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Not yet up to now have we erred through want of counsel or inexperience. But if, while we were doing what was necessary and using right judgments, our fellow-soldiers, softened by sympathy for their own people, ignobly and slavishly went over to the enemy, it is not right that their baseness should disgrace our courage and boldness and endurance in the face of dangers. For they, in addition to the evils they will suffer, being despised and insulted and enduring everything that is just for those who have surrendered their arms, will also pay no small penalty to us a little later, being ashamed 2.251 on account of their treason and the baseness of their character. But you have now won a reputation for courage and endurance even among the enemy themselves, and a little later not only I will reward you with fitting benefactions, but you will also be admired and wondered at by all, because in times most able to test the minds of men, you have displayed fitting magnanimity and courage. It is not right, then, for you to lose heart because of their want of counsel, nor to consider that we have met with misfortune, but whether we ourselves have contributed nothing through cowardice to appearing inferior to the enemy. But if the fact that we have now fared ill disturbs you, you must consider this, that not even the Romans of old, about whom great and wondrous things are sung, remained altogether undefeated, but having often stumbled in many things and having lost entire armies along with their generals, by their courage and fortitude in their deeds they fought back again from defeat, not so much cowering, as engaging in the war more vehemently afterwards with anger against the enemy. We who claim to be their descendants, let us imitate their virtues and now consider that we are in misfortune, having experienced human fortunes, but a little later we shall arrive again at our former prosperity. For not a few of the emperors before us, some warring against barbarians became captives when defeated, and others 2.252, plotted against in civil wars, were driven from their rule. But again both, not despairing of their safety, regained their rule and inflicted more evils on their enemies than they themselves had suffered. And if it is necessary to turn to more divine examples, let us consider Joseph and that bitter slavery and the long imprisonment and the other heap of sorrows, and how after all this, instead of a slave and a prisoner, he was shown to be king of Egypt. And King David, after his long wandering and after enduring countless terrible things from the king he had benefited, later was saved to his own land and ruled securely over his kinsmen. Considering all these things, one must not be disheartened, but rather hope for better things; and to deliberate on what we must do now, so as not to fail in our duty. For you see that we have been left in a hostile land, where it is not safe to remain, with enemies pressing on all sides, and to return to our own land and be shut up and besieged is not only ignoble and dishonorable, but also presents no small suspicion of danger, if so many, pressed by want, will be forced to do things unworthy of their former glory. For Melenikos can not only not feed us, but not even its inhabitants without want. For this reason I have first persuaded myself and now 2.253 advise you, to go to the ruler of the Triballi, who has long been friendly to me and has now, a little while ago, made a truce and alliance. Making use of his power, we shall return quickly to Didymoteichon and for the other aspects of the war we shall have his alliance, which will be of no small help. To me, then, such things seemed advantageous at the present time. But if anyone has some other, better opinion to offer, I myself will gladly be persuaded and I will advise the others.” So the emperor said such things. But the army, along with its leaders, being about two thousand, said, “There is no need for exhortations to us, O emperor, nor for deliberations; but to do all things that seem good to both God and you and

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οὐδέπω μέχρι νῦν ἐξ ἀβουλίας ἢ ἀπειρίας ἡμάρτηται ἡμῖν. εἰ δ' ἡμῶν τὰ δέοντα ποιούντων καὶ ὀρθοῖς χρωμένων λογισμοῖς, οἱ συστρατευόμενοι τῇ περὶ τοὺς οἰκείους συμπαθείᾳ καταμαλακισθέντες, ἀγεννῶς καὶ ἀνελευθέρως προσεχώρησαν τοῖς πολεμίοις, οὐ χρὴ τὴν ἐκείνων κακίαν τῇ ἡμῶν εὐψυχίᾳ καὶ τόλμῃ καὶ καρτερίᾳ περὶ τὰ δεινὰ λυμαίνεσθαι. ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ πρὸς οἷς ὑποστήσονται κακοῖς περιορώμενοι καὶ προπηλακιζόμενοι καὶ πάντα ὑπομένοντες, ὅσα τοὺς ὅπλα παραδεδωκότας δίκαιον, ἔτι καὶ ἡμῖν ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον οὐ φαύλην δώσουσι τὴν δίκην, αἰσχυνόμενοι 2.251 τῆς προδοσίας ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς φαυλότητος τῶν τρόπων. ὑμεῖς δὲ νῦν τε ἀνδρίας καὶ καρτερίας δόξαν ἠνέγκασθε καὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνον ἀμείψομαι ταῖς προσηκούσαις εὐεργεσίαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν ἔσεσθε περίβλεπτοι καὶ θαυμαστοὶ, ὅτι ἐν καιροῖς μάλιστα δυναμένοις βασανίζειν γνώμας ἀνδρῶν, τὴν προσήκουσαν ἐπεδείξασθε καὶ μεγαλοψυχίαν καὶ ἀνδρίαν. οὐ δὴ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀβουλίαν καταπίπτειν ὑμᾶς δίκαιον, οὐδ' ὅτι δυσπραγίαις κεχρήμεθα σκοπεῖν, ἀλλ' εἰ μηδὲν αὐτοὶ δι' ἀτολμίαν πρὸς τὸ ἥττους φαίνεσθαι συνεισηνέγκαμεν τῶν πολεμίων. εἰ δ' ὅτι κακῶς νυνὶ πεπράχαμεν προσίσταται ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο χρὴ σκοπεῖν, ὡς οὐδ' οἱ πάλαι Ῥωμαῖοι, περὶ ὧν μεγάλα ᾄδεται καὶ θαυμαστὰ, ἀήττητοι παντάπασι διαμεμενήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἐν πολλοῖς πολλάκις σφαλέντες καὶ ὁλόκληρα στρατόπεδα μετὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἀποβαλόντες, ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ τλημοσύνῃ τῇ περὶ τὰ ἔργα αὖθις ἀνεμαχέσαντο τὴν ἧτταν, οὐ μᾶλλον καταπτήξαντες, ἢ ὀργῇ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους σφοδρότερον ἁψάμενοι μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ πολέμου. ὧν ἀπόγονοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀξιοῦντες εἶναι, μιμώμεθα τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ νῦν μὲν ἡγώμεθα τύχαις ἀνθρωπίναις χρησάμενοι δυσπραγεῖν, μικρῷ δὲ ὕστερον πρὸς τὴν προτέραν αὖθις ἀφίξεσθαι εὐδαιμονίαν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν βασιλέων οὐκ ὀλίγοι, οἱ μὲν βαρβάροις πολεμοῦντες αἰχμάλωτοι γεγόνασι νικηθέντες, οἱ δὲ 2.252 καὶ ὑπὸ πολέμων ἐμφυλίων ἐπιβουλευθέντες, ἐξεκρούσθησαν τῆς ἀρχῆς. ἀλλ' αὖθις ἑκάτεροι τὴν σωτηρίαν οὐκ ἀπογνόντες, τῆς τε ἀρχῆς ἐπέτυχον καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους πλείω, ἢ αὐτοὶ πεπόνθασι, προσειργάσαντο κακά. εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς θειότερά τινα παραδείγματα ἀνάγεσθαι δεήσει, τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἐννοήσωμεν καὶ τὴν πικρὰν ἐκείνην δουλείαν καὶ τὴν χρόνιον κάθειρξιν καὶ τὸν ἄλλον φορυτὸν τῶν ἀλγεινῶν καὶ ὡς μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἀντὶ δούλου καὶ δεσμώτου βασιλεὺς ἀνεδείκνυτο Αἰγύπτου. καὶ ∆αβὶδ τὸν βασιλέα μετὰ τὴν πλάνην τὴν μακρὰν καὶ τὸ μυρία ὑπὸ τοῦ εὐεργετηθέντος βασιλέως ὑποστῆναι τὰ δεινὰ, ὕστερον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀνασωθέντα καὶ βεβαίως βασιλεύσαντα τῶν ὁμοφύλων. ἃ πάντα χρὴ ἐνθυμουμένους μὴ ἀθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὰ χρηστότερα ἐλπίζειν· βουλεύεσθαι δὲ καὶ ἃ χρὴ πράττοντας νυνὶ, μὴ τοῦ προσήκοντος διαμαρτάνειν. ὁρᾶτε γὰρ, ὡς περὶ γῆν ἀπολελείμμεθα πολεμίαν, ᾗ τό,τε προσεδρεύειν οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς, πολεμίων πάντοθεν ἐπικειμένων, καὶ τὸ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀναστρέφειν καὶ ἐγκλεισαμένους πολιορκεῖσθαι, οὐκ ἀγεννὲς καὶ ἄτιμον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδύνου ὑποψίαν οὐ παρέχεται μικρὰν, εἰ δεήσει τοσούτους ἐνδείᾳ πιεσθέντας ἀνάξια τῆς προτέρας δόξης ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι ποιεῖν. Μελενίκος γὰρ οὐχ ὅτι γε ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς οἰκοῦντας τρέφειν δύναται ἀνενδεῶς. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα αὐτός τε πρότερον ἐμαυτὸν πέπεικα καὶ ὑμῖν 2.253 συμβουλεύω νῦν, πρὸς τὸν Τριβαλῶν ἄρχοντα ἐλθεῖν, πάλαι τε φιλίως διακείμενον ἐμοὶ καὶ νῦν ὀλίγῳ πρότερον σπονδὰς καὶ συμμαχίαν πεποιημένον. οὗ χρησάμενοι τῇ δυνάμει, πρός τε ∆ιδυμότειχον ἐπανήξομεν ταχέως καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα τοῦ πολέμου οὐ μέτριά τινα ὠφελοῦσαν ἕξομεν τὴν ἐκείνου συμμαχίαν. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα ἔδοξε λυσιτελεῖν ἐν τῷ παρόντι. εἰ δέ τινα βελτίω γνώμην ἑτέραν ἔχει τις εἰσενεγκεῖν, αὐτός τε πεισθήσομαι ἡδέως καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συμβουλεύσω.» ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς τοιαῦτα εἶπεν. ἡ στρατιὰ δὲ ἅμα τοῖς ἡγεμόσι περὶ δισχιλίους ὄντες, «οὔτε παραινέσεων» εἶπον «χρεία πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, οὔτε βουλευμάτων· ἀλλ' ἃ θεῷ τε καὶ σοὶ δοκεῖ πάντα πράττειν καὶ