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and having gathered an army worthy of account, he marched against them. 1.3.2 The Ephthalites are a Hunnic nation and are so called, but they do not mix with or have dealings with any of the Huns whom we know, since they do not hold a territory bordering on them, nor are they settled anywhere very near them, but they are neighbors to the Persians to the north, where the city named Gorgo is located somewhere near the very borders of Persia, and there they are accustomed to fight with one another over the boundaries of their land. 1.3.3 For they are not nomads like the other Hunnic nations, but have been settled from ancient times in a certain good land. 1.3.4 For this reason they have never made any invasion into the land of the Romans, except with the Median army. And these alone of the Huns are white in body and not 1.3.5 ugly in appearance. Nor indeed is their way of life similar to theirs, nor do they live a beastly life as those others do, but they are ruled by one king, and having a lawful constitution they deal with one another and their neighbors always correctly and justly, no less than the Ro1.3.6 mans and the Persians. The wealthy men, however, take for themselves companions as friends, up to twenty, as it may happen, or more than these, who become their drinking partners for all time, and share in all their possessions, there being some common authority for them in these matters. 1.3.7 And when it happens that the one who took them as companions dies, it is the custom for these men to be carried alive with him into the tomb. 1.3.8 As Perozes was marching against these Ephthalites, an ambassador was with him, who happened to have been sent to him by the emperor Zeno, Eusebius by name. But the Ephthalites, giving the enemy the impression that, terrified by their attack, they had turned to flight, went at a run into a certain place, which precipitous mountains encircled on all sides, covered with many and exceedingly 1.3.9 luxuriant trees. And as one advanced as far as possible inside the mountains, a certain wide road appeared in the middle, stretching for a very long way, but at its end it had no exit anywhere, but ended right in the 1.3.10 circle of the mountains. Perozes, therefore, disregarding any deceit and not considering that he was marching in a foreign 1.3.11 land, pursued without reconnaissance. And of the Huns, a few fled in front, but the majority, having hidden in the difficult terrain, got behind the army of the enemy, and they did not yet wish to be visible to them, so that having advanced far into the ambush and having come very deep inside the mountains they would no longer 1.3.12 be able to turn back. When the Medes perceived this (for already some sign of the danger was appearing), they for their part, out of fear of Perozes, kept their present situation to themselves in silence, but they earnestly begged Eusebius to offer advice to the king, who was far removed from his own troubles, to deliberate rather than to act rashly at the wrong time, and to consider whether there might be any 1.3.13 device leading to safety. But he, coming into Perozes' presence, revealed the present situation as little as possible, but beginning a fable, he said that a lion once encountered a goat that was tied up and bleating in a certain place that was not very high. And desiring to feast on it, the lion rushed as if to seize it, but fell into a very deep pit, which had a circular path, narrow and with no end (for it had no way out anywhere), which the masters of the goat had deliberately contrived, and above the pit they had placed the goat to be a snare for the lion. 1.3.14 When Perozes heard this, he became afraid lest the Medes had made the pursuit of the enemy for their own evil purpose. And he no longer advanced, but re1.3.15 maining there he took the present situation under deliberation. And the Huns, now following openly, kept the entrance to the place under guard, so that the enemy would no longer 1.3.16 be able to ride back. And the Persians, then clearly perceiving in what evil plight they were, considered their present situation a disaster, having for the future no hope of escaping the dan1.3.17 ger. But the king of the Ephthalites, sending some of his followers to Perozes, much indeed

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λόγου τε ἄξιον στρατὸν ἀγείρας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 1.3.2 ᾔει. Ἐφθαλῖται δὲ Οὐννικὸν μὲν ἔθνος εἰσί τε καὶ ὀνομάζονται, οὐ μέντοι ἀναμίγνυνται ἢ ἐπιχωριάζουσιν Οὔννων τισὶν ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, ἐπεὶ οὔτε χώραν αὐτοῖς ὅμορον ἔχουσιν οὔτε πη αὐτῶν ἄγχιστα ᾤκηνται, ἀλλὰ προσοικοῦσι μὲν Πέρσαις πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον, οὗ δὴ πόλις Γοργὼ ὄνομα πρὸς αὐταῖς που ταῖς Περσῶν ἐσχατιαῖς ἐστιν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ περὶ γῆς ὁρίων διαμάχεσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰώθασιν. 1.3.3 οὐ γὰρ νομάδες εἰσὶν ὥσπερ τὰ ἄλλα Οὐννικὰ ἔθνη, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ χώρας ἀγαθῆς τινος ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἵδρυνται. 1.3.4 ταῦτά τοι οὐδέ τινα ἐσβολὴν πεποίηνται πώποτε ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν, ὅτι μὴ ξὺν τῷ Μήδων στρατῷ. μόνοι δὲ Οὔννων οὗτοι λευκοί τε τὰ σώματα καὶ οὐκ 1.3.5 ἄμορφοι τὰς ὄψεις εἰσίν. οὐ μὴν οὔτε τὴν δίαιταν ὁμοιότροπον αὐτοῖς ἔχουσιν οὔτε θηρίου βίον τινὰ ᾗπερ ἐκεῖνοι ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς βασιλέως ἑνὸς ἄρχονται καὶ πολιτείαν ἔννομον ἔχοντες ἀλλήλοις τε καὶ τοῖς πέλας ἀεὶ ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως ξυμβάλλουσι, Ῥω1.3.6 μαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν οὐδέν τι ἧσσον. οἱ μέντοι εὐδαίμονες αὑτοῖς φίλους ἑταιρίζονται ἄχρι ἐς εἴκοσιν, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ἢ τούτων πλείους, οἵπερ αὐτοῖς ξυμπόται μὲν ἐς ἀεὶ γίνονται, τῶν δὲ χρημάτων μετέχουσι πάντων, κοινῆς τινος ἐξουσίας αὐτοῖς ἐς ταῦτα οὔσης. 1.3.7 ἐπειδὰν δὲ τῷ αὐτοὺς ἑταιρισαμένῳ τελευτῆσαι ξυμβαίη, τούτους δὴ τοὺς ἄνδρας ζῶντας ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐς τὸν τάφον ἐσκομίζεσθαι νόμος. 1.3.8 Ἐπὶ τούτους τοὺς Ἐφθαλίτας τῷ Περόζῃ πορευομένῳ ξυμπαρῆν πρεσβευτὴς, ὃς δὴ ἔτυχε πρὸς βασιλέως Ζήνωνος παρ' αὐτὸν ἐσταλμένος, Εὐσέβιος ὄνομα. Ἐφθαλῖται δὲ δόκησιν παρεχόμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ὅτι δὴ αὐτῶν κατωρρωδηκότες τὴν ἔφοδον ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηνται, ᾔεσαν δρόμῳ ἐς χῶρόν τινα, ὅνπερ ὄρη ἀπότομα πανταχόθεν ἐκύκλουν, συχνοῖς τε καὶ ἀμφι1.3.9 λαφέσιν ἐς ἄγαν καλυπτόμενα δένδροις. ἐντὸς δὲ τῶν ὀρῶν προϊόντι ὡς πορρωτάτω ὁδὸς μέν τις ἐφαίνετο ἐν μέσῳ εὐρεῖα ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διήκουσα, ἔξοδον δὲ τελευτῶσα οὐδαμῆ εἶχεν, ἀλλ' ἐς αὐτὸν μάλιστα τὸν 1.3.10 κύκλον τῶν ὀρῶν ἔληγε. Περόζης μὲν οὖν, δόλου παντὸς ἀφροντιστήσας οὐκ ἐννοῶν τε ὡς ἐν γῇ ἀλλο1.3.11 τρίᾳ πορεύοιτο, ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐδίωκε. τῶν δὲ Οὔννων ὀλίγοι μέν τινες ἔμπροσθεν ἔφευγον, οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι ἐν ταῖς δυσχωρίαις διαλαθόντες κατὰ νώτου ἐγένοντο τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοῦ, οὔπω τε αὐτοῖς ἐβούλοντο ἔνδηλοι εἶναι, ὅπως δὴ τῆς ἐνέδρας πόρρω χωρήσαντες ἐντός τε τῶν ὀρῶν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον γεγενημένοι μη1.3.12 κέτι ὀπίσω ἀναστρέφειν οἷοί τε ὦσιν. ὧνπερ οἱ Μῆδοι αἰσθόμενοι (ἤδη γὰρ καί τι τοῦ κινδύνου ὑπέφαινεν) αὐτοὶ μὲν δέει τῷ ἐκ Περόζου τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἐν σιωπῇ εἶχον, Εὐσέβιον δὲ πολλὰ ἐλιπάρουν παραίνεσιν ἐς τὸν βασιλέα ποιήσασθαι μακρὰν ἀπολελειμμένον τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν, βουλεύεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ θρασύνεσθαι οὐκ ἐν δέοντι, καὶ διασκοπεῖσθαι, ἤν τίς 1.3.13 ποτε μηχανὴ ἐς σωτηρίαν φέρουσα εἴη. ὁ δὲ Περόζῃ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθὼν τύχην μὲν τὴν παροῦσαν ὡς ἥκιστα ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἀρξάμενος δὲ μυθοποιΐας λέοντά ποτε τράγῳ ἔφασκεν ἐντυχεῖν δεδεμένῳ τε καὶ μηκωμένῳ ἐπὶ χώρου τινὸς οὐ λίαν ὑψηλοῦ. ἐπὶ θοίνῃ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν λέοντα ἐφιέμενον ὁρμῆσαι μὲν ὡς ἁρπάσοντα, ἐμπεσεῖν δὲ ἐς κατώρυχα βαθεῖαν μάλιστα, ὁδὸν κυκλοτερῆ ἔχουσαν στενήν τε καὶ οὐ πεπερασμένην (διέξοδον γὰρ οὐδαμῆ εἶχεν), ἣν δὴ οἱ τοῦ τράγου κύριοι ἐξεπίτηδες τεχνησάμενοι ὕπερθεν τῆς κατώρυχος τὸν τράγον τεθείκασι τῷ λέοντι ποδοστράβην ἐσόμενον. 1.3.14 ταῦτα Περόζης ἀκούσας ἐς δέος ἦλθε μή ποτε Μῆδοι ἐπὶ πονηρῷ τῷ σφετέρῳ τὴν δίωξιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους πεποίηνται. καὶ πρόσω μὲν οὐκέτι ἐχώρει, μέ1.3.15 νων δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰ παρόντα ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιεῖτο. Οὖννοι δὲ ἤδη ἑπόμενοι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανοῦς τοῦ χώρου τὴν εἴσοδον ἐν φυλακῇ εἶχον, ὅπως μηκέτι οἱ πολέμιοι 1.3.16 ὀπίσω ἀπελαύνειν οἷοί τε ὦσι. καὶ οἱ Πέρσαι τότε δὴ λαμπρῶς ᾐσθημένοι οὗ ἦσαν κακοῦ ἐν συμφορᾷ ἐποιοῦντο τὰ παρόντα σφίσι, διαφεύξεσθαι τὸν κίν1.3.17 δυνον ἐν ἐλπίδι οὐδεμιᾷ τὸ λοιπὸν ἔχοντες. ὁ δὲ τῶν Ἐφθαλιτῶν βασιλεὺς πέμψας παρὰ Περόζην τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τινὰς, πολλὰ μὲν