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they withdrew to their camp, and the Persians on the following day set up the standard of Peter on a certain tower as a trophy, and hanging up his sausages they jeered at the enemy with laughter; however, they no longer dared to sally forth, but kept guarding the city in safety. 2.19.1 Belisarius, seeing that Nisibis was exceedingly strong, and having no hope of capturing it, was eager to advance, in order to do some harm to the en2.19.2 emies by a raid. So he set out and marched forward with the whole army. And having completed a day's journey, they came upon a fortress, 2.19.3 which the Persians call Sisauranon. There was a large population there, and eight hundred of the best Persian cavalry were on guard, over whom a notable man, Blescha2.19.4 mes by name, was in command. The Romans, having encamped very near the fortress, began the siege, and making an assault upon the circuit-wall they were repul2.19.5 sed, having lost many in the fight. For the wall happened to be exceedingly strong, and the barbarians defended themselves from it most valiantly against their assailants. Therefore Belisarius called together all the commanders and spoke 2.19.6 as follows: «Experience of many wars, my fellow commanders, has given us in difficult situations the ability to foresee what will happen and to be able, before 2.19.7 the dangers, to choose the better course. You know, therefore, how great a misfortune it is for an army to advance into a hostile land, with ma»ny strongholds, and many fighting men in them 2.19.8 left behind. This is precisely what has happened to us at the present time. For as we go forward from here and from the city of Nisibis, some of the enemy, following us secretly, will, as is likely, do us harm in places that are well-suited for an 2.19.9 ambush or some other plot against us. And if any other army should meet us and they join battle, we shall be forced to be ar»rayed against both forces, and thus we might suffer irreparable harm from them; for I forbear to mention that if we should be worsted in the engagement, should that happen, we shall have no means whatever of returning to the land of the Romans. 2.19.10 Let us not, therefore, by using unreasoning haste, seem to be plundering ourselves, nor let us harm the Roman cause through contentiousness. 2.19.11 For ignorant daring leads to destruction, but prudent hesitation is by nature always sufficient to save those who employ it. We, therefore, shall rema»in here and try to take this fortress, but let Arethas with his followers be sent to the regions of Assyria. 2.19.12 For the Saracens are by nature unable to storm walls, but they are most expert at plundering. 2.19.13 And some of our fighting men will invade with them, so that they, if no opposi»tion appears to them, may work irreparable harm upon those they fall up»on, but if any enemy force meets them, they may easily 2.19.14 withdraw to us and be saved. And we, having ta»ken the fortress, if God is willing, may then cross the Tigris River with the whole army, not fearing those who would do us harm from behind, and knowing well how matters stand with the Assyrians.» 2.19.15 Having said these things, Belisarius seemed to all to have spoken well and he immediately put his plan into effect. He ordered Arethas with his followers to go against Assyria and he sent with them twelve hundred soldiers, of whom the majority were his own bodyguards, placing over them two spearmen, Trajan and John called Phagas, both good at the 2.19.16 arts of war. And he instructed them to do everything in obedience to Arethas, and he ordered Arethas, after plundering everything in his path, to return thus to the camp and report to them how matters stood with the Assyrians concerning their 2.19.17 forces. So Arethas and his men crossed the Tigris River and came into 2.19.18 Assyria. There, finding a good land, unravaged for a long time, and this being unguarded, having plundered by a raid many of the there 2.19.19 places, they acquired great wealth. Then

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στρατόπεδον ἀπεχώρησαν, οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι τῇ ἐπιγινομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν πύργῳ τινὶ ἔστησαν ἀντὶ τροπαίου τὸ Πέτρου σημεῖον, ἀλλᾶντάς τε αὐτοῦ ἀποκρεμάσαντες τοῖς πολεμίοις ξὺν γέλωτι ἐπετώθαζον, ἐπεξιέναι μέντοι οὐκέτι ἐτόλμων, ἀλλὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ διεφύλασσον. 2.19.1 Βελισάριός τε Νίσιβιν ὁρῶν ἐχυρὰν ὑπερφυῶς οὖσαν, ἐλπίδα αὐτῆς οὐδεμίαν ἔχων ἁλώσεως πέρι, πρόσω ἰέναι ἠπείγετο, ὅπως τι ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς τοῖς πο2.19.2 λεμίοις λυμήνηται. ἄρας τοίνυν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπίπροσθεν ᾔει. ἀνύσαντές τε ἡμέρας ὁδὸν φρουρίῳ 2.19.3 ἐνέτυχον, ὃ Σισαυράνων καλοῦσι Πέρσαι. ἐνταῦθα πλῆθός τε οἰκητόρων ἦν καὶ ἱππεῖς ὀκτακόσιοι Περσῶν ἄριστοι φυλακὴν εἶχον, οἷς ἀνὴρ δόκιμος, Βλησχά2.19.4 μης ὄνομα, ἐφειστήκει. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἄγχιστά πη τοῦ φρουρίου στρατοπεδευσάμενοι ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίσταντο, προσβολήν τε τῷ περιβόλῳ ποιησάμενοι ἀπεκρού2.19.5 σθησαν, πολλοὺς τῇ μάχῃ ἀποβαλόντες. τό τε γὰρ τεῖχος ἐς ἄγαν ἐχυρὸν ἐτύγχανεν ὂν καὶ οἱ βάρβαροι καρτερώτατα ἐνθένδε τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἠμύνοντο. διὸ δὴ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἅπαντας ξυγκαλέσας Βελισάριος ἔλεξε 2.19.6 τοιάδε «Ἐμπειρία πολέμων πολλῶν, ἄνδρες ἄρχοντες, «δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπόροις «προορᾶν τε τὰ ξυμβησόμενα καὶ δυνατοῖς εἶναι πρὸ 2.19.7 «τῶν δεινῶν ἑλέσθαι τὰ κρείσσω. ἐπίστασθε τοίνυν «πηλίκον ἐστὶ κακὸν στράτευμα ἐς γῆν πολεμίαν, πολ»λῶν μὲν ὀχυρωμάτων, πολλῶν δὲ μαχίμων ἐν τούτοις 2.19.8 «ἀνδρῶν ὄπισθεν ἀπολελειμμένων, πορεύεσθαι. ὅπερ «καὶ ἡμῖν ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι τετύχηκεν. ἐπίπροσθεν «γὰρ ἰοῦσιν ἡμῖν ἐνθένδε τε καὶ ἐκ Νισίβιδος πόλεως «ἑπόμενοι λάθρα τῶν πολεμίων τινὲς ἐν χωρίοις, ὡς «τὸ εἰκὸς, κακουργήσουσιν ἐπιτηδείως αὐτοῖς πρὸς 2.19.9 «ἐνέδραν ἢ καὶ ἄλλην τινὰ ἐπιβουλὴν ἔχουσιν. ἢν «δέ πη καὶ ἄλλος ἀπαντήσῃ στρατὸς εἴς τε μάχην «καθιστῶνται, πρὸς ἑκατέρους μὲν ἡμῖν ἀνάγκη τετάξε»σθαι, πάθοιμεν δ' ἂν οὕτω πρὸς αὐτῶν τὰ ἀνήκεστα· «ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν ὡς καὶ πταίσαντες ἐν τῇ ξυμβολῇ, ἂν «οὕτω τύχοι, ἐπάνοδον ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν οὐδεμιᾷ 2.19.10 «μηχανῇ τὸ λοιπὸν ἕξομεν. μὴ τοίνυν ἀλογίστῳ σπουδῇ «χρώμενοι ἐφ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐσκυλευκότες φαινώμεθα, «μηδὲ τῷ φιλονείκῳ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα βλάψωμεν. «τόλμα μὲν γὰρ ἀμαθὴς ἐς ὄλεθρον φέρει, μέλλησις «δὲ σώφρων ἐς τὸ σώζειν ἀεὶ τοὺς αὐτῇ χρωμένους 2.19.11 «ἱκανῶς πέφυκεν. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἐνταῦθα ἐγκαθεζό»μενοι ἐξελεῖν πειρώμεθα τὸ φρούριον τόδε, Ἀρέθας «δὲ ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Ἀσσυρίας χωρία 2.19.12 «στελλέσθω. Σαρακηνοὶ γὰρ τειχομαχεῖν μέν εἰσιν «ἀδύνατοι φύσει, ἐς δὲ τὸ ληίζεσθαι πάντων μάλιστα 2.19.13 «δεξιοί. συνεισβαλοῦσι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ στρατιῶται τῶν «μαχίμων τινὲς, ὅπως αὐτοί τε, μηδενὸς μὲν ἐναντιώ»ματος σφίσι φανέντος, τὰ ἀνήκεστα τοὺς προσπεσόν»τας ἐργάσωνται, ἢν δέ τι ἀπαντήσῃ πολέμιον, εὐπετῶς 2.19.14 «ἀναχωροῦντες εἰς ἡμᾶς σώζοιντο. καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξελόν»τες, ἢν θεὸς θέλῃ, τὸ φρούριον, οὕτω δὴ παντὶ τῷ «στρατῷ Τίγρην ποταμὸν διαβαίνωμεν, οὐ δεδιότες «μὲν τοὺς ὄπισθεν κακουργήσοντας, εὖ δὲ εἰδότες ὅπη «ποτὲ τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις τὰ πράγματα ἔχει.» 2.19.15 Ταῦτα εἰπὼν Βελισάριος εὖ τε λέγειν ἅπασιν ἔδοξε καὶ τὸ βούλευμα εὐθὺς ἐπετέλει. Ἀρέθαν τε ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐπὶ Ἀσσυρίας ἐκέλευεν ἰέναι καὶ αὐτοῖς στρατιώτας διακοσίους τε καὶ χιλίους ξυνέπεμψεν, ὧν δὴ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν τῶν αὐτοῦ ἦσαν, δορυφόρους αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσας δύο, Τραϊανόν τε καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν Φαγᾶν καλούμενον, ἄμφω ἀγαθοὺς τὰ 2.19.16 πολέμια. καὶ αὐτοῖς μὲν Ἀρέθᾳ πειθομένοις ἅπαντα πράσσειν ἐπέστελλεν, Ἀρέθαν δὲ ἅπαντα ἐκέλευε τὰ ἐν ποσὶ ληισάμενον οὕτω τε ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐπανήκοντα ἀπαγγέλλειν σφίσιν ὁποῖά ποτε δυνάμεως 2.19.17 πέρι τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις τὰ πράγματα εἴη. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἀρέθαν Τίγρην ποταμὸν διαβάντες ἐν 2.19.18 Ἀσσυρίοις ἐγένοντο. οὗ δὴ χώραν τε ἀγαθὴν εὑρόντες καὶ μακροῦ χρόνου ἀδῄωτον, ταύτην τε ἀφύλακτον οὖσαν, ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς πολλὰ ληισάμενοι τῶν ἐκείνῃ 2.19.19 χωρίων χρήματα μεγάλα περιεβάλλοντο. τότε