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almost all the animals were suffocated and the fruits cast upon the earth, and because of this a terrible famine followed in the time to come. But the emperor, wishing to remedy the misfortune that had happened in Syria, was eager to campaign against Beroea. So he sends out Constantine Karantenos, the patrikios, his brother-in-law, with a lightly-armed force, having instructed him to go and to scout the entrances and to harm the enemy as much as possible, but to refrain from a general battle until his own arrival. And while the army was being assembled for him, George, the ruler of Abasgia, dies of an illness, and his wife, sending ambassadors with gifts to the emperor 2.489 sought both a peace treaty and a wife for her son, Pankratios. The emperor, accepting her embassy, both ratified the treaty and sent Helen, his own niece, the daughter of his brother Basil, as a bride to Abasgia, having raised the bridegroom Pankratios to the high rank of kouropalates. At this time a strange prodigy occurred in the theme of the Thrakesians, around the foothills of Mount Kouzenas, in which there is a spring of the most beautiful and clear water. A piteous voice was heard with lamentation and woe and dirges, resembling the wailing of a woman. And this not once or twice, but from the month of March until June itself every day and night. And when some went to investigate the place where the voice resounded, the cry moved elsewhere. And this, as it seems, foretold the misfortune of the Romans already mentioned in Coele Syria. For after emperor Nikephoros had subdued most of the cities of Syria and Phoenicia, and after him John had strengthened the captured places and extended his dominion as far as Damascus, since Basil after them, at first occupied by the civil wars, and later persisting in the campaigns against Samuel, did not have the opportunity to secure the affairs in the east well and as was possible, but having only made an appearance there, and having settled these things as the occasion demanded, then having returned and having a persistent occupation and concern to subdue the race 2.490 of the Bulgarians, it became an opportunity for the more powerful of the cities to throw off the yoke and to seek their own freedom. But as long as he was alive, the revolt was contemplated, but in secret and not openly. But when he paid the debt of nature, and his brother Constantine was ruling carelessly and lazily, and having as his purpose those things which the account has already recorded, and having shown no small neglect for other affairs, the Saracens, seizing the opportunity, sacked the garrisons in the cities, and killed the guards, and especially the ruler of Beroea, which they also call Halep; For he was making continuous raids, and was harassing Antioch and the bordering and neighboring peoples that were subject to the Romans. Against whom Spondyles, the governor of Antioch, as has been said, campaigns while Constantine was still alive, perhaps wishing to display something youthful and noble. And engaging with the ruler of Beroea, he is defeated, and great is the slaughter of those with him, and he himself most shamefully escapes to Antioch. And he was outgeneraled by a certain Arab, Musaraf by name, in the following way. For this Musaraf, being held as a prisoner of war in Antioch (for he had been captured by Pothos Argyros), when the reins of command passed to Spondyles, having perceived the man to be fickle, promised to be of great use to the Romans, if he were released from his bonds, and to accomplish everything according to their plan; For he promised 2.491 to harm his own people, and pointing out a place, said that if a fortress were built on it and handed over to him, there would be no small benefit for the Romans. whose

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ἀποπνιγῆναι σχεδὸν πάντα τὰ ζῷα καὶ τοὺς καταβληθέντας καρποὺς τῇ γῇ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λιμὸν κατὰ τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον ἐπακολουθῆσαι δεινόν. βουλόμενος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ γεγονὸς ἐν Συρίᾳ ἀτύχημα ἐξιάσασθαι, ὥρμητο κατὰ τῆς Βερροίας ἐκστρα τεῦσαι. ἐκπέμπει γοῦν μετ' εὐζώνου δυνάμεως Κωνσταντῖνον πατρίκιον τὸν Καραντηνὸν τὸν ἐπ' ἀδελφῇ τούτου γαμβρόν, ἀπ ελθεῖν ἐπισκήψας καὶ κατασκοπῆσαι τὰς εἰσόδους καὶ κατὰ τὸ δυ νατὸν πημαίνεσθαι τοὺς ἐχθρούς, παρατάξεως δὲ καθολικῆς ἀπέ χεσθαι μέχρι τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ ὁ στρατὸς αὐτῷ συνηθροίζετο, ὁ μὲν τῆς Ἀβασγίας ἄρχων Γεώργιος νόσῳ τελευτᾷ, ἡ δὲ τούτου σύνοικος πρέσβεις εἰς βασιλέα στείλασα μετὰ δώρων 2.489 σπονδάς τε εἰρηνικὰς ἐζήτει καὶ τῷ ταύτης υἱῷ Παγκρατίῳ τὴν συνοικήσουσαν. ἧς τὴν πρεσβείαν ἀποδεξάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς τάς τε σπονδὰς ἐκύρωσε, καὶ Ἑλένην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀνεψιάν, τὴν θυγα τέρα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Βασιλείου, νύμφην εἰς Ἀβασγίαν ἀπέ στειλε, τὸν νυμφίον Παγκράτιον ἐς τῶν κουροπαλάτων ἀναβιβά σας τὸ ὕψος. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον γέγονέ τι τεράστιον ἐν τῷ θέματι τῶν Θρᾳκησίων παράδοξον, περὶ τὰς ὑπωρείας τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ Κουζηνᾶ, ἐν ᾧ πηγή ἐστι καλλίστου καὶ διειδοῦς ὕδατος. φωνή τις ἐξηκούετο οἰκτρὰ μετὰ ὀδυρμοῦ καὶ οὐαὶ καὶ θρήνων, παρεμ φερὴς ὀλοφυρμῷ γυναικός. καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ ἢ δὶς τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ Μαρτίου μηνὸς ἄχρις Ἰουνίου αὐτοῦ καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα. ἀπιόντων δέ τινων ἐπὶ τῷ κατασκοπῆσαι τὸν τόπον ἔνθα ἡ φωνὴ ἐξηχεῖτο, ἀλλαχοῦ μετέπιπτεν ἡ ὀλολυγή. τοῦτο δέ, ὡς ἔοικε, προεμήνυε τὴν φθάσασαν ῥηθῆναι ἀτυχίαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐν τῇ κοίλῃ Συρίᾳ. τοῦ γὰρ βασιλέως Νικηφόρου τὰς πλείστας Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης πόλεις παραστησαμένου, καὶ τοῦ μετ' αὐτὸν Ἰωάννου τὰ ἑαλωκότα κρατυναμένου καὶ μέχρι ∆αμασκοῦ τὴν ἐπικράτειαν παρατείναντος, ἐπείπερ ὁ μετ' αὐτοὺς Βασίλειος πρότερον μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμφυλίων ἀσχολούμενος πολέμων, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ἔργοις προσλιπαρῶν οὐκ ἔσχεν εὐκαιρίαν καλῶς καὶ ὡς ἐνεδέχετο τὰ ἐν τῇ ἕῳ κατασφαλίσασθαι, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐν φαντασίᾳ γενόμενος ἐκεῖσε, καὶ ὡς ὁ καιρὸς ἀπῄτει ταῦτα καταστησάμενος, εἶθ' ὑποστρέψας καὶ ἀσχολίαν ἔμμονον ἔχων καὶ φροντίδα τὸ τῶν 2.490 Βουλγάρων ὑποτάξαι γένος, ἀφορμὴ γέγονε τοῦ τὸν ζυγὸν ἀπορ ρῖψαι τὰς δυνατωτέρας τῶν πόλεων καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀναζητῆσαι ἐλευθερίαν. ἀλλ' ἕως μὲν οὗτος περιῆν, ἐμελετᾶτο μὲν ἡ ἀπό στασις, κρύβδην δὲ καὶ οὐ φανερῶς. τούτου δὲ τὸ χρεὼν ἀπο τίσαντος, καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Κωνσταντίνου ἀμελῶς βασι λεύοντος καὶ ῥᾳθύμως, καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνοις ἔχοντος τὸν σκοπὸν ἅπερ ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἐστηλογράφησε, τῶν δ' ἄλλων ὀλιγωρίαν κατα σκεδάσαντος οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, ἀδείας οἱ Σαρακηνοὶ λαβόμενοι τάς τε ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι φρουρὰς ἐξεπόρθησαν, ἀνελόντες καὶ τοὺς φρουρούς, κατ' ἐξαίρετον δὲ ὁ τῆς Βερροίας ἀρχηγός, ἣν καὶ Χάλεπ καλοῦσιν· ἐκδρομάς τε γὰρ ἐποίει συνεχεῖς, καὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἐκάκου καὶ τὰ ὁμοροῦντα ἔθνη καὶ πρόσοικα τὰ τοῖς Ῥω μαίοις ὑπήκοα. πρὸς ὃν ὁ Σπονδύλης τῆς Ἀντιοχείας, ὡς εἴρη ται, κατάρχων ἐκστρατεύει ἔτι περιόντος τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου, βου λόμενος τάχα νεανικόν τι καὶ γενναῖον ἐνδείξασθαι. καὶ συμβα λὼν τῷ τῆς Βερροίας ἐξηγουμένῳ ἡττᾶται, καὶ πολὺς μὲν γίνεται τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ φθόρος, αὐτὸς δὲ αἴσχιστα εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν διασώ ζεται. κατεστρατήγησε δ' αὐτὸν καί τις Ἄραψ, Μουσάραφ τὴν προσηγορίαν, τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μουσάραφ δορυάλωτος κατεχόμενος ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ (ἦν γὰρ κατασχεθεὶς ὑπὸ Πόθου τοῦ Ἀργυροῦ), ἐπείπερ αἱ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἡνίαι εἰς τὸν Σπονδύλην μετέπεσον, κατανενοηκὼς τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐρίπιστον, ὑπέσχετο με γάλα χρησιμεῦσαι Ῥωμαίοις, εἰ ἀνεθείη τῶν δεσμῶν, καὶ πάντα ἐπιτελέσειν τὰ κατὰ σκοπόν· τά τε γὰρ ὁμόφυλα κακῶσαι κατεπ 2.491 ηγγέλλετο, καὶ τόπον ἐπιδεικνύς, εἰ φρούριον ἐν αὐτῷ δομηθείη καὶ αὐτῷ παραδοθείη, οὐ μικρὸν ὄφελος ἔσεσθαι Ῥωμαίοις. οὗ τὰς