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[Meaning] in the battle itself.[1]
Agathias [writes]: "For how was it possible for them, who were few, to withstand the hordes of the enemy and not to be undone by fear at the first battle-cry?"[2]
"They held an assembly and decided to hand over the city at the first battle-cry."[3]
Meaning 'right away', that is, with [the battle cry] still reverberating. Or, while the oxen are still under the yoke.[4]

*au)toboei/: e)n au)th=| th=| ma/xh|. *)agaqi/as: pw=s ga\r e)nh=n au)tou\s o)li/gous o)/ntas e)negkei=n ta\ plh/qh tw=n polemi/wn kai\ mh\ ou)xi\ au)toboei\ diafqarh=nai u(po\ de/ous; e)kklhsiasqe/ntes e)dogma/tizon au)toboei\ paradw/sein th\n po/lin. a)nti\ tou= au)qhmero\n, oi(onei\ e)/naulon. h)\ e)/ti tw=n bow=n e)n zugw=| o)/ntwn.

[1] cf. alpha 4486.
[2] Agathias, Histories 2.20 (p.108 Niebuhr). In 555 CE, during the Lazic War (541-562), Roman troops under the Byzantine general Martinus abandon the stronghold at Telephis (cf. alpha 3484 note) upon a surprise attack by the Sasanian general Mihr-Mihroe (Mermeroes in Greek; mu 637); cf. Frendo (54).
[3] An approximation of Theophylact Simocatta, Histories 5.6.9; on the citizens of Ctesiphon (the Persian capital city; near modern-day Al Mada'in Iraq, 35 km southeast of Baghdad; Barrington Atlas map 91 grid F4), surrendering in the summer of 591 to combined Persian and Roman forces led by Mebod; cf. de Boor (199) and Whitby (140), and Favuzzi [cited under alpha 1990] 55. On Mebod (Mebodes), see generally alpha 1998 note.
[4] The first sentence of this explanatory addendum is broadly paralleled in Hesychius s.v.; the second is etymological nonsense.

J.D. Frendo, trans., Agathias: The Histories, (Berlin 1975)
C. de Boor, ed., Theophylacti Simocattae Historiae, (Leipzig 1887, reprint 2022)
M. Whitby and M. Whitby, eds. and trans., The History of Theophylact Simocatta, (Oxford 1986)

Catharine Roth (cross-reference, cosmetics) on 1 April 2002@18:26:36.
David Whitehead (added notes and keywords) on 10 April 2002@08:17:51.
David Whitehead (expanded n.3) on 7 June 2010@08:19:04.
David Whitehead (another note; cosmetics) on 3 May 2012@04:22:16.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 11 July 2015@00:23:13.
David Whitehead (coding and other cosmetics) on 11 September 2015@03:34:29.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.2, added bibliography, added cross-references, added keyword) on 3 October 2023@12:14:21.
Ronald Allen (expanded n.3, added to bibliography, added cross-reference) on 21 January 2025@12:11:57.
Ronald Allen (augmented n.3) on 24 January 2025@12:23:32.

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