ors under water, after which they drove
nails into the ship's bottom and with cords attached thereto and running
from friendly territory they would draw the vessel towards them. Hence one
might see the ships approaching shore by themselves, with no oarsman nor
wind to urge them forward. There were cases in which merchants purposely
allowed themselves to be captured by the Byzantines, though pretending
unwillingness, and after selling their wares for a huge price made their
escape by sea.

[Sidenote: A.D. 196 (a.u. 949)] When all the supplies in the town had been
exhausted and the people had been set fairly in a strait with regard to
both their situation and the expectations that might be founded upon it,
at first, although beset by great difficulties (because they were cut off
from all outside resources), they nevertheless continued to resist; and to
make ships they used lumber taken from the houses and braided ropes of the
hair of their women. Whenever any troops assaulted the wall, they would
hurl upon them stones from the theatres, bronze horses, and whole statues
of bronze. When even their normal food supply began to fail them, they
proceeded to soak and eat hides. Then these, too, were used up, and the
majority, having waited for rough water and a squall so that no one might
man a ship to oppose them, sailed out with the determination either to
perish or to secure provender. They assailed the countryside without
warning and plundered every quarter indiscriminately. Those left behind
committed a monstrous deed; for when they grew very faint, they turned
against and devoured one another.

[Sidenote:--13--] This was the condition of the men in the city. The rest,
when they had laden their boats with more than the latter could bear, set
sail after waiting this time also for a great storm. They did not succeed,
however, in making any use of it. The Romans, noticing [Sidenote: A.D. 196
a.u. 949] that their vessels were overheavy and depressed almost to the
water's edge, put out against them. They assailed the company, which was
scattered about as wind and flood chose to dispose them, and really
engaged in nothing like a naval contest but crushed the enemy's boats
mercilessly, striking many with their boat-hooks, ripping up many with
their beaks, and actually capsizing some by their mere onset. The victims
were unable to do anything, however much they might have wished it: and
when they attempted to flee in any direction