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was now getting the upper hand, they desisted from the building, and they persuade Martinus to arrange the matters concerning the treaty in whatever way he wished. And he, having come very near the camp of the enemy, entered into discussions with some of the Persian commanders 2.26.45. But they, deceiving Martinus, said that their king desired peaceful terms, but that it was by no means possible for him to persuade the Roman emperor, having abandoned his contentiousness towards Chosroes, 2.26.46 ever to make peace with him; since even Belisarius, whom he himself would not deny far surpassed Martinus in both power and rank, had recently persuaded the Persian king, who was then somewhere in the midst of the Romans, to depart from there to the lands of the Persians, having promised that envoys would arrive to him from Byzantium before long and that the peace would be firmly established, but had accomplished none of the things agreed upon, having been unable to force the will of the Emperor Justinian. 2.27.1 Meanwhile the Romans were doing the following. Having dug a tunnel from the city underneath the enemy's mound, they ordered the diggers not to desist from this work until they should be under the middle of the hill. For there they intended to burn this mound. 2.27.2 And as the tunnel advanced to about the middle of the hill, a certain noise came to the Persians who were standing 2.27.3 above. And perceiving what was being done, they themselves began to dig from above on either side of the middle, so that they might catch the Romans doing mischief there. 2.27.4 So the Romans, realizing this, abstained from this, having thrown earth onto the emptied space, and from the end of the mound at the bottom, which happened to be next to the wall, having carried out wood and stones and earth, they constructed a shape like a small chamber, and they threw in there dry logs of the most flammable trees, drenched with oil made from cedar and with much sulphur 2.27.5 and bitumen. And while they had these things in preparation, the Persian commanders, meeting often with Martinus, said such things as I have related, giving the impression that they would accept proposals concerning 2.27.6 peace. But when the hill was now finished for them, and approaching the circuit-wall of the city, and greatly overtopping it in height, had been raised to a great size, they sent Martinus away, expressly refusing the treaty, and for the future they were about to set to work. 2.27.7 For this reason the Romans immediately burned the logs of the trees, which had been prepared for this purpose. And though the fire had burned a certain portion of the mound, but had not yet had the strength to penetrate all the way through, it happened that all the wood was consumed. For they were always throwing other wood into the tunnel, 2.27.8 allowing no time to pass. And now that the fire was working on the whole mound, a certain smoke appeared at night everywhere over the hill, and the Romans, not yet wishing to give the Persians an awareness of what was being done, 2.27.9 devised the following. Having filled small pots with coals and fire, they frequently sent these and fire-bearing arrows everywhere over the mound; which indeed the Persians, as many as kept guard there, going about with all haste, were extinguishing and they thought the smoke was rising from 2.27.10 this. And as the mischief progressed, the barbarians were coming to the rescue in great numbers, but the Romans, shooting at them from the 2.27.11 circuit-wall, killed many. To this place Chosroes also came about sunrise, and the greatest part of his army followed him, and having gone up onto the hill he was the first to perceive the 2.27.12 mischief. For he declared that the cause of the smoke was from below, not from what the enemy were shooting, and he ordered the whole army 2.27.13 to bring aid with all speed. And the Romans, taking courage, were insulting them, and of the barbarians some were throwing on earth, and others also water where the smoke appeared, hoping to overcome the terrible thing, yet they were able to accomplish nothing at 2.27.14 all. For wherever the earth was thrown, there the smoke, as was likely, was checked, but elsewhere it rose up again before long, since the fire itself was forcing an exit wherever it could; and wherever the water struck most, much more still

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καθυπέρτερον ἐγίνετο ἤδη, τῆς μὲν οἰκοδομίας ἀπέστησαν, Μαρτῖνον δὲ πείθουσι τὰ ἀμφὶ τῇ ξυμβάσει τρόπῳ δὴ ὅτῳ βούλοιτο διοικήσασθαι. καὶ ὃς ἄγχιστα τοῦ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδου γενόμενος τῶν τισιν ἐν Πέρσαις ἀρχόντων 2.26.45 ἐς λόγους ἦλθεν. οἱ δὲ τὸν Μαρτῖνον ἐξαπατῶντες εἰρηναῖα μὲν σφῶν τὸν βασιλέα βούλεσθαι ἔφασαν, αὐτὸν δὲ ὡς ἥκιστα οἷόν τε εἶναι τὸν Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορα πείθειν τῆς πρὸς Χοσρόην φιλονεικίας ἀφέ2.26.46 μενον τὴν εἰρήνην ποτὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν θήσεσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ Βελισάριον, ὅνπερ τῇ τε δυνάμει καὶ τῷ ἀξιώματι πολὺ Μαρτίνου προὔχειν οὐδ' ἂν αὐτὸς ἀντείποι, πεῖσαι μὲν ἔναγχος τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα, ὄντα δή που ἐν μέσοις Ῥωμαίοις, ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη, ὑποσχόμενον πρέσβεις τε παρ' αὐτὸν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἀφίξεσθαι καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐν τῷ βεβαίῳ κρατύνασθαι, πρᾶξαι δὲ τῶν ὡμολογημένων οὐδὲν, ἀδύνατον γεγονότα τὴν Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως βιάσασθαι γνώμην. 2.27.1 Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐποίουν τοιάδε. διώρυχα ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἔνερθεν τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ χώματος ἐργασάμενοι ἐκέλευον τοὺς ὀρύσσοντας μὴ μεθίεσθαι τοῦ ἔργου τούτου, ἕως ὑπὸ τὸν λόφον γένωνται μέσον. ταύτῃ γὰρ καῦσαι τὸ χῶμα τοῦτο διενοοῦντο. 2.27.2 προϊούσης δὲ τῆς διώρυχος κατὰ τὸν λόφον μάλιστα μέσον πάταγός τις ἐς τῶν Περσῶν τοὺς ὕπερθεν 2.27.3 ἑστῶτας ἦλθεν. αἰσθόμενοί τε τοῦ ποιουμένου καὶ αὐτοὶ ἄνωθεν ἀρξάμενοι ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τοῦ μέσου ὤρυσσον, ὅπως λάβοιεν τοὺς ἐκείνῃ κακουργοῦντας 2.27.4 Ῥωμαίους. ὃ δὴ γνόντες Ῥωμαῖοι τούτου μὲν ἀπέσχοντο, χοῦν ἐπὶ τὸν κενωθέντα χῶρον ἐπιβαλόντες, ἐκ δὲ ἄκρου χώματος κάτωθεν, ὃ πρὸς τῷ τείχει ἐτύγχανεν ὂν, ξύλα τε καὶ λίθους καὶ χοῦν ἐκφορήσαντες καθάπερ οἰκίσκου σχῆμα εἰργάσαντο, πρέμνα τε δένδρων τῶν ῥᾷστα καιομένων ξηρὰ ἐνταῦθα ἐσέβαλλον, ἐλαίῳ τε καταβεβρεγμένα τῷ ἐκ κέδρου πεποιημένῳ καὶ θείῳ 2.27.5 τε καὶ ἀσφάλτῳ πολλῇ. καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχον, οἱ δὲ Περσῶν ἄρχοντες πολλάκις ἐντυχόντες Μαρτίνῳ τοιαῦτα μὲν οἷά πέρ μοι εἴρηται διελέχθησαν, δόκησιν παρεχόμενοι ὡς τοὺς ἀμφὶ τῇ 2.27.6 εἰρήνῃ ἐνδέξονται λόγους. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ λόφος αὐτοῖς ἐτετέλεστο ἤδη, καὶ πλησιάζων μὲν τῷ περιβόλῳ τῆς πόλεως, ὕψει δὲ αὐτὸν πολλῷ ὑπεραίρων ἐπὶ μέγα ἐπῆρτο, Μαρτῖνον μὲν ἀπεπέμψαντο διαρρήδην ἀπειπόντες τὴν ξύμβασιν, ἔργου δὲ ἔχεσθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ἔμελλον. 2.27.7 ∆ιὸ δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι τῶν δένδρων τὰ πρέμνα εὐθὺς ἔκαυσαν, ἅπερ ἐς τοῦτο ἡτοίμαστο. τοῦ δὲ πυρὸς μοῖραν μὲν τοῦ χώματός τινα καύσαντος, οὔπω δὲ διὰ παντὸς ἐξικνεῖσθαι ἰσχύσαντος, τὰ ξύλα δεδαπανῆσθαι πάντα ἔτυχεν. ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐσέβαλον ἐς τὴν διώρυχα ξύλα 2.27.8 ἕτερα, οὐδένα ἀνιέντες καιρόν. ἤδη δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς ἅπαν ἐνεργοῦντος τὸ χῶμα, καπνός τις ὕπερθεν πανταχῆ τοῦ λόφου ἐφαίνετο νύκτωρ, Ῥωμαῖοί τε οὔπω ἐθέλοντες αἴσθησιν τοῦ ποιουμένου Πέρσαις παρέχειν 2.27.9 ἐπενόουν τάδε. ἀνθράκων τε καὶ πυρὸς ἀγγεῖα μικρὰ ἐμπλησάμενοι ταῦτά τε καὶ πυρφόρους οἰστοὺς τοῦ χώματος πανταχόσε συχνὰ ἔπεμπον· ἃ δὴ οἱ Πέρσαι, ὅσοι φυλακὴν ἐνταῦθα εἶχον, ξὺν πάσῃ σπουδῇ περιιόντες ἐσβέννυον καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ φύεσθαι τὸν καπνὸν 2.27.10 ᾤοντο. προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ πλήθει μὲν πολλῷ ἐβοήθουν οἱ βάρβαροι, βάλλοντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ 2.27.11 περιβόλου Ῥωμαῖοι πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. οὗ δὴ καὶ Χοσρόης ἀμφὶ ἡλίου ἀνατολὰς ἦλθε, καί οἱ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ στρατοῦ εἵπετο, ἔς τε τὸν λόφον ἀναβὰς πρῶτος 2.27.12 ἔλαβε τοῦ κακοῦ αἴσθησιν. ἔνερθεν γὰρ ἀπεφήνατο τοῦ καπνοῦ τὸ αἴτιον εἶναι, οὐκ ἀφ' ὧν ἐσηκόντιζον οἱ πολέμιοι, βοηθεῖν τε κατὰ τάχος ἐκέλευε τὸ στρά2.27.13 τευμα ὅλον. καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι θαρσοῦντες ἐς αὐτοὺς ὕβριζον, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων οἱ μέν τινες χοῦν, οἱ δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ἐπιβάλλοντες ᾗ ὁ καπνὸς διεφαίνετο, περιέσεσθαι τοῦ δεινοῦ ἤλπιζον, ἀνύειν μέντοι οὐδὲν οὐδαμῆ 2.27.14 εἶχον. ᾗ τε γὰρ ὁ χοῦς ἐπιβληθείη, ταύτῃ μὲν ὁ καπνὸς, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἀνεστέλλετο, ἑτέρωθι δὲ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἀνεδίδοτο, αὐτὸν τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ βιάζεσθαι τὴν ἔξοδον ὅπη δύναιτο ἀναγκάζοντος· τό τε ὕδωρ ᾗ μάλιστα ἐπισκήψειε, πολλῷ ἔτι