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they marched in encampments. When Cabades learned this (for he happened to be very near), he came quickly to the Roman borders 1.8.9 and met them. The Romans, however, had not yet learned that Cabades was coming against them with his entire army, but thought 1.8.10 that some small force of Persians was there. So the forces of Areobindus encamped in a place called Arzamon, a two days’ journey distant from the city of Constantina, and those of Patricius and Hypatius in a place called Siphrios, which is not less than three hundred and fifty stades distant from the city of Amida. For Celer had not yet arrived there. 1.8.11 But Areobindus, when he learned that Cabades was coming against them with his whole army, abandoned the camp with all his followers and set out in flight, and proceeded at a run to 1.8.12 Constantina. A little later the enemy came up and captured the camp, deserted of men, with its baggage. And from there they went quickly against the other Roman 1.8.13 army. But the forces of Patricius and Hypatius, encountering eight hundred Hephthalites who were marching in advance of the Persian army, killed almost all 1.8.14 of them. And having heard nothing about Cabades and the Persian army, since they had been victorious, they conducted themselves more carelessly. At any rate, they laid down their arms and were preparing breakfast for themselves. For the time of day was already 1.8.15 leading to this. A certain stream was flowing in this place, where the Romans began to wash the meat which 1.8.16 they were about to eat. And some, being oppressed by the heat, desired to bathe also. And so the water of the stream, being muddied, went forward. But Cabades, learning what had happened to the Hephthalites, was going against the enemy 1.8.17 with speed. And seeing the water of the stream muddied, and conjecturing what was being done, he knew the enemy were unprepared, and ordered them to charge against them at full speed. And immediately they fell upon them while they were eating 1.8.18 and unarmed. But the Romans, not sustaining the attack, did not look at all to their defense, but fled as each one could, and some of them were overtaken and killed, while others, going up to the mountain which rises there, threw themselves down 1.8.19 the precipice in great fear and confusion. Whence, they say, no one was saved, but Patricius and Hypatius were able to escape at the beginning of the attack. Then Cabades, since enemy Huns had invaded his land, withdrew home with his entire army, and he carried on a long war against this nation in the northern parts of the 1.8.20 country. Meanwhile, the other Roman army also arrived, but they did nothing worthy of mention, because no one was appointed commander-in-chief of the war, but the generals, being equal to one another, opposed each other's opinions and were in no way willing to be in the 1.8.21 same place. But Celer, with his followers, crossing the river Nymphius, made an invasion into Arzanene. 1.8.22 This river is very near Martyropolis, and about three hundred stades from Amida. They, having plundered the places there, returned not long after. And this raid was made in a short time. 1.9.1 Afterwards, Areobindus was summoned and came to Byzantium to the emperor, but the rest, arriving at Amida in the winter season, began a siege. And although they made many attempts, they were not able to take the place by force, but they were about to do so by famine; for all provisions had failed 1.9.2 the besieged. But the generals, having heard nothing about the enemy's lack of supplies, when they saw their soldiers were distressed by the blockade and the winter, and at the same time suspected that a Persian army would come against them before long, were eager to depart from there by any means 1.9.3 whatsoever. And the Persians, not knowing what to do in these straits, concealed their lack of necessities with great care, giving the impression that they had an abundance of all provisions, and they wished to withdraw to their own country with a 1.9.4 plausible excuse. Therefore, negotiations took place between both sides, on the condition that the Persians, on receiving a thousand pounds of gold, would give back the city to the Romans. And both sides gladly the
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στρατοπεδευόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο. ταῦτα Καβάδης μαθὼν (ἄγχιστα γάρ που ἐτύγχανεν ὢν) ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ὅρια κατὰ τάχος ἐλθὼν 1.8.9 ὑπηντίαζεν. οὔπω μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ Καβάδην ἰέναι ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔμαθον, ἀλλὰ Περσῶν 1.8.10 ᾤοντο στράτευμα βραχύ τι ἐνταῦθα εἶναι. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ Ἀρεόβινδον ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἐν χωρίῳ Ἀρζάμων, ἀπέχοντι Κωνσταντίνης πόλεως δυοῖν ἡμέραιν ὁδὸν, οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ Πατρίκιον καὶ Ὑπάτιον ἐν χωρίῳ Σίφριος, ὅπερ Ἀμίδης πόλεως οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ πεντήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίους σταδίους ἀπέχει. Κέλερ γὰρ οὔπω ἐνταῦθα ἀφῖκτο. 1.8.11 Ἀρεόβινδος δὲ ἐπειδὴ Καβάδην παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπιέναι σφίσιν ἐπύθετο, ἀπολιπὼν τὸ στρατόπεδον ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἅπασιν ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμητο καὶ ἐς 1.8.12 Κωνσταντίναν δρόμῳ ἐχώρει. ἐπελθόντες δὲ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον οἱ πολέμιοι ἔρημον ἀνδρῶν αὐτοῖς χρήμασι τὸ στρατόπεδον εἷλον. ἔνθεν τε κατὰ τάχος ἐπὶ Ῥω1.8.13 μαίων τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα ᾔεσαν. οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ Πατρίκιον καὶ Ὑπάτιον Ἐφθαλίταις ἐντυχόντες ὀκτακοσίοις, οἳ τοῦ Περσῶν στρατοῦ ἔμπροσθεν ᾔεσαν, σχεδόν τι 1.8.14 ἅπαντας ἔκτειναν. οὐδὲν δὲ ἀμφὶ τῷ Καβάδῃ καὶ τῇ Περσῶν στρατιᾷ πεπυσμένοι, ἅτε νενικηκότες, ἀδεέστερον τῇ διαίτῃ ἐχρῶντο. τὰ γοῦν ὅπλα καταθέμενοι ἄριστον σφίσιν ἡτοίμαζον. ἤδη γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας ὁ 1.8.15 καιρὸς ἐνταῦθα ἦγε. ῥύαξ δέ τις ἔρρει ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χώρῳ, ἵνα Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ κρέα καθαίρειν ἤρξαντο, οἷς 1.8.16 δὴ σιτίζεσθαι ἔμελλον. τινὲς δὲ ἀχθόμενοι τῷ πνίγει καὶ λοῦσθαι ἠξίουν. ταύτῃ τε ταραχθὲν τὸ τοῦ ῥύακος ὕδωρ πρόσω ἐχώρει. Καβάδης δὲ τὰ ἐς τοὺς Ἐφθαλίτας ξυμπεσόντα μαθὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους 1.8.17 κατὰ τάχος ᾔει. κατιδών τε συγκεχυμένον τὸ τοῦ ῥύακος ὕδωρ καὶ ξυμβαλὼν τὸ ποιούμενον ἔγνω ἀπαρασκεύους τοὺς ἐναντίους εἶναι, καὶ κατὰ κράτος ἤδη ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐλαύνειν ἐκέλευεν. αὐτίκα τε αὐτοῖς ἑστιω1.8.18 μένοις τε καὶ ἀνόπλοις οὖσιν ἐπέστησαν. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες τὴν ἔφοδον ἐς ἀλκὴν μὲν τὸ παράπαν οὐκ ἔβλεπον, ἔφευγον δὲ ὡς ἕκαστός πη ἐδύνατο, καὶ αὐτῶν οἱ μὲν καταλαμβανόμενοι ἔθνησκον, οἱ δὲ ἀνιόντες εἰς τὸ ὄρος, ὃ ταύτῃ ἀνέχει, ἐρρίπτουν αὑτοὺς κατὰ 1.8.19 τὸ κρημνῶδες ξὺν φόβῳ καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ. ὅθεν δὴ οὐδένα σεσῶσθαί φασι, Πατρίκιος δὲ καὶ Ὑπάτιος κατ' ἀρχὰς τῆς ἐφόδου διαφυγεῖν ἴσχυσαν. ἔπειτα δὲ Καβάδης, Οὔννων πολεμίων ἐς γῆν τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐσβεβληκότων, παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπ' οἴκου ἀνεχώρησε, πόλεμόν τε μακρὸν πρὸς τὸ ἔθνος τοῦτο ἐς τῆς χώρας τὰ 1.8.20 πρὸς ἄρκτον διέφερεν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα Ῥωμαίων ἦλθε, λόγου μέντοι ἄξιον οὐδὲν ἔδρασαν, ὅτι δὴ αὐτοκράτωρ τοῦ πολέμου κατέστη οὐδεὶς, ἀλλ' ἴσοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ στρατηγοὶ ὄντες ἀντεστάτουν τε ἀλλήλων ταῖς γνώμαις καὶ γίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ 1.8.21 αὐτῷ οὐδαμῆ ἤθελον. Κέλερ δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις Νύμφιον ποταμὸν διαβὰς ἐσβολήν τινα ἐς τὴν Ἀρζανη1.8.22 νὴν ἐποιήσατο. ἔστι δὲ ὁ ποταμὸς οὗτος Μαρτυροπόλεως μὲν ἀγχοτάτω, Ἀμίδης δὲ ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων τριακοσίων. οἳ δὴ ληισάμενοι τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία ἐπανῆλθον οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον. δι' ὀλίγου τε ἡ ἐπιδρομὴ αὕτη ἐγένετο. 1.9.1 Μετὰ δὲ Ἀρεόβινδος μὲν ἐς Βυζάντιον ὡς βασιλέα μετάπεμπτος ἦλθεν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἐς Ἄμιδαν ἀφικόμενοι χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίσταντο. καὶ βίᾳ μὲν ἑλεῖν τὸ χωρίον, καίπερ πολλὰ ἐγκεχειρηκότες, οὐκ ἴσχυσαν, λιμῷ δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἔμελλον· πάντα γὰρ τοὺς πολιορκουμένους τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἐπιλε1.9.2 λοίπει. ἀλλ' οἱ στρατηγοὶ οὐδὲν πεπυσμένοι ἀμφὶ τῶν πολεμίων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς στρατιώτας τῇ προσεδρείᾳ καὶ τῷ χειμῶνι ἀχθομένους ἑώρων, ἅμα δὲ καὶ Περσῶν στράτευμα ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἥξειν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ὑπετόπαζον, τρόπῳ ὅτῳ δὴ ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλάσσε1.9.3 σθαι ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχον. οἵ τε Πέρσαι, οὐκ ἔχοντες τίνες ἂν ἐν τοῖσδε τοῖς δεινοῖς γένοιντο, τὴν μὲν ἀπορίαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἔκρυπτον, δόκησιν παρέχοντες ὡς πάντων σφίσι τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφθονία εἴη, ἐς δὲ τὰ οἰκεῖα ξὺν τῷ 1.9.4 εὐπρεπεῖ λόγῳ ἀναχωρεῖν ἤθελον. γίνονται οὖν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις λόγοι, ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ Πέρσαι λίτρας χρυσίου χιλίας λαβόντες ἀποδώσουσι Ῥωμαίοις τὴν πόλιν. ἑκάτεροί τε ἄσμενοι τὰ