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became overseer of the business in these things, buying everything and selling it to the Colchians, not as was customary, but as 2.15.12 was in his power. And at the same time the barbarians were otherwise vexed by the Roman army sojourning among them, which had not been customary before. Being no longer able to bear these things, they decided to go over to the Persians and Chosroes, and they immediately sent envoys to them, secretly from the Romans, to arrange these 2.15.13 matters. And these men were instructed, after receiving pledges from Chosroes that he would never surrender the Lazi against their will to the Romans, then to bring him with the Persian army into their country. 2.15.14 So the envoys, arriving in Persia and coming secretly into the presence of Chosroes, spoke as follows: “If “ever at any time fortune, working for good, has brought back any others who had revolted from their own people in some fashion and improperly gone over to men utterly unknown to them, and brought them back most gladly to their former “friends, consider the Lazi, O greatest of kings, to be some such people. 2.15.15 For the Colchians, “being allies of the Persians from of old, both did them many good services “and received them in turn; of these deeds we have many memorials “in writing, and they are preserved to the present day in your royal 2.15.16 archives. “But at a later time it befell our ancestors, whether “through being neglected by you or for some other reason “(for we cannot know anything certain about these matters) to become allies 2.15.17 of the Romans. And now we and “the king of Lazica give to the Persians both ourselves 2.15.18 “and our land, to use as you wish. But we beg “you to consider our case in this way: if we have suffered “no wrong at the hands of the Romans, but possessed by ingratitude “have come over to you, then reject this our “supplication at once, believing that the Colchians will never be “faithful to you either (for when a friendship is dissolved, the character “of the one established after it with others 2.15.19 is put to the test); but if, being friends of the Romans “in name, but in reality faithful slaves, we have suffered “unholy deeds at the hands of those who have tyrannized over us, “then receive us, your former allies, “and acquire as slaves those whom you used as friends, and hate “a tyranny so bitter that has been raised up among us as neighbours, “doing things worthy of the justice which it is ever the custom 2.15.20 of the Persians to uphold. For he is not “just who does no wrong himself, unless he is also disposed to rescue those “who are wronged by others when he has it in his power. 2.15.21 “It is worthwhile to mention some of the things which the accursed Romans have dared “to do against us. For to our king they have left only the semblance “of royalty, having themselves taken away the actual authority, and the king sits “in the position of a subordinate, fearing the general who gives the orders. 2.15.22 And they have set over us a multitude of soldiers, “not to guard the country from those who harass it “(for indeed none of our neighbours has harassed us except “the Romans), but so that, having shut us up as in a prison, they may become masters of our possessions. 2.15.23 And having devised how to make the seizure “of our property more summary, see, O king, 2.15.24 to what a notion they came: whatever commodities “happen to be superfluous among them, they compel “the Lazi to buy against their will, and as many as the land of Lazica “is wont to bear that are most useful to them, these they demand, “forsooth, in word, to buy from us, with the price on both sides 2.15.25 being fixed by the will of the masters. And thus along “with our necessaries they take away from us all our gold, “using the fair-sounding name of commerce, “but in reality oppressing us as much as possible. And a huckstering “ruler has been set over us, who has made our poverty a kind of business 2.15.26 for the power of his office. Such, “then, being the cause of our revolt, it has justice “on its side; but as for the advantages that will accrue to you yourselves, 2.15.27 if you accept the petition of the Lazi, we shall speak at once. You will add “a most ancient kingdom to the Persian empire, “and you will have from it the dignity of your dominion “extended, and it will be possible for you to have a share of the Roman sea by means of the

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τῆς περὶ ταῦτα ἐργασίας ἐπιστάτης ἐγίγνετο, ἅπαντα ὠνούμενός τε καὶ ἀποδιδόμενος Κόλχοις, οὐχ ᾗπερ εἴθιστο, ἀλλ' ᾗπερ 2.15.12 ἐξῆν. ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἄλλως οἱ βάρβαροι ἤχθοντο ἐπιχωριάζοντι αὐτοῖς οὐκ εἰωθὸς πρότερον τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ. ἃ δὴ οὐκέτι φέρειν οἷοί τε ὄντες Πέρσαις τε καὶ Χοσρόῃ προσχωρεῖν ἔγνωσαν, πρέσβεις τε αὐτίκα τοὺς ταῦτα διαπραξομένους κρύφα Ῥωμαίων παρ' 2.15.13 αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψαν. οἷς δὴ εἴρητο τὰ πιστὰ πρὸς Χοσρόου λαβοῦσιν, ὅτι γε οὔποτε Λαζοὺς ἄκοντας ἐκδώσει Ῥωμαίοις, οὕτω δὴ αὐτὸν ξὺν τῷ Περσῶν στρατῷ ἐς τὴν χώραν ἐπαγαγέσθαι. 2.15.14 Ἀφικόμενοι τοίνυν ἐς Πέρσας οἱ πρέσβεις καὶ Χοσρόῃ λάθρα ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε «Εἴ «τινας καὶ ἄλλους ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου τῶν μὲν «οἰκείων ἀποστάντας ὅντινα δὴ τρόπον, ἀνδράσι δὲ «τὸ παράπαν ἀγνῶσι προσκεχωρηκότας οὐ δέον αὖθις «εὖ ποιοῦσα ἡ τύχη ὡς μάλιστα ἀσμένους ἐπὶ τοὺς «πρὶν ἐπανήγαγεν ἐπιτηδείους, τοιούτους δή τινας καὶ 2.15.15 «Λαζοὺς, ὦ μέγιστε βασιλεῦ, νόμιζε εἶναι. Κόλχοι «γὰρ Πέρσαις σύμμαχοι τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντες πολλά τε «εἰργάσαντο αὐτοὺς ἀγαθὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔπαθον· ὧν δὴ «ἐν γράμμασι μνημεῖα πολλὰ ἡμεῖς τε ἔχομεν κἀν «τοῖς βασιλείοις τοῖς σοῖς ἐς τὸ παρὸν διασώζεται. 2.15.16 «χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον τοῖς ἡμετέροις προγόνοις τετύχηκεν «εἴτε παρ' ὑμῶν ἀμεληθεῖσιν εἴτε ἄλλου του ἕνεκα «(οὐ γὰρ ἔχομέν τι σαφὲς περὶ τούτων εἰδέναι) Ῥω2.15.17 «μαίοις ἐνσπόνδοις γενέσθαι. καὶ νῦν ἡμεῖς τε καὶ «ὁ Λαζικῆς βασιλεὺς δίδομεν Πέρσαις ἡμᾶς τε αὐτοὺς 2.15.18 «καὶ γῆν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὅ τι βούλοισθε χρῆσθαι. δεό»μεθα δὲ ὑμῶν οὑτωσὶ σκοπεῖσθαι περὶ ἡμῶν· εἰ μὲν «οὐδὲν πρὸς Ῥωμαίων πεπονθότες δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ἀγνω»μοσύνῃ ἐχόμενοι κεχωρήκαμεν εἰς ὑμᾶς, τήνδε ἡμῶν «εὐθὺς ἀποσείσασθε τὴν ἱκετείαν, οὐδὲ ὑμῖν ποτε «πιστοὺς ἔσεσθαι Κόλχους οἰόμενοι (φιλίας γὰρ διαλε»λυμένης ὁ τρόπος τῆς μετ' ἐκείνην πρὸς ἑτέρους 2.15.19 «καθισταμένης ἔλεγχος γίγνεται)· εἰ δὲ λόγῳ μὲν φίλοι «Ῥωμαίων, ἔργῳ δὲ ἀνδράποδα γεγονότες πιστὰ, ἔργα «πεπόνθαμεν πρὸς τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν τετυραννηκότων «ἀνόσια, δέξασθε μὲν ἡμᾶς τοὺς πρόσθε ξυμμάχους, «κτήσασθε δὲ δούλους οἷς φίλοις ἐχρῆσθε, μισήσατε «δὲ τυραννίδα πικρὰν οὕτως ἡμῖν ἐν γειτόνων ἐγη»γερμένην, τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἄξια πράσσοντες, ἣν περι2.15.20 «στέλλειν ἀεὶ πάτριον Πέρσαις. οὐ γὰρ ὁ μηδὲν «αὐτὸς ἀδικῶν γίκαιος, εἰ μὴ καὶ τοὺς ὑφ' ἑτέρων «ἀδικουμένους ἔχων ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ῥύεσθαι πέφυκεν. 2.15.21 «ἔνια δὲ εἰπεῖν ὧν τετολμήκασιν οἱ κατάρατοι Ῥωμαῖοι «καθ' ἡμῶν ἄξιον. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἡμετέρῳ βασιλεῖ τὸ «σχῆμα μόνον τῆς βασιλείας ἀπολιπόντες αὐτοὶ τὴν «ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἀφῄρηνται, καὶ κάθηται βα»σιλεὺς ἐν ὑπηρέτου μοίρᾳ, τὸν ἐπιτάττοντα στρα2.15.22 «τηγὸν δεδιώς· στρατιᾶς δὲ ἡμῖν ἐπέστησαν πλῆθος, «οὐχ ὅπως τὴν χώραν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐνοχλούντων φρουρή»σουσιν (οὐ γὰρ οὐδέ τις τῶν ὁμόρων ἡμᾶς πλήν γε «δὴ Ῥωμαίων ἠνώχλησεν), ἀλλ' ὅπως ἡμᾶς ὥσπερ ἐν «δεσμωτηρίῳ καθείρξαντες κύριοι τῶν ἡμετέρων γε2.15.23 «νήσονται. λογισάμενοι δὲ συντομωτέραν ποιήσασθαι «τὴν τῶν ἡμῖν ὑπαρχόντων ἀφαίρεσιν, ὅρα, ὦ βασι2.15.24 «λεῦ, ἐς ὁποίαν τινὰ ἔννοιαν ἦλθον· τῶν ἐπιτηδείων «ἃ μὲν περιττὰ παρ' ἐκείνοις εἶναι τετύχηκεν, ἀναγκά»ζουσιν οὐχ ἑκόντας ὠνεῖσθαι Λαζοὺς, ὅσα δὲ αὐτοῖς «χρησιμώτατα φέρειν Λαζικὴ πέφυκεν, οἵδε ἀξιοῦσι «δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ παρ' ἡμῶν πρίασθαι, τιμῆς ἑκατέρωθι 2.15.25 «γνώμῃ τῶν κρατούντων ὁριζομένης. οὕτω τε ξὺν «τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἅπαν ἀφαιροῦνται τὸ χρυσίον ἡμᾶς, «ὀνόματι μὲν τῷ τῆς ἐμπορίας εὐπρεπεῖ χρώμενοι, «ἔργῳ δὲ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα βιαζόμενοι. ἐφέστηκέ «τε ἡμῖν ἄρχων κάπηλος, τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπορίαν ἐργα2.15.26 «σίαν τινὰ τῇ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐξουσίᾳ πεποιημένος. ἡ μὲν «οὖν τῆς ἀποστάσεως αἰτία τοιαύτη τις οὖσα τὸ δίκαιον «ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς ἔχει· ὅσα δὲ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ξύμφορα ἔσται, 2.15.27 «δεχομένοις τὴν Λαζῶν δέησιν, αὐτίκα ἐροῦμεν. τῇ «Περσῶν ἀρχῇ βασιλείαν ἀρχαιοτάτην προσθήσετε, «μηκυνόμενόν τε ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἕξετε τὸ τῆς ἡγεμονίας «ἀξίωμα, μετεῖναι δὲ τῆς Ῥωμαίων θαλάσσης ὑμῖν διὰ «τῆς