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To make promises is easy, but to fulfill the “promised things by deed is most difficult and beyond “hope, especially if you should also ratify the 1.14.6 “agreements with certain oaths. We, therefore, having given “up on your deceit, have been compelled to come against you in arms, “but you, O friendly Romans, think nothing else for the “future than that you must make war against the Persians. “For here we will have to either die or grow old, “until you render us our rights in deed.” So much 1.14.7 Mirranes also wrote in reply. Again Belisarius and his men wrote as follows: “One must not grant everything, O most excellent “Mirranes, to arrogance, nor heap upon one's neighbors 1.14.8 “reproaches which are in no way fitting. For Ru“finus, who came on an embassy, is not far away, “as we truthfully said and you yourself will know before 1.14.9 “long. But since you are eager for the deeds of war, “we will draw up against you with God, whom we know will “assist us in the danger, being pleased with the peacefulness of the Romans, “but angered by the arrogance of the Persians and by the fact that “you have decided to oppose us when we were inviting you to peace. 1.14.10 “And we will draw up for battle, having the letters from each “side hung from the tips of the standards for the engagement.” 1.14.11 So much the letter declared. And Mirranes again replied as follows: “Neither do we enter into war without our “gods, and with them “we will come against you, with whom on the morrow I have the hope of bringing “the Persians into Daras. 1.14.12 But let the “bath and breakfast be prepared for me inside the walls.” Belisarius and his men, having read these things, prepared for the engagement. 1.14.13 On the following day, Mirranes, having called together all the Persians around sunrise, spoke as follows: “I am not unaware that not by the words of their leaders, but “by their own valor and respect for one another, are the Persians accustomed to be confident in 1.14.14 “dangers. But seeing you reasoning “as to why on earth it was not customary for the Romans previously “to go into battle without tumult and disorder, “but recently with a certain order in no way “fitting for them, they withstood the attacking Persians, for this reason “I have decided to make a certain exhortation to you, so that it might not “happen that you, holding a false opinion, should be tripped up. 1.14.15 “For do not suppose that the Romans have suddenly become “better at warfare, nor have acquired more valor or experience, “but that they have even become more cowardly “than they happened to be before; since they so fear “the Persians that not even without a trench have they dared to draw up their 1.14.16 “battle line. Nor with this “did they initiate any battle, but since we in no way “came to blows with them, being glad and thinking that matters “had turned out for them beyond hope, they withdrew to the wall. 1.14.17 “For this reason it has happened that they were not thrown into confusion, “having not yet come into the danger of war. But “if the battle should become hand-to-hand, terror and “inexperience, seizing them, will, as is likely, cast them “into their usual disorder. 1.14.18 “Such, then, are the affairs of the “enemy; but as for you, O men of Persia, let the judgment of the 1.14.19 “King of Kings enter your minds. For if you do not play “the man in the present situation worthily of the valor of the Persians, “an inglorious punishment will befall you.” 1.14.20 Thus having exhorted them, Mirranes led the army against the enemy. But Belisarius and Hermogenes, having gathered all the Romans before the rampart, 1.14.21 exhorted them as follows: “That the Persians are not altogether “invincible nor stronger than to be mortal, you surely know, “judging from the previous battle; but that while being superior to them “in both manliness and strength of body, you are defeated only “in being more disobedient to your leaders, no one 1.14.22 “would deny. Which it is possible for you to correct with no “trouble. For the reversals of fortune “are by no means of a nature to be set right by effort, but awareness of one’s “own faults could easily become a man’s physician; 1.14.23 “so that if you are willing to obey what is commanded, “you will forthwith win the victory in the war. “For they by nothing else than our disorder

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ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι πρόχειρόν ἐστιν, ἔργῳ δὲ τὰ «ἐπηγγελμένα ἐπιτελεῖν χαλεπώτατόν τε καὶ κρεῖσσον «ἐλπίδος, ἄλλως τε ἢν καὶ ὅρκοις τισὶ κυρώσητε τὰ 1.14.6 «ξυγκείμενα. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀπει»πόντες ἀπάτην ἐν ὅπλοις ἠναγκάσμεθα παρ' ὑμᾶς «ἥκειν, ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὦ φίλοι Ῥωμαῖοι, μηδὲν ἄλλο τὸ «λοιπὸν οἴεσθε ἢ πολεμητέα ὑμῖν ἐς Πέρσας εἶναι. «ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἢ τεθνάναι ἢ καταγηράσκειν δεήσει, «ἕως ἔργῳ τὰ δίκαια πρὸς ἡμᾶς θήσεσθε.» τοσαῦτα 1.14.7 μὲν καὶ ὁ Μιρράνης ἀντέγραψεν. αὖθις δὲ οἱ ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον ἔγραψαν ὧδε «Οὐ πάντα χρὴ, ὦ βέλτιστε «Μιρράνη, τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ χαρίζεσθαι, οὐδὲ τοῖς πέλας 1.14.8 «ἐπιφέρειν ὀνείδη τὰ μηδαμόθεν προσήκοντα. Ῥου»φῖνον γὰρ ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ ἥκοντα οὐκ ἄποθεν εἶναι «ἡμεῖς τε εἴπομεν ξὺν τῷ ἀληθεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐς 1.14.9 «μακρὰν εἴσῃ. γλιχομένοις δὲ ὑμῖν πολεμίων ἔργων «ἀντιταξόμεθα ξὺν θεῷ, ὃν ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ κινδύνῳ «ξυλλήψεσθαι ἴσμεν, ἠγμένον μὲν τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀπραγμο»σύνῃ, ἀλαζονείᾳ δὲ τῇ Περσῶν νεμεσήσαντα καὶ οἷς «ἐπὶ τὴν εἰρήνην προκαλουμένοις ἡμῖν εἶτα ἀντιτείνειν 1.14.10 «ἐγνώκατε. ἀντιταξόμεθα δὲ τὰ γεγραμμένα παρ' ἑκα»τέρων ἀπ' ἄκρων σημείων ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν ἀναψά1.14.11 μενοι.» τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡ γραφὴ ἐδήλου. Μιρράνης δὲ καὶ αὖθις ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἄνευ θεῶν τῶν «ἡμετέρων ἐς τὸν πόλεμον καθιστάμεθα, ξὺν αὐτοῖς «δὲ παρ' ὑμᾶς ἥξομεν, οὕσπερ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ Πέρσας ἐς 1.14.12 «∆άρας ἐσβιβάσειν ἐλπίδα ἔχω. ἀλλά μοι τό τε βαλα»νεῖον καὶ ἄριστον ἐν παρασκευῇ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐντὸς «γινέσθω». ταῦτα οἱ ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον ἀναλεξάμενοι παρεσκευάζοντο ἐς τὴν ξυμβολήν. 1.14.13 Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ Πέρσας ἅπαντας περὶ ἡλίου ἀνατολὰς ξυγκαλέσας Μιρράνης ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Οὐκ ἀγνοῶ μὲν ὡς οὐ λόγοις τῶν ἡγουμένων, ἀλλ' «ἀρετῇ τε οἰκείᾳ καὶ τῇ ἐς ἀλλήλους αἰδοῖ θαρσεῖν ἐν 1.14.14 «τοῖς κινδύνοις εἰώθασι Πέρσαι. ὁρῶν δὲ ὑμᾶς δια»λογιζομένους τί δήποτε οὐ συνειθισμένον Ῥωμαίοις «πρότερον ἄνευ θορύβων τε καὶ ἀταξίας εἰς μάχην «ἰέναι, οἱ δὲ ξὺν κόσμῳ τινὶ ἔναγχος οὐδαμόθεν σφίσι «προσήκοντι Πέρσας ἐπιόντας ὑπέστησαν, τοῦδε εἵνεκα «παραίνεσιν ποιεῖσθαί τινα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἔγνωκα, ὅπως μὴ «δόξῃ οὐκ ἀληθεῖ χρωμένοις ὑμῖν σφαλῆναι συμβαίη. 1.14.15 «μὴ γὰρ οἴεσθε Ῥωμαίους ἀμείνους τὰ πολέμια ἐκ τοῦ «αἰφνιδίου γενέσθαι μηδὲ ἀρετῆς τι ἢ ἐμπειρίας κεκτῆ»σθαι πλέον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δειλοὺς αὐτοὺς γεγονέναι «μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ πρότερα ὄντες ἐτύγχανον· οἵ γε οὕτω «Πέρσας δεδίασιν ὥστε οὐδὲ τάφρου χωρὶς ἐς τὴν 1.14.16 «φάλαγγα καθίστασθαι τετολμήκασιν. οὐδὲ ξὺν ταύτῃ «μάχης τινὸς ἦρξαν, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἐς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς οὐδα»μῶς ἤλθομεν, ἄσμενοί τε καὶ κρεῖσσον ἐλπίδος τὰ «πράγματα σφίσι κεχωρηκέναι οἰόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος 1.14.17 «ἐχώρησαν. διὸ δὴ αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ ξυντεταράχθαι τε»τύχηκεν, οὔπω εἰς κίνδυνον πολέμου ἐλθοῦσιν. ἢν «δέ γε ἡ μάχη ἐκ χειρὸς γένηται, ὀρρωδία τε αὐτοὺς «καὶ ἀπειρία περιλαβοῦσαι ἐς ἀκοσμίαν τὴν συνήθη, 1.14.18 «ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, καταστήσουσι. τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν πολε»μίων τοιαῦτά ἐστιν· ὑμᾶς δὲ, ὦ ἄνδρες Πέρσαι, τοῦ 1.14.19 «βασιλέων βασιλέως ἡ κρίσις εἰσίτω. ἢν γὰρ μὴ ἐπα»ξίως τῆς Περσῶν ἀρετῆς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀνδραγα»θίζοισθε, κόλασις ὑμᾶς οὐκ εὐκλεὴς περιστήσεται.» 1.14.20 οὕτω μὲν Μιρράνης παρακελευσάμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τὸ στράτευμα ἦγε. Βελισάριος δὲ καὶ Ἑρμογένης πρὸ τοῦ περιβόλου πάντας Ῥωμαίους ἀγείραντες 1.14.21 παρεκελεύσαντο ὧδε «Ὡς μὲν οὐκ εἰσὶ παντάπασιν «ἀνίκητοι Πέρσαι οὐδὲ κρείσσους ἢ θνήσκειν, ἐπίστασθε «δή που μάχῃ τῇ προτέρᾳ σταθμώμενοι· ὡς δὲ τῇ τε «ἀνδρίᾳ καὶ σώματος ἰσχύϊ περιόντες αὐτῶν μόνῳ «ἡττᾶσθε τῷ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἀπειθέστεροι εἶναι, οὐδεὶς 1.14.22 «ἂν ἀντείποι. ὅπερ ἐπανορθοῦν πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ὑμῖν «πάρεστι. τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς τύχης ἐναντιώματα σπουδῇ «ἐπανορθοῦσθαι οὐδαμῶς πέφυκε, γνώμη δὲ τῶν «οἰκείων κακῶν ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἀνθρώπῳ ἰατρὸς γένοιτο· 1.14.23 «ὥστε ἢν τῶν παραγγελλομένων κατακούειν ᾖ βουλο»μένοις ὑμῖν, αὐτίκα δὴ ἀναδήσεσθε τὸ τοῦ πολέμου «κράτος. οἱ γὰρ οὐκ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἢ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ἀκόσμῳ