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heavy and terrible overtakes them. For the sultan, having gathered his forces again and surrounded the army, fought vigorously from all sides, but being in no way strong enough to break the shield-wall of the Romans, but as if attacking adamantine walls, he was sent away unsuccessful. He was vexed, therefore, throughout that whole night <καὶ> having completely despaired, he took counsel with Monolykos and the other satraps, and as day was dawning, he asked the emperor for terms of peace, as this seemed best to all the barbarians. 15.6.4 He is not sent away, but the emperor accepts his supplication and immediately ordered the recall to be sounded. And thus he exhorted everyone to remain still and to stand in the same formation, neither dismounting from their horses nor unloading the baggage from the pack animals, fenced in with shield and helmet and spear, just as they had been previously throughout the entire march. These things were arranged by the emperor for no other reason, but that, should a confusion often arise, the formation of the battle line might not be broken and from this they might all become vulnerable. For he feared the Turks, seeing that they were a great multitude and were attacking the Roman army from all sides. The emperor, having taken a stand in a strategic place and having selected all his relatives and a sufficient number of his soldiers on both sides, stood himself at the head, on the right and on the left were those related to him by blood and by marriage and next to these a chosen mix of soldiers, all heavily armored. The gleaming torch of their weapons illuminated the air more even than the sun's ray. 15.6.5 Then the sultan also approached with the satraps under him, of whom Monolykos, surpassing all the Turks in Asia in age and experience and courage, led the way, and he comes upon the emperor on the plain between Augustopolis and Akroinon. The satraps, indeed, having seen the emperor from afar, dismounted from their horses and offered the prostration customary for emperors. But the emperor did not allow the sultan who tried many times to dismount from his horse. But he, quickly dismounting, kissed his foot. And he, giving him his hand, bade him mount one of the choice horses. And when he had mounted and approached alongside the other side of the emperor, immediately loosening the robe which he was wearing, he placed it on his shoulders. Then, pausing for a little, he delivered a speech declaring all that he had resolved, saying thus: «If you wish to submit to the Roman empire and to stop the raids against the Christians, you will enjoy favors and honor and for the future you will live without disturbance in the lands assigned to you, where you previously had your abodes before Romanos Diogenes girded on the reins of the empire and suffered that defeat, having unfortunately joined battle with the sultan and been captured by him. It is necessary therefore to choose peace over battle and to keep away from the borders under Roman rule, being content with your own. And if you are persuaded by my words as I counsel the better course, you will in no way regret it, but you will also obtain many gifts. But if not, know that I will be the destroyer of your race.» 15.6.6 The sultan and his satraps very readily agreed to these things, saying: «We would not have come here as deserters, if we had not chosen beforehand to embrace peace with your majesty». Therefore, when these things had been said, he dismissed them to the tents assigned to them, promising to ratify the treaties on the morrow. On the next day, the emperor, having seen again the sultan, Saisan by name, and having fulfilled the treaties with him as was customary, bestowed on him a great amount of money and having also honored his satraps sufficiently, he sent them away rejoicing. 15.6.7 In the

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καταλαμβάνει τούτους βαρὺς καὶ δεινός. Ὁ γὰρ σουλτάνος, συνάξας αὖθις τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ περι ζώσας τὸ στράτευμα, γυρόθεν καρτερῶς ἐμάχετο, μηδαμῶς δὲ τὸν συνασπισμὸν τῶν Ῥωμαίων διακόψαι ἰσχύσας, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀδαμαντίνοις τείχεσι προσβαλὼν ἄπρακτος ἀπεπέμ φθη. Ἠνιᾶτο γοῦν δι' ὅλης ἐκείνης τῆς νυκτὸς <καὶ> καθά παξ ἀπογνοὺς μετὰ τοῦ Μονολύκου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν σατρα πῶν ἐβουλεύετο, καὶ τὰ περὶ εἰρήνης ἐπιφωσκούσης ἡμέρας ᾐτεῖτο τὸν αὐτοκράτορα τούτου πᾶσι τοῖς βαρβάροις συνδό ξαντος. 15.6.4 Οὐκ ἀποπέμπεται δέ, ἀλλὰ δέχεται τούτου τὴν ἱκεσίαν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ παραχρῆμα τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν ἠχῆσαι ἐπέταξε. Καὶ οὕτως ἀτρεμεῖν ἅπαντας παρεκελεύ σατο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἵστασθαι σχήματος μήτε τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντας μήτε τὰς σκευὰς τῶν ὑποζυγίων ἀποσάξαντας, περιφραττομένους ἀσπίδι καὶ κυνέῃ καὶ δόρατι, καθά γε καὶ πρότερον δι' ὅλης τῆς ὁδοιπορίας. Ταῦτα δὲ δι' οὐδὲν ἄλλο τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ᾠκονόμητο, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ συγχύσεως γενομένης πολλάκις τό τε σχῆμα τῆς παρατάξεως διασπα σθῇ κἀντεῦθεν εὐάλωτοι ἅπαντες γένωνται. Ἐδεδίει γὰρ τοὺς Τούρκους πλῆθος πολὺ τούτους ὁρῶν καὶ ἁπανταχό θεν τῷ ῥωμαϊκῷ προσβάλλοντας στρατεύματι. Ἐν ἐπικαίρῳ δὲ τόπῳ στὰς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ τούς τε συγγενεῖς αὐτοῦ ἅπαν τας καὶ ἱκανοὺς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀπολεξάμενος ἐφ' ἑκάτερα ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς μὲν αὐτὸς εἱστήκει, δεξιόθεν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οἱ καθ' αἷμα καὶ ἐξ ἀγχιστείας αὐτῷ προσήκοντες καὶ τού τοις ἐχομένως μιγὰς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἔκκριτος, κατάφρακ τοι ἅπαντες. Ὁ δὲ τῶν ὅπλων ἀποστίλβων πυρσὸς τὸν ἀέρα πλέον καὶ τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος κατηύγαζε. 15.6.5 Προσ εληλύθει δὲ τηνικαῦτα καὶ ὁ σουλτάνος μετὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν σατραπῶν, ὧν ὁ Μονόλυκος χρόνῳ καὶ πείρᾳ καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ πάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν Τούρκων ὑπερφέρων προῆγε, καὶ καταλαμβάνει τὸν βασιλέα κατὰ τὴν πεδιάδα τὴν μεταξὺ Αὐγουστόπολιν καὶ Ἀκρόνιον. Οἱ δέ γε σατρά παι πόρρωθεν θεασάμενοι τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες τὴν συνήθη τοῖς βασιλεῦσι προσκύνησιν ἀπο δεδώκασι. Τὸν δὲ σουλτάνον πολλάκις τοῦ ἵππου ἀποβῆναι ἐπιχειρήσαντα ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ οὐ ξυνεχώρει. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ταχὺ πεζεύσας τὸν πόδα τούτου ἠσπάσατο. Καὶ ὃς χεῖρά τε δοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ ἵππον τῶν ἐκκρίτων ἐπιβῆναι ἐκέλευσεν. Ἐπιβάντα δὲ τοῦτον καὶ παρὰ θατέραν πλευρὰν τοῦ αὐτοκρά τορος προσεγγίσαντα, παραχρῆμα τὸ ἄμφιον ὃ περιεβέβλητο λύσας, τοῖς ὤμοις ἐκείνου ἐπέθετο. Εἶτα μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν τὸ πᾶν τῶν αὐτῷ δεδογμένων δημηγορήσας ἐξέφηνε λέγων ὡς· «Εἰ μὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ Ῥωμαίων ὑπείκειν βούλεσθε καὶ τὰς κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐκδρομὰς ἀνακόψαι, χαρίτων μὲν καὶ τιμῆς ἀπολαύσετε καὶ ἀνέτως ἐν ταῖς ἀποτεταγ μέναις ὑμῖν χώραις τοῦ λοιποῦ βιώσεσθε, οὗ τὸ πρότερον τὰς διατριβὰς εἴχετε πρὸ τοῦ Ῥωμανὸν τὸν ∆ιογένην τὰς ἡνίας τῆς βασιλείας περιζώσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἧτταν ἐκείνην ἡττηθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ σουλτάνου συνάξαντα δυστυχῶς τὴν μάχην καὶ ἁλῶναι παρ' αὐτοῦ. Χρὴ οὖν τὴν εἰρήνην ἑλέσθαι τῆς μάχης καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ὁρίων ἀπέχε σθαι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀρκουμένους. Καὶ εἴ μου πεισθῆτε τοῖς λόγοις συμβουλευομένου τὰ λῴονα, μεταμεληθήσεσθε οὐδα μῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῶν δωρημάτων ἐπιτεύξεσθε. Εἰ δὲ μή, ἐμὲ ἴστε ὀλοθρευτὴν τοῦ γένους ὑμῶν ἔσεσθαι.» 15.6.6 Ὁ δὲ σουλτάνος καὶ οἱ τούτου σατράπαι πρὸς ταῦτα μάλα προ θύμως συνέθεντο λέγοντες· «Οὐκ ἂν αὐτόμολοι ἐνταῦθα παρεγενόμεθα, εἰ μὴ τὴν μετὰ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας εἰρήνην ἀσπάσασθαι προειλόμεθα». Τούτων οὖν ῥηθέντων ἀπέλυσε τούτους εἰς τὰς ἀποτεταγμένας αὐτοῖς σκηνάς, εἰς νέωτα τὰς συνθήκας κατεμπεδῶσαι ὑποσχόμενος. Τῇ δὲ μετ' αὐ τὴν αὖθις τὸν σουλτάνον Σαϊσὰν τὴν κλῆσιν θεασάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὰς μετ' αὐτοῦ συνθήκας ὡς ἔθος πληρώ σας, χρήματα μὲν ὅτι πλεῖστα αὐτῷ ἐχαρίσατο καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ δὲ σατράπαις ἱκανῶς φιλοτιμησάμενος χαίροντας ἀπέλυσεν. 15.6.7 Ἐν τῷ