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peace. But Chosroes sent him away again, saying, I will not spare you, until you deny the crucified one, whom you say is God, and you worship the sun. In the ninth year, the Avars campaigned against Thrace. And Heraclius, having sent, requested peace; and when the Khagan agreed to make it, the emperor went outside the long wall with a great royal bodyguard and many great gifts to receive the Khagan and to receive pledges from him. But the barbarian, having disregarded the treaties and the oaths, suddenly and tyrannically moved against the emperor. And the emperor, struck by the unexpected event, returned to the city as a fugitive. And the barbarian, having taken the royal baggage and as many as he was able to capture, returned, having plundered many places of Thrace by unexpectedly deceiving with the hope of peace. In the tenth year, Heraclius sent envoys to the Khagan concerning the lawless things done by him, and again urged for peace; for, intending to campaign against Persia, he wished to be at peace with the Khagan, who, respecting the emperor’s good will, promised to repent and to make friendship; and having agreed to treaties, the envoys returned in peace. 1.717 In this year, the Persians took by war Ancyra of Galatia. In the eleventh year, Heraclius, taking up divine zeal on behalf of the Christians, having made peace with the Avars, as he thought, transferred the armies of Europe to Asia, and intended with God's cooperation to march against Persia. In the twelfth year, that is, in the #22131st year from the creation of the world, on the 3rd of the month of September, the 5th day, a theme of the Saracens came about from Stephen of Alexandria, who ruled for them to prevail in strength for 309 years, and in strife and confusion and disaster for another 50 years, so that their entire reign, both fortunate and unfortunate, would be 365 years, in the 60th year, as also says the prophet Isaiah, "Thus says the Lord: Yet a year, like the year of a hired worker, and the glory of Kedar will fail, and the remainder of the arrows of the mighty sons of Kedar will be few." There remains therefore until the ..., if indeed the astronomer Stephen has cast the theme well; but as I think, a subtle point has escaped him. But it is necessary to know that Kedar was the second son of Ishmael. In this year, after the emperor Heraclius celebrated the feast of Pascha, immediately on the second evening he set out against Persia, having taken money as a loan from the pious houses and churches (for the palace was in want; and with these he minted coins and miliaresia), leaving his 1.718 own son with the patriarch Sergius in Constantinople to manage affairs, along with Bonos the patrician, a prudent man and wise and experienced in all things. And he also wrote to the Khagan with pleas to aid the affairs of the Romans as one who had made a treaty of friendship with him, and he named him guardian of his own son. But Chosroes, having sent Saen the general with a great force against the Romans, devastated the entire east. And coming to Chalcedon, he remained for a considerable time. He, having summoned Heraclius with hypocrisy, spoke of matters concerning peace; but he, believing his deceitful words, sends with him 70 magnates as envoys to Chosroes, whom he took and led away to Persia dishonored and as prisoners. And Chosroes ordered Saen to be flayed for having seen Heraclius and not seizing him, and he condemned the envoys to guards and hardships; over which, great despondency and affliction seized the emperor. Then again Chosroes sent another commander against the Romans, by name Sarbaros, who came to Asia with a very great force, plundering Romania. But the emperor, wishing to march to Persia, said these things to the patriarch: "Into the hands of God and of the Mother of God and of you I leave this city and my son." And entering the great church, having put on black shoes and prone

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εἰρήνην. ὁ δὲ Χοσρόης καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸν ἀπεπέμψατο, εἰπὼν ὅτι οὐ φείσομαι ὑμῶν, ἕως ἂν ἀρνή σησθε τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, ὃν λέγετε θεὸν εἶναι, καὶ προσκυνήσητε τῷ ἡλίῳ. Τῷ θʹ ἔτει ἐστράτευσαν οἱ Ἄβαρες κατὰ τῆς Θρᾴκης. ἀπο στείλας δὲ Ἡράκλειος ᾐτεῖτο εἰρήνην· καὶ συνθεμένου τοῦ χαγάνου ταύτην ποιεῖν, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔξω τοῦ μακροῦ τείχους μετὰ πολλῆς δορυφορίας βασιλικῆς καὶ δώρων πολλῶν μεγάλων ὑποδέ ξασθαι τὸν χαγάνον καὶ λαβεῖν τὰ πιστὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ βάρ βαρος τάς τε συνθήκας ἀθετήσας καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους ἄφνω τυραννι κῶς κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐχώρησεν. ἐκπλαγεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ἀπροσδοκήτῳ φυγὰς ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ὑπέστρεψε. λαβὼν δὲ ὁ βάρ βαρος τήν τε βασιλικὴν ἀποσκευὴν καὶ ὅσους ἠδυνήθη καταλαβεῖν ὑπέστρεψε, πολλὰ χωρία τῆς Θρᾴκης ληϊσάμενος ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσ δοκήτως ἀπατῆσαι τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς εἰρήνης. Τῷ ιʹ ἔτει Ἡράκλειος πρὸς χαγάνον πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλεν ἕνεκα περὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγονότων ἀθέσμων, καὶ πάλιν πρὸς εἰρήνην προετρέπετο· ἐπιστρατεῦσαι γὰρ διανοούμενος κατὰ Περ σίδος εἰρηνεύειν μετὰ τοῦ χαγάνου ἤθελεν, ὃς καὶ αἰδεσθεὶς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀγάπην μετανοεῖν ἐπηγγέλλετο καὶ ἀγάπην ποιεῖν· καὶ στοιχήσαντες πάκτα ὑπέστρεψαν οἱ πρέσβεις μετ' εἰρήνης. 1.717 τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει παρέλαβον οἱ Πέρσαι πολέμῳ [ἀπὸ] Ἀγκύραν Γα λατίας. Τῷ ιαʹ ἔτει Ἡράκλειος ζῆλον θεῖον ὑπὲρ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀναλαβών, μετὰ τῶν Ἀβάρων εἰρηνεύσας, ὡς ἐνόμιζε, μετήνεγκε τὰ στρατεύματα τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν, καὶ διενοεῖτο τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργίᾳ κατὰ Περσίδος χωρεῖν. Τῷ ιβʹ ἔτει, ἤγουν τῷ #22ρλαʹ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου, μηνὶ Σεπτεμβρίῳ γʹ, ἡμέρᾳ εʹ, ἐγένετο θεμάτιον τῶν Σαρακηνῶν παρὰ Στεφάνου Ἀλεξανδρέως τούτοις κανονίσαντος κρατῆσαι ἐν ἰσχύϊ μὲν ἔτη τθʹ, ἐν δὲ συστροφῇ καὶ ἀκαταστασίᾳ καὶ συμφορᾷ ἕτερα ἔτη νʹ, ὡς εἶναι τὴν διακράτησιν αὐτῶν ἅπασαν εὐτυχοῦσαν καὶ δυστυχοῦσαν ἔτη τξεʹ, ἐν τῷ ξʹ ἐνιαυτῷ, καθά φησι καὶ ὁ προ φήτης Ἠσαΐας "τάδε λέγει κύριος· ἔτι ἐνιαυτὸς ὡς ἐνιαυτὸς μι σθωτοῦ, καὶ ἐκλείψει ἡ δόξα Κηδάρ, καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον τῶν τοξευμάτων υἱῶν Κηδὰρ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν ἔσται ὀλίγον." λείπει οὖν ἕως τῆς ..., ἐὰν ἄρα καλῶς ἐθεμάτισεν ὁ ἀστρονόμος Στέφανος· ἀλλ' ὡς οἶμαι λεπτὸν παχὺ ἔλαθεν ἐκεῖνον. χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτι ὁ Κηδὰρ δεύτερος υἱὸς τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ ἦν. τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει τελέσας ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡράκλειος τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ πάσχα, εὐθέως τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἑσπέρᾳ ἐκίνησε κατὰ Περσίδος, λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῶν εὐαγῶν οἴκων καὶ ἐκκλησιῶν χρήματα ἐν δανείῳ (ἀπορίαν γὰρ εἶχε τὸ παλάτιον· καὶ ταῦτα ἐχάραξε νομίσματα καὶ μιλιαρίσια), καταλιπὼν τὸν 1.718 ἴδιον υἱὸν σὺν τῷ πατριάρχῃ Σεργίῳ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει διοι κεῖν τὰ πράγματα, σὺν Βόνῳ τῷ πατρικίῳ, ἀνδρὶ ἐχέφρονι καὶ τὰ πάντα συνετῷ καὶ πεπειραμένῳ. ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν χα γάνον παρακλήσεις τοῦ ἐπικουρεῖν τὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πράγματα ὡς φιλίαν σπεισάμενον πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπίτροπον τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ τοῦτον ὠνόμασεν. ὁ Χοσρόης δὲ Σάην τὸν ἡγεμόνα μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἀποστείλας πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἠφάνι σεν. ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐν Χαλκηδόνι ἱκανὸν χρόνον παρεκάθισεν. ὃς τὸν Ἡράκλειον μεθ' ὑποκρίσεως προσκαλεσάμενος τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην ὡμίλησεν· ὁ δὲ τοῖς δολίοις λόγοις πιστεύσας αὐτοῦ ἐκπέμπει σὺν αὐτῷ πρέσβεις μεγιστᾶνας πρὸς Χοσρόην οʹ, οὓς παραλαβὼν ἀτί μους καὶ δεσμίους ἀπήγαγεν ἐν Περσίδι. ὁ δὲ Χοσρόης τὸν μὲν Σάην ὡς τὸν Ἡράκλειον ἰδόντα καὶ μὴ συλλαβόντα ἐκδαρῆναι ἐκέλευσε, τοὺς δὲ πρέσβεις ἐν φρουραῖς καὶ κακουχίαις κατεδί κασεν· ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀθυμία καὶ θλῖψις πολλὴ κατέσχε τὸν βασιλέα. εἶτα πάλιν Χοσρόης ἀπέστειλεν ἕτερον ἄρχοντα κατὰ Ῥωμαίων, ὀνόματι Σάρβαρον, ὃς μετὰ πλείστης δυνάμεως ἦλθε πρὸς τὴν Ἀσίαν, τὴν Ῥωμανίαν ληϊζόμενος. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς βουλόμενος πρὸς Περσίδα χωρεῖν τάδε πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην ἔφη "εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς θεομητέρος καὶ σοῦ ἀφίημι τὴν πόλιν ταύτην καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου." καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν, μέλανα ὑποδήματα περιβαλόμενος καὶ πρηνὴς