumph to the palace. This one barbarian war has thus been narrated; let be told 634 also another commotion of a nation, which at that time seized the east and grazes upon it to this day, I mean the Turks. These, then, are a certain Hunnic race dwelling in the northern parts of the Caucasian mountains, numerous and autonomous. But when the rule of the Persians, or rather of the Macedonians, which had overthrown the Persian kingdom, was overthrown by the Saracens, and then these too, having fallen into civil strife among themselves, were divided into rival factions and fought with one another,

168

ἐγκατελείφθη πρὸς τῶν λοιπῶν ὁ Τορ631 νίκης καὶ πάντοθεν αὐτῷ ἄφυκτος ἦν ἡ κατάληψις, θείῳ ναῷ προσπεφεύγασιν αὐτός τε καὶ ὁ Βατάτζης. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ πεδῆται τῷ Μονομάχῳ προσήχθησαν· ὁ δὲ στέρησιν ἀμφοῖν καταψηφίζεται τοῦ φωτός, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐσβέσθησαν εὐθὺς οἱ λύχνοι τοῦ σώματος, ἡ δ' ἀποστασία διελέλυτο τέλεον. Μέχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦδε μάχας ἐμφυλίους ὁ λόγος διηγησάμενος μεταβήσεται νῦν πρὸς μάχας βαρβαρικάς. προκείσθω δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν Ῥῶς ἡ ἐπέλευσις. τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἄλλοτε πλειστάκις κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐγένετο, ἡττηθὲν δὲ τέλος καὶ σπονδὰς πεποίητο πρὸς Ῥωμαίους καὶ κῆδος, ἵνα διὰ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν πρὸς ὁμόνοιαν τὰ γένη συνδέοιτο, καὶ παρ' ἀλλήλους ἐφοίτων ἐμπορευόμενοι. ἦσαν γοῦν καὶ τότε Ταυροσκύθαι πολλοὶ παρὰ τῇ Κωνσταντίνου, τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀποδιδόμενοι καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν ἐξωνούμενοι. συνέβη δέ τισι τῶν Σκυθῶν ἔριν γενέσθαι πρὸς Ῥωμαίους τινάς, πληγαὶ δ' ἐπηκολούθουν ταύτῃ καὶ τραύματα, τοῖς δὲ παρείποντο θάνατοι καὶ τοῖς θανοῦσι καὶ εἷς τις τῶν ἐπισήμων παρ' αὐτοῖς συνηρίθμητο. τοῦτο τῷ τῆς χώρας ἄρχοντι πρόφασις τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν συγκινήσεως 632 γέγονε, καὶ αὐτίκα πλοῖα συμπηξάμενος, ἃ παρ' αὐτοῖς μονόξυλα λέγονται, σφόδρα πολλὰ καὶ τούτοις ἐμβιβάσας πλῆθος ὑπερεκπῖπτον σχεδόν τι καὶ ἀριθμόν, ἀκήρυκτον Ῥωμαίοις ἐπέσεισε πόλεμον καὶ γίνεται τῆς Προποντίδος ἐντός. ὡς δ' ἔγνω τὴν ἐπέλευσιν ὁ κρατῶν, στέλλει παρ' αὐτοῖς τοὺς πρεσβεύσοντας καταθέσθαι τὰ ὅπλα σφᾶς, ὡς ἑτοίμως τοῦ βασιλέως, εἴ τι γέγονεν αὐτοῖς πρὸς λύπην, ἐξιασομένου καὶ θεραπεύσοντος. ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος ὑπερηφάνως τε τοὺς πρέσβεις ἐδέξατο καὶ λόγους μεγαλαύχους καὶ σοβαροὺς ἐξηρεύξατο καὶ ἀτίμως αὐτοὺς ἀπεπέμψατο. ἀπογνοὺς τοίνυν τὰς σπονδὰς ὁ κρατῶν καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς ναυμαχίαν παρεσκευάζετο, καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ ἔτυχε τὸ ναυτικὸν ἐνδημοῦν, πορρωτάτω δ' ὂν φυλακαῖς χωρῶν προσησχόλητο, τριήρεις τινὰς καὶ ὁλκάδας ἄλλας ἑτοιμασάμενος καὶ ταύταις τὸ πῦρ τὸ ὑγρὸν ἐνθέμενος ἄφθονον ἀντέταξε ταύτας τοῖς σκάφεσι τοῖς βαρβαρικοῖς, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κρατῶν παρὼν καὶ ἄνω που τοῦ λιμένος καθήμενος. ὡς δὲ τὸ πολὺ τῆς ἡμέρας παρῆλθε καὶ ἠρέμουν οἱ βάρβαροι καὶ τὴν σύνταξιν οὐ διέλυον, τρεῖς τῶν τριηρῶν ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Θεοδωροκάνῳ λαβεῖν καὶ ἀκροβολίσασθαι κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων, ἵν' αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἐπισπάσηται. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀκροβολισμοῖς ἐπεχείρησεν, 633 ἀλλὰ καθαρᾷ ναυμαχίᾳ καὶ τινὰ μὲν σκάφη βαρβαρικὰ κατέφλεξε τῷ διύγρῳ πυρί, τινὰ δὲ κατέδυσεν αὔτανδρα, ἓν δὲ κατέσχεν ἔνδον αὐτὸς εἰσπεπηδηκώς, καὶ οὓς μὲν τῷ ξίφει συγκόψας, οὓς δὲ καταπλήξας καὶ δεσμίους ὥσπερ τῷ δέει παρειληφώς. ὡς δ' οὕτω ταῖς τρισὶ τριήρεσι κατευτυχήθη ἡ κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπέλευσις καὶ ἄλλαις τῶν ὁλκάδων σύνθημα παρέσχεν ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ ἀνήγοντο πλείονες· ἃς ὁρῶντες ἐπιούσας οἱ βάρβαροι οὐκέτι μάχης ἐμέμνηντο, ἀλλὰ τὴν σύνταξιν διαλύσαντες πρύμναν ἐκρούσαντο καὶ ὡρμήκεσαν εἰς φυγήν. συνεμάχησε δὲ Ῥωμαίοις τότε καὶ ἄνωθέν τις ῥοπή· πνεῦμα γὰρ ἐξαίφνης σκληρὸν πνεῦσαν ἐξ ἑῴας πρὸς τὰ ἑσπέρια καὶ καταιγίδα κινῆσαν τοῖς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπήνεκτο σκάφεσι καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἐπέκλυσε καὶ τῷ βυθῷ παραδέδωκε, πολλὰ δ' ὑφάλοις πέτραις καὶ σκοπέλοις προσήραξε καὶ συνέτριψε. τὰ δέ γε τούτων πληρώματα, τοὺς μὲν τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκάλυψε, τοὺς δὲ σύνταγμα στρατιωτικὸν ἐφεδρεῦον ταῖς ᾐόσι διέφθειρεν. οὕτω δὲ καταπολεμηθέντος τοῦ τῶν βαρβάρων πλήθους ὁ βασιλεὺς τροπαιοφορῶν εἰς τὰ ἀνάκτορα ἐπανέζευξεν. Εἷς μὲν δὴ πόλεμος βαρβαρικὸς οὑτοσὶ δεδιήγηται, εἰρή634 σθω δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα τις συγκίνησις ἔθνους, ἣ τότε τὴν ἑῴαν διέλαβε καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν αὐτὴν ἐπιβόσκεται, τοὺς Τούρκους φημί. εἰσὶ μὲν οὖν οὗτοι γένος τι Οὐννικὸν οἰκοῦν τὰ προσάρκτια τῶν Καυκασίων ὀρῶν, πολυπληθὲς καὶ αὐτόνομον. ἐπεὶ δ' ἡ Περσῶν ἀρχὴ ἢ μᾶλλον ἡ Μακεδόνων, ἣ τὴν Περσῶν βασιλείαν καθεῖλεν, ὑπὸ Σαρακηνῶν καθῄρητο, εἶτα καὶ οὗτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους στασιάσαντες εἰς ἀντιπάλους μοίρας διῄρηντο καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἐμάχοντο,