454

Saracens from the eastern Beroea, bringing the annual taxes to the Romans, were reported to be going towards the capital city, and that they were about to pass through the midst of the armies on a certain appointed day. And when the appointed day was at hand and the Saracens were about to cross near the so-called fortress of Oxylithon, Bourtzes and his men armed themselves, and the men of the protovestiarios having done the same thing, they advanced very impetuously to battle; for the gold brought by the Saracens lay before both parties as a kind of prize. And when they drew near, they clashed and fought. Bourtzes, at any rate, was put to flight, and many of those with him perished, and especially of the Armenians; for the Romans slaughtered all the captured 2.426 Armenians, showing no pity because they were the first to go over to the apostate. When the defeat was announced, Bardas, allowing no time for delay, gathered his men and went to meet them with speed, and having arrived at a certain place called Rhageas, he encamped, seeking a suitable time for battle. But while the imperial regiments were wasting time, the moment for battle was prolonged, and many of the apostates, shaken by the preceding defeat, ran over to the protovestiarios. So, whatever was vigorous and inexperienced in war in the emperor's army, exulting in the recent victory, was eager for conflict, but the older men who were worn out by struggles were hesitant and shrank from the battle. But since, according to the one who said, "swift persuasion follows evils," the protovestiarios was also persuaded by the younger men, and having sounded the battle-signal, he led the armies out to battle. And Bardas, dividing his own army into three parts, held the center himself, and he appointed his brother Constantine to command the right wing, and Constantine Gabras the left. And when the engagement took place and the generals on the wings had urged their cavalry against the enemy, the men of the protovestiarios, unable to withstand the charge, were routed, and a great slaughter occurred. There fell also John the patrikios and the stratopedarch Peter and many other illustrious 2.427 men. The protovestiarios was also captured along with other commanding men. He therefore ordered the protovestiarios to be kept under guard, but in sight of the whole army he put out the eyes of Theodore and Niketas, the brothers Hagiozacharites, on the grounds that they had forsooth transgressed the oaths which they had made to him and had gone over to the protovestiarios. From this victory, the affairs of Bardas were exalted and rose to greatness, as all, so to speak, both small and great, flocked to him, but the emperor's affairs were rocking on one sacred anchor, however, that of God's help. But the parakoimomenos was concerned with matters on land, but he was more worried about those at sea; for the commander of the enemy fleet, Michael Kourtikios, troubled him, having ravaged every island, and now being expected to besiege Abydos in the Hellespont as well. Therefore, having equipped a fleet very well, he sends it out against Kourtikios, with Theodore Karantenos, the patrikios, as its admiral. And he, having sailed out and passed through the straits of the Hellespont, attacks Kourtikios off Phocaea, and a fierce naval battle having taken place, Kourtikios' men are routed and scattered, and with Karantenos henceforth controlling the sea, matters at sea were at peace. And now that matters at sea were well in hand, the parakoimomenos turned his attention to matters on the mainland. And indeed, he sends Manuel Erotikos, the patrikios, a man of good family and renowned for his 2.428 virtue and courage, to guard Nicaea. And after a short while Scleros also arrives, and having set fire to the lands around Nicaea, he finally comes against Nicaea itself, and he was eager to storm it with siege engines and machines. But with Manuel bravely withstanding the siege, and

454

Σαρακηνοὶ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς ἑῴαν Βερροίας τὰ ἐτήσια τέλη Ῥωμαίοις κομίζοντες ἠγγέλ λοντο πρὸς τὴν βασιλίδα ἀπιέναι, καὶ ὡς μέλλουσι κατά τινα ῥητὴν ἡμέραν διὰ μέσων ἰέναι τῶν στρατευμάτων. καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ἡ κυρία καὶ ἔμελλον κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον Ὀξύλιθον φρούριον οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ διαβαίνειν, καθοπλίσαντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Βούρτζην τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτούς, τὸ δ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου πεποιηκότες, μάλα ὁρμητικῶς πρὸς τὴν μάχην ἐχώρουν· πρού κειτο γὰρ ἑκατέροις ὥσπερ τις ἆθλος ὁ παρὰ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν κομιζόμενος χρυσός. καὶ ἐπείπερ ἤγγισαν, συμπεσόντες ἐμά χοντο. τρέπεται γοῦν ὁ Βούρτζης, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἀπώλοντο, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν Ἀρμενίων· πάντας γὰρ τοὺς ἁλόντας 2.426 τῶν Ἀρμενίων ἀπέσφαττον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, μὴ λαμβάνοντες οἶκτον διὰ τὸ πρώτους προσχωρῆσαι τῷ ἀποστάτῃ. Ἀγγελθείσης δὲ τῆς ἥττης ὁ Βάρδας καιρὸν ἀναβολῆς μὴ δεδωκώς, ἀγείρας τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ὑπήντα διὰ ταχέων, καὶ κατά τινα τόπον Ῥαγέας ὀνομαζόμενον γενόμενος στρατοπεδεύε ται, ἐπιτήδειον μάχης καιρὸν ἐκζητῶν. χρονοτριβούντων δὲ τῶν βασιλικῶν ταγμάτων ὁ τῆς μάχης καιρὸς παρετείνετο, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀποστατῶν τῇ προηγησαμένῃ ἥττῃ σεσαλευμένοι τῷ πρωτο βεστιαρίῳ προσέτρεχον. ὅσον μὲν οὖν σφριγῶν ἦν ἐν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἀπειροπόλεμον, τῇ ἐξ ὑπογύου γαυρούμενον νίκῃ ὤργα πρὸς συμπλοκήν, οἱ γηραιότεροι δὲ καὶ κατηθλημένοι τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὤκνουν καὶ ἀνεδύοντο τὴν μάχην. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα "ταχεῖα πειθὼ τῶν κακῶν ἀκολουθεῖ," πείθεται τοῖς νεωτέροις καὶ ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος, καὶ τὸ ἐνυάλιον σημήνας ἐξάγει τὰ στρατεύματα πρὸς τὴν μάχην. καὶ ὁ Βάρδας δὲ τριχῇ διελὼν τὸν οἰκεῖον στρατὸν τὸ μὲν μέσον εἶχεν αὐτός, τοῦ δεξιοῦ δὲ κέ ρως Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν ἀδελφόν, τοῦ δ' εὐωνύμου Κωνσταντῖνον τὸν Γαβρᾶν ἄρχειν ἐπέστησε. συμβολῆς δὲ γενομένης καὶ τῶν περὶ τὰ κέρατα στρατηγῶν τὴν ἵππον ἐπισεισάντων τοῖς ἐναντίοις, μὴ ἐνεγκόντες τὴν ῥύμην οἱ περὶ τὸν πρωτοβεστιάριον τρέπονται, καὶ γίνεται φόνος πολύς. ἐνταῦθα καὶ Ἰωάννης ἔπεσεν ὁ πατρί κιος καὶ ὁ στρατοπεδάρχης Πέτρος καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ τῶν διαφα 2.427 νῶν. ἑάλω δὲ καὶ ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος μεθ' ἑτέρων ἀνδρῶν ἀρχι κῶν. τὸν μὲν οὖν πρωτοβεστιάριον φρουρεῖσθαι προσέταξε, Θεο δώρου δὲ καὶ Νικήτα τῶν αὐταδέλφων τῶν Ἁγιοζαχαριτῶν ἐπ' ὄψει παντὸς τοῦ στρατεύματος ἐξορύττει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὡς πα ραβάντων τάχα τοὺς ὅρκους οὓς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔθεντο καὶ τῷ πρωτο βεστιαρίῳ προσχωρησάντων. Ἐκ ταύτης τῆς νίκης τὰ μὲν τοῦ Βάρδα ὑψοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα ᾔρετο, πάντων ὡς εἰπεῖν μικρῶν καὶ μεγάλων προσρυϊσκομένων αὐτῷ, τὰ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἐσάλευεν, ἱερᾶς μέντοι ἀγκύ ρας, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βοηθείας. ὁ δὲ παρακοιμώμενος ἐφρόντιζε μὲν καὶ τῶν κατὰ χέρσον, πλέον δ' ἐμερίμνα τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν· ἐλύπει γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ τοῦ ἐναντίου κατάρχων στόλου, Μιχαὴλ ὁ Κουρτίκιος, πᾶσαν μὲν νῆσον πεπορθηκώς, ἤδη δ' ἐπίδοξος ὢν καὶ τὴν ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ πολιορκεῖν Ἄβυδον. οὐκοῦν καὶ στόλον ἐξαρτυσάμενος μάλα καλῶς ἐκπέμπει κατὰ τοῦ Κουρτικίου, ναύαρ χον ἔχοντα Θεόδωρον πατρίκιον τὸν Καραντηνόν. οὗτος δ' ἐκ πλεύσας καὶ τὰ στενὰ διαβὰς τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου κατὰ Φώκαιαν τῷ Κουρτικίῳ προσρήγνυται, καὶ γενομένης καρτερᾶς ναυμαχίας οἱ περὶ τὸν Κουρτίκιον τρέπονται καὶ σκεδάννυνται, καὶ λοιπὸν θα λασσοκρατήσαντος τοῦ Καραντηνοῦ τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν ἔσχε τὰ τῆς θαλάσσης. ἤδη δὲ τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν ἐχόντων καλῶς ὁ παρα κοιμώμενος τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἤπειρον ἐτίθετο ἐπιμέλειαν. καὶ δὴ Μανουὴλ πατρίκιον τὸν Ἐρωτικόν, ἐκ γένους τε ἄνδρα καὶ ἐπ' 2.428 ἀρετῇ διαβόητον καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ, φρουρεῖν ἐκπέμπει τὴν Νίκαιαν. μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ καταλαμβάνει καὶ ὁ Σκληρός, καὶ τὰ πέριξ τῆς Νικαίας πυρπολήσας χωρία τελευταῖον καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν Νίκαιαν ἔρχεται, καὶ ἑλεπόλεσι καὶ μηχαναῖς ἐκπορθῆσαι ἠπείγετο. γεν ναίως δὲ τοῦ Μανουὴλ ὑποδεξαμένου τὴν πολιορκίαν, καὶ