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Henceforth the emperor of the Romans always appointed a ruler for the Armenians, whomever and whenever he wished. 3.1.15 And they called this ruler Count of Armenia, even to my time. 3.1.16 But since such a command was not able to repel the attacks of the enemy, as it had no military registers present, Emperor Justinian, having perceived that Armenia was always in such a disordered state, and for this reason was vulnerable to the barbarians, abolished this office from then on, and appointed a general over the Armenians, and he established for him a number of military registers sufficient to oppose the raids of the enemy. 3.1.17 Thus, then, he arranged the affairs concerning so-called Greater Armenia, but over the other Armenia, which is within the Euphrates River and extends to the city of Amida, five Armenian satraps had been set, and they were always called to these offices by birth, holding them until 3.1.18 death. They received, however, their insignia of office from the emperor of the Romans only. And it is worthwhile to describe these insignia in words, since they will no longer come into men's sight. 3.1.19 A cloak made of wool, not such as grows on sheep, 3.1.20 but gathered from the sea. They are accustomed to call the creatures pinnae, in which the growth of this wool occurs. And the purple portion was gilded with gold, 3.1.21 on which the embroidery of purple dye is accustomed to be made. A golden brooch lay upon the cloak, enclosing a precious stone in its middle, from which indeed three hyacinths hung on golden 3.1.22 and loose chains. A tunic of silk, beautified on all sides with golden ornaments, 3.1.23 which they are accustomed to call plumia. Boots of a crimson color up to the knee, which it is lawful for only the emperor of the Romans and of the Persians to wear. 3.1.24 But no Roman soldier ever assisted either the king of the Armenians or the satraps, but they managed their military affairs by themselves. 3.1.25 But later, in the reign of Zeno, when Illus and Leontius had usurped power, some of the satraps decided to openly side with them against the emperor. 3.1.26 For which reason, Emperor Zeno, having subdued Leontius and Illus, allowed one satrap, who held a very mean and least worthy office in the land called Belabitine, to remain in his former state, but having deposed all the rest, he no longer permitted the offices to be handed down to their relatives by birth, but decreed that others should always succeed to this office whomsoever the emperor might wish, just as has been decreed for all other 3.1.27 Roman offices. Nevertheless, not even so did Roman soldiers accompany them, but some of the Armenians, as had been the custom before, and for that reason they were unable to repel attacking enemies. 3.1.28 Having learned these things, Emperor Justinian immediately drove out the name of satraps from there, and appointed two of the so-called duces over these nations; 3.1.29 for whom he indeed established very numerous registers of Roman soldiers, on the condition that they would guard the Roman borders with them; and he has constructed fortresses for them in the following manner. 3.2.1 I shall begin from the places in Mesopotamia, so that my account may proceed in close connection with what I have narrated before. Thus, the one ruler among the Armenian nations, whom they call a dux, he established in the city called Martyropolis, and the other, indeed, in a fortress which they call 3.2.2 Citharizon. Where in the Roman domain these places happen to be, I shall now explain. In the Armenia called Sophanene there is a city, Martyropolis by name, situated beside the river Nymphius itself and being a very near neighbor to the enemy, since the Nymphius River here divides the territories of the Romans and the Persians. 3.2.3 For on the other side of the river the country of Arzanene is inhabited, being subject to the Persians from of old. But even so the city was neglected by the Romans and was always exposed to these barbarians. 3.2.4 So that indeed Kavad, the king of the Persians, during the reign of Anastasius, invaded the land of the Romans, through

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λοιπὸν ὁ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς ἄρχοντα τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις ἀεὶ καθίστη ὅντινά ποτε καὶ ὁπηνίκα ἂν αὐτῷ βουλομένῳ 3.1.15 εἴη. κόμητά τε Ἀρμενίας ἐκάλουν καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦτον. 3.1.16 Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὐχ οἵα τε ἦν ἡ τοιαύτη ἀρχὴ ἀποκρούεσθαι τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδους, οὐ παρόντων αὐτῇ στρατιωτικῶν καταλόγων, κατανενοηκὼς Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς οὕτως ἀτάκτως τὴν Ἀρμενίαν ἀεὶ φερομένην, ταύτῃ τε τοῖς βαρβάροις εὐάλωτον οὖσαν, ταύτην μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνθένδε καθεῖλε, στρατηγὸν δὲ τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις ἐπέστησε, στρατιωτικῶν τε καταλόγων αὐτῷ κατεστήσατο πλῆθος ἀξιόχρεων ταῖς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιδρομαῖς ἀντιτάξασθαι. 3.1.17 τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ καλουμένῃ Ἀρμενίᾳ διῳκήσατο ὧδε, τῇ δὲ ἄλλῃ Ἀρμενίᾳ, ἥπερ ἐντὸς Εὐφράτου ποταμοῦ οὖσα διήκει ἐς Ἄμιδαν πόλιν, σατράπαι ἐφειστήκεισαν Ἀρμένιοι πέντε, καὶ κατὰ γένος μὲν ἐς ἀεὶ ἐς τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐκαλοῦντο ταύτας, ἐχόμενοι αὐτῶν ἄχρι 3.1.18 ἐς θάνατον. σύμβολα μέντοι αὐτῶν πρὸς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων βασιλέως ἐδέχοντο μόνον. ἄξιον δὲ τὰ σύμβολα ταῦτα δηλῶσαι λόγῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι ἐς ἀνθρώπου ὄψιν ἀφίξεται. 3.1.19 χλαμὺς ἡ ἐξ ἐρίων πεποιημένη, οὐχ οἷα τῶν προβατίων 3.1.20 ἐκπέφυκεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ θαλάσσης συνειλεγμένων. πίννους τὰ ζῷα καλεῖν νενομίκασιν, ἐν οἷς ἡ τῶν ἐρίων ἔκφυσις γίνεται. χρυσῷ δὲ ἡ τῆς πορφύρας κατηλήλειπτο μοῖρα, 3.1.21 ἐφ' ἧς εἴωθεν ἡ τῆς ἁλουργίδος ἐμβολὴ γίνεσθαι. περόνη χρυσῆ τῇ χλαμύδι ἐπέκειτο, λίθον ἐπὶ μέσης περιφράττουσά τινα ἔντιμον, ἀφ' οὗ δὴ ὑάκινθοι τρεῖς χρυ3.1.22 σαῖς τε καὶ χαλαραῖς ταῖς ἁλύσεσιν ἀπεκρέμαντο. χιτὼν ἐκ μετάξης ἐγκαλλωπίσμασι χρυσοῖς πανταχόθεν ὡραϊ3.1.23 σμένος, ἃ δὴ νενομίκασι πλούμια καλεῖν. ὑποδήματα μέχρι ἐς γόνυ φοινικοῦ χρώματος, ἃ δὴ βασιλέα μόνον Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν ὑποδεῖσθαι θέμις. 3.1.24 Στρατιώτης δὲ Ῥωμαῖος οὔτε τῷ Ἀρμενίων βασιλεῖ οὔτε σατράπαις ἤμυνε πώποτε, ἀλλὰ τὰ πολέμια κατὰ μόνας 3.1.25 αὐτοὶ διῳκοῦντο. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον ἐπὶ Ζήνωνος βασιλεύοντος Ἰλλοῦ τε καὶ Λεοντίῳ τετυραννηκόσιν ἐπὶ βασιλέα διαφανῶς συντάσσεσθαί τινες τῶν σατραπῶν ἔγνω3.1.26 σαν. διὸ δὴ Λεόντιόν τε καὶ Ἰλλοῦν Ζήνων βασιλεὺς ὑποχειρίους πεποιημένος, σατράπην μὲν ἕνα φαυλοτάτην ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα καὶ ὡς ἥκιστα λόγου ἀξίαν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Βελαβιτίνῃ καλουμένῃ, ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου σχήματος εἴασε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς καθελὼν ἅπαντας οὐκέτι ἐς τοὺς κατὰ γένος σφίσι προσήκοντας ξυνεχώρησε τὰς ἀρχὰς φέρεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑτέρους ἀεὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν διαδέχεσθαι διώρισε ταύτην οὓς ἂν βουλομένῳ βασιλεῖ εἴη, ὥσπερ ἐφ' ἁπάσαις 3.1.27 ταῖς ἄλλαις διώρισται Ῥωμαίων ἀρχαῖς. στρατιῶται μέντοι οὐδ' ὣς Ῥωμαῖοι αὐτοῖς εἵποντο, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἀρμενίων τινές, ᾗπερ τὰ πρότερα εἴθιστο, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πολεμίους 3.1.28 προσβάλλοντας ἀποκρούεσθαι ἀδύνατοι ἦσαν. ἃ δὴ καταμαθὼν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τὸ μὲν τῶν σατραπῶν ὄνομα ἐξήλασεν ἐνθένδε εὐθύς, δοῦκας δὲ τοὺς καλου3.1.29 μένους δύο τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπέστησε τούτοις· οἷς δὴ ξυνεστήσατο μὲν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν καταλόγους παμπληθεῖς, ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ Ῥωμαίων ξυμφυλάξουσιν αὐτοῖς ὅρια· ὀχυρώματα δὲ δεδημιούργηκεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τάδε. 3.2.1 Ἄρξομαι δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ χωρίων, ὅπως δὴ ὁ λόγος τοῖς ἔμπροσθέν μοι δεδιηγημένοις προσεχῶς ἄγοιτο. τὸν μὲν οὖν ἕνα, τὸν ἐν τοῖς Ἀρμενίων ἔθνεσιν ἄρχοντα, ὃν δοῦκα καλοῦσιν, ἐν πόλει Μαρτυροπόλει καλουμένῃ ἱδρύσατο, τὸν δὲ δὴ ἕτερον ἐν φρουρίῳ, ὅπερ 3.2.2 Κιθαρίζων καλοῦσιν. ὅπη ποτὲ δὲ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς τὰ χωρία τάδε ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, ἐγὼ δηλώσω. ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ Σοφανηνῇ καλουμένῃ πόλις ἐστί που Μαρτυρόπολις ὄνομα παρ' αὐτὸν ποταμὸν Νυμφίον κειμένη καὶ τοῖς πολεμίοις ὡς ἀγχοτάτω πρόσοικος οὖσα, ἐπεὶ ὁ Νυμφίος ποταμὸς διορίζει ἐνταῦθα τὰ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν 3.2.3 ἤθη. ἐπὶ θάτερα γὰρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἀρξανηνὴ ἡ χώρα οἰκεῖται Περσῶν κατήκοος ἐκ παλαιοῦ οὖσα. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς ἡ πόλις ἀπημελημένη Ῥωμαίοις τούτοις δὴ ἀεὶ τοῖς 3.2.4 βαρβάροις ἀπέκειτο. ὥστε ἀμέλει Καβάδης ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ἀναστασίου βασιλεύοντος ἐσέβαλε Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν, διὰ