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towards Kios, and having learned during that whole night that they were approaching Nicaea, having already departed from there, he comes through Nicaea towards Miskoura. And having been assured there that the whole army of the Turks had not yet arrived, but that a few men sent by Monolykos were lingering around Dolylon and the parts of Nicaea, for the purpose of scouting his arrival and giving continuous reports about him to Monolykos, he sent Leo Nikerites with the forces under him to Lopadion, having urged him to be constantly vigilant and to watch the streets, and whatever he might learn about the Turks, to report this to him in writing. 15.2.6 Having placed the rest of the army in strategic locations, he judged it better not to proceed any longer against the sultan, supposing that the surviving barbarians would have proclaimed the attack against them to all the Turks throughout Asia, how having met the Romans in various places they attacked, how they resisted bravely, how being defeated some were captured, others were killed, and a few departed wounded, and from this, the barbarians, learning of his advance, would go further away, even beyond Iconium, and his effort would become futile. For these reasons, turning the reins, he occupied Nicomedia through Bithynia, so that from there, despairing of the attack against them, each might return to where he had previously made his dwelling. But when, having taken heart again, they should be scattered for plunder, as is the custom for the Turks, and the sultan himself should take up his former work, then he himself, with his soldiers having rested a little, and the horses and pack animals having become fat from there, after not long would take up the war against them more fiercely and would strongly withstand the battle. 15.2.7 For these reasons, having sought out Nicomedia, as has been said, and having occupied it, he stationed all the soldiers accompanying him in the nearby towns, so that both the horses and the pack animals might have sufficient fodder, since the land of Bithynia produces much grass, and the soldiers themselves might easily procure sufficient necessities both from Byzantium and the surrounding areas by means of the adjacent gulf, instructing them with all seriousness to take great care of the horses and beasts of burden, and not to go out at all for hunting or for horse-racing, so that when the time called, being fat they might carry their riders easily and be useful to them for the cavalry charges against the enemy.

15.3.1 Therefore, having arranged these things, he sat like a lookout, having posted guards from afar along every path; and intending to lodge there for a number of days, he sends for the Augusta for the reasons we have often stated, so that she might be with him until, having heard of the barbarians' raids, he might wish to depart from there. She quickly reaches Nicomedia. But seeing some of the opposition gloating, as it were, at what the emperor had failed to accomplish, and everywhere reviling the emperor and whispering that indeed, having prepared so much against the barbarians and having gathered many forces, and having accomplished nothing great, he had withdrawn to Nicomedia, and hearing them say this not only in corners, but also more shamelessly in public squares and streets and crossroads, she was annoyed and distressed. But the emperor, guessing that the outcome of his attack against his enemies would be favorable, being skilled in such matters, considered their slanders and indignation as nothing, utterly despising such things as the trifles of little children and laughing at their childish mentality. But he restored the Augusta with better reasonings, swearing that this very thing, which they were disparaging, would be the cause of a greater victory. 15.3.2 I for my part think it courage, when someone

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πρὸς Κίον καὶ δι' ὅλης τῆς αὐτῆς νυκτὸς μεμαθηκὼς αὐτοὺς τῇ Νικαίᾳ προσπελάζειν, ἤδη ἀπάρας ἐκεῖθεν, ἔρχεται διὰ τῆς Νικαίας πρὸς Μίσκουραν. Καὶ αὐτοῦ που βεβαιωθεὶς ὡς τὸ μὲν ἅπαν στράτευμα τῶν Τούρκων οὔπω κατέλαβεν, ὀλίγοι δέ τινες παρὰ τοῦ Μο νολύκου ἀποσταλέντες κατὰ τὸ ∆ολύλον ἐνδιατρίβουσι καὶ τὰ τῆς Νικαίας μέρη, ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν αὐτοῦ περισκοπεῖν ἔλευσιν καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ Μονολύκῳ διδόναι συνεχεῖς εἰδήσεις, Λέοντα μὲν τὸν Νικερίτην μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν δυνάμεων εἰς τὸ Λοπάδιον πέπομφεν, ἐγρηγορέναι τε διὰ παντὸς παρακελευσάμενος καὶ τὰς ἀμφόδους ἐπιτηρεῖν καὶ ἅττα δὴ περὶ τῶν Τούρκων γνοίη, ταῦτα διὰ γραφῶν δηλοῦν αὐτῷ. 15.2.6 Τὸ δὲ ἐπίλοιπον στράτευμα ἐν ἐπικαί ροις καταθέμενος τόποις διέγνω βέλτιον εἶναι μηκέτι κατὰ τοῦ σουλτάνου χωρεῖν, στοχαζόμενος τοὺς σωθέντας βαρ βάρους τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ὁρμὴν διακηρυκεύσασθαι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἅπασι Τούρκοις, ὡς ἐν διαφόροις ἐντετυχη κότες τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις προσέβαλλον, ὡς καρτερῶς ἀντέ στησαν, ὡς ἡττηθέντες οἱ μὲν ἑάλωσαν, οἱ δὲ ἀνῃρέθησαν, ὀλίγοι δὲ καὶ τραυματισθέντες ἀπῴχοντο, κἀκ τούτου διαγνόντες τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπέλευσιν οἱ βάρβαροι πορρωτέρω καὶ αὐτοῦ Ἰκονίου γενήσονται καὶ κενόσπουδος αὐτῷ ἡ σπουδὴ γένηται. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα στρέψας τοὺς χαλινοὺς διὰ τῆς Βιθυνῶν τὴν Νικομήδειαν κατέλαβεν, ἵν' ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελπίσαντες τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ἔφοδον ἐπανέλθοιεν ἕκαστος οὗπερ τὴν οἴκησιν πρότερον ἐπεποίητο. Ἐπὰν δὲ ἀποθαρ ρήσαντες αὖθις εἰς προνομὴν σκεδασθεῖεν, ὡς ἔθος τοῖς Τούρκοις, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σουλτάνος τοῦ προτέρου ἅψηται ἔργου, τηνικαῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν στρατιωτῶν μικρὸν ἀνα παυσαμένων καὶ τῶν ἵππων καὶ ὑποζυγίων πιόνων ἐντεῦθεν γεγονότων μετ' οὐ πολὺ σφοδρότερον τοῦ κατ' αὐτῶν ἅψη ται πολέμου καὶ τῆς μάχης καρτερῶς ἀνθέξεται 15.2.7 ∆ιὰ ταῦτα τὴν Νικομήδειαν ἀναζητήσας, ὡς εἴρηται, καὶ καταλαβὼν τοὺς συνεφεπομένους αὐτῷ ἅπαντας τῶν στρα τιωτῶν εἰς τὰς ἐγγύθι κωμοπόλεις κατέθετο, ὡς οἵ τε ἵπποι καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια τροφὴν ἀποχρῶσαν ἔχοιεν, τῆς Βιθυνῶν γῆς πολὺν τὸν χόρτον ἀναδιδούσης, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὴ οἱ στρατιῶται ῥᾳδίως ἀπό τε τῆς Βυζαντίδος καὶ τῶν πέριξ διὰ τοῦ παρακειμένου κόλπου ἀποχρῶντα τὰ πρὸς χρείαν κομίζοιντο, ἐπισκήψας αὐτοῖς ὅλῃ γνώμῃ πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἵππων καὶ ἀχθοφόρων κτηνῶν ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ μηδ' εἰς θήραν μηδ' εἰς ἱππηλάσιον τὸ παράπαν ἐξιέ ναι, ἵνα καιροῦ καλοῦντος πίονες ὄντες τοὺς ἐπιβάτας εὐχερῶς φέροιεν καὶ πρὸς τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἱππασίας χρήσιμοι αὐτοῖς εἶεν.

15.3.1 Ταῦτα τοιγαροῦν οἰκονομήσας ἐκεῖνος οἷα σκοπὸς καθῆστο πόρρωθεν φύλακας διὰ πάσης ἀτραποῦ ἐπιστήσας· μέλλων δὲ αὐτοῦ που ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς αὐλίζεσθαι, μεταπέμ πεται τὴν Αὔγουσταν δι' ἃς πολλάκις αἰτίας εἰρήκειμεν, ἐφ' ᾧ συνεῖναι τούτῳ μέχρις ἂν τὰς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐφόδους ἐνωτισθεὶς ἐκεῖθεν ἀπᾶραι βουληθείη. Ἡ δὲ θᾶττον τὴν Νικομήδειαν καταλαμβάνει· ὁρῶσα δέ τινας τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιγανυμένους οἷον ἐφ' οἷς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠπρακτήκει καὶ παν ταχοῦ διαλοιδορουμένους τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ὑποψιθυρίζοντας, ὡς ἄρα κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων τοσοῦτον παρασκευασάμενος καὶ πολλὰς συνειλοχὼς δυνάμεις καὶ μηδὲν μέγα ἠνυκὼς ἀπέκλινε πρὸς τὴν Νικομήδειαν, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν γωνίαις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πλατείαις καὶ ἀμφόδοις καὶ τριόδοις ἀναισχυντότερον λέγοντας ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἤσχαλλεν. Ὁ δὲ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ πέρας τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ ὁρμῆς αἴσιον ἔσεσθαι στοχαζόμενος, δεινὸς ὢν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, παρ' οὐδὲν μὲν τὰς διατριβὰς ἐκείνων καὶ νεμέσεις ἐτίθετο, ὡς παιδαρίων ἀθυρμάτων πάμπαν τῶν τοιούτων κατα φρονῶν καὶ τοῦ νηπιώδους αὐτῶν καταγελῶν φρονήματος. Τὴν δέ γε Αὔγουσταν κρείττοσιν ἀνεκτᾶτο λογισμοῖς αὐτὸ τοῦτ' ἔσεσθαι μείζονος νίκης αἴτιον ἐπομνύμενος, ὅπερ ἐκεῖνοι διασύρουσιν. 15.3.2 Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἀνδρείαν οἶμαι, ὅταν τις