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Not a small thing, the interval, and he attacks Ctesiphon; to get near which was considered by him a part of victory on account of his desire.

X. From this point on, as if sand had been drawn from under his feet, or a squall had struck a ship, his affairs began to go backward. For Ctesiphon is a strong and impregnable fortress, fortified with a wall of baked brick, a deep moat, and the marshes from the river. And another fortress, by name Coche, makes it even stronger, constructed with equal security, both natural and man-made, and so united to it, that both seem to be one city, though separated by the river between them; for it was not possible either to take it by a sudden assault, or to reduce it by siege, nor to pass through, especially with the fleet (for it would have been in danger from the higher ground, being shot at and hindered from both sides), he leaves it behind him, and he does it in this way. Having diverted no small part of the Euphrates, which is the greatest of rivers, and led it around by a canal (of which they say ancient traces are visible) so far as to be navigable for ships, and thus joining it to the Tigris a little further on, in this way he saves the ships in safety, given from one river to the other. In this way then he escapes the danger from these 35.677 fortresses. But as he advanced, a Persian force appeared, and was constantly being reinforced, and he did not think it necessary, without great need, to stand and fight a pitched battle, since it was possible to win with overwhelming force; but by shooting and firing arrows from the hills and narrow passes wherever it could, and by seizing the critical points of the route in advance, it easily checked his progress; then indeed he was in great difficulty, and not knowing which way to turn, he finds a wicked solution to his plan.

XI. For a certain man of no mean repute among the Persians, imitating Zopyrus who dealt with Babylon for Cyrus, pretending to have given some offense to the Persian king, or rather, the greatest offenses on the greatest matters, and to be most hostile to his interests, and for this reason well-disposed to the cause of the Romans, and having gained credence from his pretense; “What is this,” he says, “O emperor? How can you deliberate so unsoundly about a matter of such importance? What is this ship-borne grain of yours and this superfluous baggage, the teacher of cowardice? For nothing is so hard to fight against and so contentious as the belly, and to have salvation in one's hands. But if you will be persuaded by me at all, you will bid farewell to this fleet, and to the consequent enervation of this noble army; and you yourself by another road, both easier and safer, of which I shall be your guide (for I claim to be as experienced as any other in the Persian country), you will both invade the enemy's territory, and having obtained what you wish, you will return; and then you will do well by us, when by deed you have had experience of our good will and counsel.”

XII. And when he said these things, and by saying them persuaded him, for recklessness is credulous, and especially with God driving it on, all the terrible things happened at once: fire consumed the ships, and the grain was no more, and mockery was added; for the slaughter was almost by their own hands; and their hopes were gone, and the guide disappeared along with his promises. But the enemies were in a circle, and the war flowed around them; and progress was not easy, and food was not easy to find; and the army was in despair, and they were angry with the emperor; and nothing was left of good hope; and one thing only seemed possible in the present circumstances, to be rid of the wicked empire and command. 35.680

XIII. Such were the events up to this point; but as to what followed, not one story is told, but different people report and put together different accounts, both those who were present at the battle and those who were absent. For some say that he was pierced by the javelins of the Persians while making disorderly sallies, and rushing here and there with frenzy; and that something similar happened to him as to Cyrus, the son of Parysatis, who, having gone up with the ten thousand against the

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οὐ μικρὸν, τὸ ἐν μέσῳ, καὶ Κτησιφῶντι προσβάλλει· ἧς καὶ τὸ πλησίον γενέσθαι νίκης μέρος αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν πόθον ἐνομίζετο.

Ιʹ. Ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἤδη, ὥσπερ ψάμμου ποδῶν ὑπο σπασθείσης, ἢ νηῒ ζάλης ἀντιπεσούσης, εἰς τοὐπίσω χωρεῖ τὰ πράγματα. Ἡ γὰρ Κτησιφῶν φρούριόν ἐστι καρτερὸν καὶ δυσάλωτον, τείχει τε ὀπτῆς πλίνθου, καὶ τάφρῳ βαθείᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ποτα μοῦ τενάγεσιν ὠχυρωμένη. Ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτὴν ὀχυροτέ ραν καὶ φρούριον ἕτερον, ᾧ προσηγορία Κωχὴ, μετὰ τῆς ἴσης ἀσφαλείας συγκείμενον, ὅση τε φυσικὴ καὶ ὅση χειροποίητος, τοσοῦτον ἑνούμε νον, ὡς μίαν πόλιν δοκεῖν ἀμφοτέρας, τῷ πο ταμῷ μέσῳ διειργομένας ταύτας· οὔτε γὰρ ἐξελεῖν οἷον τε ἦν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς ἀθρόας, ἢ πολιορκίᾳ παραστήσασθαι, οὔτε διεξελάσαι καὶ τῷ ναυτικῷ μάλιστα (κινδυνεῦσαι γὰρ ἂν ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων, ἀμφο τέρωθεν βαλλόμενον, καὶ εἰργόμενον), κατόπιν ἑαυ τοῦ ποιεῖται, καὶ ποιεῖται τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον. Τοῦ Εὐφράτου ποταμῶν ὄντος μεγίστου μέρος οὐκ ἐλάχιστον ἀποῤῥήξας, καὶ περιαγαγὼν, ὅσον ναυσὶν εἶναι πλόϊμον ἐκ διώρυγος (ἧς καὶ ἀρχαῖά φασιν ἴχνη φαίνεσθαι), καὶ ταύτῃ τῷ Τίγριδι συμβαλὼν μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν, οὕτω διασώζει τὰς ναῦς ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τῷ ποταμῷ δοθείσας ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ. Ὧδε μὲν οὖν τὸν ἐκ τῶν φρουρίων τού 35.677 των διαδιδράσκει κίνδυνον. Ὡς δὲ προϊόντι Περ σικὴ δύναμις παραφανεῖσα, καὶ ἀεί τις τῇ οὔσῃ προσγινομένη, κατὰ μετώπου μὲν ἵστασθαι, καὶ διακινδυνεύειν οὐκ ᾤετο δεῖν δίχα μεγάλης ἀνάγκης, ἐνὸν ἐκ περιουσίας κρατεῖν· ἐκ δὲ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῶν στενῶν ᾗ παρείκοι, βάλλουσα καὶ τοξεύουσα, καὶ τὰ καίρια τῆς διόδου προκαταλαμβά νουσα, ῥᾳδίως εἶργε τοῦ πρόσω· τηνικαῦτα ἐν ἀπορίᾳ τε ἦν ἤδη πολλῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἔχων ὅπη τράπηται λύσιν εὑρίσκει πονηρὰν τοῦ βουλεύ ματος.

ΙΑʹ. Ἀνὴρ γάρ τις τῶν οὐκ ἀδοκίμων ἐν Πέρ σαις, τὸν ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνι πρὸς Κῦρον Ζώπυρον μιμησάμενος, ὡς δή τι τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ μέγιστα καὶ ἐπὶ μεγίστοις προσκεκρου κὼς, καὶ δύσνους μὲν τοῖς ἐκείνου μάλιστα, εὔνους δὲ τοῖς Ῥωμαίων πράγμασι διὰ τοῦτο τυγχάνων, καὶ τὸ πιστεύεσθαι λαβὼν ἐκ τοῦ πλάσματος· Τί ταῦτα, φησὶν, ὦ βασιλεῦ; Πῶς οὕτω σαθρῶς περὶ τοσούτου βουλεύεσθε πράγματος; Τίς ὁ νηΐτης οὗτός σοι σῖτος καὶ ὁ περιττὸς φόρτος, ὁ τῆς ἀνανδρίας διδάσκαλος; Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω δύσμαχον καὶ φιλόνεικον, ὡς γαστὴρ, καὶ τὸ ἐν χερσὶν ἔχειν τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ἀλλ' εἴ τι ἐμοὶ πείθῃ, τὸ μὲν ναυτικὸν τοῦτο χαίρειν ἐάσεις, καὶ τὴν ἑπομένην ἔκλυσιν τῷ γενναίῳ τούτῳ στρατῷ· αὐτὸς δὲ δι' ἄλλης ὁδοῦ εὐ πορωτέρας τε καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρας, ἧς ἐγώ σοι καθηγητὴς (ἔμπειρος δὲ εἴ τις ἄλλος φημὶ τῆς χώρας εἶναι τῆς Περσικῆς), ἐμβαλεῖς τε εἰς τὴν πολεμίαν, καὶ τῶν κατὰ γνώμην τυχὼν ἐπαν ήξεις· ἡμᾶς δὲ τηνικαῦτα εὖ ποιήσεις, ἡνίκα ἂν ἔργῳ πεῖραν λάβῃς τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐνοίας καὶ παραινέσεως.

ΙΒʹ. Ὡς δὲ εἶπε ταῦτα, καὶ εἰπὼν ἔπεισεν, εὔ πιστον γὰρ ἡ κουφότης, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ μάλιστα συνελαύνοντος, ἅπαντα ἦν ὁμοῦ τὰ δεινά· τὰς μὲν ναῦς εἶχε τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ὁ σῖτος οὐκ ἦν, καὶ προσῆν ὁ γέλως· αὐτόχειρ γὰρ ἡ σφαγὴ σχεδόν· τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐλπίδων φροῦδα, καὶ ὁ ὁδηγὸς συναπῆλθε ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν. Ἐν κύκλῳ δὲ οἱ πολέμιοι, καὶ περιῤῥέων ὁ πόλεμος· ἥ τε πρόοδος οὐ ῥᾳδία, ἡ τροφὴ δὲ οὐκ εὔπορος· ἐν ἀθυμίῃ δὲ ὁ στρατὸς, καὶ δι' ὀργῆς εἶχον τὸν βασιλέα· ἐλείπετο δὲ χρη στῆς ἐλπίδος οὐδέν· μία δὲ ὡς ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐδό κει μόνη, τῆς πονηρᾶς ἀπαλλαγῆναι βασιλείας καὶ στρατηγίας. 35.680

ΙΓʹ. Τὰ μὲν δὴ μέχρι τούτου τοιαύτα· τὰ δὲ ἐν τεῦθεν οὐχ εἷς λέγεται λόγος, ἄλλος δὲ ἄλλῳ συμφέ ρεται καὶ συντίθεται, τῶν τε παρόντων ὁμοίως τῇ μάχῃ· καὶ τῶν ἀπόντων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ Περσῶν αὐ τὸν κατηκοντίσθαι φασὶν ἀτάκτοις ἐκδρομαῖς χρώμενον, καὶ ἄττοντα τῇδε κἀκεῖσε σὺν ἐμπληξίᾳ· καὶ ὅμοιόν τι περὶ αὐτὸν συμβῆναι τῷ Κύρου τοῦ Παρυσάτιδος, ὃς, τοῖς μυρίοις συνανελθὼν ἐπὶ τὸν