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After reckoning the crowd that had gone out, they found that a supply for about seven days had been left in the city, although for a long time both Glones and his son had been giving the provisions to the Persians more scantily than was needed. 1.9.22 For to the Romans in the city, who, as I have previously indicated, had remained with them, they decided to supply nothing at all from the time the enemy began the siege; and these men, at first resorting to unaccustomed foods and partaking of all forbidden things, then finally even tasted of one another. 1.9.23 Therefore indeed the generals perceived that they had been deceived by the barbarians and they reproached the soldiers for their lack of self-control, because, by showing themselves more disobedient to them, when it was possible to capture so great a number of Persians as well as the son of Glones along with the city, they instead, having transferred the Romans' money to the enemy, both brought great shame upon themselves and received Amida from the Persians, purchased with silver. 1.9.24 But later, as the war against the Huns was being prolonged for them, the Persians came to a truce with the Romans, which was made for them for seven years, Celer the Roman and Aspebedes the Persian having made it, and both, having retired to their homes, 1.9.25 remained at peace. So then, as was said, the war between the Romans and Persians, having thus begun, ended in this way. And I am coming to speak of the things that happened concerning the Caspian Gates. 1.10.1 The Cilician mountain, the Taurus, passes first through the lands of the Cappadocians and the Armenians and of those called the Persarmenians, and furthermore the Albanians and the Iberians, and as many other nations, both independent and subject to the 1.10.2 Persians, as are settled here. For it extends over a great country, and as one goes on, this mountain continually reaches a great measure of both breadth and height. 1.10.3 And after one crosses the borders of the Iberians, there is a certain path in a very narrow place, 1.10.4 extending for fifty stades. And this path ends in a certain precipitous and altogether impassable place. For no passage appears beyond, except that here nature has devised, as it were, a man-made small gate, which from of old was called Caspian. 1.10.5 And from here on there are plains suitable for riding and simply full of many waters, and a great country suitable for pasturing horses 1.10.6 and otherwise level. where indeed almost all the nations of the Huns are settled, extending as far as the Maeotic 1.10.7 lake. If these men go through the small gate, which I just mentioned, into the lands of the Persians and Romans, they go with their horses fresh and using no detour at all, nor encountering precipitous places, except for those fifty stades by which, as was said, they pass into the Iberian borders. 1.10.8 but going by any other outlets they arrive with much toil and are no longer able to use the same horses. for it is necessary for them to make many detours, 1.10.9 and these precipitous. When Alexander, son of Philip, perceived this, he both constructed gates in the said place and established a fort. which indeed many others in the course of time held, and also Ambazouces, a Hun by race, but a friend to the Romans and to the 1.10.10 Emperor Anastasius. This Ambazouces, when he had reached an advanced old age and was about to die, sent to Anastasius and asked that money be given him, on the condition that he would hand over to the Romans both the fort and the Caspian Gates. 1.10.11 But the Emperor Anastasius (for he neither knew how nor was accustomed to do anything unadvisedly), reasoning that it was impossible for them to maintain soldiers there, in a place destitute of all good things and having nowhere in its vicinity a nation subject to the Romans, acknowledged much gratitude to the man for his goodwill toward him, 1.10.12 but on no account did he accept this proposal. Ambazouces, then, not long after died of a disease, and Cavades, having overpowered his children, took possession of the gates. 1.10.13 And the Emperor Anastasius, when the truce with Cavades was made for him, built a city in the district of Daras, exceedingly strong and worthy of note, named after the emperor himself. 1.10.14 and this is distant from the city of Nisibis ninety-eight stades, and from the land, which the Romans'

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ἐξεληλυθότων τὸν ὅμιλον λογισάμενοι ἑπτὰ μάλιστα ἡμερῶν ηὕρισκον δαπάνην ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀπολελεῖφθαι, καίπερ Γλώνου τε καὶ τοῦ ἐκείνου παιδὸς ἐνδεεστέρως ἢ κατὰ τὴν χρείαν πολλοῦ χρόνου 1.9.22 ἐνδιδόντος τὰ σιτία Πέρσαις. Ῥωμαίοις γὰρ τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, ὥσπερ μοι προδεδήλωται, ξὺν αὐτοῖς μείνασιν οὐδὲν τὸ παράπαν χορηγεῖν ἔγνωσαν, ἐξ ὅτου οἱ πολέμιοι ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν κατέστησαν, οἳ δὴ ἐς βρώσεις ἀήθεις τὰ πρῶτα ἐλθόντες τῶν τε οὐ θεμιτῶν ἁψάμενοι πάντων, εἶτα τελευτῶντες καὶ ἀλλήλων ἐγεύ1.9.23 σαντο. διὸ δὴ ἐξηπατημένοι τε πρὸς τῶν βαρβάρων οἱ στρατηγοὶ ᾔσθοντο καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις τὴν ἀκρασίαν ὠνείδιζον, ὅτι δὴ ἀπειθεστέρους αὑτοὺς παρεχόμενοι σφίσι, παρὸν δορυαλώτους Πέρσας τε τοσούτους τὸ πλῆθος καὶ Γλώνου τὸν υἱὸν σὺν τῇ πόλει ἑλεῖν, οἱ δὲ τὰ Ῥωμαίων χρήματα ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους μετενεγκόντες αἶσχός τε ἀνεδήσαντο μέγα καὶ Ἄμιδαν ἀρ1.9.24 γυρώνητον πρὸς Περσῶν ἔλαβον. ὕστερον δὲ Πέρσαι τοῦ πρὸς Οὔννους πολέμου σφίσι μηκυνομένου ἐς σπονδὰς Ῥωμαίοις ξυνίασιν, αἵπερ αὐτοῖς ἐς ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἐγένοντο, Κέλερός τε τοῦ Ῥωμαίου καὶ Ἀσπεβέδου τοῦ Πέρσου αὐτὰς ποιησαμένων, ἐπ' οἴκου τε ἀμφότεροι 1.9.25 ἀναχωρήσαντες ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον. οὕτω μὲν, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, ἀρξάμενος ὁ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν πόλεμος ἐς τόδε ἐτελεύτα. τὰ δὲ ἀμφὶ πύλας τὰς Κασπίας ξυνενεχθέντα ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. 1.10.1 Τὸ Κιλίκων ὄρος ὁ Ταῦρος ἀμείβει μὲν τὰ πρῶτα Καππαδόκας τε καὶ Ἀρμενίους καὶ τῶν Περσαρμενίων καλουμένων τὴν γῆν, ἔτι μέντοι Ἀλβανούς τε καὶ Ἴβηρας, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἔθνη αὐτόνομά τε καὶ Πέρ1.10.2 σαις κατήκοα ταύτῃ ᾤκηνται. ἐξικνεῖται γὰρ ἐς χώραν πολλὴν, προϊόντι δὲ ἀεὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦτο ἐς μέγα τι 1.10.3 χρῆμα εὔρους τε καὶ ὕψους διήκει. ὑπερβάντι δὲ τοὺς Ἰβήρων ὅρους ἀτραπός τίς ἐστιν ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ 1.10.4 πολλῇ, ἐπὶ σταδίους πεντήκοντα ἐξικνουμένη. αὕτη δὲ ἡ ἀτραπὸς ἐς ἀπότομόν τινα καὶ ὅλως ἄβατον τελευτᾷ χῶρον. δίοδος γὰρ οὐδεμία τὸ λοιπὸν φαίνεται, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι ὥσπερ τινὰ χειροποίητον πυλίδα ἐνταῦθα ἡ φύσις ἐξεῦρεν, ἣ Κασπία ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἐκλήθη. 1.10.5 τὸ δὲ ἐνθένδε πεδία τέ ἐστιν ἱππήλατα καὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν ἀτεχνῶς ἔμπλεα, καὶ χώρα πολλὴ ἱππόβοτός 1.10.6 τε καὶ ἄλλως ὑπτία. οὗ δὴ τὰ Οὔννων ἔθνη σχεδόν τι ἅπαντα ἵδρυται ἄχρι ἐς τὴν Μαιῶτιν διήκοντα λίμ1.10.7 νην. οὗτοι ἢν μὲν διὰ τῆς πυλίδος, ἧς ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην, ἴωσιν ἐς τὰ Περσῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἤθη, ἀκραιφνέσι τε τοῖς ἵπποις ἴασι καὶ περιόδῳ τινὶ οὐδαμῆ χρώμενοι οὐδὲ κρημνώδεσιν ἐντυχόντες χωρίοις, ὅτι μὴ τοῖς πεντήκοντα σταδίοις ἐκείνοις, οἷσπερ εἰς 1.10.8 τοὺς Ἰβηρίους ὅρους, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, διήκουσιν. ἐπ' ἄλλας δέ τινας ἐξόδους ἰόντες πόνῳ τε πολλῷ παραγίνονται καὶ ἵπποις οὐκέτι χρῆσθαι τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἔχοντες. περιόδους τε γὰρ αὐτοὺς περιιέναι πολλὰς 1.10.9 ἐπάναγκες καὶ ταύτας κρημνώδεις. ὅπερ ἐπειδὴ ὁ Φιλίππου Ἀλέξανδρος κατενόησε, πύλας τε ἐν χώρῳ ἐτεκτήνατο τῷ εἰρημένῳ καὶ φυλακτήριον κατεστήσατο. ὃ δὴ ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ προϊόντος χρόνου ἔσχον καὶ Ἀμβαζούκης, Οὖννος μὲν γένος, Ῥωμαίοις δὲ καὶ 1.10.10 Ἀναστασίῳ βασιλεῖ φίλος. οὗτος Ἀμβαζούκης ἐπειδὴ ἔς τε γῆρας ἀφῖκτο βαθὺ καὶ τελευτᾶν ἔμελλε, πέμψας παρὰ τὸν Ἀναστάσιον, χρήματά οἱ δοθῆναι ᾔτει, ἐφ' ᾧ τό τε φυλακτήριον καὶ πύλας τὰς Κασπίας ἐνδώσει 1.10.11 Ῥωμαίοις. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἀναστάσιος (δρᾶν γὰρ ἀνεπισκέπτως οὐδὲν οὔτε ἠπίστατο οὔτε εἰώθει) λογισάμενος ὅτι οἱ στρατιώτας ἐνταῦθα ἐκτρέφειν ἀδύνατα ἦν ἐν χωρίῳ ἐρήμῳ τε ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων καὶ οὐδαμῆ ἐν γειτόνων ἔχοντι ἔθνος Ῥωμαίοις κατήκοον, χάριν μὲν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῆς ἐς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας πολλὴν ὡμο1.10.12 λόγει, τὸ δὲ ἔργον τοῦτο οὐδενὶ λόγῳ προσίετο. Ἀμβαζούκης μὲν οὖν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἐτελεύτα νόσῳ, Καβάδης δὲ βιασάμενος τοὺς αὐτοῦ παῖδας τὰς πύλας ἔσχεν. 1.10.13 Ἀναστάσιός τε βασιλεὺς, ἐπειδὴ ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ αἱ πρὸς Καβάδην σπονδαὶ, πόλιν ἐδείματο ἐν χωρίῳ ∆άρας ὀχυράν τε ὑπερφυῶς καὶ λόγου ἀξίαν, αὐτοῦ 1.10.14 βασιλέως ἐπώνυμον. ἀπέχει δὲ αὕτη πόλεως μὲν Νισίβιδος σταδίους ἑκατὸν δυοῖν δέοντας, χώρας δὲ, ἣ τὰ Ῥωμαίων τε