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and how many mercenaries he had summoned. And when they had all assembled, he departed from there with all his forces and seized the fortress of Kyr Georgios, situated near the lake which lies beside Nicaea, and from there to Nicaea. Then after three days he returned again from this side of the bridge of Lopadion and encamped at what is called the Spring of Karykes, it seeming good to him, so that having first led the army across the bridge he might pitch the tents in a suitable place, and then the emperor himself, having crossed by the same bridge with the whole army, might set up the imperial tent. 15.1.4 But the most cunning Turks, who were plundering the plain situated around the foothills of the Lentiana and of the so-called Kotoraikia, when they learned of the emperor's attack against them, being terrified, immediately lit very many torches, thereby giving to those who saw them the impression of a great army, perhaps. And the torches indeed lit up the air and terrified many of the inexperienced; but none of these things troubled the emperor. 15.1.5 And they, taking up all the booty and the prisoners of war, departed; but he, around dawn, hastened towards the plain already there, hurrying to overtake them somewhere thereabouts, but having missed his prey and having found many of the Romans rather still breathing, and having encountered also many bodies of the dead, he was distressed, as was natural. And he wished indeed to pursue, but lest he lose the entire quarry, since it was not possible for the whole army to overtake the fugitives quickly, he pitched a camp somewhere near Poimanenon and, immediately selecting brave, light-armed soldiers, he entrusted the pursuit of the barbarians to them, having instructed how they should advance against the villains. And they, having overtaken them at a certain place locally named Kellia with all the booty and prisoners, rushed upon them like fire and immediately made very many the work of the sword, while capturing some alive and recovering all the booty from there, they returned with a glorious victory to the emperor. Having received them and learned of the complete destruction of the enemy, he returns to Lopadion. And having arrived there, and having remained for three whole months, partly because of the lack of water in the regions through which he was about to pass (for it was the summer season and the heat was unbearable), and partly awaiting the mercenary army which had not yet arrived. And when they had all been gathered there, setting the entire heavy-armed force in motion, then making camp along the ridges of Olympos and of the so-called Malagna, he occupied Aër itself. 15.1.6 And while the empress was staying at Prinkipo, so that she might more easily learn from there the news about the emperor when he returned to Lopadion, the emperor, as soon as he occupied Aër, sent for her by the imperial monoreme, partly because he was concerned about the constant pain in his feet, and partly because he feared the bosom enemies accompanying him, on account of her extreme care for him and her most watchful eye.

15.2.1 Not yet the third day had passed and the one in charge of the imperial bedchamber, coming around dawn, stood near the imperial couch. And the empress, waking up and seeing him, said that he was announcing to us an attack of the Turks. But when he said that they had reached the so-called fortress of Georgios, the empress silenced him with her hand so that she might not wake the emperor. But he, having become aware of what was being said, for the time being remained in the same posture and frame of mind; but as the sun was rising he turned to his usual tasks, being entirely occupied with providing for this matter. Not yet the third hour had passed and another from there

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καὶ ὁπόσον μισθοφορικὸν μετεπέμπετο. Ἐπὰν δὲ συνεληλύθεισαν ἅπαντες, ἀπάρας ἐκεῖθεν σὺν ὅλαις δυνά μεσι τὸ τοῦ κυρίου Γεωργίου καταλαμβάνει φρούριον ἀγχοῦ τῆς τῇ Νικαίᾳ παρακειμένης λίμνης διακείμενον κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Νίκαιαν. Εἶτα διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν αὖθις ὑποστρέφει ἔνθεν τῆς γε τοῦ Λοπαδίου γεφύρας καὶ στρατοπεδεύει κατὰ τὴν Βρύσιν τοῦ Καρυκέως καλουμένην, οὕτω δόξαν αὐτῷ, ἵνα τὸ μὲν στράτευμα πρότερον διὰ τῆς γεφύρας διαβιβάσας ἐν ἐπικαίρῳ τόπῳ τὰς σκηνὰς πήξηται, κᾆθ' οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς γεφύρας διελθὼν μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ στρατεύματος τὴν βασιλικὴν καταθείη σκηνήν. 15.1.4 Οἱ δὲ μηχανικώτατοι Τοῦρκοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν περὶ τοὺς πρόποδας τῶν Λεντιανῶν καὶ τῆς οὕτω καλουμένης Κοτοιραικίας διακειμένην πεδιάδα λῃζό μενοι, ἐπεὶ τὴν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος κατ' αὐτῶν μεμαθήκει σαν ἔφοδον, ἐκδειματωθέντες παραυτίκα πυρσοὺς παμπόλ λους ἀνῆψαν ἐντεῦθεν φαντασίαν τοῖς ὁρῶσι στρατιᾶς πολλῆς παρέχοντες τάχα. Καὶ οἱ μὲν πυρσοὶ τὸν ἀέρα ἐξέκαιον καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ἀπείρων ἐξεδειμάτουν· τὸν δὲ αὐτοκράτορα ἐθρόει τούτων οὐδέν. 15.1.5 Κἀκεῖνοι μὲν τὴν λείαν πᾶσαν καὶ τοὺς δορυαλώτους ἀναλαβόμενοι ᾤχοντο· αὐτὸς δὲ κατὰ τὸ περίορθρον πρὸς τὴν ἤδη ἐκεῖσε πεδιάδα ἠπείγετο σπεύδων αὐτοῦ που τούτους καταλήψεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀστοχήσας τῆς ἄγρας καὶ πολλοὺς μᾶλλον τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἔτι ἐμπνέοντας εὑρηκώς, πολλοῖς δὲ καὶ νεκρῶν σώμασιν ἐντετυχηκὼς ἤχθετο ὡς εἰκός. Καὶ ἤθελε μὲν διώκειν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τὸ πᾶν ἀπολέσῃ θήραμα, μὴ δυνατοῦ ὄντος τοῦ παντὸς στρατεύματος τοὺς φεύγοντας ὀξέως καταλα βεῖν, χάρακα μὲν αὐτοῦ που περὶ τὸ Ποιμανηνὸν πήγνυται καί, παραχρῆμα ἀπολεξάμενος γενναίους ψιλοὺς στρα τιώτας, τὴν ἐπιδίωξιν τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπιτρέπει παραγγεί λας ὅπως χρὴ ἐπιπορεύσασθαι τοὺς ἀλάστορας. Οἱ δὲ τούτους ἐφθακότες εἴς τινα τόπον Κελλία ἐγχωρίως ὀνομαζόμενον μετὰ τῆς λείας πάσης καὶ τῶν δορυαλώτων, ὡς πῦρ κατ' αὐτῶν ἵενται καὶ αὐτίκα πλείστους μὲν μαχαίρας ἔργον ἐποιήσαντο, ἐνίους δὲ ζωγρήσαντες καὶ τὴν λείαν πᾶσαν ἐκεῖθεν ἀναλαβόμενοι μετὰ νίκης λαμπρᾶς πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἐπανῆλθον. Τούτους ἀποδεξάμενος καὶ τὴν παντελῆ τῶν πολεμίων φθορὰν ἐγνωκὼς πρὸς τὸ Λοπάδιον ἐπανέρχεται. Κεῖθι δὲ παραγενόμενος, καὶ μῆνας τρεῖς ὅλους ἐγκαρτερήσας τὸ μέν τι δι' ἀνυδρίαν τῶν δι' ὧν ἔμελλε διελθεῖν μερῶν (θέρους γὰρ ὥρα παρῆν καὶ ἡ ἀλέα ἀφόρητος), τὸ δὲ καὶ τὸ μήπω φθάσαν τοῦ μισθοφορικοῦ στρατεύματος ἀπεκδεχόμενος. Ἐπὰν δὲ ἅπαντες ἀθροισθεῖεν ἐκεῖ, ἐξαναστὰς ἅπαν τὸ ὁπλιτι κόν, τηνικαῦτα κατὰ τὰς ἀκρολοφίας τοῦ Ὀλύμπου καταθέμενος καὶ τῶν οὕτω καλουμένων Μαλάγνων αὐτὸν τὸν Ἀέρα κατέλαβε. 15.1.6 Τῆς δὲ βασιλίδος κατὰ τὴν Πρίγκιπον αὐλιζομένης, ἵν' ἔχοι ῥᾷον ἐκεῖθεν τὰ περὶ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος μανθάνειν περὶ τὸ Λοπάδιον ἐπανελθόντος, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἅμα τῷ τὸν Ἀέρα καταλαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ μονήρους μεταπέμπεται αὐτὴν τὸ μέν τι καὶ τὸ ἄλγος ὑφορώμενος ἀεὶ τῶν ποδῶν, τὸ δέ τι καὶ τοὺς συμπαρο μαρτοῦντας αὐτῷ τῶν ἐγκολπίων ἐχθρῶν δεδιὼς διὰ τὴν ἄκραν αὐτῆς περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὸ ἀγρυπνικώ τατον ὄμμα.

15.2.1 Οὔπω τρίτη παρῆλθεν ἡμέρα καὶ ὁ περὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν κοιτωνίσκον ἀσχολούμενος κατὰ τὸ περίορθρον ἐλθὼν ἀγχοῦ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ σκίμποδος εἱστήκει. Ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα διυπνισθεῖσα καὶ τοῦτον θεασαμένη Τούρκων ἡμῖν ἔφοδον ἀπαγγέλλειν ἔφη. Τοῦ δὲ περὶ τὸ οὕτω καλούμενον τοῦ Γεωργίου φρούριον ἐφθακέναι λέγοντος, κατεσίγασε τοῦτον ἡ βασιλὶς τῇ χειρὶ ἵνα μὴ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα διυπνίσῃ. Ὁ δὲ ἐν αἰσθήσει τῶν λεγομένων γεγονὼς ἐπὶ ταὐτῷ σχήματι καὶ γνώμης τέως ἦν· ἀνίσχοντος δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου πρὸς τὰς συνήθεις ἐργασίας ἐτράπετο ὅλος τῆς τούτου προμηθείας γεγονώς. Οὔπω τρίτη παρῆλθεν ὥρα καὶ ἕτερος ἐκεῖθεν