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But Belisarius, having captured some of the Persians, learned that the provisions in 2.19.20 the fortress were completely lacking. For they were not accustomed, as in the cities of Daras and Nisibis, to store the year's provisions at public expense, but when the enemy's army unexpectedly fell upon them, 2.19.21 they did not have time to bring in any of the necessary supplies. And with many suddenly taking refuge in the fortress, they were, as was to be expected, pressed by the lack of provisions. 2.19.22 When Belisarius learned this, he sent George, a most intelligent man and one who shared in his secrets, to sound out the men in there, to see if he could somehow take the place by some agreement. 2.19.23 And George, after making an exhortation and saying many persuasive things to them, convinced them, upon receiving pledges for their safety, to surrender both themselves and the fortress to the Romans. 2.19.24 Thus Belisarius, having captured Sisauranon, released all the inhabitants unharmed, since they were Christians and Romans from of old, but he sent the Persians along with Bleschames to Byzantium, and razed the circuit-wall of the fortress to the ground. 2.19.25 And not long afterward, the emperor sent these Persians and Bleschames to Italy to fight against the Goths. So the affair of the fortress of Sisauranon proceeded in this way. 2.19.26 But Arethas, fearing that his plunder would be taken away from him by the Romans, no longer wished to return to the camp. 2.19.27 Therefore, sending some of his followers ostensibly for reconnaissance, he ordered them to return secretly as quickly as possible and report to them that a large enemy army was at the river crossing. 2.19.28 For which reason he advised Trajan and John to return to the land of the Romans, going by another road. 2.19.29 So they no longer came to Belisarius, but keeping the Euphrates river on their right, they thus arrived at Theodosiopolis, which is on 2.19.30 the Aborrhas river. But Belisarius and the Roman army, having heard nothing about this force, were distressed, falling into a fear and suspicion that was neither 2.19.31 tolerable nor moderate. And since much time was spent by them in this siege, it happened that many of the soldiers were seized there by a grievous fever; for the part of Mesopotamia subject to the Persians 2.19.32 is exceedingly parched. Unaccustomed to this, the Romans, and especially those hailing from Thrace, living in an unusually arid place and in stifling huts during the summer season, fell so ill that 2.19.33 a third of the army lay half-dead. The whole army, therefore, was eager to get away from there and to return as quickly as possible to their own land, and most of all the commanders of the contingents from Libanus, Rhecithangus and Theoctistus, seeing that the period of the Saracens' service had already passed. 2.19.34 At any rate, they frequently went to Belisarius and begged him to release them at once, protesting that they were sitting there for no reason, having abandoned the lands of Libanus and Syria to Alamundarus. 2.19.35 For this reason, Belisarius called together all the commanders and put the question before them for deliberation. 2.19.36 Whereupon John, the son of Nicetas, rising first, spoke as follows: "Most excellent Belisarius, I think that for all time there has been no general so great as you in either fortune or valor. 2.19.37 And this reputation has taken hold not only of the Romans, 2.19.38 but of all barbarians as well. However, you will most surely preserve this good repute, if you are able to bring us back alive to the land of the Romans; for as things are now, our hopes are not in a good state. For consider with me the situation of this army. 2.19.39 The Saracens and the most warlike of the soldiers, having crossed the Tigris river, have, for I know not how many days now, come to such a pass that they have not even been able to send a messenger to us; Rhecithangus and Theoctistus, as you surely see, will depart immediately, supposing that the army of Alamundarus is in the midst of Phoenicia, plundering and carrying off 2.19.40 everything in those regions. And of those who remain, the sick are so numerous that the

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δὲ Βελισάριος τῶν τινας Περσῶν ξυλλαβὼν, ἐνδεῖν τοῖς ἐν 2.19.20 τῷ φρουρίῳ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια παντελῶς ἔμαθεν. οὐ γὰρ, ὥσπερ ἐν ∆άρας τε καὶ Νισίβιδι πόλει, ἐν δημοσίῳ τὰς ἐπετείους τροφὰς ἀποτίθεσθαι νενομίκασιν, ἀλλὰ πολεμίων στρατοῦ ἀπροσδοκήτου σφίσιν ἐπιπεσόντος 2.19.21 ἐσκομισάμενοί τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων οὐκ ἔφθησαν. ἄφνω δὲ πολλῶν ἐς τὸ φρούριον καταφυγόντων, τῶν ἐπιτη2.19.22 δείων τῇ ἀπορίᾳ, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἐπιέζοντο. ἃ δὴ Βελισάριος γνοὺς Γεώργιον ἔπεμψεν, ἄνδρα ξυνετώτατόν τε καὶ τῶν ἀπορρήτων αὐτῷ κοινωνοῦντα, ἀποπειρασόμενον τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ ἀνθρώπων, εἴ πως ὁμολογίᾳ 2.19.23 τινὶ δύναιτο τὸ χωρίον ἑλεῖν. Γεώργιος δὲ παραίνεσίν τε ποιησάμενος καὶ πολλὰ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἐπαγωγὰ εἰπὼν ἔπεισε τὰ πιστὰ λαβόντας ἀμφὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸ φρούριον ἐνδοῦναι Ῥωμαίοις. 2.19.24 οὕτω Βελισάριος τὸ Σισαυράνων ἑλὼν τοὺς μὲν οἰκήτορας ἅπαντας Χριστιανούς τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους τὸ ἀνέκαθεν ὄντας, ἀθῴους ἀφῆκε, τοὺς δὲ Πέρσας ξὺν τῷ Βλησχάμῃ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἔπεμψε, καὶ τὸν τοῦ φρουρίου 2.19.25 περίβολον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλε. βασιλεύς τε οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον τούτους τε τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ τὸν Βλησχάμην ἐς Ἰταλίαν Γότθοις πολεμήσοντας ἔπεμψε. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ τῷ Σισαυράνων φρουρίῳ ταύτῃ ἐχώρησεν. 2.19.26 Ἀρέθας δὲ, δείσας μὴ τὴν λείαν πρὸς Ῥωμαίων ἀφαιρεθείη, οὐκέτι ἀναστρέφειν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον 2.19.27 ἤθελε. πέμψας οὖν τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τινὰς ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ ἐκέλευε λάθρα ὡς τάχιστα ἐπανήκοντας σημῆναι σφίσιν, ὅτι δὴ πολύς τις πολεμίων στρατὸς ἀμφὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν διάβασιν εἴη. 2.19.28 διὸ δὴ Τραϊανῷ τε καὶ Ἰωάννῃ παρῄνει ἑτέρᾳ ἰοῦσιν 2.19.29 ὁδῷ ἐπανήκειν ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν. παρὰ μὲν οὖν Βελισάριον οὐκέτι ἦλθον, ἔχοντες δὲ ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην ἐν δεξιᾷ οὕτω δὴ ἐς Θεοδοσιούπολιν τὴν πρὸς 2.19.30 τῷ Ἀβόρρᾳ ποταμῷ ἵκοντο. Βελισάριος δὲ καὶ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς οὐδὲν περὶ τοῦ στρατεύματος τούτου πυθόμενοι ἤσχαλλον, ἔς τε δέος καὶ ὑποψίαν οὔτε 2.19.31 φορητήν τινα οὔτε μετρίαν ἐμπίπτοντες. χρόνου τε σφίσιν ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ προσεδρείᾳ τριβέντος συχνοῦ ξυνέβη πολλοῖς τῶν στρατιωτῶν πυρετῷ δυσκόλῳ ἐνταῦθα ἁλῶναι· αὐχμηρὰ γὰρ Μεσοποταμία ἡ Περσῶν 2.19.32 κατήκοος ὑπερφυῶς ἐστιν. οὗπερ ἀήθεις ὄντες Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ διαφερόντως οἱ ἐκ Θρᾴκης ὁρμώμενοι, ἐν χωρίῳ ἐκτόπως αὐχμώδει καὶ καλύβαις τισὶ πνιγηραῖς ὥρᾳ θέρους δίαιταν ἔχοντες, ἐνόσησαν οὕτως ὥστε 2.19.33 ἡμιθνῆτες τὸ τριτημόριον τοῦ στρατοῦ ἔκειντο. ἅπας μὲν οὖν ὁ στρατὸς ἐνθένδε τε ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι καὶ ὅτι τάχιστα ἐς τὴν οἰκείαν γῆν ἐπανήκειν ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχον, μάλιστα δὲ ἁπάντων οἱ τῶν ἐν Λιβάνῳ καταλόγων ἄρχοντες, Ῥεκίθαγγός τε καὶ Θεόκτιστος, ὁρῶντες ὅτι δὴ καὶ ὁ χρόνος τὸ Σαρακηνῶν ἀνάθημα παρῴχηκεν 2.19.34 ἤδη. Βελισαρίῳ γοῦν συχνὰ προσιόντες ἐδέοντο σφᾶς αὐτίκα ἀφεῖναι, μαρτυρόμενοι ὡς Ἀλαμουνδάρῳ τά τε ἐπὶ Λιβάνου καὶ Συρίας χωρία ἐνδόντες κάθηνται αὐτοῦ οὐδενὶ λόγῳ. 2.19.35 ∆ιὸ δὴ Βελισάριος ἅπαντας ξυγκαλέσας τοὺς ἄρ2.19.36 χοντας βουλὴν προὔθηκεν. οὗ δὴ ἀναστὰς πρῶτος Ἰωάννης ὁ Νικήτου υἱὸς ἔλεξε τοιάδε «Ἄριστε Βελι»σάριε, στρατηγὸν μὲν οὔτε τὴν τύχην οὔτε τὴν ἀρε»τὴν ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου γεγενῆσθαι τοιοῦτον οἶμαι 2.19.37 «οἷος αὐτὸς εἶ. δόξα τε αὕτη οὐ Ῥωμαίων κεκράτηκε 2.19.38 «μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βαρβάρων ἁπάντων. ταύτην μέντοι «βεβαιότατα διαφυλάξεις τὴν εὔκλειαν, ἤν γε ζῶντας «ἡμᾶς ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν διασώσασθαι δυνατὸς «εἴης· ὡς νῦν γε ἡμῖν τὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος οὐκ ἐν καλῷ «κεῖται. οὑτωσὶ γάρ μοι περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ σκό2.19.39 «πει. Σαρακηνοὶ μὲν καὶ οἱ τῶν στρατιωτῶν μαχιμώ»τατοι Τίγρην ποταμὸν διαβάντες, ἡμέραν οὐκ οἶδα «ὁπόστην ἄνω ἐς τοῦτο τύχης ἀφίκοντο ὥστε οὐδὲ «ἄγγελον πέμψαι τινὰ παρ' ἡμᾶς ἴσχυσαν· Ῥεκίθαγγός «τε καὶ Θεόκτιστος ἀποπορεύσονται, ὡς ὁρᾷς δήπου»θεν, αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τὸν Ἀλαμουνδάρου στρατὸν ἐν «Φοίνιξι μέσοις εἶναι οἰόμενοι, ἄγοντά τε καὶ φέροντα 2.19.40 «ξύμπαντα τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία. τῶν δὲ λειπομένων οἱ «νοσοῦντές εἰσι τοσοῦτοι τὸ πλῆθος ὥστε τοὺς