| Keywords |
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| ID |
5506 |
| Text |
Chronographia (Theophanes) (810 - 814) Theophanes the Confessor |
| Quotation |
τούτου δὲ οὕτως εὶς πέντε μέϱη διαιϱεϑέντων ϰαὶ ἐν βϱαχύτητι ϰαταντησάντων, ἐϰῆλϑε τὸ μέγα ἔϑνος τῶν Χαζάϱςν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνδοτέϱου βάϑους Βεϱζιλίας τῆς πϱώτης Σαϱματίας ϰαὶ ἐδέσποσε πάσης τῆς πεϱατοϰῆς γῆς μέχϱι τῆς Ποντιϰῆς ϑαλάσσης· ϰαὶ τὸν πϱῶτον ἀδεϰφ[ον Βατβαιᾶν, τῆς πϱώτης Βουλγαϱίας ἄϱχοντα, ὑποτελὴ ϰαταστήσας φόϱους παϱ’αὐτοῦ ϰομίζεται μέϰϱι τοῦ νῦν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Κωνςταντῖνος μεμαϑηϰώς, ὅτι ἐξάπινα ἔϑνος ῥυπαϱὸν ϰαὶ ἀϰάϑαϱτον ἐϰεῖϑεν τοῦ Δανουβίου εἰς τὸν Ὄγλον ἐσϰήνωσεν, ϰαὶ τὰ πλησιάζοντα τῶ Δανουβίῳ ἐϰτϱλεχει ϰαὶ λυμαίνεται, τοῦτ’ ἔστι τὴν ωῦν ϰϱατομένην ὑπ’ αὐτῶν χώϱαν, ὑπὸ Χϱιστιανῶν τότε ϰϱατουμένην, ἠνιάϑη σφόδϱα· ϰαὶ ϰελεύει πεϱᾶσαι πάντα τὰ ϑέματα ἐν τῇ Θϱᾴϰῃ. ϰαὶ ἐξοπλίσας στόλον διά τε γῆς ϰαὶ ϑαλάσσης ϰατ’αὐτῶν ἀπεϰίνησε πολέμῳ τούτους ἐϰδιῶξαι πειϱώμενος, ϰαὶ διὰ μὲν τῆς πϱὸς τῷ Ὄγλῳ ϰαλουμένῳ ϰαὶ Δανουβίῳ ἠπείϱου τὰ πεζιϰὰ παϱατάξας, διὰ δὲ τῆς πλησιαζούσης ἀϰτῆς τὰς ναῦς πϱοσοϱμίσας. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἀϑϱόον ϰαὶ παμπληϑὲς τῆς παϱατάξεως οἱ Βούλγαϱοι ϑεασάμενοι, τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἁπεγνωϰότες σωτηϱίας εἰς τὸ πϱολεχϑὲν ὀχύϱωμα ϰαταφεύγουσι ϰαὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἀσφαλίζονται. ἐν τϱιςὶ δὲ ϰαὶ τέτϱασιν ἡμέϱαις ἐϰ τοῦ τοιούτου ἁχυϱώματος αὐτῶν μὲν ἐξελϑεῖν μὴ τολμσάντων, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων πόλεμον μὴ συναψάντων διὰ τὴν πϱοχειμένην τῶν τελμάτων πϱόφασιν, στοχασάμενον τὸ μιαϱὸν ἔϑνος τὴν χαυνότητα τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀνελάβετο ϰαὶ πϱοϑυμέτεϱον γέγονεν. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἐν ποδαλγίᾷ ὀξυπαϑήσαντος ϰαὶ ἐπὶ Μεσημβϱίαν βισαϑέντος ὑποστϱέψαι διὰ συνήϑειαν λουτϱοῦ ἅμα ϱέντε δϱομώνων ϰαὶ τῶν οἰϰείων αὐτοῦ ἀνϑϱώπων, ϰατέλιπε τοὺς στϱατηγοὺς ϰαὶ τὸν λαὸν ϰελεύσας παϱαϰονδαϰίζειν ϰαὶ ὑποσῦϱαι αὐτοὺς ἐϰ τοῦ ὀχυϱώματος ϰαὶ πόλεμον πϱὸς αὐτοὺς ϰϱοτῆσαι, εἰ τύχοι αύτοὺς ἐξελϑεῖν· εἰ δὲ μή, ϰἃν παϱαϰαϑίσαι αὐτοὺς ϰαὶ φυλάττειν ἐν τοῖς ἐϱύμασιν. οἱ δὲ τοῦ ϰαβαλλαϱιϰοῦ τὸν βασιλέα φεύγειν διαφημίσαντες ϰαὶ φόβῳ συσχεϑέντες τῇ αὐτῇ φυγῇ ἐχϱήσαντο, μηδενὸς διώϰοντος. |
| Translation |
AM 6171 (678/9) (pp. 498-499)
When they had thus divided into five parts and been reduced to a paltry estate, the great nation of the Chazars issued forth from the inner depths of Berzilia, that is from the First Sarmatia, and conquered all the country beyond the sea as far as the Sea of Pontos, and they subjugated the eldest brother Batbaian, chieftain of the First Bulgaria, from whom they exact tribute to this day. Now, when the emperor Constantine had been informed that a foul and unclean tribe had settled beyond the Danube at the Oglos and was overrunning and laying waste the environs of the Danube, that is the country that is now in their possession, but was then in Christian hands, he was greatly distressed and ordered all the themata to cross over to Thrace. He fitted out a fleet and moved against them by land and sea in an attempt to drive them away by force of arms; and he drew up his infantry on the land that faces the so-called Oglos and the Danube, while he anchored his ships by the adjoining shore. When the Bulgars had seen the sudden arrival of this enormous armament, they despaired of their safety and took refuge in the aforementioned fastness, where they made themselves secure. For three or four days they did not dare come out of their fastness, nor did the Romans join battle on account of the marshes that lay before them. Perceiving, therefore, the sluggishness of the Romans, the foul tribe was revived and became bolder. Now the emperor developed an acute case of gout and was constrained to return to Mesembria together with five dromones and his retinue so as to have the use of a bath. He left behind the commanders and the army, whom he ordered to make simulated attacks so as to draw the Bulgars out of their fastness and so engage them and keep watch over the defences. But the cavalrymen spread the rumour that the emperor was fleeing and, being seized by fear, they, too, fled, although no one was pursuing them. |
| Summary |
In the aftermath of the division of the realm of Kuvrat, his son Batbaian is subjugated by the Chazars. The settlement of the Bulgars of Asparukh prompts Emperor Constantine IV to make an attempt to drive them away. When he leaves for Mesembria after falling sick, his army starts to break up and, though in no immediate danger, takes to flight as well. |
| Quotation source |
AM 6171 (678/9) (pp. 358.5-359.5) |
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