,

Barames treated kindly the satraps and the illustrious men of Babylonia and deemed them worthy of his attention, and having recovered all the royal equipage which Chosroes the king of the Persians had carried off, he arrives at the palace; and having selected chosen men from the hoplite force for a special assignment, he ordered Chosroes to be searched for and to be brought 4.12.2 before him as a prisoner. So those who had failed in what had been commanded to them by Baram happen upon Bindoes, who was especially fond of Chosroes, the king of the Persians. Having insulted this man with bonds, they bring him to Baram on the seventh day. 4.12.3 But Baram, usurping the Persian kingdom and being inflamed with love for it, did not openly show the plots of his soul, fearing lest for this reason he be detected before he had established 4.12.4 the entire basis of his actions; and he desired to assume power by decrees of the senate and to clothe himself with the proclamation of sovereignty by a kind of lawful force, thereby devis4.12.5ing for himself the kingship to be free from reproach, and on the other hand his undertaking to be safe from plotting. But since, practicing every villainy and contrivance, he was an unpersuasive sophist of his purpose, he grew angry with the magi who thought the opposite. So since his desire in no way reached the starting-point of its goal, he comes out into the open. 4.12.6 Therefore, at the great and famous festival which was at hand for them, 4.12.6 which an ancient and venerable law ordained for the Persians to celebrate to heaven, taking up the royal diadem, he proclaimed himself king and was resplendent on the golden couch, and he commands the barbarians stationed at Martyropolis to hold fast to their guard duty and to pay no attention at all 4.12.7 to Chosroes. So the proclamation of Baram becomes known to the Romans who were besieging the city; for the one who was carrying the tyrant's commands around was captured. 4.12.8 Chosroes, however, arrived at the so-called Hierapolis, nor indeed had Comentiolus the general left without honor the one who for the time being was bereft of his kingdom; for so it had seemed good to Maurice the emperor, and the decree proceeded to action. Therefore at Bedamas, a place so-called, Comentiolus comes to a meeting with Chosroes, and having prepared a royal retinue 4.12. for him, he acted as his bodyguard magnificently. It was the ninth day, and Chosroes sent a messenger to the Persians guarding in Martyropolis, a man who was a satrap, Miragdoun, so-called, making known his recent fortunes, and that it was not for them to hold the city, since the magna4.12.10nimity of the emperor was transforming the Persians into unwarlike and friendly people. And he sent Bestam, one of the distinguished men among the Persians, to Armenia, ordering him to go to Adrabiganon and to make subject to him the Persians dwelling there. 4.13.1 And these things were thus done openly; but being by nature a rogue in his mind and placing everything second to deceit, having disregarded the law of hospitality and having cast the salt of friendship under his heels, on the fifth day he sent a messenger to the Chaldaeans besieging the city of Martyropolis, ordering them to hold fast to their guard duty very diligently and to pay no mind to the things openly commanded by him; for the Persian race is base, and its life is deceit and arrogance and boastfulness from of old. 4.13.2 So since a delay in his restoration to the kingship occurred for the time being, he was attempting to go to the emperor of the Romans. So Maurice, having learned of Chosroes's desire, by an imperial letter prevented his journey to him, disdaining glory and working out for Chosroes the advancement of what was advantageous; for he was thinking that Chosroes must not withdraw far from the Persian state, so that the 4.13.3 undertaking of tyranny might not from this be firmly established for Baram. And at the beginning of spring, Chosroes sent ambassadors to the emperor. The emperor, therefore,

ὁ Βαράμης τούς τε σατράπας καὶ τοὺς περιβλέπτους τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἐφιλοφρονεῖτο θεραπείας τε ἠξίου, ἀναλαβών τε τὴν βασιλικὴν πᾶσαν ἀποσκευήν, ὅσην Χοσρόης ὁ τῶν Περσῶν ἐπεσύρετο βασιλεύς, ἀφικνεῖται πρὸς τὰ ἀνάκτορα· διακρίνας τε ἐκ τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ ἄνδρας εἰς ἔκταξιν λογάδας ἀνερευνᾶσθαι Χοσρόην προσέταττε δέσμιόν τε ὡς 4.12.2 αὐτὸν παραστήσασθαι. οἱ μὲν οὖν διητυχηκότες τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Βαρὰμ προστεταγμένων αὐτοῖς Βινδόῃ περιτυγχάνουσιν, ὃς ἔχαιρεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα Χοσρόῃ, τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ. τοῦτον δεσμοῖς καθυβρίσαντες ἄγουσι παρὰ τὸν Βαρὰμ ἑβδομαῖον. 4.12.3 ὁ δὲ Βαρὰμ τὴν Περσῶν βασιλείαν σφετεριζόμενος καὶ τῷ ταύτης καταπυρπολούμενος ἔρωτι ἐς τὸ φανερὸν τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιβουλὰς οὐ παρεδείκνυεν, δεδιὼς μὴ τοῦ γε ἕνεκεν φωραθείη τέως τὴν ὅλην τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ ὑπόθεσιν 4.12.4 συστησάμενος· ἤρα δὲ δόγμασι συγκλήτου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμπορπήσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἀνάρρησιν τοῦ κράτους περιβαλέσθαι συννόμῳ βίᾳ τινί, ἐντεῦθεν τὴν μὲν βασιλείαν ἀνεπονείδιστον, τὴν δ' αὖ πάλιν ἐγχείρησιν ἀνεπιβούλευτον ἑαυτῷ σοφιζό4.12.5 μενος. ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα ῥᾳδιουργῶν καὶ παλαμώμενος ἀπίθανος ἦν σοφιστὴς τοῦ βουλήματος, ἐχαλέπαινέ τε τοῖς μάγοις τἀναντία φρονοῦσιν. τῆς τοίνυν ὀρέξεως αὐτῷ μηδαμῶς ἀπολαβούσης τοῦ σκοποῦ τὴν βαλβῖδα, χωρεῖ ἐς τὸ φανερόν. 4.12.6 τῆς μεγάλης τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἐπιφανοῦς ἐνδημούσης αὐτοῖς 4.12.6 ἑορτῆς, ἣν ἑορτάζειν οὐρανῷ παλαιὸς καὶ πρεσβύτης νόμος Πέρσαις ἐθέσπιζεν, τὸ βασιλικὸν διάδημα ἀνελόμενος ἀνηγόρευεν ἑαυτὸν βασιλέα τῇ τε χρυσῇ κατηυγάζετο κλίνῃ, τοῖς τε κατὰ τὴν Μαρτύρων ἀναστρεφομένοις βαρβάροις ἔχεσθαι ἐγκρατῶς τῆς φρουρᾶς ἐγκελεύεται καὶ ἥκιστα τὸν νοῦν 4.12.7 Χοσρόῃ παρέχεσθαι. τοῖς τοίνυν τὸ ἄστυ πολιορκοῦσι ῾Ρωμαίοις ἡ τοῦ Βαρὰμ διαναγόρευσις δῆλος γίνεται· ἥλω γὰρ 4.12.8 ὁ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ τυράννου περιφερόμενος. μενοῦνγε Χοσρόης ἐπὶ τὴν λεγομένην ῾Ιερὰν πόλιν ἀφίκετο, οὐδὲ μὴν Κομεντίολος ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀγέραστον καταλέλοιπε τὸν τέως τῆς βασιλείας χηρεύοντα· οὕτω γὰρ ἔδοξε Μαυρικίῳ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, καὶ τὸ δόγμα μετεχώρει πρὸς πρᾶξιν. οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τὸ Βεδαμᾶς, οὕτω χωρίον λεγόμενον, ἐς συνάντησιν γίνεται Κομεντίολος Χοσρόῃ τήν τε παρασκευὴν βασίλειον 4.12. αὐτῷ συστησάμενος ἐδορυφόρει μεγαλουργῶς. ἐνάτη δ' ἡμέρα, καὶ τοῖς ἐν Μαρτυροπόλει φρουροῦσι Πέρσαις ἄγγελον ὁ Χοσρόης ἐξέπεμπεν ἄνδρα σατράπην Μιραγδοῦν, οὕτω λεγόμενον, τάς τε νεωτέρας τύχας καταδηλῶν, καὶ ὡς οὐ μετὸν αὐτοῖς τῆς πόλεως ἔχεσθαι, τῆς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος μεγαλο4.12.10 νοίας ἀπομάχους καὶ φίλους Πέρσας μεταπλαττούσης. Βεστὰμ δὲ τῶν παρὰ Πέρσαις διαφανῶν κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αρμενίαν ἀπέστελλεν ἐς τὸ ᾿Αδραβιγάνων ἐγκελευόμενος γενέσθαι καὶ τοὺς αὐτόθι ἐνδιατρίβοντας Πέρσας ὑπηκόους αὐτῷ καταστήσασθαι. 4.13.1 καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως ἐς τὸ φανερὸν διεπράττετο· οἷα δὲ κέρκωψ πεφυκὼς τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ πάντα τοῦ δόλου τιθέμενος δεύτερα, τὸν τῆς φιλοξενίας ἀθετήσας θεσμὸν καὶ τοὺς ἅλας τῆς φιλοφροσύνης ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρνας καταβαλόμενος πεμπταῖον ἐξέπεμπεν ἄγγελον τοῖς τὴν Μαρτύρων πόλιν περικαθημένοις Χαλδαίοις, ἐγκελευόμενος ἔχεσθαι τῆς φρουρᾶς κάρτα κομιδῇ καὶ τοῖς ἐς τὸ φανερὸν προσταττομένοις αὐτῷ μὴ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν· φαῦλον γὰρ τὸ φῦλον τὸ Περσικόν, καὶ βίος αὐτῷ δόλος καὶ τῦφος καὶ κόμπος ἀνέκαθεν. 4.13.2 ἀναβολῆς τοίνυν τῆς περὶ τὴν βασιλείαν καθόδου τέως ἐγγινομένης αὐτῷ, ἐνεχείρει ἐς βασιλέα γενέσθαι ῾Ρωμαίων. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μαυρίκιος τὴν Χοσρόου ἔφεσιν διαγνοὺς γράμμασι βασιλείοις τὴν ἐς αὐτὸν ἐνδημίαν ἐνέκοπτε δόξης ὑπερορῶν τήν τε τοῦ συνοίσοντος ἐπίδοσιν Χοσρόῃ πραγματευόμενος· διενοεῖτο γὰρ ὡς οὐ δεῖ πόρρω τῆς Περσῶν πολιτείας μεταχωρῆσαι Χοσρόην, ἵνα μὴ τῷ Βαρὰμ πάγιον ἐντεῦθεν τὸ 4.13.3 τῆς τυραννίδος καθιδρυθείη ἐγχείρημα. ἦρος δ' ἀρχομένου ὁ Χοσρόης πρέσβεις ἐς βασιλέα ἐξέπεμπεν. ὁ μὲν οὖν αὐτοκράτωρ