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When Chryses, who had been sent, showed the letters, and furthermore also the vision and sketch from the dream which had occurred concerning what was to be, he set them in great wonder, they bearing in mind that God accomplishes all things with this emperor that are beneficial to the state. 2.3.14 Therefore, the emperor's command prevailed, the wisdom and art of the engineers 2.3.15 giving way. And Chryses was again in the city of Daras, it having been commanded him by the emperor to carry out what was written with all speed, just as the instruction of the dream had announced. And he carried out the commands in the following manner. 2.3.16 In a place about forty feet distant from the city's outwork, between two crags, through the middle of which the river, proceeding, flows, he constructed a counter-wall of sufficient height and breadth. 2.3.17 The ends of this he so fastened on all sides to each mountain, that for the water of the river, even if it should flow 2.3.18 most violently, there would be no way to enter there. This work the experts in such matters call a barrier or a dam, 2.3.19 or whatever else they wish. This counter-wall has not been made in a straight line, but has been turned into a crescent-shape, so that the convex part, lying against the inflow of the river, might be all the more able to withstand the violent 2.3.20 stream. And he has made openings in the counter-wall, both at the bottom and at the top. so that for the river flooding suddenly, if it should so happen, it would be necessary for it to collect there and not to proceed further with its whole force, but by releasing a certain small outflow through the holes, the excessive volume would always cease little by little, and the wall would never be 2.3.21 damaged. For the outflow, collecting in the space, which extends for forty feet, as has been said by me, is between the dam and the outwork, in no way being violent at all, but proceeding reasonably into the accustomed entrances, it flows from there into the conduit. 2.3.22 And the gates, which the river had previously forced open suddenly, he removed from there, and he blocked up their former place with very large stones, since, lying on level ground, they were easy to attack for the overflowing 2.3.23 river. And he placed them very near, somewhere in a steep place along the precipitous part of the circuit-wall, where the river had least access. These things, therefore, were thus accomplished by this emperor. 2.3.24 But there was a certain great difficulty concerning water in the city for the people there. For they had neither a spring bubbling up anywhere there, nor one conducted by a channel to the streets which are here, nor stored in any reservoirs there, but for those near whom the river flowed along the streets, these, drawing water without trouble, drank very easily because of the proximity, but for those whose homes happened to be as far as possible from the river's flow, for them one of two things was necessary: either to drink by toiling to the utmost, or to perish, being held fast by thirst. 2.3.25 But the Emperor Justinian constructed a great aqueduct, by which he conducted the water to every part of the city and so solved the difficulty for those who lived there. 2.3.26 But he also built two sacred buildings, both the so-called Great Church and the shrine of the Apostle Bartholomew. Moreover, he also built very numerous barracks for the soldiers, so that they might in no way trouble those who lived there. 2.3.27 And of the city of Amida, both the wall and the outwork, having been built in former times and for that reason being suspected of becoming ruinous, not much later, undertaking a certain new construction, he restored 2.3.28 the city's security. And as many things as have been done by him also in the forts, which happen to be on the borders of these very cities, I am coming to speak of. 2.4.1 As one goes from the city of Daras into the lands of the Persians, there is a certain region on the left, both impassable for wagons and altogether for horses, extending for about a two days' journey for a well-girded man, and ending in a place that is steep and precipitous, 2.4.2 Rhabdios by name. Of this road leading to Rhabdios upon

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Χρύσου σταλέντα καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἐπιδείξας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ὀνείρου γεγονυῖαν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐσομένῳ ὄψιν τε καὶ σκιαγραφίαν, κατεστήσατο αὐτοὺς ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ, ἐν νῷ ποιουμένους ὡς ἅπαντα ὁ θεὸς συνδιαπράσσεται τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ τὰ τῇ πολιτείᾳ ξυνοίσοντα. 2.3.14 ἐκράτει τοίνυν ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπίταξις, ὑποχωρούσης 2.3.15 μηχανοποιῶν σοφίας καὶ τέχνης. καὶ γίνεται ὁ Χρύσης αὖθις ἐν πόλει ∆άρας, ἐπιτεταγμένον οἱ πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ὑποτελέσαι τὰ γεγραμμένα σπουδῇ τῇ πάσῃ, καθάπερ ἡ τοῦ ὀνείρου ὑποθήκη ἐπήγγελλεν. ἐποίει τε τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. 2.3.16 Ἐν χώρῳ διέχοντι τοῦ τῆς πόλεως προτειχίσματος ἐς τεσσαράκοντα μάλιστα πόδας, μεταξὺ σκοπέλου ἑκατέρου, ὧν δὴ κατὰ μέσον ὁ ποταμὸς προϊὼν φέρεται, ἀντιτείχισμα ἐτεκτήνατο ὕψους τε καὶ εὔρους ἱκανῶς ἔχον. 2.3.17 οὗπερ τὰ πέρατα οὕτω δὴ ὄρει ἑκατέρῳ πανταχόθι ἐνῆψεν, ὡς τῷ ὕδατι τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ἢν καὶ σφοδρότατα ἐπιρ2.3.18 ρεύσειεν, ἐνταῦθα ἐσιτητὰ μηδαμῆ ἔσεσθαι. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἔργον οἱ περὶ ταῦτα σοφοὶ φράκτην ἢ ἀρίδα καλοῦ2.3.19 σιν, ἢ ὅ τί ποτε ἄλλο ἐθέλουσιν. οὐκ ἐπ' εὐθείας δὲ τὸ ἀντιτείχισμα πεποίηται τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ μηνοειδὲς τετραμμένον, ὅπως ἂν τὸ κύρτωμα πρὸς τῇ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐπιρροῇ κείμενον ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀντέχειν τῷ ῥείθρῳ 2.3.20 βιαζομένῳ δυνατὸν εἴη. θυρίδας δὲ ἐς τὸ ἀντιτείχισμα ἔς τε τὰ κάτω καὶ τὰ ἄνω πεποίηται. ὥστε τῷ ποταμῷ πλημμυροῦντι ἐξαπιναίως, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, ξυνίστασθαι μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐπάναγκες εἴη καὶ μὴ παντὶ τῷ ῥοθίῳ περαιτέρω χωρεῖν, ἐκροὴν δὲ κατὰ τὰς ὀπὰς ἀφιέντι βραχεῖάν τινα τοῦ μὲν ὑπερβάλλοντος ὄγκου κατὰ μικρὸν ἀπολήγειν ἀεί, τῷ δὲ τείχει λελυμασμένῳ μηδέποτε 2.3.21 εἶναι. ἡ γὰρ ἐκροὴ ἐν τῷ χώρῳ ξυνισταμένη, ὅσπερ ἐς τεσσαράκοντα διήκων πόδας, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, τῆς τε ἀρίδος καὶ τοῦ προτειχίσματος μεταξύ ἐστιν, οὐδαμῆ τὸ παράπαν βιαζομένη, ἀλλ' ἐς τὰς ξυνειθισμένας εἰσόδους κατὰ λόγον χωροῦσα ἐς τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν ἐνθένδε εἰσ2.3.22 βάλλει. καὶ τὰς πύλας, ἅσπερ τὸ πρότερον βιασάμενος ἐξαπιναίως ὁ ποταμὸς ἀνεπέτασε, περιελὼν ἐντεῦθεν, λίθοις μὲν παμμεγέθεσι τὴν προτέραν αὐτῶν ἐφράξατο χώραν, ἐπεὶ ἐφ' ὁμαλοῦ κείμεναι τῷ ποταμῷ ὑπερβλύ2.3.23 ζοντι εὐέφοδοι ἦσαν. ἄγχιστα δέ πη ἐν χώρῳ ἀνάντει κατὰ τὸ κρημνῶδες τοῦ περιβόλου αὐτὰς ἔθετο, οὗ δὴ τῷ ποταμῷ βάσιμα ὡς ἥκιστα ἦν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὕτω διαπεπόνηται τῷ βασιλεῖ τούτῳ. 2.3.24 Ἦν δέ τις ἐν πόλει πολλὴ ὕδατος πέρι ἀμηχανία τοῖς τῇδε ἀνθρώποις. οὔτε γὰρ ἀναβλυστάνουσαν εἶχον ἐνταῦθά πη κρήνην, οὔτε ὀχετῷ περιαγομένην ἐς τὰς ἀγυιάς, αἳ τῇδέ εἰσιν, οὔτε τισὶ θησαυριζομένην ἐκείνῃ ἐλύτροις, ἀλλ' οἷς μὲν ἀγχοτάτω ὁ ποταμὸς κατὰ τὰς ἀμφόδους ἐφέρετο, οἵδε ἀταλαιπώρως ἀρυόμενοι τῷ γειτονήματι ῥᾷστα ἔπινον, οἷς δὲ ὡς ἀπωτάτω τῆς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐκροῆς τὰ οἴκοι ἐτύγχανεν ὄντα, τούτοις δυοῖν τὸ ἕτερον ἐπάναγκες ἦν, ἢ τὰ ἔσχατα πονουμένοις πιεῖν, ἢ δίψει 2.3.25 ἐχομένοις ἀπολωλέναι. ἀλλ' ὀχετὸν βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐτεκτήνατο μέγαν, ᾧ δὴ τὸ ὕδωρ περιαγαγὼν πανταχόσε τῆς πόλεως τὴν ἀπορίαν τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις 2.3.26 διέλυσεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱερὰ πεποίηται δύο, τήν τε μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν καλουμένην καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἀποστόλου Βαρθολομαίου νεών. ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις καταλυτήρια ἐδείματο παμπληθῆ, ὅπως δὴ τοὺς τῇδε ᾠκημένους μηδαμῶς ἐνοχλοῖεν. 2.3.27 Καὶ Ἀμίδης δὲ πόλεως τό τε τεῖχος καὶ τὸ προτείχισμα ἐν τοῖς ἄνω γενόμενα χρόνοις καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ὕποπτα ὄντα ἐξίτηλα γενήσεσθαι, οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον νέᾳ τινὶ καταλαβὼν οἰκοδομίᾳ τῇ πόλει τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἀνε2.3.28 σώσατο. ὅσα δὲ κἀν τοῖς φρουρίοις αὐτῷ εἴργασται, ἅπερ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις τούτων δὴ τυγχάνει τῶν πόλεων ὄντα, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. 2.4.1 Ἐκ ∆άρας πόλεως ἰόντι ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη χώρα τις ἐν ἀριστερᾷ ἐστιν ἀναμάξευτός τε καὶ ἄφιππος ὅλως, κατατείνουσα μὲν ἐς ἡμέραιν ὁδὸν δυοῖν εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ μάλιστα, τελευτῶσα δὲ ἐς χῶρον σιμὸν καὶ ἀπόκρημνον, 2.4.2 Ῥάβδιος ὄνομα. ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ Ῥάβδιος φερούσης ὁδοῦ ἐφ'