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being zealous, sent against them an army of three thousand men and one of his own kinsmen as commander. 1.20.6 This army, no longer willing to return home, but to remain there in a good land, entered into negotiations with Abram without the knowledge of their commander, and having engaged with the enemy, when they were in the midst of the action, they killed their commander and mingled with the army of the enemy 1.20.7 and remained there. And Ellesthaeus, being seized with great anger, sent another army against them, which, upon coming to blows with the forces of Abram, was by far the inferior in the battle and immediately withdrew homeward. And for the future the king of the Aethiopians, in fear, no longer marched against Abram. 1.20.8 But when Ellesthaeus died, Abram agreed to pay tribute to the one who received the Aethiopian kingdom after him, and thus he strengthened his rule. But these things happened at a later time. 1.20.9 But at that time the Emperor Justinian, while Ellesthaeus was reigning among the Aethiopians and Esimiphaeus among the Homerites, sent an ambassador, Julianus, asking that both, because of their community of religion, should assist the Romans in the war against the Persians, so that the Aethiopians, by buying silk from the Indians and selling it to the Romans, might themselves become masters of great sums of money, and cause the Romans to profit in this alone, that they would no longer be compelled to send their own money to their enemies (this is the silk from which they are accustomed to make the clothing which the Hellenes formerly called Median, but now name seric), and that the Homerites should establish Caisus, the fugitive, as phylarch over the Maddeni and with a great army of both the Homerites themselves and the Saracens of the Mad1.20.10 deni invade the land of the Persians. (This Caisus was of the phylarchic family and exceedingly good at warfare, but having killed one of the kinsmen of Esimiphaeus, he was a fugitive in a land which is completely 1.20.11 desolate of men.) Each, therefore, having promised to fulfil the request, sent the ambassador away, 1.20.12 but neither of them did the things that were agreed upon. For it was impossible for the Aethiopians to buy silk from the Indians, since the Persian merchants are always present at the very harbours where the Indian ships first put in, because they inhabit the neighbouring country, and are accustomed to buy the entire cargoes, and it seemed a difficult thing to the Homerites to cross a country that was desert and extended for a journey of a long time to go against 1.20.13 a people much more warlike than themselves. But Abram also, later on, when he had established his rule most securely, often agreed with the Emperor Justinian to invade the land of Persia, but only once did he begin the march and immediately withdrew back again. So the affairs of the Aethiopians and the Homerites went in this way for the Romans. 1.21.1 But Hermogenes at that time, as soon as the battle by the Euphrates took place, having come on an embassy to Cabades, accomplished nothing concerning the peace for which he had come, since he found him still swelling with rage against the Romans; 1.21.2 for which reason he departed without success. And Belisarius, summoned by the emperor, came to Byzantium, having been relieved of the command which he held, 1.21.3 in order that he might lead an expedition against the Vandals. And Sittas, this having been decided by the Emperor Justinian, came there to guard 1.21.4 the East. And the Persians again invaded Mesopotamia with a great army, with Chanaranges and Aspebedes 1.21.5 and Mermeroes leading them. And since no one dared to come to blows with them, they sat down and besieged Martyropolis, where Bouzes and 1.21.6 Bessas happened to have been assigned to its defence. This city lies in the country called Sophanene, two hundred and forty stades distant from the city of Amida towards the north wind; and it is on the river Nymphius itself, which separates the land of the Romans and the Persians. 1.21.7 The Persians, therefore, were assaulting the circuit-wall, and the besieged at first bravely withstood them, but they were not expected to hold out for long 1.21.8

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σπουδῇ ἔχων, στράτευμά τε τρισχιλίων ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἄρχοντα τῶν τινα ξυγγενῶν τῶν αὑτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 1.20.6 ἔπεμψεν. οὗτος ὁ στρατὸς οὐκέτι ἐθέλοντες ἐπ' οἴκου ἐπανιέναι, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ ἐν χώρᾳ ἀγαθῇ μένειν, κρύφα τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῷ Ἀβράμῳ ἐς λόγους ἦλθον, ἔς τε ξυμβολὴν καταστάντες τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ ἐγένοντο, κτείναντες τὸν ἄρχοντα τῷ τε τῶν πολεμίων 1.20.7 στρατῷ ἀνεμίγνυντο καὶ αὐτοῦ ἔμενον. θυμῷ δὲ πολλῷ Ἑλλησθεαῖος ἐχόμενος καὶ ἄλλο στράτευμα ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν, οἳ δὴ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἄβραμον ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθόντες παρὰ πολύ τε ἡσσηθέντες τῇ μάχῃ ἐπ' οἴκου εὐθὺς ἀνεχώρησαν. δείσας τε τὸ λοιπὸν ὁ τῶν Αἰθιόπων βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἄβραμον οὐκέτι ἐστράτευσεν. 1.20.8 Ἑλλησθεαίου δὲ τελευτήσαντος φόρους Ἄβραμος ὡμολόγησε φέρειν τῷ μετ' αὐτὸν τὴν Αἰθιόπων βασιλείαν παραλαβόντι, οὕτω τε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκρατύνατο. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν χρόνῳ τῷ ὑστέρῳ ἐγένετο. 1.20.9 Τότε δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν μὲν Αἰθίοψι βασιλεύοντος Ἑλλησθεαίου, Ἐσιμιφαίου δὲ ἐν Ὁμηρίταις, πρεσβευτὴν Ἰουλιανὸν ἔπεμψεν, ἀξιῶν ἄμφω Ῥωμαίοις διὰ τὸ τῆς δόξης ὁμόγνωμον Πέρσαις πολεμοῦσι ξυνάρασθαι, ὅπως Αἰθίοπες μὲν ὠνούμενοί τε τὴν μέταξαν ἐξ Ἰνδῶν ἀποδιδόμενοί τε αὐτὴν ἐς Ῥωμαίους, αὐτοὶ μὲν κύριοι γένωνται χρημάτων μεγάλων, Ῥωμαίους δὲ τοῦτο ποιήσωσι κερδαίνειν μόνον, ὅτι δὴ οὐκέτι ἀναγκασθήσονται τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν χρήματα ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους μετενεγκεῖν (αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ μέταξα, ἐξ ἧς εἰώθασι τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἐργάζεσθαι, ἣν πάλαι μὲν Ἕλληνες Μηδικὴν ἐκάλουν, τανῦν δὲ σηρικὴν ὀνομάζουσιν), Ὁμηρῖται δὲ ὅπως Καϊσὸν τὸν φυγάδα φύλαρχον Μαδδηνοῖς καταστήσωνται καὶ στρατῷ μεγάλῳ αὐτῶν τε Ὁμηριτῶν καὶ Σαρακηνῶν τῶν Μαδ1.20.10 δηνῶν ἐσβάλωσιν ἐς τὴν Περσῶν γῆν. (ὁ δὲ Καϊσὸς οὗτος γένους μὲν ἦν τοῦ φυλαρχικοῦ καὶ διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, τῶν δέ τινα Ἐσιμιφαίου ξυγγενῶν κτείνας ἐς γῆν ἔφευγεν, ἣ δὴ ἔρημος ἀνθρώπων παν1.20.11 τάπασίν ἐστιν.) ἑκάτερος μὲν οὖν τὴν αἴτησιν ὑποσχόμενος ἐπιτελῆ ποιήσειν τὸν πρεσβευτὴν ἀπεπέμψατο, 1.20.12 ἔδρασε δὲ αὐτοῖν τὰ ὡμολογημένα οὐδέτερος. τοῖς τε γὰρ Αἰθίοψι τὴν μέταξαν ὠνεῖσθαι πρὸς τῶν Ἰνδῶν ἀδύνατα ἦν, ἐπεὶ ἀεὶ οἱ Περσῶν ἔμποροι πρὸς αὐτοῖς τοῖς ὅρμοις γινόμενοι, οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα αἱ τῶν Ἰνδῶν νῆες καταίρουσιν, ἅτε χώραν προσοικοῦντες τὴν ὅμορον, ἅπαντα ὠνεῖσθαι τὰ φορτία εἰώθασι, καὶ τοῖς Ὁμηρίταις χαλεπὸν ἔδοξεν εἶναι χώραν ἀμειψαμένοις ἔρημόν τε καὶ χρόνου πολλοῦ ὁδὸν κατατείνουσαν ἐπ' 1.20.13 ἀνθρώπους πολλῷ μαχιμωτέρους ἰέναι. ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἄβραμος ὕστερον, ὅτε δὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα ἐκρατύνατο, πολλάκις μὲν Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ ὡμολόγησεν ἐς γῆν τὴν Περσίδα ἐσβάλλειν, ἅπαξ δὲ μόνον τῆς πορείας ἀρξάμενος ὀπίσω εὐθὺς ἀπεχώρησε. τὰ μὲν οὖν Αἰθιόπων τε καὶ Ὁμηριτῶν ταύτῃ Ῥωμαίοις ἐχώρησεν. 1.21.1 Ἑρμογένης δὲ τότε, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα ἡ πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ μάχη ἐγένετο, παρὰ Καβάδην ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ ἥκων, ἐπέραινεν οὐδὲν τῆς εἰρήνης πέρι, ἧς ἕνεκα ἦλθεν, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν οἰδαίνοντα ἔτι ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους εὗρε· 1.21.2 διὸ δὴ ἄπρακτος ἀνεχώρησε. καὶ Βελισάριος βασιλεῖ ἐς Βυζάντιον μετάπεμπτος ἦλθε περιῃρημένος ἣν εἶχεν 1.21.3 ἀρχὴν, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπὶ Βανδίλους στρατεύσειε. Σίττας δὲ, Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦτο δεδογμένον, ὡς φυλάξων 1.21.4 τὴν ἑῴαν ἐνταῦθα ἦλθε. καὶ Πέρσαι αὖθις στρατῷ πολλῷ ἐς Μεσοποταμίαν, Χαναράγγου τε καὶ Ἀσπεβέδου 1.21.5 καὶ Μερμερόου ἡγουμένων σφίσιν, ἐσέβαλον. ἐπεί τε αὐτοῖς ἐτόλμα οὐδεὶς ἐς χεῖρας ἰέναι, Μαρτυρόπολιν ἐγκαθεζόμενοι ἐπολιόρκουν, οὗ δὴ Βούζης τε καὶ 1.21.6 Βέσσας τεταγμένοι ἐπὶ τῇ φυλακῇ ἔτυχον. αὕτη δὲ κεῖται μὲν ἐν τῇ Σοφανηνῇ καλουμένῃ χώρᾳ, πόλεως Ἀμίδης τεσσαράκοντά τε καὶ διακοσίοις σταδίοις διέχουσα πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον· πρὸς αὐτῷ δὲ Νυμφίῳ τῷ ποταμῷ ἐστιν, ὃς τήν τε Ῥωμαίων γῆν καὶ Περσῶν 1.21.7 διορίζει. οἱ μὲν οὖν Πέρσαι τῷ περιβόλῳ προσέβαλλον, οἱ δὲ πολιορκούμενοι κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀνδρείως ὑφίσταντο, οὐ διὰ πολλοῦ δὲ ἀνθέξειν ἐπίδοξοι 1.21.8