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coming from Assyria to a place of Adarbiganon toward the north wind, from where he intended to invade the Roman dominion through Persarmenia. 2.24.2 The great fire-temple is there, which the Persians revere most of all the gods. Where indeed the Magi, guarding the unquenchable fire, both perform all other rites with precision and use an oracle for the most important matters. This is the fire, which the Romans in ancient times both called and revered as Hestia. 2.24.3 There someone sent from Byzantium to Chosroes announced that Constantianus and Sergius, ambassadors, would arrive before him very soon for the treaty. 2.24.4 These two men were both orators and exceedingly intelligent, Constantianus an Illyrian by birth, and Sergius from the city of Edessa, which happens to be in Mesopotamia. 2.24.5 Chosroes, expecting them, remained quiet. But on this journey, as Constantianus fell ill and much time was spent, it happened that the plague fell upon the Persians. 2.24.6 Therefore Nabedes, at that time holding the office of general in Persarmenia, at the king's bidding, sent the Christian priest in Doubios to Valerianus, the general in Armenia, to both complain about the tardiness of the ambassadors and to urge the Romans to peace with all zeal. 2.24.7 And he, having come with his brother to the Armenians, and having met with Valerianus, both asserted that he himself, as a Christian, was well-disposed toward the Romans and that King Chosroes always listened to him in every deliberation; so that if the Roman ambassadors should come with him to the Persian court, there would be no obstacle for them in arranging the peace however they wish. 2.24.8 So the priest said these things; but the priest's brother, meeting Valerianus secretly, said that Chosroes was in great trouble; for his son, attempting a tyranny, had risen up against him, and he himself, together with the entire Persian army, had been seized by the disease; for which reason he was now willing to enter into the treaty with the Romans. 2.24.9 When Valerianus heard these things, he immediately sent the bishop away, promising that the ambassadors would arrive before Chosroes not long after, and he himself reported to the Emperor Justinian the words which he had heard. 2.24.10 Moved by these things, the emperor at once wrote to him and to Martinus and the other commanders to invade the enemy territory as quickly as possible. For he knew well that none of the enemy would stand in their way. 2.24.11 And he ordered them all to gather in the same place and thus make the invasion against the Persarmenians. When these things were brought and the commanders saw the letters, they all together with their followers streamed to the districts of Armenia. 2.24.12 But Chosroes, a little before, had already left Adarbiganon out of fear of the disease and departed for Assyria with his whole army, where indeed the affliction of the plague had not yet appeared. Valerianus, therefore, encamped very near Theodosiopolis with the regiments around him, and Narses was arrayed with him, having with him Armenians and some of the Heruli. 2.24.13 But Martinus, the general of the East, together with Ildiger and Theoctistus, arriving at the fortress of Citharizon and pitching his camp there, remained in that place; and this fortress is distant from Theodosiopolis by a four days' journey; where also Peter not long after came with Adolius and some other commanders. 2.24.14 And Isaac, the brother of Narses, was leading the regiments in this place. And Philemouth and Beros, with the Heruli following them, came to the districts toward Chorzianene, not far from the camp of Martinus. 2.24.15 And Justus, the emperor's nephew, and Peranius, and John, the son of Nicetas, together with Domnentiolus and John surnamed the Glutton, encamped near the fortress called Phison, which is somewhere very near the borders of Martyropolis. 2.24.16 Thus, then, the Roman commanders encamped with their followers, 2.24.17 and the whole army came to thirty thousand. All these neither gathered in the same place, nor indeed did they enter into discussions with one another. But the generals, sending some of their followers to one another concerning the

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ἐξ Ἀσσυρίων ἐς χωρίον Ἀδαρβιγάνων ἥκων πρὸς βορρᾶν ἄνεμον, ἔνθεν διενοεῖτο ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν διὰ Περσαρμενίων 2.24.2 ἐσβάλλειν. τὸ μέγα πυρεῖον ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν, ὃ σέβονται Πέρσαι θεῶν μάλιστα. οὗ δὴ τὸ πῦρ ἄσβεστον φυλάσσοντες μάγοι τά τε ἄλλα ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐξοσιοῦνται καὶ μαντείῳ ἐς τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ μέγιστα χρῶνται. τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ πῦρ, ὅπερ Ἑστίαν ἐκάλουν τε καὶ ἐσέ2.24.3 βοντο ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις Ῥωμαῖοι. ἐνταῦθα σταλείς τις ἐκ Βυζαντίου παρὰ Χοσρόην ἀπήγγελλε Κωνσταντιανόν τε καὶ Σέργιον πρέσβεις ἐς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ξυμ2.24.4 βάσει αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἀφίξεσθαι. ἤστην δὲ τὼ ἄνδρε τούτω ῥήτορέ τε ἄμφω καὶ ξυνετὼ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, Κωνσταντιανὸς μὲν Ἰλλυριὸς γένος, Σέργιος δὲ ἐξ Ἐδέσσης πόλεως, ἣ ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ τυγχάνει οὖσα. 2.24.5 οὓς δὴ ὁ Χοσρόης προσδεχόμενος ἡσυχῆ ἔμενεν. ἐν δὲ τῇ πορείᾳ ταύτῃ Κωνσταντιανοῦ νοσήσαντος καὶ χρόνου τριβέντος συχνοῦ τὸν λοιμὸν ἐπισκῆψαι Πέρ2.24.6 σαις ξυνέπεσε. διὸ δὴ Ναβέδης τηνικαῦτα ἐν Περσαρμενίοις τὴν στρατηγίδα ἔχων ἀρχὴν τὸν ἐν ∆ούβιος τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἱερέα βασιλέως ἐπαγγείλαντος παρὰ Βαλεριανὸν τὸν ἐν Ἀρμενίοις στρατηγὸν ἔπεμψεν, αἰτιασόμενόν τε τὴν τῶν πρέσβεων βραδυτῆτα καὶ Ῥωμαίους ἐς τὴν εἰρήνην ὁρμήσοντα προθυμίᾳ τῇ 2.24.7 πάσῃ. καὶ ὃς ξὺν τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἐς Ἀρμενίους ἥκων, τῷ τε Βαλεριανῷ ἐντυχὼν, αὐτός τε Ῥωμαίοις ἅτε Χριστιανὸς ἰσχυρίζετο εὐνοϊκῶς ἔχειν καί οἱ βασιλέα Χοσρόην πείθεσθαι ἀεὶ ἐς βουλὴν πᾶσαν· ὥστε ἢν Ῥωμαίων οἱ πρέσβεις ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη ξὺν αὐτῷ ἔλθωσιν, οὐκ ἄν τι αὐτοῖς ἐμπόδισμα εἴη τοῦ τὴν εἰρήνην 2.24.8 ὅπη βούλονται διαθήσεσθαι. ὁ μὲν οὖν ἱερεὺς τοσαῦτα εἶπεν· ὁ δὲ τοῦ ἱερέως ἀδελφὸς Βαλεριανῷ ἐντυχὼν λάθρα Χοσρόην ἐν μεγάλοις εἶναι κακοῖς ἔφασκε· τόν τε γάρ οἱ παῖδα τυραννίδι ἐπιθέμενον ἐπαναστῆναι καὶ αὐτὸν ὁμοῦ ξὺν παντὶ τῷ Περσῶν στρατῷ τῇ νόσῳ ἁλῶναι· διὸ δὴ καὶ Ῥωμαίοις τανῦν 2.24.9 ἐς τὴν ξύμβασιν ἐθέλειν ἰέναι. ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Βαλεριανὸς ἤκουσε, τὸν μὲν ἐπίσκοπον εὐθὺς ἀπεπέμψατο, τοὺς πρέσβεις οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ὑποσχόμενος παρὰ Χοσρόην ἀφίξεσθαι, αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς λόγους ἐς βασιλέα Ἰουστι2.24.10 νιανὸν, οὕσπερ ἠκηκόει, ἀνήνεγκεν. οἷς δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτίκα ἠγμένος αὐτῷ τε καὶ Μαρτίνῳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄρχουσιν ὅτι τάχιστα ἐσβάλλειν εἰς τὴν πολεμίαν ἐπέστελλεν. εὖ γὰρ οἶδεν ὡς αὐτοῖς τῶν πολε2.24.11 μίων οὐδεὶς ἐμποδὼν στήσεται. ἐκέλευε δὲ ξυλλεγέντας ἐς ταὐτὸ ἅπαντας οὕτω τὴν ἐσβολὴν ἐπὶ Περσαρμενίους ποιήσασθαι. ταῦτα ἐπεὶ ἀπενεχθέντα οἱ ἄρχοντες τὰ γράμματα εἶδον, ἅπαντες ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἑπομένοις ξυνέρρεον ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Ἀρμενίας χωρία. 2.24.12 Ἤδη δὲ ὁ Χοσρόης ὀλίγῳ πρότερον τὸ Ἀδαρβιγάνων δέει τῷ ἐκ τῆς νόσου ἀπολιπὼν ἐς τὴν Ἀσσυρίαν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο, ἔνθα δὴ οὔπω ἐνδεδημήκει τὸ τοῦ λοιμοῦ πάθος. Βαλεριανὸς μὲν οὖν Θεοδοσιουπόλεως ἄγχιστα ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν καταλόγοις, καί οἱ Ναρσῆς ξυνετάττετο Ἀρμενίους τε καὶ Ἐρούλων τινὰς ξὺν αὑτῷ ἔχων. 2.24.13 Μαρτῖνος δὲ ὁ τῆς ἕω στρατηγὸς ξύν τε Ἰλδίγερι καὶ Θεοκτίστῳ ἐς Κιθαρίζων τὸ φρούριον ἀφικόμενος ἐνταῦθά τε πηξάμενος τὸ στρατόπεδον αὐτοῦ ἔμεινε· διέχει δὲ Θεοδοσιουπόλεως ὁδῷ τεττάρων ἡμερῶν τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο· ἵνα καὶ Πέτρος οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ξύν 2.24.14 τε Ἀδολίῳ καὶ ἄλλοις τισὶν ἄρχουσιν ἦλθεν. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν ταύτῃ καταλόγων Ἰσαάκης ὁ Ναρσοῦ ἀδελφός. Φιλημοὺθ δὲ καὶ Βῆρος ξὺν Ἐρούλοις τοῖς σφίσιν ἑπομένοις ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Χορζιανηνῆς χωρία ἦλθον, τοῦ 2.24.15 Μαρτίνου στρατοπέδου οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν. Ἰοῦστός τε ὁ βασιλέως ἀνεψιὸς καὶ Περάνιος καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ Νικήτου παῖς ξύν τε ∆ομνεντιόλῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Φαγᾷ τὴν ἐπίκλησιν ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο πρὸς τῷ Φισῶν καλουμένῳ φρουρίῳ, ὅπερ ἄγχιστά πη τῶν 2.24.16 Μαρτυροπόλεως ὁρίων ἐστίν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἄρχοντες ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις, 2.24.17 ξυνῄει δὲ ὁ στρατὸς ἅπας ἐς τρισμυρίους. οὗτοι ἅπαντες οὔτε ἐς ταὐτὸ ξυνελέγησαν οὐ μὴν οὔτε ἀλλήλοις ἐς λόγους ἦλθον. πέμποντες δὲ παρ' ἀλλήλους οἱ στρατηγοὶ τῶν σφίσιν ἑπομένων τινὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς