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he was doing, Candidus sent some of his followers with them. 2.20.7 So the people of Sergiopolis, having received into the city those sent from Chosroes, gave many of the treasures, insisting that nothing else was left to them. 2.20.8 But Chosroes said that these were by no means sufficient for him, 2.20.9 but he claimed the right to receive still more than these. He accordingly sends some men, ostensibly to search out accurately the city's wealth, but in reality to hold the city. 2.20.10 And since it was not fated for Sergiopolis to be captured by the Persians, a certain one of the Saracens, a Christian, but serving under Alamoundaras, Ambrus by name, came by night to the city wall, and after reporting the whole story, urged them by no means to receive the Persians into the city. 2.20.11 And so those sent by Chosroes returned to him unsuccessful, and he, boiling with anger, planned to destroy the city. 2.20.12 So he sent an army of about six thousand men and ordered them both to set up a siege and 2.20.13 to make assaults on the circuit-wall. And when they got there they set to work, and the people of Sergiopolis at first defended themselves stoutly, but then, having given up and being terrified by the danger, they were planning 2.20.14 to surrender the city to the enemy. For they happened to have no more than two hundred soldiers. But Ambrus, coming again to the circuit-wall at night, said that the Persians would break off the siege in two days, since their water was failing them completely. 2.20.15 For this reason they did not enter into any negotiations with the enemy, but the barbarians, being afflicted with thirst, broke camp and came to Chosroes. Candidus, however, Chosroes 2.20.16 no longer let go. For it was necessary, I think, that he who had disregarded his sworn oaths should no longer be a priest. So these things proceeded in this way. 2.20.17 But when Chosroes arrived in the land of the Commageni, which they call Euphratesia, he was by no means willing to turn to plunder or the capture of any place, since he had previously happened either to destroy or to levy money from the places in his path as far as Syria, as has been shown in the preceding narrative. 2.20.18 But he had a mind to lead his army straight to Palestine, in order that he might plunder everything else and all the treasures in Jerusalem. For he had heard that this land was exceptionally prosperous and had inhabitants very rich in gold. 2.20.19 But all the Romans, both commanders and soldiers, had no intention of confronting the enemy or of standing in the way of their passage in any way, but having occupied the strongholds as each was able, they thought it sufficient both to guard these and to save themselves. 2.20.20 But when the Emperor Justinian learned of the Persian invasion, he again sent Belisarius against them. And he, riding the public post-horses, which they are accustomed to call *veredi*, since he had no army with him, arrived with great speed in Euphratesia, but Justus, the emperor's nephew, happened to have taken refuge in Hierapolis with Bouzes and 2.20.21 certain others. They, hearing that Belisarius had arrived not far away, wrote a letter to him. 2.20.22 And the letter declared the following: "Even now Chosroes, as you yourself doubtless know, has marched against the Romans, leading a much larger army than before, though where he intends to go is not yet clear, except that we hear he is somewhere very near, having harmed no place, but always 2.20.23 advancing along the road. But come to us as quickly as possible, if you are able to escape the notice of the enemy's camp, so that you may both be safe for the emperor and may help us guard Hierapolis." 2.20.24 So much the letter declared. But Belisarius, not approving what was written, came to the place Europus, which is on the Euphrates River. 2.20.25 And from there, sending around in all directions, he gathered the army and established his camp there, and he answered the commanders in Hierapolis with these words: "If Chosroes is proceeding against some other men, and not subjects of the Romans, your plan has been well and most safely advised; 2.20.26 for for those who can remain quiet and be rid of evils, it is great folly to go into some unnecessary danger; but if now

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ἐποίει, τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τινὰς ὁ Κάνδιδος 2.20.7 ξὺν αὐτοῖς ἔπεμψεν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Σεργιουπολῖται τοὺς παρὰ Χοσρόου σταλέντας τῇ πόλει δεξάμενοι τῶν κειμηλίων πολλὰ ἔδοσαν, ἄλλο οὐδὲν σφίσιν ἀπολελεῖφθαι 2.20.8 ἰσχυριζόμενοι. Χοσρόης δὲ ταῦτά οἱ ἀποχρῆν οὐδαμῆ 2.20.9 ἔφη, ἀλλ' ἕτερα τούτων πλείω λαβεῖν ἐδικαίου. πέμπει τοίνυν τινὰς τῷ μὲν λόγῳ διερευνησομένους ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς τὰ τῆς πόλεως χρήματα, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν πόλιν 2.20.10 καθέξοντας. καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔδει Σεργιούπολιν Πέρσαις ἁλῶναι, τῶν τις Σαρακηνῶν Χριστιανὸς μὲν, ταττόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀλαμουνδάρῳ, Ἄμβρος ὄνομα, νύκτωρ παρὰ τῆς πόλεως τὸ τεῖχος ἥκων καὶ τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀγγείλας ἐκέλευε Πέρσας τῇ πόλει μηδαμῆ δέξασθαι. 2.20.11 οὕτω τε οἱ παρὰ Χοσρόου σταλέντες ἄπρακτοι ἐς αὐτὸν ἐπανῆλθον, καὶ ὃς τῷ θυμῷ ζέων τὴν πόλιν 2.20.12 ἐξελεῖν διενοεῖτο. στράτευμα οὖν ἐς ἑξακισχιλίους στείλας ἐκέλευεν ἔς τε πολιορκίαν καθίστασθαι καὶ 2.20.13 προσβολὰς τῷ περιβόλῳ ποιήσασθαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐνταῦθα γενόμενοι ἔργου εἴχοντο, Σεργιουπολῖται δὲ καρτερῶς μὲν τὰ πρῶτα ἠμύνοντο, ἔπειτα δὲ ἀπειπόντες τε καὶ κατωρρωδηκότες τὸν κίνδυνον ἐβουλεύ2.20.14 οντο τοῖς πολεμίοις τὴν πόλιν ἐνδοῦναι. στρατιώτας γὰρ οὐ πλέον ἢ διακοσίους ἔχοντες ἔτυχον. ἀλλὰ Ἄμβρος, αὖθις παρὰ τὸν περίβολον ἐς νύκτα ἥκων, δυοῖν ἡμέραιν τὴν πολιορκίαν διαλύσειν Πέρσας ἔφασκε, τοῦ ὕδατος αὐτοὺς παντάπασιν ἐπιλιπόντος. 2.20.15 διὸ δὴ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐς λόγους τοῖς πολεμίοις οὐδαμῆ ἦλθον, οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι δίψει ἐχόμενοι ἐξανέστησάν τε καὶ παρὰ Χοσρόην ἀφίκοντο. Κάνδιδον μέντοι Χοσ2.20.16 ρόης οὐκέτι ἀφῆκε. χρῆν γὰρ, οἶμαι, αὐτὸν τὰ ὀμωμοσμένα ἠλογηκότα ἱερέα μηκέτι εἶναι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ἐχώρησεν. 2.20.17 Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν Κομμαγηνῶν χώραν ὁ Χοσρόης ἀφίκετο, ἣν καλοῦσιν Εὐφρατησίαν, ἐς λείαν μὲν ἢ χωρίου του ἅλωσιν τρέπεσθαι οὐδαμῆ ἤθελεν, ἐπεὶ τὰ ἐν ποσὶ μέχρι ἐς Σύρους τὰ μὲν ἐξελὼν, τὰ δὲ ἀργυρολογήσας πρότερον ἔτυχεν, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν 2.20.18 λόγοις δεδήλωται. γνώμην δὲ εἶχεν εὐθὺ Παλαιστίνης ἄγειν τὸ στράτευμα, ὅπως τά τε ἄλλα καὶ τὰ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις κειμήλια πάντα ληίσηται. χώραν γὰρ ταύτην ἀγαθήν τε διαφερόντως καὶ πολυχρύσων οἰκητόρων 2.20.19 εἶναι ἀκοῇ εἶχε. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἅπαντες, ἄρχοντές τε καὶ στρατιῶται, τοῖς μὲν πολεμίοις ὑπαντιάζειν ἢ τῇ παρόδῳ ἐμποδὼν ἵστασθαι τρόπῳ οὐδενὶ διενοοῦντο, τὰ δὲ ὀχυρώματα καταλαβόντες ὡς ἕκαστος ἠδύνατο ἀποχρῆν ᾤοντο ταῦτά τε διαφυλάσσειν καὶ αὐτοὶ σώζεσθαι. 2.20.20 Γνοὺς δὲ τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς Βελισάριον αὖθις ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν. ὁ δὲ ἵπποις τοῖς δημοσίοις ὀχούμενος, οὓς δὴ βερέδους καλεῖν νενομίκασιν, ἅτε οὐ στράτευμα ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων, τάχει πολλῷ ἐς Εὐφρατησίαν ἀφίκετο, Ἰοῦστος δὲ, ὁ βασιλέως ἀνεψιὸς, ἐν Ἱεραπόλει ξύν τε τῷ Βούζῃ καὶ 2.20.21 ἑτέροις τισὶ καταφυγὼν ἔτυχεν. οἳ δὴ Βελισάριον οὐ μακρὰν ἄποθεν ἥκειν ἀκούσαντες γράμματα πρὸς αὐτὸν 2.20.22 ἔγραφον. ἐδήλου δὲ ἡ γραφὴ τάδε «Καὶ νῦν ὁ Χοσ»ρόης, ὥσπερ οἶσθά που καὶ αὐτὸς, ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους «ἐστράτευσε, στρατὸν μὲν πολλῷ πλείονα ἢ πρότερον «ἄγων, ὅπη ποτὲ δὲ ἰέναι διανοούμενος οὔπω ἔνδηλος «ὢν, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι αὐτὸν ἄγχιστά πη ἀκούομεν «εἶναι, χωρίῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ λυμηνάμενον, ὁδῷ δὲ ἀεὶ 2.20.23 «ἐπίπροσθεν ἰόντα. ἀλλ' ἧκε παρ' ἡμᾶς ὅτι τάχιστα, «εἴπερ οἷός τε εἶ λαθεῖν τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον, «ὅπως δὴ σῶς τε αὐτὸς βασιλεῖ ἔσῃ καὶ Ἱεράπολιν 2.20.24 «ἡμῖν ξυμφυλάξῃς.» τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡ γραφὴ ἐδήλου. Βελισάριος δὲ οὐκ ἐπαινέσας τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐς Εὐρωπὸν τὸ χωρίον ἀφίκετο, ὃ πρὸς Εὐφράτῃ ποταμῷ 2.20.25 ἐστιν. ἐνθένδε τε περιπέμπων πανταχόσε τὸν στρατὸν ἤγειρε καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ στρατόπεδον κατεστήσατο, ἄρχοντάς τε τοὺς ἐν Ἱεραπόλει ἠμείβετο τοῖσδε «Εἰ μὲν ἐφ' «ἑτέρους ἀνθρώπων τινὰς, ἀλλ' οὐ Ῥωμαίων κατηκόους «ὁ Χοσρόης χωρεῖ, εὖ τε καὶ ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα ὑμῖν 2.20.26 «βεβούλευται ταῦτα· οἷς γὰρ πάρεστιν ἡσυχῆ μένου»σιν ἀπηλλάχθαι κακῶν, πολλὴ ἄνοια ἐς κίνδυνον οὐκ «ἀναγκαῖόν τινα ἰέναι· εἰ δὲ νῦν