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a multitude already having turned their backs. But the emperor, not unaware of what had happened even before his letters, having won over Tyrach and the leaders of the Patzinaks held in the city with gifts and favors, he sends them out, having promised with oaths to civilize their race, and he himself summons all the eastern regiments by letters. When they had come and crossed over through Abydos and Chrysopolis, having appointed the rhaiktor Nikephoros as strategos autokrator, he sends him out against the Patzinaks. He sent out with him also Katakalon Kekaumenos, having appointed him stratēlatēs of the east, and Hervevius Francopoulos, at that time leader of his countrymen, ordering them to be with the rhaiktor and to hold to his opinion and to follow his commands and wishes. He, taking up the forces and crossing the Haemus through the so-called Iron Gate, went against the Patzinaks, and having arrived, he encamped in a certain place not far distant from the Hundred Hills, called Diakene. And having fixed a strong palisade there, on the next day he planned to leave the baggage train there and the superfluous part of the army, and he himself to go lightly 2.598 armed and engage the enemy. For he foolishly thought he would take them at the first shout, and he was afraid and took care lest any should escape by stealth, and not he alone but the entire army; for they even carried ropes and straps for binding those who were captured. The disaster that had befallen them at the beginning under Kegenes gave them cause to suspect this. Indeed, when the Patzinaks became aware of the approach of the Romans (for Tyrach and the leaders with him, having been released from the city, had already united with them and were zealous for their interests, bidding a long farewell to their promises to Monomachos) and when the more valiant men had ridden ahead, and Kekaumenos was shouting very loudly and urging that now was the time for battle, when they were scattered and dispersed, and not to wait for the whole assembly, the rest of the Roman host did not approve his words, and the rhaiktor even laughed openly, saying, "Cease, O stratēlatēs, and while I am general, do not you play the general alongside me; for we must not attack the Patzinaks when they are dispersed, lest being frightened they slip into the thickets. My good man, no hunting dogs follow me to track them by scent and drive them from their hiding places." And while the affairs of the Romans were in this state, the forerunners of the Patzinaks, having come near the camp 2.599 of the Romans, turning aside a little, they also make camp and signal to those behind them to come with all speed. When all had come and united, on the next day, as the rhaiktor led out the Roman forces, they also drew up in opposition, and still signaled to those behind to come with all speed. When all had come and united, as we said, and the rhaiktor led out the Roman forces, the rhaiktor himself held the center of the Roman phalanx, Kekaumenos commanded the right wing, and Francopoulos the other. But when the engagement occurred, the Romans did not hold their ground, their generals being the first to turn to flight.

For they themselves, not even enduring the sound, as they say, of the horses' feet, were turned to flight, but Kekaumenos alone, standing with his own servants and a few kinsmen, and fighting heroically, fell with all those with him. The Patzinaks, therefore, did not dare to pursue him, being afraid of an ambush, and on account of this the Romans were able to escape unharmed; meanwhile, having stripped the fallen, and becoming masters of many wagons and of the Roman camp itself with its baggage, they encamp under the Roman ditch. And a certain Patzinak, Galinos by name, knowing what sort of man Kekaumenos was from the time when he had been in command

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πληθὺν ἤδη τὰ νῶτα τρεψάντων. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἐκείνου γραμμάτων τὸ συμβὰν μὴ ἀγνοήσας, τὸν μὲν Τυρὰχ καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει κατεχομένους ἄρχοντας τῶν Πατζι νάκων δωρεαῖς καὶ χάρισιν ὑποποιησάμενος ὑποσχομένους μεθ' ὅρκων ἐξημερῶσαι τὸ γένος ἐκπέμπει, γράμμασι δὲ αὐτὸς τὰ ἑῷα ἅπαντα μεταπέμπεται τάγματα. ὧν ἐλθόντων καὶ διὰ τῆς Ἀβύ δου περαιωθέντων καὶ Χρυσοπόλεως στρατηγὸν αὐτοκράτορα χει ροτονήσας τὸν ῥαίκτωρα Νικηφόρον ἐκπέμπει κατὰ τῶν Πατζινά κων. συνεξέπεμψε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Κατακαλὼν τὸν Κεκαυμένον, στρατηλάτην τῆς ἀνατολῆς προβαλόμενος, καὶ Ἐρβέβιον τὸν Φραγγόπωλον, ἄρχοντα τῷ τότε τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν, κελεύσας συν εῖναι τῷ ῥαίκτωρι καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώμης ἔχεσθαι καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου προστάγμασι καὶ θελήμασιν ἕπεσθαι. ὃς ἀναλαβὼν τὰς δυνάμεις καὶ τὸν Αἷμον διαπεραιωθεὶς διὰ τῆς λεγομένης Σιδηρᾶς ἀπῄει κατὰ τῶν Πατζινάκων, ἐλθὼν δὲ κατεσκήνωσεν ἔν τινι χώρῳ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντι τῶν Ἑκατὸν βουνῶν, τῷ λεγομένῳ ∆ιακενέ. κἀκεῖσε χάρακα πηξάμενος ὀχυρὸν τῇ ἐπαύριον ἐμελέτα τὴν μὲν ἀποσκευὴν ἐκεῖσε λιπεῖν καὶ τὰ περιττὰ τοῦ στρατοῦ, αὐτὸς δὲ εὔ 2.598 ζωνος ἀπελθεῖν καὶ συμμῖξαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις. ᾤετο γὰρ αὐτοβοεὶ ἀφρόνως τούτους αἱρήσειν, καὶ ἐδεδίει καὶ φροντίδα ἐτίθετο μή τις λαθὼν διαδράσειε, καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ σύμπας στρατός· ἐπεφέροντο γὰρ καὶ καλώδια καὶ λώρους πρὸς τὸ δεσμεῖν τοὺς ἁλισκομένους. τοῦτο δὲ ἐδίδου τούτοις ὑπονοεῖν τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς ἐπιγενόμενον εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Κεγένους πτῶμα. ἀμέλει καὶ συναίσθησιν λαβόντων τῶν Πατζινάκων τῆς ἐπελεύσεως τῶν Ῥωμαίων (ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ὁ Τυρὰχ καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τῆς πόλεως ἀπολυθέντες ἄρχοντες ἑνωθέντες ἦσαν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ συμφέροντα τούτοις ἐσπούδαζον, μακρὰ χαίρειν εἰπόντες ταῖς πρὸς τὸν Μονο μάχον ὑποσχέσεσι) καὶ προδραμόντων τῶν ἀλκιμωτέρων, καὶ τοῦ Κεκαυμένου μέγιστον ἀναβοῶντος καὶ παρακαλοῦντος νῦν εἶναι καιρὸν συμπλοκῆς, ὁπηνίκα σποράδες εἰσὶ καὶ διεσπαρμένοι, καὶ μὴ περιμένειν τὸ ἅπαν ἄθροισμα, οὐκ ἐπῄνει μὲν καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν πλῆθος τῶν Ῥωμαίων τοὺς ἐκείνου λόγους, ὁ δὲ ῥαίκτωρ καὶ προ φανῶς κατεγέλα, "παῦσαι" λέγων, "ὦ στρατηλάτα, καὶ ἐμοῦ στρατηγοῦντος αὐτὸς μὴ παραστρατήγει· οὐ χρὴ γὰρ διεσπαρ μένοις ἐπιθήσεσθαι τοῖς Πατζινάκοις, μή πως πτυρέντες ὑπο δύσωνται τὰς λόχμας. ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀκολουθοῦντι, ὦ τᾶν, οὐ παρέ πονται θηρατικοὶ κύνες, οἵτινες ῥινηλατοῦντες ἐξάξουσιν αὐτοὺς τῶν καταφυγῶν." καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἦσαν ἐν τούτοις, οἱ δὲ πρόδρομοι τῶν Πατζινάκων πλησίον γενόμενοι τῆς παρεμβο 2.599 λῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων, μικρὸν ἐκκλίναντες, στρατοπεδεύουσι καὶ αὐ τοὶ καὶ τοῖς ὄπισθεν δηλοῦσιν ἥκειν τὴν ταχίστην. πάντων δ' ἐλθόντων καὶ ἑνωθέντων, τῇ ἐπαύριον ἐξαγαγόντος τοῦ ῥαίκτωρος τὰς Ῥωμαϊκὰς δυνάμεις ἀντιπαρατάττονται καὶ αὐτοί, καὶ τοῖς ὄπισθεν ἔτι δηλοῦσιν ἥκειν τὴν ταχίστην. πάντων δ' ἐλθόντων καὶ ἑνωθέντων, ὡς ἔφαμεν, ἐξαγαγόντος τοῦ ῥαίκτωρος τὰς Ῥω μαϊκὰς δυνάμεις, εἶχε μὲν τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς φάλαγγος αὐτὸς τὸ μέ σον ὁ ῥαίκτωρ, τοῦ δεξιοῦ δὲ κέρατος ἦρχεν ὁ Κεκαυμένος, θα τέρου δὲ ὁ Φραγγόπωλος. συμβολῆς δὲ γενομένης οὐκ ἔμενον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, τῶν στρατηγῶν πρώτων ἐκκλινάντων πρὸς τὴν φυγήν.

Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ μηδὲ τὸν κτύπον, ὥς φασιν, τῶν ποδῶν τῶν ἵπ πων ἐνεγκόντες ἐτράπησαν, μόνος δὲ ὁ Κεκαυμένος μετὰ τῶν ἑαυ τοῦ στὰς θεραπόντων καὶ τινῶν συγγενῶν ὀλιγοστῶν καὶ ἡρωϊκῶς ἀγωνισάμενος ἔπεσε μετὰ πάντων τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ. τοῦτον μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν διῶξαι οἱ Πατζινάκοι ἐνέδρας πτοηθέντες, καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο διασωθῆναι ἴσχυσαν ἀσινεῖς οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι· τέως δὲ τοὺς πεσόντας σκυλεύσαντες, καὶ πολλῶν ἁρμάτων γενόμενοι κύ ριοι καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς παρεμβολῆς σὺν τῇ ἀποσκευῇ, κα τασκηνοῦσιν ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαϊκὴν τάφρον. καί τις δὲ Πατζινάκος τὴν κλῆσιν Γαλῖνος, εἰδὼς τὸν Κεκαυμένον οἷός ἐστιν ἐξ ὅτου περ ἦρχε