,

of the disaster unexpectedly the danger, and he comes to Adrabiganon as quickly as possible. At any rate, having encamped there, he won over very many of the Persians and somehow tamed the rebels to support Chosroes. 4.15.2 And it was the tenth day, and he sent a messenger to John, whom it was the custom of the Romans to call Mystacon, making known to him the recent events and asking to learn how the attempt to come over to the 4.15.3 Romans had turned out for Chosroes. John, therefore, having sent the news by letter to the emperor, detained the envoys from Vindoes, waiting expectantly for what might be decided 4.15.4 based on the things made known to the emperor. And the emperor Maurice ordered John both to ally enthusiastically with those who supported Chosroes and to offer them every pledge of good faith, so that he might see the tyranny of Baram brought to a weaker state. 4.15.5 And on the previous day, Bestam, who had been sent by Chosroes into Armenia, arrived before John. John, therefore, revealed to Bestam the presence of Vindoes and very joyfully related the things that had happened to Baram as being worthy of narration. 4.15.6 And so Bestam greatly rejoiced at the news and sent out a messenger to Chosroes to make these very things known. And Vindoes, seeing that matters were again smiling upon Chosroes, puts on great courage and, having come upon royal money, he distributes it to those around him, according as each had 4.15.7 strength of loyalty. And when those besieging Nisibis learned that the emperor was a friend to Chosroes and had sent great allied forces to him, they come to Constantina, having changed their mind. And the city-governor, being won over by Chosroes with promises and gratifying all hopes, all of Arabia and the regions up to the Tigris river, 4.15.8 so to speak, he transfers to Chosroes. And those holding the city of Martyropolis, although the siege was being conducted by the Romans, becoming somehow obedient to the secret commands of Chosroes, they did not give the city 4.15.9 to the Romans, but even resisted very stoutly. Therefore when Chosroes was detected in his villainy, Dometianus, with quickness of reasoning devising an irresistible counter-plan, dissolves the treachery of the Persian deceit in the manner of a bursting of bubbles. 4.15.10 For having summoned to himself the most notable of those guarding the city, some he persuaded with words, others he bought off with gifts, reminding them of both the Roman supervision imposed on the city, and of Chosroes being in need of the emperor's aid, and of Baram being beset by doubtful 4.15.11 fortune. and his speech had such power that those holding the city of Martyropolis were divided in their opinions with a willing yet unwilling spirit; for let a Homerizing tongue now be for me 4.15.12 a painter of his opinion. And indeed he sent his chief eunuch, who was enrolled in the royal bodyguard, whom it is customary for the Romans to call *praepositus*, to the city of Martyropolis, urging the Persians to abandon the city and to encamp around Nisibis. 4.15.13 The Persians, therefore, since King Chosroes had changed his mind, having made a truce with the besiegers, departed from the city. When the commanders, then, came to Constantina, that Sittas was also seen mingled among them, the one who had handed over the city of Martyropolis by treachery to Hormisdas, the 4.15.14 king of the Persians. Dometianus therefore sent word to Chosroes that he was not acting piously towards his benefactors and the Romans by tolerating a traitorous man who had accomplished many evils against the Romans, reminding him that Sittas had also become a friend to Baram, 4.15.15 and that it would least of all be advantageous for him to hold in high regard a blood-stained and most untrustworthy man, lest indeed the Roman forces, turning against them, should destroy both Chosroes himself and Sittas, and Baram’s struggle might find 4.15.16 a respite. At this, understanding, the

συμφορᾶς παραδόξως τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ᾿Αδραβιγάνων ὡς τάχιστα γίνεται. ἐκεῖσε γοῦν στρατοπεδευσάμενος πλείστους τοῦ Περσικοῦ ἐπηγάγετο καὶ τὰ Χοσρόου φρονεῖν 4.15.2 τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας πως ἐτιθάσευεν. δεκάτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ ὡς τὸν ᾿Ιωάννην, ὃν Μυστάκωνα ῾Ρωμαίοις ἔθος ἦν κατονο-μάζειν, ἀπέστελλεν ἄγγελον, τὰ νεώτερα δράματα γνωρίζων αὐτῷ ἀξιῶν τε μαθεῖν ὅπως τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἀπήντησε τῆς εἰς 4.15.3 ῾Ρωμαίους προσχωρήσεως ἡ ἐγχείρησις. ὁ μὲν οὖν ᾿Ιωάννης γράμμασι τὸ ἄκουσμα παραπέμψας τῷ αὐτοκράτορι τοὺς ὑπὸ Βινδόου πρέσβεις παρακατεῖχε καραδοκῶν τί ἂν παρασταίη 4.15.4 παρὰ τῶν ἐγνωρισμένων τῷ αὐτοκράτορι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Μαυρίκιος τῷ ᾿Ιωάννῃ προσέταττε τοῖς ταὐτὰ τῷ Χοσρόῃ φρονοῦσι συμμαχεῖν τε ἐκθύμως καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς καλοκαγαθίας πίστιν παρέχεσθαι, ὅπως πρὸς τὸ ἀσθενέστερον ἴδοι τοῦ Βαράμου 4.15.5 τὸ τύραννον. τῇ δὲ προτεραίᾳ ὁ Βεστὰμ ὁ παρὰ τοῦ Χοσρόου ἐς τὰς ᾿Αρμενίας σταλεὶς ἀφικνεῖται παρὰ τὸν ᾿Ιωάννην. ὁ μὲν οὖν ᾿Ιωάννης τήν τε Βινδόου παρουσίαν τῷ Βεστὰμ παρεδήλου τά τε τῷ Βαρὰμ συντετυχηκότα ὡς ἀξιαφήγητα 4.15.6 λίαν περιχαρῶς παρετίθετο. καὶ οὖν ὁ Βεστὰμ περιγάνυται τοῖς ἀκροάμασι καὶ ἐς Χοσρόην ἐξέπεμπεν ἄγγελον ταῦτα δὴ γνωρισόμενον. ὁ δὲ Βινδόης πάλιν ἐγγελῶντα τὰ πράγματα τῷ Χοσρόῃ θεώμενος μέγα περιβάλλεται θάρσος καὶ χρήμασι βασιλικοῖς ἐντυχὼν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὑτὸν διανέμει, ὡς εἶχεν ἑκά4.15.7 στῳ εὐνοίας ἀλκή. ἐπεὶ δ' οἱ τὴν Νίσιβιν περικαθήμενοι φίλον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Χοσρόῃ διέγνωσαν συμμάχους τε αὐτῷ δυνάμεις μεγάλας κατεπομβρίσαντα, γίνονται εἰς Κωνσταντῖναν τὴν γνώμην μετακοσμήσαντες. ὁ δὲ πολιοῦχος ὑπὸ Χοσρόου λιπανθεὶς ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι καὶ ταῖς ἐλπίσι χαριζόμενος πάντα ἅπασαν ᾿Αραβίαν τάς τε μέχρι Τίγριδος ποταμοῦ 4.15.8 πρὸς τὸν Χοσρόην, ὡς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, μετατίθησιν. οἱ δὲ τῆς Μαρτύρων ἐχόμενοι πόλεως, καίτοι τῆς πολιορκίας ὑπὸ ῾Ρω-μαίων ἐπιστατούσης, τοῖς ἐν παραβύστῳ τοῦ Χοσρόου προστάγμασι πειθήνιοί πως γινόμενοι οὐκ ἐδίδοσαν τὴν πόλιν 4.15. ῾Ρωμαίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ μάλα καρτερῶς ἀντετάττοντο. τοιγαροῦν ὅτε κατάφωρος πανουργῶν γέγονεν ὁ Χοσρόης, ∆ομετιανὸς λογισμοῦ ἀγχινοίᾳ δυσκαταμάχητον ἀντιστρατεύσας βουλὴν τοῦ Περσικοῦ δόλου δίκην πομφολύγων ἐκφύσεως διαλύει 4.15.10 τὸ ὕπουλον. μεταπεμψάμενος γὰρ ὡς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ἀξιολογωτάτους τῶν περιφρουρούντων τὸ πόλισμα, οὓς μὲν ὑπήγετο λόγοις, οὓς δ' ἐξωνεῖτο τοῖς δώροις, ἀναμιμνήσκων τήν τε τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπιστασίαν ἐσκειμένην τῇ πόλει, τόν τε Χοσρόην τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπικουρίας δεόμενον, τόν τε Βαρὰμ ἀμφί4.15.11 βολον περικείμενον τύχην. καὶ τοσαύτην εἶχεν ὁ λόγος τὴν δύναμιν ὡς διαιρεθῆναι ταῖς γνώμαις τοὺς τὴν Μαρτύρων πόλιν κατέχοντας ἑκὼν ἀέκοντι θυμῷ· ἔστω γάρ μοι νῦν 4.15.12 τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης ζωγράφος ὁμηρίζουσα γλῶττα. καὶ δῆτα εὐνοῦχον εἰς τὴν βασιλικὴν δορυφορίαν συντεταγμένον αὐτῷ τὸν κορυφαιότατον, ὃν πραιπόσιτον εἴθισται ῾Ρωμαίοις ἀποκαλεῖν, ἀνὰ τὴν Μαρτύρων πόλιν ἐξέπεμψε παρακελευόμενος Πέρσαις τὸ ἄστυ καταλιπεῖν καὶ περὶ τὴν Νίσιβιν ἀγραυλί4.15.13 ζεσθαι. οἱ μὲν οὖν Πέρσαι, τοῦ βασιλέως Χοσρόου μεταβαλόντος τὴν γνώμην, σπονδὰς μετὰ τῶν πολιορκούντων συνθέμενοι τῆς πόλεως ἐξεχώρησαν. τῶν τοίνυν ἡγεμόνων ἐς Κωνσταντῖναν ἡκόντων, ὤφθη καὶ Σίττας ἐκεῖνος ἀναμεμιγμένος αὐτοῖς, ὁ τὴν Μαρτύρων πόλιν ῾Ορμίσδᾳ, τῷ 4.15.14 Περσῶν βασιλεῖ, παρασχόμενος δόλῳ. ὁ μὲν οὖν ∆ομετιανὸς διεστείλατο Χοσρόῃ ὡς οὐχ ὅσια εἰς εὐεργέτας καὶ ῾Ρωμαίους διεγχειρεῖ ἀνεχόμενος ἀνδρὸς προδότου πολλὰ εἰς ῾Ρωμαίους κακὰ διανύσαντος, ἀναμιμνήσκων ὡς καὶ τῷ Βαρὰμ φίλος 4.15.15 Σίττας γεγένηται, καὶ ἥκιστα συνοίσειν αὐτῷ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένῳ ἄνδρα παλαμναῖον καὶ ἀπιστότατον, μή πού γε τὰ ῾Ρωμαίων πλήθη συστραφέντα αὐτὸν Χοσρόην καὶ τὸν Σίτταν διαχρήσονται, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀγωνίας τῷ Βαρὰμ λάβοι 4.15.16 ἀνάπαυλαν. ἐπὶ τούτοις συνιδὼν ὁ