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They send him to entreat Chosroes, and he, being dispatched from there, finds the Median army not far 2.6.18 from Hierapolis. And coming into Chosroes' presence, he earnestly begged him to pity men, who had neither wronged him in any way, 2.6.19 nor were able to resist the Persian army. For it was least of all fitting for a kingly man to trample upon and do violence to those who yield and are in no way willing to oppose him, since indeed, of the things now being done, nothing kingly nor noble would be accomplished by him, because he had not granted the Roman emperor any time for deliberation, so as either to ratify the peace, in whatever way might seem best to each, or to prepare for the war by agreement, as was proper, but had thus heedlessly come against the Romans in arms, while their own emperor did not yet know 2.6.20 their present circumstances. When Chosroes heard these things, he was in no way able, due to his ignorance, to have his temper controlled by wise speech, but was even more puffed up in his mind than 2.6.21 before. Therefore he threatened to subdue the Syrians and all the Cilicians, and bidding Megas to follow him, he led the army to Hierapolis. 2.6.22 Having arrived there and encamped, when he saw that the circuit-wall was strong and learned that it had a sufficient garrison of soldiers, he demanded money from the people of Hierapolis, sending Paul the interpreter to them. 2.6.23 This Paul had been raised in the land of the Romans and had attended a schoolmaster's among the Antiochenes, 2.6.24 and it was said that he was also a Roman by birth. They, being especially afraid for their circuit-wall even so, which enclosed a large area as far as the mountain which rises there, and then also wishing to keep their land unravaged, agreed to give two thousand pounds of silver. 2.6.25 Then indeed Megas, petitioning Chosroes on behalf of all the peoples of the East, did not cease, until Chosroes agreed with him to take ten centenaria of gold and to depart from the entire Roman dominion. 2.7.1 So on that day Megas, departing from there, rode towards the Antiochenes, and Chosroes, having received the ransom, went to Beroea. 2.7.2 Now Beroea lies between Antioch and Hierapolis, and is distant from each by a two days' journey for an unencumbered man. 2.7.3 Megas therefore, since he was travelling with a few men, went more quickly, but the Persian army always completed 2.7.4 half the distance. And on the fourth day, the one came to Antioch, and the others came to the suburb of Beroea. 2.7.5 And Chosroes, sending Paul, immediately exacted money from the Beroeans, not only as much as he had received from the people of Hierapolis, but even double that amount, since he saw that their wall was in many places 2.7.6 very easy to assault. But the Beroeans (for they had no confidence at all in their circuit-wall) with readiness indeed undertook to give it all, but having given two thousand pounds of silver, they said they were not able to give the remainder. 2.7.7 And as Chosroes pressed them on account of this, when night came on, they all fled for refuge into the fort, which is on the acropolis, together with the other soldiers, who had been stationed there on guard. 2.7.8 And on the next day some were sent by Chosroes into the city in order to get the money, but when they came very near the circuit-wall they found all the gates shut, and being unable to meet with any man, they reported their present circumstances to the king. 2.7.9 And he ordered them to place ladders against the wall and attempt 2.7.10 the ascent, and they did accordingly. And since no one resisted them, having gotten inside the circuit-wall, they opened the gates at their leisure, and they received into the city both the whole army and Chosroes 2.7.11 himself. And the king, now being possessed by great anger, burned down almost the entire city. And going up to the acropolis he determined to assault the fort. 2.7.12 There the Roman soldiers, defending themselves stoutly, killed some of the enemy, but for Chosroes it happened that a great stroke of luck came about through the folly of the besieged, who indeed not alone into this fort, but with both their horses and their other animals

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Χοσρόου δεησόμενον πέμπουσιν, ὃς δὴ ἐνθένδε σταλεὶς καταλαμβάνει τὸν Μήδων στρατὸν Ἱεραπόλεως οὐ μακρὰν 2.6.18 ἄποθεν. Χοσρόῃ τε ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων πολλὰ ἐλιπάρει ἀνθρώπους οἰκτεῖραι, οἳ οὔτε τι ἐς αὐτὸν ἥμαρτον οὔτε 2.6.19 τῇ Περσῶν στρατιᾷ οἷοί τε ἀντιτείνειν εἰσί. πρέπειν γὰρ ἀνδρὶ βασιλεῖ πάντων ἥκιστα τοῖς ὑποχωροῦσι καὶ οὐδαμῆ ἐθέλουσιν ἀντιτάσσεσθαι ἐπεμβαίνειν τε καὶ βιάζεσθαι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τῶν νῦν δρωμένων βασιλικόν τι οὐδὲ γενναῖον αὐτῷ ἐργασθείη, ὅτι δὴ οὐ παρασχόμενος τῷ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεῖ βουλῆς τινα χρόνον, ὥστε ἢ τὴν εἰρήνην κρατύνασθαι, ὅπη ἂν ἑκατέρῳ δοκοίη, ἢ τὰ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἐκ συνθήκης, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἐξαρτύεσθαι, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἀνεπισκέπτως ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους ἐν ὅπλοις ἔλθοι, οὔπω τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως ἐπιστα2.6.20 μένου τὰ παρόντα σφίσι. ταῦτα ὁ Χοσρόης ἀκούσας λόγῳ ξυνετῷ τὸν τρόπον ῥυθμίζεσθαι ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας οὐδαμῶς ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλ' ἔτι μᾶλλον τὴν διάνοιαν ἢ 2.6.21 πρότερον ἤρθη. Σύρους τε οὖν ἠπείλησε καταστρέψασθαι καὶ Κίλικας πάντας, καί οἱ τὸν Μέγαν ἕπεσθαι κελεύσας ἐς τὴν Ἱεράπολιν ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα. 2.6.22 οὗ δὴ ἀφικόμενός τε καὶ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενος, ἐπειδὴ τόν τε περίβολον ὀχυρὸν ὄντα εἶδε καὶ στρατιωτῶν ἔμαθε φυλακτήριον διαρκῶς ἔχειν, χρήματα τοὺς Ἱεραπολίτας ᾔτει, Παῦλον ἑρμηνέα παρ' αὐτοὺς πέμψας. 2.6.23 ὁ δὲ Παῦλος οὗτος ἐτέθραπτό τε ἐν γῇ τῇ Ῥωμαίων καὶ εἰς γραμματιστοῦ παρὰ Ἀντιοχεῦσιν ἐφοίτησεν, 2.6.24 ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαῖος γένος τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶναι. οἱ δὲ μάλιστα μὲν καὶ ὣς ἀμφὶ τῷ περιβόλῳ δειμαίνοντες, χώραν περιβεβλημένῳ πολλὴν μέχρι ἐς τὸ ὄρος, ὃ ταύτῃ ἀνέχει, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὴν γῆν ἀδῄωτον ἔχειν ἐθέλοντες, ὡμολόγησαν ἀργύρου σταθμὰ δισχίλια δώσειν. 2.6.25 τότε δὴ Μέγας, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑῴων ἁπάντων Χοσρόην ἱκετεύων οὐκέτι ἀνίει, ἕως αὐτῷ ὁ Χοσρόης ὡμολόγησε δέκα τε χρυσοῦ κεντηνάρια λήψεσθαι καὶ πάσης ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς. 2.7.1 Οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὅ τε Μέγας ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγεὶς τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀντιοχέας ἤλαυνε καὶ ὁ Χοσρόης τὰ λύτρα λαβὼν ἐς Βέροιαν ᾔει. 2.7.2 Βέροια δὲ Ἀντιοχείας μὲν καὶ Ἱεραπόλεως μεταξὺ κεῖται, δυοῖν δὲ ἡμερῶν ὁδῷ εὐζώνῳ ἀνδρὶ ἑκατέρας 2.7.3 διέχει. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μέγας ἅτε ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶ πορευόμενος ὀξύτερον ᾔει, ὁ δὲ Περσῶν στρατὸς μοῖραν ἀεὶ 2.7.4 τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ὁδοῦ ἤνυε. τετάρτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ μὲν ἐς Ἀντιόχειαν, οἱ δὲ ἐς τὸ Βεροίας προάστειον ἦλθον. 2.7.5 καὶ χρήματα Χοσρόης τοὺς Βεροιαίους τὸν Παῦλον στείλας εὐθὺς ἔπραττεν, οὐχ ὅσα πρὸς τῶν Ἱεραπολιτῶν ἔλαβε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων διπλάσια, ἐπεὶ τὸ 2.7.6 τεῖχος αὐτοῖς ἐπιμαχώτατον ὂν πολλαχῆ εἶδε. Βεροιαῖοι δὲ (θαρρεῖν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ περιβόλῳ οὐδαμῆ εἶχον) ξὺν προθυμίᾳ μὲν ὑπεδέξαντο ἅπαντα δώσειν, δισχίλια δὲ δόντες ἀργύρου σταθμὰ, τὰ λειπόμενα διδόναι οὐκ 2.7.7 ἔφασαν οἷοί τε εἶναι. ἐγκειμένου τε σφίσι διὰ ταῦτα Χοσρόου, νυκτὸς ἐπιλαβούσης ἐς τὸ φρούριον ἅπαντες, ὃ ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει ἐστὶ, κατέφυγον ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις στρατιώταις, οἳ δὴ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ φυλακῇ ἐτετάχατο. 2.7.8 τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐστέλλοντο μὲν πρὸς Χοσρόου ἐς τὴν πόλιν τινὲς ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ χρήματα λήψονται, οἱ δὲ ἄγχιστά πη τοῦ περιβόλου γενόμενοι κεκλεισμένας μὲν τὰς πύλας ἁπάσας εὗρον, ἀνθρώπων δὲ οὐδενὶ ἐντυχεῖν ἔχοντες τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ παρόντα σφίσιν ἐσήγγελ2.7.9 λον. καὶ ὃς τῷ τείχει κλίμακας ἐπιθέντας ἀποπειρᾶσθαι 2.7.10 τῆς ἀνόδου ἐκέλευεν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. οὐδενός τε σφίσιν ἀντιστατοῦντος, ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου γενόμενοι τὰς μὲν πύλας κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἀνέῳγον, ἐδέχοντο δὲ τῇ πόλει τόν τε στρατὸν ἅπαντα καὶ Χοσρόην 2.7.11 αὐτόν. θυμῷ τε πολλῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤδη ἐχόμενος τὴν πόλιν ὀλίγου δέοντος ἐνέπρησε πᾶσαν. ἐς δὲ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τὸ φρούριον τειχομαχεῖν ἔγνω. 2.7.12 ἐνταῦθα οἱ μὲν Ῥωμαίων στρατιῶται καρτερῶς ἀμυνόμενοι τῶν πολεμίων τινὰς ἔκτεινον, τῷ δὲ Χοσρόῃ εὐτύχημα μέγα τῷ τῶν πολιορκουμένων ἀξυνέτῳ γενέσθαι ξυνέβη, οἳ δὴ οὐ μόνοι ἐς τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ ξύν τε τοῖς ἵπποις καὶ ζῴοις τοῖς ἄλλοις