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"he has made it his business to circumvent a slave by deceit and to make him revolt from your kingdom, and has he been eager recently to win over the Huns, who are in no way known to him, to the detriment of your interests? And yet a more outrageous action than this has never occurred in all time. 2.3.48 For since he perceived, I suppose, that the destruction of the western peoples was all but coming to its conclusion for him, he has now undertaken to attack you of the east, since the power of the Persians is the only thing left for him to contend with. 2.3.49 Therefore, the peace, on his part, has already been broken with you, and he himself has put an end to the endless treaty. 2.3.50 For it is not those who are first to take up arms who break the peace, but those who are caught plotting against their neighbors during a truce. 2.3.51 For the crime has been committed by the one who attempted it, even if success is lacking. And how the war will proceed is surely clear to everyone. For not those who have provided the causes for the war, but those who defend themselves against the ones who have provided them, are accustomed always to prevail over their enemies. 2.3.52 Moreover, the contest will not be for us with a force of equal strength. For it happens that most of the Roman soldiers are at the ends of the earth, and of their two generals, who were their best, we have come having killed the one, Sittas, and Justinian will never see Belisarius again. For he, having been neglected by that man, has remained in the west, holding the power of the Italians himself. 2.3.53 So that as you go against the enemy, no one at all will meet you, and you will have us as well, guiding your army with goodwill, as is likely, and with much experience of the places." When Chosroes heard these things, he was pleased and, having called together whatever was of noble rank among the Persians, he reported to all both what Vittigis had written and all that the Armenians had said, and he put before them the question of what should be done for deliberation. 2.3.55 There, indeed, many opinions were expressed, tending in either direction, but in the end it seemed best to them that they should make war upon the Romans at the beginning of spring. 2.3.56 For it was autumn of the year, the thirteenth year that Emperor Justinian held the imperial power. 2.3.57 The Romans, however, did not suspect this, nor did they think that the Persians would ever break the so-called endless treaty, even though they heard that Chosroes was bringing charges against their own emperor for his successes in the west and was levelling these accusations which I have just mentioned. 2.4.1 At that time the comet star also appeared, at first about the size of a very tall man, but later much larger. And its end was toward the setting sun, and its beginning toward the rising sun, and it followed behind the sun itself. 2.4.2 For the sun was in Capricorn, and the comet itself in Sagittarius. And some called it the sword-star, because it was long and had a very sharp point, while others called it the bearded-star, and it was visible for more than forty days. 2.4.3 The wise men in these matters, therefore, agreeing with one another as little as possible, each foretold different things to be signified by this star; but I, by writing down all that came to pass, allow each man to judge by the outcomes as he wishes. 2.4.4 Immediately a great Hunnic army, crossing the Ister river, fell upon all of Europe, an event which had indeed happened many times before, but had never brought so many evils in number or so great in magnitude to the people there. For from the Ionian Gulf these barbarians plundered everything in succession as far as the suburbs of Byzantium. 2.4.5 And they took thirty-two forts in Illyricum, and they overthrew the city of Cassandreia by force (which the ancients called Potidaea, as far as we know) not having first fought at the walls. 2.4.6 And taking the valuables and carrying off twelve myriads of captives, they all returned home, having met with no opposition. 2.4.7 And at a later time, having come there often, they did dreadful and irreparable things to the Romans. 2.4.8 Who indeed, having also fought at the walls in the Chersonese, and having overpowered those defending from the wall and having crossed the circuit wall through the surf of the sea, which is by the gulf called the Black, and thus

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«δοῦλον ἀπάτῃ τε περιελθεῖν καὶ βασιλείας ἀποστῆσαι «τῆς σῆς ἔργον πεποίηται, Οὔννους δὲ τοὺς οὐδαμό»θεν αὐτῷ γνωρίμους ἐπὶ τοῖς σοῖς ἔναγχος ἑταιρί»ζεσθαι πράγμασιν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔσχε; καίτοι πρᾶξις «ἀτοπωτέρα ταύτης οὐ γέγονεν ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου. 2.3.48 «ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔσθετο, οἶμαι, εἰς πέρας αὐτῷ ὅσον οὔπω «ἀφίξεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἑσπερίων καταστροφὴν, τοὺς «ἑῴους ἤδη μετελθεῖν ὑμᾶς ἐγκεχείρηκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ «μόνον ἀπολέλειπται αὐτῷ ἐς ἀγῶνα τὸ Περσῶν κρά2.3.49 «τος. ἡ μὲν οὖν εἰρήνη τὸ ἐκείνου μέρος ἤδη σοι «λέλυται, καὶ σπονδαῖς αὐτὸς πέρας ταῖς ἀπεράντοις 2.3.50 «ἐπέθηκε. λύουσι γὰρ τὴν εἰρήνην οὐχ οἳ ἂν ἐν «ὅπλοις γένοιντο πρῶτοι, ἀλλ' οἳ ἂν ἐπιβουλεύοντες 2.3.51 «ἐν σπονδαῖς τοῖς πέλας ἁλοῖεν. τὸ γὰρ ἔγκλημα τῷ «ἐγκεχειρηκότι, κἂν ἀπῇ τὸ κατορθοῦν, πέπρακται. «ὅπη ποτὲ δὲ ὁ πόλεμος χωρήσει παντί που δῆλον. «οὐ γὰρ οἱ τὰς αἰτίας τῷ πολέμῳ παρασχόμενοι, ἀλλ' «οἱ τοὺς παρασχομένους αὐτὰς ἀμυνόμενοι, κρατεῖν 2.3.52 «ἀεὶ τῶν πολεμίων εἰώθασιν. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀντι»πάλου ἡμῖν τῆς δυνάμεως ὁ ἀγὼν ἔσται. Ῥωμαίοις «γὰρ τῶν τε στρατιωτῶν πλείστους πρὸς ταῖς τῆς «οἰκουμένης ἐσχατιαῖς ξυμβαίνει εἶναι καὶ δυοῖν στρα»τηγοῖν, οἵπερ αὐτοῖς ἄριστοι ἦσαν, τὸν ἕτερον μὲν «Σίτταν κτείναντες ἥκομεν, Βελισάριον δὲ οὔποτε Ἰου»στινιανὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ὄψεται. οὗπερ ἐκεῖνος ὀλιγωρή»σας μεμένηκε πρὸς ταῖς ἡλίου δυσμαῖς, αὐτὸς ἔχων 2.3.53 «τὸ Ἰταλῶν κράτος. ὥστε σοι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους «ἰόντι ἀπαντήσει τῶν πάντων οὐδεὶς, ἕξεις δὲ καὶ «ἡμᾶς εὐνοίᾳ τε, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, καὶ χωρίων ἐμπειρίᾳ 2.3.54 «πολλῇ τῷ σῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγουμένους.» ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Χοσρόης ἤκουσεν, ἥσθη τε καὶ ξυγκαλέσας εἴ τι ἐν Πέρσαις καθαρὸν ἦν ἐς πάντας ἐξήνεγκεν ἅ τε Οὐίττιγις ἔγραψε καὶ ὅσα οἱ Ἀρμένιοι εἶπον, ἀμφί τε τῷ πρακτέῳ 2.3.55 βουλὴν προὔθηκεν. ἔνθα δὴ ἐλέχθησαν μὲν γνῶμαι πολλαὶ ἐφ' ἑκάτερα φέρουσαι, τέλος δὲ πολεμητέα σφίσιν ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους ἔδοξεν εἶναι. 2.3.56 ἦν γὰρ τοῦ ἔτους μετόπωρον, τρίτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχον2.3.57 τος. οὐ μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτο ὑπώπτευον, οὐδὲ δὴ Πέρσας λύσειν ποτὲ τὰς ἀπεράντους καλουμένας σπονδὰς ᾤοντο, καίπερ Χοσρόην ἀκούσαντες τῷ τε σφῶν αὐτῶν βασιλεῖ ἐγκαλεῖν οἷς εὐημέρησεν ἐν ταῖς ἡλίου δυσμαῖς καὶ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἐπιφέρειν ταῦτα, ὧν ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην. 2.4.1 Τότε καὶ ὁ κομήτης ἀστὴρ ἐφάνη, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ὅσον εὐμήκης ἀνὴρ μάλιστα, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ μείζων. καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν πέρας πρὸς δύοντα ἥλιον, ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἦν, αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ 2.4.2 ἡλίῳ ὄπισθεν εἵπετο. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν αἰγοκέρῳ ἦν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν τοξότῃ. καὶ αὐτὸν οἱ μέν τινες ἐκάλουν ξιφίαν, ὅτι δὴ ἐπιμήκης τε ἦν καὶ λίαν ὀξεῖαν τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶχεν, οἱ δὲ πωγωνίαν, ἡμέρας τε πλείους ἢ 2.4.3 τεσσαράκοντα ἐφάνη. οἱ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα σοφοὶ ἀλλήλοις ὡς ἥκιστα ὁμολογοῦντες ἄλλος ἄλλα προὔλεγον πρὸς τούτου δὴ τοῦ ἀστέρος σημαίνεσθαι· ἐγὼ δὲ ὅσα γενέσθαι ξυνηνέχθη γράφων δίδωμι ἑκάστῳ τοῖς 2.4.4 ἀποβεβηκόσι τεκμηριοῦσθαι ᾗ βούλοιτο. μέγα μὲν εὐθὺς στράτευμα Οὐννικὸν, διαβάντες ποταμὸν Ἴστρον, ξυμπάσῃ Εὐρώπῃ ἐπέσκηψαν, γεγονὸς μὲν πολλάκις ἤδη, τοσαῦτα δὲ τὸ πλῆθος κακὰ ἢ τοιαῦτα τὸ μέγεθος οὐκ ἐνεγκὸν πώποτε τοῖς ταύτῃ ἀνθρώποις. ἐκ κόλπου γὰρ τοῦ Ἰονίου οἱ βάρβαροι οὗτοι ἅπαντα ἐφεξῆς ἐληίσαντο μέχρι ἐς τὰ Βυζαντίων προάστεια. 2.4.5 καὶ φρούρια μὲν δύο καὶ τριάκοντα ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς εἷλον, πόλιν δὲ τὴν Κασσάνδρειαν κατεστρέψαντο βίᾳ (ἣν οἱ παλαιοὶ Ποτίδαιαν ἐκάλουν, ὅσα γε ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι) οὐ 2.4.6 τειχομαχήσαντες πρότερον. καὶ τά τε χρήματα ἔχοντες αἰχμαλώτων τε μυριάδας δυοκαίδεκα ἀπαγόμενοι ἐπ' οἴκου ἅπαντες ἀνεχώρησαν, οὐδενὸς σφίσιν ἐναντιώμα2.4.7 τος ἀπαντήσαντος. χρόνῳ τε τῷ ὑστέρῳ πολλάκις ἐνταῦθα γενόμενοι ἀνήκεστα ἐς Ῥωμαίους δεινὰ ἔδρασαν. 2.4.8 οἳ δὴ καὶ ἐν Χερρονήσῳ τειχομαχήσαντες, βιασάμενοί τε τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ τείχους ἀμυνομένους καὶ διὰ τοῦ τῆς θαλάσσης ῥοθίου τὸν περίβολον ὑπερβάντες, ὃς πρὸς κόλπῳ τῷ μέλανι καλουμένῳ ἐστὶν, οὕτω τε