Here are some excerpts from the Paschal Chronicle (prob written in the 7th century) regarding Slavs. The context is the attack on Constantinople in 623 and the subsequent, famous siege in 626. The translation is that of the Whitbies with a Schenker paragraph or two. We also include some of the footnote text by the Whitbies that relates to the Slavs The beautiful picture below is by the Strassburgian artist Antoine Helbert.
Year 623
“Indiction 11, year 13, the 12th post-consulship of Heraclius Augustus.”
“And from 22nd inclusive of the month of January it is recorded as year 11 of the reign of Heraclius II Constantine.”
“In this year in month Daisius, on June 5th according to the Romans, a Sunday, the emperor Heraclius was in the Thracian regions with certain officials, and not only certain property owners and clergy, but also shopkeepers and partisans from each of the two factions and a considerable throng of others, when the Chagan of the Avars approached the Long Wall with an innumerable throng, since, as it was supposedly rumored, peace was about to be made between Romans and Avars, and chariot races were about to be held at Heracleia. An innumerable throng, misled by this rumor, came out from the all-blessed city. And about hour 4 of this Lord’s Day the Chagan of the Avars signaled with his whip, and all who were with him charged and entered the Long Wall, although he said that he would have both entered the wall and taken the city except that God prevented him. However, his men who entered on this Lord’s Day plundered all whom they found outside the city from the west as far sat the Golden Gate, together also with the men and animals of various kinds present for whatever reason in the suburbs. They entered both Saints Cosmas and Damian at Blachernae, and the Archangel on the far side in the quarter of Promotus; not only did they remove the ciboria and other treasures, but the also broke up the holy altar itself of the church of the Archangel, and without any opposition transported everyone, along with the things removed, tho the far side of the Danube.”
Year 624
“Indiction 12, year 14, the 13th post-consulshiop of Heraclius Augustus.”
“And from 22nd inclusive of the month January it is recorded as year 12 of the reign of Heraclius II Constantine.”
“In this year in the month of Dystrus, March according to the Romans, on the 25th of the month, on the day of the Annunciation of our Lady the Mother of God, the emperor Heraclius departed for the eastern region s, together with his children Heraclius and Epiphania, who was also called Eudocia, and the empress Martina. In their company he kept the Easter festival near the city of Nicomedia; after the festival the emperor Heraclius himself with Martina the empress set out for the eastern regions, and Anianus domesticus of the magister was also with them; but his children returned to Constantinople.”
“In this year in the month Artemisius, May according to the Romans, int he 12th indiction, under Sergius patriarch of Constantinople, it was decided that there should be a chant after everyone had partaken of the Holy Mysteries, when the clergy were about to replace in the sacristy the precious flagella, patens, chalices, and other holy vessels, after the distribution had also been entirely replaced on the holy altar from the credence tables, and the final verse of the Communion had been changed: this antiphon too should be recited, ‘Let our mouth be filled with praise, Lord, so that we may hymn your glory because you have deemed us worthy to share in your Holy Mysteries. Preserve us in your holiness as we rehearse your justice throughout the whole day. Alleluia!’.”
Year 625
“Indiction 13, year 15, the 14th post-consulship of Heraclius Augustus.
And from 22nd inclusive of the month January it is recorded as year 13 of the reign of Heraclius II Constantine.”
Year 626
“Indiction 14, year 16, post-consulship of Heraclius Augustus year 15.”
“And from 22nd inclusive of the month January it is recorded as year 14 of the reign of Heraclius II Constantine.”
“In this year in the month Dystrus, March according to the Romans, an exceedingly bright star appeared for 4 days in the west after sunset.”
“In this year in the month of Artemisius, on May 14th according to the Romans, a Wednesday, at the Holy Mid-Pentecost itself, the scholar and many others of the multitude congregated in the most holy Great Church and changed against John who was called Seismos, because he wished to remove the bread of the scholar in the name of the soldiers. And the Patriarch Sergius promised to appease the crows if only they would allow the sacred liturgy to take place.”
“On the fifteenth of the same month more people were again present in the most holy Great Church, and changed against said John. The patriarch, Alexander, the praetorian prefect, and certain other officials, including Leontius the comes Opsariou and spatharius, went up into the ambo of the Great Church, and since many changes were made by the assembly against the stated John was called Seismos to the effect that he should no longer participate in affairs of state, that man was demoted and his images were at once destroyed. And Alexander the praetorian prefect made an address, saying, ‘From now on you have a grant of bread from me, and I hope that I may speedily make restitution as regards it.’ For the said John Seismos, when a loaf was being sold for 3 follies, himself planned to make it cost 8 follies. And God destroyed his plan.”
“It is good to describe how now too the sole most merciful and compassionate God, by the welcome intercession of his undefiled Mother, who is in truth our Lady Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, with his mighty hand saved this humble city of his from the utterly godless enemies who encircled it in concert, and redeemed the people who were present within it from the imminent sword, captivity, and most bitter servitude; no-one will find a means to describe this in its entirety. For the accursed Salbaras, commander of the Persian army, while he was awaiting (as it seems and was indeed finally revealed by deeds) the arrival of the utterly godless Chagan of the Avars, had for these very many days past been at Chalcedon; he impiously burnt all the suburbs and palaces and houses of prayer, and thereafter remained, awaiting the advent of that man.”
“And so on the 29th of the month June of the present indiction 14, that is on the day of the Feast of the holy and glorious chief apostles, Peter and Paul, a vanguard of the God-abhorred Chagan arrived, about 30,000. He had spread the rumor by means of reports that he would capture both the Long Wall and the area within it, and as a result, on the same day, which was a Lord’s Day, the excellent cavalry who were present outside the city came inside the new Theodesian wall of this imperial city. The same advance guard remained in the regions of Melantias, while a few of them made sallies at intervals as far as the wall, and prevented anyone from going out or collecting provisions for animals at all.”
“In the meantime, when as many as ten days in succession had elapsed and none of the enemy appeared near the wall, soldiers went out with camp followers and civilians with the intention of harvesting a few crops about ten miles distant; it happened that the enemy encountered them, that some fell on either side, and that some of the soldiers’ camp followers and of the civilians who had gone out with them were also apprehended. For if it had not happened that the soldiers were diverted to the defense of their camp followers and the civilians, considerable number of the enemy would have been slaughtered on that day.”
“Shortly afterwards some of the enemy, as many as 1,000, approached the venerated church of the Holy Maccabees on the far side at Sycae; they made themselves visible to the Persians, who had congregated in the regions of Chrysopolis, and they made their presence known to each other by fire signals.”
“In the meantime the accursed Chagan dismissed Athanasius the most glorious patrician from the regions of Adrianopolis, after saying to him, ‘Go and see how the people of the city are willing to conciliate [placate] me, and what they are willing to give me to make me retire [depart].’ And so when the same most glorious Athanasius entered and announced this to Bonus, the most glorious patrician and magister, and to the other officials, they reproached him for having thus cringed before the accursed Chagan and for having promised that the people of the city would perform acts of conciliation for him. The the most glorious Athanasius said that that these had been his instructions from the most glorious officials at the time when he was dispatched on embassy; thereafter he had not learnt that the defenses had been strengthened thousand that an army was present here; however, he was ready to tell the Chagan without alteration the message given to him. Then, after the same most glorious Athanasius requested that he first wished to inspect the army that was in the city, a muster was held and about 12,000 or more cavalry resident in the city were present. And then the officials gave him a response that was intended by every means to cause the accursed Chagan <not[?]> to approach the wall, that is the city. Then, after the most glorious Athanasius had reached the vicinity of that man, he was not received, but the cursed Chagan said that he would not give way at all unless he obtained both the city and those who were in it. ”
“On the 29th of the month of July the same God-abhorred Chagan reached the wall with the whole of his horde, and showed himself to those in the city.* After one day, that is on the 31st of the same month July, he advanced, arrayed for battle, from the gate called Polyandrion as far as the gate of the Pempton and beyond with particular vigour: for there he stationed the bulk of his horde, after stationing Slavs within view along the remaining part of the wall. And he remained from dawn until hour 11 fighting first with unarmoured Slav infantry, and in the second rank with infantry in corsets.** And towards evening he stationed a few siege engines and mantelets from Brachialion as far as Brachialion.”
[*note: The Whitbies offer the following comment: Tuesday 29th July: the Chagan’s personal display was intended to intimidate the defenders, and Theodore Syncellus provides an impressionistic account of th exterior inspired by they AVars, wight heir armour glittering in the sun, while the Patriarch Srgius paraded on the walls to counteract this, and Bonus made preparations within the city; on the next day the Chagan prepared for combat and demanded food, which the defenders graciously supplied without managing to appease him. Thereafter the Avars began the siege, which had three main elements: a direct attack against the Theodosian walls where the Avars could deploy their fearsome siege technology and use their subordinates, of whom the most numerous were Slavs, as a human wave; an attempt to bring Persian troops over from Chalcedon by means of Slav canoes; and a naval attack down the Golden Horn, using the Slav canoes to threaten an unprotected (or dilapidated) section of Constantinople’s perimeter.”]
[**Whitbies’ note: “Attack on the walls: Theodore gives a very generalized account of the Avar attack not he third day (July 31st) which was repulsed through the Virgin’s miraculous defense. The Avars had a formidable reputation as besiegers…They concentrated their attack not he central hilly section of the land walls, from the gate of the Pempton in the Lycus valley, extending about 1 kilometre south to the Poluyandrion Gate, the modern Yeni Mevlevihane Kapisi near the summit of Constantinople’s seventh hill. However, to keep the defamers occupied, the dispensable Slav infantry and a few siege machines were stationed along the entire length of the land walls. George of Pisidia record that about 80,000 barbarians approached the gate of Philoxenus (which is not securely located).”]
“And again on the following day he stationed a multitude of siege engines close to each other against that part which had been attacked by him, so that those in the city were compelled to station very many siege engines inside the wall. When the infantry battle was joined each day, through the efficacy of God, as a result of their superiority our men kept off the enemy at a distance. But he bound together his stone-throwers and covered them outside with hides; and in the section from the Polyandrion gate as far as the gate of Saint Romanus he prepared to station 12 lofty siege towers, which were advanced almost as far as the outworks, and he covered them with hides. And as for the sailors who were present in the city even they came out to assist the citizens. And one of these sailors constructed a mast and hung a skiff on it, intending by means of it to burn the enemies’ siege-towers. Bonus the all-praiseworthy magister gave commendation to this sailor for having dismayed the enemy not inconsiderably.”*
[*Whitbies’ note: “Sailors: presumably the crews not of the Roman warships (who had to be ready to oppose the Slav canoes) but of trading vessels in the capital’s harbors; see the Miracles of Saint Demetrius for sailors from grain ships manning siege engines during an Avar attack on Thessalonica. Heraclius had sent instructions for everyone to be involved in the defense.”]
“But the same most renowned magister, after the enemy’s approach to the wall, did not cease from urging him to take not only his agreed tribute but also any other condition for the sake of which he had come as far as the wall. And he did not accept, but said, ‘Withdraw from the city, leave me your property, and save yourselves and your families.’ He was anxious to launch to sea the canoes which he had brought with him, and was prevented but he cutters. Finally he prepared for these to be launched at the bridge of Saint Callinicus after a third day of the fighting. It was for this reason that he prepared for the canoes to be launched there, because the area was shallow and the cutters were unable to approach there. But the cutters remained within sight of the canoes from Saint Nicholas as far as Saint Conon on the far side at Pegae, preventing the canoes from going past.”*
[*Whitbies’ note: “Naval preparations: the Slavs launched their canoes at the head of the Golden Horn, near the bridge of Saint Acllinicus over the Barbysses stream. They had brought the canoes (monoxyla) with them, apparently overland front he Danube; these may have been simple dugouts, but it is possible that some were rather more sophisticated ‘log boats’ which could have been dismantled for easier transport, but also been large enough to ferry the Persian cavalry across the Bosporus. The Roman fleet was deployed across the Golden Hirn from Saint Nicholas at Blachernae to Saint Conon in Galatia to prevent the Slavs sailing down the Golden Horn. Pegae: the Springs, identified with Kasimpasa north of the Golden Horn.”]
“On Saturday in the evening, that is on the second of the month August, the Chagan asked for officials to converse with him. And there went out to him George the most glorious patrician, and Theodore the most glorious commerciarus for [t woad t], and Theodosius the most glorious patrician and logothete, and Theodore syncellus most dear to God, and Athanasius the most glorious patrician. And when they had set out, the Chagan brought into their sight three Persians dressed in pure silk who ha been sent to him from Salbaras. And he arranged that they should be seated in his presence, while our ambassadors should stand. And he said, ‘Look, the Persians have sent an embassy to me, and are ready to give me 3,000 men in alliance. Therefore if each of you in the city is prepared to take no more than a cloak and a shirt, we will make a compact with Salbaras, for he is my friend: cross over to him and he will not harm you; leave me your city and property. For otherwise it is impossible for you to be saved unless you can become fish and depart by sea, or birds and ascend to the sky. For look – as the Persians themselves say – neither has your emperor invaded Persia nor is your army arrived.’ But the most glorious George said to him, ‘These men are impostors and do not speak a word of truth, since our army is arrived here and our most pious lord is in their country, utterly destroying it.’ Then one of the Persians was infuriated and in the presence of the Chagan insulted the said most glorious George, and he himself replied to him, ‘It is not you who insult me, but the Chagan.’ But the most glorious officials who had come out to him also said this to the Chagan, “Although you have such great hordes, you need Persian help.’ And he said, ‘If I wish, they will provide me with men in alliance, for they are my friends.’ And again our officials said to him, ‘We will never relinquish the city, for www came out to you in the expectation of discussing something material. So if you do not wish to discuss with us peace proposals, dismiss us.’ And he dismissed them.”*
[* Whitbies’ note: “Co-operation between Avars and Persians: In view of the large numbers of troops at the Avars’ disposal, the presence of the Persians at the embassy was intended partly to demonstrate Constantinople’s utter helplessness, which the Chagan hopes to impress on the Roman envoys. However, the Persians could also contribute their expertise at siege warfare, and the Chagan made a treaty with the Persians to convey them across the Bosporus in Slav canoes.”]
“Straightway, during the night preceding the Lord’s Day, through the efficacy of the good and mercy-loving God, the same Persians who had been not he embassy to the CHagan, while they were crossing over to Chrysopolis by way of Chalae, encountered our skiffs, in which there were also some of those from the orphanage, And one of these Persians was found after he had thrown himself into a small skiff known as a sandalos, face down and beneath the coverings, and was crossing over to Chrysopolis thus ; but the sailor who was in this skiff and was steering it, adroitly signaled to those from the orphanage who pulled back and removed the coverings, and found this Persian unharmed and lying face down; they slew him and removed his head. They overpowered the other two Persians along with the sailor as well, while they were crossing over in another boat, and these they brought at dawn to the wall. Our men chopped off two hands of one of the surviving Persians, tied round his neck the head of the man slain in the skiff, and sent him to the Chagan. The other was thrown into a skiff and taken off alive to Chalcedon; when he had been exhibited to the Persians our men beheaded him just as he was in the skiff, and threw his head onto land with a message that read like this: ‘The Chagan, after making terms with us, sent us the ambassadors who were dispatch dot him by you; two of them we have beheaded in the city, while look! you have the head of the other.'”
“On the same Lord’s Day the accursed Chagan set out for Chalae and put to sea canoes which were intended to set out for the opposite side and bring the Persians to him, in accordance with their promise. When this was known, in the evening about 70 of our skiffs sailed up towards Chalae, even though the wind was against them, so as to prevent the canoes from crossing over.”*
[*note, here is another translation of this from Alexander Schenker: “On that Sunday [August 3, 626] the accursed kagan went to Khalai [Bebek] and put in the sea the monoxyla which were to cross to the other side [of the Bosphorus] and bring him the Persians in accordance with their promise. When this became known, our naval vessels accompanied by light boats set out on the same day to Khalai, despite an unfavorable wind, in order to prevent the monoxyla from reaching the other shore...]
“And towards evening the accursed Chagan retired to the vicinity of the wall, and some food and wine were sent to him from the city. Hermitzis, commander of the Avars, came to the gate saying, ‘You have committed a grave deed in killing those who ate with the Chagan yesterday, and furthermore in sending him the head and the other with his hands cut off.’ In the night then, as Monday was dawning, their canoes were able to escape our watch and cross to them…”*
[*Whitbies’ note: “Attempt to ferry across the Persians: Although the Persians on the Asiatic shore were visible to the Avars, they were so unskilled in nautical matters that they had to await the arrival of Slav canoes before attempting to slip across the Bosporus by night. The canoes reached the Asiatic shore (perhaps while the Roman shops were delayed by a head wind), but their subsequent man oeuvres, encumbered by Persian passengers, were thwarted by the Roman fleet; according to Sebeos 4,000 Persians perished in this naval engagement. Hermitzis: the Hermi were an element in the Avar federation. Lacuna: the words ‘to them’ end the folio (a noun is probably lost) in the Vatican manuscript: at this point one folio is missing, and the phrase ‘they sank…’ refers to the Roman defeat of the subsequent Slav naval attack down the Golden Horn. In the intervene ing days, the Chagan made preparations for a concerted land and sea attack; on Wendesday (August 6) the Romans repulsed an attack on the walls.”]
“…They sank them and slew all the Slavs found in the canoes.”*
[*note, here is another translation of this from Alexander Schenker: “Neither on Sunday night nor at daybreak on Monday did their boats manage to deceive our watches and cross over to the Persians. All the Slavs who came in the monoxyla were thrown into the sea or were slaughtered by our people.“]
“And the Armenians too came out from the wall of Blachernae and threw fire into the portico which is near Saint Nicholas. And the Slavs who had escaped by diving from the canoes thought, because of the fire, that those positioned by the sea were Avars, and when they came out there they were slain by the Armenians. A few other Slavs who had escaped by diving, and who came out in the region where the godless Chagan was positioned, were slain at his injunction. And at God’s command through the intercession of our Lady the Mother of God, in a single instant, calamity at sea came to him.* Our men drove all the canoes onto the land, and after this had happened, the accursed Chagan retired to his rampart, took away from the wall the siege engines which he had set beside it and the palisade which he had constructed, and began to dismantle the siege towers which he had constructed: by night he burnt his palisade and the siege towers and the mantelets, after removing the hides, and retreated.”
[*Whitbies’ note: “Naval attach: Thursday August 7th; see Theodore Syncellus for day and date, and for more impressionistic accounts and George of Pisidia (the latter including details of ploys used by shipwrecked Slavs to escape destruction; same for Bulgars on Slav boats). The attach was concentrated in the Golden Horn, on which side the city was probably not protected by a wall.”]
“Some people said that the Slavs, when they saw what had happened, withdrew and retreated, and for this reason the cursed Chagan was also forced to retreat and follow them.”
“And this is what the godless Chagan said at the moment of the battle: ‘I see a woman in stately dress rushing about on the wall all alone.’* When he was on the point of retreating, he declared, ‘Do not imagine that I am retreating because of fear, but because I am constrained for provisions and did not attack you at an opportune moment. I am departing to pay attention to supplies, and will return intending to do to you whatever you have accomplished against me.'”**
[*Whitbies’ note: “Divine assistance: a key element in Theodore Syncellus’ account of the siege (e.g., icons of the Virgin set at the gates by Sergius; the Virgin sinks the Slav fleet at Blachernae). Nicephorus alludes to divine destruction of Avar siege towers, and a subsequent thanksgiving at Blachernae; Cedrenus reports a phantom embassy by a distinguished woman who was mistaken for the empress. The Chagan’s mention of his vision is inserted here to confirm the Virgin’s intervention; see Miracula Sancti Demetrii for Demetrius terrifying Slavs at Thessalonica; also the CP, Zosimus, Evagrius, Theophylact for comparable apparitions during sieges; and H. Chadwick for visions of the Virgin as a woman in purple. During the siege Sergius had maintained the morale of defenders with the Virgin Mary and her precious relics at Blachernae taking pride or place…”]
[**Whitbies’ note: “Avar withdrawal: After the humiliating failure of his attempts, the Chagan needed to restore his authority over the Avar federation, which was in danger of disintegration as Slavs (and other subjects) rebelled. The Chagan used shortage of supplies as an excuse for withdrawal; this has been doubted by Stratos who regards it as no more than a face-saving formula: however, organization of food supplies was frequently as much of a problem for besiegers as for the besieged, and the Avars were known to be troubled by supply shortages, so the Chagan’s excuse may have been true.”]
“On the Friday a rearguard of cavalry remained in the vicinity of the wall, setting fire to many suburbs on the same day up till hour 7; and they withdrew. They burnt both the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian at Blachernae and the church of Saint Nicholas and all the surrounding areas. However, after approaching the church of our Lady the Mother of God and the Holy Reliquary, the enemy were completely unable to damage any of the things there, since God showed favour, at the intercession of his undefiled Mother.* And he requested the most glorious commerciarius to converse with him, and Bonus the all-praiseworthy magister declared this to him: ‘Until the present I had the power to talk and make terms with you. But now the brother of our most pious lord has arrived together with the God-Protected army. And look! he is crossing over and pursuing you as far as your territory. And three you can talk with one another.'”
[*Whitbies’ note: “…Church of our Lady: the Blachernae church, although unprotected by a wall, survived the siege, and the Slav naval assault was defeated in its vicinity; the adjacent chapel of the Holy Reliquary contained the relics deposited by Leo I…”]
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