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they were eager to return, and especially all the leaders of the troops in Libanus, Rhecithancus and Theoctistus, seeing that the time for the Saracens' offering had already passed 2.19.34 already. And so, frequently approaching Belisarius, they begged him to let them go immediately, protesting that they were sitting there for no reason, having abandoned the regions of Libanus and Syria to Alamundaras. 2.19.35 Therefore, Belisarius called together all the commanders and proposed a council. 2.19.36 Whereupon John, the son of Nicetas, rising first, spoke as follows: "Most excellent Belisarius, I think that in all time there has been no general so fortunate or so valiant 2.19.37 as you are. And this reputation has prevailed not only among the Romans, 2.19.38 but also among all barbarians. This glorious repute, however, you will most surely preserve, if you are able to bring us back alive to the land of the Romans; 2.19.39 as for now, our hopes are not well-founded. For consider with me the situation of this army. 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 state of fortune that they have not even been able to send a messenger to us; and Rhecithancus and Theoctistus will depart, as you surely see, very soon indeed, thinking that the army of Alamundaras is in the midst of Phoenicia, plundering and carrying off 2.19.40 everything in the regions there. And of those who remain, the sick are so numerous that those who will care for and carry them to the land of the Romans 2.19.41 are far fewer in number than they. And with things being as they are, if any hostile force should happen to meet us, whether we remain here or go back, no one would even be able to report to the Romans in Daras 2.19.42 the disaster which has befallen us. For to go forward at all I think is not even to be considered possible. While, therefore, some hope still remains, it will be advantageous to deliberate and act 2.19.43 upon the return. For for those who have fallen into danger, and such a danger at that, not to consider their salvation but rather a plot against the enemy 2.19.44 is great folly." So much John said, and all the rest approved, and falling into a clamor they demanded to make the withdrawal with speed. 2.19.45 Therefore, Belisarius, first placing the sick upon the baggage animals, led the army back. 2.19.46 And as soon as they were in the land of the Romans, he learned everything that had been done by Arethas, but he was not able to exact any punishment from him, since he no longer came into his sight. Thus, then, the Roman invasion ended at this point. 2.19.47 And to Chosroes, after he had captured Petra, it was reported that Belisarius had invaded the land of the Persians, and the engagement around the city of Nisibis, and the capture of the fortress of Sisauranon, and all that the army with Arethas had done after crossing the Tigris river. 2.19.48 And immediately establishing a garrison in Petra, with the rest of the army and the captured Romans he marched off to the Persian territory. 2.19.49 These things, then, came to pass in the second invasion of Chosroes. But Belisarius, having been summoned by the emperor to Byzantium, came and spent the winter. 2.20.1 At the beginning of spring, Chosroes, son of Cabades, for the third time invaded the land of the Romans with a great army, 2.20.2 keeping the Euphrates river on his right. But Candidus, the priest of Sergiopolis, when he learned that the army of the Medes had come very near, fearing for both himself and the city, since at the appointed time he had by no means fulfilled his agreement with Chosroes, went to the enemy camp and begged Chosroes not to be angry with him on this account. 2.20.3 For he said that he had never had the money, and for this reason had not even planned from the beginning to ransom the Surenes, and that although he had supplicated the Emperor Justinian many times for this, he had received nothing from him. 2.20.4 But Chosroes held him in custody, and torturing his body most cruelly, demanded to receive double the money, 2.20.5 as had been agreed. But he begged him to send some men to Sergiopolis to take all the treasures 2.20.6 of the sanctuary there. And when according to this Chosroes

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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 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 ἐτελεύτα. 2.19.47 Χοσρόῃ δὲ Πέτραν ἑλόντι Βελισάριος ἐσβαλὼν ἐς γῆν τὴν Περσίδα ἠγγέλλετο καὶ ἡ ἀμφὶ πόλιν Νίσιβιν ξυμβολὴ, φρουρίου τε τοῦ Σισαυράνων ἡ ἅλωσις, καὶ ὅσα Τίγρην ποταμὸν διαβὰν τὸ ξὺν τῷ Ἀρέθᾳ στρά2.19.48 τευμα ἔπρασσεν. αὐτίκα τε φυλακὴν ἐν τῇ Πέτρᾳ καταστησάμενος ξὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ καὶ Ῥωμαίων 2.19.49 τοῖς ἁλοῦσιν ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη ἀπήλαυνε. ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ Χοσρόου ἐσβολῇ ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. Βελισάριος δὲ βασιλεῖ ἐς Βυζάντιον μετάπεμπτος ἐλθὼν διεχείμαζεν. 2.20.1 Ἅμα δὲ ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ Χοσρόης ὁ Καβάδου τὸ τρίτον στρατῷ μεγάλῳ ἐς γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐσέβαλλε, 2.20.2 ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην ἐν δεξιᾷ ἔχων. Κάνδιδος δὲ, ὁ Σεργιουπόλεως ἱερεὺς, ἐπειδὴ τὸν Μήδων στρατὸν ἄγχιστά που ἥκειν ἐπύθετο, δείσας περί τέ οἱ αὐτῷ καὶ τῇ πόλει, ἐπεὶ χρόνῳ τῷ ξυγκειμένῳ Χοσρόῃ τὰ ὡμολογημένα ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπετέλεσεν, ἐν τῷ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδῳ γενόμενος παρῃτεῖτο Χοσρόην μή οἱ 2.20.3 διὰ ταῦτα χαλεπῶς ἔχειν. χρήματα μὲν γὰρ οὐδεπώποτε αὐτῷ γεγονέναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀρχὴν οὐδὲ βεβουλῆσθαι Σουρηνοὺς ῥύεσθαι, βασιλέα δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων πολλὰ ἱκετεύσας ἀνόνητος αὐτοῦ γεγενῆ2.20.4 σθαι. Χοσρόης δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν φυλακῇ ἔσχε, καὶ τὸ σῶμα πικρότατα αἰκιζόμενος διπλάσια τὰ χρήματα, 2.20.5 ᾗπερ ξυνέκειτο, πράττειν ἠξίου. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐς Σεργιούπολιν τινὰς ἱκέτευε πέμψαι τὰ κειμήλια ξύμπαντα 2.20.6 τοῦ ἐνταῦθα ἱεροῦ ληψομένους. καὶ ἐπεὶ κατὰ ταῦτα ὁ Χοσρόης