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he besought Jacob to forgive the barbarians their crime. And he with a single word forgave them, 1.7.10 and the terrible things for the people were resolved. Cabades then bade the man ask for whatever he might wish, supposing that he would ask for great sums of money, and even boasting somewhat youthfully that he would be denied nothing by him. 1.7.11 But he begged him to grant him the men who had come to him as refugees in this war. Cabades fulfilled this request and gave letters as a pledge of their safety. So many, flocking together from all sides, were saved there; for the deed became famous. These things, then, transpired in some such way. 1.7.12 But Cabades, while besieging Amida, brought the engine called the ram against the circuit-wall on every side. And the Amidans for their part always checked the assault with certain transverse beams, but he did not let up, until he learned that the wall was impregnable at this point. 1.7.13 For though he assaulted it many times, he was quite unable to tear down any part of the circuit-wall or to shake it, so securely had the structure been built by its ancient builders. 1.7.14 But Cabades, having failed in this, began to make a certain man-made mound as a counter-wall to the city, exceeding the height of the wall by a great measure, and the besieged, beginning from inside the circuit-wall, made a tunnel all the way to the mound, and secretly carrying the earth out from there, they made the inside of the mound largely empty. The outside, however, remained in the same shape it had been, 1.7.15 giving no one any perception of what was being done. Many Persians, therefore, as if climbing onto a secure place, got to the top and intended from there to shoot down upon the heads of those on the circuit-wall. But as the crowd rushed up, the mound suddenly collapsed and killed almost all of them. 1.7.16 Cabades, being at a loss in the present circumstances, decided to break off the siege, and announced to the army that they would withdraw on the following day. 1.7.17 Then indeed the besieged, having become heedless of the danger, with much laughter taunted the barbarians from the circuit-wall. 1.7.18 And some courtesans, pulling up their clothing in a disorderly way, showed to Cabades, who was standing somewhere very near, all the parts of women which it is not lawful for men to see naked. 1.7.19 When the Magi saw this, they came into the presence of the king and prevented the withdrawal, insisting on interpreting the event to mean that the Amidans would before long show Cabades all their secret and hidden things. Thus the Persian army remained there. 1.7.20 But not many days later one of the Persians saw near one of the towers the outlet of an ancient channel, not securely covered, but with small and not very numerous pebbles. 1.7.21 And coming there alone by night and testing the entrance, he got inside the circuit-wall. And at daybreak he reported the whole account to Cabades. And he, on the following night, having made ladders ready, came there with a few men. And a certain piece of good fortune befell him in the following way. 1.7.22 The most temperate of the Christians, whom they are accustomed to call monks, had been assigned to guard the tower which happened to be nearest to the channel. It happened that these men were celebrating a certain annual festival to God on that day. 1.7.23 And when night came on, all of them, since they had associated with much toil on account of the festival, and even more than usual had had their fill of food and drink, were sleeping a certain sweet and gentle sleep and because of it were quite unaware of what was being done. 1.7.24 The Persians, at any rate, having entered the circuit-wall a few at a time through the channel, climbed up into the tower, and finding the monks still sleeping, they killed them all. 1.7.25 When Cabades learned this, he brought the ladders up to the wall very near this tower. 1.7.26 And it was already day. And those of the Amidans who were keeping guard in the next tower, perceiving the trouble, quickly came to help there. 1.7.27 And for a long time both sides engaged in a great struggle against one another, and the Amidans, now having the upper hand, were killing many of those who had climbed up and were checking those on the ladders and of repelling the danger 1.7.28 not

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Ἰάκωβον ἐλιπάρει ἀφεῖναι τοῖς βαρβάροις τὸ ἔγκλημα. ὁ δὲ ἀφῆκέ τε λόγῳ ἑνὶ 1.7.10 καὶ τὰ δεινὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐλέλυντο. Καβάδης μὲν οὖν αἰτεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκέλευεν ὅ τι ἂν αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ εἴη, χρήματα οἰόμενος αὐτὸν μεγάλα αἰτήσειν, καί τι καὶ νεανιευσάμενος, ὡς οὐδενὸς πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀτυχή1.7.11 σει. ὁ δέ οἱ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐδεῖτο χαρίζεσθαι ὅσοι ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τούτῳ καταφεύγοντες παρ' αὐτὸν ἵκωνται. ταύτην Καβάδης τὴν δέησιν ἐπιτελῆ ἐποίει καὶ γράμματα ἐδίδου τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἐνέχυρα. πολλοὶ γοῦν πανταχόθεν ξυρρέοντες ἐνταῦθα ἐσώζοντο· περιβόητος γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις ἐγένετο. ταῦτα μὲν ὧδέ πη ἔσχε. 1.7.12 Καβάδης δὲ Ἄμιδαν πολιορκῶν κριὸν τὴν μηχανὴν πανταχόσε τοῦ περιβόλου προσέβαλε. καὶ Ἀμιδηνοὶ μὲν τὴν ἐμβολὴν ἀεὶ δοκοῖς τισιν ἐγκαρσίαις ἀνέστελλον, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν, ἕως ταύτῃ ἀνάλωτον εἶναι τὸ 1.7.13 τεῖχος ἔγνω. πολλάκις γὰρ ἐμβαλὼν καθελεῖν τι τοῦ περιβόλου ἢ κατασεῖσαι ἥκιστα ἴσχυσεν, οὕτως ἀσφαλῶς ἡ οἰκοδομία τοῖς δειμαμένοις τὸ παλαιὸν εἴργαστο. 1.7.14 τούτου δὲ Καβάδης ἀποτυχὼν λόφον τινὰ χειροποίητον ἐπιτείχισμα τῇ πόλει ἐποίει μέτρῳ πολλῷ ὑπεραίροντα τοῦ τείχους τὸ μῆκος, οἵ τε πολιορκούμενοι ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἀρξάμενοι κατώρυχα μέχρι ἐς τὸν λόφον ἐποίουν, καὶ λάθρα ἐνθένδε τὸν χοῦν ἐκφοροῦντες κενὰ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τὰ ἐντὸς τοῦ λόφου εἰργάσαντο. τὰ μέντοι ἐκτὸς ἐφ' οὗπερ ἐγεγόνει σχήματος ἔμενεν, 1.7.15 οὐδενὶ αἴσθησιν παρεχόμενα τοῦ πρασσομένου. πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν Πέρσαι ὥσπερ ἐπ' ἀσφαλοῦς ἀναβαίνοντες ἔν τε τῇ ἄκρᾳ ἐγένοντο καὶ βάλλειν ἐνθένδε κατὰ κορυφὴν τοὺς ἐν τῷ περιβόλῳ διενοοῦντο. τοῦ δὲ ὁμίλου δρόμῳ ἐπιρρέοντος ἐμπεσὼν ὁ λόφος ἐκ τοῦ 1.7.16 αἰφνιδίου σχεδόν τι ἅπαντας ἔκτεινε. Καβάδης δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀπορούμενος τὴν προσεδρείαν διαλύειν ἔγνω, καὶ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἀναχωρεῖν ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν 1.7.17 ἐπήγγειλε. τότε δὴ οἱ πολιορκούμενοι, ἅτε τοῦ κινδύνου ἀφροντιστήσαντες, πολλὰ τοὺς βαρβάρους ξὺν 1.7.18 γέλωτι ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐτώθαζον. καί τινες ἑταῖραι ἀνελκύσασαι κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα Καβάδῃ ἄγχιστά που ἑστηκότι ἐδείκνυον ὅσα τῶν γυναικῶν γυμνὰ φανῆ1.7.19 ναι ἀνδράσιν οὐ θέμις. ὅπερ κατιδόντες οἱ μάγοι τῷ τε βασιλεῖ ἐς ὄψιν ἦλθον καὶ τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ἐκώλυον, ξυμβαλεῖν ἰσχυριζόμενοι τῷ γεγονότι ὡς ἅπαντα Καβάδῃ Ἀμιδηνοὶ τά τε ἀπόρρητα καὶ κρυπτόμενα οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν δείξουσιν. οὕτω μὲν τὸ Περσῶν στρατόπεδον αὐτοῦ ἔμεινεν. 1.7.20 Ἡμέραις δὲ τῶν τις Περσῶν οὐ πολλαῖς ὕστερον ἄγχιστα τῶν πύργων τινὸς ἐκβολὴν ὑπονόμου παλαιοῦ εἶδεν οὐ ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ κεκαλυμμένην, ἀλλὰ χάλιξι 1.7.21 σμικραῖς τε καὶ οὐ λίαν συχναῖς. νύκτωρ τε μόνος ἐνταῦθα ἥκων καὶ τῆς εἰσόδου ἀποπειρασάμενος ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένετο. ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τὸν πάντα λόγον Καβάδῃ ἀπήγγειλε. καὶ ὃς τῇ ἐπιγινομένῃ νυκτὶ κλίμακας ἐν παρασκευῇ ποιησάμενος ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἐνταῦθα ἦλθε. καί τις αὐτῷ δεξιὰ ξυνηνέχθη τύχη 1.7.22 τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. τὸν πύργον, ὃς δὴ τοῦ ὑπονόμου ἀγχοτάτω ἐτύγχανεν ὢν, φυλάσσειν τῶν Χριστιανῶν οἱ σωφρονέστατοι ἔλαχον, οὕσπερ καλεῖν μοναχοὺς νενομίκασι. τούτους ἑορτήν τινα τῷ θεῷ ἄγειν ἐνιαύ1.7.23 σιον ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τετύχηκεν. ἐπεί τε ἡ νὺξ ἐπεγένετο, ἅπαντες, ἅτε κόπῳ μὲν πολλῷ διὰ τὴν πανήγυριν ὁμιλήσαντες, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ εἰθισμένου σιτίων τε καὶ ποτοῦ ἐς κόρον ἐλθόντες ὕπνον τινὰ ἡδύν τε καὶ πρᾷον ἐκάθευδον καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ὡς ἥκιστα τῶν 1.7.24 ποιουμένων ᾐσθάνοντο. Πέρσαι γοῦν διὰ τοῦ ὑπονόμου ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου κατ' ὀλίγους γενόμενοι ἐς τὸν πύργον ἀνέβαινον, καὶ τοὺς μοναχοὺς καθεύδον1.7.25 τας ἔτι εὑρόντες ἔκτειναν ἅπαντας. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Καβάδης ἔγνω, τὰς κλίμακας τῷ τείχει τούτου δὴ ἄγχιστα 1.7.26 τοῦ πύργου προσῆγεν. ἡμέρα δὲ ἦν ἤδη. καὶ τῶν Ἀμιδηνῶν οἳ ἐν πύργῳ τῷ ἐχομένῳ ἐφύλασσον, αἰσθό1.7.27 μενοι τοῦ κακοῦ κατὰ τάχος ἐβοήθουν ἐνταῦθα. ὠθισμῷ τε πολλῷ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀμφότεροι ἐς ἀλλήλους ἐχρῶντο καὶ τὸ πλέον ἤδη Ἀμιδηνοὶ ἔχοντες τῶν τε ἀναβεβηκότων πολλοὺς ἔκτεινον καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν κλιμάκων ἀνέστελλον καὶ τοῦ ἀπεῶσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον 1.7.28 οὐ