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the power of the opponents, it having been previously told to them by Nabedes to by no means initiate the fighting, but if the enemy should anywhere attack, to defend themselves as best they could. 2.25.20 But Narses first, together with the Heruli and the Romans who followed him, came to blows with the enemy, and when a pushing-match occurred, he routed the Per2.25.21 sians opposite him. And the barbarians, fleeing, ran up to the fort, where indeed they inflicted irreparable harm upon each other in 2.25.22 the narrow space. and then Narses himself, urging on those around him, pressed upon the enemy much more still, and the rest of the Romans set to the work. 2.25.23 But those lying in ambush, as was said, coming out suddenly from the small houses along the narrow streets, killed some of the Heruli, falling upon them unexpectedly, and struck Narses himself on the temple. 2.25.24 And Isaac his brother led him, struck with a mortal wound, out from the fighting men. He indeed died a little later, having proved himself a brave man in this struggle. 2.25.25 And since, as was natural, great confusion consequently fell upon the Roman army, Nabedes let loose 2.25.26 upon their opponents the whole Persian army. And they, shooting in the narrow streets at a very great multitude of the enemy, easily killed many others and especially the Heruli, who, having at first fallen upon the enemy with Narses, fought for the most part unprotected. 2.25.27 For the Heruli have neither helmet nor corselet nor any other protective gear, except for a shield and a coarse cloak, which they gird about them when they go into battle. 2.25.28 The slaves of the Heruli, however, go into battle even without a shield, but when they prove themselves brave men in war, then indeed their masters permit them to carry shields to protect themselves in the encounters. Such are the customs of the Heruli. 2.25.29 But the Romans, not withstanding the enemy, all fled at full speed, remembering neither valor nor 2.25.30 having any shame or any other good thing in mind. But the Persians, suspecting that they had not turned to such a shameless flight, but were employing some ambushes against them, pursued them as far as the difficult terrain and then turned back, not daring, being few, against many 2.25.31 to fight it out in the open country. The Romans, however, and especially all the generals, thinking that the enemy was always in pursuit of them, fled even more, letting no moment pass, urging on their horses with whip and shout, and their corselets and other weapons 2.25.32 throwing to the ground in haste and confusion. For they did not have the courage to stand against the Persians if they overtook them, but had their hopes of safety only in the feet of their horses, and, to sum it up, their flight was such that practically none of their horses survived, but when they stopped running, 2.25.33 falling down, they immediately perished. And this was a great disaster for the Romans, such as had never happened before. For many of them died and still more came to be under the enemies 2.25.34. And the enemy took so great a number of their weapons and baggage animals that the affairs of the Persians seemed to become richer as a result of this action. 2.25.35 And Adolius, in this retreat, passing by a fort situated in Persarmenia, was struck on the head with a stone by one of the inhabitants there and perished on the spot; and the men with Justus and Peranius, having invaded the region of Taraunon and plundered a few things, immediately returned. 2.26.1 In the following year Chosroes, the son of Cabades, for the fourth time invaded the land of the Romans, leading his army against 2.26.2 Mesopotamia. And this invasion was made by this Chosroes not against Justinian, the emperor of the Romans, nor indeed against any other men, but only against the God whom the Christians wor2.26.3 ship alone. For since in his first assault he had failed at Edessa and withdrawn, a great dejection had come upon both him and the Magi, as being defea2.26.4 ted by the God of the Christians. To console himself for this, Chosroes in his palace threatened to enslave the people of Edessa

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ἐναντίων τὴν δύναμιν, προειρημένον αὐτοῖς πρὸς Ναβέδου χειρῶν μὲν ὡς ἥκιστα ἄρχειν, ἢν δέ πη ἐπισκήψωσιν οἱ πολέμιοι, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν σφίσιν ἀμύνασθαι. 2.25.20 Πρῶτος δὲ Ναρσῆς ξύν τε τοῖς Ἐρούλοις καὶ Ῥωμαίων τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐς χεῖρας τοῖς πολεμίοις ἦλθεν, ὠθισμοῦ τε γενομένου ἐτρέψατο τοὺς κατ' αὐτὸν Πέρ2.25.21 σας. φεύγοντές τε οἱ βάρβαροι ἐς τὸ φρούριον ἀνέβαινον δρόμῳ, ἔνθα δὴ ἀλλήλους ἔργα ἀνήκεστα ἐν 2.25.22 τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ εἰργάζοντο. καὶ τότε Ναρσῆς τε αὐτὸς τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἐγκελευσάμενος πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐνέκειτο καὶ Ῥωμαίων οἱ λοιποὶ ἔργου 2.25.23 εἴχοντο. ἐξελθόντες δὲ ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς στενωποὺς οἰκίσκων οἱ προλοχίζοντες, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, τῶν τε Ἐρούλων τινὰς κτείνουσιν, ἀπροσδόκητοι ἐπιπεσόντες, καὶ Ναρσῆν κατὰ κόρρης αὐτὸν παίουσι. 2.25.24 καὶ αὐτὸν Ἰσαάκης ὁ ἀδελφὸς καιρίαν τυπέντα ὑπεξήγαγε τῶν μαχομένων. ὃς δὴ ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς ἐν τῷ πόνῳ τούτῳ γενόμενος. 2.25.25 ταραχῆς δὲ, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἐνθένδε πολλῆς ἐς τὸν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸν ἐμπεσούσης, ἅπαν ὁ Ναβέδης ἐπαφῆκε 2.25.26 τοῖς ἐναντίοις τὸ Περσῶν στράτευμα. οἱ δὲ βάλλοντες ἐν τοῖς στενωποῖς ἐς πολεμίων πάμπολυ πλῆθος πολλούς τε ἄλλους εὐπετῶς ἔκτεινον καὶ διαφερόντως Ἐρούλους, οἳ ξὺν τῷ Ναρσῇ τὰ πρῶτα τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐπιπεσόντες ἀφύλακτοι ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐμάχοντο. 2.25.27 οὔτε γὰρ κράνος οὔτε θώρακα οὔτε ἄλλο τι φυλακτήριον Ἔρουλοι ἔχουσιν, ὅτι μὴ ἀσπίδα καὶ τριβώνιον ἁδρὸν, ὃ δὴ διεζωσμένοι ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθίστανται. 2.25.28 δοῦλοι μέντοι Ἔρουλοι καὶ ἀσπίδος χωρὶς ἐς μάχην χωροῦσιν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἄνδρες ἐν πολέμῳ ἀγαθοὶ γένωνται, οὕτω δὴ ἀσπίδας αὐτοῖς ἐφιᾶσιν οἱ δεσπόται προβάλλεσθαι ἐν ταῖς ξυμβολαῖς. τὰ μὲν τῶν Ἐρούλων ταύτῃ πη ἔχει. 2.25.29 Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες τοὺς πολεμίους ἀνὰ κράτος ἅπαντες ἔφευγον, οὔτε ἀλκῆς μεμνημένοι οὔτε 2.25.30 τινὰ αἰδῶ ἢ ἄλλο τι ἐν νῷ ἀγαθὸν ἔχοντες. Πέρσαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ὑποπτεύοντες οὐκ ἐς φυγὴν ἀναίσχυντον οὕτω τετράφθαι, ἄλλ' ἐνέδραις τισὶν ἐς αὐτοὺς χρῆσθαι, ἄχρι ἐς τὰς δυσχωρίας διώξαντες εἶτα ἀνέστρεφον, οὐ τολμῶντες ἐν τῷ ὁμαλεῖ ὀλίγοι πρὸς πολλοὺς 2.25.31 διαμάχεσθαι. Ῥωμαῖοι μέντοι, καὶ διαφερόντως οἱ στρατηγοὶ πάντες, δίωξιν ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἀεὶ ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους οἰόμενοι ἔφευγον ἔτι μᾶλλον, οὐδένα ἀνιέντες καιρὸν, θέουσι μὲν τοῖς ἵπποις ἐγκελευόμενοι μάστιγι καὶ κραυγῇ, τοὺς δὲ θώρακας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅπλα 2.25.32 ῥιπτοῦντες σπουδῇ τε καὶ θορύβῳ ἐς ἔδαφος. οὐ γὰρ ἀντιτάξασθαι καταλαμβάνουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐθάρσουν Πέρσαις, ἀλλ' ἐν μόνοις τοῖς τῶν ἵππων ποσὶ τὰς τῆς σωτηρίας ἐλπίδας εἶχον καὶ, τὸ ξύμπαν εἰπεῖν, τοιαύτη γέγονεν ἡ φυγὴ ὥστε τῶν ἵππων σχεδόν τι αὐτοῖς οὐδεὶς διεβίω, ἀλλ' ἡνίκα τοῦ δρόμου ἐπαύσαντο, 2.25.33 πεσόντες εὐθὺς διεφθάρησαν. καὶ πάθος τοῦτο μέγα Ῥωμαίοις οἷον οὔποτε πρότερον γέγονε. πολλοί τε γὰρ αὐτῶν ἔθανον καὶ πλείους ἔτι ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις 2.25.34 ἐγένοντο. ὅπλα τε αὐτῶν οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ ὑποζύγια ἔλαβον τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος, ὥστε πλουσιώτερα δοκεῖν ἐκ τούτου γενέσθαι τοῦ ἔργου τὰ Περσῶν πράγματα. 2.25.35 Ἀδόλιος δὲ διὰ φρουρίου ἐν ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ ὑπαγωγῇ παριὼν ἐν Περσαρμενίοις κειμένου λίθῳ τε τὴν κεφαλὴν πρός του τῶν ταύτῃ ᾠκημένων πληγεὶς αὐτοῦ διεφθάρη, οἵ τε ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰοῦστον καὶ Περάνιον ἐσβαλόντες ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Ταραύνων χωρία καὶ ὀλίγα ἄττα ληισάμενοι εὐθὺς ἐπανῆλθον. 2.26.1 Τῷ δὲ ἐπιγινομένῳ ἔτει Χοσρόης ὁ Καβάδου τὸ τέταρτον ἐς γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐσέβαλλεν, ἐπὶ τὴν 2.26.2 Μεσοποταμίαν τὸ στράτευμα ἄγων. αὕτη δὲ ἡ ἐσβολὴ τῷ Χοσρόῃ τούτῳ οὐ πρὸς Ἰουστινιανὸν τὸν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέα πεποίηται, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐπ' ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων οὐδένα, ὅτι μὴ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ὅνπερ Χριστιανοὶ σέ2.26.3 βονται μόνον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἐφόδῳ Ἐδέσσης ἀποτυχὼν ἀνεχώρησε, πολλή τις ἐγεγόνει αὐτῷ τε καὶ μάγοις, ἅτε πρὸς τοῦ τῶν Χριστιανῶν θεοῦ ἡσση2.26.4 μένοις, κατήφεια. ἣν δὴ παρηγορῶν ὁ Χοσρόης ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις Ἐδεσσηνοὺς μὲν ἀνδραποδιεῖν ἠπείλησεν