,

with absolutely no one defending. When this happened, everyone turned to plundering the general's property. At any rate, on the fifth day news came to the Persian king of these things that had recently befallen the gener4.3.3 al. Therefore, dismayed at the increase of evils, Hormisdas departed from Media, where he had been staying, and approached Ctesiphon; and gathering up the remaining forces, he arranged for his own protection as best he could. 4.3.4 But the inhabitants of the royal cities, upon learning of these events, were struck in their souls, and being utterly astonished at the novelty of the situation, they did not know what to do; for unexpected news is known to cause turmoil in souls and, by its sudden arrival entering the ears, to bring about a complete overthrow of 4.3.5 reason. On the third day, Bestam, who happened to be his brother, led out from the guard Bindoeh the prisoner—the son of Aspabedes, but related by birth to Chosroes, the king of the Persians, dwelling in prison in manacles and being punished by Hormisdas for no reason—as there was no one present to prevent it. 4.3.6 And when a calm from misfortunes came to Bindoeh, he, with a crowd from the followers of Pherochanes, burst into the palace at the third 4.3.7 hour of the morning and confronted Hormisdas. This man was sitting upon the royal throne, and his garment was both regal and very costly, and his tiara was both golden and set with jewels, gleaming with the brilliance of inlaid carbuncles, and around it flowed pearls in abundance; and his helmet, being illuminated, billowed with an emerald-green beauty, so that the eye of the beholder was almost turned to stone by the insatiable amaze4.3.8 ment. And his trousers were embroidered with gold, very costly works of a weaver's hand. And the robe possessed as much luxury as the desire for pomp wished. The king therefore asked Bindoeh how his withdrawal from the guard had come about, and the stirrings of his audacity, and what the improvisation of the patrol 4.3. force might be. But he, in the hearing of the king, reviled and blasphemed against Hormisdas, his tongue no longer having a gate because of the safe frankness born of dis4.3.10 order. With no one, therefore, hissing at Bindoeh or being there to rebuke him out of respect for the royal dignity, Hormisdas asked those holding office if the assembly was pleased with these 4.3.11 things. But as all were crying out against Hormisdas, Bindoeh, taking Hormisdas by the hand, raised him from the throne, stripped his head of the diadem, and handed him over to the 4.3.12 bodyguards for guarding. And thus, as the fortune of Bindoeh was reversed, Hormisdas suffered what he had done, having learned that one must not harm those who have done no 4.3.13 wrong. But his son Chosroes, having heard that Hormisdas was deposed from the kingship, left his familiar places and had made his escape to Adrabiganon for fear of the dangers that had befallen Hormisdas, suspecting that the disaster might somehow cross over to him as 4.3.14 well. Bindoeh, then, tracked the movements of Chosroes; and since, as he investigated, matters went according to his mind and he got possession of Chosroes, he deemed it right for the boy to return to take the royal 4.3.15 throne. Chosroes therefore, having received a pledge by oath for his security, returned to the palace. On the next day, Hormisdas, sending a messenger from his prison, declared that he wished to say things that would be advantageous to the Persian state, and he asked that the satraps come to him, and those holding offices and high positions, and all the king's bodyguards; for the subject matter of his words was not about small 4.3.16 things. Therefore, when these things were announced to the leaders of the barbarians, an assembly was held at the palace. And Hormisdas was led out of the prison, so that he might put an end to what had been announced by him. The assembly having therefore been gathered

ἀμύνοντος παντελῶς οὐδενός. οὗ δὴ γεγονότος, ἐς ἁρπαγὴν τῶν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ χρημάτων πάντες ἐτράποντο. ἧκε γοῦν πέμπτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀγγελία τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ τούτων δὴ τῶν ἔναγχος συμβεβηκότων τῷ στρα4.3.3 τηγῷ. καταπλαγεὶς τοιγαροῦν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν κακῶν ἐπιδόσει ῾Ορμίσδας ἀπῆρε τῆς Μηδίας, ἐν ᾗ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐπεποίητο, καὶ τῇ Κτησιφῶντι προσομιλεῖ, τάς τε περιλοίπους δυνάμεις ἀναλεξάμενος τῆς ἐς αὐτὸν περιφρουρᾶς διετίθετο, ὡς 4.3.4 ἐνῆν, τὴν φροντίδα. οἱ δὲ τῶν βασιλείων οἰκήτορες ἄστεων τούτων δὴ τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐν γνώσει γενόμενοι τὰς ψυχὰς ἐξεπλήττοντο, καὶ τῷ νεωτερισμῷ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐς τὰ μάλιστα τεθηπότες οὐκ εἶχον ὅ τι καὶ δράσωσιν· οἶδε γὰρ παράδοξον ἄκουσμα θολὸν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐξεργάζεσθαι καὶ τῇ ἀθρόᾳ ἐνδημίᾳ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἐνιέμενον ἅπασαν ἀνατροπὴν 4.3.5 λογισμῶν ἐμπορεύεσθαι. ἡμέρα δὲ τρίτη, καὶ Βινδόην τὸν δέσμιον, τὸν ᾿Ασπαβέδου μὲν υἱόν, πρὸς γένος δὲ συνημμένον Χοσρόῃ, τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ, ἐν χειροπέδαις τὴν εἱρκτὴν ἐνοικοῦντα καὶ ὑπὸ ῾Ορμίσδου εἰκῇ ποινηλατούμενον ὁ Βεστάμ, ὃς ἀδελφὸς τούτου ἐτύγχανεν ὤν, τῆς φρουρᾶς 4.3.6 ὑπεξῆγεν, ὑπόντος οὐδενὸς τοῦ κωλύοντος. ἐπεὶ δὲ γαλήνη τῶν ἀτυχημάτων γέγονε τῷ Βινδόῃ, πλῆθος οὗτος ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὸν Φεροχάνην εἰσβάλλει πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια ὑπὸ τρίτην 4.3.7 ἕω καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ῾Ορμίσδᾳ. οὗτος δὲ τὸν βασίλειον θρόνον περιεκάθητο, ἐσθὴς δ' αὐτῷ τύραννος ὁμοῦ καὶ βαρύτιμος, ἥ τε τιάρα χρυσῆ τε καὶ λιθοκόλλητος, ἐνέρσει ἀνθράκων ἀπολάμπουσα τῇ λαμπρότητι, περιερρεῖτο δ' αὐτῇ καὶ ὁ μαργαρίτης εἰς τὸ δαψιλές· τό τε κράνος καταυγαζόμενος τό τε σμαραγδόχλοον ὥραν ἐκύμαινεν, ὡς μικροῦ δεῖν συναπολιθοῦσθαι τὸν θεατὴν ὀφθαλμὸν τῷ ἀκορέστῳ τῆς κατα4.3.8 πλήξεως. ἀναξυρίδες δ' αὐτῷ χρυσοποίκιλοι, ἔργα ὑφάντου χειρὸς μεγατίμια. καὶ τοσαύτην εἶχεν ἡ στολὴ τὴν τρυφὴν ὁπόσην ἠβούλετο ἡ τῆς σοβαρότητος ἔφεσις. ἤρετο οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς Βινδόην ὅπως τε αὐτῷ ἡ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἀπήντησεν ἀναχώρησις, τά τε τῆς τόλμης κινήματα, τῆς τε περιπόλου 4.3. δυνάμεως τί ἂν εἴη τὸ αὐτοσχέδιον. ὁ δ' εἰς εὐήκοον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐλοιδόρει τε καὶ ἐβλασφήμει ἐς τὸν ῾Ορμίσδαν, οὐκ ἐχούσης τὸ λοιπὸν πύλην τῆς γλώττης διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀκοσμίας 4.3.10 παρρησίαν ἀκίνδυνον. μηδενὸς τοίνυν κατασυρίττοντος Βινδόου ἢ ὑπόντος τοῦ ἐπιπλήττοντος φειδοῖ τῆς βασιλικῆς τιμιότητος, ἤρετο τοὺς ἐν ἀξίᾳ τελοῦντας ῾Ορμίσδας, εἰ τού4.3.11 τοις ἥδεται τὸ παρεστηκός. πάντων δὲ καταβοώντων ῾Ορμίσδου, ὁ Βινδόης ἑλόμενος τῆς χειρὸς τὸν ῾Ορμίσδαν ἐξανιστᾷ τοῦ θρόνου ἀπεγύμνου τε τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ διαδήματος, καὶ τοῖς 4.3.12 σωματοφύλαξιν ἐς φρουρὰν παρεδίδου. καὶ οὕτω τῆς τύχης τῆς περὶ τὸν Βινδόην ἀντιμεταβαινούσης ὁ ῾Ορμίσδας ἐξ ὧν ἔδρασεν ἔπασχεν, μαθὼν ὡς οὐ δεῖ λυμαίνεσθαι τοὺς οὐδὲν 4.3.13 ἀδικήσαντας. ὁ δὲ τούτου παῖς ὁ Χοσρόης καθαιρεθέντα τῆς βασιλείας τὸν ῾Ορμίσδαν ἀκηκοώς, τοὺς ἠθάδας χώρους ἀπολιπὼν ἐπὶ τὸ ᾿Αδραβιγάνων τὴν ἀπόδρασιν ἐπεποίητο δέει τῶν συμβεβηκότων ῾Ορμίσδᾳ κινδύνων, ὑποτοπήσας μή πού 4.3.14 γε καὶ ἐς αὐτὸν τὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς σχοίη διάβασιν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Βινδόης ἰχνηλάτει τὰ τοῦ Χοσρόου κινήματα· ἐπεὶ δ' ἀνερευνωμένῳ κατὰ νοῦν ἐχώρει τούτῳ τὰ πράγματα τοῦ τε Χοσρόου γέγονε κάτοχος, ἠξίου ἐπαναζεῦξαι τὸν παῖδα τὸν 4.3.15 βασίλειον θρόνον ληψόμενον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Χοσρόης ἐνέχυρον ὅρκον λαβὼν τῆς πιστώσεως ἐπανῆκεν ἐς τὰ βασίλεια. τῇ δ' ὑστεραίᾳ ῾Ορμίσδας ἄγγελον ἐκ τῆς φρουρᾶς ἀποστειλάμενος παρεδήλου ὡς ἐθέλοι τὰ συνοίσοντα λέξειν τῇ Περσῶν πολιτείᾳ, τούς τε σατράπας ἠξίου ὡς αὐτὸν παραγενέσθαι καὶ τοὺς ἐν ἀξίαις τελοῦντας καὶ ὑπεροχαῖς τούς τε τοῦ βασιλέως σωματοφύλακας ἅπαντας· μηδὲ γὰρ περὶ μικρῶν των λόγων 4.3.16 ὑπεῖναι αὐτῷ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. τούτων τοιγαροῦν διαγγελθέντων τοῖς ἐξέχουσι τῶν βαρβάρων, ἐκκλησία πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια γίνεται. ὑπεξάγεται δὲ τῆς φρουρᾶς καὶ ὁ ῾Ορμίσδας, ὅπως τοῖς ἐπηγγελμένοις αὐτῷ πέρας προθήσοιτο. τοῦ τοίνυν ξυλλόγου συγκεκροτημένου