,

from the very foundations of their allied land to the day of their enslavement, that I might narrate their tragedy in a more tragic manner. 2.7.6 But when the Romans were toiling, exploring the underworld, and the barbarian host did not escape a most hateful fate, they then encamped around the fortress of Chlomaron. On the following day, two men came over of their own accord, brothers by birth, 2.7.7 brothers by choice. And the one's name was Marouthas, and the other's Iobios; both were leaders of Arzane. Since they had deserted and were deemed worthy of a cheerful audience with the general, the matters of goodwill were then of great 2.7.8 concern to them. Therefore, since in most actions the word comes first, they first, as it were, fawned upon the general with some well-disposed remarks, and these indeed were those 2.7. words of goodwill: "If you should wish, general, for the Romans to acquire Arzane, we will point out certain places especially secure because of the strength of their fortification. The way of good counsel urges the building of fortresses." Such were the first things in the barbarians' conversation with the 2.7.10 general. And the words were not far from the leader's own thought; for he who commanded the Roman army was eager to obtain some such places; but for the time being, due to uncertainty, he was forced to postpone the 2.7.11 undertaking for lack of information. So when the general heard such reports, as if having come upon some lucky find, with a certain intense eagerness he sends away the second-in-command, Heraclius, sending along with him also the guides to the stronghold. 2.8.1 So he went on his way; but Cardarigan advanced against the Romans, having marshalled crowds not of fighting men but of common men for martial clamor, and yes, indeed, having gathered a multitude of pack animals and camels, he proceeded forward. And it was a kind of boast devoid of truth, a shadowing-over of things that were not so, just as some marvel composed with a certain trickery on a 2.8.2 stage. Therefore he encounters Heraclius and his men who were making their way forward to reconnoiter the places. 2.8.3 And twenty men accompanied Heraclius. But they were not clad in iron, through ignorance of what was to come. No helmet protected the head, no breastplate the chest, iron a match for iron, a defense for the body that moves with and follows the one it protects. For their good reputation had made them soft; for victory does not know how to preserve the victor in the same state of steadfastness 2.8.4. Heraclius, therefore, having become a spectator of the sight, feigned boldness and made a show of being carried in a forward direction. But when the trick was being laid bare, as the enemy were approaching and about to engage with them, he approaches with his men a certain high hill 2.8.5. And as the enemy directed their charge at them, they moved again to another hill, and from that one again to another, and by these successive movements they thwarted the enemy's plots. And at night he sent a messenger to Philippicus to report the barbarian 2.8.6 attack. And when the general, having brought this messenger into his own tent, heard that the barbarian force was intending to attack on the next day, he gathered the army, which was split up hither and thither and ravaging Arzane, having ordered the trumpet to sound the song of 2.8.7 recall. So it sounded, and they with intense haste approached the camp. And a certain man named Zaberthas (for this man had charge of the defense of Chlomaron) secretly and silently slipped out of the fortress, followed in the rear of the Roman force and approached quietly and at a walking pace, and having come alongside the Roman battle line, he escaped and joined Cardarigan's 2.8.8 men. Therefore the Persian deserter guides his countrymen and leads them to a position opposite the Roman host, having pointed out a certain safe place, a hindrance to attacks

ἐκ πυθμένων αὐτῶν τῆς συμμύστιδος γῆς ἐπὶ δούλιον ἦμαρ, ἵνα τὴν ἐκείνων τραγῳδίαν τραγικώτερον ἀφηγήσωμαι. 2.7.6 ᾿Αλλ' ὅτε ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἀπεπόνουν ἐρεβοδιφοῦντες τὰ ὑπο-χθόνια, καὶ τὴν ἐχθίστην τύχην οὐκ ἀπέδρα τὸ βάρβαρον, στρατοπεδεύουσι λοιπὸν ἀμφὶ τὸ φρούριον τὸ Χλομαρῶν. τῇ δ' ἐπιούσῃ ἄνδρες αὐτοματίζουσι δύο ἀδελφοὶ τὸ γένος, 2.7.7 ἀδελφοὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν. καὶ τῷ μὲν ἑνὶ ὄνομα Μαρουθᾶς, τῷ δ' ἑτέρῳ ᾿Ιώβιος· ἄμφω δὲ ἤστην ἡγεμόνε τῆς ᾿Αρζανηνῆς. ἐπεὶ δ' ηὐτομόλησαν καὶ τῆς τοῦ στρατηγοῦ μεθ' ἱλαρίας θέας ἠξίωντο, τὰ τῆς εὐνοίας λοιπὸν ἦν αὐτοῖς περισπού2.7.8 δαστα. τοίνυν ἐπεὶ ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς τῆς πράξεως ὁ λόγος ἐστὶ πρεσβύτερος, εὐγνώμοσι πρῶτόν τισιν ὁμιλήμασι τὸν στρατηγὸν ὥσπερ ὑπέσαινον, καὶ ταῦτα δὴ ἐκεῖνα τὰ 2.7. τῆς εὐνοίας ῥήματα ἦν· "εἰ βούλοιο, στρατηγέ, ῾Ρωμαίους τὴν ᾿Αρζανηνὴν ἐπικτήσασθαι, χώρους τινὰς ἡμεῖς ὑποδείξομεν οὐχ ἥκιστα ἀσύλους διὰ τὸ ἕρμα τοῦ ἐχυρώματος. δείμασθαι φρούρια ὁ τῆς εὐβουλίας ἐγκελεύεται τρόπος." τοιαῦτα ἦν τὰ πρῶτα τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων πρὸς τὸν στρα2.7.10 τηγὸν διαλέξεως. οὐκ ἄπο δὲ καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἡγεμόνος διανοίας τὰ ῥήματα· ἐγλίχετο γὰρ ὁ τὸ ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν ἰθύνων στρατόπεδον τοιούτων δή τινων ἐπιτεύξασθαι χώρων· τέως δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν τῇ τῆς γνώσεως ἀναβολῇ τὴν ἐπι2.7.11 βολὴν ἐβιάζετο. ὁπηνίκα γοῦν ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν τοιούτων ἀκροαμάτων μετείληφεν, ὥσπερ ἑρμαίῳ τινὶ περιτυχὼν μετά τινος προθυμίας συντόνου τὸν ὑποστράτηγον ἀποπέμπει ῾Ηράκλειον, συναποστείλας αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς ἑρμηνέας τοῦ ἐχυρώματος. 2.8.1 ῾Ο μὲν οὖν ᾤχετο ἀπιών· ὁ δὲ Καρδαριγὰν τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐπῄει, στρατεύσας πλήθη οὐ μαχίμων ἀλλ' ἰδιώτας ἄνδρας ἐνυαλίου ἠχήματος, ναὶ δῆτα καὶ ὑποζυγίων καὶ καμήλων πληθὺν συλλεξάμενος ἐς τὸ πρόσω ἐχώρει. καὶ κόμπος τις ἦν ἀληθείας χηρεύων, τῶν μὴ οὕτως ἐχόντων πραγμάτων συσκίασμα, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ σκηνῆς φενάκῃ τινὶ συν2.8.2 τεθὲν τερατούργημα. συντυγχάνει τοιγαροῦν τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν ῾Ηράκλειον ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ τῶν χώρων ποιουμένοις τὴν πρόοδον. 2.8.3 εἴκοσι δ' ἄνδρες ῾Ηρακλείῳ συνείποντο. οὐκ ἐσιδηροφόρουν δὲ τῇ ἀμαθίᾳ τοῦ μέλλοντος. οὐ κράνος τὴν κεφαλὴν διεφύλαττεν, οὐ θώραξ τὸ περιστέρνιον, σιδήρῳ ἀντίμαχος σίδηρος, ἕρκος σωμάτων συμβαδίζον τῷ περιφρουρουμένῳ καὶ συνεπόμενον. ἐξεθήλυνε γὰρ αὐτοὺς τὸ εὐδόκιμον· οὐ γὰρ νίκη ἐπίσταται ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς στερρότητος διαφυλάττειν 2.8.4 τὸν ἀριστεύσαντα. ὁ μὲν οὖν ῾Ηράκλειος ἐπόπτης γενόμενος τοῦ θεάματος τὸ τολμᾶν ὑπεκρίνετο καὶ τὴν <ἐς τὸ> πρόσω φορὰν κατεσχηματίζετο φέρεσθαι. ὅτε δὲ παρεγυμνοῦτο τὸ σόφισμα, τῶν πολεμίων παρεγγιζόντων καὶ μελλόντων σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἀναμίγνυσθαι, πρόσεισι σὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὑτὸν ἐν 2.8.5 μετεώρῳ λόφῳ τινί. τοῦ δὲ δυσμενοῦς ὡς αὐτοὺς τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπιβάλλοντος, πάλιν ἐπ' ἄλλον λόφον μετέβαινον, κἀπ' ἐκείνου αὖθις εἰς ἕτερον, καὶ ταῖς ὑπαλλαγαῖς τῶν μεταφοιτήσεων τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιβουλὰς διεκρούσαντο. καὶ νύκτωρ ὡς τὸν Φιλιππικὸν πέπομφεν ἄγγελον τὴν βαρβαρικὴν 2.8.6 ἐξαγορεύσαντα ἔφοδον. ὁπηνίκα δ' ὁ στρατηγὸς τουτονὶ τὸν ἀπόστολον ἐς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σκηνὴν ἐσαράμενος τὸ βαρβαρικὸν ἠκηκόει ἐν τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐπιτίθεσθαι μέλλειν, συναγείρει τὸ στράτευμα δεῦρο κἀκεῖσε περισχιζόμενον καὶ τὴν ᾿Αρζανηνὴν λυμαινόμενον, προστάξας περιλαλῆσαι τὸ ἀνακλητικὸν μέλος 2.8.7 τὴν σάλπιγγα. ἡ μὲν οὖν κατεκελάδει, οἱ δὲ μετὰ συντόνου σπουδῆς προσωμίλουν τῷ χάρακι. Ζαβέρτας δέ τις ἀνὴρ οὕτω τὴν προσηγορίαν περιαγόμενος (τῆς τοῦ Χλομαρῶν δ' ἄρα οὗτος διαφρουρᾶς τὰς φροντίδας ἀμπείχετο) τοῦ φρουρίου λάθρᾳ ὑπεξελθὼν ἀψοφητὶ οὐραγεῖ τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμεως καὶ πρόσεισιν ἠρέμα τε καὶ βάδην, καὶ τοῦ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐκ πλαγίου μαχίμου γενόμενος ἀπέδρα καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Καρ2.8.8 δαριγὰν ἀναμίγνυται. οὐκοῦν ὁ δραπέτης ὁ Πέρσης ποδηγεῖ τὸ ὁμόφυλον καὶ παράγει ἐς τὸ ἀντιμέτωπον τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων πληθύος, χωρίον τι ἀδεὲς ὑποδείξας ἐφόδων κωλύμην