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now as for what must be kept silent among you, I will first, however, suggest this, «that since many in the army «are acting on their own judgment, it is impossible for anything necessary 2.18.7 «to be done. I think, therefore, that Chosroes, in going against other «barbarians, would be least likely to leave his own land without some sufficient «guard, and especially this «city, which happens to be the first and of all 2.18.8 «his land is set as a defense. In which I know well «that he has stationed soldiers both so many in number and of such valor «that they are sufficient to stand in the way of our «attacks. And the example is near at hand 2.18.9 «for you. For he has set Nabedes as general over them, «who indeed, after Chosroes himself, in both reputation and 2.18.10 «other rank is considered to be first among the Persians. Whom «I for my part think will both test our strength «and will yield the passage to us in no other way than 2.18.11 «by being defeated by us in some battle. If, «then, the engagement should be somewhere very near the city, the contest «will not be on equal terms for us and the Persians. 2.18.12 «For they, sallying forth from their stronghold, if they are successful, «should it so happen, will be greatly emboldened to «attack; and if defeated, they will easily escape our 2.18.13 «attack. For our pursuit will be for a short distance, «and from this no harm will come to the city, «which, while its soldiers defend it, you see, of course, is impregnable 2.18.14 «to those assaulting the walls. But if we defeat the «enemy when they come to grips with us here, «I have great hope, O fellow-commanders, of taking the city. 2.18.15 «For with the enemy fleeing a very long way, «we shall either, mingled with them, burst inside the gates, as is likely, »or, arriving before them, we will force them to turn and flee to some «other country, «and for ourselves we shall render Nisibis, without its defenders, easy »to capture.” 2.18.16 When Belisarius had said these things, all the others were persuaded and having encamped with him, they waited. But Peter, having won over John as a companion, who, as commander of the regular troops in Mesopotamia, had no mean portion of the army, not far from the circuit-wall, but 2.18.17 having gone about ten stades away, remained quiet. And Belisarius drew up those with him as for battle and sent word to Peter’s men to draw up as for an engagement until he himself should give the signal, and to know well that the barbarians would attack them around midday, having this in mind, obviously, that they themselves were accustomed to take their meal late in the afternoon, but the Romans 2.18.18 around midday. Belisarius advised these things; but Peter's men, making nothing of his commands, and being distressed by the sun around midday (for the place is exceedingly parched), both laid down their arms and, taking no thought of the enemy, went about in no order eating melons growing somewhere thereabouts. 2.18.19 When Nabedes perceived this, he led the Persian army against them 2.18.20 at a great run. But the Romans (for the barbarians did not escape their notice as they came out from the circuit-wall, since they were seen clearly as they advanced on the open plain) both sent to Belisarius, urging him to come to their aid, and they themselves, having taken up their arms, 2.18.21 went to meet them, possessed by disorder and confusion. And Belisarius’ men, though the messenger had not yet reached them, discerning the Persian attack 2.18.22 by the dust, went to the rescue at a run. And the Persians, attacking, turned to flight with no trouble the Romans who did not withstand the charge, and pursuing them they destroyed fifty 2.18.23 and having snatched Peter's standard, they held it. And they would have killed all of them in this pursuit, as they looked to no resistance, if Belisarius and the army with him 2.18.24 had not arrived and prevented it. For as the Goths, first of all, advanced with their long and numerous spears, 2.18.25 the Persians did not withstand them but were moved to flight. And the Romans, pursuing with the Goths, killed one hundred and fifty. For since the pursuit was for a short distance, the 2.18.26 rest quickly got inside the circuit-wall. Then, therefore, all the Romans into that of Belisarius

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τανῦν ἐν ὑμῖν ὅσα χρῆν σιωπᾶν, ἐκεῖνο «μέντοι πρότερον ὑπειπὼν, ὡς πολλῶν ἐν στρατιᾷ «γνώμῃ αὐτονόμῳ χρωμένων γενέσθαι τι τῶν δεόντων 2.18.7 «ἀδύνατον. οἶμαι τοίνυν Χοσρόην ἐφ' ἑτέρους ἰόντα «βαρβάρους ὡς ἥκιστα φυλακῆς τινος αὐτάρκους χωρὶς «τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπολιπεῖν γῆν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τήνδε τὴν «πόλιν, ἣ πρώτη τε τυγχάνει οὖσα καὶ πάσης τῆς 2.18.8 «ἐκείνου γῆς προβεβλημένη. ἐν ᾗ στρατιώτας εὖ οἶδα «ὅτι τοσούτους τε τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τοιούτους τὴν ἀρετὴν «κατεστήσατο ὥστε ἱκανοὺς εἶναι ταῖς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐφό»δοις ἐμποδὼν στήσεσθαι. καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα ἐγγύθεν 2.18.9 «ὑμῖν. Ναβέδην γὰρ στρατηγὸν τούτοις ἐπέστησεν, «ὃς δὴ μετά γε τὸν Χοσρόην αὐτὸν δόξῃ τε καὶ τῷ 2.18.10 «ἄλλῳ ἀξιώματι πρῶτος ἐν Πέρσαις εἶναι δοκεῖ. ὃν «ἔγωγε οἶμαι καὶ ἀποπειράσεσθαι τῆς ἡμετέρας δυνά»μεως καὶ τὴν πάροδον ἡμῖν οὐδενὶ ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ ἢ 2.18.11 «μάχῃ τινὶ πρὸς ἡμῶν ἡσσηθέντα ἐνδώσειν. εἰ μὲν «οὖν ἄγχιστά που τῆς πόλεως ἡ ξυμβολὴ εἴη, οὐκ ἐκ «τοῦ ἀντιπάλου ἡμῖν τε καὶ Πέρσαις ὁ ἀγὼν ἔσται. 2.18.12 «αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἐχυροῦ ἐπεξιόντες εὐημερήσαντές «τε, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον θαρρήσουσιν ἐπιθή»σεσθαι καὶ ἡσσηθέντες εὐπετῶς διαφεύξονται τὴν 2.18.13 «ἡμετέραν ἐπίθεσιν. δι' ὀλίγου γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ δίωξις «ἔσται καὶ τῇ πόλει ἐνθένδε οὐδὲν γενήσεται βλάβος, «ἣν τοῖς τειχομαχοῦσιν ἀνάλωτον οὖσαν στρατιωτῶν 2.18.14 «αὐτῆς ἀμυνομένων ὁρᾶτε δήπου. ἢν δέ γε τῶν πο»λεμίων ἐνταῦθα ἡμῖν ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντων κρατήσωμεν, «τὴν πόλιν ἐξελεῖν πολλήν τινα, ὦ ξυνάρχοντες, ἐλπίδα 2.18.15 «ἔχω. φεύγουσι γὰρ τοῖς ἐναντίοις πολύν τινα δρόμον «ἢ ἀναμιχθέντες εἴσω πυλῶν, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ξυνεισπε»σούμεθα, ἢ προτερήσαντες αὐτοὺς μὲν ἐφ' ἑτέρας «τινὸς ἀναγκάσομεν τεθράφθαι τε καὶ διαφυγεῖν χώρας, «ἡμῖν δὲ αὐτοῖς Νίσιβιν τῶν ἀμυνομένων χωρὶς εὐά»λωτον καταστήσομεν.» 2.18.16 Ταῦτα Βελισαρίου εἰπόντος οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι πάντες ἐπείθοντό τε καὶ ξὺν αὐτῷ στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἔμενον. Πέτρος δὲ Ἰωάννην ἑταιρισάμενος, ὃς τῶν ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ καταλόγων ἄρχων μοῖραν οὐ φαύλην τινὰ τοῦ στρατοῦ εἶχεν, οὐκ ἄποθεν τοῦ περιβόλου, ἀλλ' 2.18.17 ὅσον ἀπὸ σταδίων δέκα ἐλθὼν ἡσυχῆ ἔμενε. Βελισάριος δὲ τούς τε ξὺν αὑτῷ ὡς εἰς παράταξιν ἔστησε καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Πέτρον ἐπέστελλεν ὡς ἐπὶ ξυμβολῇ παρατάσσεσθαι μέχρι αὐτὸς σημήνῃ, εὖ τε εἰδέναι ὡς οἱ βάρβαροι περὶ μεσημβρίαν ἐπιθήσονται σφίσιν, ἐκεῖνο δηλονότι ἐν νῷ ἔχοντες, ὅτι δὴ αὐτοὶ μὲν τροφῆς ἐς δείλην ὀψίαν μεταλαγχάνειν εἰώθασι, Ῥωμαῖοι 2.18.18 δὲ ἀμφὶ μεσημβρίαν. Βελισάριος μὲν ταῦτα παρῄνει· οἱ δὲ ξὺν τῷ Πέτρῳ ἐν οὐδενὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς ποιησάμενοι ἀμφί τε ἡμέραν μέσην τῷ ἡλίῳ ἀχθόμενοι (ἔστι γὰρ τὸ χωρίον ἐπιεικῶς αὐχμῶδες) τά τε ὅπλα κατέθεντο καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἀφροντιστήσαντες σικύους ἐνταῦθά πη φυομένους κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ περιιόντες κατή2.18.19 σθιον. ὅπερ κατιδὼν ὁ Ναβέδης δρόμῳ πολλῷ ἐπῆγεν 2.18.20 ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὸ Περσῶν στράτευμα. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ (οὐ γὰρ ἔλαθον αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ περιβόλου ἐξιόντες οἱ βάρβαροι, ἐπεὶ καθεωρῶντο λαμπρῶς ἅτε ἐν πεδίῳ ὑπτίῳ ἰόντες) παρά τε Βελισάριον ἔπεμπον, ἀμύνειν σφίσι παρακαλοῦντες, καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ μὲν ὅπλα ἀνελόμενοι, 2.18.21 ἀκοσμίᾳ δὲ καὶ θορύβῳ ἐχόμενοι ὑπηντίαζον. οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ Βελισάριον, οὔπω παρὰ σφᾶς τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἀφικομένου γνόντες διὰ τοῦ κονιορτοῦ τὴν Περσῶν ἔφο2.18.22 δον, ἐβοήθουν δρόμῳ. ἐπελθόντες τε Πέρσαι Ῥωμαίους οὐχ ὑποστάντας τὴν ἔφοδον πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἐς φυγὴν ἔτρεψαν, ἐπισπόμενοι δὲ πεντήκοντά τε διέφθειραν 2.18.23 καὶ τὸ τοῦ Πέτρου σημεῖον ἁρπάσαντες ἔσχον. ἅπαντάς τε ἂν ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ διώξει ἔκτειναν ἐς οὐδεμίαν ἀλκὴν ὁρῶντας, εἰ μὴ Βελισάριός τε καὶ ὁ ξὺν αὐτῷ 2.18.24 στρατὸς καταλαβὼν διεκώλυσε. πρώτους γὰρ ἁπάντων ξὺν δόρασι μακροῖς τε καὶ συχνοῖς Γότθους ἐπιόντας 2.18.25 Πέρσαι οὐχ ὑπομείναντες ἐς φυγὴν ὥρμηντο. ἐπισπόμενοί τε Ῥωμαῖοι ξὺν Γότθοις πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἔκτειναν. δι' ὀλίγου γὰρ τῆς διώξεως γενομένης οἱ 2.18.26 λοιποὶ κατὰ τάχος ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ἐγένοντο. τότε μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαῖοι ξύμπαντες ἐς τὸ Βελισαρίου