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The Medes were as if at a lookout post; so great was the disorderly flight of the Latins. Therefore, one of the general's litter-bearing mules is struck by a barbarian arrow, and a tumult immediately arises; for the rumor was distorted, as if the general's baggage had been captured by the enemy's hand. After this, the arrows flew aimlessly and inflicted the greatest wounds on the Romans. Nevertheless, the barbarians did not press the flight too much, partly because they were afraid, and partly because they thought the Romans were contriving something and were cloaking their scheme, whatever it might be, with a pretense of flight. But when at midday all were gathered to the general, insults and taunts from the troops poured in upon Theodore. For in fact, this man had been entrusted with the guards of the lookout; but he, giving himself over to ease, neglected the task, and from this the disaster took place. The baggage of the Romans was also captured by the Persians, and the Persians came upon a certain very great good; for the famine was driven out, which like some inexorable tyrant had lain heavily upon them. The general swam across the river Nymphius and completed his withdrawal with the greatest dangers, and so very disgracefully was he rid of the Persian. On the next day, having approached Amida, he lost much of his force, as the Persian force cut down the rear of the Roman power. The general of the Persians, expectantly ... under Mount Izala, he erected forts, and indeed he also restored the old ones that had been weakened and had fallen into ruin with time and war, one of which is called Phathachon, and the other Alaleisos, and he placed garrisons in them, attempting thereby to hold Mount Izala; and he gave the army to Heraclius, while he himself, overwhelmed by grief, was unfit for battle. Heraclius, having drawn up the heavy-armed troops, encamped along the foothills of Izala, and also on the banks of the river Tigris, which, beginning its course from the northern parts of the Persian land, dances through and embraces the land of the Romans, and enfolds and encircles it, and makes a sort of double course by the whirl of its turning, and it surrounds a part of Mount Izala and embraces what is called the district of Thamanon, then it passes through with a gentle stream through Mount Melabasas and, moving towards the south, it comes to rest. Mount Melabasas belonged to Media; after this you would see the Carduchian mountains appearing, as geographers proclaim, offering us their understanding as trustworthy. Therefore, leaving Thamanon, Heraclius advanced to the southern parts of Media and laid waste all that land, and he also crossed the Tigris and drove the army forward, and he set on fire whatever was notable in that land of Media; then he returned through the Roman state and approached the city of Theodosius and was reunited again with the forces of Philippicus. When these things had indeed been accomplished contrary to expectation, the general broke camp. For the season of winter was already at hand, and the annual distribution of money was being made to the Roman regiment. But when the hours of spring brought forth the grass upon the earth, the general gave two parts of the entire Roman force to Heraclius, the father of the emperor Heraclius, and the other portion to Theodore of Tur Abdin and to Andrew; (for this man was an interpreter for the Saracen tribe that was allied with the Romans), and he ordered them to make use of sorties and attacks and to descend again upon the state of the Persians. For the general was ill and was not able to take part in the struggle of war. In this year, then, Comentiolus came to Anchialus and gathered the army and, having separated the bravest of the multitude from the useless

Μῆδοι ὥσπερ ἐπὶ σκοπῷ· τηλικαύτη τις 2..12 ἦν Λατίνων ἡ μετὰ τῆς ἀκοσμίας ἀπόδρασις. τοιγαροῦν βάλλεται καὶ μία τῶν κλινοφόρων ἡμιόνων τοῦ στρατηγοῦ βέλει βαρβαρικῷ, καὶ τάραχος ἐς τὸ παρευθὺ ἐπανίσταται· παρεμορφοῦτο γὰρ ἡ φήμη ὡς οἷα καὶ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἁλούσης ὑπὸ τῆς πολεμίας χειρός. μετὰ τοῦτο τὰ βέλη τηνάλλως ἀφίπταντο καὶ μέγιστα ῾Ρωμαίοις διεπόρθμευον τραύ2..13 ματα. ὅμως οὐ συνεπέθετο ἄγαν τῇ ἀποδράσει τὸ βάρβαρον, τοῦτο μὲν καὶ δεδιότες, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ διανοούμενοι μηχανᾶσθαί τι ῾Ρωμαίους καὶ προκαλύμματι ἀποδράσεως περιπέττειν, ὅ τι ἂν εἴη 2..14 αὐτοῖς τὸ πανούργημα. ἐπεὶ δὲ μεσοῦντος ἡλίου ἅπαντες ὡς τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐνηθροίσθησαν, ὕβρεις καὶ ἀποσκώμματα ὡς τὸν Θεόδωρον ὑπὸ τῶν στρατευμάτων συνέρρει. τῷ ὄντι γὰρ οὑτοσὶ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς τὰς φρουρὰς ἐγκεχείριστο· ὁ δὲ ἐκδοὺς ἑαυτὸν τῇ ῥαστώνῃ κατεραθύμησε τοῦ πόνου, καὶ τὸ 2..15 κακὸν ἐντεῦθεν χώραν ἐλάμβανεν. ἥλω δ' ὑπὸ τοῦ Περσικοῦ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων, καὶ περιτυγχάνουσι Πέρσαι μεγίστῳ τινὶ ἀγαθῷ· ὁ λιμὸς γὰρ ἐξέωστο, οἷά τις τύραννος ἀπαραίτητος χαλεπῶς σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενος. 2..16 ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τὸν Νύμφιον ποταμὸν διενήξατο μετὰ μεγίστων κινδύνων διανύσας τὴν ἐπανάζευξιν, καὶ οὕτω λίαν αἰσχρῶς τῆς Περσικῆς ἀπηλλάττετο. τῇ δ' ὑστεραίᾳ τῇ ᾿Αμίδῃ προσομιλήσας πολλὴν ἀποβάλλεται δύναμιν, τοῦ Περσικοῦ τὰ νῶτα 2..17 τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμεως περικείροντος. ἀποκαραδοκήσας δ' ὁ Περσῶν στρατηγὸς ... ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος τὸ ᾿Ιζαλὰ φρούρια ἀνεστήσατο, ναὶ μὴν καὶ τὰ γεγηρακότα ἀνέρρωσε παρειμένα τε καὶ διερρυηκότα τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τῷ πολέμῳ, ὧν τὸ μὲν προσαγορεύεται Φαθαχών, τὸ δ' ἕτερον ᾿Αλαλεισός, περιέβαλέ τε φρουροὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ ᾿Ιζαλὰ ὄρος ἐντεῦθεν παρακατέχειν διεγχειρῶν· μετεδίδου τε τῷ ῾Ηρακλείῳ τὸ στράτευμα, αὐτὸς δ' ὑπὸ τῆς λύπης κατακλυζόμενος ἀπόμαχος ἦν. 2.10.1 ῾Ο δ' ῾Ηράκλειος τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν διατάξας κατὰ τὰ παρύπτια τοῦ ᾿Ιζαλὰ στρατοπεδεύεται, μενοῦνγε καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰς ὄχθας τοῦ Τίγριδος, ὃς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρκτῴων τῆς Περσικῆς τῆς βαδίσεως ἀπαρχόμενος τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων γῆν δια-χορεύει καὶ περιπτύσσεται ἀνακολποῦταί τε καὶ περιάγεται καὶ οἷα διπλόην τινὰ τῷ ἰλίγγῳ τῆς περιτροπῆς ἀπεργάζεται, 2.10.2 περιβάλλεται δὲ καί τι τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ᾿Ιζαλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπιλεγόμενον Θαμανῶν διανοστῶν ἀγκαλίζεται, εἶτα διεξοδεύεται ἁπαλῷ τῷ ῥείθρῳ διὰ τοῦ Μελαβασῶν ὄρους καὶ ἐς τὴν 2.10.3 μεσημβρίαν διαφοιτῶν κατευνάζεται. τὸ δὲ Μελαβασῶν ὄρος ἔφυ τῆς Μηδικῆς· μετὰ τοῦτο τὰ Καρδούχια ὄρη ἴδοις προκύπτοντα, ὡς γεωγράφοι κηρύττουσιν ἀξιοπιστίαν 2.10.4 ἡμῖν προβαλλόμενοι τὴν κατάληψιν. τοιγαροῦν ἀπολιπὼν τὸ Θαμανῶν ῾Ηράκλειος εἰς τὰ μεσημβρινὰ τῆς Μηδικῆς προσε-χώρησε καὶ ἅπασαν ἐκείνην τὴν γῆν περιτέμνεται, διαπορθμεύεται δὲ καὶ τὸν Τίγριν καὶ ἐς τὸ πρόσω παρελαύνει τὸ στράτευμα, καὶ ἐνεπίμπρα τῆς Μηδικῆς ἐκείνης χώρας ὅσα ἐπίσημα· εἶτα ἐπανῆκεν ἀνὰ τὴν ῾Ρωμαϊκὴν πολιτείαν καὶ τὴν Θεοδοσίου περιπτύσσεται πόλιν καὶ ἀναμίγνυται αὖθις 2.10.5 τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Φιλιππικόν. τούτων δῆτα τελεσιουργηθέντων παρὰ τὴν δόκησιν, ὁ στρατηγὸς τὴν τάφρον διέλυσεν. χειμῶνος γὰρ ἤδη που ἐνεδήμει καιρός, καὶ ἡ ἐγκύκλιος τῶν χρημά2.10.6 των ἐπίδοσις τῷ ῾Ρωμαϊκῷ ἐχεῖτο συντάγματι. ἐπεὶ δ' ἐαρέτιδες ὧραι τὴν περιχθόνιον πόαν ἐξέφυσαν, ἐδίδου ὁ στρατηγὸς τὰς μὲν δύο μοίρας τῆς ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς πάσης δυνάμεως ῾Ηρακλείῳ τῷ ῾Ηρακλείου πατρὶ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, τὸν δ' ἅτερον ἀποδασμὸν Θεοδώρῳ τῷ Τουραβδηνῷ καὶ ᾿Ανδρέᾳ· (ἑρμηνεὺς δ' ἄρα οὑτοσὶ τοῦ Σαρακηνικοῦ φύλου τοῦ ἐπικουροῦντος 2.10.7 ῾Ρωμαίοις), προσέταττε δ' ἀπεκδρομῇ καὶ ἐφόδοις προσχρήσασθαι καὶ κατᾶραι αὖθις τῆς Περσῶν πολιτείας. ὑπενόσει γὰρ ὁ στρατηγὸς καὶ πολεμικῆς ἀγωνίας ἐφάπτεσθαι οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν. 2.10.8 Τούτῳ δῆτα τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ Κομεντίολος ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αγχίαλον ἧκε συναγείρει τε τὸ στράτευμα τούς τε ἀλκιμωτάτους τοῦ πλήθους διευκρινήσας τῆς ἀχρήστου