Book VII Summary and Analysis

Tzelgu, the commander of the Scythian army, decided to make war on Alexius. During another battle, however, Tzelgu received a mortal wound and died. Alexius was victorious barely having to lift a finger. He made his brother Adrian ruler of the area and drove Scythians out of many districts. After some successes, Alexius considered assaulting the Scythians directly. Some try to dissuade him but fail. The Scythians try to make peace, but Alexius did not believe them. This led to some uneasiness and self-doubt on Alexius's behalf. When he takes his troops to a Scythian city, the Scythians amass many men and attacked the Imperial tent. Alexius drove them off, then fortifying some of the border cities. The Scythians then attacked Pristhlava and surprised Alexius. The deaths on both sides were great. Scythian reinforcements came towards the end of...