by Eneo Xhepa. Translation Petrit Latifi

According to this excerpt the Illyrian emperor Justinian he wanted to punish the “Greeks “(Romans) of Cherson. He sent a fleet of 100,000 troops to Nikiphorus, under Stephen the Archangel, who captured the “protesters” of Greece and those who were “sympathetic” to Justinian in order to punish them. δὲ « ὥπτησε » καὶ ἄλλους ἔπνιξε. (but it “fell” and drowned others)

This means he wants to punish the inhabitants of Chersonesos as well and sends a fleet and army of 100,000 (according to Nicephorus, p.44), under the command of Stephen Asmictes, who arrested the Greek “leaders” of Chersonesos and sent their “fellow citizens” to Justinian to be punished, some he burned (tortured), and others he drowned.

Full citation:

“Foros and Theophanes agree that Justinian killed “an innumerable multitude” of soldiers and politicians and that he used the terrible means of pouring sacks on his opponents in abundance. He also invited many to dinner and there he killed them unsuspectingly, “suffocated” them, etc.

In Italy, he punished Ravenna because it had rebelled against him. He plundered it, blinded the bishop, killed the chiefs, and many others.

Such audacity shows that Justinian was an abnormal type, whose “overflowing vitality”, as Görres said, was driven to crime by the dethronement by Leontius. Justinian is not content with the crimes in Constantinople. He also wants to punish the inhabitants of Cherson and sends a fleet and an army of 100,000 (?) under Nikephoros (p. 44) under Stephen the Asmikton, who arrested the “primates” of Cherson, the Greeks, and sent them to Justinian “as equals” to be punished, while he “shot” others and drowned others 4. The terror

1) According to Nikephoros (p. 42), Justinian “surrounded Tervelin with a royal robe and proclaimed him Caesar, and, being made a companion, he was invited by the people to be worshipped with him, and, bestowing many gifts on himself, he sent them away.” The title of Caesar was given to a foreigner for the first time.

2) In a Greek inscription from Bulgaria of the eighth century, the name of Terveli was also read. See W. Beschewliey, Die Protobulgarischen In…”

Source

Nikephoros’ Breviarium (“Short History” / Historia Syntomos). https://archive.org/details/nikephoros-short-history-mango-1990-cfhb-13?utm_source=chatgpt.com