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and having adorned towns and forts in the same manner, he made them quite enviable. 2.11.10 Thus indeed did the Emperor Justinian preserve Syria in safety. Now there is a certain city in Phoenicia by Libanus, Palmyra by name, built in a place devoid of neighbours by men of old, but situated conveniently for the passage of the enemy 2.11.11 Saracens. For it was for this very reason that they had built it previously, so that these barbarians 2.11.12 might not escape notice while suddenly invading Roman territory. This city, which had become for the most part desolate through the length of time, the Emperor Justinian strengthened with fortifications beyond description, and furthermore having filled it with an abundance of water and a garrison of soldiers, he checked the inroads of the Saracens. 3.t.1 BOOK 3. 3.1.1 Thus the Emperor Justinian strengthened the eastern land with fortifications, as was said by me in the preceding book. But as I began to describe from the borders of the Roman empire next to Persia the defences built by him, it seemed to me not out of place to proceed from there to the Armenians, who indeed dwell next to the Persians from the city of Amida as far as the other Theodosiopolis. 3.1.2 But as I am about to make mention of the buildings there, it seems most needful to explain first in what manner indeed this emperor most firmly established the Armenians, who were living in a very precarious way, in their present security. 3.1.3 For not only by buildings did he save these his subjects, but also by his other forethought, which will be described by me very soon. But I must begin a little from an earlier time. 3.1.4 A king of their own race was of old appointed for the Armenians, as has been related by those who have written the most ancient 3.1.5 histories. But when Alexander the Macedonian overthrew the king of the Persians, the Persians, having been enslaved, remained quiet, but the Parthians rose up against the Macedonians and being victorious in the war both drove them out from there and held the lands as far as the river Tigris, and the affairs of the Persians lay under their control for the remaining five hundred years, until Alexander, the son of Mamaea, became emperor of the Romans. 3.1.6 And once one of the kings among the Parthians appointed his own brother as king for the Armenians, Arsaces by name, as the history of the Armenians says. For let no one 3.1.7 think the Arsacids to be Armenians. At any rate, peace continued for them for five hundred years on account of their kinship. 3.1.8 And the king of the Armenians was seated in so-called Greater Armenia, being from of old subject to the Roman emperor, but later in time two sons were born to a certain Arsaces, king of the Armenians, Tigranes and 3.1.9 Arsaces by name. who, when he was about to end his life, making a will, made both his sons successors to his rule, not appointing an equal power for each, but leaving a fourfold share to Tigranes. 3.1.10 So Arsaces the father, having thus arranged the kingdom, departed from among men, but Arsaces the son, being vexed and annoyed at the terms by which he happened to be disadvantaged, brought the matter before the Roman emperor, having every hope of overthrowing his brother's rule and of rendering invalid the decision of his father, which was unjust. 3.1.11 And at that time Theodosius, the son of Arcadius, being still a mere boy, was ruling the Romans. and fearing punishment from the emperor, Tigranes placed himself in the hands of the Persians, surrendering his kingdom, and having considered it of more importance to be a private citizen among the Persians than to come to a just settlement with his brother and to rule the Armenians 3.1.12 with him rightly and justly. And Arsaces too, no less fearing the plot from the Persians and his brother, abdicated his own kingdom to the emperor Theodosius on certain conditions, which have been set forth by me in my books on the wars. 3.1.13 And for some time the land of the Armenians became an object of contention for both Romans and Persians, but at last they came to an agreement that the Persians should have the portion of Tigranes, 3.1.14 and the Romans that of Arsaces. And on these terms a treaty was concluded by both parties, and the

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πολίσματά τε καὶ φρούρια τὸν αὐτὸν κεκοσμηκὼς τρόπον ζηλωτὰ ἐπιεικῶς κατεστήσατο. 2.11.10 Οὕτω μὲν Συρίαν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ διεσώσατο. πόλις δέ πού ἐστιν ἐπὶ Φοινίκης τῆς παρὰ Λίβανον, Παλμύρα ὄνομα, ἐν χώρῳ μὲν πεποιημένη τοῖς πάλαι ἀνθρώποις ἀγείτονι, ἐν καλῷ δὲ τῆς τῶν πολεμίων 2.11.11 Σαρακηνῶν διόδου κειμένη. τούτου γὰρ δὴ αὐτὴν ἕνεκα καὶ ᾠκοδομήσαντο πρότερον, ὡς μὴ λάθοιεν οἱ βάρβαροι 2.11.12 οὗτοι ἐξάπινα ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἤθη ἐμβάλλοντες. ταύτην βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς διὰ χρόνου μῆκος ἔρημον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον γεγενημένην ὀχυρώμασί τε λόγου μείζοσιν ἐπιρρώσας, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ὑδάτων περιουσίας καὶ φυλακτηρίου στρατιωτῶν ἐμπλησάμενος, τὰς τῶν Σαρακηνῶν ἐπιδρομὰς ἀνεχαίτισεν. 3.τ.1 ΛΟΓΟΣ Γʹ. 3.1.1 Χώραν μὲν τὴν ἑῴαν οὕτως Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ὀχυρώμασιν ἐκρατύνατο, ᾗπέρ μοι ἐν τῷ ἔμπροσθεν λόγῳ ἐρρήθη. ἀρξαμένῳ δέ μοι ἐκ τῶν παρὰ Πέρσας ὁρίων τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς περιηγεῖσθαι τὰ πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐρύματα γεγενημένα, οὔ μοι ἀπὸ καιροῦ ἔδοξεν εἶναι ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀρμενίους ἐνθένδε ἰέναι, οἳ δὴ ἐκ πόλεως Ἀμίδης ἄχρι ἐς Θεοδοσιούπολιν τὴν ἑτέραν προσοικοῦσι Πέρσαις. 3.1.2 μέλλοντι δέ μοι τῶν ἐκείνῃ οἰκοδομημάτων ἐπιμνησθῆναι προυργιαίτατον φαίνεται εἶναι ὑπειπεῖν πρότερον ὅντινα δὴ τρόπον σφαλερῶς ἄγαν βιοτεύοντας τοὺς Ἀρμενίους ὁ βασιλεὺς οὗτος ἐς τὴν παροῦσαν ἀσφάλειαν 3.1.3 βεβαιότατα μεθηρμόσατο. οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὅσον οἰκοδομίαις τούτους τοὺς κατηκόους ἐσώσατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ προνοίᾳ, ᾗπέρ μοι αὐτίκα μάλα γεγράψεται. ἀρκτέον δὲ μικρὸν ἄνωθεν. 3.1.4 Βασιλεὺς μὲν ὁμογενὴς πάλαι τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις καθίστατο, ᾗπερ τοῖς ἀναγραψαμένοις τῶν ἱστοριῶν τὰ ἀρ3.1.5 χαιότατα δεδιήγηται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδὼν τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα καθεῖλε, Πέρσαι μὲν δεδουλωμένοι ἡσυχῇ ἔμενον, Πάρθοι δὲ Μακεδόσιν ἐπαναστάντες καὶ τῷ πολέμῳ περιγενόμενοι ἐξήλασάν τε αὐτοὺς ἐνθένδε καὶ τὰ μέχρι ἐς Τίγριν ποταμὸν ἔσχον, ὑπ' αὐτοῖς τε τὸ λοιπὸν ἐς ἔτη πεντακόσια ἔκειτο τὰ Περσῶν πράγματα, ἕως Ῥωμαίοις ὁ Μαμαίας Ἀλέξανδρος βασιλεὺς γέγονε. 3.1.6 καί ποτέ τις τῶν ἐν Πάρθοις βασιλέων τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν αὑτοῦ Ἀρμενίοις βασιλέα κατεστήσατο, Ἀρσάκην ὄνομα, ὥσπερ ἡ τῶν Ἀρμενίων ἱστορία φησί. μὴ γάρ τις Ἀρ3.1.7 μενίους τοὺς Ἀρσακίδας οἰέσθω εἶναι. εἰρήνη γοῦν αὐτοῖς ἐς ἔτη τὰ πεντακόσια κατὰ τὸ ξυγγενὲς δια3.1.8 γέγονε. καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν Ἀρμενίων βασιλεὺς ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ μεγάλῃ καλουμένῃ καθῆστο, τῷ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορι ἐκ παλαιοῦ ὑποχείριος ὤν, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον παῖδες ἐγένοντο Ἀρσάκῃ τινὶ Ἀρμενίων βασιλεῖ δύο, Τιγράνης τε 3.1.9 καὶ Ἀρσάκης ὀνόματα. ὅσπερ, ἐπεὶ ἔμελλε τὸν βίον διαμετρήσασθαι, διαθήκας τιθείς, ἄμφω τὼ παῖδε ποιεῖται διαδόχους αὑτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς, οὐκ ἰσοστάσιον διορίσας ἑκατέρῳ τὸ κράτος, ἀλλὰ τῷ Τιγράνῃ τετραπλασίαν ἀπο3.1.10 λιπὼν μοῖραν. Ἀρσάκης μὲν οὖν ὁ πατὴρ οὕτω τὴν βασιλείαν διοικησάμενος ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο, Ἀρσάκης δὲ ὁ παῖς, ἐφ' οἷς δὴ αὐτῷ ἐλασσοῦσθαι ξυνέβη ἀγανακτῶν τε καὶ δυσφορούμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦγε, τοῦ τε ἀδελφοῦ καταλῦσαι τὴν βασιλείαν μηχανῇ πάσῃ ἐλπίδα ἔχων καὶ ἄδικον οὖσαν τὴν 3.1.11 πατρὸς γνώμην ἀβέβαιον καταστήσεσθαι. Θεοδόσιος δὲ τότε Ἀρκαδίου υἱὸς ἔτι παῖς ὢν κομιδῇ Ῥωμαίων ἦρχε. τίσιν τε δειμαίνων τὴν ἐκ βασιλέως Τιγράνης Πέρσαις αὑτὸν ἐνεχείρισε, τὴν βασιλείαν παραδιδούς, περὶ πλείονός τε πεποιημένος ἰδιώτης ἐν Πέρσαις εἶναι ἢ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὰ δίκαια θέσθαι, καὶ συμβασιλεύειν Ἀρμε3.1.12 νίων αὐτῷ ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως. καὶ Ἀρσάκης δὲ οὐδέν τι ἧσσον τὴν ἐκ Περσῶν τε καὶ τ' ἀδελφοῦ ἐπιβουλὴν δείσας ἐξέστη τῆς βασιλείας τῆς αὑτοῦ Θεοδοσίῳ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ἐπὶ ξυνθήκαις τισίν, αἵ μοι ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν πολέ3.1.13 μων δεδήλωνται λόγοις. καὶ χρόνον μέν τινα περιμάχητος Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις ἡ τῶν Ἀρμενίων γεγένηται χώρα, ἐν ὑστάτῳ δὲ ξυνέβησαν, Πέρσας μὲν τὴν Τι3.1.14 γράνου μοῖραν, Ῥωμαίους δὲ τὴν Ἀρσάκου ἔχειν. ἐπὶ τούτοις τε σπονδαὶ ἀμφοτέροις ξυνετελέσθησαν, καὶ τὸ