reserves of the Grecian tactics, Romulus led his army in a single
and solid phalanx, and pressed with vigor and impatience the artful and
yielding resistance of the Barbarians. In this desultory and fruitless
combat he spent the greater part of a summer's day, till prudence and
fatigue compelled him to return to his camp. But a retreat is always
perilous in the face of an active foe; and no sooner had the standard
been turned to the rear than the phalanx was broken by the base
cowardice, or the baser jealousy, of Andronicus, a rival prince, who
disgraced his birth and the purple of the Caesars. [35] The Turkish
squadrons poured a cloud of arrows on this moment of confusion and
lassitude; and the horns of their formidable crescent were closed in the
rear of the Greeks. In the destruction of the army and pillage of
the camp, it would be needless to mention the number of the slain or
captives. The Byzantine writers deplore the loss of an inestimable
pearl: they forgot to mention, that in this fatal day the Asiatic
provinces of Rome were irretrievably sacrificed.

[Footnote 33: Elmacin (p. 343, 344) assigns this probable number, which
is reduced by Abulpharagius to 15,000, (p. 227,) and by D'Herbelot (p.
102) to 12,000 horse. But the same Elmacin gives 300,000 met to the
emperor, of whom Abulpharagius says, Cum centum hominum millibus,
multisque equis et magna pompa instructus. The Greeks abstain from any
definition of numbers.]

[Footnote 34: The Byzantine writers do not speak so distinctly of the
presence of the sultan: he committed his forces to a eunuch, had retired
to a distance, &c. Is it ignorance, or jealousy, or truth?]

[Footnote 35: He was the son of Caesar John Ducas, brother of the
emperor Constantine, (Ducange, Fam. Byzant. p. 165.) Nicephorus
Bryennius applauds his virtues and extenuates his faults, (l. i. p. 30,
38. l. ii. p. 53.) Yet he owns his enmity to Romanus. Scylitzes speaks
more explicitly of his treason.]

As long as a hope survived, Romanus attempted to rally and save the
relics of his army. When the centre, the Imperial station, was left
naked on all sides, and encompassed by the victorious Turks, he still,
with desperate courage, maintained the fight till the close of day, at
the head of the brave and faithful subjects who adhered to his standard.
They fell around him; his horse was slain; the emperor was wounded;
yet he stood alone and intrepid, till he was oppressed and bound by the
strengt