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holding to the bank. But the Romans, having spent the night in the city of Sura and having set out from there, came upon the enemy already packing up1.18.15 for their departure. The festival of Easter was impending on the following day, which Christians revere most of all, and on the day before it, abstaining from food and drink, they are accustomed not only to pass the whole day, but also to go far into the1.18.16 nights fasting. Then, therefore, Belisarius, seeing them all eager to attack the enemy, and wishing to turn them from this opinion (for Hermogenes, who had just arrived on an embassy from the emperor, was also of this mind), called together all who were present and spoke as follows:1.18.17 "Where are you rushing, men of Rome, or what has happened to you that you are planning to choose a danger for yourselves that is not necessary? Men think that the one unadulterated victory is to suffer no harm from the enemy, which in the present circumstances both fortune and 1.18.18 our own fear of the opponents has given to us. Is it not better, therefore, to enjoy the present good things than to seek them after they have passed? For the Persians marched against the Romans led by many hopes, but now, having fallen short of them all,1.18.19 they have turned to flight. So that if we force them against their will to change their mind about retreating and to come to blows with us, even if we are victorious we will have gained absolutely nothing more.1.18.20 For how could one rout a man who is already fleeing? But if we should happen to be defeated, we will be deprived of the victory we already have, not because it was taken from us by the enemy, but because we ourselves threw it away, and for the future we will grant to the emperor's land that it be exposed to the enemy without defenders.1.18.21 And yet it is also worth your while to consider this, that God is always wont to assist men in necessary, not in self-chosen, dangers.1.18.22 And apart from this, for those who have no way to turn, to act bravely will not be a matter of choice, while for us there happen to be many disadvantages for an engagement;1.18.23 for many have come on foot, and we all happen to be fasting. For I omit to say that some are not even now present." So much Belisarius said. 1.18.24 But the army insulted him, not with any silence nor in secret, but coming to his very face with a shout they called him soft and a destroyer of their zeal, an error which some of the commanders also made along with the soldiers,1.18.25 showing their boldness in this way. And Belisarius, amazed at their shamelessness, reversed his exhortation and now seemed to be urging them against the enemy and drawing them up for battle, saying that he had not known of their eagerness to fight before, but now he told them to be of good courage and to advance against the enemy with better hope.1.18.26 And having formed the phalanx in a line facing the front, he arranged it as follows. On the left wing by the river he stationed all the infantry, and on the right, where the ground was steep, Arethas and all the Saracens with him, and he himself with the cavalry stood in the center. Thus 1.18.27 the Romans were arrayed. But Azarethes, when he saw the enemy coming together for battle, exhorted them as follows: "That you, being Persians, would not exchange virtue for your life, if someone were to give you a choice between the two,1.18.28 no one would deny. But I say that it is not in your power to make the choice between these two, even if you wished. For those who are able, by escaping the danger, to live with dishonor, it is not at all unreasonable, if they so wish, to choose the most pleasant things instead of the best; but for those for whom it is necessary to die, either with glory at the hands of the enemy, or being led away shamefully to punishment by the ruler, it is great folly not to choose the better things before the most shameful.1.18.29 Since, therefore, things are thus, I think it is fitting for you all to enter into this battle keeping in mind not only the enemy, but also your master." 1.18.30 Having given these exhortations, Azarethes also drew up the phalanx opposite the enemy, the Persians in the

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ὄχθης ἐχόμενοι. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ διανυκτερεύσαντες ἐν πόλει Σούρων ἐνθένδε τε ἐξαναστάντες καταλαμβάνουσι συσκευαζο1.18.15 μένους ἤδη ἐς τὴν ἄφοδον τοὺς πολεμίους. ἑορτὴ δὲ ἡ Πασχαλία ἐπέκειτο ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιγενησομένη τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ, ἣν δὴ σέβονται Χριστιανοὶ πασῶν μάλιστα, ἡμέρᾳ τε τῇ ταύτης προτέρᾳ σιτίων τε καὶ ποτοῦ ἀπεχόμενοι οὐ διημερεύειν νενομίκασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόρρω που 1.18.16 νήστεις τῶν νυκτῶν ἰέναι. τότε οὖν ἅπαντας Βελισάριος ὀργῶντας ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρῶν, ταύτης τε ἀποστῆσαι τῆς γνώμης ἐθέλων (ταῦτα γάρ οἱ καὶ Ἑρμογένης ἐγίνωσκεν ἄρτι ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ ἐκ βασιλέως ἥκων) τοὺς παραγενομένους ἅπαντας ξυγκαλέσας ἔλεξε 1.18.17 τοιάδε «Ποῖ φέρεσθε, ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, ἢ τί πεπονθό»τες κίνδυνον αἱρεῖσθαι ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον «βουλεύεσθε; μίαν εἶναι νίκην ἀκίβδηλον οἴονται ἄν»θρωποι τὸ μηδὲν δεινὸν πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων παθεῖν, «ὅπερ ἡμῖν ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι δέδωκεν ἥ τε τύχη καὶ 1.18.18 «ἡμῶν τὸ κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων δέος. οὐκοῦν ἤ ἀπόνα»σθαι τῶν παρόντων ἀγαθῶν ἄμεινον ἢ παρελθόντα «ταῦτα ζητεῖν. Πέρσαι γὰρ πολλαῖς μὲν ἐλπίσιν «ἠγμένοι ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους ἐστράτευσαν, πάντων δὲ τανῦν 1.18.19 «ἐκπεπτωκότες ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηνται. ὥστε ἢν οὐχ «ἑκόντας αὐτοὺς μεταβάλλεσθαι μὲν τῆς ἐς τὴν ὑπα»γωγὴν γνώμης, ἐς χεῖρας δὲ ἰέναι ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἀναγκά»σωμεν, νενικηκότες μὲν πλέον τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν 1.18.20 «ἕξομεν. τί γὰρ ἄν τις τόν γε φεύγοντα τρέποι; «σφαλέντες δὲ ἴσως τῆς τε ὑπαρχούσης στερησόμεθα «νίκης, οὐ πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων ἀφαιρεθέντες, ἀλλ' «αὐτοὶ ταύτην προέμενοι, καὶ τῇ βασιλέως γῇ τὸ τοῖς «πολεμίοις ἐκκεῖσθαι τῶν ἀμυνομένων χωρὶς τὸ λοι1.18.21 «πὸν δώσομεν. καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐνθυμεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς «ἄξιον, ὡς τῶν ἀναγκαίων, οὐ τῶν αὐθαιρέτων κιν»δύνων ξυναίρεσθαι ὁ θεὸς ἀεὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φιλεῖ. 1.18.22 «χωρὶς δὲ τούτων τοῖς μὲν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἂν ὅπη τρα»πεῖεν ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι οὐχ ἑκουσίοις ξυμβήσεται, «ἡμῖν δὲ πολλὰ τὰ ἐναντιώματα ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν τε1.18.23 «τύχηκεν εἶναι· πεζῇ τε γὰρ βαδίζοντες πολλοὶ ἥκουσι «καὶ νήστεις ἅπαντες τυγχάνομεν ὄντες. ἀφίημι γὰρ «λέγειν ὥς τινες οὔπω καὶ νῦν πάρεισι.» Βελισάριος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπεν. 1.18.24 Ὁ δὲ στρατὸς ἐς αὐτὸν ὕβριζον οὐ σιγῇ τινι οὐδὲ ἐν παραβύστῳ, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ ἐς ὄψιν ξὺν κραυγῇ ἥκοντες μαλθακόν τε καὶ τῆς προθυμίας διαλυτὴν ἐκάλουν, ὃ δὴ καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὲς ξὺν τοῖς στρατιώταις 1.18.25 ἡμάρτανον, ταύτῃ τὸ εὔτολμον ἐνδεικνύμενοι. καὶ αὐτῶν τῷ ἀναισχύντῳ καταπλαγεὶς Βελισάριος ἀντιστρέψας τὴν παραίνεσιν ἐγκελευομένῳ τε ἤδη ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐῴκει καὶ διατάσσοντι ἐς παράταξιν, ἔφασκέ τε ὡς οὐκ εἰδείη μὲν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐς τὸ μάχεσθαι προθυμίαν τὰ πρότερα, νῦν δὲ θαρσεῖν τε καὶ ξὺν ἐλπίδι 1.18.26 τῇ ἀμείνονι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰέναι. καὶ τὴν φάλαγγα μετωπηδὸν ποιησάμενος διέταξεν ὧδε. ἐς κέρας μὲν τὸ ἀριστερὸν πρὸς τῷ ποταμῷ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἅπαντας ἔστησεν, ἐς δὲ τὸ δεξιὸν, ᾗ δὴ ὁ χῶρος ἀνάντης ἦν, Ἀρέθαν τε καὶ τοὺς ξὺν αὐτῷ Σαρακηνοὺς ἅπαντας, αὐτὸς δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἱππεῦσι κατὰ μέσον εἱστήκει. οὕτω 1.18.27 μὲν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐτάξαντο. Ἀζαρέθης δὲ ἐπεὶ ξυνιόντας ἐς παράταξιν τοὺς πολεμίους εἶδε, τοιάδε παρεκελεύσατο «Πέρσας μὲν ὄντας ὑμᾶς μὴ οὐχὶ τοῦ βίου τὴν «ἀρετὴν ἀνταλλάξασθαι, ἤν τις αἵρεσιν ἀμφοῖν διδοίη, 1.18.28 «οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι. ἐγὼ δέ φημι οὐδ' ἂν βουλο»μένοις ἐφ' ὑμῖν εἶναι τούτοιν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν αἵρεσιν. «οἷς μὲν γὰρ ἐξὸν διαφυγοῦσι τὸν κίνδυνον ξὺν τῇ «ἀτιμίᾳ βιοῦν, οὐδὲν, ἤν γε βούλοιντο, ἀπεικὸς ἀντὶ «τῶν βελτίστων ἑλέσθαι τὰ ἥδιστα, οἷς δὲ τὸ θνήσκειν «ἐπάναγκες, ἢ ξὺν τῇ εὐκλείᾳ πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων, ἢ «πρὸς τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἐς τὴν κόλασιν αἰσχρῶς ἀγο»μένοις, πολλὴ ἄνοια μὴ πρὸ τῶν αἰσχίστων ἑλέσθαι 1.18.29 «τὰ κρείσσω. ὅτε τοίνυν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, προσήκειν «ὑμᾶς ἅπαντας οἶμαι μὴ τοὺς πολεμίους μόνον, ἀλλὰ «καὶ δεσπότην τὸν ὑμέτερον ἐν νῷ ἔχοντας οὕτως ἐς «μάχην τήνδε καθίστασθαι.» 1.18.30 Τοσαῦτα καὶ Ἀζαρέθης παρακελευσάμενος ἀντίξουν τοῖς ἐναντίοις τὴν φάλαγγα ἔστησε, Πέρσας μὲν τὰ ἐν