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being somehow fragmented by great trenches, it disappears; this indeed also renders that very land all-productive. But the other branch pours forth into Babylonia, and 5.6.6 being dispersed, it floods the marshes of Assyria. The third flows through the areas adjoining Seleucia and empties into the Tigris and gives the city a security most difficult to assail, having fortified the town with the flanks of the waters as if with the crown of some enclosure. 5.6.7 But it was the second day, and Mebodes, having heard that Seleucia was undefended, attacks it by night, after ordering the Romans to raise the war-cry and to speak in their native tongue and to strike with the sword at random and as chance would have it anyone they encountered. 5.6.8 So the inhabitants of Seleucia, having collapsed in fear, surrendered the city to Mebodes with unopposed goodwill. From there, an extraordinary uproar having arisen, so as to share the panic also with Ctesiphon, a report burst in upon the barbarians inhabiting the neighboring city that Seleucia had been captured by a 5.6. Roman multitude. So when everyone had assembled together in fear, it was resolved with one voice to surrender to the Romans. So he, leaving the refuge there, arrives at the nearby Antioch, which Chosroes son of Cabades had built when he took the Antioch in Syria, 5.6.10 and transplanted the populace from there into this one. But Mebodes, having seized Ctesiphon, took care of the royal treasures and both acclaimed and proclaimed Chosroes king, as was possible. And Ctesiphon stands as the greatest royal residence in Persia. And it is said that the emperor Justinian provided Greek stone to Chosroes son of Cabades, and skilled builders and ingenious roof craftsmen, and that a palace was built for Chosroes with Roman skill, having its location not far from Ctesiphon. 5.6.11 The barbarians inhabiting Babylonia, therefore, desiring a change, preferred to support the cause of Chosroes; but Mebodes sent to the Persian Antioch a letter in Roman script. And the tablet had the following word for word: for I think it good to present the account of the very composition of the words, just as it is. 5.7.1 "The Romans faithful in Christ Jesus our Lord to those in the Antioch of Persia, greetings. Neither obeying the emperor's commands nor being swayed by the promises of Chosroes have we undertaken such a labor, but so that we might rescue you, who have grown old in misery, from the belly of Persia, 5.7.2 we have come to this land. So that, therefore, our purpose may reach its conclusion and your desire, brothers, may arrive at joy, hand over to us the refugees in the city of Antioch there, and those who support Baram. For we want you to know that, if you neglect this main point, you will not have reason to be pleased with the outcome." 5.7.3 So when this letter was delivered to the inhabitants of Antioch and became publicly known, the multitude of the city came to one accord, and seizing the man they handed him over to those sent by Mebodes, and not only him but also those who with pleasure supported the cause of Baram. 5.7.4 And Mebodes, having learned in detail the affairs of the adversaries from the prisoners, tortured their leader, and having mutilated him by cutting off his nose and ears, sent him to Chosroes, but the rest he delivered to the edge of the sword. 5.7.5 And on the sixth day, he also destroyed with the scimitar many of the Jews who had been deeply involved in the revolutionary acts of Baram, inflicting death upon them as a punishment. 5.7.6 For the support given by the Jews to Baram for his usurpation was not insignificant. For a multitude of that nation, replete with wealth, inhabited Persia at that time. 5.7.7 For when Jerusalem had been captured by the emperor Vespasian, and the temple burned, many of the Jews, fearing the might of the Romans, from Palestine as

μεγάλαις καὶ τάφροις κατακερματιζομένη πως ἀφανίζεται· τοῦτό τοι καὶ πάμφορον αὐτὴν ἐκείνην τὴν γῆν ἀπεργάζεται. ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἀπορρὼξ εἰς τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν προχέεται, καὶ τὰ 5.6.6 τῆς ᾿Ασσυρίας ἕλη περιλιμνάζει διασπειρόμενος. ἡ δὲ τρίτη διαρρεῖ τῆς Σελευκείας ἐχόμενα καὶ εἰς τὸν Τίγριν εἰσβάλλει καὶ δίδωσι τῷ πολίσματι δυσμαχωτάτην ἀσφάλειαν, ταῖς λαγόσι τῶν ὑδάτων ὥσπερ στεφάνῃ ἕρκους τινὸς τὸ ἄστυ κατοχυ5.6.7 ρώσασα. ἡμέρα δὲ δευτέρα, καὶ ὁ Μεβόδης ἄφρακτον ἀκηκοὼς τὴν Σελεύκειαν προσβάλλει ταύτῃ νυκτός, προστάξας τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις τῇ πατρίῳ φωνῇ ἀλαλάζειν τε καὶ διαλέγεσθαι παίειν τε τῷ ξίφει εἰκῇ καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα. 5.6.8 οἱ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὴν Σελεύκειαν καταπεπτωκότες τῷ φόβῳ ἀνανταγωνίστῳ εὐνοίᾳ τῷ Μεβόδῃ τὴν πόλιν παρέδοσαν. ἐντεῦθεν θορύβου ἐξαισίου ἐπιδημήσαντος, ὡς καὶ τῇ Κτησιφῶντι μεταδοῦναι τῆς καταπλήξεως, λόγος εἰσήρρησε τοῖς τὴν γείτονα πόλιν οἰκοῦσι βαρβάροις ὡς Σελεύκεια ἥλω ὑπὸ 5.6. πληθύος ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς. πάντων τοίνυν ὑπὸ δέους εἰς ἓν ἐκκλησιασθέντων, ἐδογματίζετο αὐτοβοεὶ παραδώσειν ῾Ρωμαίοις. ὁ μὲν οὖν καὶ τὴν αὐτόθι ἀπολιπὼν καταφυγὴν εἰς τὴν πέλας ᾿Αντιόχειαν ἀφικνεῖται, ἣν Χοσρόης ὁ Καβάδου ὁπηνίκα τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν τὴν πρὸς τῇ Συρίᾳ ᾕρει ᾠκοδομήσατο 5.6.10 καὶ τὸν ἐκεῖσε λαὸν ἐν ταύτῃ που μετεφύτευσεν. ὁ δὲ Μεβόδης τὴν Κτησιφῶντα καταλαβὼν τῶν βασιλείων θησαυρῶν ἐτίθετο πρόνοιαν τόν τε Χοσρόην, ὡς ἐνῆν, βασιλέα ἀνηγόρευέ τε καὶ διεκήρυττεν. ἡ δὲ Κτησιφῶν μέγιστα βασίλεια τῇ Περσίδι καθέστηκεν. λέγεται δὲ ᾿Ιουστινιανὸν τὸν αὐτοκράτορα λίθον ῾Ελληνικὴν Χοσρόῃ τῷ Καβάδου παρέχεσθαι τούς τε περὶ τὴν οἰκοδομίαν δεινοὺς τέκτονάς τε ὀρόφων ἀγχίνους, καὶ βασίλεια δείμασθαι τῷ Χοσρόῃ τέχνῃ ῾Ρωμαϊκῇ οὐ πόρρω τῆς Κτησιφῶντος τὴν ἵδρυσιν 5.6.11 ἔχοντα. οἱ μὲν οὖν τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν κατοικοῦντες βάρβαροι τῆς μεταβολῆς ὀρεγόμενοι τὰ Χοσρόου φρονεῖν προετίμησαν· ὁ δὲ Μεβόδης ἐς ᾿Αντιόχειαν τὴν Περσῶν πτυκτίον ἐξέπεμπε γραμμάτων ῾Ρωμαϊκῶν. ἡ δὲ δέλτος εἶχεν ἐπὶ λέξεως τάδε· καλὸν γὰρ οἶμαι καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς συνθήκης τῶν ῥημάτων τὴν ἔκθεσιν, ὡς ἔχει φύσεως, προενέγκασθαι. 5.7.1 "῾Ρωμαῖοι πιστοὶ ἐν Χριστῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν τοῖς τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν τῆς Περσίδος χαίρειν. οὔτε βασιλέως κελεύσεσι πειθόμενοι οὔτε ταῖς Χοσρόου ὑποσχέσεσιν ἐπικαμπτόμενοι τὸν τοιοῦτον κάματον κατεδεξάμεθα, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐν ταλαιπωρίᾳ γηράσαντας ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τῆς Περσίδος 5.7.2 διασώσωμεν, ἤλθομεν εἰς ταύτην τὴν γῆν. ἵνα οὖν καὶ ὁ σκοπὸς ὁ ἡμέτερος πέρας ἀπολάβῃ καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα, ἀδελφοί, ἐπιθυμία πρὸς χαρὰν καταντήσῃ, τοὺς προσφυγόντας εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν τὴν πόλιν τὴν αὐτόθι ἔκδοτε ἡμῖν, καὶ τοὺς φρονοῦντας τὰ Βαράμ. θέλομεν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐπίστασθαι ὅτι, ἐὰν τούτου τοῦ κεφαλαίου παραμελήσητε, οὐκ ἔχετε τῷ ἀποτελέσματι 5.7.3 εὐχαριστῆσαι." ταύτης γοῦν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τοῖς τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν οἰκοῦσιν ἀποδοθείσης καὶ ἐς κοινὸν γενομένης γνωρίμου, εἰς ἓν [οὓς] ἦλθε τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἄστεος, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ξυλλαβόντες τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Μεβόδου σταλεῖσι παραδεδώκασιν, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἡδονῇ τὰ Βαρὰμ ἀσμενί5.7.4 ζοντας. ὁ δὲ Μεβόδης ἐξ ἐπιλέπτου τὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων ὑπὸ τῶν δεσμίων μεμαθηκώς, αἰκισάμενος τούτων τὸν ἔξαρχον τήν τε ῥῖνα καὶ τὰ ὦτα ἀποτομῇ λωβησάμενος ἐς τὸν Χοσρόην παρέπεμπεν, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ῥομφαίας παραδέδωκε 5.7.5 στόματι. ἕκτη δὲ ἡμέρα, καὶ πολλοὺς τοῦ ᾿Ιουδαϊκοῦ ἱκανῶς μετεσχηκότας τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Βαρὰμ νεωτερισθέντων τῷ ἀκι5.7.6 νάκῃ διώλεσε θάνατον ἐπιθεὶς ζημίαν αὐτοῖς. οὐκ ἀναξιόλογος γὰρ ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων τῷ Βαρὰμ γεγονυῖα πρὸς τὴν τυραννίδα ῥοπή. πλῆθος γὰρ τοῦ τοιούτου ἔθνους πλούτῳ κατάκομον τὸ τηνικαῦτα καιροῦ τὴν Περσίδα κατῴκει. 5.7.7 τῶν γὰρ ῾Ιεροσολύμων ὑπὸ Οὐεσπασιανοῦ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἁλόντων, τοῦ τε ναοῦ ἐμπιπραμένου, ὀρρωδοῦντες πολλοὶ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων ἀλκὴν ἐκ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ὡς