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and on this 2.1.4 pretext began to overrun the land of the Romans. And he said that he himself was not breaking the treaty of the Persians and the Romans, since neither side had included him in 2.1.5 them. And it was so. For no mention was ever made of the Saracens in treaties, as they were included under the name of Persians and Romans. 2.1.6 This land, which was then being disputed by the Saracens of both sides, is called Strata, and it is situated to the south of the city of Palmyra, bearing no tree or any of the good things from the crops (for it is exceedingly sun-scorched), but from of old has been given over to certain 2.1.7 sheep pastures. Arethas, therefore, claimed the land belonged to the Romans, proving it by its name, which it had held by all from ancient times (for Strata is what a paved road is called in the Latin tongue) and using testimonies of the most 2.1.8 ancient men. But Alamoundaras did not at all think it right to contend over the name, but said that from of old those who owned the 2.1.9 sheep paid him rent for the pasturage there. For this reason Emperor Justinian entrusted 2.1.10 the arbitration of the disputed claims to Strategius, a patrician and ruler of the imperial treasures, who was otherwise intelligent and of noble birth, and also to Summus, who had commanded the soldiers in Palestine. And Summus was the brother of Julianus, who a little before went as ambassador 2.1.11 to the Aethiopians and the Homeritae. And one of them, Summus, thought that the Romans ought not to give up the land, but Strategius begged the emperor not, for the sake of some small land of the least importance, but being entirely barren and fruitless, to grant to the Persians, who were eager for war, pretexts for the war; Emperor Justinian, therefore, was taking these things under consideration, and much time was spent on this very arbitration. 2.1.12 But Chosroes, the king of the Persians, said that the treaty had been broken by Justinian, who had recently shown much hostility toward his house, by which means indeed he attempted to win 2.1.13 over Alamoundaras during the truce. For he said that Summus, having recently come to him ostensibly for arbitration, had tried to win him over with promises of great sums of money, on the condition that he would defect to the Romans, and he produced letters, which about these matters Emperor Justinian had written 2.1.14 to Alamoundaras. And he asserted that he had also sent a letter to certain of the Huns, urging them to invade the land of the Persians and to do the greatest possible damage to the regions there. which, he said, the Huns themselves had handed to him when they came into his presence. 2.1.15 Making these charges against the Romans, Chosroes was planning to break the treaty. However, whether he happened to be speaking the truth in saying these things, I am unable to say. 2.2.1 At this time Vittigis, the leader of the Goths, being already hard-pressed by the war, sent two envoys to him, to persuade him to march against the Romans, not Goths, however, so that they might not become immediately conspicuous and ruin the undertaking, but Ligurian priests, who had been induced to this action by large sums of money. 2.2.2 Of these, one, who seemed to be the more worthy, assuming the appearance and name of a bishop, which in no way belonged to him, undertook the embassy, while the 2.2.3 other followed him as an attendant. And as they journeyed to the regions of Thrace, they won over a certain man from there to be their interpreter of both the Syriac and the Greek tongue, and eluding all the Romans, they arrived in the lands of the Persians. For since they were in a state of truce, 2.2.4 they were not keeping a very close watch on this frontier. And coming into the presence of Chosroes, they spoke as follows: «All other ambassadors, O King, it is customary for the most part to be appointed to an embassy for their own advantage, but us Vittigis the king of the Goths and Italians has sent to speak on behalf of your rule; and consider him to be present and speaking 2.2.5 these things to you now. If anyone, O King, should say in sum that you have surrendered both your own kingdom and all mankind to Justinian, he would speak correctly. 2.2.6 For he is by nature an innovator and of things that do not

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καὶ γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ 2.1.4 σκήψει καταθεῖν ἤρξατο. ἔφασκέ τε ὡς αὐτὸς οὐ λύει τὰς Περσῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων σπονδὰς, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν ἐς 2.1.5 ταύτας οὐδέτεροι ἐσεγράψαντο. καὶ ἦν δὲ οὕτως. οὐ γάρ τις πώποτε Σαρακηνῶν λόγος ἐν σπονδαῖς γέγονεν, ἅτε ξυνεχομένων τῷ Περσῶν τε καὶ Ῥωμαίων ὀνόματι. 2.1.6 αὕτη δὲ ἡ χώρα, ἣ δὴ πρὸς ἑκατέρων τότε Σαρακηνῶν ἀντελέγετο, Στρᾶτα μὲν κέκληται, Παλμύρας δὲ πόλεως πρὸς νότον ἄνεμον τέτραπται, δένδρον μὲν ἤ τι τῶν ἐν τοῖς ληίοις ἀγαθῶν οὐδαμῆ φέρουσα (ἡλιόκαυστος γὰρ ὑπερφυῶς ἐστι), προβάτων δέ τισιν ἐκ παλαιοῦ 2.1.7 ἀνειμένη νομαῖς. Ἀρέθας μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίων ἰσχυρίζετο εἶναι τὸν χῶρον, τῷ τε ὀνόματι τεκμηριούμενος, οὗ δὴ πρὸς πάντων ἄνωθεν ἔτυχε (Στρᾶτα γὰρ ἡ ἐστρωμένη ὁδὸς τῇ Λατίνων καλεῖται φωνῇ) καὶ μαρτυρίαις πα2.1.8 λαιοτάτων ἀνδρῶν χρώμενος. Ἀλαμούνδαρος δὲ φιλονεικεῖν μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἥκιστα ἐδικαίου, μισθοὺς δέ οἱ τοῦ ἐνταῦθα νομοῦ ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἔφασκε τοὺς τὰ 2.1.9 πρόβατα κεκτημένους διδόναι. διὸ δὴ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς Στρατηγίῳ τε πατρικίῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ τῶν βασιλικῶν θησαυρῶν ἄρχοντι, ἄλλως δὲ ξυνετῷ καὶ εὐπατρίδῃ, ἔτι μέντοι καὶ Σούμμῳ τῶν ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ στρατιωτῶν ἡγησαμένῳ, τὴν τῶν ἀντιλεγομένων ἐπέ2.1.10 τρεψε δίαιταν. ὁ δὲ Σοῦμμος Ἰουλιανοῦ ἀδελφὸς ἦν, ὃς ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν ἐς Αἰθίοπάς τε καὶ Ὁμηρίτας 2.1.11 ἐπρέσβευσε. καὶ αὐτοῖν ἅτερος μὲν, Σοῦμμος, μὴ χρῆναι Ῥωμαίους καταπροΐεσθαι τὴν χώραν ἠξίου, Στρατήγιος δὲ βασιλέως ἐδεῖτο μὴ χώρας τινὸς ἕνεκα βραχείας τε καὶ ὡς ἥκιστα λόγου ἀξίας, ἀλλὰ ἀγόνου τε καὶ ἀκάρπου παντάπασιν οὔσης, Πέρσαις πολεμησείουσι σκήψεις τοῦ πολέμου χαρίζεσθαι· βασιλεὺς μὲν οὖν Ἰουστινιανὸς ταῦτα ἐν βουλῇ ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ χρόνος πολὺς ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ διαίτῃ ἐτρίβη. 2.1.12 Χοσρόης δὲ ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς λελύσθαι πρὸς Ἰουστινιανοῦ τὰς σπονδὰς ἔφασκε, πολλὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐς οἶκον τὸν αὐτοῦ ἄρτι ἐνδειξαμένου, οἷς δὴ ἑταιρί2.1.13 ζεσθαι Ἀλαμούνδαρον ἐν σπονδαῖς ἐνεχείρησε. Σοῦμμον γὰρ ἔναγχος ἐπὶ διαίτῃ δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ παρ' αὐτὸν ἥκοντα ἐπαγγελίαις αὐτὸν περιελθεῖν μεγάλων χρημάτων, ἐφ' ᾧ προσχωρήσει Ῥωμαίοις, γράμματά τε προΐσχετο, ἃ δὴ πρὸς Ἀλαμούνδαρον ὑπὲρ τούτων 2.1.14 Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔγραψε. καὶ πρὸς Οὔννων δέ τινας ἰσχυρίζετο αὐτὸν ἐπιστολὴν πέμψαι, ἐγκελευομένην αὐτοῖς ἐσβαλεῖν τε ἐς τὴν Περσῶν γῆν καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνῃ χωρίοις ἐπὶ πλεῖστον λυμήνασθαι. ἣν δή οἱ τοὺς Οὔννους αὐτοὺς ἔφασκεν ἐγχειρίσαι ἐς ὄψιν ἐλ2.1.15 θόντας. ταῦτα μὲν Χοσρόης ἐπικαλῶν Ῥωμαίοις τὰς σπονδὰς λύειν διενοεῖτο. εἰ μέντοι ταῦτα λέγοντί οἱ ἀληθίζεσθαι ξυνέβαινεν, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν. 2.2.1 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Οὐίττιγις, ὁ τῶν Γότθων ἡγούμενος, ἤδη τῷ πολέμῳ κεκακωμένος, πρέσβεις δύο παρ' αὐτὸν ἔπεμψεν, ἀναπείσοντας ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους στρατεύεσθαι, οὐ Γότθους μέντοι, ὅπως μὴ κατάδηλοι αὐτόθεν γινόμενοι ξυγχέωσι τὰ πρασσόμενα, ἀλλὰ Λιγούρους ἱερεῖς, χρήμασιν ἁδροῖς ἐς ταύτην ἠγμένους τὴν πρᾶξιν. 2.2.2 ὧν ἅτερος μὲν, ὅσπερ ἀξιώτερος ἔδοξεν εἶναι, δόκησίν τε καὶ ὄνομα ἐπισκόπου περιβεβλημένος οὐδὲν αὐτῷ προσῆκον, ἐς τὴν πρεσβείαν καθίστατο, ὁ δὲ δὴ 2.2.3 ἕτερος αὐτῷ ὑπηρετῶν εἵπετο. ὁδῷ τε ἰόντες ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης χωρία ἑταιρίζονταί τινα ἐνθένδε Σύρας τε καὶ τῆς Ἑλληνίδος φωνῆς ἑρμηνέα σφίσιν ἐσόμενον, ἅπαντάς τε Ῥωμαίους λαθόντες ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη ἀφίκοντο. ἅτε γὰρ ἐν σπονδαῖς καθεστῶτες 2.2.4 οὐκ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ταύτῃ ἐφύλασσον. Χοσρόου τε ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἅπαν»τας, ὦ βασιλεῦ, πρέσβεις τῶν αὐτοῖς ἕνεκα ξυμφόρων «ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ξυμβαίνει ἐς τὴν πρεσβείαν καθ»ίστασθαι, ἡμᾶς δὲ Οὐίττιγις ὁ Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰτα»λιωτῶν βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε τοὺς λόγους ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς «ποιησομένους ἀρχῆς· καὶ αὐτὸν νόμιζε παρόντα σοι 2.2.5 «τανῦν φθέγγεσθαι τάδε. εἴ τίς σε, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ξυνε»λὼν φαίη τήν τε σὴν βασιλείαν καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώ2.2.6 «πους Ἰουστινιανῷ προέσθαι, ὀρθῶς ἂν εἴποι. ὁ μὲν «γὰρ νεωτεροποιός τε ὢν φύσει καὶ τῶν οὐδ'