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was making of the work, 2.26.25 so that it might not become high and be weak. But Peter, the Roman general (for he happened to be there with Martinus and Peranius), wishing to stop those working on this, sent some of the Huns who followed him against them. 2.26.26 And they, attacking suddenly, killed many, and most of all a certain one of the bodyguards, 2.26.27 Argek by name. For he alone killed twenty-seven. However, as the barbarians for the future kept a close guard, no one was any longer able to sally out against them. 2.26.28 But when the workmen of this structure, advancing, came within bowshot, the Romans, now defending themselves most stoutly from the circuit-wall, plied both their slings and their bows against them. For this reason, indeed, the barbarians 2.26.29 devised the following. Hanging screens of goats' hair, which they call Cilicia, of sufficient thickness and length, from long timbers, they always placed them in front of those working on the aggestus (for so the Romans in the Latin tongue called the thing being made). 2.26.30 For there neither fire-bearing arrows nor other missiles were able to penetrate, but all of them were stopped and remained right there on the 2.26.31 screens. And then the Romans, having fallen into great fear, sent the envoys to Chosroes with much confusion, and with them Stephen, a man of note among the physicians of his time, who indeed, having once healed Cabades the son of Perozes when he was sick, had been made by him master of great wealth. 2.26.32 Who indeed, when he came before Chosroes with the others, spoke as follows: "All men from of old have considered the humanity of a king "the mark of a good man. 2.26.33 "Therefore, O most mighty king, for you who work slaughters and battles "and the enslavement of cities, it will perhaps "be possible to obtain other titles, but to be thought good 2.26.34 "will never be possible. And yet least of all cities "should any evil have befallen the city of the Edessenes from you. 2.26.35 "For from here I myself am sprung, who, foreseeing none of the things "that were to be, both reared you and, having become an advisor "to your father, with the result that he would establish you as successor "to the rule, have become most responsible for your rule over the Persians, "and for my fatherland of the present 2.26.36 "evils. For men for the most part bring their misfortunes "upon themselves by reason of what is to 2.26.37 "come to pass. But if any memory of such "a benefit enters you, do us no further "evil, giving me this reward, from "which, O king, it will result for you not to seem most cruel." 2.26.38 Stephen, then, said so much. But Chosroes declared that he would not depart from here, unless the Romans should hand over to him both Peter and Peranius, because, he said, being his ancestral slaves, they had dared to oppose him. 2.26.39 And if it is not pleasing to the Romans to do this, it is necessary for them to choose one of two things: either to give him five hundred centenaria of gold, or to receive into the city some of his trusted men, who, after searching out all the valuables, will come bringing to him the gold and silver, as much as happens to be there, and will allow the owners to keep the rest. 2.26.40 Chosroes uttered these terms, hoping to capture Edessa with no trouble. But the envoys (for all the things that he announced seemed impossible to them), being at a loss and greatly distressed, proceeded to the city. 2.26.41 And when, having come inside the circuit-wall, they reported the message from Chosroes, the city became full of confusion and lamentation. 2.26.42 The construction of the mound, then, was both being raised to a great height and was advancing forward with great haste. But the Romans, not knowing what to do, again sent the 2.26.43 envoys to Chosroes. And when they came into the enemy's camp, they said they had come to plead about the same matters, but they received no hearing whatsoever from the Persians, and being driven out from there with much insolence and confusion, they returned to the city. 2.26.44 At first, then, the Romans attempted to overtop the wall opposite the mound with another structure; but as the work of the Persians was much

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ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ ἔργου, 2.26.25 ὅπως μὴ ὑψηλὸν γενόμενον ἀσθενὲς εἴη. Πέτρος δὲ ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς (ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ξὺν Μαρτίνῳ καὶ Περανίῳ ἐτύγχανεν ὢν) τοὺς ταῦτα ἐργαζομένους ἀναστέλλειν ἐθέλων Οὔννων τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων τινὰς 2.26.26 ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψεν. οἱ δὲ πολλοὺς ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐπελθόντες ἀνεῖλον, καὶ πάντων μάλιστα τῶν τις δορυ2.26.27 φόρων, Ἀργὴκ ὄνομα. μόνος γὰρ ἑπτὰ καὶ εἴκοσιν ἔκτεινε. τῶν μέντοι βαρβάρων φυλακὴν ἀκριβῆ τὸ λοιπὸν ποιουμένων οὐκέτι ἐπεξιέναι τινὲς ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 2.26.28 ἔσχον. ἐπεὶ δὲ προϊόντες ἐντὸς βέλους οἱ τεχνῖται τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ἐγένοντο, καρτερώτατα ἤδη ἀμυνόμενοι ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου Ῥωμαῖοι τάς τε σφενδόνας ἐπ' αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ τόξα ἐνήργουν. διὸ δὴ οἱ βάρ2.26.29 βαροι ἐπενόουν τάδε. προκαλύμματα ἐκ τραγείων τριχῶν, ἃ δὴ καλοῦσι Κιλίκια, πάχους τε καὶ μήκους διαρκῶς ἔχοντα, ἀρτήσαντες ἐκ ξύλων μακρῶν ἐπίπροσθεν ἀεὶ τὴν ἄγεσταν ἐργαζομένων ἐτίθεντο (οὕτω γὰρ τὸ ποιούμενον τῇ Λατίνων φωνῇ ἐκάλουν Ῥω2.26.30 μαῖοι). ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὔτε πυρφόροι οἰστοὶ οὔτε τὰ ἄλλα βέλη ἐξικνεῖσθαι εἶχον, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν 2.26.31 προκαλυμμάτων ἀποκρουόμενα ξύμπαντα ἔμενε. καὶ τότε Ῥωμαῖοι ἐς δέος μέγα ἐμπεπτωκότες τοὺς πρέσβεις παρὰ Χοσρόην σὺν θορύβῳ πολλῷ ἔπεμπον καὶ Στέφανον σὺν αὐτοῖς, ἔν γε τοῖς κατ' αὐτὸν ἰατροῖς λόγιον, ὃς δὴ Καβάδην τὸν Περόζου νοσοῦντά ποτε ἰασάμενος κύριος χρημάτων μεγάλων πρὸς αὐτοῦ 2.26.32 γέγονεν. ὃς δὴ, ἐπεὶ παρὰ Χοσρόην ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐγένετο, ἔλεξεν ὧδε «Βασιλέως τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν «ἀγαθοῦ γνώρισμα πάντες ἐκ παλαιοῦ νενομίκασιν. 2.26.33 «οὐκοῦν, ὦ κράτιστε βασιλεῦ, φόνους σοι καὶ μάχας «ἐργαζομένῳ καὶ πόλεων ἀνδραποδισμοὺς τῶν μὲν «ἄλλων ἴσως ὀνομάτων παρέσται τυχεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἀγαθῷ 2.26.34 «εἶναι δοκεῖν οὐ μήποτε ἔσται. καίτοι πασῶν γε «ἥκιστα χρῆν τῇ Ἐδεσσηνῶν πόλει παρὰ σοῦ τι ξυμ2.26.35 «βῆναι φλαῦρον. ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ ἔγωγε ὥρμημαι, ὅσπερ «σε τῶν ἐσομένων οὐδὲν προειδὼς ἐξέθρεψά τε καὶ «τῷ πατρὶ τῷ σῷ ξύμβουλος γεγονὼς, ἐφ' ᾧ σε τῆς «ἀρχῆς διάδοχον καταστήσεται, σοὶ μὲν τῆς Περσῶν «βασιλείας αἰτιώτατος γέγονα, τῇ δὲ πατρίδι τῶν παρόν2.26.36 «των κακῶν. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀτυχη»μάτων σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τῶν ξυμ2.26.37 «βησομένων προστρίβονται. ἀλλ' εἴ τίς σε τῆς τοιαύ»της εὐεργεσίας εἰσέρχεται μνήμη, μηδὲν ἡμᾶς ἐργάσῃ «περαιτέρω κακὸν, ταύτην διδούς μοι τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, ἐξ «ἧς σοι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὸ μὴ δοκεῖν ὠμοτάτῳ εἶναι ξυμ2.26.38 «βήσεται.» Στέφανος μὲν τοσαῦτα εἶπε. Χοσρόης δὲ οὐ πρότερον ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι ὡμολόγει ἐνθένδε, εἰ μὴ Πέτρον τε καὶ Περάνιον αὐτῷ παραδοῖεν Ῥωμαῖοι, ὅτι δή οἱ, δοῦλοί γε ὄντες πατρῷοι, τετολμήκασιν ἀντιτάξα2.26.39 σθαι. τοῦτο δὲ ἢν μὴ δρᾶν Ῥωμαίοις ἐν ἡδονῇ ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ δυοῖν αὐτοὺς ἐπάναγκες ἑλέσθαι τὸ ἕτερον ἢ πεντακόσια κεντηνάρια χρυσοῦ σφίσι διδόναι, ἢ δέξασθαι τῇ πόλει τῶν οἱ ἐπιτηδείων τινὰς, οἳ τὰ χρήματα διερευνησάμενοι ἅπαντα τὸν μὲν χρυσόν τε καὶ ἄργυρον, ὅσον δὴ ἐνταῦθα ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, κομίζοντες ἐς αὐτὸν ἥξουσι, τἄλλα δὲ τοὺς κυρίους ἐάσουσιν ἔχειν. 2.26.40 ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Χοσρόης ἀπέρριψεν, Ἔδεσσαν ἐξελεῖν πόνῳ οὐδενὶ ἐλπίδα ἔχων. οἱ δὲ πρέσβεις (ἅπαντα γὰρ σφίσιν ἀδύνατα ἔδοξεν εἶναι ὅσα ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγελλε) διαπορούμενοί τε καὶ λίαν ἀσχάλλοντες ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν 2.26.41 ἐβάδιζον. ἐπεί τε ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου γενόμενοι τὰ παρὰ Χοσρόου ἀπήγγελλον, θορύβου τε καὶ θρήνων ἡ πόλις ἔμπλεως ἐγένετο. 2.26.42 Ἡ μὲν οὖν τοῦ λόφου κατασκευὴ ἐπί τε ὕψος ᾔρετο μέγα καὶ σπουδῇ πολλῇ ἐπίπροσθεν ᾔει. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅ τι καὶ δράσουσι πάλιν τοὺς 2.26.43 πρέσβεις παρὰ Χοσρόην ἀπέστελλον. οἵπερ ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδῳ ἐγένοντο, περί τε τῶν αὐτῶν δεησόμενοι ἔφασκον ἥκειν, λόγου μὲν οὐδ' ὁπωστιοῦν πρὸς Περσῶν ἔτυχον, ὕβρει δὲ καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ ἐνθένδε ἐξελαυνόμενοι ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἐχώρουν. 2.26.44 τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ κατὰ τὸν λόφον τεῖχος ἑτέρᾳ ἐνεχείρουν οἰκοδομίᾳ τινὶ ὑπερβαλέσθαι· ὡς δὲ καὶ ταύτης τὸ Περσῶν ἔργον πολλῷ