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being ordered to desert him while he was campaigning in Thessalonica, but, although many dangers encompassed them, nevertheless they eagerly followed as far as Berroia. For which reason the emperor, although they had become captives, treated them gently and kindly, and having provided weapons and horses, and in addition having added silver, he sent them away to the Kral. But the 3.126 other soldiers, all except for thirty of the commanders, he ordered to depart on foot to their homes, clothed. For the horses had been plundered by the army. And all the other baggage-carrying crowd, the soldiers, having led them far from the city, released, by order of the emperor, so that they might not be plundered by the barbarians. But the thirty, though the emperor wished to release them honorably, begged to be held, so that they might not be slandered before their own ruler, as having chosen the emperor’s side, and seem to have willingly surrendered both themselves and the city. And after a short while, some departed to their homes, with the emperor’s permission, while others seemed to be escaping; and some of them, having been brought to Thessalonica, escaped from there. For they were not shut up in prisons, but were only guarded, unfettered, in monasteries. Such, then, were the events at Berroia, with the emperor having succeeded beyond all hope, and in one day having become master of so many enemies without bloodshed. For no one died, neither of the Romans, nor of the Triballians, except for one barbarian, and he, as it was said, had been killed by the Romans. But since the barbarians had gained nothing from the capture of the city, for the emperor did not allow them to enter, they asked to overrun the land subject to the Kral, and with the emperor's permission, they both overran it and drove off much plunder, especially of livestock, but of few people. For as the place was overgrown and wooded, they easily escaped. 19. But when the emperor had managed affairs concerning Berroia as he wished, 3.127 he marched against Edessa, leading more men than when he attacked Berroia. For not a few from Berroia also followed in addition to those he had. However, he was not so confident in his accompanying army for the capture of the city, as in the powerful men of Edessa, whom he thought would immediately surrender and persuade the rest of the populace. But they were seen to do the complete opposite of what the emperor thought. For not only were they openly hostile themselves, but they also persuaded the populace, and standing on the walls they mocked the emperor, saying that they condemned his great inexperience, if the Kral, besieging for sixteen years with a many times larger army and being able to accomplish nothing more by arms, unless they surrendered willingly, he himself hoped to prevail in a short time leading so few. The emperor was vexed at the failure with the city; and he at once despaired of assaulting the walls not only because of the natural strength of the city and that from its walls, for being washed by waters for over half its circumference, it is inaccessible to enemies because of the lake; and the remainder is surrounded by very strong walls and great towers, and in places also by cliffs and impassable ravines, but also because there was no small army from the Triballians established near the city for the sake of its garrison, which was commanded by four of their most distinguished men, with whom the powerful men of the citizens also eagerly contended. Nevertheless, 3.128 it seemed best to bivouac there for the night, and to depart on the next day, and not to waste time attempting the impossible. And the same seemed best to all the Roman officials and to the leaders of the army. For they too supposed the capture of the city by assault on the walls to be impossible, judging from their experience in battles. But during the night some of the marines, who followed the emperor from the triremes, approaching asked the emperor, if he was considering anything concerning the city. When the emperor asked ironically what seemed better to them, to make an attempt on the walls, or to depart, they themselves advised and begged to fight, not to abandon the city on account of the insolence of the Edessenes, since it was possible for it to be captured by arms. They both promised to fight eagerly themselves, and that they would provide the other men from the triremes

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κελευόμενοι, ἐκλιπεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ στρατευόμενον, ἀλλὰ, καίτοι πολλῶν κινδύνων περισχόντων, ὅμως ἄχρι Βεῤῥοίας εἵποντο προθύμως. δι' ἃ αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς, καίτοι αἰχμαλώτοις γεγενημένοις, ἡμέρως ἐχρήσατο καὶ προσηνῶς, καὶ ὅπλα παρασχόμενος καὶ ἵππους, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀργύριον προσθεὶς, ἀπέπεμπεν ἐπὶ Κράλην. τοὺς δὲ 3.126 ἄλλους στρατιώτας ἅπαντας πλὴν τριάκοντα τῶν ἀρχόντων· ἠμφιεσμένους ἐκέλευε πεζῇ ἀναχωρεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν. οἱ γὰρ ἵπποι διηρπάσθησαν ὑπὸ τῆς στρατιᾶς. καὶ τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος ἅπαν τὸ ἀχθοφορικὸν οἱ στρατιῶται μακρὰν τὴς πόλεως ἀπαγαγόντες, ἀπέλυον, κελεύσαντος βασιλέως, ἵνα μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων διαρπασθῶσιν. οἱ τριάκοντα δὲ, βασιλέως ἐντίμως βουλομένου ἀπολύειν, ἐδεήθησαν κατέχεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τὸν σφέτερον δυνάστην διαβληθῶσιν, ὡς τὰ βασιλέως ᾑρημένοι, καὶ ἑκόντες ὄντες δόξωσι σφᾶς τε παραδεδωκέναι καὶ τὴν πόλιν. μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἀπῄεσαν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας, βασιλέως ἐπιτρέποντος, οἱ δ' ἐδόκουν διαδιδράσκειν· ἔνιοι δὲ αὐτῶν ἀχθέντες εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην, ἐκεῖθεν ἀπεδίδρασκον. οὐ γὰρ ἐν δεσμωτηρίοις κατεκλείοντο, ἀλλ' ἐν μοναστηρίοις ἄδετοι μόνον ἐφρουροῦντο. τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ πρὸς Βέῤῥοιαν συνηνέχθη κρείττω πάσης ἐλπίδος εὐτυχηκότος βασιλέως, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ τοσούτων πολεμίων ἀναιμωτὶ κυρίου γεγενημένου. τέθνηκε γὰρ οὐδεὶς οὔτε Ῥωμαίων, οὔτε Τριβαλῶν πλὴν ἑνὸς βαρβάρου, κἀκείνου, ὡς ἐλέγετο, ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἀνῃρημένου. οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐκ τῆς ἁλώσεως τῆς πόλεως οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο, οὐ γὰρ εἴασεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐντὸς γενέσθαι, τὴν ὑποκειμένην Κράλῃ χώραν ἐδεήθησαν καταδραμεῖν, καὶ βασιλέως ἐπιτρέψαντος, κατέδραμόν τε, καὶ λείαν ἤλασαν πολλὴν μάλιστα ἐκ βοσκημάτων, ἀνθρώπων δὲ ὀλίγων. συνηρεφοῦς γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ τόπου καὶ λοχμώδους, ῥᾳδίως διεδίδρασκον. ιθʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰ κατὰ Βέῤῥοιαν ᾗ ἐβούλετο 3.127 διῴκει, Ἐδέσσῃ ἐπεστράτευσε, πλείους ἄγων, ἢ Βεῤῥοίᾳ ἐπιών. οὐκ ὀλίγοι γὰρ πρὸς τοῖς οὖσι συνείποντο καὶ ἐκ Βεῤῥοίας. οὐ μέντοι τοσοῦτον πρὸς τὴν αἵρεσιν τῆς πόλεως ἐθάῤῥει τῇ συνούσῃ στρατιᾷ, ὅσον Ἐδεσσηνῶν τοῖς δυνατοῖς, οὓς ᾤετο αὐτίκα προσχωρήσειν καὶ τὸν ἄλλον δῆμον πείσαντας. οἱ δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ὤφθησαν, ἤπερ ᾤετο ὁ βασιλεύς. οὐ μόνον γὰρ αὐτοὶ πολέμιοι ἦσαν φανερῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἔπειθον, ἑστῶτές τε ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἀπέσκωπτον εἰς βασιλέα, πολλὴν αὐτοῦ φάσκοντες καταγινώσκειν ἀπειρίαν, εἰ Κράλη μετὰ πολλαπλασίου στρατιᾶς ἐν ἑκκαίδεκα ἔτεσι πολιορκοῦντος καὶ πλέον οὐδὲν ἀνύειν δυνηθέντος ἐκ τῶν ὅπλων, εἰ μὴ ἑκόντες προσεχώρουν, αὐτὸς ἤλπισεν ἐν βραχεῖ περιγενήσεσθαι τοσούτους ἄγων. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἤχθετο μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἀποτυχίαν τῆς πόλεως· αὐτίκα τε ἀπεγίνωσκε τὸ τειχομαχεῖν οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν φυσικὴν ὀχυρότητα τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν τειχῶν, ὑπὲρ ἥμισυ γὰρ ὕδασι περικλυζομένη, ἀπρόσιτός ἐστι πολεμίοις διὰ τὴν λίμνην· τὸ δὲ ἐπίλοιπον τείχεσιν ὀχυρωτάτοις καὶ πύργοις μεγάλοις, ἔστι δ' ὅπου καὶ κρημνοῖς καὶ φάραγξιν ἀβάτοις περιέχεται, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ στρατιὰ οὐκ ὀλίγη ἦν ἐκ Τριβαλῶν ἐγκαθιδρυμένη πρὸς τῇ πόλει φρουρᾶς ἕνεκα, ὧν ἦρχον τέτταρες τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπιφανῶν, οἷς συνηγωνίζοντο προθύμως καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν οἱ δυνατοί. ὅμως 3.128 ἐδόκει τὴν νύκτα αὐτοῦ αὐλισαμένους, εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἀναχωρεῖν, καὶ μὴ τρίβειν τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀδυνάτοις. τὰ ἴσα δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τέλει Ῥωμαίων ἐδόκει πᾶσι καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν. ἀδύνατον γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ὑπενόουν τειχομαχίᾳ τὴν λῆψιν τῆς πόλεως, ὅσον ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὰς μάχας πείρας. νυκτὸς δὲ ἐκ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν τινες, οἳ εἵποντο βασιλεῖ ἐκ τῶν τριηρέων, προσελθόντες ἐπυνθάνοντο βασιλέως, εἴ τι σκέπτοιτο περὶ τῆς πόλεως. τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ πρὸς εἰρωνείαν ἐρομένου, τί δ' ἂν αὐτοῖς δοκοίη βέλτιον, ἀποπειρᾶσθαι τῶν τειχῶν, ἢ ἀναχωρεῖν, αὐτοὶ μάχεσθαι παρῄνουν καὶ ἐδέοντο, μὴ διὰ τὴν Ἐδεσσηνῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην ἀπολιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν ὅπλοις ἁλίσκεσθαι οὖσαν δυνατήν. αὐτοί τε ἐπηγγέλλοντο προθύμως ἀγωνιεῖσθαι, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τριηρίτας παρέξειν