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begins, the Goths called the Tetraxites dwell, not being many, who indeed, revering the Christian customs, 8.4.10 observe them no less than anyone. (The natives also call this outlet the Tanais, which, beginning from the Maeotic Lake, extends all the way to the Euxine Sea, a journey of, as they say, twenty days. But they also call the wind which blows from there the Tanaite 8.4.11 wind.) Whether these Goths were ever of the Arian doctrine, like the other Gothic nations, or whether they practiced some other belief regarding their doctrine, I am not able to say, since they themselves do not know, but now they honor their faith with simplicity and great indifference to worldly affairs. 8.4.12 These men a little earlier (I mean, when the emperor Justinian was in the twenty-first year of his imperial reign) sent four envoys to Byzantium, asking that a bishop be given to them; since whoever had been their priest had died not long before, and they had learned that the emperor had sent a priest to the Abasgians as well, and so Emperor Justinian most eagerly fulfilled 8.4.13 their request and sent them away. These envoys, out of fear of the Utigur Huns, in public, since many were listening, in speaking of the reason for their coming, announced to the emperor nothing other than the matter concerning the priest, but meeting most secretly they told him everything that was likely to be advantageous to the Roman empire, since the neighboring barbarians were always clashing with one another. In what manner the Tetraxites arose and from where, and settled here, I am about to tell. 8.5.1 In ancient times a great throng of Huns, then called Cimmerians, inhabited these lands of which I have just made mention, and one king was set over them all. 8.5.2 And once one of them held the rule, to whom were born two sons, one named Utigur, and the other Cutrigur. 8.5.3 who, after their father had completed his life, both divided the rule between them and gave their names to their 8.5.4 subjects. For the ones are called Utigurs, the others Cutrigurs even to my time. All these dwelt here, having all their customs in common, but not mingling with the people who were settled on the other side of the Lake and of the outlet from it, since they never crossed these waters nor suspected they were crossable, being very fearful of the easiest things, from never having made trial of them, but 8.5.5 being altogether unpracticed in crossing. (When one crosses the Maeotic Lake and its outlet, immediately on its very shore the Goths called Tetraxites dwelt in ancient times, whom I just mentioned; and far away from them the Goths and Visigoths and Vandals and all the other Gothic 8.5.6 tribes were settled. who were also called Scythians in earlier times, since all the nations which held the lands there are called Scythian by a common name, but some of them were called Sauromatae or Melanchlaeni, 8.5.7 or something else.) As time went on, they say, if the story is true, that some Cimmerian youths were engaged in a hunt, and a hind fleeing from them leaped into these 8.5.8 waters. And the youths, whether seized by ambition or by some rivalry, or else some divine power compelled them, followed this hind and by no means let it go, until with it they reached the opposite 8.5.9 shore. And whatever it was that was being pursued immediately vanished (for it seems to me it appeared there for no other reason than to bring evil upon the barbarians dwelling there), but the youths failed in their hunt, yet found an occasion for battle and 8.5.10 booty. For returning as quickly as possible to their ancestral homes, they made it clear to all the Cimmerians that these waters were indeed crossable for them. Therefore, taking up their arms at once, the whole tribe crossed over and were on the opposite mainland with no delay, the Vandals having already departed from there and settled in Libya, 8.5.11 and the Visigoths having taken up habitation in Spain. To the Goths, therefore, who were

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ἄρχεται, Γότθοι οἱ Τετραξῖται καλούμενοι ᾤκηνται, οὐ πολλοὶ ὄντες, οἳ δὴ τὰ Χριστιανῶν νόμιμα σεβόμενοι 8.4.10 περιστέλλουσιν οὐδενὸς ἧσσον. (Τάναϊν δὲ καλοῦσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι καὶ τὴν ἐκβολὴν ταύτην, ἥπερ ἐκ Λίμνης ἀρξαμένη τῆς Μαιώτιδος ἄχρι ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινον Πόντον ἥπερ διήκει, ἐς ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν, ὥς φασιν, εἴκοσιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἄνεμον, ὃς ἐνθένδε πνεῖ, Ταναΐτην προσα8.4.11 γορεύουσιν.) εἴτε δὲ τῆς Ἀρείου δόξης ἐγένοντό ποτε οἱ Γότθοι οὗτοι, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα Γοτθικὰ ἔθνη, εἴτε καὶ ἄλλο τι ἀμφὶ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῖς ἤσκητο, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ ἴσασιν, ἀλλ' ἀφελείᾳ τε τανῦν καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ πολλῇ τιμῶσι τὴν δόξαν. 8.4.12 οὗτοι ὀλίγῳ πρότερον (λέγω δὲ, ἡνίκα πρῶτόν τε καὶ εἰκοστὸν ἔτος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τὴν αὐτοκράτορα εἶχεν ἀρχὴν) πρέσβεις τέτταρας ἐς Βυζάντιον ἔπεμψαν, ἐπίσκοπον σφίσι τινὰ δεόμενοι δοῦναι· ἐπεὶ ὅστις μὲν αὐτοῖς ἱερεὺς ἦν, τετελευτήκει οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον, ἔγνωσαν δὲ ὡς καὶ Ἀβασγοῖς ἱερέα βασιλεὺς πέμψειε, καὶ αὐτοῖς προθυμότατα Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐπιτελῆ 8.4.13 ποιήσας τὴν δέησιν ἀπεπέμψατο. οἱ δὲ πρέσβεις οὗτοι δέει Οὔννων τῶν Οὐτιγούρων ἐς μὲν τὸ ἐμφανὲς, αὐτηκόων πολλῶν ὄντων, ἀποστοματίζοντες ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα ἥκοιεν, ἄλλο οὐδὲν ὅτι μὴ τὰ ἀμφὶ τῷ ἱερεῖ βασιλεῖ ἤγγειλαν, ὡς λαθραιότατα δὲ ξυγγενόμενοι ἅπαντα φράζουσιν, ὅσα συνοίσειν τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ ἔμελλε, ξυγκρουομένων ἐς ἀλλήλους ἀεὶ τῶν σφίσι προσοίκων βαρβάρων. ὅντινα δὲ τρόπον οἱ Τετραξῖται καὶ ὅθεν ἀναστάντες ἐνταῦθα ἱδρύσαντο, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. 8.5.1 Πάλαι μὲν Οὔννων, τῶν τότε Κιμμερίων καλουμένων, πολύς τις ὅμιλος τὰ χωρία ταῦτα ἐνέμοντο, ὧν ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην, βασιλεύς τε εἷς ἅπασιν ἐφειστήκει. 8.5.2 καί ποτέ τις αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν, ᾧ δὴ παῖδες ἐγένοντο δύο, ἅτερος μὲν Οὐτιγοὺρ ὄνομα, Κουτριγοὺρ 8.5.3 δὲ ὁ ἕτερος. οἵπερ, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῖν ὁ πατὴρ τὸν βίον συνεμετρήσατο, τήν τε ἀρχὴν ἄμφω ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς διεδάσαντο καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις αὐτοῖς 8.5.4 ἔδοσαν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ Οὐτίγουροι, οἱ δὲ Κουτρίγουροι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ὀνομάζονται. οὗτοι μὲν ἅπαντες τῇδε ᾤκηντο, κοινὰ μὲν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ξύμπαντα ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἐπιμιγνύμενοι δὲ ἀνθρώποις, οἳ δὴ τῆς τε Λίμνης καὶ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἐκροῆς ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ θάτερα ἵδρυντο, ἐπεὶ οὔτε διέβαινόν ποτε τὰ ὕδατα ταῦτα οὔτε διαβατὰ εἶναι ὑπώπτευον, πρὸς τὰ εὐκολώτατα περίφοβοι ὄντες, τῷ μηδὲ ἀποπειράσασθαι αὐτῶν πώποτε, ἀλλ' 8.5.5 ἀμελέτητοι τῆς διαβάσεως παντάπασιν εἶναι. (Λίμνην δὲ τὴν Μαιῶτιν καὶ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐκβολὴν ὑπερβάντι εὐθὺς μὲν ἐς αὐτήν που τὴν ταύτης ἀκτὴν οἱ Τετραξῖται καλούμενοι Γότθοι τὸ παλαιὸν ᾤκηντο, ὧν ἐπεμνήσθην ἀρτίως· πολλῷ δὲ αὐτῶν ἄποθεν Γότθοι τε καὶ Οὐισίγοτθοι καὶ Βανδίλοι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα Γοτθικὰ 8.5.6 γένη ξύμπαντα ἵδρυντο. οἳ δὴ καὶ Σκύθαι ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ἐπεκαλοῦντο, ἐπεὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἅπερ τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία εἶχον, Σκυθικὰ μὲν ἐπὶ κοινῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν Σαυρομάται ἢ Μελάγχλαινοι, 8.5.7 ἢ ἄλλο τι ἐπεκαλοῦντο.) προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου φασὶν, εἴπερ ὁ λόγος ὑγιής ἐστι, τῶν μὲν Κιμμερίων νεανίας τινὰς ἐν κυνηγεσίῳ διατριβὴν ἔχειν, ἔλαφον δὲ μίαν πρὸς αὐτῶν φεύγουσαν ἐς τὰ ὕδατα ἐσπηδῆ8.5.8 σαι ταῦτα. τούς τε νεανίας, εἴτε φιλοτιμίᾳ εἴτε φιλονεικίᾳ τινὶ ἐχομένους, ἢ καί τι δαιμόνιον αὐτοὺς κατηνάγκασε, τῇ ἐλάφῳ ἐπισπέσθαι ταύτῃ, μηχανῇ τε μεθίεσθαι αὐτῆς οὐδεμιᾷ, ἕως ξὺν αὐτῇ ἐς τὴν ἀντι8.5.9 πέρας ἀκτὴν ἵκοντο. καὶ τὸ μὲν διωκόμενον ὅ τι ποτ' ἦν εὐθὺς ἀφανισθῆναι̣ (δοκεῖν γάρ μοι οὐδὲ ἄλλου του ἕνεκα ἐνταῦθα ἐφάνη, ὅτι μὴ τοῦ γενέσθαι κακῶς τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις βαρβάροις) τοὺς δὲ νεανίας τοῦ μὲν κυνηγεσίου ἀποτυχεῖν, μάχης δὲ ἀφορμὴν καὶ 8.5.10 λείας εὑρέσθαι. ἐς ἤθη γὰρ τὰ πάτρια ὅτι τάχιστα ἐπανήκοντες ἔνδηλα πᾶσι Κιμμερίοις πεποίηνται ὅτι δὴ ταῦτα βατὰ σφίσι τὰ ὕδατα εἴη. ἀνελόμενοι οὖν αὐτίκα τὰ ὅπλα πανδημεί τε διαβάντες ἐγένοντο μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐν τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρῳ, Βανδίλων μὲν ἤδη ἐνθένδε ἀναστάντων ἐπί τε Λιβύης ἱδρυσαμένων, 8.5.11 ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ δὲ Οὐισιγότθων οἰκησαμένων. Γότθοις οὖν τοῖς ἐς