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they rejoiced, and prayed for the magistros who was commanding them well. 11 But the emir of Crete, called Kouroupas, made known the events to the neighboring Agarenes of Spain and Africa and was asking for aid and alliance. And they, sending swift galleys to learn about the commander and the army and the condition and the subordination of the army to their commander, indeed arrived at Crete with great speed, and by night by means of a rope they entered the fortress, and meeting the emir Kouroupas and the leading men of the fortress, knowing them to be in helplessness and listlessness and despair as to what they should do against the Roman army and the magistros, embracing the necks of those who had been sent they uttered nothing else, squeezing them with their hands, and they wept lamenting, beseeching the emirs to campaign in alliance and aid of them, and they sent them away with speed. And they, having returned, each one arrived to the emirs, and reported of the great arming and campaign of ships, and the alliance and gathering from various nations and the commander's alertness and intelligence and his faith towards God and righteousness and his aversion to all passions. And they, filled with amazement, in no way wished to give them aid or alliance. 478 12 And as the army was wintering on the island and an immense winter of rain and cold occurring, and the grain and provisions having been expended and their cloaks having been worn out and they being stripped bare, the men of the army, having become listless, wished to return home. But the brave and wise commander Nikephoros with the eloquence and sweetness of his words restrained everyone. For he said to them "Men, my brothers and fellow soldiers, let us take into our mind the fear of God; let us strive to avenge the outrage against God; let us stand bravely in Crete against the impiously armed enemies; let us take up faith, the slayer of fears; let us consider that we are inside the Syrian island. Flight from here brings great danger. Let us avenge the defilement of the virgins; seeing their honored limbs wounded, let us be pained in our hearts. The toil and the danger are not without reward. Let us stand and persevere for the battle line against the deniers of Christ, and Christ our God will work with us, and He will destroy our enemies, and the fortress of those insolent against Christ will be sacked." And when he had exhorted them with many other things, one answered on behalf of all "You have opened our hearts, Magistros. Your words have steeled and sharpened our powers and resolves. You have given wings to our minds, and we follow your counsel and command, and with you we shall die." 479 13 In the month of October of the second year of the reign of Romanos there was a shortage of wheat and barley in the city; for wheat was sold at 4 modioi for a nomisma and barley at 8 modioi. and it was possible to see the vigilant mind of Joseph taking care of the common good. Therefore he immediately sends out to the east and west to drive out grain-ships and merchant vessels and to prevent the grain-merchants from hoarding the grain; for the man was just and impartial and faithful. Therefore not much time passed in the interim, it was sold at seven or eight for a nomisma. For such was the man, diligent and fervent, that no other before or after him could be compared. 14 In the month of March the magistros called Peteinos, named Basil, was accused, at the instigation of certain evil counselors of plotting a revolt; and the emperor sends him into exile, and there he dies. But the patrikios and domestikos of the East, having been sent to the east in place of his brother, so that the godless Hamdan would not find the east unprotected and lead raids and take captives and plunder the Roman land. and having united with the general

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εχαιρον, καὶ ἐπηύχοντο τὸν καλῶς στρατηγοῦντα αὐτοῖς μάγιστρον. 11 ̔Ο δὲ ἀμηρᾶς τῆς Κρήτης, ὁ λεγόμενος Κουρούπας, τὰ συμβάντα πρὸς τοὺς ὁμόρους ̓Αγαρηνοὺς τῆς Σπανίας καὶ ̓Αφρικῆς ἐδηλοποίησεν καὶ βοήθειαν καὶ συμμαχίαν ῃτει. οἱ δὲ ἀποστείλαντες γαλέας εὐθυδρόμους τοῦ μαθεῖν τὸν ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τὸν στρατὸν καὶ τὴν κατάστασιν καὶ ὑποταγὴν τοῦ στρατοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἀρχηγὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ δὴ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ τάχους πρὸς τὴν Κρήτην ἀφίκοντο, καὶ διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς διὰ σχοινίου εἰς τὸ κά- στρον εἰσῄεσαν, καὶ τὸν ἀμηρᾶν τὸν Κουρούπαν καὶ τοὺς πρού- χοντας τοῦ κάστρου ἐντυχόντες, ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ καὶ ἀπογνώσει εἰδότες τὸ ο τι πράξαιεν κατὰ τοῦ ̔Ρωμαϊκοῦ στρατοῦ καὶ τοῦ μαγίστρου, περιπλακέντες τῷ τραχήλῳ τοὺς ἀποσταλέν- τας οὐδὲν ετερον προσεφθέγγοντο, τῇ χειρὶ σφίγγοντες, καὶ εκλαιον ὀδυρόμενοι, ἱκετεύοντες ἐκστρατεῦσαι τοὺς ἀμηράδας πρὸς συμμαχίαν καὶ βοήθειαν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ τάχος αὐτοὺς ἀπέστειλαν. οἱ δὲ παλινδρομήσαντες, πρὸς τοὺς ἀμηράδας ἀφί- κετο εκαστος, καὶ τῆς πολλῆς ἐξοπλίσεως καὶ ἐκστρατείας καρα- βίων, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν διαφόρων ἐθνῶν συμμαχίαν καὶ συγκρό- τησιν καὶ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τὴν διέγερσιν καὶ σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν πίστιν καὶ δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀποστροφὴν παντοίων παθῶν εφησαν. οἱ δὲ θάμβους πλησθέντες οὐδαμῶς ἠθέλησαν βοήθειαν η συμμαχίαν αὐτοῖς δοῦναι. 478 12 Τοῦ δὲ στρατοῦ παρακαθεζομένου ἐν τῇ νήσῳ καὶ ἀπείρου χειμῶνος καὶ ὑετοῦ καὶ κρύου γενησομένου, καὶ τῶν σι- τίων καὶ τροφῶν δαπανηθέντων καὶ τῶν περιβολαίων διαλυθέν- των καὶ γυμνωθέντων καταναρκήσαντες οἱ τοῦ στρατοῦ οικαδε ἠβουλήθησαν ἀναστρέψαι. ὁ δὲ ἀνδρεῖος καὶ συνετὸς ἡγεμὼν Νικηφόρος τῇ διαλαλιᾷ καὶ τῇ ἡδύτητι τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ πάντας κατέσχεν. εφη γὰρ πρὸς αὐτούς "ανδρες ἀδελφοί μου καὶ συ- στρατιῶται, λάβωμεν εἰς νοῦν τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον· ἀγωνισώμεθα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ υβριν ἐκδικῆσαι· στῶμεν γενναίως ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ κατ' ἐχθρῶν δυσσεβῶς ὡπλισμένων· λάβωμεν πίστιν τὴν τῶν φόβων φονεύτριαν· ἀναλογισώμεθα οτι ενδον ἐσμὲν τῆς Συριακῆς νήσου. μέγαν κίνδυνον ἡ φυγὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ωδε φέρει. ἐκδι- κήσωμεν τὰς φθορὰς τῶν παρθένων· τὰ τετιμημένα μέλη βλέ- ποντες τετρωμένα ὀδυνηθῶμεν τὰς καρδίας. οὐκ εστιν αμισθος ὁ κόπος καὶ ὁ κίνδυνος. στῶμεν καὶ καρτερήσωμεν εἰς ἀντιπαρά- ταξιν τῶν ἀρνητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ Χριστὸς ὁ θεὸς συνεργήσει ἡμῖν, καὶ ὀλέσει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν, καὶ πορθήσεται τὸ κάστρον τῶν ἀλαζόνων τοῦ Χριστοῦ." καὶ αλλα πολλὰ πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραινέσαντος ἀπεκρίθη εις ὑπὲρ πάντων "ηνοιξας ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας, μάγιστρε. ἐστόμωσαν καὶ ωξυναν οἱ λόγοι τὰς δυ- νάμεις καὶ προθέσεις ἡμῶν. ἀνεπτέρωσας τὰς διανοίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ἑπόμεθα τῇ σῇ βουλῇ καὶ προστάξει, καὶ σὺν σοὶ ἀποθα- νοῦμεν." 479 13 ̓Εν δὲ τῷ ̓Οκτωβρίῳ μηνὶ τοῦ δευτέρου ετους τῆς βασιλείας ̔Ρωμανοῦ ἐγένετο σπάνη σίτου καὶ κριθῆς ἐν τῇ πόλει· ἐκράθη γὰρ ὁ σῖτος τῷ νομίσματι μόδιοι δʹ καὶ ἡ κριθὴ μόδιοι ʹ. καὶ ην θεάσασθαι τὸν ἐγρήγορον νοῦν ̓Ιωσὴφ προνοούμενον τὸ κοινόν. εὐθὺς ουν ἐξαποστέλλει εἰς τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ δύσιν τοῦ ἐξελάσαι συνωνὰς καὶ ἐμπορευτικὰ πλοῖα καὶ τοῦ κωλῦσαι τοὺς σιτοκαπήλους ἀποτιθέναι τὸν σῖτον· ην γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ δίκαιος καὶ ἀκροσωπόληπτος καὶ πιστός. οὐ πολὺς ουν ἐν μέσῳ χρόνος παρῆλθεν, ἑπτὰ η ὀκτὼ τῷ νομίσματι ἐπράθη. τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἐν ὁ ἀνήρ, σπουδαῖος καὶ θερμός, ὡς αλλον τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ η μετ' αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐξισωθῆναι. 14 Μαρτίῳ δὲ μηνὶ ὁ λεγόμενος Πετεϊνὸς μάγιστρος κατηγορήθη Βασίλειος ὀνομαζόμενος, ὑποθήκῃ τινῶν κακοσυμ- βούλων μοῦλτον μελετῆσαι· καὶ τοῦτον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξορίᾳ πέμπει, κἀκεῖσε τελευτᾷ. ὁ δὲ πατρίκιος καὶ δομέστικος τῆς ̔Εῴας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ πεμφθεὶς ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ διὰ τὸ μὴ εὑρεῖν τὸν αθεον Χαμβδᾶν ἀσκέπαστον τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ ἐλάσαι κοῦρσα καὶ αἰχμαλωτίσαι καὶ πραιδεῦσαι τὴν ̔Ρωμαϊκὴν γῆν. καὶ ἑνωθεὶς τῷ στρατηγῷ