Theophylact Simocatta penned his chronicle (the Universal History) sometime about 630. The chronicle’s main focus is on the reign of the Emperor Maurice although it goes into the reign of Heraclius as well. These excerpts come from the Michael and Mary Whitby translation. It is not the clearest translation one could have hoped for as it retains much of Theophyllact’s curious verbiage although such choice is the translator’s prerogative, of course. We describe the portions of the chronicle describing Slavs, Antes as well as Slavic leaders. This is the source for such Slav names as Ardagastus, Musocius and Peiragastus. (In case it isn’t clear yet, you will note that Theophylact liked the general Priscus but did not like Peter, the Emperor Maurice’s brother (or the Emperor Maurice)).
(As a curiosity, Theophylact’s letters were printed in 1509 in Cracow in an edition by Copernicus which was the only book that Copernicus published himself).
Book 1
“[year 584] For the Avars let loose the nation of the Sclavenes, who ravaged ver many areas of the Roman territory, suddenly invaded like lightning as far as the Walls named Long, and wrought great slaughter on their captives. Wherefore, in fear, the emperor both garrisoned the Long Walls and led out from the city his personal body of soldiers, instantly devising a most distinguished defense, as it were, around the city.”
“Then indeed, then Comentiolus was entrusted with a not insignificant command; he moved into Thrace, drove back the hordes of the Sclavenes, reached the river Erginia, as it is named, suddenly confronted the Sclavenes, boldly attacked, and improvised great destruction for the barbarians. It was for this reason that he was again appointed general by the emperor and sent out, adorned with Roman titles and bearing the military hour of command called by Romans praesentalis. Next, when the summer [585] came around, hue collected the Roman forces, moved to Adrianopolis, and encountered Ardagastus, who had in train great hordes of Sclavenes with a most distinguished hail prisoners and splendid booty. After passing the night, at daybreak he approached the fort of Ansinon and courageously engaged the barbarians. The enemy backed off, were thrust into flight, and were driven right out of the Astike [Thracian plains], while the Roman success raised a bright day for the prisoners. The general sang a victory hymn and set up a trophy.”
“At the beginning of autumn [586], the barbarians again dissolved the agreement and openly abased the compact. I will reveal the cause and not deny it.”
“When spring arrived [of 589] and provided the earth with a gentle, happy aspect, the customary distribution of gold was dispatched to the soldiery by the emperor. The war between Romans and Persians was flourishing and restive. As for the Getae, that is to say the hords of Sclavenes, they were fiercely ravavgin the regions of Thrace; the Medes encountered the Roman generals and were squandered in slaughter; the elder Rome withstood the incursions of the Lombards…”
Book 6
“On the following day, three men, Sclavenes by race, who were not wearing any iron or military equipment, were captured by the emperor’s [Heraclius’] bodyguards. Lyres [or, perhaps, the Slavic gusle] were their baggage, and they were not carrying anything else at all; and so the emperor enquired what was their nation, where was their allotted abode, and the cause of their presence in the Roman [i.e., Byzantine] lands. They replied that they were Sclavenes by nation and that they lived at the boundary of the western ocean,* the kagan had dispatched ambassadors to their parts to levy a military force ad had lavished many gifts on their nation’s rulers; and so they accepted the gifts but refused him the alliance, asserting that the length of the journey daunted them, while they sent back to the kagan for the purpose of making a defence these same men who had been captured; they had completed the journey in fifteen months; but the kagan had forgotten the law of ambassadors and had decreed a ban on their return; since they had heard that the Roman nation was much the most famous, as far as can be told, for wealth and clemency, they had exploited the opportunity and retired to Thrace; they carried lyres [or gusle?] since it was not their practice to gird weapons on their bodies, because their country was ignorant of iron and thereby provided them with a peaceful and trouble free life; they made music on lyres because they did no know how to sound forth on trumpets. For they would quite reasonably say that for those who had no knowledge of warfare, musical pursuits were uncultivated, as it were. And so, as a result of their words, the emperor marveled at their tribe and judged that those same barbarians who had encountered him were worthy of hospitality; in amazement at the size of their bodies and the nobility of their limbs, he sent these men under escort to Heraclea.”
* The “western ocean” meant the Atlantic – if so, then these Slavs would have been presumably from the neighborhood of Kiel or… perhaps Utrecht (!?).
“[588?] The Chagan demanded from the Caesar that the agreement receive a supplement; but, when the emperor did not grant to the barbarian’s words their objective of a hearing, he at once received war in return. Therefore the Chagan ordered the Sclavenes to construct large numbers of boats so that he could control the crossing of the Ister. The inhabitants of Singidunum ravaged the Sclavenes‘ labours by sudden attacks, and consigned to flames their nautical enterprises. It was for this reason that the barbarians besieged Singidunum; the city reached the extremity of disaster and had feeble hopes of salvation. But on the seventh day the Chagan ordered the barbarians to abandon the siege and to come to him. When the barbarians became cognizant of this, they left the city carrying off two thousand gold darics, a gold-inlaid table, and clothing. Threfore the Chagan moved five phrasings, camped at Sirmium, and organized borders of Sclavenes in timber operations, so that he could cross the river Saos [Sava], as it is called, by boat.”
“… [593?] And so, at the beginning of autumn, the general broke camp and came to Byzantium, while the disbanded Romans streamed into Thrace and found subsistence in the villages. At the start of spring, the general was sent by the emperor to the Ister so that the Sclavene races, by being prevented from crossing the river, might unwillingly provide security for Thrace: for the emperor told Priscus that the barbarians would not remain quite unless the Romans kept a very strict guard on the Ister. And so Priscus took charge of the cavalry force, while Gentzon was ordered by the emperor to comannd the infantry troops. Thus, in the middle of spring, the Romans assembled near Heracleia.”
“…Then, after the termination of this speech, although the force was distressed by the address, Priscus granted pardon to boldness and forgiveness to barbarian words. Therefore, he offered no rebuttal to rashness, but declared that he was undertaking war against the Sclavenes, for the agreement and truce with the Avars had not in fact conclude the Getic [Slav] war as well. On the twelfth day the general constructed ships and crossed the river [Danube]. On hearing that Ardagastus was sending the Sclavene hordes abroad to obtain booty, he delivered his attack in the middle of the night. And so Ardagastus, bidding farewell to the visions of dreams and brought round from sleep by the increasing clamor, mounted an unsaddled mare and made his flight. Now the barbarian fell in with Romans and, dismounting from the mare, engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. But when he could not withstand the might of opposition, he took to flight across some rough country; so, as a result, Ardagastus had the advantage in moving since he had a physique that was accustomed to this. Less favorable fortune came upon him, and the barbarian fell over the stump of a huge tree; hence he would have been for his pursuers an earnestly desired prey, if a river had not been his salvation, for he swam across and escaped from danger. And so the Romans made Sclavene hordes a feast for the sword, and ravaged Ardagastus‘ territory; they put their captives in wooden fetters and sent them to Byzantium.”
“…And so Tatimer began the journey to Byzantium, but on the sixth day he encountered Sclavenes and came into unexpected danger. For at midday, while he was encamped carelessly and at ease, and the horses were grazing the grass, the barbarians attacked. Whereupon a cry was raised, the Romans made a stand without their horses, and Tatimer rushed forward with a few men; on his coming close to the barbarians, great disaster befell him for being unable to endure a fight at close quarters, he had trend to flight when he was struck by untimely missiles, and with difficulty escaped the peril. So, when the Roman infantry had come up and saved Tatimer, thereafter they undertook battle against the Sclavenes. Then, after a fierce fight, the Romans overcame the Sclavenes, wrought great slaughter, captured fifty barbarians, and returned to their camp having preserved Roman booty from the Sclavenes. And so Tatimer, his body more or less healed, reached Byzantium and broughtt with him a most distinguished booty; accordingly, the emperor was delighted at these occurrences, and kept vigil at the city’s greets shrine of God; then with the populace he made prayers of supplication, and asked the Divinity to grant more glorious trophies.”
“The commander Priscus ordered men to move ahead on reconnaissance. On the second day he did not detect enemy in the area; therefore he commanded Alexander to march at dawn into the region beyond the river Helibacia. And so Alexander crossed the adjacent river and encountered Sclavenes. But the barbarians, on beholding enemies in sight , made their escape to the nearby marshes and the savage/swampy woodland, while the Romans tried to catch them. But when they reached the mire, they fell into overwhelming difficulty, and the whole contingent would have perished if Alexander had not quickly extricated the Romans from the swamp. And so the brigadier Alexander encircled the place and tried to consign the barbarians to fire, but the flame languished and grew feeble because of the damp conditions, and Alexander’s attack was inglorious.”
“Now there was with the barbarians a Gepid, who had once long before been of the Christian religion. This man deserted to the Romans and also pointed out the means of entry. And so the Romans gained control of the entrances and overcame the barbarians. Alexander enquired by interrogation what was the captives’ race; but the barbarians, since they had fallen into mortal desperation, declared that they welcomed tortures, disposing the agonies of the lash about the body as if it were another’s. But the Gepid described everything and revealed events in detail, saying that the prisoners were subjects of Musocius, who was called rex in the barbarian tongue, that this Musocius was encamped thirty parsangs away [as per Whitbies, approximately 112 miles], that he had sent out the captives to reconnoiter the Roman force, and that he had also heard about the misfortunes which had recently befallen Ardagastus. He advised there Romans to make a sudden attack and to catch the barbarian by the surprise of their onslaught. And so Alexander came to Priscus and brought the barbarians, but the commander consigned these to slaughter. So that barbarian Gepid came before the general, described to Priscus the barbarians’ intentions, and advised Priscus to attack barbarian; as a pledge of success the Gepid agreed to trick the barbarian. Then Priscus joyfully accepted the proposal and, lubricating the deserter with splendid gifts and securing him with glorious promises, he sent him to beguile the barbarian. Therefore the Gepid came to Musocius, and asked to be provided by him with a number of canoes, so that he could ferry across those involved in Ardagastus‘ misfortunes. And so Musocius, regarding as a go den the plan woven against him by deceit, provided canoes so that the Gepid could save Ardagastus‘ followers. Then, taking a total of one hundred and fifty skiffs and thirty oarsmen, he came to the other side of the river which the natives call Paspirius [Danube tributary on the north side?]. Priscus, in accordance with the agreement, began his march at dawn. But the Gepid man eluded the notice of his companions, and in the middle of the night came to the Roman commander; he asked to be given one hundred soldiers, so that he could destroy the barbarian sentries in the jaws of the sword. Then the general marshaled two underfed men an gave them to the brigadier Alexander. When the Romans had come near the river Paspirius, the Gepid placed Alexander in hiding. Accordingly, when night had fallen the barbarians happened to be heavy with sleep and, since they had been drinking, they held fast to their dreams, whereas the Gepid dissimulated so as to destroy the barbarians. IN the third watch he moved away a short distance, came to the hiding-place, and led Alexander out of the ambush. And so he directed the Romans to the river Paspirius, exchanged signals, and came to the Babrarians. Then, since there barbarians were still consorting with sleep, the Gepid gave Alexander the signal by means of Avar songs. Alexander attacked the barbarians and provided the mortal penalty for sleep. when he had gained control of the skiffs, he dispatched messengers to the general to increase the impetus of the attack. Priscus took three thousand men, divided them between the skiffs, and crossed the river Paspirius. Next, in the middle of the night, they provided the introduction to their attack. Now the barbarian was drunk and debilitated by liquor, since on that day there had been a funeral celebration for his departed brother in accordance with their custom. And so great panic ensued; then the barbarian was taken captive, while the Romans revealed in a night of bloodshed. As day grew bright, the general put a stop to the slaughter; at the third hour the general ferried across his equipment and forces. Then the Romans grew over-confident at events and inclined towards high living; subsequently they were sewed up in liquor and, adulterating their success with drunkenness, they disregarded sentry-duty, which Romans are accustomed to call sculca in their ancestral tongue. And so the vanquished assembled and measured out a return attack for the Romans, and the repayment would have been harsher than the success, if Gentzon had not deployed the infantry forces and been victorious in battle. At dawn Priscus impaled the officers of the watch, and in addition severely flogged some of the soldiery.”
“The emperor sent Tatimer back to the commander carrying royal missives; the missives required the Romans to pass the winter season where they were. Then, after Tatimer had arrived and the royal utterances became known the army was kindled by commontion. Then the Roman troops rejected the emperor’s words and mutinied in an attempt to pass the cold season at home: for they refused to encamp in barbarian territory, since they claimed that the cold weather was insupportable and the hordes of barbarians irresistible. But the general mitigated the army’s insubordination with regulating persuasion; when the forces became obedient, the Roman commander broke camp in barbarian territory.*”
* The Whitbies note here: “This accords with the recommendations of [Maurice’s in his Strategicon]; the intention was to attack the Slavs when the forests offered less protection for ambushes, the snows would reveal the tracks of fleeing men, and the frozen rivers could be crossed more easily by the Romans.” They also note that similar tactics were used against the Lithuanians citing Christiansen’s “Northern Crusades.”
“… But the emperor dismissed the commander and made his brother [the emperor Maurice’s brother], whose name was Peter, leader of the Roman forces. Now Priscus had not yet learned of this. Therefore he took his forces and crossed the river because the troops angrily refused to delay in barbarian territory, since they feared that the barbarians might perhaps attack suddenly and carry off the booty. But the CHagan was greatly amazed when he heard of the Romans’ departure, and he next dispatched messengers to Prsicus in his eagerness to discover the cause of the retreat. And so Priscus deceived the Chagan with the most plausible arguments possible. But after there days it was reported to Pruscus that the Chagan was about to undertake an attack on the Roman forces, and that he had ordered the Sclavene hordes to cross the Ister: for he was in fact indignant and annoyed by the extensive successes of the Roman forces. Now Targitius and the barbarian elite urged the Chagan to put an end to the war, for they said that his indignation against the Romans was unjustified. Then Priscus magnanimously dispatched to the Chagan an ambassador, whose name was Theodore, a man clever and shrewd by nature, a doctor by profession and a free man in speech,. This powerful man came to the Chagan. And so the barbarian became over-confident at what had befallen him and swaggered exceedingly, declaring that he was master of every nation and that there existed no one, even as far as the sun extended its gaze, who would be able to confront him. For this reason the ambassador, whose grasp of history was great, humbled the barbarian bombast with precedents. (It is not inconsequent to tell the history as well.) For he said, ‘Listen Chagan, to an ancient and very wise tale. And when the opening had made the barbarian attentive e instruction, the narration of the history received no hindrance.”
[there follows the story of Sesotris the Egyptian ruler]
“And so the Chagan, in amazement at the man’s good sense, reproved his arrogance, checked his boldness, and rearranged matters into a peaceful state. Accordingly, after being silent for many hours he said to Theodore: ‘I know how to master even a swollen spirit, I know ho to keep even wrath in line, although there is occasion for grievance. Theodore, I have made peace with PRiscus, but let him too be a just friend to me. Let not the Chagan remain without due share of the booty. He has attacked my land and wrought injury on my subjects. [The Whitbies note here: “This is strictly untrue, since the Slavs on the lower Danube were not Avar subjects”] Let the results of success be shared.’ On these terms he bestowed favours and sent Theodore to Priscus. And so Theodore reached Prsicus and recounted to him the barbarian’s words, but PRiscus convened an assembly on the next day and recommended the Romans to make the barbarian too a partner int he spoils. But the Romans for a time did not accommodate themselves to expediency, and rebelled against the general. But with the aid of many subtle and unexceptionable arguments, the general persuaded the forces to give the barbican some of the booty. Then the Romans handed over the barbarian captives to the Chagan, and settled the dispute, although they left him without a share of the other spoils. Then the Chagan was pleased by the return of the barbarians and gave ground at the crossings.* And so the Romans, after thus voluntarily ceding five thousand barbarians to the Chagan, came to Drizipera; the general reached Byzantium. Acordingly Maurice reproached Priscus and imputed errors of simplicity to him, since he had foolishly surrendered the booty to the barbarians.”
* The Whitbies state that Theophylact is unclear here. “The Romans had already retreated to the south of the river, so that the Chagan could not hav been blocking their retreat at the river crossings until he was persuaded by the return of the captives to give ground. It is possible tha the Chagan, who had encouraged the Slavs to cross the Danube, now withdrew them from the crossing points. The sense would be simpler if the CHagan ‘gave pardon for the crossings’, since the return of the prisoners had been intended to soothe his anger, so that he would excuse Roman aggression against the Slavs. But Theophylact himself was probably unclear about exactly what was happening, and so we have retained the text without emendation.”
Book 7
[594] “And so Priscus was thus demoted while Peter, who was in fact Maurice’s own brother, was proclaimed as commander by the emperor. Then Maurice inscribed royal letters, delivered these to the general, prepared for him to depart from the city, and ordered him to go to the camp. Now, one clause of the royal letters dealt with military pay; the clause proposed that payment would be organized in three parts, by clothing, equipment, and gold coin. Then the general departed from Perinthus and came to Drizipera, and leaving Drizipera he reached Odessus. And so the camp gave the commander a most distinguished welcome on his arrival at Odessus, but on the fourth day the commander attempted to publicize to the troops the royal dispatches. And so the troops contemplated agitation, for they had previously heard the royal command. Then, after the general had hurriedly arranged a united assembly of the forces and had made the congregation listen to the emperor’s utterances, the army shied away and, abandoning the general in disgrace, they pitched camp in uproar four miles away. But Peter, being faced by revolt, concealed the more irksome parts of the royal commands; he also had to hand one of the royal ordinances which would be beneficial to the warring masses, and demanded that this be publicly proclaimed to the Roman troops. And so the Romans assembled and reviled Maurice, but the commander intelligently and persuasively soothed the wrath of the camp and publicized to the men-at-arms the more pleasing of the emperor’s letters. They contained the following generous provisions: that Romans who had acted heroically and encountered some misfortune as a result of courage in danger should thereafter receive a respite, that these demobilized soldiers in the cities should be fed at imperial expense, and that servicemen’s children who had lost their fathers in war should be enrolled for war in place of their parents. Accordingly, when he had put these proposals to the army from a lofty rostrum, he converted them, and persuasively reduced them to submission; hence their folly was also altered, and each reverted to goodwill towards the emperor Maurice. Accordingly the Caesar was praised, being released from their recent slanders: for the masses are unstable and have never adopted a fixed position, but are transformed randomly and fortuitously by incidental pronouncements.”
“And so the general was thus reconciled with the camp regarding their grievances. On the fourth day, after he had acquainted the emperor with the mutiny of the forces, he set out from Odessus [Varna] and moved towards the regions on his left; on reaching Marcianopolis he ordered one thousand men to advance beyond the camp. These, therefore, encountered six hundred Sclavenes who were escorting a great haul of Romans, for they had ravaged Zaldapa, Aquis, and Scopi, and were herding back these unfortunates as plunder; a large number of wagons held the possessions they had looted. When the barbarians observe the Romans approaching, and were then likewise observed, they turned to the slaughter of the captives. Then the adult males captives from youth upwards were killed. Since the barbarians could not avoid an encounter, they collected the wagons and placed them round as a barricade, depositing the women and youth in the middle of the defense. The Romans drew near to the Getae (for thus us the older name for the barbarians), but did not dare to come to grips, since they were afraid of he javelins which the barbarians were sending from the barricade against their horses. Then their captain, whose name was Alexander, commanded the Romans in the ancestral Roman language [Latin] to dismount from their horses and grasp the enemy danger at close quarter. Now the Romans dismounted from their horses, approached the barricade, and gave and received in turn discharges of missiles. Accordingly, while the battle persisted on either side, a certain Roman burst in, went up and climbed on to one of the wagons that formed part of the barricade protecting the barbarians; then, standing on it he struck those nearby with his sword. Then an indivertible peril came upon the barbarians, for thereafter the Romans broke the barbarians’ barricade. The barbarians renounced salvation and slaughtered the remaining portion of the captives, but the Romans resolutely attacked and with difficulty, at long last, slaughtered the barbarians by the barricade. On the second day the victors recounted these occurrences to the general. On the fifth day the general came to this place; when indeed he had seen the accomplishments of the advance guard, he rewarded the heroes with gifts.”
“On the following day, Peter came to a thick grove in search of hunting; now there was an enormous boar lurking deep in this vale and, as the barking of he dogs grew loin, the beast reaised himself from his lair and made for Peter. The general wheeled his horse in flight, but crushed his left foot by dashing it against a lofty tree. Accordingly, Peter was convulsed by unendurable pains and remained in the place, most grievously stricken by his accident. But the Caesar was angered by the general’s delay, and in astonishment at his military inactivity he addressed written insults to the general. Then Peter did not tolerate the emperor’s epistolary denigration, and moved camp although he was still sorely oppressed by his affliction; after four changes of camp, he reached there habitations of the Sclavenes. On the tenth day the emperor Maurice dispatched to his brother a royal letter to remain in Thrace, for Maurice had heard that the Sclavene hordes were directing their thrusts towards Byzantium. Consequently, the general came to the fort of Pistus [Ruse], and subsequently arrived at Zaldapa [Abrit]. On the second day he reached the city of Iatrus [on the east bank of the Yantra river], and next, after marching past the fort of Latarkium, encamped at Noviae [Svistov]. Then, when the inhabitants heard of the general’s imminent arrival, they came out of the city, provided him with a most distinguished reception and begged Peter to join the celebration for the festival of the martyr Lupus: for that day was the festal eve feast for the martyr Lupus. And so the general said that here was unable to spend the day in the place because of the urgency of his march, but the citizens amplified their request with superabundant pleas, and compelled the general to take part in the festival. And so Peter, after being two days in the city, set out from there and pitched camp at Theodoropolis, at the first hour he reached the place called Curisca.”
[there follows Peter’s stay at Assemus where Peter tried to “enlist” the local garrison which ended up hiding in a church]
“On the third day he established his quarters at the city of Asemus. But when the inhabitants of the city had learned that the general was expected, they came out of the city to meet Peter, and made his arrival at the city splendid. From bygone times a garrison had been organized in this city for the protection of the citizens, since the barbarians swooped down like lightning around this city quite frequently. Accordingly, when the garrison stationed in this city learned that the general was about to arrive, they took up the standards, which Romans call bands, and went out of the city; then, arrayed in armour, they welcomed the general most gloriously. And so Peter, on seeing the magnificence of the city’s soldiers, attempted to remove them from the city and include them amongst his own forces. And so the citizens and the city’s garrison produced a decree of the emperor Justin which granted the city this successive armed protection. On the morrow the commander made objection and hastened to remove from the township those posted for its protection. For this reason the soldiers in the city took refuge in the city’s church. On hearing this, the general ordered the bishop to bring them out of the sanctuary; when the priest angrily refused, the general dispatched the brigadier Gentzon with a body of soldiers to expel by force those who had taken refuge in the church. On hearing this, those. who had fled to the holy seats arrayed themselves in arms and blockaded the church doors from all sides. And so Gentzon, observing the opposition inside the sacred precinct, recognizing the outrageousness of his task, and at the same time respecting the sanctity of the church, departed without success. But the general was infuriated at this, and demoted Gentzon from his command (Gentzon was leader of the infantry force). On the following day he summoned to his own tent one of the emperor’s bodyguards, whom Romans call scribo, and prescribed for him a shameful undertaking: his demand was for the city’s bishop to be dragged in dishonour to the camp. When the citizens had witnessed this, they all assembled together and forcibly thrust out of the city the man dispatched by the general against the priest; after closing the gates in the wall, they hymned the emperor with acclamations and covered the general with insults. Peter was encamped in a fortified enclosure about a mile from the city. But since his enterprise was disgraceful, he left the city and proceeded to march forwards, escorted by great curses from the city.”
[there follows Peter’s encounter with the Bulgars where he tried to have them killed even though they were protected by the Avar-Byzantine peace as members of the Avar federation – note that Theophyllact does not like Peter, he likes Priscus – that may colour these events]
“On the sixth day, he marshalled one thousand men to recon noitre the enemy, and these encountered ten hundred Bulgars. Now the barbarians were marching off guard, since there was peace between the Romans and the Chagan. But the Romans, on the general’s decision, used their javelins against the barbarians. The Bulgars dispatched ambassadors to negotiate an end to the fight and to advise the Romans not to destroy the peace. The officer of the contingent dispatched the ambassadors to the general, who was eight miles from the spot. Peter, therefore, spurned their peaceful words and instructed the advance guard to put the barbarians to death by the sword forthwith. And so the Bulgars formed up for battle as best they could, came to grips, and after joining combat most heroically, compelled the Romans to turn away in flight. After these events, the barbarians also retreated a short distance, oft turning back as one small step replaced another, to blend a touch of the Homeric poem with our account, since they feared that a supplementary force might perhaps join the vanquished and rally for battle again. And so Peter, since his plan had failed, stripped the clothing from the brigadier of the advance guard and scourged him like a slave. Then the barbarians came to the Chagan and disclosed to him the sequence of events; and so the barbarian dispatched ambassadors to Peter, and reproached him for the apparent breach of the truce. But Peter beguiled the ambassadors with plausible arguments, and alleged ignorance of the misdeed; then, with splendid gifts and a forfeit of booty, he converted the barbarian to good humor.”
“On the fourth day he came to the neighboring river, assembled twenty men, and sent them to cross the river and observe the enemies’ movements. And so these crossed the river and were all captured. The manner of their capture was this: it is customary that those detailed for reconnaissance always make their way by night but consort with sleep during the light of day. These men had completed a long journey on the previous day; then at daybreak, being physically exhausted, they turned to rest in a certain nearby copse. At about the third hour, when they were all asleep with no one keeping watch, the barbarians approached the copse. Then the Sclavenes dismounted from their horses, and proceeded to refresh themselves and give their horses some respite. Accordingly, the Romans were detected by accident. The poor wretches were taken captive and interrogated to reveal what the Romans had planned; and so, despairing of safety, they recounted everything. But Peiragastus, who was the tribal leader of that barbarian horde, took his forces, encamped at the river crossings, and concealed himself in the woods like an overlooked bunch of grapes on the vine. But the general, the emperor’s brother, consequently rejected the idea that enemy were present and ordered the army to cross the river. Then, after one thousand men had traversed the river, the barbarians slaughtered all of them. When the general realized this, he pressed the troops not to make the crossing piecemeal, lest by crossing the river gradually they should fall victim to the foe. Then, after the Roman formation had been organized in this way, the barbarians drew up on the river bank. And so the Romans let fly at the barbarians from the rafts, while the barbarians, unable to endure the mass of discharged missiles, left he banks deserted. Then their brigadier, whom the story has already declared tone Peiragastus, was killed; for he was struck in the flank by a missile and death took him in hand, since the blow had reached a vital part. Therefore, after Peiragastus had fallen, the enemy turned to flight. Then the Romans became masters of the river bank; next , encircling the barbarian hordes, they forced them into flight with great slaughter, but they were unable to press their pursuit very far because of their lack of horse, and they returned to camp.”
“Then on the following day, the army’s guides made a great error, with the result that a water shortage beset the camp and the misfortunes increased. Then the soldiers, intolerant of the dearth of water, assuaged their thirst with wine. On the third day the trouble intensified, and the whole army would have perished if a certain barbarian prisoner had not pointed out to them the Helibacia river, which was four parasangs distant. And so, thus, in the morning the Romans encountered water: then some inclined their knees forwards, as it were, and gulped down the water with their lips, others stooped down and drew up water in their hands, while others decanted the stream in pitchers. On the opposite side of the river there was a leafy vale; barbarians were lurking therein, and greatest outrage came upon the Romans: for with javelins the barbarians struck the men drawing water. Therefore great slaughter ensued from concealment. Then a choice between two alternatives was necessary, either to refuse the water and relinquish life through thirst, or to draw up death too along with the water. But the Romans assembled rafts and traversed the river so that the enemy might be detected. When the soldiers reached the other side, the barbarians suddenly attacked and overcame the Romans; and so the defeated Romans turned in flight. Then, since Peter had been outfought by the barbarians, Priscus became general; and so, after being demoted from command, Peter came to Byzantium.”
“[598] …On the eight day the senate advised the Caesar to dispatch an embassy to the Chagan, and the emperor summoned Harmaton, appointed him ambassador, and dispatched him to the Chagan. And so Harmaton came to Drizipera… [and negotiated peace]… The Ister was agreed as intermedium between Romans and Avars, but there was provision for crossing the river against Sclavenes; the peace payments were also increased by an additional twenty thousand gold solidi. On these precise terms the war between Romans and Avars reached a conclusion.”
Book 8
“…the Chagan (for let us return to events in Europe) had crossed the Ister while returning home because of the peace… Comentiolus collected the army, came to the river Ister, and united with Priscus at Singidunum. On the fourth day, an assembly of the armies was held, and after Priscus had made a speech the peace between the Avars and Romans was severed: for the emperor Maurice had ordered the generals by a royal command to contravene the treaty.”
“Then, since the peace had been publicly broklen, the Romans came to Viminacium, which is island located in the streams of the Ister… [w]hile the Romans were crossing from the island to the mainland, the Chagan learned of the movements of the Roman camp. And so the barbarian gathered forces and ravaged Roman land… Then, in a battle [battle one] which took place on the river banks, the Romans overcame the opposing forces… [then Priscus arrives] And so the Romans laid aside their bows and combated the barbarians at close quarters with their spears [battle 2]. The Avars had equipped their disposition in fifteen companies; the Romans had arranged their disposition in a single conjunction, both from fear about the camp and so as to fight in square formation; hence they provided security for the camp. The battle continued in progress for many hours; but as the sun sank the battle also sank with it, and this turn of the battle was favourable to the Romans: although three hundred Romans were killed, four thousand of the Avars perished. So when night had come the Romans returned to the camp.”
“On the third day the barbarian organized another battle. And so Priscus marshaled his army as well as possible, and in the morning moved to the engagement [battle 3]… Then in such a manner the barbarians were outgeneralled and nine thousand of the opposing enemy force were slain. As the sun sank the victors returned to the rampart. On the tenth day the general heard that the barbarian had again arrived for an engagement; when day grew light, he [Priscus] equipped the Romans, drew them in good order and moved to battle [battle 4]… In this battle then, fifteen thousand barbarians were annihilated. And so the Chagan, who survived at great peril, came to the river Tissus [Tisa]; on the thirtieth day the barbarian assembled a force. When he took the initiative for a fourth [fourth with Priscus – otherwise, fifth] battle and the Roman general had heard of this, Priscus encamped at the river Tissus. Accordingly, a day for battle between the two forces was determined…”
“Then the Roman army won this even more glorious crown of victory. Priscus marshaled four thousand men and ordered those to traverse the Tissus and investigate the enemies’ movements. And so the men dispatched by the general crossed the nearby river. Accordingly they encountered three Gepid settlements; the barbarians knew nothing of the previous day’s events, had arranged a drinking session, and were celebrating a local feast. Then they had entrusted their cares to drink and were passing the night in festivity; but in the twilight, as it is called, when remnants of night still remained, the Romans attacked the drunken barbarians and wrought extensive slaughter. For thirty thousand barbarians were killed. After securitng a very large body of captives, they recrossed the river and escorted the booty safely to Priscus. On the twentieth day the barbarian again assembled forces near this particular river, and for this reason Priscus returned to the vicinity of the river Tissus. Accordingly, there was in this place a very great and most noteworthy engagement. And so, on this very day, the barbarians were mightily outfought, so to speak, and they drowned in the streams of the river, and a very great portion of the Sclavenes also perished along with them. After the defeat the barbarians were taken prisoner: three thousand Avars were captured, a total of six thousand two hundred other barbarians, and eight thousand Sclavenes. And so the prisoners were thus consigned to chains, while the general dispatched to the city of Tomi the barbarians taken as booty. But, before the emperor came to know anything of these events, the Chagan sent ambassadors to Maurice in an attempt to regain the captives. Maurice, being shaken by the barbarian’s threats and deceived by his words, ordered Priscus by courier to give up the captured Avars to the Chagan. And so the barbarians were thus delivered to the Chagan from Tomi.”*
* “For reasons of safety the captive would haven conveyed dow Danube by boat and not sent overlain d Constantinople. This explains why the captives had reached Tomi on the Black Sea coast, a location that might otherwise appear surprising, since they had been captured in Pannonia.”
“…In the nineteenth year [600] of the reign of the emperor Maurice there was no action between Romans and barbarians. In his twentieth year [601], the emperor Maurice appointed his own brother Peter as general in Europe.”*
* According to the Whitbies, these dates do not fit in with the earlier narrative.
“…As summer was hasting on [602], word reached the emperor Maurice that the Chagan was cunningly providing a respite for warfare, so that when the Roman troops were wandering at random, he might in a surprise move assault the vicinity of Byzantium. Therefore he ordered the general to leave Adrianopolis, and commanded him to make the crossing of the Ister. And so Peter prepared to move camp against the Sclavene horde, and wrote to Bonosus: this man was a distinguished member of the imperial bodyguard, whom the masses are accustomed to call scribe. At that time this man was under obligation to assist the general Peter. The purport of the letter was that he should furnish the Roman ferry-boats for the forces, so that they might cross the river. Peter appointed Godwin as second-in-command of the army. Then Godwin crossed the river, destroyed hordes of enemies in the jaws of the sword, secured a large body of captives, and acquired great glory. And so the Romans tried to return to their own territory across the river, but Godwin for a time prevented them from doing this. But the Chagan, when he had learned of the Roman incursions, dispatched Apsich with soldiers to destroy the nation of the Antes, which was in fact allied to the Romans. In the course of these very events, large numbers defected from the Avars and hastened to desert to the emperor. So the Chagan was thrown into confusion at the news; he became greatly terrified, imploring and devising many schemes to win back the force which had defected.”*
* this may have been because the Slavs refused to fight fellow Slavs (i.e., Antes).
“Then when the autumn season was present, the emperor Maurice insist to Peter that the Roman forces should pass the period of winter int he territory of the Sclavenes; but the Romans were troubled by the emperor’s purpose, both because of the booty itself, and because of the exhaustion of horses, and in addition because hordes of barbarians were surging around the land on the opposite bank of the Ister. When the general confirmed the command, a serious mutiny arose among the soldiers. And so with missives Maurice instructed Peter that the Romans should do this, whereas the Romans resisted with intensified refusal. Wherefore they crossed the river on their march; when this had happened, they reached Palastolon with their spirits intoxicated by extreme rage…”
[for Maurice’s “winter” strategy, see the Strategikon]
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