,

1..2 a war. And let no one be hostile to me for returning to earlier events. For we are not going back to the same deeds, even if we are taken back 1..3 to the same times. For the continuity of the preceding narrative did not tolerate a bridle, lest for the moment it might create confusion for the readers by the insertion of different narratives. 1..4 The first year of the reign of Maurice the emperor was still being completed after that famous Persian war, in which Tamchosro at that time led the Median armies, and the emperor transferred John, whose epithet was 'long-haired from the shell of the upper jaw', whom the Romans also called Mystacon, from the armies of Armenia 1..5 to the Roman forces of the East. The general, therefore, having just taken on the concerns of the East, encamped where the river Nymphius communicates its waters with the Tigris. In this place, then, a war was prepared, with John commanding the Roman force, and 1..6 Cardarigan the Persian. This is a Parthian title, and it is a custom for Persians to be addressed by their titles, as if they disdained to bear the names from their birth; for they admire an advance of fortune more than the law of a progenitor concerning their own name which arises with them as they have just emerged from their mother's 1..7 womb. So John drew up the entire multitude of his force in three divisions, and he himself took charge of the center of the battle-line, while Cours the subordinate general took the right, and Ariulph the left. And in this way the three battalions were arrayed. Likewise, the 1..8 Persian force was also drawn up. When the trumpets sounded the war-cry, and the space between was shortened, the war had its beginning. The Romans therefore attacked with two wings, John with the center, and Ariulph with the left, and indeed they prevailed over 1..9 the opposing forces. But Cours did not join hands in battle; for he was jealous of John's success, since he was contending for the greatest glory. And so the Persians were turned backwards; for they were afraid that the enemy might press the attack more heavily. 1..10 But the Romans, seeing that Cours and the force around him were not fighting, showed their backs to the barbarians 1..11 and repaired to the uphill country. But the Persians, taking advantage of the pursuit, since they saw the Roman cavalry was exhausted both from the intensity of the flight and from the difficulty of the refuge towards the steep fortified places, attacked manfully and ravaged a great part of the Roman force, and the barbarians barely allowed the Romans to return to their camp. With these events the war was ended, and the season of autumn was peeking in. 1.10.1 The emperor received the father Paul, who had recently arrived at the city of Constantine, into the imperial court splendidly and conspicuously, and on the next day the emperor proceeded in procession as a bridegroom. 1.10.2 For having summoned John, the leader of the hierarchical thrones, into the palace, in the great chamber near the greatest court of the emperors (which, it seems, is named Augustaeus), he asked to receive the consent of the Almighty through the priest's intercession with the divine, so that the rewards of the marriage might turn out auspicious for the emperor. 1.10.3 And the priest ministered to the royal wish with supplication to the divine, and taking the hands of the emperor and empress he joined them to each other and with well-omened words acclaimed the emperor's wedding; yes, indeed, and he set the crowns upon the heads of the emperor and empress and gave them communion of the theandric mysteries, as is customary for those who worship this all-holy and unadulterated faith. 1.10.4 Then after that, those who were resplendent with the highest offices entered into the imperial bridal chamber, whom the emperor did not disdain to call parents, as having, in place of seed, sown 1.10.5 their goodwill. these were the escorts of the emperor

1..2 πόλεμον. καὶ μὴ μοίγε τις ἀπεχθανέσθω τοῦ γε ἕνεκα παλινδρομοῦντι πρὸς τὰ πρεσβύτερα. οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰς αὐτὰς ἐπάνιμεν πράξεις, εἰ καὶ περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους ἀντανα1..3 γώμεθα. τὸ γὰρ συνεχὲς τῶν προαφηγηθέντων οὐκ ἠνέσχετο χαλινοῦ, ἵνα μὴ τέως τῇ παρενθήκῃ τῶν ἑτεροίων ἀφηγημάτων σύγχυσιν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ἐμποιήσηται. 1..4 ῎Ετι πρῶτον ἔτος ἠνύετο τῆς ἡγεμονίας Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος μετὰ τὸν Περσικὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀοίδιμον πόλεμον, οὗπερ ὁ Ταμχοσρὼ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῶν Μηδικῶν στρατευμάτων ἡγήσατο, καὶ βασιλεὺς τὸν ᾿Ιωάννην, ᾧπερ ἐπώνυμον τὸ τῆς ὑπερῴας χελύνης κατάκομον, ὃν δὴ καὶ Μυστάκωνα προσηγόρευον ῾Ρωμαῖοι, ἐκ τῶν τῆς ᾿Αρμενίας στρατοπέδων 1..5 ἐπὶ τὰς τῆς ἀνατολῆς δυνάμεις ῾Ρωμαϊκὰς μετεβίβαζεν. ἄρτι τοίνυν ὁ στρατηγὸς τὰς ἑῴας φροντίδας περιβαλόμενος στρατοπεδεύεται, ἔνθα ὁ Νύμφιος ποταμὸς τῷ Τίγριδι ἀνακοινοῦται τοῖς ὕδασιν. ἐν τούτῳ δῆτα τῷ χώρῳ ἐξαρτύεται πόλεμος, τοῦ μὲν ᾿Ιωάννου τῆς ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς προεστῶτος δυνάμεως, τῆς 1..6 δὲ Περσικῆς Καρδαριγάν. Παρθικὸν τοῦτο ἀξίωμα, φίλον δὲ Πέρσαις ἐκ τῶν ἀξιωμάτων προσαγορεύεσθαι, ὥσπερ ἀπαξιούντων τὰς ἐκ τῆς γεννήσεως ὀνομασίας ἐπιφέρεσθαι· θαυμάζουσι γὰρ τύχης ἐπίδοσιν ἢ νόμον γεννήτορος τὸν περὶ τῆς σφῶν αὐτῶν προσηγορίας ἄρτι τῆς μητρῴας αὐτοῖς 1..7 νηδύος προκύψασι συνανίσχοντα. ὁ μὲν οὖν ᾿Ιωάννης τὴν πᾶσαν πληθὺν τῆς δυνάμεως τριτταῖς κατετάξατο μοίραις, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀνεδέξατο τοῦ μαχίμου τὸ μεσώτατον, Κοὺρς δὲ τὸ δεξιὸν ὁ ὑποστράτηγος, ᾿Αριοὺλφ δὲ τὸ λαιόν. καὶ ὧδέ πως τὰ τριττὰ διεκεκόσμητο στίφη. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ 1..8 Περσικὸν συνετέτακτο. ἐπεὶ δ' αἱ σάλπιγγες ἐνυάλιον ἤχησαν, καὶ τὸ μεταίχμιον ἐβραχύνετο, ὁ πόλεμος εἶχε τὴν πάροδον. προσβάλλουσι τοιγαροῦν ῾Ρωμαῖοι τοῖς δυσὶ κέρασιν, ᾿Ιωάννης μὲν τῷ μέσῳ, ᾿Αριοὺλφ δὲ τῷ εὐωνύμῳ, καὶ δῆτα κρατοῦσι 1.. τῶν ἀντιμετώπων δυνάμεων. Κοὺρς δ' οὐκ ἐνέμιξε χεῖρας· ἐβάσκαινε γὰρ τὸν ᾿Ιωάννην εὐπραγίας πέρι, ἅτε δὴ διὰ μεγίστην ἀγωνιούμενον δόξαν. καὶ οὖν εἰς τοὐπίσω Πέρσαι ἐτρέποντο· ἐδεδίεσαν γὰρ μή που τὸ ἀντίπαλον ἐμβριθεστέραν 1..10 τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπιθείη. ῾Ρωμαῖοι δὲ τὸν Κοὺρς ἑωρακότες ἀπόμαχον τήν τε περὶ αὐτὸν δύναμιν, τὰ νῶτα τοῖς βαρβάροις 1..11 ἐγνώριζον καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἀνάντη μετεφοίτων χωρία. οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι τῇ παλιώξει χρησάμενοι, ἐπεὶ τὴν ῾Ρωμαϊκὴν ἵππον κεκμηκυῖαν ἑώρων ἔκ τε τῆς συντονίας τοῦ δρόμου ἔκ τε τῆς χαλεπότητος τῆς πρὸς τὸ δυσάναντες τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων καταφυγῆς, ἀρρενικῶς ἐπιτίθενται καὶ πλεῖστον τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ κεραΐζουσιν, καὶ μόλις ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα ἐπανήκειν ῾Ρωμαίοις οἱ βάρβαροι συνεχώρησαν. ἐν τούτοις ὁ πόλεμος ἐπεπέραστο, καὶ μετοπώρου παρενέκυπτεν ὥρα. 1.10.1 ῾Ο δ' αὐτοκράτωρ τὸν πατέρα τὸν Παῦλον ἐπὶ τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν βασίλειον λαμπρῶς καὶ περιφανῶς εἰσεδέξατο ἔναγχος ἐπὶ τὸ Κωνσταντίνου ἄστυ γενόμενον, καὶ νυμφίος 1.10.2 τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ὁ βασιλεὺς πομπεύεται. τὸν γὰρ ᾿Ιωάννην, τὸν τῶν ἱεραρχικῶν ἐξηγούμενον θρόνων, ἐς τὸ ἀνάκτορον εἰσκαλεσάμενος ἐν τῷ μεγάλῳ θαλάμῳ τῷ πρὸς τῇ μεγίστῃ τῶν βασιλέων αὐλῇ (Αὐγουσταῖος δ' ἄρα οὗτος κατονομάζεται) ἠξίου τῆς ἐκ τοῦ κρείττονος τυχεῖν συναινέσεως διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον τοῦ ἱερέως ἐντεύξεως, ὅπως αἴσια τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ 1.10.3 τοῦ γάμου συμβαίη ἐπίχειρα. ὁ δ' ἱερεὺς τὸ βασιλικὸν ἐθεράπευσε βούλημα τῇ περὶ τὸ θεῖον ἱκετείᾳ, καὶ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν βασιλέων ἑλόμενος συνῆπτεν ἀλλήλαις εὐκτοῖς τε προσφθέγμασι τὸν τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος κατηυφήμησε γάμον· ναὶ δῆτα καὶ ταῖς κορυφαῖς τῶν βασιλέων τοὺς στεφάνους καθίδρυσε τῶν τε θεανδρικῶν μυστηρίων μετέδωκεν, ὡς σύνηθες τοῖς θρησκεύουσι τὴν παναγῆ ταύτην καὶ ἀκίβδηλον πίστιν. 1.10.4 εἶτα μετ' ἐκεῖνο εἰσέφρησαν ἐπὶ τὴν βασίλειον παστάδα οἱ ταῖς κορυφαῖς τῶν ἀξιωμάτων περιλαμπόμενοι, οὓς καὶ γονεῖς ἀποκαλεῖν βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἀπηξίωσεν ἀντὶ σπορᾶς ὥσπερ κατα1.10.5 βαλομένους τὴν εὔνοιαν. οὗτοι προπομποὶ τοῦ βασιλέως