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rather the bitumen and sulfur had the strength to be effective and caused it to blaze up against the matter at hand, and kept driving the fire ever forward, since within the mound the water could by no means reach in such quantity as to be able to extinguish the flame with its excess. 2.27.15 And the smoke about late afternoon became so great as to be visible both to the Carrhenes and to certain others who dwelt much further away. 2.27.16 And when many Persians and Romans had climbed up on top of the mound, and a battle and shoving-match 2.27.17 took place there, the Romans were victorious. Then the flame, bursting forth brilliantly, appeared above the mound, and the Persians refrained from this work. 2.27.18 On the sixth day from this, at deep dawn, they secretly attacked a certain section of the circuit-wall, having ladders, 2.27.19 where the fort is named. And as the Romans who kept guard there were sleeping a gentle sleep, since the night was drawing to a close, they quietly set the 2.27.20 ladders against the wall and were already climbing up. But a certain one of the country-folk happened to be the only one awake among all the Romans, who indeed with a shout and much clamor roused everyone. 2.27.21 And a fierce battle having taken place, the Persians were defeated, and they withdrew to their camp, leaving the lad2.27.22 ders there, which the Romans pulled up at their leisure. And Chosroes about midday sent a large part of the army against the so-called Great Gate to assault the 2.27.23 wall. Whom indeed the Romans met, not only soldiers, but also country-folk and some of the populace, and having defeated the barbarians by far in battle, they put them to flight. 2.27.24 And while the Persians were still being pursued, Paul the interpreter, having come from Chosroes into the midst of the Romans, announced that Recinarius had come from Byzantium for the peace, and thus 2.27.25 both sides separated. But already some days before Recinarius had arrived at the camp of the barbarians. 2.27.26 But the Persians had by no means reported this to the Romans, obviously awaiting the outcome of the plot against the wall, so that, if they were able to capture it, they would in no way seem to transgress the treaty, but if they were defeated, which is what happened, they would make the arrangements for the agreement, with the Romans invit2.27.27 ing them to it. And when Recinarius was inside the gates, the Persians demanded that those who were to arrange the peace should go to Chosroes at once, but the Romans said that ambassadors would be sent three days later; for at the moment, their general Martinus was unwell in body. 2.27.28 And Chosroes, suspecting that the reason was not sound, prepared for battle. And then he threw a very great quantity of bricks onto the mound, and two days later he came with his whole army to the circuit-wall of the city, as if to assault the wall. 2.27.29 And stationing certain of the commanders and a part of the army at each gate and surrounding the whole wall in this way, he brought up ladders and engines against it. 2.27.30 And behind them he stationed all the Saracens along with some of the Persians, not in order that they should attack the circuit-wall, but so that, when the city was being captured, they themselves might catch the fugi2.27.31 tives as in a net. With such an intention, then, did Chosroes thus draw up his army. And the battle having begun early in the morning, at first the Persians had the upper 2.27.32 hand. For many were fighting against very few, since most of the Romans were both unaware of what was being 2.27.33 done and completely unprepared. But as the engagement went on, the city became full of shouting and confusion, and everyone, even with their wives and 2.27.34 children, now went up to the wall. Those of military age, then, along with the soldiers, were defending most stoutly against the enemy, and many of the country-folk were displaying marvelous deeds against the 2.27.35 barbarians. And children and women along with the old men were gathering stones for the fight2.27.36 ers and rendering other services. And some, having filled many cauldrons with oil and having heated them with fire everywhere on the wall for a sufficient time and pouring the excessively boiling oil with some sprinklers, even more the enemy who

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μᾶλλον τήν τε ἄσφαλτον καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐνεργεῖν ἴσχυεν ἐπί τε τὴν ἐν ποσὶν ὕλην ἀκμάζειν ἐποίει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω ἀεὶ ἐνῆγεν, ἐπεὶ τοῦ χώματος ἐντὸς οὐδαμῆ τοσοῦτον ἐξικνεῖσθαι τοῦ ὕδατος εἶχεν ὅσον τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι 2.27.15 κατασβέσαι τὴν φλόγα οἷόν τε εἶναι. ὁ δὲ καπνὸς ἀμφὶ δείλην ὀψίαν τοσοῦτος ἐγίνετο ὥστε καὶ τοῖς Καρρηνοῖς καὶ ἄλλοις τισὶ πολλῷ ἐπέκεινα ᾠκημένοις 2.27.16 ἔνδηλος εἶναι. Περσῶν δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαίων πολλῶν ὕπερθεν ἀναβεβηκότων τοῦ χώματος, μάχης τε καὶ ὠθισμοῦ 2.27.17 ἐνταῦθα ξυστάντος, ἐνίκων Ῥωμαῖοι. τότε καὶ ἡ φλὸξ λαμπρῶς ἐκδοθεῖσα ὑπὲρ τὸ χῶμα ἐφαίνετο, Πέρσαι δὲ τοῦ μὲν ἔργου τούτου ἀπέσχοντο. 2.27.18 Ἕκτῃ δὲ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἡμέρᾳ, ὄρθρου βαθέος, μοίρᾳ τινὶ τοῦ περιβόλου λάθρα ἐπέσκηψαν κλίμακας ἔχοντες, 2.27.19 οὗ δὴ τὸ φρούριον ἐπωνόμασται. τῶν δὲ φυλακὴν ἐνταῦθα ἐχόντων Ῥωμαίων πρᾷόν τινα καθευδόντων ὕπνον, ἅτε τῆς νυκτὸς πρὸς πέρας ἰούσης, ἡσυχῆ τὰς 2.27.20 κλίμακας τῷ τείχει ἐρείσαντες ἀνέβαινον ἤδη. τῶν δέ τις ἀγροίκων μόνος ἐγρηγορὼς ἐν Ῥωμαίοις ἅπασιν ἔτυχεν, ὃς δὴ ξὺν βοῇ τε καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ ἅπαντας ἤγειρε. 2.27.21 καὶ μάχης καρτερᾶς γενομένης ἡσσῶνται Πέρσαι, ἔς τε τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀνεχώρησαν, αὐτοῦ λιπόντες τὰς κλί2.27.22 μακας, ἅσπερ κατ' ἐξουσίαν Ῥωμαῖοι ἀνεῖλκον. Χοσρόης δὲ ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μέσην πολλήν τινα τοῦ στρατοῦ μοῖραν ἐπὶ τὴν μεγάλην καλουμένην πύλην ὡς τειχο2.27.23 μαχήσοντας ἔπεμψεν. οἷς δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι ὑπαντιάσαντες οὐ στρατιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγροῖκοι καὶ τοῦ δήμου τινὲς καὶ μάχῃ νικήσαντες παρὰ πολὺ τοὺς βαρβάρους 2.27.24 ἐτρέψαντο. ἔτι τε Περσῶν διωκομένων Παῦλος ἑρμηνεὺς παρὰ Χοσρόου ἥκων ἐς μέσους Ῥωμαίους ἀπήγγελλε Ῥεκινάριον ἐπὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἥκειν, οὕτω 2.27.25 τε ἀμφότεροι διελύθησαν. ἤδη δέ τισι πρότερον ἡμέραις ὁ Ῥεκινάριος ἐς τὸ τῶν βαρβάρων στρατόπεδον 2.27.26 ἀφῖκτο. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἐς Ῥωμαίους ὡς ἥκιστα ἐξήνεγκαν Πέρσαι, καραδοκοῦντες δηλονότι τὴν ἐς τὸ τεῖχος ἐπιβουλὴν, ὅπως, ἢν μὲν αὐτὸ ἐξελεῖν δύνωνται, μηδαμῆ ἐς τὰς σπονδὰς παρανομεῖν δόξωσιν, ἡσσηθέντες δὲ, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, τὰ ἐς τὴν ξύμβασιν, Ῥωμαίων προκα2.27.27 λουμένων πρὸς αὐτὰς, θήσονται. ἐπεὶ δὲ Ῥεκινάριος ἐγένετο εἴσω πυλῶν, Πέρσαι μὲν ἠξίουν τοὺς τὴν εἰρήνην διοικησομένους παρὰ Χοσρόην αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἰέναι, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ σταλήσεσθαι πρέσβεις ἡμέραις τρισὶν ὕστερον ἔφασαν· τανῦν γὰρ σφίσι κακῶς τοῦ σώματος Μαρτῖνον τὸν στρατηγὸν ἔχειν. 2.27.28 Εἶναί τε ὑποτοπάζων οὐχ ὑγιᾶ τὸν λόγον Χοσρόης τὰ ἐς τὴν παράταξιν ἐξηρτύετο. καὶ τότε μὲν πλίνθων πάμπολύ τι χρῆμα ἐπὶ τὸ χῶμα ἐπέβαλε, δυοῖν δὲ ὕστερον ἡμέραιν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ὡς τειχομαχήσων 2.27.29 ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πόλεως περίβολον ἦλθεν. ἔν τε πύλῃ ἑκάστῃ τῶν τινας ἀρχόντων καὶ μέρος τι τοῦ στρατεύματος καταστησάμενος ἅπαν τε τὸ τεῖχος ταύτῃ περι2.27.30 βαλὼν κλίμακάς τε αὐτῷ καὶ μηχανὰς προσῆγεν. ὄπισθεν δὲ τοὺς Σαρακηνοὺς ἅπαντας ξὺν τῶν Περσῶν τισιν ἔταξεν, οὐκ ἐφ' ᾧ τῷ περιβόλῳ προσβάλωσιν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἁλισκομένης τῆς πόλεως αὐτοὶ τοὺς φεύγον2.27.31 τας σαγηνεύσαντες λάβωσι. τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ τὸ στράτευμα ὁ Χοσρόης οὕτω διέταξε. τῆς δὲ μάχης πρωὶ ἀρξαμένης κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν τὰ Περσῶν καθυπέρ2.27.32 τερα ἦν. πολλοὶ γὰρ πρὸς λίαν ὀλίγους ἐμάχοντο, ἐπεὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων οἱ πλεῖστοι ἀνήκοοί τε τῶν ποιου2.27.33 μένων καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι παντάπασιν ἦσαν. προϊούσης δὲ τῆς ξυμβολῆς θορύβων τε καὶ ταραχῆς ἔμπλεως ἡ πόλις ἐγίνετο, καὶ ξύμπαντες ἤδη αὐταῖς γυναιξὶ καὶ 2.27.34 παιδαρίοις ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀνέβαινον. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ ξὺν τοῖς στρατιώταις καρτερώτατα τοὺς πολεμίους ἠμύνοντο, καὶ τῶν ἀγροίκων πολλοὶ ἐς τοὺς 2.27.35 βαρβάρους ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐπεδείκνυντο. παῖδες δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες ξὺν τοῖς γεγηρακόσι λίθους τε τοῖς μαχο2.27.36 μένοις ξυνέλεγον καὶ τἄλλα ὑπούργουν. τινὲς δὲ καὶ λέβητας ἐλαίου πολλοὺς ἐμπλησάμενοι πυρί τε αὐτοὺς πανταχῆ τοῦ τείχους ἐς διαρκῆ θερμήναντες χρόνον καὶ ζέον ὑπεράγαν τὸ ἔλαιον περιρραντηρίοις τισὶν ἐπιχέοντες ἔτι μᾶλλον τοὺς πολεμίους τοὺς τῷ