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and killing many, and wounding many, admiring greatly the man's courage and marveling at his steadfastness, they wished for these reasons to arrange for his safety. And the chief satrap, Muchumet by name, both knowing him from of old and recognizing him then, checked the charge of those fighting with him, and dismounting from his horse with those who happened to be with him, he approached and said: 'Do not choose death over your own safety; but give me your hand and be saved.' And he, seeing himself surrounded by so many and no longer able to resist so many, gives his hands to Muchumet. And he, having mounted him on a horse, bound his feet, so that he would not be able to escape easily. 14.5.7 But these were the things that befell Eustathios; but the emperor, guessing the path by which they were about to pass, turned to another, and having passed through both Nicaea and Malagina and the so-called Basilika (these are ravines and difficult paths situated around the heights of Olympus), descends to Alethina and there occupies Akrokon, hastening to intercept the Turks from the front and thus to join battle forcefully with them. But they, not having taken into their mind any thought at all of a Roman army, having occupied the reed-bed situated along the valley, lay scattered about there. And when it was reported to the emperor as he was proceeding against them that the barbarians had occupied the plain of the valley, he drew up his army in battle formation at a sufficient distance and having arrayed them, he placed Constantine Gabras and Monastras in front, and having drawn up the army in squadrons on either side, he gave the rearguard to Tzipoureles and Ampelas, who had long and great experience of war. And he himself, commanding the center of the battle line, drew up whole phalanxes, and thus falling upon the Turks like a thunderbolt, he joined fierce battle with them. 14.5.8 Many of the barbarians, therefore, were killed then, as the battle became close-fought, and many were also led away as captives of the spear. Those who had fled to the reed-bed were for a time saved; but the emperor, having won a brilliant victory over them, turning towards the reed-bed, hastened to drive them from there as well. But the soldiers, being unable to enter on account of the marshiness and density of the reed-bed, were at a loss. And he, having surrounded the reed-bed with the soldiers, ordered fire to be set to a part of the reed-bed; and when this was done, the flame rose to a great height. And those inside, fleeing the fire, fell into the hands of the soldiers; and of these, some became the fodder of the sword, while others were brought to the emperor.

14.6.1 But these things concerned the barbarians who had come down from Karme; but the Emir Muchumet, having learned of the disaster concerning the Muslims from Karme, immediately rides after the emperor, having united with the Turcomans dwelling in Asia and the rest, so that it happened that the same man was both pursuing and being pursued. For the barbarians around Muchumet were pursuing the emperor, tracking him; but he was marching after those from Karme, so that he was caught between the two. But he had already conquered the one group, while his pursuers still stood apart from the action. But when Muchumet suddenly fell upon the emperor's rearguard, he first encounters Ampelas. And he, being within sight of the emperor and for this reason being more emboldened, and being otherwise a rash man, not waiting even for a little for those with him so as to receive the attack of the Turks with good order, rushes against Muchumet. And Tzipoureles followed along. 14.6.2 And when they were near a certain old village, before the soldiers under them had yet arrived, Muchumet, being most steadfast, overtakes them. The

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καὶ πολλοὺς κτείνοντα, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τιτρώ σκοντα, ὑπεραγάμενοι τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τόλμαν καὶ τὸ σταθη ρὸν αὐτοῦ θαυμάσαντες, τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτοῦ διὰ ταῦτα πραγματεύσασθαι ἐβουλήθησαν. Ὁ δὲ ἀρχισατράπης Μου χοῦμετ τὴν κλῆσιν τοῦτον καὶ πάλαι γινώσκων καὶ τηνι καῦτα ἀναγνωρίσας ἀνακόπτει μὲν τῆς ὁρμῆς τοὺς αὐτῷ συμπλεκομένους, ἀποβὰς δὲ τοῦ ἵππου μεθ' ὧν ἔτυχε προ σελθὼν ἔφη· «Μὴ πρόκρινε τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας τὸν θάνατον· ἀλλὰ δίδου μοι χεῖρα καὶ σῴζου». Ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τοσούτων περιστοιχούμενον ἑαυτὸν ὁρῶν καὶ μὴ πρὸς τοσούτους ἀντέχειν ἔτι δυνάμενον δίδωσι χεῖρας τῷ Μουχοῦμεt. Καὶ ὃς ἐφ' ἵππον τοῦτον ἐπιβιβάσας τοὺς αὐτοῦ πόδας δεσμεῖ, ὡς μὴ ῥᾳδίως ἀποδρᾶσαι δύνασθαι. 14.5.7 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ τῷ Εὐσταθίῳ συμπεσόντα· ὁ δέ γε αὐτοκράτωρ, στοχα σάμενος τῆς ἀτραποῦ δι' ἧς διιέναι ἔμελλον, ἄλλην τραπό μενος διά τε τῆς Νικαίας διελθὼν καὶ τῶν Μαλαγίνων καὶ τῶν οὕτω καλουμένων Βασιλικῶν (ταῦτα δὲ τέμπη εἰσὶ καὶ δύσβατοι ἀτραποὶ περὶ τὰς ἀκρολοφίας τοῦ Ὀλύμπου δια κείμενα) κατέρχεται εἰς τὰ Ἀληθινὰ κἀκεῖσε καταλαμβάνει τὴν Ἀκροκόν, ἐπειγόμενος προκαταλαβεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔμπρο σθεν τοὺς Τούρκους καὶ οὕτω καρτερῶς μετ' αὐτῶν συνά ψαι τὸν πόλεμον. Οἱ δὲ μηδὲ μνείαν ὅλως ῥωμαϊκοῦ στρατεύματος εἰς νοῦν λαβόντες, τὸν κατὰ τὴν τέμπειαν διακείμενον καλαμῶνα καταλαβόντες, ἐκεῖ που περιχυθέντες ἐξέκειντο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ἀπερχομένῳ κατ' αὐτῶν τὴν πεδιάδα τῆς τεμπείας τοὺς βαρβάρους καταλαβεῖν, ἀπὸ διαστήματος ἱκανοῦ τὸ στράτευμα εἰς πολέμου τύπον καταστήσας καὶ παραταξάμενος, ἔμπροσθεν μὲν Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Γαβρᾶν καὶ τὸν Μοναστρᾶν ἔταξεν, ἐφ' ἑκάτερα δὲ ἰλαδὸν καταστήσας τὸ στράτευμα, τὴν οὐρα γίαν τῷ Τζιπουρέλῃ καὶ τῷ Ἀμπελᾷ πολλὴν τὴν τοῦ πολέμου πεῖραν ἐκ μακροῦ ἐσχηκόσι δέδωκε. Τὸ δὲ μέσον τῆς παρατάξεως αὐτὸς διέπων ὅλας συνετάττε φάλαγγας, καὶ οὕτως ὥσπερ κεραυνὸς τοῖς Τούρκοις ἐμπεσὼν καρτερὸν τὸν μετ' αὐτῶν συνῆψε πόλεμον. 14.5.8 Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν τηνικαῦτα κτείνονται τῶν βαρβάρων ἀγχεμάχου τῆς μάχης γεγονυίας, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ δορυθήρατοι ἄγονται. Οἱ δὲ τῷ καλαμῶνι προσπεφευγότες τέως ἐσῴζοντο· ὁ δὲ αὐτοκρά τωρ λαμπρὰν τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν νίκην ἀράμενος, πρὸς τὸν καλαμῶνα ἐπιστραφείς, ἔσπευδε κἀκεῖθεν τούτους ἀπελάσαι. Οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται διὰ τὸ βαλτῶδες καὶ πυκνὸν τοῦ καλαμῶνος μὴ δυνάμενοι εἰσιέναι ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦσαν. Καὶ ὃς περιζώσας τὸν καλαμῶνα διὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν πῦρ ἐκ μέρους τοῦ καλαμῶνος ἀφεῖναι ἐπέταξε· τούτου δὲ γενο μένου ἡ φλὸξ εἰς ὕψος ἦρτο μέγα. Οἱ δὲ ἐντὸς φεύγοντες τὸ πῦρ εἰς τὰς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐνέπιπτον χεῖρας· καὶ τούτων οἱ μὲν παρανάλωμα ξίφους ἐγίνοντο, οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἤγοντο.

14.6.1 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Καρμὲ κατελθόντας βαρβάρους· ὁ δὲ Ἀμὴρ Μουχοῦμετ, μεμαθηκὼς τὴν συμφορὰν τὴν περὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Καρμὲ Μουσουλμά νους, κατόπιν εὐθὺς ἐλαύνει τοῦ βασιλέως ἑνωθεὶς μετὰ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν οἰκούντων Τουρκομάνων καὶ τῶν λοι πῶν, ὥστε ξυνέβαινε τὸν αὐτὸν διώκειν τε καὶ διώκεσθαι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀμφὶ τὸν Μουχοῦμετ βάρβαροι τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἰχνηλατοῦντες ἐδίωκον· ὁ δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Καρμὲ μεταπο ρευόμενος ἦν, ὥστε μέσον ἀμφοῖν ἐναπείληπτο. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἔφθασε νενικηκώς, οἱ δὲ διώκοντες ἔξω κακῶν εἱστή κεισαν ἔτι. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἀθρόον τῇ οὐραγίᾳ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος προσέπεσεν ὁ Μουχοῦμετ, πρώτως περιτυγχάνει τῷ Ἀμπελᾷ. Ὁ δὲ ἐν αἰσθήσει τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ὢν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ πλέον θαρσήσας καὶ ἄλλως θρασὺς ὢν ὁ ἀνήρ, μηδὲ πρὸς μικρὸν περιμείνας τοὺς μετ' αὐτὸν ὥστε σὺν εὐταξίᾳ τὴν μετὰ τῶν Τούρκων προσβολὴν δέξασθαι, κατὰ τοῦ Μουχοῦμετ ἵεται. Παρείπετο δὲ καὶ ὁ Τζιπουρέλης. 14.6.2 Περὶ παλαιοχώριον δέ τι γενομένω μήπω τῶν ὑπ' αὐ τοὺς στρατιωτῶν ἐφθακότων καταλαμβάνει τούτους ὁ Μουχοῦμετ σταθηρότατος ὤν. Τὸν