For these reasons he made for Nicomedia, as said, and taking with him all the soldiers he had, he billeted them in the villages close by so that the horses and beasts of burden might have sufficient food, as the land of Bithynia was rich in grass, and the soldiers themselves too could easily fetch everything necessary for their use from Byzantium and its neighbourhood by crossing the bay. He enjoined them to give their full attention and much care to the horses and beasts of burden and not to use the horses for hunting or riding, so that when the need arrived they should be in good condition and able to carry their riders easily and would be useful for making cavalry-attacks upon the enemy.
III Having made all these, arrangements he sat down at a distance, like a look-out, after posting guards on every path. And as he intended remaining in that place for a good many days he sent for the Empress for the reason I have given several times, so that she might be with him until he was notified of the barbarians’ incursions and should wish to move away from there.
Accomplished nothing
She came to Nicomedia with all haste; she noticed that some of his opponents were exulting, as it were, over the Emperor’s having done nothing and were everywhere slandering him and muttering that in spite of his grand preparations for advancing on the barbarians and collecting large forces, he had accomplished nothing of importance, but retired to Nicomedia. This was not only whispered in comers but spoken of brazenly in the squares and on the high roads and crossroads, and annoyed and vexed her. But the Emperor who divined that the issue of his attack upon the enemy would be propitious (and he was clever in these ways), thought nothing of his adversaries’ denunciations and malice but despised all that kind of thing as childish play and laughed at their infantile minds.
And he cheered up the Empress by his sensible arguments and assured her that the very thing they sneered at would be the cause of a greater victory. Now I consider it courage when anybody gains a victory through using sound judgment; for high spirits and energy without judgment are to be condemned, and are rashness and not courage. For we have courage in war against men whom we can conquer; but we are rash against those whom we cannot overcome, and thus, when danger impends over us, we hesitate to attack from the front.
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