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they had fled, and being out-generaled by this petty calculation 2.7.13 they came into danger. For since there was one spring there, and the horses and mules and other animals had drunk it up improperly, it happened that the water was dried up. Such, then, were the fortunes of the Beroeans. 2.7.14 But Megas, arriving in Antioch and reporting all that he had agreed upon with Chosroes, was in no way persuading them to carry this out in deed. 2.7.15 For it happened that the Emperor Justinian had sent John the son of Rufinus and Julian the secretary of secret affairs as ambassadors to Chosroes. The Romans call this office asecretis; for they are accustomed to call secret things secreta. 2.7.16 These men, arriving in Antioch, were waiting. And Julian, one of the ambassadors, expressly forbade everyone to give money to the enemy, or to buy the emperor's cities, but he also slandered to Germanus the archbishop Ephraimius, as being eager to surrender the city to Chosroes. 2.7.17 For this reason, indeed, Megas departed without success. But Ephraimius, the bishop of Antioch, fearing the Persian attack, went to Cilicia. 2.7.18 Where Germanus also arrived not much later, bringing a few men, but leaving most of them there. 2.7.19 But Megas, coming in haste to Beroea and becoming greatly distressed at what had happened, accused Chosroes of having done unholy deeds to the Beroeans, because he had sent him to Antioch as if for a truce, but while the citizens had done no wrong at all, he plundered their property and forced them to shut themselves up in this very fortress, and thus, having set the city on fire, he razed it to the ground improperly. 2.7.20 To this Chosroes answered as follows: "Of these things, however, my friend, you yourself "are the cause, having forced us to waste time here; for not "at the appointed time, but being very much later than this 2.7.21 "you have now arrived. And of the absurdity of your citizens, "what could one say at great length, most excellent sir? "They, who having agreed to give us a fixed sum of silver "for their own safety, do not even now "think they should fulfill the agreement, but unrestrainedly "thus taking courage in the strength of the place, they look on while we "are utterly forced into a siege of a fortress, 2.7.22 "as you surely see. Whom, indeed, I, with the "gods' help, have hope to punish a little later, and upon the Persians "who have perished for me improperly before this wall 2.7.23 "I will inflict the punishment on those who are responsible.” Chosroes said these things, and Megas answered as follows: "If, because you are a king, you bring these charges against pitiable and "most dishonored men, one might observe, it is necessary "to agree with what has been said, contradicting nothing; for with "all other authority, it is natural that power in speech also follows. 2.7.24 "But if it is permitted for someone, having set aside all else, to choose "the true account, you would have nothing, O king, "to justly charge us with; so hear everything 2.7.25 "calmly. For I, since I was sent to report what you "announced to the Antiochians, coming into your sight on the seventh "day (and what could have happened quicker than this?), found these things 2.7.26 "had been done by you to my fatherland. And they, "having already given up all their most valuable possessions, then enter "into the struggle for their lives alone, having become, "I think, too strong to contribute any of the remaining money to you. 2.7.27 "For to pay something of what is not present 2.7.28 "would be impossible for a man by any means. Long ago "the names of things have been well and fairly defined by men; "among which is this, that weakness is separate "from inconsiderateness. 2.7.29 For the one, proceeding to resistance through "licentiousness of character, is wont to be hated, as is likely, "while the other, being driven to the same thing "by the impossibility of service, 2.7.30 is naturally to be pitied. Allow "us then, O king, having been allotted all the "worst things, to have this at least as a consolation, that we do not "seem to have been ourselves the cause of what has befallen us. 2.7.31 "And as for the money, consider that what you have taken and hold is sufficient, "not weighing these things by your own dignity, but 2.7.32 "considering the ability of the Beroeans. But beyond this, force us "no further, lest you should seem to have undertaken

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κατέφυγον, ταύτῃ τε τῇ σμικρολογίᾳ καταστρατηγηθέντες 2.7.13 ἐς κίνδυνον ἦλθον. μιᾶς γὰρ οὔσης ἐνταῦθα πηγῆς, ἵππων τε καὶ ἡμιόνων καὶ ζῴων ἑτέρων οὐ δέον αὐτὴν ἐκπεπωκότων, ἀποξηρανθῆναι ξυνέβη τὸ ὕδωρ. Βεροιαίοις μὲν τὰ πράγματα ὧδέ πη εἶχεν. 2.7.14 Ὁ δὲ Μέγας εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἀφικόμενος ἀγγείλας τε ὅσα οἱ πρὸς Χοσρόην ξυνέκειτο, ἔργῳ ταῦτα ἐπι2.7.15 τελεῖν οὐδαμῆ ἔπειθεν. ἐτύγχανε γὰρ Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς Ἰωάννην τε τὸν Ῥουφίνου καὶ Ἰουλιανὸντὸν τῶν ἀπορρήτων γραμματέα πρέσβεις παρὰ Χοσρόην στείλας. ἀσηκρήτις καλοῦσι τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦτο Ῥωμαῖοι· σήκρητα γὰρ καλεῖν τὰ ἀπόρρητα νενομίκα2.7.16 σιν. οἳ δὴ ἐς Ἀντιόχειαν ἀφικόμενοι ἔμενον. Ἰουλιανός τε, τῶν πρέσβεων ἅτερος, διαρρήδην ἀπεῖπεν ἅπασι χρήματα μὴ διδόναι τοῖς πολεμίοις, μηδὲ τὰς βασιλέως ὠνεῖσθαι πόλεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Γερμανῷ διέβαλλε τὸν ἀρχιερέα Ἐφραίμιον, ἅτε τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἐν2.7.17 δοῦναι τὴν πόλιν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχοντα. διὸ δὴ Μέγας ἄπρακτος ἀνεχώρησεν. Ἐφραίμιος δὲ, ὁ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος, δείσας τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον ἐς Κίλι2.7.18 κας ἦλθεν. οὗ δὴ καὶ Γερμανὸς ἀφίκετο οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, ὀλίγους μέν τινας ἐπαγόμενος, τοὺς δὲ πλείστους ἐνταῦθα ἐάσας. 2.7.19 Μέγας δὲ κατὰ τάχος ἐς Βέροιαν ἥκων περιώδυνός τε τοῖς ξυμπεσοῦσι γενόμενος ᾐτιᾶτο Χοσρόην εἰργάσθαι Βεροιαίους ἀνόσια ἔργα, ὅτι δὴ αὐτὸν μὲν ἐς Ἀντιόχειαν ὡς ἐπὶ ταῖς σπονδαῖς στείλειε, τῶν δὲ πολιτῶν οὐδὲν τὸ παράπαν ἠδικηκότων τά τε χρήματα ἐληίσατο καὶ ἠνάγκασε σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐν τούτῳ δὴ τῷ φρουρίῳ καθεῖρξαι, οὕτω τε τὴν πόλιν ἐμπρήσας ἐς 2.7.20 τὸ ἔδαφος οὐ δέον καθεῖλε. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Χοσρόης ἀπεκρίνατο ὧδε «Τούτων μέντοι, ὦ ἑταῖρε, αὐτὸς «αἴτιος, ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκάσας ἡμᾶς διατρῖψαι· οὐ γὰρ «ἐν τῷ τεταγμένῳ καιρῷ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πολὺ τούτου γε 2.7.21 «ὑστερήσας τανῦν ἀφῖξαι. τῶν δὲ σῶν πολιτῶν τὴν «ἀτοπίαν τί ἄν τις ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ὦ βέλτιστε, μακρο»λογοίη; οἵ γε τακτὸν ἡμῖν ὡμολογηκότες ἀργύριον «δώσειν ὑπὲρ τῆς σφῶν αὐτῶν σωτηρίας, οὔπω καὶ «νῦν ἐπιτελεῖν οἴονται δεῖν τὰ ξυγκείμενα, ἀλλ' ἀνέ»δην οὕτω χωρίου ἰσχύϊ θαρσήσαντες περιορῶσιν ἡμᾶς «ὡς μάλιστα ἠναγκασμένους ἐς φρουρίου πολιορκίαν, 2.7.22 «ὡς ὁρᾷς δήπου, καθίστασθαι. οὕς γε δὴ ἔγωγε ξὺν «θεοῖς ἐλπίδα ἔχω ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον τίσασθαι, καὶ Περ»σῶν τῶν μοι οὐ δέον πρὸ τοῦδε τοῦ τείχους ἀπολω2.7.23 «λότων τὴν κόλασιν ἐς τοὺς αἰτίους ἐπιτελέσειν.» ὁ μὲν Χοσρόης τοσαῦτα εἶπεν, ὁ Μέγας δὲ ἀμείβεται ὧδε «Εἰ μὲν, ὅτι βασιλεὺς ἀνθρώποις οἰκτροῖς τε καὶ «ἀτιμοτάτοις ταῦτα ἐπικαλεῖς, σκοπήσειεν ἄν τις, ἀνάγκη «μηδὲν ἀντιλέγοντα τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὁμολογεῖν· τῇ γὰρ «ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ ἄλλῃ καὶ τὸ τῷ λόγῳ κρατεῖν ἕπεσθαι 2.7.24 «πέφυκεν. ἢν δέ τῳ ἐξῇ τἄλλα ἀποσεισαμένῳ τὸν «ἀληθῆ λόγον ἑλέσθαι, οὐδὲν ἂν ἡμῖν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, «δικαίως ἐπικαλεῖν ἔχοις· ὅπως δὲ ἅπαντα ἀκούσῃ 2.7.25 «πρᾴως. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ ἅπερ Ἀντιοχεῦσιν «ἐπήγγελλες, δηλώσων ἐστάλην, ἑβδομαῖός σοι ἐς ὄψιν «ἥκων (οὗ τί ἂν γενέσθαι δύναιτο θᾶσσον;) ταῦτά 2.7.26 «σοι ἐξειργασμένα ἐς πατρίδα τὴν ἐμὴν εὗρον. οἱ δὲ «δὴ πάντων ἤδη τῶν τιμιωτάτων ἐκστάντες, εἶτα ἐς «τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγῶνα καθίστανται μόνον, κρείσσους, «οἶμαι, γεγενημένοι ἤ σοί τι τὸ λοιπὸν τῶν χρημάτων 2.7.27 «εἰσφέρειν. τὸ γὰρ ἐκτιννύναι τι τῶν οὐ παρόντων 2.7.28 «ἀνθρώπῳ ἂν οὐδεμία μηχανὴ γένοιτο. πάλαι δὲ τοῖς «ἀνθρώποις εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς διώρισται τὰ τῶν πραγ»μάτων ὀνόματα· ἐν οἷς καὶ τόδε ἐστὶν, ἀγνωμοσύνης 2.7.29 «κεχωρίσθαι ἀσθένειαν. ἡ μὲν γὰρ τρόπου ἀκολασίᾳ «ἐς τὸ ἀντιτείνειν χωροῦσα μισεῖσθαι, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, «εἴωθεν, ἡ δὲ τῷ τῆς ὑπουργίας ἀδυνάτῳ ἐς ταὐτὸ 2.7.30 «τοῦτο ἐκφερομένη ἐλεεῖσθαι ἱκανῶς πέφυκεν. ἔασον «τοίνυν ἡμᾶς ἅπαντα, ὦ βασιλεῦ, κληρωσαμένους τὰ «χείριστα τοῦτο γοῦν φέρεσθαι παραμύθιον, τὸ μὴ «δοκεῖν τῶν ξυμπεπτωκότων ἡμῖν αὐτοὺς αἰτίους γενέ2.7.31 «σθαι. καὶ χρήματα μέν σοι, ὅσα λαβὼν ἔχεις, διαρκεῖν «οἴου, μὴ τῷ σῷ ταῦτα σταθμώνενος ἀξιώματι, ἀλλὰ 2.7.32 «τὴν Βεροιαίων σκοπῶν δύναμιν. περαιτέρω δὲ ἡμᾶς «βιάζου μηδὲν, μή ποτε δόξῃς οἷς ἐγκεχείρηκας