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having been strengthened (for he did not refrain from Anchialus itself, and now also Mesembria, but not even Agathopolis itself and the surrounding areas, but he was also master of these by agreement) they demanded that he send Bulgarians, in case the Romans might move against them, coming against them, to hold them back. But they were sent out, numbering about a thousand, as the rumor had it. Emboldened by them, the Alans, after overrunning and plundering much of that region, went over to Sventoslav along with their wives and children. On account of which the Tourkopouloi were greatly distressed (for their own kinsmen who were among them were being driven out with them), and they persuade the Italians and the Persians with them, having hastened first to overtake the Alans; for they affirmed that there was no small amount of booty among them, which they had seized from the Romans by arriving first, and perhaps it would be very easy for them, having overcome the Alans. The Persians said these things, and they prevailed in their counsels; for except 602 for a few, all the wives and children of the Tourkopouloi were being held by the Alans. For this reason, they had the rest following them. But also a considerable number were left behind. for except for some whose wives were sent to the city by the Alans as the truces were prevailing ........ having previously revolted with the remaining labors ...... because of their kin, and for these reasons they ran ahead, having the rest following them. Nevertheless, a considerable number were also left behind at Kallipolis and Madytos (for it too had been captured a short while before with much slaughter by storm, on account of the grain shortage, as I have said) so that the small cities might be guarded.

19. While these things were being ordered, since it was not possible for our men to oppose so great a multitude, who were encamped in fortified positions, partly around Maroules, the commander of the army, and partly around the emperor, the emperor sent and evacuated the areas around the city, and this at a time not far from sickle and harvest. For they caused no small slaughter when they appeared. From which there was also a rumor that they themselves said, when asked by their own people how many each had killed in those years, and saying that the fallen numbered about five thousand. And so the emperor did these things; but they, carrying their 603 own baggage and supplies on wagons (and the story is that these were over four hundred), went with full force against the Alans. And having overtaken them somewhere around the passes of the Bulgarian domain, having joined a fierce battle, they fought against the Alans, who were themselves fortified by their own wagons. But many of them, putting a stop to an ignoble love of life, exchanged it for a glorious death; but they themselves, having lost many, especially of the Persian contingent, finally succeeding in the battle, as the light missiles of the Alans were exhausted and they turned to flight, they enslaved much booty. And having seized the women of age and spoils, for days they sold the plunder. From there they decided to invade Orestias suddenly, so that, having arrived, first out of such recklessness they broke down vineyards, and bitterly reaped the corn which was not yet ripe. And having come upon the market town in it, which had been burned down the day before and by the inhabitants before they invaded, and having seized it with the greatest ease, from there they began to skirmish against the city, just as they were. But those around Angelos the *pinkernes* and Chumnos the *skouterios*, arriving before the battle, entered the city, and having found there about one hundred 604 and fifty colonists from the east, with them, as was possible, they took the necessary care and, as they were, they defended themselves against the attackers. And they, attacking fiercely for eight days, did not let up from the daily battle at all. And demanding both the bones of the Caesar and the still surviving Catalans, as many of those captured when Roger the Caesar was murdered were left behind, about twenty remaining, if they would also hand over the city, they said they would suffer no harm. But as they found those inside obedient on no account, they besieged them more energetically.

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κραταιωθέντα (οὐδὲ γὰρ Ἀγχιάλου αὐτῆς, ἤδη δὲ καὶ Μεσημβρίας, ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτῆς Ἀγαθοπόλεως καὶ τῶν πέριξ ἀπέσχετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἦν ἐγκρατὴς ἐξ ὁμολο γίας) ἠξίουν πέμπειν Βουλγάρους, ἤν πῃ καὶ πρὸς αὐτῶν, ἐρ χομένων κατ' αὐτῶν, ὁρμῷεν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐφέξοντας. ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐπὶ χιλίους, ὡς ἡ φήμη εἶχε, ποσούμενοι ἐξεπέμποντο. οἷς καὶ θαρρήσαντες Ἀλανοὶ πολλὴν τὴν ἐκεῖ καταδραμόντες καὶ ληϊσάμενοι, πρὸς Ὀσφεντίσθλαβον προσεχώρουν ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις. ὧν χάριν ὑπεραλγοῦντες Τουρκόπουλοι (οἱ γὰρ αὐ τῶν οἰκεῖοι παρ' ἐκείνοις ὄντες συνεξηλαύνοντο) πείθουσιν Ἰτα λοὺς καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς Πέρσας Ἀλανοὺς καταλαμβάνειν πρό τερον σπεύσαντας· εἶναι γὰρ καὶ παρ' ἐκείνοις οὐκ ὀλίγην λείαν διεβεβαίουν, ἣν φθάσαντες ἐκ Ῥωμαίων περιεβάλοντο, καὶ τάχ' ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα προγενήσεσθαι περιγενόμενοι τῶν Ἀλα νῶν. ταῦτ' ἔλεγον Πέρσαι, καὶ ταῖς βουλαῖς περιῆσαν· πλὴν 602 γάρ τινων ὀλίγων πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες σὺν τέκνοις τῶν Τουρκοπού λων παρ' Ἀλανῶν κατείχοντο. διὰ ταῦτα ἑπομένους εἶχον καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱκανοὶ ἐάθησαν. πλὴν γάρ τινων ὡς αἱ σύζυγοι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν παρ' Ἀλανῶν ἀπεστάλησαν τὰς σπον δὰς ἐπικρατούντων ........ ἀποστατήσαντας πρότερον τοῖς λοιποῖς πόνοις ...... διὰ τοὺς οἰκείους, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα προεκ θέουσι τούτοις ἑπομένους εἶχον καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς. οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱκανοὶ ἐάθησαν παρὰ τῇ Καλλίου καὶ τῇ Μαδύτῳ (καὶ αὐτὴ γὰρ πρὸ μικροῦ σὺν φόνῳ πλείστῳ αὐτοβοεὶ διὰ τὴν σιτο δείαν ἡλίσκετο, καθάπερ μοι εἴρηται) ἐφ' ᾧ φυλάττοιντο τὰ πο λίσματα.

19. Ἅμα δὲ τούτοις προσταττομένοις, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀντι τάττεσθαι τοσούτῳ πλήθει τοὺς ἡμετέρους, οἳ δὴ ἐν μέρει μὲν περὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ Μαρούλην ἐν μέρει δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα τοῖς ὀχυροῖς κατεστρατοπεδεύοντο, πέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ πέριξ τῆς πόλεως ἀπανίστα, καὶ ταῦτ' ἤδη καιροῦ δρεπάνου οὐκ ἄπο καὶ θερισμοῦ. οὐ γὰρ ὀλίγον φόνον εἰργάζοντο ἐφιστάμενοι. ὅθεν καὶ φήμη ἦν ἐκείνους αὐτοὺς λέγειν, ἐρωτωμένων παρὰ τῶν ἰδίων πόσους ἄρα ἐν τοῖς ἐνιαυτοῖς ἐκείνοις πεφόνευκεν ἕκαστος, καὶ λεγόντων, ὡσεὶ πέντε χιλιάδας τοὺς πεσόντας συμποσωθῆ ναι. καὶ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ταῦτα· ἐκεῖνοι δ' ἐφ' ἁμαξῶν σκευάς τε 603 ἰδίας καὶ τὰ ἐφόδια φέροντες (λόγος δὲ καὶ ταύτας ὑπὲρ τὰς τετρακοσίας εἶναι) ὅλῳ ῥυτῆρι ὁμόσε τοῖς Ἀλανοῖς ᾔεσαν. καὶ δὴ περί που τὰς εἰσβολὰς τῆς τῶν Βουλγάρων ἐπικρατείας κατα λαβόντες, μάχην στήσαντες κρατερὰν Ἀλανοῖς καὶ αὐτοῖς ταῖς καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἁρμαμάξαις ὠχυρωμένοις ἐμάχοντο. ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ μὲν ἐκείνων στήσαντες τῆς ἀγενοῦς φιλοζωΐας εὐκλεῆ θάνατον ἀντηλλάξαντο· αὐτοὶ δὲ πολλοὺς ἀποβαλόντες, καὶ μᾶλλον τοῦ Περσικοῦ, τέλος τῇ μάχῃ εὐημερήσαντες, ἐξαναλωθέντων τοῖς Ἀλανοῖς τῶν κούφων βελῶν κἀκείνων εἰς φυγὴν τραπέντων, πολ λὴν λείαν ἐξηνδραπόδισαν. καὶ τὰς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ γυναῖκας καὶ λά φυρα ληϊσάμενοι ἐς ἡμέρας ἐλαφυροπώλουν. εἰσβαλεῖν ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐς Ὀρεστιάδα ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνηδὸν ἔγνωσαν, ἵνα γεγονότες πρῶτα μὲν ἐξ ἀτασθαλίας τόσης ἀμπέλους μὲν κατέκλων, λήϊα δὲ μήπω παρηβηκότα πικρῶς ἐξεθέριζον. ἐντυχόντες δὲ καὶ τῷ κατ' αὐ τὴν ἐμπορίῳ πυρποληθέντι τῇ προτεραίᾳ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐποίκων πρὶν αὐτοὺς εἰσβαλεῖν, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ῥᾷστα κατασχόντες, ἐκεῖθεν κατὰ τοῦ ἄστεος, ὡς εἶχον, ἠκροβολίζοντο. ἀλλ' οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν πιγκέρνην Ἄγγελον καί γε τὸν Σκουτέριν Χοῦμνον προτερήσαντες τῆς μάχης εἰσῆλθον τὸ ἄστυ, καί που περὶ τοὺς πεντήκοντα καὶ 604 ἑκατὸν ἀπῳκηκότας ἐξ ἀνατολῆς καταλαβόντες ἐκεῖ σὺν τούτοις, ὡς δυνατόν, τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἐπιμέλειαν ἐποιοῦντο καὶ ὡς εἶχον τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο. οἱ δὲ ἐφ' ἡμέραις ὀκτὼ σφοδρῶς ἐπι τιθέμενοι οὐδὲν τῆς καθ' ἡμέραν μάχης ἠφίεσαν. ἀπαιτοῦντες δὲ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος ὀστᾶ καὶ τοὺς ἔτι περιόντας τῶν Κατε λάνων, ὅσοι τῶν ἁλόντων τοῦ Ῥοντζερίου φονευθέντος Καίσαρος κατελείφθησαν, περί που τοὺς εἴκοσιν ἐναπολειφθέντας, εἰ καὶ τὸ ἄστυ παραδοῖεν, ἔφασκον μηδὲν ἄχαρι πείσεσθαι. ὡς δ' ἐπὶ μηδενὶ τοὺς ἐντὸς πειθηνίους εἶχον, ἐνεργέστερον ἐπολιόρκουν.