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preparing his engines and in every way rousing himself for the siege. 12.2.3 But so much for him; but the Armenian Aspietes, as if nothing pressed upon him nor frightened him nor such great danger hung over him, sat at ease, organizing the heaviest drinking bouts for himself at night. And yet he was a most manly man and a most noble shield-bearer of Ares; but when he had put into Cilicia, being far from his master's hand and having taken control of affairs, he had given himself over to all sorts of luxury. Thus that Armenian, becoming effeminate and continuously dissolute, when the time of the siege arrived, was seen to be reclining in the face of a most industrious soldier, Tancred. And his hearing was not deafened by the thunder of his threats, nor did he gaze at the lightning of this thunderbolt-bearer who had come through the devastations throughout Cilicia. 12.2.4 For Tancred, having suddenly marched an army of ten thousand men from Antioch and, having divided them in two, sends some by land to the cities of Mopsus, and the others he put on triremes and leads by sea along the river Sarus. This river flows from above, from the Taurus mountains and, flowing through the middle of the two cities of Mopsus, the one ruined and the one standing, it empties into the Syrian sea. From where Tancred's ships, having sailed up and approached the mouth of this river, were brought up to the bridges which join both cities. The city was therefore surrounded on both sides, being attacked by the army. From there indeed these men were able to fight a naval battle against the city easily, and from the other side those on land to fight on foot, pressing it. 12.2.5 But he, as if no new situation were at hand nor so great a swarm of soldiers buzzing around the city, took little thought of these things, I know not what having happened to him and being then disposed unworthily of his own nobility. This made the man most hated by the imperial army. What then were the Cilician cities to suffer, being out-generaled by such a man? For in other respects Tancred had become the most robust of his contemporaries and among those greatly admired for strategic experience, and a most inescapable general for besieging cities. 12.2.6 And one arriving here might wonder how Aspietes' inexperience in war escaped the emperor's notice. But I would defend my father, that the distinction of his family had persuaded the emperor, as both the splendor of his lineage and the fame of his name could contribute much to the rule of Aspietes. For he was one of the foremost of the Arsacids and descended from royal blood. For this reason indeed he had deemed him worthy to be stratopedarch of all the East and had raised him to proud ranks, especially having had proof of his courage. 12.2.7 For when the emperor and my father joined battle with Robert, as I have mentioned, during the clash of that war, a certain Celt, aiming his spear over his shoulder and spurring his horse, like some thunderbolt falls upon Aspietes. But he, seizing his sword, receives the violent charge of the Celt and is wounded a most critical wound, the spear having passed by the lung and from there having been carried through his back. But he, not yet confused by the blow nor thrown from his seat, but seating himself more firmly, strikes the barbarian on the helmet and splits in two both the head and the helmet. And both fall from their horses, the Celt dead, but Aspietes still breathing. Whom those around him, having picked him up completely bloodless and having cared for him well, brought to the emperor, showing both <τὸ> spear and the wound and recounting the death of the Celt. The emperor, remembering at that time this I-know-not-how courage and boldness of Aspietes, and

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ὄργανα κατασκευαζόμενος καὶ παντοιοτρόπως πρὸς τὴν πολιορκίαν ἑαυτὸν ἀνιστῶν. 12.2.3 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνος· ὁ δὲ ἀρμένιος Ἀσπιέτης, ὥσπερ μηδενὸς αὐτῷ ἐπικειμένου μηδὲ φοβοῦντος μηδὲ τοσοῦτον ἐπικρεμαν νύντος κίνδυνον, ἐκάθητο ῥᾳθυμῶν βαρυτάτους πότους νύκτωρ ἑαυτῷ συνιστῶν. Καίτοι ἀνδρικώτατός τε ἦν καὶ Ἄρεως ὑπασπιστὴς γενναιότατος· ἐπὰν δὲ Κιλικίᾳ προσ ώκειλε, πόρρω δεσποτικῆς χειρὸς γεγονὼς καὶ ἐναυθεντήσας τοῖς πράγμασι τρυφαῖς ἑαυτὸν ἐκδεδώκει παντοίαις. Οὕτως ὁ Ἀρμένιος ἐκεῖνος ἐκθηλυνόμενος καὶ διαρρέων διηνεκῶς, ἐπειδὴ καταλάβοι ὁ τῆς πολιορκίας καιρός, ἀναπεπτωκὼς ὤφθη πρὸς στρατιώτην φερεπονώτατον τὸν Ταγγρέ. Καὶ οὔτε πρὸς τὰς βροντὰς ἐκείνου τῶν ἀπειλῶν κατεκροτήθη τὴν ἀκοὴν οὔτε κεραυνοφόρου τούτου ἐληλυθότος διὰ τῶν κατὰ Κιλικίαν πορθήσεων πρὸς τὰς ἀστραπὰς ἐνητένιζεν. 12.2.4 Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ταγγρὲ ἀθρόον ἐξ Ἀντιοχείας στρατεύσας στρατὸν μυρίανδρον καί, διχῆ τούτους διελόμενος, τοὺς μὲν διὰ τῆς ἠπείρου πέμπει ταῖς Μόψου πόλεσι, τοὺς δὲ ναυσὶ τριήρεσιν ἐμβαλὼν διὰ τῆς θαλάττης ἄγει τῷ ποταμῷ Σάρωνι. Ῥεῖ δὲ ἄνωθεν οὗτος ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ Ταύρου ὀρῶν καὶ διὰ μέσου παραρρέων τῶν δυεῖν πόλεων Μόψου, τῆς τε καταλελυμένης καὶ τῆς ἱσταμένης, ἐς τὸ συριακὸν ἐκδίδωσι πέλαγος. Ἀφ' οὗ αἱ νῆες ἀναπλεύσασαι τοῦ Ταγγρὲ καὶ τῷ στόματι πελάσασαι τούτου τοῦ ποταμοῦ πρὸς τὰς γεφύρας ἀνήχθησαν, αἳ τὰς ἀμφοτέρας πόλεις ξυνάπτουσι. Περιερ ρεῖτο τοίνυν ἡ πόλις ἑκατέρωθεν τῷ στρατεύματι βαλλο μένη. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ ῥᾳδίως εἶχον διαναυμαχεῖν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν οὗτοι, καὶ πεζομαχεῖν ἐκ θατέρου οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς αὐτὴν ἐπιθλίβοντες. 12.2.5 Ὁ δέ, ὥσπερ μηδεμιᾶς καινοτο μίας ὑπούσης μηδὲ τοσούτου σμήνους στρατιωτῶν περιβομ βοῦντος κύκλῳ τὴν πόλιν, ὀλίγα τούτων ἐφρόντιζεν οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι παθὼν καὶ ἀναξίως τότε τῆς αὐτοῦ γενναιότητος διατεθείς. Τοῦτο εὐμισητότατον τὸν ἄνδρα τῷ βασιλικῷ στρατεύματι πεποίηκε. Τί οὖν ἔδει παθεῖν τὰς κίλικας πόλεις ὑπὸ τηλικούτου καταστρατηγουμένας ἀνδρός; Τά τε γὰρ ἄλλα ὁ Ταγγρὲ ῥωμαλεώτατος τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν ἐγεγόνει καὶ εἰς στρατηγικὴν ἐμπειρίαν τῶν σφόδρα θαυμαζομένων, πολιορκῆσαι δὲ πόλεις ἀφυκτότατος στρατηγός. 12.2.6 Καὶ θαυμάσειέ τις ἐνταυθοῖ γεγονώς, πῶς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα διέλαθε τὸ τοῦ Ἀσπιέτου ἀπειροπόλεμον. Ἐγὼ δ' ἂν ὑπεραπολογησαίμην τοὐμοῦ πατρός, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ γένους ἐπίσημον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα πέπεικεν, ὡς ἥ τε τοῦ γένους λαμπρότης καὶ τὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος περιβόητον πολλὰ συνεισενεγκεῖν ἔχοι τῇ τοῦ Ἀσπιέτου ἀρχῇ. Ἦν γὰρ τῶν Ἀρσακιδῶν τὰ πρῶταφέρων ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἐκ βασιλικοῦ καταγόμενος αἵματος. Ἔνθεν τοι καὶ στρατοπεδάρχην αὐτὸν ἠξιώκει πάσης ἀνα τολῆς καὶ εἰς ὑπερηφάνους βαθμίδας ἀνήνεγκεν ἄλλως τε καὶ πεῖραν τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐκείνου λαβών. 12.2.7 Καὶ γὰρ ὁπό ταν τῷ Ῥομπέρτῳ συνεκρότησε πόλεμον ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ ἐμὸς γενέτης, καθάπερ ἐμνημόνευσα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πολέ μου ἐκείνου σύρραξιν Κελτός τις ὑπερωμίας ἰθύνας τὸ δόρυ καὶ μυωπίσας τὸν ἵππον καθάπερ τις σκηπτὸς ἐμπίπτει τῷ Ἀσπιέτῃ. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ ξίφους ἐπιδραξάμενος δέχεται τὴν τοῦ Κελτοῦ βιαίαν φορὰν καὶ τιτρώσκεται μὲν καιριωτάτην πληγήν, τοῦ δόρατος τὸν πνεύμονα μὲν παραμείψαντος, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ διὰ τῆς ῥάχεως διενεχθέντος. Ὁ δὲ μήπω συγχυ θεὶς τῇ πληγῇ μηδὲ τῆς ἕδρας ἐκκυλισθείς, ἀλλ' ἑδράσας ἑαυτὸν ἰσχυρότερον παίει τὸν βάρβαρον κατὰ τῆς κόρυθος καὶ δίχα διαιρεῖ καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὴν κόρυθα. Καὶ πίπτουσι καὶ ἄμφω τῶν ἵππων, ὁ μὲν νεκρὸς ὁ Κελτός, ὁ δ' Ἀσπιέτης ἔτι ἐμπνέων. Ὃν οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἀνελόμενοι γεγονότα παντάπασιν ἔξαιμον καὶ καλῶς ἐπιμεληθέντες πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἤνεγκαν, δεικνύντες καὶ <τὸ> δόρυ καὶ τὴν πληγὴν καὶ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κελτοῦ διηγούμενοι. Ταύτης τῆς οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἀνδρείας καὶ τόλμης τὸ τηνι καῦτα τῷ Ἀσπιέτῃ μεμνημένος ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ