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they used to worship. For with a certain barbaric simplicity they suspected that trees 8.3.15 were gods. And at the hands of their own rulers they suffered the most terrible things because of their great love of money. For both of their kings, whenever they saw any boys in this nation who were comely in appearance and handsome in body, would without any hesitation tear them away from their parents, make them eunuchs, and sell them in the land of the Romans to those willing to buy 8.3.16 them for a great price. And they would kill their fathers immediately, so that no one might ever attempt to take vengeance on the king for the injustice done to their children, and so that none of their subjects there would be objects of suspicion to them. And the beauty of their sons resulted for them in their destruc8.3.17 tion. For the wretched men were being destroyed, having had the misfortune of children with a fatal comeliness. And for this reason most of the eunuchs among the Romans, and not least in the emperor's court, happened to be of the Abasgian 8.3.18 race. But during the reign of this Justinian, all things for the Abasgians have happened 8.3.19 to change to a more civilized state. For they chose the doctrines of the Christians, and the Emperor Justinian, sending to them a certain one of the eunuchs from the Palace, an Abasgian by race, Euphratas by name, expressly forbade their kings that for the future no one in this nation should be deprived of his manhood, with nature being violated by the knife. This the Abasgians 8.3.20 gladly heard. And taking courage from the command of the Roman emperor, they now prevented this deed with all their strength. For each of them feared lest he might ever become the father of a comely 8.3.21 child. Then indeed the Emperor Justinian, having built a sanctuary of the Mother of God among the Abasgians and having appointed priests for them, brought it about that they were taught all the customs of the Christians; and the Abasgians, having at once deposed both their kings, seemed to live in freedom. So these things, then, proceeded in this way. 8.4.1 But after the borders of the Abasgians, along the Caucasus mountain dwell the Bruchi, being between the Abasgians and the Alans. And along the coast of the Euxine 8.4.2 Pontus the Zechi are settled. And for the Zechi, in ancient times the Roman emperor used to appoint a king, but now these bar8.4.3 barians do not obey the Romans in any way at all. After them live the Saginae, and a portion of their coast the Romans have held since of old. 8.4.4 And having built two coastal forts, Sebastopolis and Pityous, two days' journey distant from each other, they established there a garrison of soldiers from 8.4.5 the beginning. For previously, Roman military detachments held all the places on the coast from the borders of Trapezus as far as the Saginae, as has been said by me; but now only these two forts were left to them, where indeed they had their garrisons even to my time, since Chosroes, the king of the Persians, when the Lazi invited him to Petra, was eager to send a Persian army there, to both hold these forts and to be stationed in the 8.4.6 garrisons there. When the Roman soldiers were able to learn this beforehand, acting first they burned the houses and, razing the walls to the ground, embarked without any delay on their skiffs and immediately proceeded to the opposite mainland and the city of Trapezus, having inflicted a loss on the Roman state by the destruction of the forts, but having procured a great gain for it, in that the enemy did not become masters of the country. For as a result of this the Persians returned to Petra having accomplished nothing. So these things, then, came to pass in this way. 8.4.7 Beyond the Saginae many Hunnic nations are settled. From there on the country is named Eulysia, and barbarian men possess both its coastal regions and its interior, as far as the so-called Maeotic Lake and the river Tanais, which indeed empties into the Lake. 8.4.8 And this Lake makes its outlets onto the shore of the Euxine Pontus. The men who dwell here were in ancient times called Cimmerians, 8.4.9 but now they are called Utigurs. And above them toward the north wind countless nations of the Antes are settled. And beside the very place from which the outlet of the Lake

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ἐσέβοντο. θεοὺς γὰρ τὰ δένδρα 8.3.15 βαρβάρῳ τινὶ ἀφελείᾳ ὑπώπτευον εἶναι. πρὸς δὲ τῶν ἐν σφίσιν ἀρχόντων τὰ δεινότατα διὰ φιλοχρηματίας μέγεθος ἔπασχον. ἄμφω γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ βασιλεῖς, ὅσους ἂν παῖδας ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔθνει ἀγαθούς τε τὴν ὄψιν καὶ τὸ σῶμα καλοὺς ἴδοιεν, τούτους δὴ ὀκνήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐκ τῶν γειναμένων ἀφέλκοντες εὐνούχους τε ἀπεργαζόμενοι ἀπεδίδοντο ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν τοῖς ὠνεῖ8.3.16 σθαι βουλομένοις χρημάτων μεγάλων. τούς τε αὐτῶν πατέρας ἔκτεινον εὐθὺς, τοῦ μὴ αὐτῶν τινας τίσασθαί ποτε τῆς ἐς τοὺς παῖδας ἀδικίας τὸν βασιλέα ἐγχειριεῖν, μηδὲ ὑπόπτους αὐτοῖς τῶν κατηκόων τινὰς ἐνταῦθα εἶναι. ἥ τε τῶν υἱέων εὐμορφία σφίσιν ἐς τὸν ὄλε8.3.17 θρον ἀπεκρίνετο. διεφθείροντο γὰρ οἱ ταλαίπωροι, παίδων θανάσιμον δεδυστυχηκότες εὐπρέπειαν. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐν Ῥωμαίοις εὐνούχων οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐν τῇ βασιλέως αὐλῇ γένος Ἀβασγοὶ 8.3.18 ἐτύγχανον ὄντες. ἐπὶ τούτου δὲ Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλεύοντος ἅπαντα Ἀβασγοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ ἡμερώτερον τετύ8.3.19 χηκε μεταμπίσχεσθαι. τά τε γὰρ Χριστιανῶν δόγματα εἵλοντο καὶ αὐτοῖς Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τῶν τινα ἐκ Παλατίου εὐνούχων στείλας, Ἀβασγὸν γένος, Εὐφρατᾶν ὄνομα, τοῖς αὐτῶν βασιλεῦσι διαρρήδην ἀπεῖπε μηδένα τὸ λοιπὸν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἔθνει τὴν ἀρρενωπίαν ἀποψιλοῦσθαι, σιδήρῳ βιαζομένης τῆς φύσεως. ὃ δὴ ἄσμενοι 8.3.20 Ἀβασγοὶ ἤκουσαν. καὶ τῇ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων βασιλέως ἐπιτάξει θαρροῦντες ἤδη τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο σθένει παντὶ διεκώλυον. ἐδεδίει γὰρ αὐτῶν ἕκαστος μή ποτε παι8.3.21 δίου πατὴρ εὐπρεποῦς γένηται. τότε δὴ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς καὶ ἱερὸν τῆς θεοτόκου ἐν Ἀβασγοῖς οἰκοδομησάμενος, ἱερεῖς τε αὐτοῖς καταστησάμενος, διεπράξατο ἅπαντα αὐτοὺς ἤθη τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐκδιδάσκεσθαι, τούς τε βασιλεῖς ἄμφω Ἀβασγοὶ καθελόντες αὐτίκα ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ βιοτεύειν ἐδόκουν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ἐχώρησε. 8.4.1 Μετὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἀβασγῶν ὅρους κατὰ μὲν ὄρος τὸ Καυκάσιον Βροῦχοι ᾤκηνται, Ἀβασγῶν τε καὶ Ἀλανῶν μεταξὺ ὄντες. κατὰ δὲ τὴν παραλίαν Πόντου τοῦ 8.4.2 Εὐξείνου Ζῆχοι ἵδρυνται. τοῖς δὲ δὴ Ζήχοις κατὰ μὲν παλαιὸν ὁ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτωρ βασιλέα καθίστη, τὸ δὲ νῦν οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν Ῥωμαίοις ἐπακούουσιν οἱ βάρ8.4.3 βαροι οὗτοι. μετὰ δὲ αὐτοὺς Σαγίναι μὲν οἰκοῦσι, μοῖραν δὲ αὐτῶν τῆς παραλίας Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκ παλαιοῦ 8.4.4 ἔσχον. φρούριά τε δειμάμενοι ἐπιθαλασσίδια δύο, Σεβαστόπολίν τε καὶ Πιτιοῦντα, δυοῖν ἡμέραιν ὁδῷ ἀλλήλοιν διέχοντα, φρουρὰν ἐνταῦθα στρατιωτῶν τὸ 8.4.5 ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατεστήσαντο. τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρότερα κατάλογοι Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκτῆς πάντα χωρία ἐκ τῶν Τραπεζοῦντος ὁρίων ἄχρι ἐς τοὺς Σαγίνας εἶχον, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται· νῦν δὲ μόνα τὰ δύο ταῦτα φρούρια ἐλέλειπτο σφίσιν, οὗ δὴ τὰ φυλακτήρια καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ εἶχον, ἐπειδὴ Χοσρόης, ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς, Λαζῶν αὐτὸν ἐπαγαγομένων ἐς τὴν Πέτραν, στράτευμα Περσῶν ἐνταῦθα στέλλειν ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχε, τούς τε τὰ φρούρια ταῦτα καθέξοντας καὶ καθιζησομένους ἐν τοῖς 8.4.6 ἐνταῦθα φυλακτηρίοις. ἅπερ ἐπεὶ οἱ Ῥωμαίων στρατιῶται προμαθεῖν ἴσχυσαν, προτερήσαντες τάς τε οἰκίας ἐνέπρησαν καὶ τὰ τείχη ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος καθελόντες ἔς τε τὰς ἀκάτους μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐσβάντες ἐς ἤπειρον εὐθὺς τὴν ἀντιπέρας καὶ Τραπεζοῦντα πόλιν ἐχώρησαν, ζημιώσαντες μὲν τῇ τῶν φρουρίων διαφθορᾷ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν, κέρδος δὲ αὐτῇ πορισάμενοι μέγα, ὅτι δὴ τῆς χώρας ἐγκρατεῖς οὐ γεγόνασιν οἱ πολέμιοι. ἄπρακτοι γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐς τὴν Πέτραν ἀνέστρεφον Πέρσαι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. 8.4.7 Ὑπὲρ δὲ Σαγίνας Οὐννικὰ ἔθνη πολλὰ ἵδρυνται. τὸ δ' ἐντεῦθεν Εὐλυσία μὲν ἡ χώρα ὠνόμασται, βάρβαροι δὲ αὐτῆς ἄνθρωποι τά τε παράλια καὶ τὴν μεσόγειον ἔχουσι, μέχρι ἐς τὴν Μαιῶτιν καλουμένην Λίμνην καὶ ποταμὸν Τάναϊν, ὃς δὴ ἐς τὴν Λίμνην 8.4.8 ἐσβάλλει. αὕτη δὲ ἡ Λίμνη ἐς τὴν ἀκτὴν Πόντου τοῦ Εὐξείνου τὰς ἐκβολὰς ποιεῖται. ἄνθρωποι δὲ, οἳ ταύτῃ ᾤκηνται, Κιμμέριοι μὲν τὸ παλαιὸν ὠνομάζοντο, 8.4.9 τανῦν δὲ Οὐτίγουροι καλοῦνται. καὶ αὐτῶν καθύπερθεν ἐς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον ἔθνη τὰ Ἀντῶν ἄμετρα ἵδρυνται. παρὰ δὲ τὸν χῶρον αὐτὸν, ὅθεν ἡ τῆς Λίμνης ἐκβολὴ