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having gotten inside the long walls and fallen unexpectedly upon the Romans in the Chersonese, they both killed 2.4.9 many and enslaved almost all. But a few, also crossing the strait between Sestus and Abydus, and plundering the lands in Asia and having returned again to the Chersonese, with the rest of the army and all the booty were carried off home. 2.4.10 And in another invasion, after plundering the Illyrians and Thessalians, they attempted to assault the walls at Thermopylae, but as the guards in the walls defended most stoutly, while searching the ways around they unexpectedly found the path which leads to the mountain which rises there. 2.4.11 And thus having destroyed almost all the Hellenes, except 2.4.12 for the Peloponnesians, they withdrew. But the Persians, not long afterwards, breaking the treaty, wrought deeds against the Romans of the East which I shall presently 2.4.13 make very clear. When Belisarius, having overthrown Vittigis, king of the Goths and Italians, brought him alive to Byzantium. How the army of the Persians invaded the land of the Romans, I shall now proceed to tell. 2.4.14 When the emperor Justinian perceived that Chosroes intended to make war, he wished both to offer some admonition and to dissuade him from the 2.4.15 enterprise. Now there happened to have come to Byzantium from the city of Daras a certain man, Anastasius by name, who had a reputation for intelligence, who also had recently suppressed the tyranny which had arisen in Daras. 2.4.16 Justinian therefore sent this Anastasius to Chosroes 2.4.17 having written a letter; the letter declared the following: "It is the part of intelligent men and of those who have sufficient reverence for the divine to cut off with all their strength the budding causes of war, and especially against men who are their greatest friends; but it is for the unintelligent and for those who make very light for themselves of things divine to contrive hostile pretexts for battle and 2.4.18 trouble when they in no way exist. For to break a peace and go to war is no great matter, since the nature of things has made it customary for the most evil of practices to be easy even for the most dishonorable of men. 2.4.19 But for those who have managed a war according to their will to return again to peace, 2.4.20 I think is not easy for men. And yet you bring up against us letters not written for that purpose, and these you have now undertaken to interpret with an independent judgment, not as we intended when we wrote, but as seems to suit you, desiring as you do to accomplish your plans not without some 2.4.21 pretext. But we can point to your Alamoundaras who recently overran our land, irreparable deeds having been done during a truce: captures of places, seizures of money, and murders and enslavements of people in so great a number, for which it will be necessary for you not to accuse 2.4.22 us, but to defend yourself. For the crimes of wrongdoers are declared to their neighbors by their deeds, not by their thoughts. But even though these things are so, we for our part have decided to hold to the peace even so, but we hear that you, intending to make war upon the Romans, are fabricating 2.4.23 charges that in no way apply to us. Naturally. For those who are eager to preserve the present state of affairs shake off even very pressing accusations against their friends, but those whom the law of friendship does not please, are eager to procure even non-existent pretexts. 2.4.24 But these things would seem to be fitting not even for ordinary men, much less 2.4.25 indeed for kings. But you, setting these things aside, consider the measure of what will be lost on both sides in the war and who would be justly held responsible for what happens, and reflect upon the oaths, which you indeed swore and for which you received the money, and then improperly dishonored, which you would not be able to evade with any tricks or sophistries; for the divine is by nature too strong to be deceived by any man. 2.4.26" When Chosroes saw that these things had been delivered, at the moment he neither answered anything nor sent Anastasius away, but compelled him to remain there. 2.5.1 And when the winter was now coming to an end, and the thirteenth year was ending

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ἐντὸς τῶν μακρῶν τειχῶν γεγενημένοι καὶ τοῖς ἐν Χερρονήσῳ Ῥωμαίοις ἀπροσδόκητοι ἐπιπεσόντες, ἔκτεινάν τε πολ2.4.9 λοὺς καὶ ἠνδραπόδισαν σχεδὸν ἅπαντας. ὀλίγοι δέ τινες καὶ διαβάντες τὸν μεταξὺ Σηστοῦ τε καὶ Ἀβύδου πορθμὸν, ληισάμενοί τε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσίας χωρία καὶ αὖθις ἐς Χερρόνησον ἀναστρέψαντες ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ λείᾳ ἐπ' οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθησαν. 2.4.10 ἐν ἑτέρᾳ τε εἰσβολῇ τούς τε Ἰλλυριοὺς καὶ Θεσσαλοὺς ληισάμενοι τειχομαχεῖν μὲν ἐνεχείρησαν ἐν Θερμοπύλαις, τῶν δὲ ἐν τοῖς τείχεσι φρουρῶν καρτερώτατα ἀμυνομένων διερευνώμενοι τὰς περιόδους παρὰ δόξαν τὴν ἀτραπὸν εὗρον ἣ φέρει εἰς τὸ ὄρος ὃ ταύτῃ 2.4.11 ἀνέχει. οὕτω τε σχεδὸν ἅπαντας Ἕλληνας, πλὴν 2.4.12 Πελοποννησίων, διεργασάμενοι ἀπεχώρησαν. Πέρσαι δὲ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον τὰς σπονδὰς λύσαντες ἔργα Ῥωμαίους τοὺς ἑῴους εἰργάσαντο ἅπερ ἐγὼ αὐτίκα δὴ 2.4.13 μάλα δηλώσω. Βελισάριος ἐπεὶ τῶν Γότθων τε καὶ Ἰταλιωτῶν βασιλέα Οὐίττιγιν καθελὼν ζῶντα ἐς Βυζάντιον ἤνεγκεν. ὅπως δὲ ὁ Περσῶν στρατὸς ἐς γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐσέβαλεν, ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι. 2.4.14 Ἡνίκα Χοσρόου πολεμησείοντος Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ᾔσθετο, παραίνεσίν τε ποιεῖσθαί τινα καὶ τῆς 2.4.15 ἐγχειρήσεως αὐτὸν ἀπαγαγεῖν ἤθελεν. ἐτύγχανε δέ τις ἐς Βυζάντιον ἥκων ἐκ ∆άρας πόλεως, Ἀναστάσιος ὄνομα, δόξαν ἐπὶ ξυνέσει ἔχων, ὃς καὶ τὴν ἐν ∆άρας 2.4.16 ἔναγχος γενομένην τυραννίδα καταλελύκει. τοῦτον οὖν τὸν Ἀναστάσιον παρὰ Χοσρόην Ἰουστινιανὸς 2.4.17 ἔπεμψε γράμματα γράψας· ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Ξυνετῶν μὲν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ καὶ οἷς τὰ ἐς τὸ θεῖον «ἱκανῶς ἤσκηται πολέμου φυομένας αἰτίας, ἄλλως τε «καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρας τὰ μάλιστα φίλους, σθένει παντὶ «ἀποτέμνεσθαι· ἀξυνέτων δὲ καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ σφίσιν «αὐτοῖς ῥᾷστα ποιουμένων πολέμια μάχης τε καὶ τα2.4.18 «ραχῆς ἀφορμὰς οὐδαμῆ οὔσας ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι. εἰρήνην «μὲν γὰρ καταλύσασιν ἐς πόλεμον ἰέναι οὐδὲν πρᾶγμά «ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τὰ πονηρότατα καὶ «τοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀτιμοτάτοις εὔκολα τίθεσθαι ἡ 2.4.19 «τῶν πραγμάτων νενόμικε φύσις. πόλεμον δὲ κατὰ «γνώμην διαθεμένοις αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν εἰρήνην χωρεῖν 2.4.20 «ἀνθρώποις οἶμαι οὐ ῥᾴδιον εἶναι. καίτοι σὺ μὲν «ἡμῖν γράμματα οὐκ ἐπίτηδες γεγραμμένα ἐπικαλεῖς, «ταῦτά τε γνώμῃ αὐτονόμῳ τανῦν ἑρμηνεύειν ἐσπού»δακας, οὐχ ᾗπερ ἡμεῖς διανοηθέντες γεγράφαμεν, ἀλλ' «ᾗ σοι τὰ βεβουλευμένα ἐπιτελεῖν οὐκ ἄνευ τινὸς πα2.4.21 «ραπετάσματος ἐφιεμένῳ ξυνοίσειν δοκεῖ. ἡμῖν δὲ «πάρεστιν Ἀλαμούνδαρον δεικνύναι τὸν σὸν γῆν ἔναγχος «καταδραμόντα τὴν ἡμετέραν ἔργα ἐν σπονδαῖς δια»πεπρᾶχθαι ἀνήκεστα, χωρίων ἁλώσεις, χρημάτων ἁρ»παγὰς, ἀνθρώπων φόνους τε καὶ ἀνδραποδισμοὺς «τοσούτων τὸ πλῆθος, ὑπὲρ ὧν σε οὐκ αἰτιᾶσθαι 2.4.22 «ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἀπολογεῖσθαι δεήσει. τὰ γὰρ τῶν ἠδικη»κότων ἐγκλήματα αἱ πράξεις, οὐχ αἱ διάνοιαι, δηλοῦσι «τοῖς πέλας. ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων τοιούτων ὄντων ἡμεῖς «μὲν ἔχεσθαι καὶ ὣς τῆς εἰρήνης ἐγνώκαμεν, σὲ δὲ «πολεμησείοντα ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους ἀκούομεν ἀναπλάττειν 2.4.23 «αἰτίας οὐδαμόθεν ἡμῖν προσηκούσας. εἰκότως· οἱ μὲν «γὰρ τὰ παρόντα περιστέλλειν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχοντες καὶ «σφόδρα ἐγκειμένας ἀποσείονται τὰς ἐπὶ τοὺς φίλους «αἰτίας, οὓς δὲ ὁ τῆς φιλίας οὐκ ἀρέσκει θεσμὸς, καὶ 2.4.24 «τὰς οὐκ οὔσας ἐφίενται πορίζεσθαι σκήψεις. ἀλλὰ «ταῦτα μὲν οὐδὲ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις, μή τί γε 2.4.25 «δὴ βασιλεῦσι, πρέπειν ἂν δόξειε. σὺ δὲ τούτων «ἀφέμενος σκόπει μὲν τὸ μέτρον τῶν ἑκατέρωθεν κατὰ «τὸν πόλεμον ἀπολουμένων καὶ τίς ἂν εἴη τῶν ξυμ»πεσουμένων τὴν αἰτίαν φέρεσθαι δίκαιος, λογίζου δὲ «τοὺς ὅρκους, οὓς δὴ ὀμοσάμενός τε καὶ τὰ χρήματα «κομισάμενος, εἶτα ἀτιμάσας οὐ δέον τέχναις τισὶν ἢ «σοφίσμασι παραγαγεῖν οὐκ ἂν δύναιο· τὸ γὰρ θεῖον «κρεῖσσον ἢ ἐξαπατᾶσθαι πέφυκε πρὸς πάντων ἀνθρώ2.4.26 «πων.» ταῦτα ἐπεὶ ὁ Χοσρόης ἀπενεχθέντα εἶδεν, ἐν μὲν τῷ αὐτίκα οὔτε τι ἀπεκρίνατο οὔτε τὸν Ἀναστάσιον ἀπεπέμψατο, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ μένειν ἠνάγκαζεν. 2.5.1 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ μὲν χειμὼν ἤδη ὑπέληγε, τρίτον δὲ καὶ δέκατον ἔτος ἐτελεύτα