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they were accordingly vexed. And when Chosroes perceived this, he was anxious to anticipate them with safety, before they could make any revolutionary move against him. 2.28.30 And as he deliberated, it seemed to him most expedient to get Gubazes, the king of the Lazi, out of the way as quickly as possible, and then to move the Lazi out of the country in a body, and so to settle Persians and certain other nations in this land. 2.28.31 Having decided this, Chosroes sent Isdigousnas to Byzantium, ostensibly on an embassy. And picking out five hundred of the Persian nobles, he sent them with him, instructing them to go to the city of Daras, lodge in many houses, set all of these on fire by night, and, while all the Romans were occupied with this fire, as was likely, to open the gates immediately, and receive the rest of the Persian 2.28.32 army into the city. For the commander of the city of Nisibis had been instructed beforehand to have a multitude of soldiers in readiness, hidden somewhere very near. For in this way Chosroes thought they would with no trouble both destroy all the Romans and, having seized the city of Daras, would hold it securely. 2.28.33 But someone who knew well what was being done, a Roman man, but a deserter who had come to the Persians a little earlier, told the whole story to George, who was then staying there, whom I mentioned in the previous narrative as having persuaded the Persians besieged in the fortress of Sisauranon to surrender themselves 2.28.34 to the Romans. George, therefore, meeting this ambassador on the borders of the Romans and the Persians, said that his actions were not in keeping with an embassy, and that never had so great a number of Persians lodged in a Roman 2.28.35 city. For it was necessary to leave all the others behind in the district of Ammodios, and for him to be allowed to enter the city of Daras with a few 2.28.36 men. Isdigousnas, therefore, was indignant and seemed to be displeased, as having been insolently treated without cause, although he was being sent on an embassy to 2.28.37 the Roman emperor. But George, paying no attention to his anger, saved the city for the Romans. For he received Isdigousnas into the city with only twenty men. 2.28.38 Having failed, then, in this attempt, this barbarian came to Byzantium as an ambassador, bringing with him his wife and two daughters (for this was his screen for the crowd that had come with him), and when he came into the emperor's presence he was unable to say anything of consequence, great or small, although he spent no less than 2.28.39 ten months in the land of the Romans. However, he gave the emperor the gifts from Chosroes, as is customary, and a letter, in which Chosroes asked the Emperor Justinian to signify whether his body was in the best of 2.28.40 health. This Isdigousnas, however, the Emperor Justinian received with much friendliness, more than any other ambassador whom we know, and held him in sufficient 2.28.41 honour. So that, when he feasted him, he made Braducius, who followed him as interpreter, recline with him on the couch, a thing which had never before happened in all 2.28.42 time. For no one had ever seen an interpreter dining at the same table even with one of the lesser magistrates, much less with the emperor. 2.28.43 But he both received and sent away this man more magnificently than was fitting for an ambassador, although he had undertaken the embassy for no purpose, as I have said. 2.28.44 For if one should count up the expenses and the gifts which Isdigousnas received from here and departed with, one will find them amounting to more than ten centenaria of gold. Thus, then, ended Chosroes’ plot against the city of Daras. 2.29.1 And to Lazica, first he sent a great quantity of timber suitable for shipbuilding, telling no one for what purpose he was sending it, but alleging that he was sending it to set up engines on the circuit-wall of Petra. 2.29.2 Then, picking out three hundred Persian warriors, he appointed Phabrizus, whom I have just mentioned, over them and sent him there, ordering him to kill Gubazes as secretly as possible; for what came after 2.29.3 would be his own concern. The timber, then,

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λοιπὸν ἤσχαλλον. ὧν δὴ ὁ Χοσρόης αἰσθόμενος προτερῆσαι ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ, πρίν τι ἐς αὐτὸν νεωτε2.28.30 ρίσειαν, ἐν σπουδῇ εἶχε. καί οἱ βουλευομένῳ ξυμφορώτατον ἔδοξεν εἶναι Γουβάζην τὸν Λαζῶν βασιλέα ἐκποδὼν ὅτι τάχιστα ποιησαμένῳ Λαζοὺς ἐνθένδε πανδημεὶ ἀναστήσειν, οὕτω τε Πέρσας καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα ἔθνη ξυνοικιεῖν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ χώρᾳ. 2.28.31 Ταῦτα ὁ Χοσρόης βεβουλευμένος Ἰσδιγούσναν, ὡς ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ δῆθεν τῷ λόγῳ, ἐς Βυζάντιον στέλλει. καί οἱ Περσῶν ἀριστίνδην ἀπολεξάμενος πεντακοσίους ξυνέπεμψεν, ἐπιστείλας σφίσι γενέσθαι μὲν ἐν πόλει ∆άρας, ἐν οἰκίαις δὲ καταλῦσαι πολλαῖς, ταύτας τε νύκτωρ ἁπάσας ἐμπρῆσαι, καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἀμφὶ τὸ πῦρ τοῦτο ἠσχολημένων, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, ἁπάντων ἀνοιγνύναι μὲν τὰς πύλας εὐθὺς, τῇ δὲ πόλει τὸ ἄλλο Περσῶν 2.28.32 στράτευμα δέξασθαι. προείρητο γὰρ τῷ Νισίβιδος πόλεως ἄρχοντι στρατιωτῶν πλῆθος ἄγχιστά πη ἐγκρυφιάζοντι ἐν παρασκευῇ ἔχειν. οὕτω γὰρ αὐτοὺς ᾤετο Χοσρόης οὐδενὶ πόνῳ Ῥωμαίους τε ἅπαντας διαχρήσεσθαι καὶ τὴν πόλιν ∆άρας ἐν βεβαίῳ καταλαβόντας 2.28.33 σχήσειν. ἀλλά τις εὖ εἰδὼς τὰ πρασσόμενα, Ῥωμαῖος μὲν ἀνὴρ, αὐτόμολος δὲ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐς Πέρσας ἥκων, τὸν πάντα λόγον Γεωργίῳ φράζει, ἐνταῦθα τότε διατριβὴν ἔχοντι, οὗ δὴ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην, ἅτε Περσῶν ἀναπείσαντος τοὺς ἐν τῷ Σισαυράνων πολιορκουμένους φρουρίῳ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐν2.28.34 δοῦναι Ῥωμαίοις. Γεώργιος οὖν ἐν τοῖς Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Περσῶν ὁρίοις ἀπαντήσας τῷ πρεσβευτῇ τούτῳ ἔφασκεν οὐ κατὰ πρεσβείαν τὰ ποιούμενα εἶναι, καὶ οὔ ποτε Πέρσας τοσούτους τὸ πλῆθος ἐν πόλει Ῥω2.28.35 μαίων αὐλίσασθαι. χρῆν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἐν χωρίῳ Ἀμμώδιος ἀπολιπεῖν, αὐτῷ δὲ ξὺν ὀλί2.28.36 γοις τισὶν ἐς πόλιν ∆άρας ἐσιτητὰ εἶναι. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἰσδιγούσνας ἠγανάκτει τε καὶ δυσφορουμένῳ ἐῴκει, ἅτε περιυβρισμένος οὐ δέον, καίπερ ἐπὶ πρεσβείᾳ παρὰ 2.28.37 τὸν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέα στελλόμενος. Γεώργιος δέ οἱ οὐ προσέχων τὸν νοῦν ἠγριωμένῳ διεσώσατο τὴν πόλιν Ῥωμαίοις. ξὺν γὰρ ἀνδράσιν εἴκοσι μόνοις τῇ πόλει τὸν Ἰσδιγούσναν ἐδέξατο. 2.28.38 Ταύτης οὖν τῆς πείρας ἀποτυχὼν ὁ βάρβαρος οὗτος ὡς πρεσβεύων ἐς Βυζάντιον ἦλθε, τήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ θυγατέρας ἐπαγόμενος δύο (τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ παραπέτασμα τοῦ ξυνεληλυθότος ὁμίλου), τῷ τε βασιλεῖ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων ἀμφὶ μὲν τῶν σπουδαίων τινὶ οὐ μέγα οὐ μικρὸν ἴσχυσεν εἰπεῖν, καίπερ οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ 2.28.39 μῆνας δέκα κατατρίψας ἐν Ῥωμαίων τῇ γῇ. τὰ μέντοι δῶρα παρὰ Χοσρόου, ᾗπερ εἴθισται, καὶ γράμματα βασιλεῖ ἔδωκε, δι' ὧν ὁ Χοσρόης Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα σημῆναι ἠξίου εἴ οἱ τὸ σῶμα ὑγιείας πέρι ὡς ἄριστα 2.28.40 ἔχοι. τοῦτον μέντοι τὸν Ἰσδιγούσναν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς μάλιστα πρέσβεων ἁπάντων ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ξύν τε πολλῇ φιλοφροσύνῃ εἶδε καὶ διὰ τιμῆς ἱκανῶς 2.28.41 ἤγαγεν. ὥστε καὶ, ἡνίκα δὴ αὐτὸν ἑστιῴη, Βραδούκιον, ὅσπερ αὐτῷ ἑρμηνεὺς εἵπετο, ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς στιβάδος κατέκλινε, πρᾶγμα πώποτε οὐ γεγονὸς πρό2.28.42 τερον ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου. ἑρμηνέα γὰρ οὐδὲ τῶν τινι καταδεεστέρων ἀρχόντων, μή τί γε δὴ βασιλεῖ 2.28.43 ὁμοτράπεζον γεγονότα οὐδείς ποτε εἶδεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστερον ἢ κατὰ πρεσβευτὴν τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον ἐδέξατό τε καὶ ἀπεπέμψατο, καίπερ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ ἔργῳ τὴν πρεσβείαν, ὥσπερ μοι εἴρηται, πεποιημένον. 2.28.44 ἢν γάρ τις τάς τε δαπάνας διαριθμήσαιτο καὶ τὰ δῶρα, ὅσα ἐνθένδε κεκομισμένος Ἰσδιγούσνας ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο, πλέον αὐτὰ κατατείνοντα ἢ ἐς χρυσοῦ κεντηνάρια δέκα εὑρήσει. τὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς ἐς ∆άρας πόλιν ἐπιβουλῆς τῷ Χοσρόῃ ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα. 2.29.1 Ἔς τε Λαζικὴν πρῶτα μὲν ξύλα παμπληθῆ ἐς νηῶν ποίησιν ἐπιτηδείως ἔχοντα ἔπεμψεν, οὐδενὶ φράσας ἐφ' ὅτῳ δὴ αὐτὰ πέμψειεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ μηχανὰς ἐν Πέτρας τῷ περιβόλῳ καταστησόμενος ταῦτα 2.29.2 ἔστελλεν. ἔπειτα δὲ Περσῶν μαχίμους τριακοσίους ἀπολεξάμενος, Φάβριζόν τε, οὗπερ ἀρτίως ἐπεμνήσθην, αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσας ἐνταῦθα στέλλει, ᾧ δὴ ἐπήγγελλε Γουβάζην ὡς λαθραιότατα διαχρήσασθαι· τὸ γὰρ ἐν2.29.3 θένδε αὐτῷ μελήσειν. τὰ μὲν οὖν ξύλα