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lest they also suffer something terrible, they revolted. And having entered the desert of Carbonitis, because they did not dare, being few, to draw up in battle against so many myriads, making raids from there they ravaged and plundered the lands of the Saracens. Therefore Moukhoumet, being annoyed at what was happening, having gathered an army of about 20 thousand, sends it against the Turks, placing over them ten generals from the most noble and intelligent and for their courage well-attested Saracens. Therefore, these men, having set out, went off to the war. And they considered it unprofitable to enter the desert because of the lack of water and provisions, but having encamped very near the entrance of the desert they were considering what was to be done. But Tangrolipex, camping in the depths of the desert, since he learned of the expedition against him, the leader of the Turks, having conferred with those with him and having thought it advantageous to attack the Saracens and Persians by night, using a swift march in two days, on the third night attacks them as they were encamped without a care and expecting no harm. And he turns them to flight quicker than words, and he, having become master of many chariots and horses and goods, no longer then as a fugitive and a 2.569 robber made his attacks secretly, but openly laid claim to the countryside, with those flocking to him who at that time feared death because of their wrongdoing, and slaves and those who delighted in plunder, so that in a short time a very great force was gathered around him, about 50 thousand. And so matters concerning him proceeded in this way; but Moukhoumet, not bearing the defeat that had happened with moderation but being greatly disheartened, blinded the ten generals, and threatened that the soldiers who had escaped the danger would be paraded in a triumph dressed in women's clothing, while he himself armed for a counter-attack. But the previously defeated soldiers, learning of the threats, go over to Tangrolipex. Therefore, with such and so great a force having been added to him, having gathered his whole army he hastened against Moukhoumet, eager to decide matters with a general battle. But that man also, having armed Saracens and Persians and Kabeiroi and Arabs, and having formed an army of about five hundred thousand and one hundred tower-bearing elephants, and taking all these, meets him at the place called Aspachan. And when a most terrible battle took place, many fell on both sides, and Moukhoumet himself also falls; for while riding his horse without order here and there and encouraging his own people, when his horse fell with him he was thrown from his horse and died. And when he had fallen, the multitude with him came to terms with their opponents, and Tangrolipex is proclaimed by all king of Persia. And having been proclaimed, sending men 2.570 he destroys the guard at the bridge of the Araxes, and he gives a free passage into Persia to any of the Turks who wished it. And these, having been released, poured in in great numbers, except for those who laid claim to their own fatherland, and having overthrown the Persians and Saracens, they themselves became masters of Persia, naming Tangrolipex sultan, that is, all-powerful and king of kings; who, having taken away all the offices from the natives, transferred them to the Turks and distributed all of Persia among them, completely pulling down and humbling the natives. And when his affairs seemed to be in a good state, he first began to make war on the neighboring rulers, and against Pissasirios the ruler of Babylon he himself drew up his forces in person, and having defeated and killed him in various battles he became master also of the land of the Babylonians, and against Karbesios the chief of the Arabs he sends Koutloumous, being the son of the brother of his own father, having given him a strong force; who, having gone away and engaged the Arabs, was defeated and fled most shamefully. And returning from the defeat, and being about to pass through Media or the

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μὴ καὶ πάθωσί τι δεινόν, ἀποστατοῦσι. καὶ τὴν Καρβωνῖτιν ὑποδύντες ἔρημον διὰ τὸ μὴ θαρρεῖν ὀλίγους πρὸς τοσαύτας ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι μυριάδας, ἐκεῖθεν ἐκδρομὰς ποιού μενοι ἐδῄουν καὶ ἔφερον τὰ Σαρακηνῶν. δυσανασχετήσας οὖν ὁ Μουχοῦμετ ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις, στρατὸν ἀθροίσας ἀμφὶ τὰς κʹ χιλιάδας ἐκπέμπει κατὰ τῶν Τούρκων, ἐπιστήσας αὐτοῖς δέκα στρατηγοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν εὐγενεστάτων καὶ συνετωτάτων καὶ ἐπ' ἀν δρίᾳ μεμαρτυρημένων Σαρακηνῶν. ἄραντες οὖν οὗτοι ἀπήρχοντο πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον. καὶ εἰσελθεῖν μὲν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον διὰ τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ τῶν τροφῶν ἔνδειαν ἀλυσιτελὲς ἐλογίζοντο, ἔγγιστα δὲ τοῦ στόματος τῆς ἐρήμου στρατοπεδεύσαντες διεσκοποῦντο τὸ ποιητέον. ὁ δὲ Ταγγρολίπηξ ἐς τὸ βάθος αὐλιζόμενος τῆς ἐρή μου, ἐπείπερ ἔμαθε τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐκστρατείαν, ὁ τῶν Τούρκων ἀρχηγός, κοινολογησάμενος τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιθέσθαι νυκτὸς τοῖς Σαρακηνοῖς καὶ Πέρσαις συμφέρον εἶναι νομίσας, ταχυπορίᾳ χρησάμενος ἐν δυσὶν ἡμέραις ἐπιτίθεται τῇ τρίτῃ νυκτὸς αὐτοῖς ἀμερίμνως σκηνουμένοις καὶ μηδὲν προσδεχομένοις κακόν. καὶ τούτους μὲν θᾶττον τρέπεται λόγου, αὐτὸς δὲ ἁρμάτων καὶ ἵππων καὶ χρημάτων κυριεύσας πολλῶν οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ὡς φυγὰς καὶ λῃ 2.569 στὴς κρυφίους ἐποιεῖτο τὰς ἐπιθέσεις, ἀλλὰ φανερῶς ἀντεποιεῖτο τῶν ὑπαίθρων, προσρυϊσκομένων αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν ὅσοι διὰ κακουρ γίας τότε ἐδεδίεσαν θάνατον, καὶ δούλων καὶ τῶν χαιρόντων ταῖς ἁρπαγαῖς, ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ τῷ χρόνῳ δύναμιν περὶ αὐτὸν ἀθροισθῆ ναι μεγίστην, περί που τὰς νʹ χιλιάδας. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἐφέρετο τῇδε· ὁ δὲ Μουχοῦμετ μὴ ἐνεγκὼν μετρίως τὴν γενομένην τροπὴν ἀλλὰ βαρυθυμήσας τοὺς μὲν δέκα στρατηγοὺς ἀπετύ φλωσε, τοὺς δὲ διαφυγόντας στρατιώτας τὸν κίνδυνον θριαμβεύ σειν ἠπείλησε γυναικείους περιβεβλημένους στολάς, αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς ἀντιπαράταξιν καθωπλίζετο. οἱ δὲ προηττηθέντες στρατιῶται μαθόντες τὰς ἀπειλὰς προσχωροῦσι τῷ Ταγγρολίπηκι. τοσαύτης οὖν προσγενομένης αὐτῷ καὶ τηλικαύτης δυνάμεως, ἀγείρας ἅπαντα τὸν στρατὸν ἠπείγετο πρὸς τὸν Μουχοῦμετ, καθολικῇ μάχῃ σπεύδων κρῖναι τὰ πράγματα. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖνος καὶ Σαρα κηνοὺς καθοπλίσας καὶ Πέρσας καὶ Καβείρους καὶ Ἄραβας, καὶ στρατὸν συστησάμενος περί που τὰς πεντακοσίας χιλιάδας καὶ ἐλέφαντας πυργοφόρους ἑκατόν, καὶ πάντας τούτους ἀναλαβών, ὑπαντιάζει κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον Ἀσπαχᾶν. καὶ γενομένης μάχης φοβερωτάτης ἔπεσον μὲν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων πολλοί, πίπτει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Μουχοῦμετ· ἐξιππαζόμενος γὰρ ἀτάκτως ἔνθεν κἀκεῖθεν καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον παραθαρρύνων λαόν, τοῦ ἵππου συμπεσόντος αὐτῷ ἐκτραχηλισθεὶς ἀπέθανε. τούτου δὲ πεσόντος τὸ σὺν αὐτῷ πλῆθος ὡμονόησε τοῖς ἐναντίοις, καὶ ὁ Ταγγρολίπηξ ὑπὸ πάντων ἀναγορεύεται βασιλεὺς τῆς Περσίδος. ἀναρρηθεὶς δὲ πέμψας 2.570 καθαιρεῖ τὴν ἐν τῇ γεφύρᾳ τοῦ Ἀράξιδος φυλακήν, καὶ ἄνετον δίδωσι τῷ βουλομένῳ τῶν Τούρκων τὴν ἐς τὴν Περσίδα πορείαν. ἀπολυθέντες δὲ οὗτοι εἰσέδραμον παμπληθεί, πλὴν τῶν ὅσοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀντεποιοῦντο πατρίδος, καὶ καθελόντες Πέρσας καὶ Σα ρακηνοὺς αὐτοὶ κύριοι τῆς Περσίδος ἐγένοντο, τὸν Ταγγρολίπηκα σουλτάνον ὀνομάσαντες, τουτέστι παντοκράτορα καὶ βασιλέα βα σιλέων· ὃς πάσας τὰς ἀρχὰς τοὺς ἐγχωρίους ἀφελόμενος εἰς Τούρκους μετήνεγκε καὶ τὴν Περσίδα πᾶσαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς διέ νειμεν, ἐς τὸ παντελὲς κατασπάσας καὶ ταπεινώσας τοὺς ἐγχω ρίους. Ὡς δὲ καλῶς ἔχειν ἐδόκει τούτῳ τὰ πράγματα, πρότερον μὲν τοῖς ὁμόροις δυνάσταις ἤρξατο πολεμεῖν, καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸν Πισσασίριον τῆς Βαβυλῶνος ἄρχοντα αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ παρετά ξατο, καὶ διαφόροις μάχαις τοῦτον ἡττήσας καὶ ἀνελὼν κύριος καὶ τῆς Βαβυλωνίων χώρας ἐγένετο, πρὸς δὲ Καρβέσιον τὸν τῶν Ἀράβων ἀρχηγὸν Κουτλουμοῦς ἐκπέμπει, υἱὸν ὄντα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ οἰκείου πατρός, χεῖρα βαρεῖαν δοὺς αὐτῷ· ὃς ἀπελθὼν καὶ τοῖς Ἄραψι συμβαλὼν ἡττήθη καὶ αἴσχιστα ἔφυγεν. ὑποστρέφων δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τροπῆς, καὶ μέλλων διοδεύειν ἀπὸ τῆς Μηδίας ἤτοι τοῦ