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our country, in which, if you build ships, O «king, the palace in «Byzantium will be accessible to you with no trouble. For there is no obstacle in between. 2.15.28 And one might add that it will be in your power to plunder «the neighboring barbarians and the land of the Romans every 2.15.29 «year. For on the Caucasus mountains «the land of the Lazi has been a bulwark until now, 2.15.30 «as you yourselves also surely know. Therefore, since «justice leads the way, and advantage is at hand, «we think that not to accept our proposals would be a mark of no good «counsel.» So much the envoys said. 2.15.31 And Chosroes, pleased with their words, agreed to help the Lazi and enquired of the envoys whether it would be possible for him to go into the land of Colchis with a great 2.15.32 army. For he said he had heard from many who reported it previously that the country was exceedingly difficult of access even for an unencumbered man, being wonderfully precipitous and covered for a very great distance with dense 2.15.33 and spreading trees. But they assured him that the road there would be easy for the whole Persian army, if they cut down the trees and threw them into 2.15.34 the difficult places of the cliffs. And they themselves agreed to be guides for the way and foremen of this work 2.15.35 for the Persians. Chosroes, elated by this suggestion, both gathered a large army and made preparations for the attack, neither revealing his plan to the Persians, except, of course, to those alone with whom he was accustomed to share his secrets, and having instructed the envoys that they should tell no one what was being done, but ostensibly he was setting out for Iberia, in order to settle affairs there; for he spread the report that a Hunnic nation had somewhere there attacked the Persian empire. 2.16.1 Meanwhile Belisarius, having arrived in Mesopotamia, gathered his army from all quarters, and sent some men into 2.16.2 the Persian territory for the purpose of spying. And he himself, wishing to meet the enemy there, if they should make any invasion into the land of the Romans again, he both organized and arrayed his soldiers on the spot, who were for the most part ill-clad and unarmed, and terrified 2.16.3 of the Persian name. The spies, therefore, on their return, asserted that there would be no invasion by the enemy at the present time; for Chosroes was occupied elsewhere with a Hunnic 2.16.4 war. But Belisarius, on hearing this, wished to invade the enemy's land at once with his whole 2.16.5 army. And Arethas came to him with a large army of Saracens, and the emperor, having written a letter, commanded him to invade the enemy's land with all speed. 2.16.6 Therefore, having called together all the commanders in Daras, he spoke as follows: «I know that all of you, my fellow-commanders, are experienced «in many wars, and I have gathered you at present, «not so that by reminding you or by making some exhortation «I might urge your mind against the enemy «(for I do not think you need words to lead you to «boldness), but so that after taking some counsel among «ourselves we may rather choose what seems to be 2.16.7 «best and most excellent for the emperor's affairs. For war «is wont to succeed most of all through good counsel. «And it is necessary that those who enter into council make their judgment «completely free from both deference and «fear. 2.16.8 «For fear, always dismaying those who have fallen «into it, does not allow the mind to choose the better course, «and deference, casting a shadow over what has seemed to be better, 2.16.9 «carries the understanding to the opposite conclusion. If, therefore, «anything seems to have been decided by the great emperor or by me concerning the present 2.16.10 «matters, let this not enter your minds at all. For he, «being left far away from the events, 2.16.11 «is not able to adapt his actions to the circumstances; so «there is no fear in going against him to do what is advantageous 2.16.12 «for his affairs. And as for me, being a man «and having come here from the western lands after a long time, «it is impossible that some necessary thing should not escape my notice. 2.16.13 «Therefore it befits you, without any deference to my opinion, to speak out «plainly whatever is likely to be advantageous both for ourselves 2.16.14 «and for the emperor. So then, we came here in the first place, O

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ἡμετέρας ξυμβήσεται χώρας, ἐν ᾗ πλοῖά σοι, ὦ «βασιλεῦ, ναυπηγουμένῳ βατὸν οὐδενὶ πόνῳ τὸ ἐν «Βυζαντίῳ παλάτιον ἔσται. μεταξὺ γὰρ ἐναντίωμα 2.15.28 «οὐδέν ἐστι. προσθείη δ' ἄν τις ὡς καὶ ληίζεσθαι «τοὺς ὁμόρους βαρβάρους τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν ἀνὰ πᾶν 2.15.29 «ἔτος ἐφ' ὑμῖν κείσεται. ὄρεσι γὰρ τοῖς Καυκασίοις «ἐπιτείχισμα μέχρι τοῦδε γεγονέναι τὴν Λαζῶν χώραν 2.15.30 «πάντως που καὶ ὑμεῖς ξυνεπίστασθε. ἡγουμένου «τοίνυν τοῦ δικαίου, προσόντος δὲ τοῦ ξυμφέροντος, «τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ τοὺς λόγους προσέσθαι οὐδεμιᾶς ἂν εὐβου»λίας οἰόμεθα εἶναι.» τοσαῦτα μὲν οἱ πρέσβεις εἶπον. 2.15.31 Χοσρόης δὲ τοῖς λόγοις ἡσθεὶς ἀμύνειν τε Λαζοῖς ὡμολόγησε καὶ τῶν πρέσβεων ἐπυνθάνετο εἴ οἱ στρατῷ 2.15.32 μεγάλῳ ἐς γῆν τὴν Κολχίδα ἰέναι δυνατὰ εἴη. πολλῶν γὰρ ἀπαγγελλόντων ἔφασκεν ἀκηκοέναι τὰ πρότερα δύσοδον ἐπιεικῶς καὶ ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ τὴν χώραν εἶναι, κρημνώδη τε ὑπερφυῶς οὖσαν καὶ δένδροις συχνοῖς 2.15.33 τε καὶ ἀμφιλαφέσιν ἐπὶ μακρότατον συνεχομένην. οἱ δέ οἱ ἰσχυρίζοντο παντὶ τῷ Περσῶν στρατῷ τὴν ἐκείνῃ ὁδὸν εὐπετῆ ἔσεσθαι, τέμνουσι μὲν τὰ δένδρα, ἐς δὲ 2.15.34 τῶν κρημνῶν τὰς δυσχωρίας αὐτὰ ἐμβαλλομένοις. καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡμολόγουν τῆς τε ὁδοῦ ἡγεμόνες καὶ τοῦ ἔργου 2.15.35 τούτου Πέρσαις ἔσεσθαι πρόπονοι. ταύτῃ ὁ Χοσρόης ἐπηρμένος τῇ ὑποθήκῃ στρατιάν τε πολλὴν ἤγειρε καὶ τὰ ἐς τὴν ἔφοδον ἐξηρτύετο, οὔτε τὸ βούλευμα ἐς Πέρσας ἐξενεγκὼν, πλήν γε δὴ οἷς τὰ ἀπόρρητα κοινολογεῖσθαι μόνοις εἰώθει, καὶ τοῖς πρέσβεσιν ἐπαγγείλας ὅπως τὰ πρασσόμενα μηδενὶ φράσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἐς Ἰβηρίαν τῷ λόγῳ ἐστέλλετο, ὡς τὰ τῇδε καταστησόμενος πράγματα· ἔθνος γὰρ Οὐννικὸν ἐνταῦθά πη ἐπισκῆψαι τῇ Περσῶν ἀρχῇ ἐπεφήμιζεν. 2.16.1 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ γενόμενος Βελισάριος ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ πανταχόθεν τὸν στρατὸν ἤγειρε, καί τινας ἐς 2.16.2 τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ ἔπεμπεν. αὐτὸς δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνταῦθα ὑπαντιάσαι βουλόμενος, ἤν τινα ἐσβολὴν ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν αὖθις ποιήσωνται, διεῖπέ τε αὐτοῦ καὶ διεκόσμει τοὺς στρατιώτας, γυμνούς τε καὶ ἀνόπλους ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὄντας, κατωρρω2.16.3 δηκότας τὸ Περσῶν ὄνομα. οἱ μὲν οὖν κατάσκοποι ἐπανήκοντες οὐδεμίαν τῶν πολεμίων ἰσχυρίζοντο ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἐσβολὴν ἔσεσθαι· πολέμου γὰρ Οὐννικοῦ 2.16.4 ἀσχολίαν Χοσρόῃ ἑτέρωθι εἶναι. Βελισάριος δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ αὐτίκα ἐσβάλλειν ἐς τῶν 2.16.5 πολεμίων τὴν γῆν ἤθελε. καί οἱ Ἀρέθας τε ξὺν πολλῷ στρατῷ Σαρακηνῶν ἦλθε καὶ βασιλεὺς γράμματα γράψας ἐσβάλλειν κατὰ τάχος ἐς τὴν πολεμίων ἐπέστελλε γῆν. 2.16.6 ξυγκαλέσας οὖν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐν ∆άρας ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Ἅπαντας ὑμᾶς, ὦ ξυνάρχοντες, πολέμων «πολλῶν ἐμπείρους οἶδα, ξυνήγαγόν τε ἐν τῷ παρόντι, «οὐχ ὅπως ὑπομνήσας ἢ παραίνεσίν τινα ποιησάμενος «τὴν ὑμετέραν γνώμην ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρμήσω «(οὐ γὰρ λόγου δεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς τοῦ ἐς εὐτολμίαν ἐνά»γοντος οἶμαι), ἀλλ' ὅπως ξυμβουλήν τινα ἔν γε ἡμῖν «αὐτοῖς ποιησάμενοι ἑλώμεθα μᾶλλον ἅπερ ἂν δοκῇ βέλ2.16.7 «τιστά τε καὶ ἄριστα τοῖς βασιλέως πράγμασιν εἶναι. πόλε»μος γὰρ εὐβουλίᾳ πάντων μάλιστα κατορθοῦσθαι φιλεῖ. «δεῖ δὲ τοὺς ἐς βουλὴν καθισταμένους αἰδοῦς τε καὶ «φόβου παντάπασιν ἐλευθέραν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν γνώμην. 2.16.8 «ὅ τε γὰρ φόβος, ἀεὶ τοὺς αὐτῷ περιπεπτωκότας «ἐκπλήσσων, οὐκ ἐᾷ τὴν διάνοιαν ἑλέσθαι τὰ κρείσσω, «ἥ τε αἰδὼς ἐπισκιάζουσα τοῖς δόξασιν εἶναι ἀμείνοσιν 2.16.9 «ἐπὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἐκφέρει τὴν γνῶσιν. εἴ τι τοίνυν «ἢ βασιλεῖ τῷ μεγάλῳ ἢ ἐμοὶ βεβουλεῦσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν 2.16.10 «παρόντων δοκεῖ, μηδὲν ὑμᾶς τοῦτο εἰσίτω. ὁ μὲν «γὰρ μακράν που ἀπολελειμμένος τῶν πρασσομένων 2.16.11 «οὐκ ἔχει τοῖς καιροῖς ἁρμόσαι τὰς πράξεις· ὥστε «φόβος οὐδεὶς ἀπ' ἐναντίας αὐτῷ ἰόντας τὰ ξυνοίσοντα 2.16.12 «ἐργάζεσθαι τοῖς αὐτοῦ πράγμασιν. ἐμὲ δὲ ἄνθρωπόν «τε ὄντα καὶ χρόνῳ μακρῷ ἐκ τῶν ἑσπερίων ἐνταῦθα «ἐλθόντα μὴ οὐχὶ διαλαθεῖν τι τῶν δεόντων ἀδύνατον. 2.16.13 «ὥστε οὐδὲν τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην αἰδεσθέντας ὑμᾶς προσ»ήκει διαρρήδην εἰπεῖν ὅσα ἂν ξυνοίσειν ἡμῖν τε 2.16.14 «αὐτοῖς καὶ βασιλεῖ μέλλῃ. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐν»θάδε ἥκομεν, ὦ