450

having procured horses from there, he was proceeding from the mainland towards Beroea, having left the young emperor in Thessalonica. And even before in Beroea there were not a few of the Triballi settled by Krales, not only soldiers, but also powerful men, both because of the other natural advantages of the city; for it lacks nothing of all that makes a city prosperous; and because it was large and had many inhabitants, not only a common crowd, but also soldiers, and not a few of the senators; most or all of whom Krales drove out after he had taken it, yet still fearing a revolt of the city, he settled not a few soldiers and some of the distinguished men in his service; and having built two citadels, a garrison of Germans held the one that was completely finished near the so-called royal gate, while the other was still incomplete. For it was not a citadel, but like a small city within a great one. For having cut off no small part of the circuit wall of the first city, he was building a cross-wall towards the interior, tearing down the houses, and he was erecting three smaller towers on top of the one largest one, and with the walls between the towers having a commensurate thickness, he was making the battlements double, so that, if it were necessary to go from one to another, the passage would be easy; and even if it should happen that the 3.121 citadel were taken, the guards would not be harmed at all alike from the enemies both outside and inside. This one, being such as it was, he therefore did not manage to bring to completion, but the towers still lacked their proper height. Therefore, for the aforementioned reasons, many Triballi were dwelling in Beroea and a formidable army; and at that time because of the emperor's attack not a few of those settled in the villages came together. For they themselves suspected that the emperor would attack them, and they were keeping guard of the city both by night and by day not idly; and they were preparing for a defense, if anyone should come against them. Since the emperor knew these things very clearly, he did not attack openly; for he knew he would not be able to take so many by force along with the walls; but rather he proceeded by stealth, trusting not a little in the natives as well, that they would rise up against the enemy, if they should perceive him to be inside, and would help him win the war. He therefore, taking great care that his campaign not be revealed to the Triballi, came to the river according to the agreement. But the triremes were not yet there. For having arrived at the mouth of the river, as is wont to happen, since the entrance was silted up by the mud being pushed out by both the sea and the river, they were unable to pass through; and no device could be found by the admirals, but they were only distressed that such an 3.122 undertaking was being lost. For they knew that the emperor would not march against Beroea without them, but, becoming visible at dawn, he would be forced to return to Thessalonica. And the emperor was similarly indignant standing by the river, because the triremes were not present; but he did not know the reason for their absence. and he himself suspected that such an enterprise was being lost, if day should come. And while those in the triremes were at a loss as to what they should do, the sea, suddenly swelling up and surging for a short time, with a gentle and mild surge sent the ships along into the river, and in a short time joining the emperor, they related what happened concerning the crossing, as if an extraordinary thing had occurred. And the emperor, thinking that such things had been brought about not by chance but by divine providence, was all the more strengthened for the deed, as if God were helping; and with all the speed he could muster, having led out the hoplites and light-armed troops and the barbarians from the ships, he proceeded towards Beroea in haste, having left as many as he thought would be sufficient for the guarding of the ships. And while he was on his way, Marzelatos also arrived and urged him on the march. For he was saying that everything had been accomplished by him, and that the construction of the ladder had been entrusted to his companions. And when they were not far from the city, the emperor again sent Marzelatos to see if the ladder had been constructed. But he, having returned, said that no ladder had been constructed, and again the emperor in

450

αὐτόθεν ἵππους συμπορισαμένους, ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν ἐχώρει, βασιλέα τὸν νέον ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ καταλιπών. ἐν Βεῤῥοίᾳ δὲ καὶ πρότερον μὲν ἦσαν οὐκ ὀλίγοι Τριβαλῶν ὑπὸ Κράλη κατῳκισμένοι, οὐ στρατιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν δυνατῶν, διά τε τὴν ἄλλην τῆς πόλεως εὐφυΐαν· οὐδενὸς γὰρ τῶν ὅσα πόλιν εὐδαίμονα ποιεῖ ἐνδεῖ· καὶ διὰ τὸ μεγάλην εἶναι καὶ πολλοὺς τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἔχειν, οὐ δημώδη μόνον ὄχλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ στρατιώτας, καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγους τῶν συγκλητικῶν· ὧν τοὺς πλείους μὲν ἢ πάντας ὁ Κράλης ἐξήλασε κατασχὼν, ὅμως ἔτι τὴν ἀποστασίαν δεδιὼς τῆς πόλεως, στρατιώτας τε ἐγκατῴκισεν οὐκ ὀλίγους, καὶ τῶν παρ' αὐτῷ ἐπιφανῶν τινας· ἀκροπόλεις δὲ οἰκοδομήσας δύο, τὴν μὲν ἀπηρτισμένην πάντῃ φρουρὰ κατέσχε Γερμανῶν τὴν πρὸς τῇ βασιλικῇ καλουμένῃ πύλῃ, ἡ λοιπὴ δὲ ἐνέδει ἔτι. οὐ γὰρ ἀκρόπολις ἦν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ μικρὰ πόλις ἐν μεγάλῃ. μέρος γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγον τοῦ περιβόλου τῆς πρώτης πόλεως ἀποτεμόμενος, διετείχιζεν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔνδον τὰς οἰκίας καθαιρῶν, καὶ πύργους ἀνίστη ἐφ' ἑνὶ τῷ μεγίστῳ τρεῖς ἐλάσσους, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰ μεσοπύργια τειχῶν πάχος σύμμετρον ἐχόντων, διπλᾶς ἐποίει τὰς ἐπάλξεις, ἵν', εἰ δέοιτο ἐφ' ἕτερον ἰέναι ἐξ ἑτέρου, ῥᾳδία εἴη ἡ διεξαγωγή· κἂν εἰ συμβαίη τὴν 3.121 ἀκρόπολιν ἁλῶναι, μηδὲν παραβλάπτοιντο οἱ φύλακες ὁμοίως ἀπό τε τῶν ἔξω καὶ τῶν ἔνδον πολεμίων. ταύτην μὲν οὖν τοιαύτην οὖσαν οὐκ ἔφθασεν εἰς τέλος ἀγαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος ὕψους ἀπελείποντο οἱ πύργοι ἔτι. διά τε οὖν τὰς εἰρημένας αἰτίας πολλοὶ Τριβαλῶν ἐνδιέτριβον Βεῤῥοίᾳ καὶ ἀξιόμαχος στρατιά· καὶ τότε διὰ τὴν βασιλέως ἔφοδον οὐκ ὀλίγοι ἐκ τῶν ἐν ταῖς κώμαις κατῳκισμένων συνῆλθον. ὑπώπτευον γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ βασιλέα ἐπιχειρήσειν σφίσι, καὶ τῆς τε πόλεως ἐποιοῦντο φυλακὴν καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν οὐ ῥᾳθύμως· καὶ παρεσκευάζοντο πρὸς ἄμυναν, ἤν τις αὐτοῖς ἐπίῃ. ἃ καὶ βασιλεὺς σαφέστατα εἰδὼς, οὐ φανερῶς ἐπεχείρει· ᾔδει γὰρ οὐ δύνατος ἐσόμενος τοσούτους βίᾳ αἱρήσειν μετὰ τῶν τειχῶν· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ κλοπὴν ἐχώρει μᾶλλον, οὐκ ὀλίγα καὶ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις πεποιθὼς, ὡς συστήσονται ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, ἢν αἴσθωνται ἔνδον ὄντα, καὶ συγκατεργάσονται αὐτῷ τὸν πόλεμον. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρόνοιαν πολλὴν ποιούμενος τοῦ μὴ κατάδηλος εἶναι Τριβαλοῖς ἐπιστρατεύων, ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν κατὰ τὸ σύνθημα. αἱ τριήρεις δὲ οὔπω παρῆσαν. γενόμεναι γὰρ πρὸς τὸ στόμα τοῦ ποταμοῦ, οἷα φιλεῖ συμβαίνειν, ὑπό τε τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐξωθουμένης τῆς ἰλύος προσχοῦσθαι τὰ κατὰ τὴν εἰσβολὴν, ἠδυνάτουν πρὸς τὴν δίοδον· καὶ μηχανὴ τοῖς ναυάρχοις οὐδεμία ἐξευρίσκετο, ἀλλὰ μόνον ἤχθοντο τοιαύ 3.122 της πράξεως ἀπολλυμένης. ᾔδεσαν γὰρ οὐδὲ βασιλέα χωρὶς αὐτῶν ἐπιστρατεύσοντα Βεῤῥοίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἅμα ἕῳ κατάδηλον γενόμενον, ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην ἀναστρέφειν. βασιλεύς τε ὁμοίως ἠγανάκτει ἐφεστὼς τῷ ποταμῷ, ὅτι μὴ παρῆσαν αἱ τριήρεις· τὴν αἰτίαν δὲ τῆς ἀπολείψεως ἠγνόει. καὶ ἀπόλλυσθαι τοιαύτην πρᾶξιν ὑπενόει καὶ αὐτὸς, εἰ ἐπιγένοιτο ἡμέρα. ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ οἱ ἐν ταῖς τριήρεσι περὶ τοῦ ὅ,τι χρὴ πράττειν διηπόρουν, ἀθρόον πλημμυρήσασα ἡ θάλασσα καὶ κυμήνασα ἐπὶ μικρὸν, ἡμέρῳ καὶ προσηνεῖ ῥοθίῳ παρέπεμπε τὰς ναῦς ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν, καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ βασιλεῖ συμμίξασαι, διηγοῦντο τὸ κατὰ τὴν διάβασιν, ὥσπερ ἐξαίσιον συμβεβηκός. βασιλεύς τε οὐ κατὰ τύχην, ἀλλὰ προνοίᾳ θείᾳ τὰ τοιαῦτα συνεσκευάσθαι οἰηθεὶς, μᾶλλον ἐπεῤῥώσθη πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, ὡς θεοῦ συναιρομένου· καὶ ᾗ τάχους εἶχε, τούς τε ὁπλίτας καὶ ψιλοὺς καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους τῶν νεῶν ἐξαγαγὼν, ἐχώρει πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν σπουδῇ, ἐπὶ τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν νεῶν καταλιπὼν ὅσους ᾤετο ἀρκέσειν. μεταξὺ δὲ πορευομένῳ καὶ ὁ Μαρζελάτος παραγενόμενος, ἐπέσπευδε πρὸς τὴν πορείαν. πάντα γὰρ αὐτῷ ἔφασκεν ἠνύσθαι, καὶ τοῖς ἑταίροις ἐπιτετραφέναι τὴν τῆς κλίμακος κατασκευήν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦσαν οὐκ ἄπωθεν τῆς πόλεως, βασιλεὺς μὲν αὖθις ἔπεμπε Μαρζελάτον ἰδεῖν, εἰ κατεσκεύαστο ἡ κλίμαξ. ὁ δὲ ἐπαναστρέψας, μηδεμίαν ἔφασκε κατεσκευάσθαι κλίμακα, καὶ πάλιν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν