247
... to plunder the coastal regions. These men, having plundered the areas around the lake of Nicaea and Prusa, as well as Apollonias, encamped somewhere around there and having taken all the booty there, they advanced forward together, sacking Lopadion and all the adjacent areas, but also, he says, having seized Cyzicus itself by assault from the sea, they occupied it, as the one guarding it offered no resistance at all, but ignobly retreated from there. Then, that Kontogmes and the Amir Mouhoumet, the chosen chief satraps, were proceeding through the Lentiana towards Poimanenon, dragging along much booty and very many men captured by the spear, and women and children, as many as the sword had spared. But Monolykos, having crossed a certain river called Barenos by the locals, which flows from a certain mountain called Ibis, from which many other rivers also flow down, the Skamandros and the Angelokomites and the Empelos, had headed towards Parion and Abydos on the Hellespont, and having passed through Atramyttion and Chliara with all the captives, bloodlessly and without any battle. 14.5.4 In response to this news, the emperor by letter ordered Kamytzes, who was then doux of Nicaea, to follow the barbarians with five hundred soldiers and to report their movements by letter, but to refrain from engaging with them. But he, having gone out from Nicaea, caught up with Kontogmes and the Amir Mouhoumet and the rest at the place called Aorata, and, as if forgetting the emperor's command, he attacked them at once. They, expecting the emperor and thinking that this was the one who had fallen upon them, were terrified and turned to flight. But having then captured a certain Scythian and learned from him, when they realized it was Kamytzes, they went through the ridges and, encouraging themselves with drums and war-cries, recalled their countrymen who had been scattered everywhere. And they, recognizing this as the signal of recall, all flocked together. Returning, therefore, to the plain that lies nearby, below the place called Aorata, they gathered again. 14.5.5 But Kamytzes, having taken all the booty from them, did not want to reach Poimanenon, so as to arrange his affairs well there (for this is a very strong fortress), but by lingering around Aorata, he had unwittingly plotted against himself. For the barbarians, being in a safe position, did not forget Kamytzes, but lay in wait for him continually. And having learned that he was still tarrying at Aorata and arranging matters concerning all the booty and the prisoners, at once, having drawn up their forces in squadrons, they fell upon him in the early afternoon. Therefore, the greater part of Kamytzes' army, seeing such a multitude of barbarians falling upon them, thought to secure their safety by flight; but he himself, with the Scythians and the Celts and as many of the Romans as were more courageous, fought furiously. And then most of these fell. 14.5.6 But Kamytzes, left with a few men, still held on to the fight. And the horse on which he was riding, having been struck a mortal blow, was thrown to the ground. But his nephew, called Katarodon, dismounting from his own horse, gave it to him. But the man, being heavy and big, could not easily mount the horse; wherefore, retreating a little, he braced himself against an oak tree and, drawing his scimitar and having lost all hope of safety, he struck as many of the barbarians as dared to engage with him on the helmet and shoulders and even the hands, and did not give in. So, seeing him hold out for a long time, the barbarians
247
... τὰ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν δῃώσασθαι. Οἵτινες τά τε παρακείμενα τῇ περὶ τὴν Νίκαιαν λίμνῃ καὶ τὴν Προῦσαν δῃώσαντες, ὡς δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἀπολλωνιάδα, αὐτοῦ που περὶ ταύτην ηὐλίσαντο κἀκεῖσε τὴν λείαν πᾶσαν ἀφελόμενοι ὁμοῦ πρὸς τὰ πρόσω ἐχώρησαν τό τε Λοπάδιον καὶ πάντα τὰ ξυμπαρακείμενα λῃσάμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτήν, φησι, τὴν Κύζικον καταλαβόντες ἐξ ἐφόδου ἀπὸ τοῦ μέρους τῆς θαλάσσης κατέσχον, τοῦ ταύτην φρουροῦντος μηδοπωσοῦν ἀντισχόντος, ἀλλ' ἀγεννῶς ἐκεῖθεν ὑποχωρή σαντος. Εἶτα τόν τε Κοντογμὴν καὶ τὸν Ἀμὴρ Μουχοῦμετ τῶν ἐκκρίτων ἀρχισατράπας διὰ τῶν Λεντιανῶν πρὸς τὸ Ποιμανηνὸν ἀπιέναι, ἐφελκομένους λείαν πολλὴν καὶ ἄνδρας πλείστους δορυθηράτους καὶ γύναια καὶ παῖδας, ὅσους ἀφῆκεν ὁ σίδηρος. Τὸν δέ γε Μονόλυκον ποταμόν τινα διαπεράσαντα Βαρηνὸν ἐγχωρίως καλούμενον, ῥέοντα μὲν ἀπό τινος ὄρους Ἴβιδος καλουμένου, ἀφ' οὗ πολλοὶ καὶ ἄλλοι ἀπορρυίσκονται ποταμοί, Σκάμανδρός τε καὶ Ἀγγε λοκωμίτης καὶ Ἔμπηλος, πρός τε τὸ Πάριον ἀπονενευκέ ναι καὶ τὴν ἐφ' Ἑλλησπόντου Ἄβυδον, καὶ δι' Ἀτραμυττίου τε καὶ τῶν Χλιαρῶν διεληλυθότα μετὰ πάσης αἰχμαλωσίας ἀναιμάκτως καὶ ἄνευ μάχης τινός. 14.5.4 Πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἀγγελίαν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸν Καμύτζην δοῦκα τηνικαῦτα Νικαίας χρηματίζοντα διὰ γραμμάτων παρεκε λεύσατο παρέπεσθαί τε τοῖς βαρβάροις μετὰ πεντακοσίων στρατιωτῶν καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς διὰ γραμμάτων δηλοῦν, φείδεσθαι δὲ τῆς μετ' αὐτῶν συμπλοκῆς. Ὁ δὲ ἐξελθὼν τῆς Νικαίας καταλαμβάνει τόν τε Κοντογμὴν καὶ τὸν Ἀμὴρ Μουχοῦμετ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς εἰς τὰ καλούμενα Ἀόρατα, καὶ ὥσπερ τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος παραγγελίας ἐπιλαθόμε νος παραχρῆμα τούτοις προσβάλλει. Οἱ δὲ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα προσδόκιμον ἔχοντες καὶ τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν ἐπεισπεσόντα νομίσαντες πτοηθέντες τὰ νῶτα διδόασι. Σκύθην δέ τινα τηνικαῦτα κατασχόντες καὶ παρὰ τούτου πυθόμενοι, ἐπεὶ τὸν Καμύτζην ἐγνώκεσαν εἶναι, τὰς ἀκρολοφίας διῄεσαν καὶ θαρρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς διά τε τυμπάνων καὶ ἀλαλαγμῶν ἀνε καλοῦντο τοὺς ἁπανταχῆ σκεδασθέντας τῶν ὁμοφύλων. Οἱ δὲ ἀνακλητικὸν τουτὶ τὸ σύνθημα γινώσκοντες πάντες συνέρρεον. Ἐπανελθόντες οὖν κατὰ τὴν πεδιάδα τὴν δια κειμένην ἐγγὺς κάτωθεν τῶν καλουμένων Ἀοράτων αὖθις ἠθροίσθησαν. 14.5.5 Ὁ δέ γε Καμύτζης τὴν λείαν πᾶσαν ἀφελόμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἤθελε μέχρι τοῦ Ποιμανηνοῦ καταλαβεῖν, ὡς εὖ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐν τούτῳ διαθέσθαι (πολί χνιον δὲ τοῦτο ἐρυμνότατον), ἀλλὰ περὶ τὰ Ἀόρατα ἐμβρα δύνων ἔλαθε καθ' ἑαυτοῦ βουλευσάμενος. Οἱ βάρβαροι γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀκινδύνῳ γεγονότες οὐκ ἐπελάθοντο τοῦ Καμύτζη, ἀλλ' ἐνήδρευον τοῦτον διὰ παντός. Καὶ μεμαθηκότες ἔτι αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ Ἀόρατα ἐνδιατρίβοντα καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν λείαν ἅπασαν καὶ τοὺς δορυαλώτους διατιθέμενον, παραχρῆμα τὰς ὑπ' αὐτοὺς δυνάμεις κατ' ἴλας καταστησάμενοι περὶ δείλην ἑῴαν εἰσπίπτουσιν αὐτῷ. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πλεῖον τοῦ στρατεύματος τοῦ Καμύτζη τοσαύτην πληθὺν βαρβάρων ἐπεισπεσοῦσαν αὐτοῖς ἑωρακότες φυγῇ τὴν ἑαυτῶν πραγ ματεύεσθαι ἐδόκουν σωτηρίαν· αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν καὶ τῶν Κελτῶν καὶ ὁπόσοι τῶν Ῥωμαίων εὐψυχότεροι ἦσαν ἐκθύμως ἐμάχετο. Καὶ τηνικαῦτα οἱ τούτων πλείους πίπτουσιν. 14.5.6 Ὁ δέ γε Καμύτζης μετ' ὀλίγων καταλει 14.5.6 φθεὶς ἔτι ἀντείχετο τῆς μάχης. Καιρίαν δὲ ὁ ἵππος ἐν ᾧ ἐπωχεῖτο πληγεὶς κατὰ γῆς ἔρριπτο. Ὁ δέ γε τούτου ἀδελφιδοῦς Καταρόδων οὕτω καλούμενος ἀποβὰς τοῦ ἰδίου ἵππου τοῦτον αὐτῷ δίδωσι. Βαρὺς δὲ ὢν ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ μέγας ῥᾳδίως τοῦ ἵππου ἐπιβῆναι οὐκ εἶχεν· ἔνθεν τοι καὶ μικρὸν ἀναποδίσας ἐπί τινα δρῦν ἑαυτὸν προσερείσας καὶ τὸν ἀκι νάκην σπασάμενος τάς τε σῳζούσας ἀπολωλεκὼς ἐλπίδας, ὁπόσοι τούτῳ τῶν βαρβάρων συμπλακῆναι κατετόλμων, κατά γε κόρυθος καὶ ὤμων καὶ αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν χειρῶν παίων οὐκ ἐνεδίδου. Ἐπὶ πολὺ γοῦν τοῦτον ἀντέχοντα ὁρῶντες οἱ βάρβαροι