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of the empire, but it was, it turned out, the wrath of God against the Romans. And as the rumor just reached the imperial city, the emperors were set in distress, and despondency seized the sensible and sound part of the state, and it gladdened only those who delight in changes of affairs and rejoice in plunder. Quickly therefore letters were sent to the commander-in-chief Peter, and quickly the healthy part of the army was gathered at Caesarea. And while these things were being done, the syncellus Stephen, also prelate of Nicomedia, a renowned man and famous for wisdom and virtue and capable of softening a hard and untamed will with persuasion, was sent as an ambassador to Sclerus, to see if he might somehow be able to persuade him to lay down his arms. But this man, having his mind fixed on one thing, the desire for the empire, did not deem him, who had come to him and 2.421 said many persuasive and charming things, worthy of many words, but raising his right foot and showing his scarlet boot, he said, "It is impossible, O man, for one who has once put this on in the sight of many to cast it off easily. Therefore, tell those who sent you that they will either willingly accept me as emperor or, even if they are unwilling, I will try to take the rule." Having said these things and having given a deadline of forty days, he ordered him to depart. And when the syncellus had returned and brought back the reply of Sclerus to the emperors and to Basil who was directing the empire, letters were sent to the commander-in-chief not to begin a civil war, but to guard the passes securely, and if anyone should come to make war, to defend himself. But Sclerus, proceeding towards Caesarea, sent forth forerunners and scouts, in order to spy, and to report wherever the enemy were, and to clear the way for him. And the leader of those sent was chosen to be Anthes the Alyatan. These men, having arrived at a certain narrow pass (they name the place Boukou Lithon) and having encountered a part of the imperial army which had as its commander Eustathius Maleinus the magistros, made an attempt at an encounter and began skirmishing. And for some time, as the armies skirmished with one another, and with no one giving ground, Alyates, not containing himself, but seized with a passionate fury, spurred his horse and with an irrational rush charged against the enemy. But 2.422 having accomplished nothing at all worthy of mention, he fell, struck by a mortal blow, and all those around him were scattered into the nearest glens and thickets. It was then also reported that the hetaireiarch of Bardas was about to desert to the emperor's army; Sclerus, having brought him forward and reproached him, and having done nothing more to him openly, dismissed him, but secretly he informed the Saracen mercenaries and had him killed; for they, surrounding the man as he was passing by at midday, cut him down with their swords.

But the commanders of the imperial armies, expecting the imminent attack of Sclerus, decided to occupy the strategic points of the road beforehand, and setting out with the whole army, they encamped opposite him, having already occupied the roads he was about to pass through. When Sclerus learned this, he was sluggish and hesitated to advance, and by delaying he wasted time and awaited what was to come. But a certain deserter general who arrived roused him and made him more eager, Sahakios by name, Brachamios by surname; for upon his arrival he urged him not to waste time in vain, for he said that delay created contempt. And having seemed to speak opportunely, he was appointed leader and guide of the way. And the one led, and the other followed. And after three days he reached Lapara; this place is part of Cappadocia, now called Lycandos, so named on account of being fertile and productive. Learning this, the commander-in-chief, making a night march for fear that Sclerus might get past him, 2.423 encamped opposite the

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βασιλείας, ἦν δὲ ἄρα ἡ πρὸς Ῥω μαίους ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἄρτι δὲ τῆς φήμης καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα καταλαβούσης, οἱ βα σιλεῖς τε ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ καθίσταντο, καὶ ἀθυμία κατέσχε τὸ νουνεχὲς τοῦ πολιτεύματος καὶ ἀκέραιον, μόνους δὲ ηὔφρανε τοὺς ὅσοι ταῖς ἐναλλαγαῖς ἥδονται τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ χαίρουσι ταῖς λεηλασίαις. ταχύ τε οὖν γράμματα πρὸς τὸν στρατοπεδάρχην ἐγένοντο Πέτρον, καὶ ταχὺ τὸ ὑγιαῖνον τοῦ στρατοῦ μέρος ἠθροίζετο εἰς Καισάρειαν. ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ταῦτα ἐπράττετο, ὁ σύγκελλος Στέφανος καὶ τῆς Νικο μηδείας πρόεδρος, ἀνὴρ ἐλλόγιμος καὶ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ ἀρετῇ δια βόητος καὶ πειθοῖ μαλάξαι ἱκανὸς γνώμην σκληρὰν καὶ ἀτίθασσον, πρέσβυς εἰς τὸν Σκληρὸν ἀποστέλλεται, εἴ πως δυνηθῇ πεῖσαι τοῦ τον ἀποθέσθαι τὰ ὅπλα. ἀλλ' οὗτος πρὸς ἓν ἔχων τὴν διάνοιαν τεταμένην, τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ὄρεξιν, ἐλθόντα πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ 2.421 πολλὰ εἰπόντα ἐπαγωγὰ καὶ θελκτήρια λόγων μὲν πολλῶν οὐκ ἠξίωσεν, ἀνατείνας δὲ τὸν δεξιὸν πόδα καὶ τὸ κοκκοβαφὲς δείξας πέδιλον, "ἀδύνατον, ὦ ἄνθρωπε," ἔφη "τὸν τοῦτο ἅπαξ περι βαλόμενον ἐπ' ὄψει πολλῶν ῥᾳδίως ἀποβαλεῖν. φράσον τοίνυν τοῖς ἀποστείλασιν ὡς ἢ ἑκοντί με παραδέξονται βασιλέα ἢ καὶ μὴ βουλομένων πειράσομαι λαβεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν." ταῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ προθεσμίαν ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα δεδωκὼς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι κε λεύει. ἐπαναδραμόντος δὲ τοῦ συγκέλλου καὶ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἀπο κομίσαντος τοῦ Σκληροῦ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ τῷ τὴν βασιλείαν ἰθύ νοντι Βασιλείῳ, γράμματα ἐφοίτων πρὸς τὸν στρατοπεδάρχην ἐμφυλίου μὲν μὴ κατάρχειν πολέμου, τὰς δὲ παρόδους τηρεῖν ἀσφαλῶς, καὶ ἤν τις ἐπίῃ πολεμήσων, ἀμύνεσθαι. ὁ δὲ Σκλη ρὸς ἀπιὼν πρὸς Καισάρειαν προδρόμους ἀπέστειλε καὶ κατόπτας, ἐφ' ᾧ κατασκοπεῖν, καὶ ὅπηπερ εἰσὶν οἱ ἐναντίοι μηνύειν, καὶ προομαλίζειν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁδόν. ἔξαρχος δὲ τῶν πεμφθέντων προ κέκριτο Ἄνθης ὁ Ἀλυάτης. οἵτινες καταντήσαντες ἔν τινι στενοχωρίᾳ (Βούκου λίθον τὸν τόπον κατονομάζουσι) καὶ μέρει τῆς βασιλικῆς στρατιᾶς ἐντυχόντες ἄρχοντα ἐχούσης Εὐστάθιον μά γιστρον τὸν Μαλεῗνον, ἀπεπειρῶντο τοῦ συναντήματος καὶ ἀκρο βολισμοὺς ἐποιοῦντο. ἐπί τινα δὲ καιρὸν ἀκροβολιζομένων ἀλλή λοις τῶν στρατευμάτων, καὶ μηδενὸς νῶτα διδόντος, ὁ Ἀλυάτης μὴ περισχὼν ἑαυτόν, περικαρδίῳ δὲ ζέσει ληφθείς, μυωπίσας τὸν ἵππον σὺν ἀλογίστῳ ῥύμῃ τοῖς ἐναντίοις προσρήγνυται. μηδὲν 2.422 δὲ ὅ τι καὶ λόγου διαπραξάμενος ἄξιον, πίπτει καιρίαν τυπείς, καὶ τὸ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἅπαν εἰς τὰς ἔγγιστα νάπας καὶ λόχμας διεσκεδά σθη. διεμηνύθη δὲ τότε καὶ ὁ τοῦ Βάρδα ἑταιρειάρχης ὡς μέλ λων αὐτομολεῖν τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατῷ· ὃν παραστησάμενος ὁ Σκληρὸς καὶ προσονειδίσας, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον φανερῶς εἰς αὐτὸν δεδρακώς, ἀπέλυσε, λάθρᾳ δὲ τοῖς μισθοφόροις Σαρακηνοῖς μη νύσας ἀνεῖλεν· οὗτοι γὰρ διιόντα τὸν ἄνδρα μεσούσης ἡμέρας περιχυθέντες ταῖς μαχαίραις κατέκοψαν.

Οἱ δὲ τῶν βασιλικῶν κατάρχοντες στρατευμάτων τὴν τοῦ Σκληροῦ ὅσον οὐδέπω ἐπέλευσιν προσδοκῶντες, τὰ καίρια τῆς ὁδοῦ κρίνουσι προκαταλαβεῖν, καὶ ἄραντες παντὶ τῷ στρατεύματι στρατοπεδεύουσιν ἀπεναντίας ἐκείνῳ, προκαταλαβόντες ἃς ἔμελλε διοδεύειν ὁδούς. ὅπερ μαθὼν ὁ Σκληρὸς νωθρὸς ἦν καὶ ὤκνει τὴν εἰς τὸ πρόσω πορείαν, μελλήσει δὲ τρίβων τὸν χρόνον ἐκαρα δόκει τὸ μέλλον. ἀνερεθίζει δὲ τοῦτον καὶ προθυμότερον ἀπο δείκνυσιν αὐτόμολός τις ἐλθὼν στρατηγός, Σαχάκιος τοὔνομα, Βραχάμιος τὴν προσηγορίαν· παρηγγύησε γὰρ ἐλθὼν μὴ τηνάλ λως τρίβειν τὸν χρόνον· καταφρόνησιν γὰρ ἔλεγεν ἐμποιεῖν τὴν τριβήν. δόξας δὲ λέγειν εὔκαιρα ἡγεμὼν καὶ ὁδηγὸς ἀποδείκνυται τῆς ὁδοῦ. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἡγεῖτο, οὗτος δὲ εἵπετο. καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν καταλαμβάνει τὴν Λάπαραν· τόπος δὲ οὗτος μέρος τῆς Καππαδοκίας, τὸ νῦν λεγόμενον Λυκανδόν, διὰ τὸ λιπαρὸν καὶ πάμφορον οὕτω κατονομασθείς. τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ στρατοπεδάρχης, νυκτοπορίᾳ χρησάμενος δέει τοῦ μὴ ἀντιπαρελθεῖν τὸν Σκληρόν, 2.423 ἀντιστρατοπεδεύει τοῖς