хе хе айде малко повече информация за българите и византийците от първа ръка.
Става дума за Теофан Изповедников писАл истории, някъде през 700-те години, още им е било прясно на византийците:
this foul and newly-arisen tribe
ln this year, too, the tribe of the Bulgars assailed Thrace. It is now necessary to relate the ancient history of the Ounnogoundour Bulgars* and Kotragoi. On the northern, that is the far side of the Euxine Sea, is the so-called Maeotid Lake into which flows a huge river called Atel,> which comes down from the Ocean through the land of the Sarmatians. The Atel is joined by the river Tanais, which also rises from the Iberian Gates that are in the mountains of Caucasus. From the confluence of the Tanais and the Atel (it is above the aforementioned Maeotid Lake that the Atel splits off) flows the river called Kouphis® which discharges into the far end of the Pontic Sea near Nekropela/ by the promontory called Ram's Head.* From the aforesaid lake is a stretch of sea like a river which joins the Euxine through the land of the Cimmerian Bosphorus,’ in which river are caught the so-called mouzzoulin” and similar fish. Now on the eastern side of the lake that lies above, in the direction of Phanagouria and of the Jews that live there, march a great many tribes; whereas, starting from the same lake in the direction of the river called Kouphis” (where the Bulgarian fish called xystozi is caught)” is the old Great Bulgaria and the so-called Kotragoi, who are of the same stock as the Bulgars.
In the days of Constantine, who dwelt in the West, Krobatos,”? the chieftain of the aforesaid Bulgaria and of the Kotragoi, died leaving five sons, on whom he enjoined not to depart under any circumstances from their common life that they might prevail in every way and not be enslaved by another tribe. A short time after his demise, however, his five sons fell out and parted company, each with the host that was subject to him. The eldest son, called Batbaian, observed his father's command and has remained until this day in his ancestral land. His younger brother, called Kotragos, crossed the river Tanais and dwelt opposite his eldest brother. The fourth and fifth went over the river Istros, that is the Danube: the former became subject of the Chagan of the Avars in Avar Pannonia and remained there with his army, whereas the latter reached the Pentapolis, which is near Ravenna, and accepted allegiance to the Christian Empire.’* Coming after them, the third brother, called Asparouch, crossed the Danapris and Danastris (rivers that are farther north than the Danube)” and, on reaching the Oglos,” settled between the former and the latter, since he judged that place to be secure and impregnable on both sides: on the near side it is marshy, while on the far side it is encircled by the rivers. It thus provided ample security from enemies to this tribe that had been weakened by its division.
When they had thus divided into five parts and been reduced to a paltry estate, the great nation of the Chazars issued forth from the inner depths of Berzilia,’” that is from the First Sarmatia, and conquered all the country beyond the sea as far as the Sea of Pontos,- and they subjugated the eldest brother Batbaian, chieftain of the First Bulgaria, from whom they exact tribute to this day.” Now, when the emperor Constantine had been informed that a foul and unclean tribe had settled beyond the Danube at the Oglos and was overrunning and laying waste the environs of the Danube, that is the country that is now in their possession, but was then in Christian hands, he was greatly distressed and ordered all the themata to cross over to Thrace. He fitted out a fleet and moved against them by land and sea in an attempt to drive them away by force of arms; and he drew up his infantry on the land that faces the so-called Oglos and the Danube, while he anchored his ships by the adjoining shore. When the Bulgars had seen the sudden arrival of this enormous armament, they despaired of their safety and took refuge in the aforementioned fastness, where they made themselves secure. For three or four days they did not dare come out of their fastness, nor did the Romans join battle on account of the marshes that lay before them. Perceiving, therefore, the sluggishness of the Romans, the foul tribe was revived and became bolder. Now the emperor developed an acute case of gout and was constrained to return to Mesembria together with five dromones and his retinue so as to have the use of a bath. He left behind the commanders and the army, whom he ordered to make simulated attacks so as to draw the Bulgars out of their fastness and so engage them in battle if they happened to come out; and if not, to besiege them and keep watch over the defences. But the cavalrymen spread the rumour that the emperor was fleeing and, being seized by fear, they, too, fled, although no one was pursuing them. When the Bulgars saw this, they gave pursuit and put most of them to the sword and wounded many others. They chased them as far as the Danube, which they crossed and came to Varna, as it is called, near Odyssos and the inland territory that is there. They perceived that this place was very secure, being guarded at the rear by the river Danube, in front and on the sides by means of mountain passes and the Pontic Sea. Having, furthermore, subjugated the so-called Seven Tribes of the neighbouring Sklavinian nations,” they settled the Severeis from the forward mountain pass of Beregaba™ in the direction of the east, and the remaining six tribes, which were tributary to them, in the southern and western regions as far as the land of the Avars. Having thus extended their domains, they grew arrogant and began to attack and capture the forts and villages that belonged to the Roman state. Being under constraint, the emperor made peace with them and agreed to pay them yearly tribute. Thus the Romans were put to shame for their many sins.II
Both those who lived afar and those who lived near were astonished to hear that he who had subjugated everyone, those in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south, was vanquished by this foul and newly-arisen tribe.