,

a common defense being maintained, so that the unrestrainable power of the boundless and neighboring nations might not find an entry, and dissolution might come upon each kingdom. 3.10.1 Therefore, when the peace had been broken, and the treaties between the Romans and Persians had been overturned, Justin, the emperor of the Romans, sends Marcian the general to the East, who was in the list of the patricians, a distinguished 3.10.2 man, who happened not to be far from the royal family. Marcian, therefore, having crossed the Euphrates and having arrived in Osroene, when summer was already past its prime and waning, and the barbarians were contemplating nothing towards war, having assembled three thousand from the heavy infantry, sent them out against 3.10.3 the country called Arzanene. The force, therefore, having invaded, and the attack having been unexpected by the Medes, the Persian territory for a time suffers terribly; for it is plundered, ravaged, and despoiled of no 3.10.4 insignificant booty. But in the following year of the reign of Justin the emperor, when Marcian had gathered his forces and made his advance from Daras, and the barbarians had encamped around Nisibis, an engagement of Romans and Persians takes place near Sargathon, a Persian place so called, and the Medes are defeated, and 3.10.5 the Romans win the battle. For this reason, besieging Thebothon, they attempted to take it; and this was a Persian fort. Having therefore besieged the fort for many days, and things not having turned out for them according to plan, they returned to the city of Daras. Then they invade the enemy territory again and decided to subdue Nisibis of Mygdonia; for this had been commanded them by the emperor. 3.10.6 But the king of the Persians, Chosroes the elder, having set out from Babylon with a Median army, having swum across the Tigris and having invaded around the desert and having encamped through it, so that his campaign might not become visible to the Romans, came near Abbaron, a certain Persian place; and this was distant from Circesium, the Roman 3.10.7 city, a five days' journey. And he sends out the general called Adormanes to cross the river Euphrates and plunder the land of the Romans, and he sent with him six thousand heavy infantry; but the king of the Persians himself, passing by the river Abboras, contrived to fall suddenly upon the Romans who were besieging Nisibis. Adormanes, therefore, having come near Circesium 3.10.8 and having crossed the river Euphrates, ravaged the Roman land; and with no clever device standing in opposition to the Persian incursion, so that the movements of the barbarians might have a check on their advance, Adormanes arrives in the region of Antioch without trouble, and having destroyed the beauties of the buildings before the city, as opportunity 3.10. allowed, he arrives in Coele-Syria. And having thrown up an entrenchment near Apamea, and when the citizens sent an embassy with splendid gifts and had agreed upon a ransom, the barbarian was influenced only as far as the promise, but they are deceived, having been tricked by barbarian wiles. And on the third day, he enslaves the city, and later, having handed it over to the fire as well, he returned to his own land. 3.11.1 Since the preludes of the war had become ominous for the Romans, the ruler of the Romans was at a loss and was greatly disturbed at the barbarian successes; and being vexed at the misfortunes that had surrounded him on account of ill counsel, he sent Acacius, the son of Archelaus, to Nisibis, having removed Marcian from his command. 3.11.2 Marcian, therefore, giving way to the royal decree, leaves Nisibis; and when the Roman army had arrived at Mardes, the Persian king, having come to Daras like a whirlwind and having warred against the city for six months, having drawn hills and entrenchments around the city, and having diverted the water of the town, and towers

κοινὴν σύστασιν φρουρουμένων, ὅπως μὴ σχοίη τὴν εἰσροὴν τῶν ἀπείρων ἐθνῶν καὶ ὁμόρων ἡ ἀκατάσχετος δύναμις, καὶ βασιλείας ἑκατέρας ἐπιγένηται λύσις. 3.10.1 ∆ιαχεθείσης οὖν τῆς εἰρήνης, καὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἀνατετραμμένων ῾Ρωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις, ᾿Ιουστῖνος, ὁ τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ βασιλεύς, εἰς τὴν ἕω ἐκπέμπει Μαρκιανὸν στρατηγόν, ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν πατρικίων ὄντα, περίβλεπτον 3.10.2 ἄνδρα, οὐκ ἄπο τοῦ γένους τοῦ βασιλείου τυγχάνοντα. ὁ τοίνυν Μαρκιανὸς τὸν Εὐφράτην διαπεραιωθεὶς καὶ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Οσροηνὴν γεγονώς, ἤδη τοῦ θέρους παρηβηκότος καὶ παρακμάσαντος, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων οὐδὲν διανοουμένων πρὸς πόλεμον, τρισχιλίους ἐκ τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ συμφραξάμενος κατὰ 3.10.3 τὴν ᾿Αρζανηνὴν οὕτω καλουμένην χώραν ἐξέπεμπεν. εἰσβαλοῦσα τοίνυν ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἀδοκήτου τῆς ἐπιστασίας γενομένης τοῖς Μήδοις, πάσχει τέως τὰ τῆς Περσίδος δεινά· προνομεύεται γὰρ καὶ ληΐζεται καὶ λαφυραγωγεῖται οὐκ ἀνα3.10.4 ξιόλογον λείαν. τοῦ δ' ἐπιόντος ἐνιαυτοῦ τῆς βασιλείας ᾿Ιουστίνου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, Μαρκιανοῦ τὰς δυνάμεις ἀγείραντος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ∆αρὰς ποιησαμένου τὴν πρόοδον, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων στρατοπεδευσαμένων περὶ τὴν Νίσιβιν, γίνεται συμπλοκὴ ῾Ρωμαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν πλησίον τοῦ Σαργαθών, οὕτω λεγομένου χωρίου Περσῶν, καὶ πταίουσι Μῆδοι, καὶ 3.10.5 κρατοῦσι τῆς μάχης ῾Ρωμαῖοι. διὰ τοῦτο περικαθήμενοι τὸ Θεβοθὼν ἐνεχείρουν ἑλεῖν· Περσικὸν δὲ τουτὶ τὸ φρούριον. ἡμέρας τοίνυν τὸ φρούριον πεπολεμηκότες πολλάς, καὶ οὐ κατὰ σκοπὸν συμβεβηκότων τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς, ἐπὶ τὸ ∆αρὰς ἐπανέζευξαν πόλισμα. εἶτα εἰσβάλλουσιν εἰς τὴν πολεμίαν αὖθις καὶ τὴν Νίσιβιν τῆς Μυγδονίας διεγνώκασι παραστήσασθαι· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος 3.10.6 προσετάττετο. ὁ δὲ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἄρας ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἅμα Μηδικῷ στρατοπέδῳ, Τίγριν διανηξάμενος εἰσβαλών τε περὶ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ δι' ἐκείνης στρατοπεδευσάμενος, ἵνα μὴ ῾Ρωμαίοις κατάδηλος ἐπιστρατευσάμενος γένηται, ἧκε πλησίον ᾿Αββάρων, χωρίου τινὸς Περσικοῦ· ἀπῴκιστο δὲ τοῦτο Κιρκηνσίου, τοῦ ῾Ρω3.10.7 μαίων πολίσματος, πέντε ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν. καὶ τὸν μὲν ᾿Αδορμαάνην οὕτω καλούμενον στρατηγὸν τὸν Εὐφράτην διαπεραιωσάμενον ποταμὸν ἐκπέμπει τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων ληϊσόμενον, ἓξ δ' αὐτῷ χιλιάδας ὁπλιτικοῦ συνεξέπεμπεν· αὐτὸς δ' ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς παραμείβων τὸν ᾿Αββόραν ποταμὸν ἐξα-πιναίως ἐπιστῆναι τοῖς τὴν Νίσιβιν πολιορκοῦσι ῾Ρωμαίοις ἐπαλαμήσατο. ὁ μὲν οὖν ᾿Αδορμαάνης πλησίον τοῦ Κιρκην3.10.8 σίου γενόμενος καὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην διαβὰς ποταμὸν τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων γῆν προενομεύσατο· οὐδενὸς δὲ τῇ Περσικῇ ἐνδημίᾳ ἀντιπεριισταμένου σοφίσματος, ὅπως ἐγκοπὴν προκοπῆς τὰ τῶν βαρβάρων σχοίη κινήματα, ὁ ᾿Αδορμαάνης ἀφικνεῖται εἰς τὰ περὶ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν πόνων ἐκτός, τά τε τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων πρὸς τῆς πόλεως κάλλη διαφθείρας, ὡς ὁ καιρὸς 3.10. ἐχαρίζετο, ἐπὶ τὴν Κοίλην ἀφικνεῖται Συρίαν. πλησίον δ' ᾿Απαμείας περιβαλόμενος χάρακα, καὶ τῶν τῆς πόλεως πρεσβευσαμένων μετὰ δώρων λαμπρῶν λύτρα τε διωμολογηκότων, ὁ μὲν βάρβαρος τῆς ὑποσχέσεως μόνης ἐπεκάμπτετο μέχρι, οἱ δὲ φενακίζονται ἐξαπατηθέντες δόλοις βαρβαρικοῖς. τρίτη δ' ἡμέρα, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀνδραποδίζεται, ἐς ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τῷ πυρὶ παραδοὺς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπανῆκεν. 3.11.1 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ ῾Ρωμαίοις ἀπαίσια τοῦ πολέμου ἐγεγόνει προαύλια, διηπορεῖτο ὁ τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ μοναρχῶν διεταράττετό τε ἐπὶ τοῖς βαρβαρικοῖς ἐπιτεύγμασιν· ἀσχάλλων τε ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἀβουλίας περιστοιχίσασιν αὐτὸν ἀτυχήμασιν ᾿Ακάκιον τὸν ᾿Αρχελάου ἐς τὴν Νίσιβιν ἔστελλεν ἀποχειροτονήσας τῆς 3.11.2 στρατηγίας Μαρκιανόν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μαρκιανὸς χώραν τῷ βασιλικῷ παρεχόμενος δόγματι ἀπολιμπάνει τὴν Νίσιβιν· τοῦ δὲ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ Μάρδες γεγονότος, ὁ τοῦ Περσικοῦ βασιλεὺς λαίλαπος δίκην ἐς τὸ ∆αρὰς γεγονὼς καὶ μῆνας ἓξ καταπολεμήσας τὸ πόλισμα, λόφους τε καὶ χάρακας τῇ πόλει περιγραψάμενος, τό τε ὕδωρ μετοχετεύσας τοῦ ἄστεος, πύργους τε