The Sclaveni Take Topirus

This Good Works Translation continues the Book 7 Procopius dossier passages from the Greek.

The chapter belongs to the Scythian shelf because it is one of Procopius' major Sclaveni invasion narratives: a small force crosses the Ister, divides, defeats Roman commands in Illyricum and Thrace, captures Topirus by ambush and assault, and carries Roman captives home.

The translation is newly made from the Greek source text printed below. Dewing's public-domain English translation was used only as a control.

Translation

Wars 7.38.1-23

About this time an army of Sclaveni, gathered to no more than about three thousand men, crossed the river Ister without anyone opposing them. Immediately they crossed the river Hebrus without difficulty and divided into two parts.

One of their bands contained eighteen hundred men, and the other the remainder.

Although the bands were separated from one another, the commanders of the Roman army, both in Illyricum and in Thrace, came to blows with them and were unexpectedly defeated. Some were destroyed on the field, while others escaped and saved themselves in disorderly flight.

After all the generals had fared in this way at the hands of each barbarian army, though the barbarian camps were much smaller in number, one band of the enemy met Asbadus.

This man was a guardsman of the Emperor Justinian, serving among those called candidati, and he commanded the cavalry units that from ancient times had been stationed at Tzurullum, a fortress in Thrace; they were a numerous body of the best soldiers.

The Sclaveni routed these men too without difficulty, and killed most of them in a most shameful flight. They captured Asbadus and held him prisoner for the moment.

Afterward they burned him by throwing him into fire, first flaying strips from the man's back.

Having done these things, they turned to plundering all the towns of Thrace and Illyricum in relative safety.

Both armies captured many fortresses by siege, although they had no previous experience in attacking walls and had never before dared to come down into the open plain.

Indeed, it seems that these barbarians had never in all time attempted to overrun the land of the Romans before the occasion which I have mentioned above.

Then those who had defeated Asbadus plundered everything in order as far as the sea, and captured by storm a city on the coast called Topirus, though it had a garrison of soldiers. This is the first of the coastal towns of Thrace, and lies twelve days' journey from Byzantium.

They captured it in the following way. Most of them hid themselves in the rough ground that lay before the fortifications, while a few went near the gate that faces east and began harassing the Romans on the battlements.

The soldiers guarding there, supposing that these were no more than the men they could see, immediately took up their arms and all sallied out against them.

The barbarians began to withdraw backward, making the attackers think that they were retreating because they were thoroughly afraid of them. The Romans, drawn into pursuit, found themselves a considerable distance from the fortifications.

Then the men in ambush rose from their hiding places and took position behind the pursuers, so that it was no longer possible for them to enter the city.

At the same time those who had seemed to be fleeing turned around. Thus the Romans came to be exposed to attack on both sides.

The barbarians destroyed these men to the last and then attacked the fortifications.

The inhabitants of the city, deprived of the soldiers' support, fell into great difficulty; even so, they defended themselves against the attackers as well as the circumstances allowed.

At first they resisted successfully, heating oil and pitch until they were very hot and pouring them down on those attacking the wall, while all the people joined in throwing stones at them. In this way they came not far from driving off the danger.

But at last the barbarians overpowered them by the multitude of their missiles and forced them to abandon the battlements. Then they set ladders against the fortifications and captured the city by storm.

They immediately killed all the men, numbering fifteen thousand, plundered all the valuables, and enslaved the children and women.

Before this, however, they had spared no age. Both these and the other band, from the time when they fell upon Roman land, had been killing all who came in their way, young and old alike, so that the whole land inhabited by the Illyrians and Thracians was everywhere filled with unburied corpses.

They killed those who fell into their hands neither by sword nor spear nor any other usual manner. Instead, they fixed stakes very firmly in the ground, made them as sharp as possible, and with great force seated the wretched captives upon them, driving the point of the stake between the buttocks and forcing it up into the entrails. In this way they chose to destroy them.

These barbarians also planted four thick pieces of wood deep in the ground, bound to them the hands and feet of those they had captured, and then continually struck them on the head with clubs, killing them as one would kill dogs, snakes, or some other beast.

Others they shut up in houses together with cattle and sheep, all those things they were least able to take back to their native haunts, and burned them there without mercy. Thus the Sclaveni had always been killing those who fell in their way.

But now they and the men of the other band, as though drunk with the mass of blood, decided from this point onward to take alive some of those who fell into their hands. Therefore all of them departed for home, bringing with them countless myriads of captives.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Greek source text printed below. The Greek text was downloaded from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository as tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml and inspected locally. Dewing's public-domain English, preserved in the local ToposText capture and Ready archival dossier, was used only as a control.

This is the twenty-fourth unit in the Procopius Wars steppe and Black Sea translation dossier, and the eighth Book 7 unit.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Procopius, Wars 7.38.1-23

Greek source text from Procopius, Wars 7.38. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

Wars 7.38

§ 7.38.1 Ὑπὸ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον στράτευμα Σκλαβηνῶν οὐ πλέον ἢ ἐς τρισχιλίους ἀγηγερμένοι, ποταμόν τε Ἴστρον, οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἀντιστατοῦντος, διέβησαν, καὶ πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ποταμὸν Εὗρον εὐθὺς διαβάντες δίχα ἐγένοντο.

§ 7.38.2 εἶχε δὲ αὐτῶν ἁτέρα μὲν συμμορία ὀκτακοσίους τε καὶ χιλίους, ἡ δὲ δὴ ἑτέρα τοὺς καταλοίπους.

§ 7.38.3 ἑκατέροις μὲν οὖν καίπερ ἀλλήλων ἀπολελειμμένοις ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ἔν τε Ἰλλυριοῖς καὶ Θρᾳξίν, ἡσσήθησάν τε ἐκ τοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου καὶ οἱ μὲν αὐτοῦ διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ διαφυγόντες ἐσώθησαν.

§ 7.38.4 ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ στρατηγοὶ πάντες οὕτω παρ’ ἑκατέρων τῶν βαρβαρικῶν στρατοπέδων, καίπερ ἐλασσόνων παρὰ πολὺ ὄντων, ἀπήλλαξαν, Ἀσβάδῳ ἡ ἑτέρα τῶν πολεμίων ξυμμορία ξυνέμιξεν.

§ 7.38.5 ἦν δὲ οὗτος ἀνὴρ βασιλέως μὲν Ἰουστινιανοῦ δορυφόρος, ἐπεὶ ἐς τοὺς Κανδιδάτους καλουμένους τελῶν ἔτυχε, τῶν δὲ ἱππικῶν καταλόγων ἦρχεν οἳ ἐν Τζουρουλῷ τῷ ἐν Θρᾴκῃ φρουρίῳ ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἵδρυνται,

§ 7.38.6 πολλοί τε καὶ ἄριστοι ὄντες. καὶ αὐτοὺς οἱ Σκλαβηνοὶ τρεψάμενοι οὐδενὶ πόνῳ πλείστους μὲν αἰσχρότατα φεύγοντας ἔκτειναν, Ἄσβαδον δὲ καταλαβόντες ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα ἐζώγρησαν, ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὸν ἐς πυρὸς ἐμβεβλημένον φλόγα ἔκαυσαν, ἱμάντας πρότερον ἐκ τοῦ νώτου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκδείραντες.

§ 7.38.7 ταῦτα διαπεπραγμένοι τὰ χωρία ξύμπαντα, τά τε Θρᾳκῶν καὶ Ἰλλυριῶν, ἀδεέστερον ἐληΐζοντο, καὶ φρούρια πολλὰ πολιορκίᾳ ἑκάτεροι εἷλον, οὔτε τειχομαχήσαντες πρότερον, οὔτε ἐς τὸ πεδίον καταβῆναι τολμήσαντες, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων καταθεῖν ἐγκεχειρήκασι αἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι πώποτε.

§ 7.38.8 οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ στρατῷ ποταμὸν Ἴστρον φαίνονται διαβεβηκότες ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου, πλήν γε δὴ ἐξ ὅτου μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται.

§ 7.38.9 Οὗτοι δὲ οἱ τὸν Ἄσβαδον νενικηκότες μέχρι ἐς θάλασσαν ληϊσάμενοι ἐφεξῆς ἅπαντα καὶ πόλιν ἐπιθαλασσίαν τειχομαχήσαντες εἷλον, καίπερ στρατιωτῶν φρουρὰν ἔχουσαν, Τόπηρον ὄνομα· ἣ πρώτη μὲν Θρᾳκῶν τῶν παραλίων ἐστί, τοῦ δὲ Βυζαντίου διέχει ὁδῷ ἡμερῶν δυοκαίδεκα.

§ 7.38.10 εἷλον δὲ αὐτὴν τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. οἱ μὲν πλεῖστοι ἐν δυσχωρίαις πρὸ τοῦ περιβόλου σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἔκρυψαν, ὀλίγοι δέ τινες ἀμφὶ τὰς πύλας γενόμενοι αἳ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντά εἰσιν ἥλιον, τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσι Ῥωμαίους ἠνώχλουν.

§ 7.38.11 ὑποτοπήσαντες δὲ οἱ στρατιῶται ὅσοι τὸ ἐνταῦθα φυλακτήριον εἶχον οὐ πλείους αὐτοὺς ἢ ὅσοι καθεωρῶντο εἶναι, ἀνελόμενοι αὐτίκα τὰ ὅπλα ἐξίασιν ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἅπαντες.

§ 7.38.12 οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ὀπίσω ἀνέστρεφον, δόκησιν παρεχόμενοι τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν ὅτι δὴ αὐτοὺς κατωρρωδηκότες ἐς ὑπαγωγὴν χωροῦσι· καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς τὴν δίωξιν ἐκπεπτωκότες πόρρω που τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο.

§ 7.38.13 ἀναστάντες οὖν οἱ ἐκ τῶν ἐνεδρῶν κατόπισθέν τε τῶν διωκόντων γενόμενοι ἐσιτητὰ σφίσιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν οὐκέτι ἐποίουν.

§ 7.38.14 ἀναστρέψαντες δὲ καὶ οἱ φεύγειν δοκοῦντες ἀμφιβόλους ἤδη τοὺς Ῥωμαίους πεποίηνται. οὓς δὴ ἅπαντας οἱ βάρβαροι διαφθείραντες τῷ περιβόλῳ προσέβαλον.

§ 7.38.15 οἱ δὲ τῆς πόλεως οἰκήτορες τῶν στρατιωτῶν τῆς δυνάμεως ἐστερημένοι, γίνονται μὲν ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ πολλῇ, καὶ ὣς δὲ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ἠμύνοντο.

§ 7.38.16 καὶ πρῶτα μὲν ἔλαιόν τε καὶ πίσσαν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον θερμήναντες τῶν τειχομαχούντων κατέχεον, καὶ λίθων βολαῖς πανδημεὶ ἐς αὐτοὺς χρώμενοι τοῦ ἀπεῶσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον οὐ μακράν που ἐγένοντο.

§ 7.38.17 ἔπειτα δὲ αὐτοὺς πλήθει βελῶν οἱ βάρβαροι βιασάμενοι ἐκλιπεῖν τε τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἠνάγκασαν καὶ κλίμακας τῷ περιβόλῳ ἐρείσαντες κατὰ κράτος τὴν πόλιν εἷλον.

§ 7.38.18 ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν ἐς πεντακισχιλίους τε καὶ μυρίους εὐθὺς ἅπαντας ἔκτειναν καὶ πάντα τὰ χρήματα ἐληΐσαντο, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἐν ἀνδραπόδων πεποίηνται λόγῳ.

§ 7.38.19 καίτοι τὰ πρότερα οὐδεμιᾶς ἡλικίας ἐφείσαντο, ἀλλ’ αὐτοί τε καὶ ἡ συμμορία ἡ ἑτέρα, ἐξ ὅτου δὴ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἐπέσκηψαν χώρᾳ, τοὺς παραπίπτοντας ἡβηδὸν ἅπαντας ἔκτεινον. ὥστε γῆν ἅπασαν, ἥπερ Ἰλλυριῶν τε καὶ Θρᾳκῶν ἐστί, νεκρῶν ἔμπλεων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀτάφων γενέσθαι.

§ 7.38.20 Ἔκτεινον δὲ τοὺς παραπίπτοντας οὔτε ζίφει οὔτε δόρατι οὔτε τῳ ἄλλῳ εἰωθότι τρόπῳ, ἀλλὰ σκόλοπας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πηξάμενοι ἰσχυρότατα, ὀξεῖς τε αὐτοὺς ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ποιησάμενοι, ἐπὶ τούτων ξὺν βίᾳ πολλῇ τοὺς δειλαίους ἐκάθιζον, τήν τε σκολόπων ἀκμὴν γλουτῶν κατὰ μέσον ἐνείροντες ὠθοῦντές τε ἄχρι ἐς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰ ἔγκατα, οὕτω δὴ αὐτοὺς διαχρήσασθαι ἠξίουν.

§ 7.38.21 καὶ ξύλα δὲ παχέα τέτταρα ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐς γῆν κατορύξαντες οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι, ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τε χεῖράς τε καὶ πόδας τῶν ἡλωκότων δεσμεύοντες, εἶτα ῥοπάλοις αὐτοὺς κατὰ κόρρης ἐνδελεχέστατα παίοντες, ὡς δὴ κύνας ἢ ὄφεις ἢ ἄλλο τι θηρίον διέφθειρον.

§ 7.38.22 ἄλλους δὲ ξύν τε βουσὶ καὶ προβάτοις, ὅσα δὴ ἐπάγεσθαι ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον, ἐν τοῖς δωματίοις καθείρξαντες, οὐδεμιᾷ φειδοῖ ἐνεπίμπρασαν. οὕτω μὲν Σκλαβηνοὶ τοὺς ἐντυχόντας ἀεὶ ἀνῄρουν.

§ 7.38.23 ἀλλὰ νῦν αὐτοί τε καὶ οἱ τῆς ἑτέρας συμμορίας, ὥσπερ τῷ τῶν αἱμάτων μεθύοντες πλήθει, ζωγρεῖν τὸ ἐνθένδε ἠξίουν τῶν παραπεπτωκότων τινάς, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ μυριάδας αἰχμαλώτων ἐπαγόμενοι ἀριθμοῦ κρείσσους ἐπ’ οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθησαν ἅπαντες.

Source Colophon

Greek source text from the PerseusDL canonical Greek repository file tlg4029.tlg001.perseus-grc2.xml, inspected locally for this translation unit.

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