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of those following him and not being persuaded to be left there without him, he unwillingly left the town as his own, under compulsion to be guarded by Kralj, until, when the opportunity called, he might take it back again. But he himself along with Kralj withdrew to the land of the Triballi. And Apokaukos the megas doux, when he learned that the emperor had withdrawn from Pherai with the Triballi, suspecting that those in Didymoteichon were greatly disturbed and would be ready for dissension and for these reasons hoping they would surrender, gathered whatever infantry and cavalry force there was from Byzantium and the cities throughout Thrace, and came to Didymoteichon and brought up terms regarding 2.302 surrender. But since they would by no means accept the terms, he gave up assaulting the walls, considering it impregnable both because of the strength of the walls and the courage and daring of its defenders; but encamping around the fortress of Empythion, he besieged it and used engines and assaults on the walls, making it a matter of greater importance to subdue it. He also secretly attempted to persuade those in Didymoteichon, if he could, to hand over the city; but he accomplished nothing. For when someone had arrived from the emperor and reported that the things said about him were not true, but that he had turned back because of the disease that had occurred in the army, and was again preparing to arrive, they took heart and were ready to both suffer and do all things for his sake. And the megas doux, having spent a little time on the siege of Empythion, when he learned that a large Scythian army had invaded the land of the Romans, he broke off the siege in disorder out of fear and proceeded to Adrianople with great haste. And those in Didymoteichon, seeing the disorder of the Roman army and thinking that something had happened to them that had caused such great confusion, immediately went out into the camp, and attacking, they captured a few men, and plundering grain and cattle and other baggage, they brought them inside the walls. For since the time when those from the outer settlement took up war against those within and rose up, being defeated, not even those inside paid attention to agriculture, knowing that there would be no benefit from it, 2.303 since they themselves were being besieged and were not able to defend themselves against attackers, but they lived by raiding and plundering the nearby cities. But at that time, being completely confined within the walls by the army, they were hard pressed by no small lack of provisions. The Scythian force, however, having overrun all of Thrace, since there was nothing to plunder, as the country had been destroyed previously by the war against each other and at that time, if anything still remained, it had taken refuge in the cities, they returned with empty hands and made their camp not far from Skopelos. But the people in Skopelos, having learned that the Scythians were returning to their own country having plundered nothing, rashly set out with their usual foolishness, each taking up what arms they had, and they forced the leader of the city, Michael, taking along also the soldiers, as many as were with them, to engage the nearby barbarians. But when he forbade the daring act and advised them to refrain from the attempt, as they would clearly be courting death, not only did they not obey him who advised the better course, but they handed him over to some men to guard, so that when they returned from the battle, they might punish him for his betrayal. For they thought that it was not because he was conscious of their weakness that he was unwilling to lead them against the enemy, but because he was doing them a favor, as they had caused the megas doux to raise the siege of Didymoteichon, which he was on the point of taking because of its lack of provisions. And that they would attack and defeat them, not only because they were enemies, but also because of 2.304 their goodwill towards the megas doux. For out of fear of him, they were returning to their own country in a short time, having done no harm to the Roman lands. Having said such things and acted rashly, the wretched men went against the Scythians, ordering the soldiers also to follow them. And they followed by necessity, considering it more preferable for them, if it must be, to die fighting the barbarians, than to be destroyed with their entire households by the

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τῶν συνεπομένων καὶ μὴ πειθομένων χωρὶς ἐκείνου ἀπολείπεσθαι ἐκεῖ, τὴν μὲν πολίχνην ὡς ἰδίαν καὶ ἄκων κατέλιπε πρὸς Κράλην φυλάττειν ὑπ' ἀνάγκης, ἄχρις οὗ, καιροῦ καλοῦντος, αὖθις ἀπολάβῃ. αὐτὸς δὲ ἅμα Κράλῃ πρὸς τὴν Τριβαλῶν ἀνεχώρουν γῆν. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο ἐκ Φερῶν ἀνακεχωρηκότα βασιλέα μετὰ Τριβαλῶν, ὑποπτεύσας τοὺς ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ σφόδρα τεθορυβῆσθαι καὶ πρὸς διχοστασίαν ἔσεσθαι ῥᾳδίους καὶ διὰ ταῦτα παραστήσεσθαι ἐλπίσας, στρατιὰν ὅση ἦν ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ τῶν κατὰ Θρᾴκην πόλεων συναγαγὼν πεζήν τε καὶ ἱππικὴν, κατὰ ∆ιδυμότειχόν τε ἐγένετο καὶ προσῆγε λόγους περὶ πα 2.302 ραδόσεως. ὡς δ' ἐκεῖνοι παρεδέχοντο οὐδαμῆ τοὺς λόγους, τὸ μὲν τειχομαχεῖν ἀπεγίνωσκε, διά τε καρτερότητα τειχῶν καὶ εὐψυχίαν καὶ τόλμαν τῶν ἐχόντων ἀνάλωτον νομίζων· τὸ Ἐμπυθίου δὲ φρούριον περιστρατοπεδευσάμενος, ἐπολιόρκει καὶ μηχαναῖς ἐχρῆτο καὶ τειχομαχίαις, περὶ πλείονος τὸ παραστήσασθαι ποιούμενος. ἐπεχείρει δὲ κρύφα καὶ τοῖς ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ, εἰ δύναιτο πείθειν τὴν πόλιν παραδοῦναι· ἤνυε δὲ οὐδέν. ἀφιγμένου γάρ τινος παρὰ βασιλέως καὶ μεμηνυκότος, ὡς οὐκ ἀληθῆ τὰ περὶ ἐκείνου εἰρημένα εἴη, ἀλλ' ὑποστρέψειε μὲν διὰ τὴν περὶ τὴν στρατιὰν συμβᾶσαν νόσον, αὖθις δὲ παρασκευάζοιτο ὡς ἀφιξόμενος, ἀνεθάρσησάν τε καὶ ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν ὡς ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου πάντα καὶ πεισόμενοι καὶ πράξοντες. ὁ μέγας δὲ δοὺξ ὀλίγα τῇ τοῦ Ἐμπυθίου ἐνδιατρίψας πολιορκίᾳ, ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο ἀθρόον στρατιὰν Σκυθικὴν εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐμβεβληκυῖαν, ἀσυντάκτως ὑπὸ δέους τῆς πολιορκίας ἀπαναστὰς, πρὸς Ἀδριανούπολιν ἐχώρει σπουδῇ πολλῇ. οἱ δὲ ἐν ∆ιδυμοτείχῳ τὴν ἀταξίαν ὁρῶντες τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾶς καὶ νομίσαντές τι περὶ αὐτοὺς συμβεβηκέναι τὸ μάλιστα οὕτω θορυβῆσαν, αὐτίκα τε ἐγένοντο εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, καί τινων ἐκράτησαν ὀλίγων ἐπιθέμενοι, σῖτόν τε καὶ βοσκήματα καὶ ἄλλας διαρπάσαντες ἀποσκευὰς, εἰσῆγον ἐντὸς τειχῶν. ἐξ ὅτου γὰρ οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἔξωθεν συνοικίας πόλεμον ἀράμενοι πρὸς τοὺς ἔνδον ἀνέστησαν ἡττηθέντες, οὐδ' οἱ ἔνδον γεωργίαις προσεῖχον, εἰδότες ὡς οὐδεμία τις ὠφέλεια ἐκ τούτων ἔσται, 2.303 αὐτῶν πολιορκουμένων καὶ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἀμύνεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οὐ δυναμένων, ἀλλὰ τὰς πλησίον πόλεις κατατρέχοντες καὶ ληϊζόμενοι διέζων. τότε δὲ παντάπασιν ὑπὸ τῆς στρατιᾶς εἱργόμενοι τειχήρεις, οὐ μετρίως ἐπιέζοντο ἐνδείᾳ. τὸ μέντοι Σκυθικὸν πᾶσαν καταδραμὸν τὴν Θρᾴκην, ἐπεὶ ληΐζεσθαι οὐδὲν ἐνῆν, πρότερόν τε ὑπὸ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῆς χώρας διεφθαρμένης καὶ τότε, εἴ τι περιῆν ἔτι, εἰς τὰς πόλεις καταφυγόντος, κεναῖς ἀναστρέψαντες χερσὶν, οὐ μακρὰν Σκοπέλου τὴν στρατοπεδείαν ἐποιήσαντο. ὁ δὲ ἐν Σκοπέλῳ δῆμος πυθόμενοι, ὡς Σκύθαι ληϊσάμενοι μηδὲν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπανέρχονται, τῇ συνήθει ἀσυνεσίᾳ παραβόλως ὁρμηθέντες, ὅπλα ὡς εἶχον ἕκαστος ἀράμενοι, ἠνάγκαζον καὶ τὸν τῆς πόλεως ἡγεμόνα Μιχαὴλ παραλαβόντα καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας, ὅσοι ἦσαν παρ' αὐτοῖς, συμπλέκεσθαι ἐγγὺς οὖσι τοῖς βαρβάροις. τοῦ δὲ πρὸς τὸ τόλμημα ἀπαγορεύοντος καὶ παραινοῦντος ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς πείρας, ὡς θανατοῦντας φανερῶς, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπείθοντο τὰ βελτίω συμβουλεύοντι, ἀλλὰ παρέδοσάν τισι φρουρεῖν, ὡς ἐπειδὰν ἐκ τῆς μάχης ἀναστρέψωσιν, ἀμυνούμενοι αὐτὸν τῆς προδοσίας. οὐ γὰρ ἀδυναμίαν αὐτοῖς συνειδότα μὴ ἐθέλειν στρατηγεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, ἀλλὰ χαριζόμενον αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἐκ τῆς ∆ιδυμοτείχου πολιορκίας τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα ἀναστήσασιν, ὅσον οὐδέπω μέλλοντα διὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν αὐτοῦ κρατεῖν. αὐτοὺς δὲ ἐκείνοις ἐπελθεῖν τε καὶ κρατήσειν, οὐ τοῦ πολεμίους εἶναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ 2.304 τὴν εἰς τὸν μέγαν δοῦκα εὔνοιαν. τῷ γὰρ ἐκείνου δέει μηδὲν λυμηναμένους τὴν Ῥωμαίων, πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀναστρέφειν ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ. τοιαῦτα οἱ κακοδαίμονες εἰπόντες καὶ νεανιευσάμενοι, ἐχώρουν κατὰ τῶν Σκυθῶν, κελεύσαντες αὐτοῖς καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἕπεσθαι. οἱ δὲ εἵποντο ἀνάγκῃ, αἱρετώτερον ἡγούμενοι αὐτοὺς, εἰ δέοι, τοῖς βαρβάροις μαχομένους ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢ πανοικεσίᾳ διαφθείρεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν