| Keywords |
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| ID |
5048 |
| Text |
Theophylacti Simocattae Historiarum libri octo (630 - 640) Theophylact Simocatta |
| Quotation |
ἡ δὲ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἐπιγϱαφὴ εἶχεν ἐπὶ λέξεως οὕτως “τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὁ Χαγάνος ὁ μέγας δεσπότης ἑπτὰ γενεῶν ϰαὶ ϰύϱιος ϰλιμάτων τῆς οἰϰουμένης ἑπτά.” τῷ ὄντι γὰϱ τὸν ἐϑνάϱχην τῶν Ἀβδελῶν (φημὶ δὴ τῶν λεγομένων Ἐφϑαλιτῶν) ϰαταπολεμήσας οὗτος αὐτὸς ὁ Χαγάνος ἐνίϰησε τήν τε τοῦ ἔϑνους ἀϱχὴν πεϱιεβάλετο. ἐπὶ τῇ νίϰῃ τοίνυν εἰς μέγα ἀϱϑεὶς ϰαὶ τὸν Στεμβισχάδαν σύμμαχον ποιησάμενος τὸ τῶν Ἀβάϱων ἔϑνος ϰατεδουλώσατο. ἀλλὰ μή τις οἰέσϑω παϱιστοϱεῖν ἡμᾶς τὰ ϰατὰ τούτους τοὺς χϱόνους Ἀβάϱους εἶναι διανοούμενος τοὺς ἀνὰ τὴν Εὐϱώπην ϰαὶ τὴν Παννονίαν πϱοσοιϰοῦντας βαϱβάϱους, ϰαὶ τούτων τὴν ἄφιξιν πϱεσβυτέϱαν γενέσϑαι τῶν χϱόνων Μαυϱιϰίου τοῦ αὐτοϰϱάτοϱος. ψευδωνύμως γὰϱ Ἀβάϱων πϱοσηγοϱίαν οἱ πεϱὶ τὸν Ἴστϱον πεϱιεβάλουτο βάϱβαϱοι· ὅϑεν δὲ τὸ γένος αὐτοῖς, ὅσον οὔπω εἰϱήσεται. ἡττηϑέντων γοῦν τῶν Ἀβάϱων, (πϱὸς γὰϱ τὸν λόγον ἐπάνιμεν) οἱ μὲν πϱὸς τοὺς ϰατέχοντας τὴν Ταυγὰστ τὰς ἀποφυγὰς ἐποιήσαντο. ἡ δὲ Ταυγὰστ πόλις ἐπιφανής τῶν τε λεγομένων Τούϱϰων ἀπῴϰισται χιλίοις πϱὸς τοῖς πενταϰοσίοις σημείοις· αὐτὴ ὅμοϱος ϰαϑέστηϰε τοῖς Ἰνδοῖς. οἱ δὲ πεϱὶ τὴν Ταυγὰστ αὐλιζόμενοι βάϱβαϱοι ἔϑνος ἀλϰιμώτατον ϰαὶ πολυανϑϱωπότατον, ϰαὶ τοῖς ϰατὰ τὴν οἰϰουμένην ἔϑνεσι διὰ τὸ μέγεϑος ἀπαϱάλληλον. ἕτεϱοι τῶν Ἀβάϱων διὰ τὴν ἧτταν πϱὸς ταπεινοτέϱαν ἀποϰλίναντες τύχην παϱαγίνονται πϱὸς τοὺς λεγομένους Μουϰϱί. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἔϑνος πλησιέστατον πέφυϰε τῶν Ταυγάστ, ἀλϰὴ δὲ αὐτῷ πϱὸς τὰς παϱατάξεις πολλὴ διά τε τὰ ἐϰ τῶν γυμνασίων ὁσημέϱαι μελετήματα διά τε τὴν πεϱὶ τοὺς ϰινδύνους τῆς ψυχῆς ἐγϰαϱτέϱησιν. |
| Translation |
7.7.8-12 (pp. 188-189): The letter's salutation was as follows, word for word: "To the king of the Romans (Rhōmaíōi), the Chagan (Khagános), the great lord of seven races (heptà geneō̃n) and master of seven zones of the world (kúrios klimátōn tē̃s oikouméuēs heptá)." For this very Chagan (Khagános) had in fact outfought the leader of the nation (ethnárkhēs) of the Abdeli (I mean indeed, of the Hephthalites (Éphthalítai), as they are called), conquered him, and assumed the rule of the nation. Then he was greatly elated at the victory and, making an alliance with Stembischagan, he enslaved the Avar nation (Abárōn éthnos). But let no one think that we are distorting the history of these times because he supposes that the Avars (Ábaroi) are those barbarians neighbouring on Europe and Pannonia, and that their arrival was prior to the times of the emperor Maurice. For it is by a misnomer that the barbarians (Bárbaroi) on the Ister have assumed the appellation of Avars (Ábaroi); the origin of their race will shortly be revealed. So, when the Avars (Ábaroi) had been defeated (for we are returning to the account), some of them made their escape to those who inhabit Taugast. Taugast is a famous city, which is a total of one thousand five hundred miles distant from those who are called Turks (Toȗrkoi), and which borders on the Indians. The barbarians (Bárbaroi) whose abode is near Taugast are a very brave and numerous nation, and without rival in size among the nations of the world. Others of the Avars (Ábaroi),
who declined to humbler fortune because of their defeat, came to those who are called Mucri; this
nation (éthnos) is the closest neighbour to the men of Taugast; it has great might in battle both because of its daily practice of drill and because of endurance of spirit in danger. |
| Summary |
A letter that a Turkish khagan (unnamed in the text) sent to Emperor Maurice to report his victory in a civil war. Theophylact inserts the letter into his narrative of 595. |
| Quotation source |
7.7.8-12 (pp. 257-258) |
| Temporal Coverage |
595 - 595 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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