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a title in relation to their caliph, just as our syncellus formerly had in relation to the patriarch; for when the latter dies, he is immediately installed upon his throne. This serifos, therefore, having entered the Queen of Cities and having come face to face with the emperor for an audience, and having boasted much and been insolent, and finally having hastened to make the land of the Romans tributary to his own sultan, since he did not find the emperor compliant, withdrew without success to the one who sent him. And the emperor, from that time on expecting war from the sultan, secured the lands bordering on the land of the Persians as far as was possible by sending forces. But while these things were happening, the movement of the Patzinaks also occurred; how and in what way, must be told. The nation of the Patzinaks, being Scythian, from the so-called royal Scythians, is both great and populous, against which not even one Scythian tribe by itself is able to stand. It is divided into thirteen clans, all of which are called by the common name, but each also has its own appellation, inherited from its 2.582 own progenitor and chief. And they inhabit the plains sprawling beyond the Ister from the Borysthenes river as far as Pannonia, being nomads and always embracing a tent-dwelling life. The chief of this tribe at that time was Tyrach, the son of Kilter, possessing the highest nobility, but otherwise dull and loving peace. And there was a certain other one in the nation, Kegenes by name, son of Baltzar, of obscure and almost nameless lineage, but most energetic in matters of war and strategy, who also many times, when the Ouzes (the Ouzes are a Hunnic tribe) attacked the Patzinaks, stood against, routed, and repelled them, while Tyrach not only did not dare to march out against them, but even hid in the marshes and lakes beside the Ister.

The Patzinaks, therefore, honored Tyrach on account of his lineage, but they embraced Kegenes especially on account of his surpassing manliness and his skill in wars. Hearing and seeing these things, Tyrach was vexed in his soul, fearing for his rule, and he sought a way by which he might get rid of Kegenes. He therefore set ambushes for him many times, but all were in vain. And since after trying secretly many times he failed, he decided not to delay but to attack openly. Wherefore, sending a multitude, he ordered them to seize the man and kill him. But he, having foreseen the plot, becomes a fugitive to the marshes of the Borysthenes, and thus escapes destruction. And from there, while in hiding and 2.583 secretly sending messages to both his own kinsmen and his tribe, he was able to make his own clan (this was the Belemaris) and in addition to this, another, the Pagoumanis, revolt from their allegiance to the king; and having acquired a force, he drew up his army with the two clans in opposition to Tyrach, who had the eleven. And though he held out for many hours, nevertheless, worn down by the numbers, he was routed. And wandering in the marshes and seeking safety, he knew one path for himself and for those with him: flight to the emperor of the Romans. Wherefore, having arrived at Dorostolon, and having enclosed himself on a certain river island for the sake of security with those with him (they were about 20 thousand), he sent a message to the governor of the region (this was Michael, the son of Anastasios) and made known both who he was and from what fortunes he had arrived a fugitive, and that he wished to become a deserter to the emperor, promising also that if he were received, he would be of great benefit to his affairs. And he, having conveyed the messages to the emperor quicker than speech, was ordered by swift messengers to receive the man with those accompanying him, and to provide provisions for them, and to have sent him with honor to Byzantium. And the one did as he was commanded, and Kegenes, having journeyed to the Queen of Cities and having come to an audience with the emperor, was received kindly and magnificently, and

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ὄνομα πρὸς τὸν παρ' αὐτοῖς χαλυφᾶν, ὅπερ ὁ παρ' ἡμῖν σύγκελλος πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην πάλαι ἐδύνατο· ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀποθανόντος αὐτὸς εὐθὺς εἰς τὸν τούτου θρόνον ἐγκαθίδρυται. οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ σέριφος εἰσελθὼν ἐν τῇ βασιλίδι καὶ ἐς πρόσωπον ἐλθὼν τῷ βα σιλεῖ καὶ ὁμιλίαν, πολλά τε μεγαλαυχήσας καὶ φρυαξάμενος, καὶ τελευταῖον ὑπόφορον θέσθαι σπεύσας τὴν Ῥωμαίων τῷ ἑαυτοῦ σουλτάνῳ, ἐπεὶ μὴ εὗρε τὸν βασιλέα ἐπικλινῆ, ἄπρακτος ὑπε χώρησε πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντα. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ἀπ' ἐκείνου ἐκ δεχόμενος πόλεμον ἀπὸ τοῦ σουλτάνου, καθ' ὅσον οἷόν τε ἦν, τὰ ὁμοροῦντα τῇ Περσῶν γῇ πέμψας κατησφαλίσατο. ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, καὶ ἡ τῶν Πατζινάκων ἐπισυνέβη κίνησις· πῶς δὲ καὶ τίνα τρόπον, λεκτέον. Τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Πατζινάκων Σκυθικὸν ὑπάρχον, ἀπὸ τῶν λεγομένων βασιλείων Σκυθῶν, μέγα τέ ἐστι καὶ πολυάνθρωπον, πρὸς ὃ οὐδὲ ἓν αὐτὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸ Σκυθικὸν γένος ἀντιστῆναι δύνα ται. διῄρηται δὲ εἰς τρισκαίδεκα γενεάς, αἵτινες καλοῦνται μὲν πᾶσαι τῷ κοινῷ ὀνόματι, ἔχουσι δὲ ἑκάστη καὶ ἴδιον ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐ 2.582 τῆς προγόνου καὶ ἀρχηγοῦ τὴν προσηγορίαν κληρωσαμένη. νέμον ται δὲ τὰς πέραν Ἴστρου ἀπὸ τοῦ Βορυσθένους ποταμοῦ καὶ μέχρι Παννονίας ἡπλωμένας πεδιάδας, νομάδες τε ὄντες καὶ τὸν σκηνί την διὰ παντὸς ἀσπαζόμενοι βίον. τούτου τοῦ γένους ἀρχηγὸς ἦν τῷ τότε Τυρὰχ ὁ τοῦ Κιλτὲρ υἱός, εὐγενείας ἥκων ἐς τὸ ἀκρό τατον, ἀμβλὺς δὲ ἄλλως καὶ τὴν ἡσυχίαν φιλῶν. ἦν δὲ καὶ ἄλ λος τις ἐν τῷ ἔθνει τὴν κλῆσιν Κεγένης, υἱὸς τοῦ Βαλτζάρ, τὸ μὲν γένος ἄσημος καὶ σχεδὸν ἀνώνυμος, περὶ δὲ τὰ πολεμικὰ καὶ τὰς στρατηγίας κάρτα δραστηριώτατος, ὃς καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιόντας κατὰ τῶν Πατζινάκων τοὺς Οὔζους (γένος δὲ Οὐννικὸν οἱ Οὖζοι) ὑποστὰς ἐτρέψατο καὶ ἀπώσατο, τοῦ Τυρὰχ οὐχ ὅπως ἀντεπεξελ θεῖν μὴ θαρρήσαντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταδύντος εἰς τὰ παρὰ τῷ Ἴστρῳ ἕλη καὶ τὰς λίμνας.

Τὸν μὲν οὖν Τυρὰχ οἱ Πατζινάκαι ἐτίμων διὰ τὸ γένος, τὸν δὲ Κεγένη ἠσπάζοντο διαφερόντως διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀνδρίας ὑπερβάλλον καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις δεινότητα. ἅπερ ἀκούων καὶ βλέπων ὁ Τυρὰχ ἐδάκνετο τὴν ψυχήν, δεδιὼς περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ τρόπον ἐζήτει ὅπως ἂν τὸν Κεγένην ἀποσκευά σηται. ἐφίστησιν οὖν αὐτῷ λόχους πολλάκις, ἐγίνοντο δὲ πάντες ἀργοί. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλάκις ἐπιχειρήσας κρυφίως ἠστόχησεν, ἔγνω δεῖν μὴ διαμέλλειν ἀλλ' ἐπιχειρεῖν φανερῶς. διὸ καὶ πλῆθος πέμψας καταλαβεῖν ἐκέλευσε τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ ἀνελεῖν. ὁ δὲ προ γνοὺς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν φυγὰς πρὸς τὰ ἕλη γίνεται τοῦ Βορυσθένους, καὶ οὕτω διαφυγγάνει τὸν ὄλεθρον. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ κρυπτόμενος καὶ 2.583 λάθρᾳ πέμπων μηνύματα πρός τε τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ συγγενεῖς καὶ τὴν φυλήν, ἠδυνήθη τήν τε ἰδίαν γενεὰν ἀποστῆσαι τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως εὐνοίας (ἦν δὲ ἡ Βελεμαρνὶς) καὶ πρὸς ταύτῃ καὶ ἄλλην τὴν Παγουμανίδα· καὶ δύναμιν προσλαβόμενος ἀντιπαρατάττεται μετὰ τῶν δύο γενεῶν πρὸς τὸν Τυρὰχ τὰς ιαʹ ἔχοντα. καὶ ἐπὶ πολλὰς μὲν ἀντισχὼν ὥρας, ὅμως ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους καταπονη θεὶς τρέπεται. περιπλανώμενος δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἕλεσι καὶ σωτηρίαν ζητῶν μίαν ἔγνω ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ, τὴν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ῥωμαίων καταφυγήν. διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ∆ορόστολον ἀφικό μενος, καὶ ἔν τινι ποταμίᾳ νησίδι περικλείσας ἑαυτὸν διὰ τὸ ἀνε πιβούλευτον μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ (ἦσαν δὲ ἀμφὶ τὰς κʹ χιλιάδας), διαμηνύεται τῷ τῆς χώρας ἄρχοντι (ἦν δὲ Μιχαὴλ ὁ τοῦ Ἀνα στασίου υἱὸς) καὶ γνωρίζει ὅστις τε εἴη καὶ οἵας διαδιδράσκων τύχας ἀφῖκται, καὶ ὅτι αὐτόμολος βούλεται γενέσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὑπισχνούμενος δὲ καὶ εἰ προσδεχθείη, εἰς μεγάλην ὄνησιν ἔσεσθαι τοῖς τούτου πράγμασιν. ὁ δὲ τὰ μηνύματα λόγου θᾶττον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα διαπορθμεύσας διὰ ταχέων κελεύεται τὸν ἄνδρα μετὰ τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ προσδέξασθαι, καὶ τούτοις μὲν τὰ ἐπιτήδεια χορηγεῖν, αὐτὸν δὲ ἐνδόξως ἐς τὸ Βυζάντιον πεπομφέναι. καὶ ὁ μὲν ὡς ἐκελεύσθη διεπράξατο, ὁ δὲ Κεγένης εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα φοι τήσας καὶ ἐς λόγους ἐλθὼν τῷ βασιλεῖ φιλοφρόνως τε καὶ μεγαλο πρεπῶς ὑπεδέχθη, καὶ