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having appointed a sole general of all the outer cavalry themes, he sent him to the regions of Cappadocia and the kleisourai to patrol and to undertake the care and administration against the enemies. Year of the world ραʹ. Year of the divine incarnation χαʹ. Apsimar, emperor of the Romans, for ζʹ years. αʹ. Abimelech, leader of the Arabs, for κβʹ years. ιʹ. Kallinikos, bishop of Constantinople, for ιβʹ years. ʹ. In this year Apsimar took hold of the empire. and Abderachman rebelled in Persia and became master of it and drove the Chagan from it. βʹ. ιζʹ. ζʹ. In this year a great plague occurred. and Mouamed with the multitude of Arabs campaigned against Abderachman, and having seized Persia he united with the Chagan, and having fought Abderachman they killed him and again they handed over the Persian land to the Chagan. The Romans, for their part, raided Syria and came as far as Samosata, and having plundered the surrounding country they killed many, as they say, σʹ thousand Arabs; and having taken very much booty and many Arab captives they returned, having instilled great fear in them. 372 γʹ. ιηʹ. ηʹ. In this year Abdelas campaigned against Roman territory, and having besieged Tarentum and having achieved nothing he returned and he built Mopsuestia and placed guards in it. δʹ. ιθʹ. θʹ. In this year Baanes, surnamed Heptadaimon, subjected the fourth Armenia to the Arabs. Apsimar, for his part, exiled Philippikos, the son of the patrician Nikephoros, to Kephalenia because he was dreaming of being emperor; for he said he had seen in a dream that his head was being shaded by an eagle. And when the emperor heard these things, he immediately exiled him. εʹ. κʹ. ιʹ. In this year the archons of Armenia rebelled against the Saracens and killed the Saracens in Armenia. And again they send to Apsimar and bring Romans into their country. But Mouamed, campaigning against them, kills many, and he subjects Armenia to the Saracens, and having gathered the magnates of the Armenians in one place he had them burned alive. And at that time Azar campaigned against Cilicia with ten thousand; and Herakleios, the emperor's brother, encountering him, killed most of them and sent the rest as prisoners to the emperor. ʹ. καʹ. ιαʹ. In this year Azidos, the son of Chounei, campaigned against Cilicia; and while he was besieging the fort of Sision, the emperor's brother Herakleios overtook him and fighting him killed twelve thousand Arabs. And while Justinian was staying in Cherson and was publicly declaring that he was going to rule again, the inhabitants of that place, fearing the danger from the emperor, decided to kill him or send him to the emperor. But he, having found this out, was able to escape, and having fled to Daras he requested to be seen by the Chagan of the Khazars. And he, having learned of him, received him with great honor 373 and gave him to wife Theodora, his own sister. And after a short time, having made a request to the Chagan, he went down to Phanagouria and stayed there with Theodora. Apsimar, hearing these things, sends to the Chagan, promising to give him many gifts, if he would send Justinian to him alive; but if not, then at least his head. And when the Chagan yielded to such a request, he sent a guard to him, ostensibly so that he would not be plotted against by his own countrymen, having instructed Papatzys, his representative there, and Balgitzin, the archon of Bosporos, that, when it was indicated to them, they should do away with Justinian. But when these things were reported to Theodora by a servant of the Chagan and made known to Justinian, having summoned the aforementioned Papatzys to speak in private, he strangled him with a cord; and likewise also Balgitzin the archon. And immediately he sends Theodora to Khazaria, and he himself, having secretly escaped from Phanagouria, went down to Tomis. And having found an equipped fishing boat he embarked on it and

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μονοστράτηγον πάντων τῶν ἔξω καβαλλαρικῶν θεμάτων προβαλόμενος ἐπὶ τὰ μέρη Καππαδοκίας καὶ τῶν κλεισουρῶν διατρέχειν καὶ τὴν κατ' ἐχθρῶν ποιεῖσθαι φροντίδα τε καὶ διοίκησιν ἀπέστειλεν. Κόσμου ἔτη ραʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη χαʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Ἀψίμαρος ἔτη ζʹ. αʹ. Ἀράβων ἀρχηγὸς Ἀβιμέλεχ ἔτη κβʹ. ιʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Καλλίνικος ἔτη ιβʹ. ʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Ἀψίμαρος τῆς βασιλείας ἐκράτησεν. καὶ ἐστασίασεν Ἀβδεραχμὰν ἐν Περσίδι καὶ ἐκυρίευσεν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐδίωξε τὸν Χαγὰν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. βʹ. ιζʹ. ζʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει γέγονε θανατικὸν μέγα. καὶ ἐπεστράτευσε Μουάμεδ σὺν τῷ πλήθει τῶν Ἀράβων κατὰ τοῦ Ἀβδεραχμάν, καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Περσίδα ἑνοῦται τῷ Χαγάν, καὶ πολεμήσαντες τὸν Ἀβδεραχμὰν κτείνουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ πάλιν τῷ Χαγὰν τὴν Περσικὴν ἐνεχείρισαν. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι κατέδραμον Συρίαν καὶ ἔρχονται ἕως τὸ Σαμόσατον, καὶ προνομεύσαντες τὴν πέριξ χώραν πολλοὺς ἀπέκτειναν, ὥς φασιν, χιλιάδας σʹ Ἀράβων· καὶ πλεῖστα σκῦλα λαβόντες καὶ αἰχμαλωσίαν πολλὴν Ἀράβων ὑπέστρεψαν φόβον μέγαν ἐμποιήσαντες εἰς αὐτούς. 372 γʹ. ιηʹ. ηʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἐπεστράτευσεν Ἀβδελᾶς Ῥωμανίαν, καὶ πολιορκήσας Τάραντον καὶ μηδὲν ἀνύσας ὑπέστρεψε καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν Μομψουεστίαν καὶ ἔθετο ἐν αὐτῇ φύλακας. δʹ. ιθʹ. θʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Βαάνης, ὁ ἐπίκλην Ἑπταδαίμων, τὴν τετάρτην Ἀρμενίαν τοῖς Ἄραψιν ὑπέταξεν. Ἀψίμαρος δὲ Φιλιππικόν, τὸνυἱὸν Νικηφόρου τοῦ πατρικίου, εἰς Κεφαληνίαν ἐξώρισεν ὡς ὀνειροπολούμενον βασιλεύειν· ἔφασκε γὰρ ἑωρακέναι κατ' ὄναρ, ὅτι ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐσκιάζετο ὑπὸ ἀετοῦ. ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς παραχρῆμα αὐτὸν ἐξώρισεν. εʹ. κʹ. ιʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει ἐστασίασαν οἱ ἄρχοντες Ἀρμενίας κατὰ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ Σαρακηνοὺς ἀπέκτειναν. καὶ αὖθις πρὸς Ἀψίμαρον πέμπουσι καὶ Ῥωμαίους εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν χώραν φέρουσιν. ὁ δὲ Μουάμεδ ἐπιστρατεύσας κατ' αὐτῶν πολλοὺς κτείνει, καὶ τὴν μὲν Ἀρμενίαν Σαρακηνοῖς ὑποτάσσει, τοὺς δὲ μεγιστᾶνας τῶν Ἀρμενίων σωρεύσας ἐν τόπῳ ἑνὶ ζωοκαύστους ἐποίησεν. κατ' αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν χρόνον ἐπεστράτευσεν Ἄζαρ τὴν Κιλικίαν μετὰ χιλιάδων δέκα· καὶ περιτυχὼν αὐτῷ Ἡράκλειος, ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ βασιλέως, τοὺς πλείστους ἀπέκτεινε καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς δεσμίους τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀπέστειλεν. ʹ. καʹ. ιαʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Ἄζιδος, ὁ τοῦ Χουνεΐ, ἐπεστράτευσε τὴν Κιλικίαν· καὶ πολιορκήσας τὸ Σίσιον κάστρον, κατέλαβεν ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀδελφὸς Ἡράκλειος καὶ πολεμήσας αὐτὸν κτείνει δώδεκα χιλιάδας Ἀράβων. τοῦ δὲ Ἰουστινιανοῦ ἐν Χερσῶνι διάγοντος καὶ δημηγοροῦντος ἑαυτὸν πάλιν βασιλεύειν μέλλοντα, οἱ τῶν ἐκεῖσε οἰκήτορες τὸν ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας κίνδυνον φοβηθέντες ἐβουλεύσαντο τοῦτον ἀνελεῖν ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ παραπέμψαι. αὐτὸς δὲ διεγνωκὼς ἠδυνήθη διεκφυγεῖν, καὶ εἰς τὸ ∆αρᾶς καταδραμὼν ᾐτήσατο τῷ τῶν Χαζάρων Χαγάνῳ συνοψισθῆναι. αὐτὸς δὲ μαθὼν ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν μετὰ τιμῆς 373 μεγάλης καὶ ἐξέδοτο αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα Θεοδώραν, τὴν γνησίαν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφήν. μετ' ὀλίγον δὲ χρόνον αἰτησάμενος τῷ Χαγάνῳ κατῆλθεν εἰς Φαναγουρίαν κἀκεῖ διέτριβε μετὰ Θεοδώρας. ταῦτα ἀκούσας Ἀψίμαρος πέμπει πρὸς τὸν Χαγάνον ὑποσχόμενος αὐτῷ παρέχειν πολλὰ δῶρα, εἰ τὸν Ἰουστινιανὸν ζῶντα αὐτῷ παραπέμψει· εἰ δὲ μή, κἂν τὴν αὐτοῦ κεφαλήν. εἴξαντος δὲ τοῦ Χαγάνου τῇ τοιαύτῃ αἰτήσει, παραφυλακὴν αὐτῷ ἔπεμψεν, ὡς δῆθεν διὰ τὸ μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὁμοφύλων ἐπιβουλευθῆναι, ἐντειλάμενος Παπατζύν, τὸν ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖσε ὄντα, καὶ Βαλγίτζιν, τὸν ἄρχοντα Βοσφόρου, ἵνα, ὅταν δηλωθῇ αὐτοῖς, ἀνέλωσιν Ἰουστινιανόν. τούτων δὲ δι' οἰκέτου τοῦ Χαγάνου τῇ Θεοδώρᾳ μηνυθέντων καὶ τῷ Ἰουστινιανῷ γνωσθέντων, προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν λεχθέντα Παπατζὺν κατ' ἰδίαν ὁμιλῆσαι, κόρδᾳ τοῦτον ἀπῆγξεν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Βαλγίτζιν τὸν ἄρχοντα. εὐθέως δὲ ἀποστέλλει Θεοδώραν ἐν Χαζαρίᾳ, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπὸ Φαναγουρίαν λάθρα δραπετεύσας εἰς Τόμιν κατῆλθεν. καὶ εὑρηκὼς ἁλιάδα ἐξηρτισμένην ἐπέβη ἐπ' αὐτὴν καὶ