,

Probus made his arrival, sending to him also the things written by Chosroes in his request to Caesar; and Comentiolus, regarding the things decided for him by Probus at the Holy City, handed over to the couriers 4.10.10 a messenger who would come to the emperor. And the emperor Maurice, having heard these things, was overjoyed and abounded in better hopes, and breaking the Persian seals, he sought 4.10.11 to take up and discern whatever had been inscribed on the tablets. The request of the king of the Persians was composed somewhat in these terms; for I will set forth the embassy word for word, unadorned in phrasing, so that by the simplicity of the wording we may behold the unfeigned meaning of the request. 4.11.1 "Chosroes, king of the Persians, to the most prudent emperor of the Romans, benefactor, peacemaker, potentate, lover of nobility and hater of tyranny, equitable, doer of justice, savior to the wronged, 4.11.2 benevolent, unmindful of wrongs, greetings. The divinity has contrived from above and from the beginning that the whole world be illuminated by two eyes, that is, by the most powerful kingdom of the Romans and by the most prudent scepters 4.11.3 of the Persian state; for by these greatest powers the disobedient and warlike nations are winnowed, and the life of men is ordered and governed for all time. And it is possible to find the course of events consonant with our 4.11.4 words. Since, therefore, certain perverse and wicked demons prevalent in the world hasten to confound all things that have been well-ordered by God, even if their attempt does not come to fruition, it is fitting for god-loving and most pious men to campaign against them, having from God a treasure of wisdom and an arm 4.11.5 and weapons of justice. Accordingly, in these days the most harmful demons, having come upon the Persian state, have wrought terrible things and have set slaves campaigning against masters, servants against royalty, disorder against order, the improper against the fitting, and have furnished weapons to all the 4.11.6 opposites of good things. For Bahram, the accursed slave, having been elevated and made illustrious by our ancestors, and not containing the greatness of his glory, has leaped away to destruction, and aspiring to kingship for himself has thrown the entire Persian state into confusion, and is doing and attempting everything in order to extinguish a great eye of 4.11.7 power, and that from this, savage and most malevolent nations might gain license and power against the most civilized kingdom of the Persians, and then, finally, in time from this, also against the nations taxed by you, an irresistible power and 4.11.8 one not devoid of much ruin. It is fitting, therefore, for your peaceful providence to offer a saving hand to a kingdom that is being plundered and violated by tyrants, and to restore a rule that is on the verge of being destroyed, and to establish the causes of its salvation like universal trophies in the Roman state, and for you to be proclaimed founders and saviors and healers 4.11. of the Persian state. For it is fitting for the most powerful emperors always to accomplish all things that pertain to justice, and from this to have the encomiums of their magnanimity incorruptible for all time, even for those departing from this world, and to establish an example that fugitives must not be armed 4.11.10 against their masters. Therefore, it is proper that the present anomaly in the affairs of the Persian state be steered by you; for from this the Romans will receive through you a more splendid renown. 4.11.11 These things I, Chosroes, as if present, declare in writing, Chosroes your son and suppliant; for you will not, on account of the fortune of events, disregard what is fitting to my rank or title. May the givers of good things, the angels of God, preserve your kingdom free from reproach and tyranny." 4.12.1 While the matters of the embassy were being examined before Caesar,

ἐνδημίαν ὁ Πρόβος πεποίηται, πέμψας ὡς αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ παρὰ Χοσρόου ἐν ἀξιώσει γεγραμμένα τῷ Καίσαρι· ὁ δὲ Κομεντίολος τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πρόβου διαγνωσθέντων αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν ῾Ιερὰν πόλιν τοῖς ταχυδρο4.10.10 μοῦσιν ἄγγελον παρεδίδου ἥξοντα ἐς βασιλέα. ὁ δ' αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος τούτων ἀκηκοὼς περιγάνυται καὶ ταῖς κρείττοσιν ἐλπίσι κατάκομος ἦν, τά τε σήμαντρα τὰ Περσικὰ περιελόμενος ὅ τι ἂν καὶ ταῖς δέλτοις ἐνεκεχάρακτο διηρευ4.10.11 νᾶτο ἀνελέσθαι τε καὶ διαγνῶναι. ἡ δὲ τῆς ἀξιώσεως τοῦ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέως ἐν τούτοις που συνετέτακτο· ἐπὶ λέξεως γὰρ προθήσω τὴν πρέσβευσιν ἀκαλλώπιστον φράσεως, ὅπως τῇ ἀμαθίᾳ τῆς λέξεως τὸν νοῦν τῆς ἀξιώσεως ἀνεπίπλαστον ἐνοπτρισώμεθα. 4.11.1 "Χοσρόης Περσῶν βασιλεὺς τῷ ἐμφρονεστάτῳ βασιλεῖ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων, ἀγαθοποιῷ, εἰρηνικῷ, δυνάστῃ, φιλευγενεῖ καὶ μισοτυράννῳ, ἐπιεικεῖ, δικαιοπραγεῖ, τοῖς ἀδικου4.11.2 μένοις σωτῆρι, εὐεργετικῷ, ἀμνησικάκῳ χαίρειν. δύο τισὶν ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν κόσμον καταλάμπεσθαι πάντα ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ θεῖον ἐπραγματεύσατο, τοῦτ' ἔστι τῇ δυνατωτάτῃ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων βασιλείᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐμφρονεστάτοις σκήπτροις 4.11.3 τῆς Περσῶν πολιτείας· ταύταις γὰρ ταῖς μεγίσταις ἀρχαῖς τὰ ἀπειθῆ καὶ φιλοπόλεμα ἔθνη λικμίζονται, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαγωγὴ κατακοσμεῖται καὶ κυβερνᾶται διὰ παντός. καὶ ἔστι λαβεῖν τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθίαν τοῖς ἡμετέροις 4.11.4 ῥήμασι συμφωνοῦσαν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν σκαιοί τινες καὶ πονηροὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐπιπολάζοντες δαίμονες πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καλῶς συντεταγμένα συγχεῖν μὲν ἐπείγονται, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἔκβασιν ἡ τούτων λαμβάνει ἐγχείρησις, πρέπει τοὺς θεοφιλεῖς καὶ εὐσεβεστάτους ἀνθρώπους τούτοις ἀντιστρατεύεσθαι ἔχοντας ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας θησαυρὸν καὶ δικαιοσύ4.11.5 νης βραχίονα καὶ ὅπλα. κατὰ τοίνυν ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας οἱ βλαπτικώτατοι δαίμονες κατὰ τῆς Περσῶν ἐπιφοιτήσαντες πολιτείας δεινὰ κατειργάσαντο καὶ δούλους κατὰ δεσποτῶν ἐπεστράτευσαν, κατὰ βασιλείας οἰκέτας, κατὰ τῆς τάξεως τὴν ἀταξίαν, κατὰ τοῦ καθήκοντος τὸ μὴ πρέπον, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς 4.11.6 ἐναντίοις τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐχορήγησαν ὅπλα. Βαρὰμ γάρ, ὁ κατάπτυστος δοῦλος, ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων προγόνων αὐξηθεὶς καὶ διαλάμψας καὶ μὴ χωρήσας τῆς δόξης τὸ μέγεθος πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἀπεσκίρτησεν, καὶ βασιλείαν ἑαυτῷ μνηστευόμενος πᾶσαν διετάραξε τὴν Περσῶν πολιτείαν, καὶ πάντα καὶ πράττει καὶ διεγχειρεῖ, ἵνα μέγαν ὀφθαλμὸν ἀποσβέσῃ δυνά4.11.7 μεως, καὶ λάβωσιν ἐντεῦθεν ἔθνη ἀνήμερα καὶ κακοπραγέστατα παρρησίαν καὶ δύναμιν κατὰ τῆς ἡμερωτάτης τῶν Περσῶν βασιλείας, εἶτα λοιπὸν ἐντεῦθεν τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ κατὰ τῶν παρ' ὑμῶν φορολογουμένων ἐθνῶν κράτος ἄσχετον καὶ 4.11.8 πολλῆς λύμης οὐκ ἄμοιρον. πρέπει τοίνυν τῷ εἰρηνικῷ τῆς προνοίας ὑμῶν λῃστευομένῃ βασιλείᾳ καὶ ὑπὸ τυράννων βιαζομένῃ παρασχεῖν χεῖρα σωτήριον, συστήσασθαί τε μέλλουσαν ἀρχὴν καταλύεσθαι, καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τὰς αἰτίας ὥσπερ τρόπαια οἰκουμενικὰ ἐν τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων πολιτείᾳ ἱδρύσασθαι, ἀναγορευθῆναί τε ὑμᾶς κτιστὰς καὶ σωτῆρας καὶ ἰατροὺς 4.11. τῆς Περσῶν πολιτείας. πάντα γὰρ τὰ τῷ δικαίῳ συμβαίνοντα πρέπει τοῖς δυνατωτάτοις βασιλεῦσι διὰ παντὸς ἀπεργάζεσθαι, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τῆς μεγαλονοίας τὰ ἐγκώμια καὶ τοῦ τῇδε κόσμου μεταναστεύουσιν ἔχειν διὰ παντὸς ἀδιάφθαρτα, παράδειγμά τε συστήσασθαι ὡς οὐ δεῖ κατὰ δεσποτῶν δραπέτας ὁπλί4.11.10 ζεσθαι. τὸ τοίνυν ἀνώμαλον νῦν τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς Περσικῆς πολιτείας προσήκει παρ' ὑμῶν κυβερνᾶσθαι· λαμπροτέραν γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι τὴν εὔκλειαν δι' ὑμῶν ἀπο4.11.11 λήψονται. ταῦτα Χοσρόης ἐγώ, ὡς παρών, γράφων προσφθέγγομαι, Χοσρόης ὁ σὸς υἱὸς καὶ ἱκέτης· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὴν τύχην τῶν συμβεβηκότων ἀθετήσεις τῆς ἀξίας ἢ τῆς προσηγορίας τὸ πρόσφορον. οἱ δοτῆρες τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνεπονείδιστον καὶ ἀτυράννητον ὑμῖν τὴν βασιλείαν διαφυλάξωσιν." 4.12.1 ᾿Εν ὅσῳ δὲ τὰ τῆς πρεσβείας κατεξητάζετο παρὰ τὸν Καίσαρα,