,

he arrives with him at Byzantium and related the embassy to the emperor. And so the emperor of the Romans, having removed Comentiolus from command of the return to Persia, bestows the command on Narses, who happened to be the general's shield-bearer. 5.3.1 Therefore at the beginning of spring the new general, taking Chosroes (and he was accompanied by the one who was bishop in Melitene at that time, whom the account has declared to be Domitian), proceeded to Mardes; the fortress was distant from the city of Daras 5.3.2 three parasangs. So those around Nisibis of Arabia and all the other most powerful men and the commanders of the regiments proclaim Chosroes king, and having provided relatives as pledges for the oath, they were preparing the 5.3.3 return to the palace for Chosroes. So the king of the Persians arranged for these men to be guarded by the Romans. Therefore the general, departing from there, encamped at Daras. And Chosroes, seeing the allied forces of the Romans priding themselves in their strength and adorned with their arms in astonishing array, turned to newer hopes, banishing nothing of his former suffering from his mind. 5.3.4 Therefore the barbarian king entered the city and encamped close to the walls beside the famous shrine of the city, in which the Romans celebrated the mysteries of their religion, very much in the manner of a centaur and insolently, still being pregnant with necessity, as it were, and with his affairs 5.3.5 being in a precarious state. So the people of Daras were greatly annoyed at the attempt, since Chosroes the elder had taken the city and had attempted nothing against the honor of the sacred place. 5.3.6 Therefore Domitian, unable to bear the barbarian insolence, took up his forces and threatened to return to Constantina. Therefore Chosroes, being dishonored by this, and not acknowledging gratitude for the rashness, sent some of his most distinguished men to Domitian, begging him to grant mercy to his repentance. 5.3.7 So the priest, having reviled the barbarian as much as was necessary, returned to Daras, having evicted Chosroes from the shrine. And on the sixth day, the emperor sent a jewel-studded belt and a royal tiara and golden couches and tables to Chosroes at Daras, and assembling a royal escort for him from his own bodyguards he magnificently bestowed it, so that, not lacking a royal entourage, he might not be easily despised 5.3.8 by either Romans or Persians. At any rate, Chosroes was surrounded on all sides by a royal bodyguard, with as much as is customary for the Romans to honor the imperial sceptre. At any rate, the Medes, seeing how much strength had been poured out upon Chosroes by the emperor, changing their opinion, and bidding farewell 5.3.9 to the tyranny, went over to Chosroes. And the alliance of Bahram grew weaker day by day, while for Chosroes matters proceeded according to his mind, as his power was fattened. At any rate, Chosroes immediately intends to show King Maurice 5.3.10 a most loyal action. Therefore on a royal parchment he enrolls the city of Daras as subject as a gift to Maurice the emperor, and Dolabzas the satrap, a distinguished man, he sends to Byzantium to bring the keys of the city 5.3.11 and the gift in writing. So the ambassador, having come to the royal city, handed over the city to the Romans and came to an audience with the emperor; and the emperor of the Romans, having honored Dolabzas with royal gifts, again strengthened the promise of the things previously announced, calling Chosroes his son. 5.4.1 And Chosroes secured both the women and children at Singara (a Median city); for the city was very strong, guarded by strife and least of all conquerable by enemies, being naturally unapproachable for a siege 5.4.2 on account of the aridness of the water supply. After this he gives orders to Mebodes, and having surrounded him with two thousand of the heavy infantry, he directs him through the Singara region to invade the palace and the one who had become by Bahram

αὐτῷ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀφικνεῖται τήν τε πρεσβείαν διεξῆλθε τῷ αὐτοκράτορι. καὶ οὖν ὁ τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ βασιλεὺς ἀποστράτηγον τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Περσίδα καθόδου Κομεντίολον ποιησάμενος Ναρσῇ, ὃς τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ὑπασπιστὴς ἐτύγχανεν ὤν, τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐντίθησιν. 5.3.1 ῏Ηρος τοίνυν ἀρχομένου ὁ νεώτερος στρατηγὸς Χοσρόην παραλαβὼν (συνείπετο δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἐν Μελιτηνῇ ἱερατεύων κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, ὃν ∆ομετιανὸν ὁ λόγος ἐδήλωσεν) ἐπὶ τὸ Μάρδες μετεφοίτησεν· πόλεως δὲ ∆αρὰς ἀφεστήκει τὸ 5.3.2 φρούριον παρασάγγας τρεῖς. οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὴν Νίσιβιν τῆς ᾿Αραβίας οἵ τε ἄλλοι δυνατώτατοι πάντες καὶ οἱ τῶν ταγμάτων ἡγούμενοι ἀναγορεύουσι Χοσρόην βασιλέα, καὶ τῆς διωμοσίας ἐνέχυρα συγγενεῖς παρασχόμενοι προκατήρτιζον τὴν 5.3.3 ἐς τὰ βασίλεια τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἐπάνοδον. ὁ μὲν οὖν τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς τούτους ὑπὸ ῾Ρωμαίων περιφρουρεῖσθαι συνέταξεν. ἀπάρας τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐπὶ τὸ ∆αρὰς ἐστρατοπέδευσεν. ὁ δὲ Χοσρόης τὰς συμμαχικὰς δυνάμεις τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων θεώμενος κομώσας ἀλκῇ τοῖς τε ὅπλοις κατακοσμουμένας ἐκθάμβῳ παρασκευῇ, πρὸς τὰς νεωτέρας μετεχώρει ἐλπίδας μηδέν τι τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου πάθους τῷ λογισμῷ νοσφιζό5.3.4 μενος. εἰσήρρησε τοιγαροῦν πρὸς τὸ ἄστυ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ βάρβαρος καὶ ἐντεμενίζεται ἅμα τοῖς τειχίοις παρὰ τῷ περιφανεῖ τεμένει τῆς πόλεως, ἐν ᾧ ῾Ρωμαῖοι τὰ τῆς θρησκείας ἐτέλουν μυστήρια, λίαν κενταυρικῶς τε καὶ ὑβριστικῶς, ἔτι που ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης κυοφορούμενος, καὶ ἐν ἐπισάλῳ τύχῃ τῶν πρα5.3.5 γμάτων διακειμένων αὐτῷ. οἱ μὲν οὖν ∆αρηνοὶ διηγανάκτουν ἐπὶ τῷ ἐγχειρήματι, Χοσρόου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ᾑρηκότος τὴν πόλιν καὶ μηδέν τι πρὸς ὕβριν τοῦ σεβάσματος ἐγχειρήσαντος. 5.3.6 οὐκοῦν ὁ ∆ομετιανὸς τὴν βάρβαρον ὕβριν φέρειν οὐκ ἔχων, τὰς δυνάμεις ἀναλαβὼν παλινδρομεῖν ἐπὶ Κωνσταντῖναν ἠπείλει. ἠτιμωμένος τοίνυν Χοσρόης ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τῇ προπετείᾳ μὴ χάριν ὁμολογῶν ὡς τὸν ∆ομετιανὸν ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐπιφανεστάτων ἐξέπεμπεν, ἔλεον αὐτὸν ἐξαιτούμενος τῷ μεταμέλῳ 5.3.7 παρέχεσθαι. ὁ μὲν οὖν ἱερεὺς ὁπόσον ἔδει προπηλακίσας τὸν βάρβαρον πρὸς τὸ ∆αρὰς ἐπανῆκεν ἐξοικίσας τοῦ τεμένους Χοσρόην. ἕκτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ λιθοκόλλητον ζώνην καὶ τιάραν βασιλικὴν κλίνας τε καὶ τραπέζας χρυσᾶς ἐς τὸ ∆αρὰς τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἀπέστελλεν, πομπήν τε βασίλειον αὐτῷ συγκροτῶν ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτῷ δορυφόρων μεγαλοπρεπῶς μετεδίδου, ὅπως μὴ βασιλικῆς χηρεύων συντάξεως εὐκατα5.3.8 φρόνητος εἴη ῾Ρωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις. περιεστοιχίζετο γοῦν πάντοθεν βασιλικῇ δορυφορίᾳ Χοσρόης, ὁπόσῃ νόμος ῾Ρωμαίοις αὐτοκρατορικὰ σκῆπτρα γεραίρεσθαι. ὁρῶντες γοῦν οἱ Μῆδοι ὁπόση τῷ Χοσρόῃ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ῥώμη περιεκέχυτο, τὴν γνώμην μεταναστευσάμενοι, χαίρειν φράσαντες 5.3. τῇ τυραννίδι προσεχώρουν Χοσρόῃ. καὶ τοῦ μὲν Βαρὰμ ὁσημέραι τὸ συμμαχικὸν κατησθένει, τῷ δὲ Χοσρόῃ κατὰ νοῦν ἐχώρει τὰ πράγματα, καταλιπαινομένης αὐτῷ τῆς δυνάμεως. διανοεῖται γοῦν παραυτίκα Χοσρόης βασιλεῖ Μαυρικίῳ 5.3.10 εὐνουστάτην πρᾶξιν ἐνδείξασθαι. διὸ ἐν βασιλικῇ διφθέρᾳ τὴν πόλιν ∆αρὰς ὑπήκοον ἐγγράφεται προῖκα Μαυρικίῳ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, τόν τε ∆ολαβζὰν τὸν σατράπην, ἄνδρα ἀπόβλεπτον, ἐς Βυζάντιον στέλλει τὰς κλεῖς οἰσόμενον τοῦ πολί5.3.11 σματος τήν τε ἐν γράμμασι δωρεάν. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρέσβις ἐπὶ τὸ βασίλειον ἄστυ γενόμενος παρεδίδου ῾Ρωμαίοις τὸ πόλισμα καὶ ἐς λόγους πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα ἧκεν· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ δώροις βασιλικοῖς μεγαλύνας τὸν ∆ολαβζὰν τὴν τῶν προαπαγγελθέντων ὠχύρου καὶ αὖθις ὑπόσχεσιν, παῖδα Χοσρόην ἀποκαλῶν. 5.4.1 ῾Ο δὲ Χοσρόης εἰς τὸ Σιγγάρων (Μηδικὸν δὲ τὸ ἄστυ) τά τε γύναια καὶ τοὺς παῖδας κατησφαλίζετο· ἐχυρώτατον γὰρ τὸ ἄστυ ὑπὸ τῆς ἔριδος περιφρουρούμενον καὶ ἥκιστα τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀνάλωτον, τῷ καταύχμῳ τῆς ὑδρεύσεως 5.4.2 πεφυκὸς πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἀπρόσιτον. μετὰ τοῦτο Μεβόδῃ προστάττει, καὶ δισχιλίοις ἐκ τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ περιφράξας αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ Σιγγάρων νομοθετεῖ ἐς τὰ βασίλεια εἰσβαλεῖν τόν τε ὑπὸ τοῦ Βαρὰμ γενόμενον