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when it had revolted, he himself immediately appeared as a horseman, bringing the military force, and he both struck terror into the revolting party and again made it an ally 697 to himself. Then he went away to Theodosiopolis, and there, having ordered each man to bring two months' worth of food, as he was about to march through an uninhabited land, he divided the army. And he gave one part to Roussel (this man was a most warlike Latin) and sent him against Chliat. He assigned another part to another, ordering him to ravage Manzikert; but the emperor himself was left with the rest, who were not fit for battle. So Manzikert was surrendered to the emperor by agreement, as the Turks had become cowardly and had asked for a pledge of safety and had withdrawn from it. But when the soldiers went out to collect supplies, the enemy suddenly attacked them. When the emperor learned this, he sent the magistros Nikephoros Bryennios against them with a certain contingent, who, attacking the Turks and seeing that the force with him was wearying, sent a message asking for reinforcements. But the emperor, being unaware of the enemy's strength, accused Bryennios of cowardice and grew harsh against the man. And at that time the priest happened to be reading 698 the gospel and saying, "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." Nevertheless, he also sent the magistros Nikephoros Basilakios with a portion of soldiers, and when these were added to Bryennios, the contest was evenly matched for a while. Then, when Basilakios charged among the champions against the enemy with those around him, the enemy turned their backs in flight, and he pursued, while Bryennios with those around him did not pursue. But when he was near the enemy's stockade, his horse was struck, and he dismounted from it, and being not nimble on account of the weight of his arms, he was surrounded by the enemy and, having been taken alive, was brought to the sultan; and neither did he approach him in a servile manner, nor did the sultan treat him as a captive, but frequently summoning the man, he inquired about the emperor and showed him his own forces. And he both praised the sultan's things and admired them, but said it was not advantageous for him to draw up in battle against the emperor. But the emperor with the remainder went out of the stockade to see what was happening, and standing on some hills until evening, he returned. And the Turks immediately surrounded 699 the camp, and riding around it, they shot arrows and with indistinct 699 shouts and barking noises resounded around the army. Thus, then, that night passed; and in the morning a certain contingent of Uz went over to the enemy. And this made the remaining multitude of the Uz also suspect. But the emperor, sending most swiftly to Chliat, summoned the troops there. But when they did not arrive (for Tarchaneiotes, for this man was one of the commanders there, having learned of the sultan's arrival, persuaded Roussel also, and taking the forces under them, they proceeded in flight to the Roman borders), Diogenes resolved to fight it out on the morrow with those who were with him, and at dawn he was being equipped for the war. Meanwhile, envoys came from the sultan to discuss peace. But the emperor did not receive the envoys very kindly, nevertheless he did grant them speech and urged them to go away to their lord and report that "if he wishes to discuss treaties, let him leave 700 the place in which he is encamped and move his camp somewhere far off, so that I with the Roman army may pitch my stockade where the barbarians' camp is now." Having said these things to the envoys rather boastfully, he commanded them to return quickly. So they reported the emperor's words to the sultan, and he consulted with those around him about the terms of the peace. But the emperor, being contemptuous and persuaded by some of his associates who said that the sultan was afraid, as he was not bringing a force fit for battle and for this reason was seeking peace, so that, the battle being postponed, he might bring up another force, without even waiting for the envoys' return

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ἀποστατήσαντος, ἱππότης αὐτὸς αὐτίκα ἐπιφανεὶς καὶ τὸ στρατιωτικὸν ἐπαγόμενος κατέπληξέ τε τὸ ἀποστατῆσαν καὶ αὖθις συμμαχι697 κὸν αὐτῷ ἐποιήσατο. εἶτα ἄπεισιν εἰς Θεοδοσόπολιν κἀκεῖ δύο μηνῶν ἕκαστον ἐπάγεσθαι κελεύσας τροφήν, ὡς διὰ ἀοικήτου μέλλων πορεύεσθαι, διεῖλε τὸ στράτευμα καὶ μοῖραν μὲν τῷ Ῥουσελίῳ παρέσχεν (ἀνὴρ δ' οὗτος Λατῖνος πολεμικώτατος) καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χλιὰτ αὐτὸν ἐξαπέστειλεν. ἑτέραν δὲ μοῖραν ἑτέρῳ προσένειμε, προστάξας αὐτῷ πορθῆσαι τὸ Μανζικίερτ· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν οὐκ ἀξιομάχων ὄντων περιελέλειπτο. τὸ μὲν οὖν Μανζικίερτ δι' ὁμολογίας τῷ βασιλεῖ παραδέδοτο, ἀποδεδειλιακότων τῶν Τούρκων καὶ πίστιν αἰτησαμένων καὶ τούτου ἐκστάντων. στρατιώταις δὲ εἰς συλλογὴν ἐξελθοῦσι τῶν χρειωδῶν πολέμιοι ἀθρόον ἐπήλθοσαν. ὃ γνοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν μάγιστρον Νικηφόρον τὸν Βρυέννιον ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐξαπέστειλε μετά τινος συντάγματος, ὃς τοῖς Τούρκοις προσβαλὼν καὶ κάμνουσαν βλέπων τὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, στείλας ᾔτει ἐπικουρίαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀγνοῶν τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν δύναμιν δειλίαν κατέγνω τοῦ Βρυεννίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐτραχύνετο. ἔτυχε δὲ τότε ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀναγινώσκων 698 τὸ εὐαγγέλιον καὶ λέγων "εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν." ὅμως ἔστειλε καὶ τὸν μάγιστρον Νικηφόρον τὸν Βασιλάκιον μετὰ μοίρας στρατιωτῶν, ὧν προστεθέντων τῷ Βρυεννίῳ μέχρι μέν τινος ἰσοπαλὴς ἦν ὁ ἀγών. εἶτα τοῦ Βασιλακίου ὁρμήσαντος ἐν προμάχοις κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτόν, τὰ νῶτα ἔτρεψαν οἱ πολέμιοι, ὁ δὲ ἐδίωκε, τοῦ Βρυεννίου σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν μὴ διώκοντος. ὡς δὲ περὶ τὸν χάρακα τῶν ἐναντίων ἐγένετο, πληγέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ ἵππου, ἀπέβη αὐτοῦ καὶ διὰ τὸ τῶν ὅπλων βάρος οὐκ εὐκίνητος ὢν κυκλοῦται παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων καὶ ζωγρηθεὶς τῷ σουλτάνῳ προσάγεται· οὔτε δ' ἐκεῖνος δουλικώτερον αὐτῷ προσῄει οὔτε μὴν ὁ σουλτὰν ὡς αἰχμαλώτῳ αὐτῷ προσήνεκτο, συχνάκις δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα μετακαλούμενος περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως διεπυνθάνετο καὶ τὰς οἰκείας δυνάμεις ἐδείκνυεν. ὁ δὲ καὶ ἐπῄνει τὰ τοῦ σουλτὰν καὶ ἐθαύμαζεν, οὐ μέντοι συμφέρειν αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὁ δέ γε βασιλεὺς μετὰ τῶν περιλοίπων ἐξῆλθε τοῦ χάρακος κατασκοπήσων τί τὸ γινόμενον, ἑστὼς δ' ἐπὶ γεωλόφων μέχρις ἑσπέρας ὑπέστρεψε. καὶ οἱ Τοῦρκοι δ' εὐθὺς ἐκύκλωσαν 699 τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ τοῦτο περιιππεύοντες βέλη ἔβαλον καὶ βοαῖς 699 ἀσήμοις καὶ ὑλακαῖς περιήχουν τὴν στρατιάν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη παρῆλθεν· ἕωθεν δὲ Οὔζων τι σύνταγμα πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπηυτομόλησε. καὶ τοῦτο ὕποπτον καὶ τὸ μεῖναν ἔτι πλῆθος τῶν Οὔζων ἐποίησεν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὀξύτατα πέμψας εἰς τὸ Χλιὰτ μετεκαλεῖτο τὰ ἐκεῖσε στρατεύματα. ὡς δ' οὐκ ἀφίκοντο (ὁ γὰρ Ταρχανειώτης, οὗτος γὰρ ἦν ὁ εἷς τῶν ἐκεῖ στραταρχῶν, μαθὼν τοῦ σουλτάνου τὴν ἄφιξιν, παρέπεισε καὶ τὸν Ῥουσέλιον, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοὺς δυνάμεων ἄραντες φυγῇ πρὸς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐχώρησαν ὅρια), ἔγνω ὁ ∆ιογένης μετὰ τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ διαγωνίσασθαι ἐς τὴν αὔριον καὶ ἅμα πρωὶ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἐξηρτύετο. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ πρέσβεις ἧκον ἐκ τοῦ σουλτάνου περὶ εἰρήνης διαλεξόμενοι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς οὐ πάνυ φιλανθρώπως τοὺς πρέσβεις ἐδέξατο, ὅμως μέντοι καὶ λόγων σφίσι μετέδωκε καὶ ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτῶν προετρέψατο καὶ ἀπαγγεῖλαι ὡς "εἰ βούλοιτο περὶ συμβάσεων διαλέξεσθαι, καταλιπέτω 700 τὸν τόπον ἐν ᾧπερ ἐστρατοπέδευται καὶ πόρρω ποι μετασκηνωσάτω, ὥστε με μετὰ τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς στρατιᾶς τὸν χάρακα πήξασθαι, ὅπου νῦν ἐστιν ἡ τῶν βαρβάρων παρεμβολή." ταῦτα τοῖς πρέσβεσι διαλεχθεὶς ἀλαζονικώτερον συντόμως ἐπανελθεῖν ἐνετείλατο. οἱ μὲν οὖν τῷ σουλτὰν τοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως λόγους ἀπήγγελλον, κἀκεῖνος μετὰ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν περὶ τῶν τῆς εἰρήνης συνθηκῶν ἐβουλεύετο. ὁ δέ γε βασιλεὺς ὑπερφρονήσας καί τισι πεπεισμένος τῶν ᾠκειωμένων αὐτῷ δεδειλιακέναι λέγουσι τὸν σουλτάν, ὡς μὴ ἀξιόμαχον ἐπαγόμενον δύναμιν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν εἰρήνην ζητεῖν, ἵνα τῆς μάχης ὑπερτεθείσης καὶ ἄλλην δύναμιν προσαγάγηται, μήτε τὴν τῶν πρέσβεων ἀναμείνας ὑποστροφὴν