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having set out with his whole army he came very near to the circuit-wall of Petra and having encamped set about a siege. 2.17.14 On the next day, going around the circuit-wall in a circle, since he suspected it was not very strong, he decided to assault the wall. And bringing the whole army up there he set to work, and commanded all 2.17.15 to shoot at the battlements. But the Romans defending themselves used both their engines and all their missiles. At first, then, the Persians, although shooting very many missiles, harmed the Romans little and suffered many evils from them, 2.17.16 since they were being shot at from a high position. But then (for it was fated that Petra be captured by Chosroes) John was struck by some chance in the neck and died, and after that the other Romans fell2.17.17 into disregard of everything. At that time, then, the barbarians withdrew to their camp; for it was already growing dark; but on the next day they devised a mine against the circuit-wall in the following manner. 2.17.18 The city of Petra is on one side inaccessible from the sea, and on another from sheer cliffs, which rise up here on all sides; from which, indeed, it received this 2.17.19 name. It has one entrance on level ground, and this not very wide; for on either side of it 2.17.20 tremendous cliffs hang. Here the men who built the city in former times, taking forethought lest that part of the wall should be vulnerable to them, have made long walls beside each cliff of the entrance for a very great distance. 2.17.21 And on either side of these walls they constructed 2.17.22 two towers, not as was customary, but in a different manner. For they left no empty space in the middle of the structure at all, but built the towers entirely from the ground to a great height with immense stones joined to one another, so that they might be shaken as little as possible by a ram or any other engine. So 2.17.23 the circuit-wall of Petra is of such a nature in this part. But the Persians secretly made a mine in the earth and got under one of the towers, and carrying out many of the stones from there, they put wood in their 2.17.24 place, which a little later they burned. And the flame, rising little by little, broke the strength of the stones, and shaking the whole tower violently, it suddenly brought it down to the ground 2.17.25 at once. But the Romans, who were in the tower, perceived what was being done just in time not to fall with it to the ground, but fled and got inside the city's circuit-wall. 2.17.26 It was now possible for the enemy, assaulting the wall on level ground, to take the city by storm with no trouble. 2.17.27 Wherefore the Romans, terrified, came to terms with the barbarians, and receiving pledges from Chosroes for their lives and their property, they surrendered themselves and the city by agreement. Thus 2.17.28 Chosroes took Petra. And finding the property of John to be very great, he took it himself, but of the property of the others neither he nor any of the Persians touched anything, but the Romans, keeping their own things, mingled with the army of the Medes. 2.18.1 Meanwhile Belisarius and the Roman army, having heard nothing of what was being done there, were marching in great order from the city of Dara against Nisibis. 2.18.2 And when they were in the middle of the journey, Belisarius was leading the army on the right, where there were sufficient springs of water and a plain suitable for all to en2.18.3camp. And there he ordered a camp to be made about two and for2.18.4ty stades from the city of Nisibis. But all the others were in great wonder that he was not willing to encamp somewhere very near the circuit-wall, and some were not at all willing to follow him. 2.18.5 Wherefore Belisarius spoke to the commanders with him as follows: “It was not my wish to disclose to everyone all that I know. For a report circulating in a camp does not know how to keep secrets, since little by little 2.18.6 it proceeds until it is carried even to the enemy. But seeing that many of you are yielding to great disorder and that each one himself is willing to be commander of the war, I will speak

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ἄρας παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἄγχιστά τε τοῦ Πέτρας περιβόλου ἀφίκετο καὶ στρατοπεδευσάμενος ἐς πολιορκίαν 2.17.14 καθίστατο. τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ κύκλῳ περιιὼν τὸν περίβολον, ἐπεὶ οὐ λίαν ἀξιόμαχον αὐτὸν ὑπώπτευσεν εἶναι, τειχομαχεῖν ἔγνω. τό τε στράτευμα ὅλον ἐνταῦθα ἐπαγαγὼν ἔργου εἴχετο, καὶ τοξεύειν ἅπαντας 2.17.15 ἐπὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις ἐκέλευε. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀμυνόμενοι ταῖς τε μηχαναῖς καὶ πᾶσιν ἐχρῶντο τοξεύμασι. τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα Πέρσαι, καίπερ συχνὰ κομιδῆ βάλλοντες, ὀλίγα τε Ῥωμαίους ἐλύπουν καὶ πολλὰ πρὸς ἐκείνων, 2.17.16 ἅτε ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ βαλλόμενοι, κακὰ ἔπασχον. ἔπειτα δὲ (καὶ γὰρ ἔδει Πέτραν Χοσρόῃ ἁλῶναι) βληθεὶς Ἰωάννης τύχῃ τινὶ ἐς τὸν τράχηλον θνήσκει, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οἱ ἄλλοι Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς ὀλιγωρίαν ἁπάντων κατέστη2.17.17 σαν. τότε μὲν οὖν οἱ βάρβαροι ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀνεχώρησαν· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ξυνεσκόταζε· τῇ δὲ ὑστεραίᾳ διώρυχα ἐπὶ τὸν περίβολον ἐπενόουν τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. 2.17.18 Πέτρα ἡ πόλις πὴ μὲν ἐκ θαλάσσης ἀπρόσοδός ἐστι, πὴ δὲ ἐκ πετρῶν ἀποτόμων, αἳ ταύτῃ πανταχόθεν ἀνέχουσιν· ἀφ' οὗ δὴ καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἔλαχε 2.17.19 ταύτην. μίαν δὲ εἴσοδον ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ ἔχει, καὶ ταύτην οὐ λίαν εὐρεῖαν· κρημνοὶ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐφ' ἑκάτερα 2.17.20 ἐξαίσιοι ἀποκρέμανται. ἐνταῦθα προορώμενοι τὰ πρότερα οἱ τὴν πόλιν δειμάμενοι, μὴ σφίσι τὸ ἐκείνῃ τοῦ περιβόλου μέρος ἐπίμαχον εἴη, τείχη μακρὰ παρὰ τὸν κρημνὸν ἑκάτερον τῆς εἰσόδου ἐπὶ πλεῖστον πεποίηνται. 2.17.21 τούτων τε τῶν τειχῶν ἑκατέρωθι πύργους ἐτεκτήναντο 2.17.22 δύο, οὐχ ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ἀλλὰ τρόπῳ ἑτέρῳ. κενὸν γὰρ τὸ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς οἰκοδομίας χωρίον οὐδαμῆ εἴασαν, ἀλλ' ὅλους ἐκ γῆς ἄχρι ἐς ὕψος μέγα τοὺς πύργους λίθοις παμμεγέθεσιν ἀλλήλων ἐχομένοις εἰργάσαντο, ὅπως δὴ κριῷ ἢ μηχανῇ ἄλλῃ ὡς ἥκιστα κατασείοιντο. τὰ μὲν 2.17.23 οὖν Πέτρας τοῦ περιβόλου ταύτῃ πη ἔχει. Πέρσαι δὲ λάθρα ἐς τὴν γῆν κατώρυχα ποιησάμενοι ἔνερθεν θατέρου τῶν πύργων ἐγένοντο, τῶν τε λίθων ἐνθένδε πολλοὺς ἐκφοροῦντες, ξύλα ἐς τὴν ἐκείνων ἐτίθεντο 2.17.24 χώραν, ἅπερ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἔκαυσαν. ἥ τε φλὸξ κατὰ βραχὺ αἰρομένη διέθρυψε μὲν τὴν τῶν λίθων ἰσχὺν, ὅλον δὲ τὸν πύργον κατασείσασα ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐς 2.17.25 τὸ ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν αὐτίκα. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ, οἳ ἐν τῷ πύργῳ ἦσαν, τοσοῦτον τῶν ποιουμένων ᾔσθοντο πρότερον, ὅσον αὐτῷ μὴ ξυμπεσεῖν ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἀλλὰ φυγόντες ἐντὸς τοῦ τῆς πόλεως περιβόλου γενέσθαι. 2.17.26 παρῆν, τε ἤδη τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ τειχομαχοῦσι πόνῳ ἐν οὐδενὶ τὴν πόλιν κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν. 2.17.27 διὸ δὴ κατωρρωδηκότες Ῥωμαῖοι τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐς λόγους ἦλθον, καὶ τὰ πιστὰ ὑπέρ τε τῶν σωμάτων καὶ τῶν χρημάτων πρὸς Χοσρόου λαβόντες σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὁμολογίᾳ παρέδοσαν. οὕτω μὲν 2.17.28 Πέτραν Χοσρόης εἷλε. καὶ τὰ μὲν Ἰωάννου χρήματα λίαν ἁδρὰ εὑρὼν αὐτὸς ἔλαβε, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οὐδενὸς οὔτε αὐτὸς οὔτε τις τῶν Περσῶν ἥψατο, ἀλλὰ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν ἔχοντες τῷ Μήδων στρατῷ ἀνεμίγνυντο. 2.18.1 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Βελισάριός τε καὶ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς, οὐδέν τι πεπυσμένοι ὧν ταύτῃ ἐπράσσετο, κόσμῳ πολλῷ ἐκ ∆άρας πόλεως ἐπὶ Νίσιβιν ᾔεισαν. 2.18.2 ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῆς ὁδοῦ κατὰ μέσον ἐγένοντο, Βελισάριος μὲν ἐν δεξιᾷ τὸ στράτευμα ἦγεν, οὗ δὴ πηγαί τε ὑδάτων διαρκεῖς ἦσαν καὶ πεδίον ἅπασιν ἐνστρατοπε2.18.3 δεύσασθαι ἱκανῶς ἔχον. ἐνταῦθά τε στρατόπεδον ἐκέλευε ποιεῖσθαι ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων δύο καὶ τεσσα2.18.4 ράκοντα Νισίβιδος πόλεως. οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι ξύμπαντες ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ ἐποιοῦντο, ὅτι δὴ οὐκ ἄγχιστά πη ἐθέλοι τοῦ περιβόλου στρατοπεδεύεσθαι, τινὲς δὲ ὡς 2.18.5 ἥκιστά οἱ ἕπεσθαι ἤθελον. διὸ δὴ Βελισάριος τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν οὖσιν ἔλεξεν ὧδε «Ἐμοὶ «μὲν οὐκ ἦν βουλομένῳ ἐς ἅπαντας ὅσα γινώσκω «ἐξενεγκεῖν. λόγος γὰρ ἐν στρατοπέδῳ περιφερόμενος «οὐκ οἶδε τηρεῖν τὰ ἀπόρρητα, ἐπεὶ κατὰ βραχὺ 2.18.6 «προϊὼν μέχρι καὶ ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκφέρεται. ὁρῶν «δὲ τούς τε πολλοὺς ὑμῶν ἀταξίᾳ πολλῇ εἴκοντας καὶ «αὐτὸν ἕκαστον αὐτοκράτορα τοῦ πολέμου ἐθέλοντα «εἶναι, λέξω