26

constrained it from overflowing, and left the wall entirely free from damage from this source, even if the river swells and rises to a great height. 2.8.19 But finding the circuit-wall of this city, the part of it which turned toward the north wind, altogether ruinous from the passage of time, he demolished it down to the ground, together with the outwork, but he did not rebuild it where it had been before, since in that place the buildings of the city were very crowded and annoyed the inhabitants there. 2.8.20 But going beyond the previous site of the foundations of both the circuit-wall and the outwork, and indeed the moat itself, there he built the wall, both worth seeing and exceptionally handsome, having made Zenobia much wider in this part. 2.8.21 But also a certain hill stood before the city, very close to the city, toward the setting sun; from which it was possible for the attacking barbarians to shoot down from above more fearlessly upon both its defenders and not least upon those standing in the middle of the city. 2.8.22 Therefore Emperor Justinian, having attached a fortification to this hill from both sides, and having placed it inside Zenobia, scraped it down entirely and most thoroughly, so that no one might climb up from there to do mischief, and he placed another fortification above the hill, and thus he rendered the city completely unapproachable to those wishing to attack it. 2.8.23 For outside the hill, the land happens to be exceedingly hollow, and for this reason it is impossible for the enemy to approach closer. 2.8.24 But above the hollow land the mountains rise immediately, which are turned toward the setting sun. This emperor not only provided for the city's security, but also dedicated churches here and barracks for military detachments. 2.8.25 Moreover, he added public baths and stoas to it. For all these things, the engineers Isidore and John provided their services, John being a Byzantine, and Isidore a Milesian by birth, the nephew of that Isidore whom I mentioned before, both of them young men, but displaying a natural power beyond their years and flourishing in experience along with the emperor's works. 2.9.1 After Zenobia is the small city of Sura, situated on the river Euphrates, which had a fortification so contemptible that once when Chosroes attacked, it did not hold him off for even half an hour, but was captured by the Persians straightaway. 2.9.2 But this too, just like Callinicum, Emperor Justinian rebuilt, surrounding the entire little town with a very strong wall and strengthening it with an outwork, and so prepared it that it would no longer yield to an attacking enemy. 2.9.3 There is a certain shrine dedicated to Sergius, a famous saint, in Euphratesia, which the men of old, revering and holding in awe, named the place Sergiopolis and surrounded it with a very small wall, just enough to be able to ward off the Saracens there from capturing it in a raid. 2.9.4 For Saracens are by nature incapable of storming a wall, and any most paltry fortification, if it should so happen, even one made of clay, becomes an obstacle to their assault. 2.9.5 But later this shrine, from the income of its treasures, 2.9.6 was always both powerful and conspicuous. Taking this matter into consideration, Emperor Justinian immediately made it his concern, he surrounded it with a most noteworthy wall, and having collected a great store of water, he arranged for them to have it in abundance. 2.9.7 Moreover, he also added to the place houses and stoas and the other buildings, 2.9.8 which are wont to be the ornaments of a city. But he also established here a garrison of soldiers to defend the circuit-wall when needed. 2.9.9 Indeed Chosroes, the king of the Persians, having been eager to capture the city and having set a large army against it for a siege, withdrew from there without success and broke off the siege because of the strength of the fortification. 2.9.10 And all the small cities and forts that were on the remote borders of Euphratesia he deemed worthy of the same care, both Barbalissus and Neocaesarea and the place called Gaboulon and Pentacomia on the river Euphrates and Europus, and also

26

ὑπερβλύζοντος κατηνάγκασεν, ἐλεύθερον δὲ τὸ παράπαν τῆς ἐνθένδε λώβης τὸ τεῖχος ἀφῆκεν, ἢν καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ὁ ποταμὸς κυμαίνων ἐς ὕψος 2.8.19 ἐγείρηται μέγα. ταύτης δὲ τῆς πόλεως τὸν περίβολον, ὃς δὴ αὐτῆς ἐτέτραπτο πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον, πεπονηκότα παντάπασι χρόνου μήκει εὑρών, παρέλυσε μὲν σὺν τῷ προτειχίσματι ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἀνῳκοδομήσατο δὲ οὐχ ᾗπερ τὸ πρότερον ἦν, ἐπεὶ ἐνταῦθα αἱ τῆς πόλεως οἰκοδομίαι στενοχωρούμεναι μάλιστα τοὺς ταύτῃ ᾠκημένους ἠνίων. 2.8.20 ἀλλὰ τὴν προτέραν ὑπερβὰς τῶν τε θεμελίων τοῦ περιβόλου καὶ τοῦ προτειχίσματος χώραν, ἔτι μέντοι καὶ τὴν τάφρον αὐτήν, ἐνταῦθα τὸ τεῖχος ἐδείματο ἀξιοθέατόν τε καὶ διαφερόντως εὐπρόσωπον, ταύτῃ εὐρυτέραν παρὰ 2.8.21 πολὺ τὴν Ζηνοβίαν πεποιημένος. ἀλλὰ καὶ λόφος τις πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἄγχιστα τῆς πόλεως εἱστήκει πρὸς δύοντά που τὸν ἥλιον· ἐξ οὗ δὴ παρῆν τοῖς ἐπιοῦσιν ἀεὶ βαρβάροις βάλλειν κατὰ κορυφὴν ἀδεέστερον τούς τε ἀμυνομένους αὐτῆς καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα τοὺς ἐν μέσῃ πό2.8.22 λει ἑστῶτας. τούτῳ οὖν τῷ λόφῳ τείχισμα ἐνάψας Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἑκατέρωθεν, ἐντός τε αὐτὸν τῆς Ζηνοβίας καταστησάμενος, ἔξυσε μὲν ὅλον ἐνδελεχέστατα, ὡς μή τις κακουργήσων ἐνθένδε ἀνίοι, τείχισμα δὲ ἄλλο τοῦ λόφου ὕπερθεν ἔθετο, ἀπρόσοδόν τε ὅλως τὴν πόλιν 2.8.23 οὕτως τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐθέλουσιν ἀπειργάσατο. τοῦ μὲν γὰρ λόφου ἐκτὸς κοίλην εἶναι τὴν γῆν ἐς ἄγαν συμβαίνει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐγγυτέρω ἰέναι τοὺς πολεμίους 2.8.24 ἀδύνατον. ὑπὲρ γῆν δὲ τὴν κοίλην εὐθὺς τὰ ὄρη ἀνέχει, ἃ πρὸς ἥλιον δύοντα τέτραπται. οὐ μόνον δὲ τῇ πόλει τὰ ἐς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπρυτάνευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱερὰ ταύτῃ ἀνέθηκε καὶ στρατιωτικῶν σημείων 2.8.25 οἰκίας. ἔτι μέντοι λουτρῶνας καὶ στοὰς προσεποίησεν αὐτῇ δημοσίας. ἐς ταῦτα δὲ πάντα Ἰσίδωρός τε καὶ Ἰωάννης μηχανοποιοὶ τὴν ὑπουργίαν παρέσχοντο, Βυζάντιος μὲν Ἰωάννης, Ἰσίδωρος δὲ Μιλήσιος γένος, Ἰσιδώρου ἀδελφιδοῦς, οὗπερ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεμνήσθην, νεανίαι μὲν ἄμφω, δύναμιν δὲ φύσεως ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐπιδειξάμενοι καὶ τῇ ἐμπειρίᾳ τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως συνακμάσαντες ἔργων. 2.9.1 Μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ζηνοβίαν τὸ Σούρων πόλισμα, πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ ποταμῷ κείμενον, οὕτω δὴ εὐκαταφρόνητον τὸ τείχισμα εἶχεν ὥστε Χοσρόην προσβαλόντα ποτὲ οὐδὲ ὅσον ἡμιώριον ἀπεκρούσατο, ἀλλ' εὐθυωρὸν ἑάλω Πέρ2.9.2 σαις. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ Καλλίνικον, Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἀνοικοδομησάμενος τὸ πολίχνιον ὅλον τείχει τε ἐχυρωτάτῳ περιβαλὼν καὶ προτειχίσματι κρατυνάμενος μηκέτι εἴκειν προσβάλλουσι πολεμίοις διεσκευάσατο. 2.9.3 Ἔστι δέ τις νεὼς Σεργίῳ ἀνειμένος ἐν τῇ Εὐφρατησίᾳ ἐπιφανεῖ ἁγίῳ, ὃν δὴ σέβοντές τε καὶ τεθηπότες οἱ πάλαι ἄνθρωποι Σεργιούπολίν τε ἐπωνόμασαν τὸ χωρίον καὶ τειχίσματι βραχυτάτῳ περιβεβλήκεσαν, ὅσον τοὺς ἐκείνῃ Σαρακηνοὺς ἀποκρούεσθαι οἷόν τε εἶναι ἐξ ἐπι2.9.4 δρομῆς αὐτὸ ἐξελεῖν. ἀδύνατοι γὰρ τειχομαχεῖν εἰσι Σαρακηνοὶ φύσει, καί τι αὐτῶν, ἂν οὕτω τύχοι, τείχισμα φαυλότατον καὶ πηλῷ σύνθετον ἐμπόδιον τῇ ὁρμῇ 2.9.5 γίνεται. ἀλλ' ὕστερον ὁ νεὼς οὗτος κειμηλίων προσόδῳ 2.9.6 δυνατός τε καὶ ἀπόβλεπτος διὰ παντὸς ἦν. ὃ δὴ λογισάμενος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τὸ πρᾶγμα εὐθὺς ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ πεποίηται, τείχει τε ἀξιολογωτάτῳ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα περιβέβληκε, καὶ ὑδάτων θησαυρίσας μέγα τι χρῆμα πλή2.9.7 θειν αὐτοῖς ἐσκευάσατο. ἔτι μέντοι καὶ οἰκίας τε καὶ στοὰς καὶ τὰς ἄλλας οἰκοδομίας τῷ χωρίῳ ἐντέθεικεν, 2.9.8 ἃ δὴ πόλεως ἐγκαλλωπίσματα γίνεσθαι εἴωθεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ φρουρὰν τῇδε στρατιωτῶν εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ περιβόλου 2.9.9 ἀμυνομένων ἱδρύσατο. Χοσρόης ἀμέλει ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς ἐν σπουδῇ πεποιημένος τὴν πόλιν ἑλεῖν στράτευμά τε αὐτῇ ἐπὶ πολιορκίᾳ πολὺ ἐπιστήσας ἄπρακτος ἐνθένδε ὀχυρώματος ἰσχύϊ τὴν προσεδρείαν διέλυσε. 2.9.10 Καὶ πολίσματα δὲ καὶ φρούρια πάντα ἐν ἐσχατιαῖς τῶν Εὐφρατησίας ὁρίων ὄντα τῆς ὁμοίας ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσε, Βαρβαλισσοῦ τε καὶ Νεοκαισαρείας καὶ τοῦ Γαβούλων καλουμένου καὶ τῆς πρὸς Εὐφράτῃ τῷ ποταμῷ Πεντακωμίας καὶ τοῦ Εὐρωποῦ, ἔτι