,

to be in charge of a regiment, another to be occupied with civil 3.18. cares, a third to settle the disputes of those quarreling about something and needing an arbitrator, a fifth to command the cavalry, the one after him to tax the subjects and to be the supervisor of the royal treasuries, the seventh to be the guardian of the arms and to have charge of the military apparel, Darius the son of Hystaspes having consecrated this 3.18.10 law in the palace. But Bahram, being of the house of Mihran, and of the Arsacid people, they say was first enrolled among the king's bodyguards, and a little later, having commanded a military squadron, he campaigned with Chosroes, the son of Kavad, when the Babylonians had subjected Dara, while Justin the younger held the Roman sceptre. 3.18.11 So Bahram, having invaded along with Chosroes, the elder king of the Persians, even into the Armenian territories themselves, and having become most distinguished in the wars, not long after was appointed general of the Persian host. 3.18.12 And as fortune thus gradually exalted him, so as to appoint him *darigbedum* of the royal household (whom the Romans call *curopalates*), he was driven to a great pitch of folly, and puffed up by his victories over the Turks, he was in the throes of bringing forth the offspring of tyranny, breathing great and unrestrainable 3.18.13 things. So, like a spark in the embers, he concealed the pretext for the grief of King Hormisd, but he drove the multitude mad by contriving a deception, as if the king were angry with the Persian army and was threatening death to the Babylonian troops on account of the misfortunes of the engagement around 3.18.14 Suania. And forged orders of Hormisd were also produced, curtailing the customary distributions to the regiments by the royal authorities. And thereupon the whole multitude was exasperated and proceeded to a state of seditious inattention.

4.t.1 HISTORY IV 4.1.1 When the affairs of the tyranny were being fortified by oaths, and the sedition was built up by libations, Bahram gathered an allied force, and the civil war among the Persians was strengthened. And the animosity toward Hormisd also recruited for Bahram 4.1.2 an additional and auxiliary force. For the Persians encamped near Nisibis, having just been defeated by the Romans in a public battle, having heard the extraordinary news concerning Bahram, inclined towards rebellion, emulating things similar to those attempted 4.1.3 by him. When this was reported to Bahram, ambassadors from the multitude around him were sent to Nisibis, and with the inducement of promises, the civil war among the Medes 4.1.4 was more strongly fermented. So they, having received the ambassadors, proceeded to the city of Nisibis, and having come near the gate of the city, they met Chourbiadanes, who, being one of those holding dignities among the Persians, seemed to have been appointed by Hormisd as an inspector of the actions in the war. 4.1.5 Having thrown him from his horse and having mutilated the wretch and having cut off his head from the vertebrae in his neck, they sent these as symbols to Hormisd of an irreconcilable sedition, and having dispatched the man terribly, and having burst into the city, they turned to plundering his 4.1.6 property. Therefore, a strong conspiracy also took place at 4.1.6 Nisibis, to the effect that Hormisd should be deposed and be made a private citizen instead of king. And so, with matters having thus advanced, Persians sent embassies to Persians, and they sent leaders to Bahram, 4.1.7 who was staying at the crossing of the Zabas. This is a river, which from the

προεστάναι συντάξεως, ἄλλον δὲ τὰς πολιτικὰς 3.18. περικεῖσθαι φροντίδας, τὸν δ' ἕτερον τὰς διαφορὰς διαλύειν τῶν περί τι καταστασιαζόντων καὶ διαιτητοῦ δεομένων, τὸν δὲ πέμπτον ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς ἵππου, τὸν δὲ μετὰ τοῦτον φορολογεῖν τὸ ὑπήκοον καῖ τῶν βασιλικῶν ταμείων ἔφορον πεφυκέναι, τὸν δ' ἕβδομον κηδεμόνα τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τῆς πολεμικῆς ἐσθῆτος ἐπιστατεῖν, ∆αρείου τοῦ ῾Υστάσπου τουτονὶ τὸν νόμον 3.18.10 ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐντεμενίσαντος. τὸν δὲ Βαρὰμ τῆς τοῦ Μιρράμου οἰκαρχίας γενόμενον, δήμου δ' ᾿Αρσακίδου, καταλε-γῆναί φασιν ἐς τὸ πρότερον τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως σωματοφύλαξιν, μικροῦ δ' ὕστερον στρατιωτικῆς ἴλης ἡγησάμενον συστρατεῦσαι Χοσρόῃ, τῷ Καβάδου παιδί, ὁπότε οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι τὸ ∆αρὰς παρεστήσαντο, ᾿Ιουστίνου τοῦ νεωτέρου τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων σκηπτου-3.18.11 χίαν ἐπέχοντος. ὁ μὲν οὖν Βαρὰμ ἐσβαλὼν ἅμα Χοσρόῃ, τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ τῷ πρεσβύτῃ, καὶ εἰς τὰς ᾿Αρμενίας αὐτάς, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους ἐπιφανέστατος γεγονώς, στρατηγὸς [οὐ] μετ' οὐ πολὺ καὶ τοῦ Περσικοῦ χειροτονεῖται ἀθροίσματος. 3.18.12 οὕτω δὲ κατ' ὀλίγον ἐξαιρούσης τῆς τύχης αὐτόν, ὡς καὶ δαριγβεδοὺμ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀναδεῖξαι ἑστίας (ὃν δὴ κουροπαλάτην ῾Ρωμαῖοι κατονομάζουσιν), ἐς μέγα ἀπονοίας ἐλήλακεν, καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς κατὰ Τούρκων νίκαις μεγάλα καὶ ἀκά3.18.13 θεκτα πνέων τὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ὠδίνει κυήματα. ὁ μὲν οὖν ὥσπερ σπινθῆρα ἐν σποδιᾷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ῾Ορμίσδου ἀποκρύπτει τῆς λύπης ὑπόθεσιν, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ἐξέμηνε φενάκῃ συσκευασάμενος ὡς οἷα δὴ κατὰ τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ τοῦ Περσῶν χαλεπαίνοντος βασιλέως καὶ προσαπειλοῦντος καὶ φόνον τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις στρατεύμασι διὰ τὰ περὶ τὴν 3.18.14 Σουανίαν τῆς συμπλοκῆς ἀτυχήματα. προσεφέρετο δὲ καὶ ἐπίπλαστα τοῦ ῾Ορμίσδου προστάγματα ἀποκολοβοῦντα τὰ κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς τοῖς συντάγμασι [τῶν] ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλικῶν πρυτανείων διανεμόμενα. κἀντεῦθεν παραδριμύττεται ἡ πᾶσα πληθὺς καὶ ἐς ἀνάστατον ἀπροσεξίαν ἐχώρησεν.

4.τ.1 ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ ∆ʹ 4.1.1 ᾿Επεὶ δ' ὅρκοις τὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ἀπετειχίζετο, καὶ σπονδαῖς ἡ στάσις

ἐπῳκοδομεῖτο, ἐπαθροίζει συμμαχικὸν ὁ Βαράμ, καὶ ὁ ἐπιχώριος Πέρσαις ἐκρατύνετο πόλεμος. ἐπεστρατολόγει δὲ καὶ ἡ περὶ τὸν ῾Ορμίσδαν δυσμένεια τῷ Βαρὰμ 4.1.2 πρόσθετον καὶ ἐπίκουρον δύναμιν. Πέρσαι γὰρ οἱ πρὸς τῇ Νίσιβι στρατοπεδεύοντες ἄρτι που ὑπὸ ῾Ρωμαίων καταπολεμη-θέντες δημοσίᾳ ἐκτάξει, τὰ περὶ τὸν Βαράμην ἀκηκοότες παράδοξα ἀποκλίνουσι πρὸς ἀπόστασιν, ἀδελφὰ τῶν ἐκείνῳ 4.1.3 διεγχειρηθέντων ὑποζηλώσαντες. τούτων δὴ ἀγγελθέντων τῷ Βαράμ, πρέσβεις ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ αὑτὸν πληθύος ἐκπέμπεται πρὸς τὴν Νίσιβιν, καὶ τῷ ἐπαγωγῷ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων καρτερώτερος 4.1.4 Μήδοις ὁ ἐμφύλιος κατατυρεύεται πόλεμος. οἱ μὲν οὖν τοὺς πρέσβεις δεξάμενοι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν χωροῦσι τὴν Νίσιβιν, περὶ τὴν πύλην δὲ γεγονότες τοῦ ἄστεος συνεκύρησαν Χουβριαδάνῃ, ὃς τῶν ἐν ἀξίαις τελούντων παρὰ Πέρσαις ἐδόκει ἐπόπτης τε τῶν δρωμένων κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ὑπὸ ῾Ορμίσδα προεκε4.1.5 χείριστο. τοῦτον καταβαλόντες τοῦ ἵππου ἀκροτομήσαντές τε τὸν δείλαιον τήν τε κεφαλὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ σφονδύλων ἀποκοψάμενοι σύμβολα ταῦτα ῾Ορμίσδᾳ ἀδιαλλάκτου τινὸς παρέπεμπον στάσεως, κατεργασάμενοί τε τὸν ἄνδρα δεινῶς καὶ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν εἰσφρήσαντες πρὸς διαρπαγὴν τῶν 4.1.6 ἐκείνου χρημάτων ἐτράποντο. γίνεται τοίνυν καὶ κατὰ τὴν 4.1.6 Νίσβιν διωμοσία καρτερὰ ἐφ' ᾧ τὸν ῾Ορμίσδαν ἀποχειροτόνητον εἶναι καὶ ἰδιώτην ἀντὶ βασιλέως τεκταίνεσθαι. καὶ γοῦν τούτων οὕτω προκεχωρηκότων τοῖς πράγμασιν, πρεσβεύονται Πέρσαι πρὸς Πέρσας καὶ ἡγεμόνας πρὸς τὸν Βαρὰμ ἀποστέλ4.1.7 λουσι κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ζαβᾶ διάβασιν διατρίβοντα. ποταμὸς δ' οὗτος, ὃς ἐκ τῶν