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to care for and carry them to the land of the Romans 2.19.41 «were much fewer than them in number. And with things being as they are, if any hostile force should happen to meet us, either as we remain here or as we go back, not even one man could be able to report to the Romans in Daras 2.19.42 «the disaster that has befallen us. For to go anywhere forward I think is not even to be considered possible. While, therefore, some hope still remains, to both deliberate and act upon matters concerning the return 2.19.43 «will be advantageous. For for those who have fallen into danger, and especially such a one, not to consider their own safety, but rather a plot against the enemy 2.19.44 «is great folly.» So much said both John and all the rest approved, and falling into a clamor 2.19.45 they demanded that the withdrawal be made with all speed. And so Belisarius, first placing the sick upon the beasts of burden, 2.19.46 led the army back. And as soon as they were in the land of the Romans, he learned of all the things done by Arethas, but he was unable to exact any punishment from him, since he no longer came into his sight. So the invasion of the Romans up to this point 2.19.17 concerned the affairs with the Assyrians. The men of Arethas, then, crossing the Tigris River were in 2.19.18 Assyria. And there, finding a good land and one unravaged for a long time, and this being unguarded, by making a raid they plundered many of the places there 2.19.19 and acquired great wealth. Then Belisarius, having captured some of the Persians, learned that the provisions were completely lacking for those in 2.19.20 the fortress. For it is not their custom, as it is in the cities of Daras and Nisibis, to store the year's provisions at public expense, but when an enemy army fell upon them unexpectedly 2.19.21 they did not have time to bring in any of the necessities. And when many suddenly took refuge in the fortress, they were pressed by the lack of provisions, 2.19.22 as was likely. When Belisarius learned this, he sent George, a very intelligent man and a sharer of his secrets, to sound out the men in it, to see if by some agreement 2.19.23 he might be able to take the place. And George, after making an exhortation and saying many persuasive things to them, persuaded them, on receiving pledges for their safety, to surrender both themselves and the fortress to the Romans. 2.19.24 Thus Belisarius, having taken Sisauranon, released its inhabitants unharmed, as they were all Christians and Romans from of old, but the Persians with Bleschames he sent to Byzantium, and the fortress’s 2.19.25 circuit-wall he razed to the ground. And the emperor not long afterwards sent these Persians and Bleschames to Italy to fight against the Goths. So the affairs concerning the fortress of Sisauranon proceeded in this way. 2.19.26 But Arethas, fearing that his booty would be taken away by the Romans, was no longer willing to return to the camp. 2.19.27 He therefore sent some of his followers, ostensibly for reconnaissance, and ordered them to return as quickly as possible and secretly signal to them that a large enemy army was at the river crossing. 2.19.28 Therefore he advised both Trajan and John, going by another 2.19.29 road, to return to the land of the Romans. So they no longer came to Belisarius, but keeping the Euphrates River on their right, they thus came to Theodosiopolis which is on 2.19.30 the Aborras River. But Belisarius and the Roman army, hearing nothing about this force, were distressed, and fell 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 severe fever; for the Persian part of Mesopotamia 2.19.32 is exceedingly arid. Since the Romans were unaccustomed to this, and especially those hailing from Thrace, living in an exceptionally arid place and in certain stifling huts in the summer season, they fell sick, so that 2.19.33 a third of the army lay half-dead. The whole army, therefore, to depart from there and as quickly as possible to their own land

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θερα»πεύσοντάς τε καὶ κομιοῦντας ἐς Ῥωμαίων τὴν γῆν 2.19.41 «ἐλάσσους αὐτῶν παρὰ πολὺ τὸν ἀριθμὸν εἶναι. τού»των δὲ τοιούτων ὄντων, ἤν τι ξυμβαίη πολέμιον ἢ «αὐτοῦ μένουσιν ἢ ὀπίσω ἰοῦσιν ἡμῖν ἀπαντῆσαι, οὐδ' «ἄν τις ἀπαγγεῖλαι τοῖς ἐν ∆άρας Ῥωμαίοις δύναιτο 2.19.42 «τὸ ξυμπεσὸν πάθος. τὸ γὰρ ἐπίπροσθέ πη ἰέναι «οὐδὲ λόγῳ οἶμαι δυνατὸν εἶναι. ἕως οὖν ἔτι λείπεταί «τις ἐλπὶς, τὰ ἐς τὴν ἐπάνοδον βουλεύεσθαί τε καὶ 2.19.43 «πράσσειν ξυνοίσει. τοῖς γὰρ ἐς κίνδυνον ἄλλως τε «καὶ τοιοῦτον καθεστηκόσι μὴ τὴν σωτηρίαν διασκο»πεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπιβουλὴν 2.19.44 «πολλὴ ἄνοια.» τοσαῦτα Ἰωάννης τε εἶπε καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες ἐπῄνεσαν, ἔς τε θόρυβον καθιστάμενοι 2.19.45 τὴν ἀναχώρησιν κατὰ τάχος ποιεῖσθαι ἠξίουν. διὸ δὴ Βελισάριος πρότερον τοὺς νοσοῦντας ἐν τοῖς ὑπο2.19.46 ζυγίοις ἐνθέμενος ὑπῆγεν ὀπίσω τὸ στράτευμα. ἐπειδή τε τάχιστα ἐν γῇ τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἐγένοντο, ἅπαντα μὲν τὰ τῷ Ἀρέθα εἰργασμένα ἔγνω, δίκην μέντοι λαβεῖν οὐδεμίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἴσχυσεν, ἐπεί οἱ ἐς ὄψιν οὐκέτι ἦλθεν. ἡ μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίων ἐσβολὴ ἐς τοῦτο 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 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