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having established, as was said by me in the previous narrative, became the cause of the 2.29.22 revolt for the Lazi. For one going from the city of Petra straight toward the south wind, the Roman boundaries begin, and here there are populous places, the one called Rhizaeum and Athenae and some other places 2.29.23 as far as the land of the Trapezuntines. So when the Lazi brought in Chosroes, having crossed the Boas river and keeping the Phasis on the right, they came to Petra, ostensibly taking precautions so that they might not be forced to spend much time and effort crossing the Phasis river, but not wishing 2.29.24 to show their homes to the Persians. And yet Lazica is difficult to access everywhere, both within and outside the 2.29.25 Phasis river. For exceedingly high cliffs, being on either side of the country, make very long narrow passes there; speaking in Greek, the Romans call such 2.29.26 roads "clisurae." But since at that time Lazica happened to be unguarded, the Persians very easily arrived in Petra with the Lazic leaders. 2.29.27 But now Gubazes, learning of the Persian attack, instructed Dagisthaeus to send some men who would guard the narrow pass very strongly, which is outside the Phasis river, but to relax the siege as little as possible, until they could capture both Petra and the Persians there. 2.29.28 And he himself with the whole Colchian army came to the borders of Lazica, in order to guard the narrow pass there with all his force. 2.29.29 And it happened that long before he had brought the Alans and Sabiri into an alliance, who agreed for three centenaria not only to help keep the land unravaged for the Lazi, but also to make Iberia so deserted of men that it would not be possible for the Persians to go from there in the future. And Gubazes promised that the emperor would give them this money. 2.29.30 So he himself, having reported the agreement to the Emperor Justinian, begged him to send this money to the barbarians and to grant some relief to the Lazi, who were sorely afflicted. 2.29.31 And he said that the state owed him personally the salaries for ten years, since, being ranked among the silentiaries in the palace, he had received nothing from there, from the time when Chosroes came into the land of 2.29.32 Colchis. But the Emperor Justinian intended to fulfill the request, but since some business arose for him, he did not send the money at the proper time. So Gubazes was doing these things. 2.29.33 But Dagisthaeus (for he was a young man by no means competent to carry on a Persian war) did not handle the present situation 2.29.34 skillfully. So although it was necessary to send the greatest part of the army to the narrow pass, and perhaps even for him to be present himself at this task, he sent only about one hundred men, as if managing some secondary matter; while he himself, besieging Petra with the whole army, accomplished nothing, although the enemy were few. For at first they were not less than one thousand five hundred, 2.29.35 but with the Romans and Lazi fighting against the walls for a long time, being struck by missiles and displaying valor most of all men whom we know, many died and it happened that they were reduced to a very few. 2.29.36 The Persians therefore, having fallen into despair and helplessness, remained quiet, but the Romans made a trench around the wall in a small space, and the circuit-wall there immediately fell. 2.29.37 But it happened that inside this very space there was a building separated not at all from the circuit-wall, 2.29.38 which indeed extended to the fallen part, entirely in a row; and taking the place of the wall for the besieged, it placed them in no less safety. 2.29.39 This was by no means able to disturb the Romans. For knowing well that by doing this very thing elsewhere they would most easily take the city, 2.29.40 they became much more hopeful still. Therefore Dagisthaeus reported what had happened to the emperor, and proposed that the prizes of victory be in readiness for him, indicating with what great gifts indeed it was necessary for the emperor to reward both himself and his brother; for he would take Petra not much later. 2.29.41 The Persians therefore the Romans and the Tzani fighting most steadfastly against the walls contrary to expectation 2.29.42

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καταστησάμενος, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, αἴτιος τῆς 2.29.22 ἀποστάσεως Λαζοῖς γέγονεν. ἐκ δὲ Πέτρας πόλεως ἰόντι εὐθὺς πρὸς ἄνεμον νότον οἱ Ῥωμαίων ὅροι ἐκδέχονται, χωρία τε πολυάνθρωπα ἐνταῦθά ἐστι, τό τε Ῥιζαῖον καλούμενον καὶ Ἀθῆναι ἄλλα τε ἄττα 2.29.23 μέχρι Τραπεζουντίων. ἡνίκα μὲν οὖν ἐπηγάγοντο Χοσρόην Λαζοὶ Βόαν ποταμὸν διαβάντες τόν τε Φᾶσιν ἐν δεξιᾷ ἔχοντες ἐς Πέτραν ἦλθον, τῷ μὲν λόγῳ προνοήσοντες ὡς μὴ χρόνῳ τε καὶ πόνῳ πολλῷ διαπορθμεύεσθαι ἀναγκάζωνται ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν, οὐ βουλόμενοι 2.29.24 δὲ τὰ σφέτερα οἰκία Πέρσαις ἐνδείκνυσθαι. καίτοι δύσοδος πανταχόθι Λαζική ἐστιν ἐντός τε καὶ ἐκτὸς 2.29.25 ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος. σκόπελοι γὰρ ὑπερφυεῖς ἐφ' ἑκάτερα τῆς χώρας ὄντες στενωποὺς ἐπὶ μακρότατον ἐνταῦθα ποιοῦνται· κλεισούρας ἑλληνίζοντες τὰς τοιαύτας 2.29.26 ὁδοὺς Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσιν. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τότε Λαζικὴ ἀφύλακτος ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα, ῥᾷστα δὴ ἐν Πέτρᾳ ξὺν τοῖς ἡγεμόσι Λαζοῖς ἐγένοντο Πέρσαι. 2.29.27 Νῦν δὲ ὁ Γουβάζης μαθὼν τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον τῷ ∆αγισθαίῳ ἐπέστελλε πέμψαι μέν τινας, οἳ φυλάξουσι τὸν στενωπὸν ἰσχυρότατα, ὃς ἐκτὸς Φάσιδος ποταμοῦ ἐστι, τὴν μέντοι προσεδρείαν ὡς ἥκιστα λύειν, ἕως τήν τε Πέτραν καὶ Πέρσας τοὺς ἐνταῦθα 2.29.28 ἐξελεῖν δύνωνται. αὐτὸς δὲ παντὶ τῷ Κόλχων στρατῷ ἐς τὰ Λαζικῆς ἔσχατα ἦλθεν, ὡς τὸν ἐνταῦθα στενω2.29.29 πὸν διαφυλάξων δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ. ἐτύγχανε δὲ πολλῷ πρότερον Ἀλανούς τε καὶ Σαβείρους ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἐπαγόμενος, οἵπερ ὡμολόγησαν κεντηναρίων τριῶν οὐχ ὅσον ἀδῄωτον Λαζοῖς ξυμφυλάξειν τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰβηρίαν οὕτω καταστήσεσθαι ἀνδρῶν ἔρημον ὡς μηδὲ Πέρσαις ἐνθένδε τὸ λοιπὸν ἰέναι δυνατὰ ἔσεσθαι. ταῦτά τε σφίσι τὰ χρήματα βασιλέα Γουβάζης ὑπέσχετο 2.29.30 δώσειν. αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἀνενεγκὼν ἐς βασιλέα Ἰουστινιανὸν τὰ ξυγκείμενα τοῖς τε βαρβάροις τὰ χρήματα ταῦτα ἱκέτευε πέμπειν καὶ Λαζοῖς ἄγαν κεκακωμένοις 2.29.31 παραψυχὴν προέσθαι τινά. ἔφασκε δὲ καί οἱ αὐτῷ τὸ δημόσιον τὰς συντάξεις ὀφείλειν ἐνιαυτῶν δέκα, ἐπεὶ ἐν τοῖς σιλεντιαρίοις ἐν παλατίῳ τασσόμενος οὐδὲν κεκομισμένος ἐνθένδε εἴη, ἐξ οὗ δὴ ἐς γῆν τὴν 2.29.32 Κολχίδα Χοσρόης ἦλθε. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐπιτελέσειν μὲν διενοεῖτο τὴν αἴτησιν, ἐπιγενομένης δέ οἱ ἀσχολίας τινὸς οὐκ ἔπεμψε τῷ καθήκοντι χρόνῳ τὰ χρήματα. Γουβάζης μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἐποίει. 2.29.33 ∆αγισθαῖος δὲ (ἦν γάρ τις νεανίας πόλεμόν τε διενεγκεῖν Μηδικὸν οὐδαμῆ ἀξιόχρεως) τοῖς παροῦσιν 2.29.34 οὐκ ἐπιτηδείως ἐχρῆτο. δέον οὖν ἀμέλει τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ στρατοῦ ἐς τὸν στενωπὸν στεῖλαι, τάχα δ' ἄν που καὶ αὐτὸν τῷ ἔργῳ τούτῳ παραγενέσθαι, ἐς ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας, ὥσπερ τι πάρεργον διαχειρίζων, ἔπεμψε μόνους· αὐτὸς δὲ Πέτραν πολιορκῶν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ οὐδὲν ἤνυσε, καίπερ τῶν πολεμίων ὀλίγων ὄντων. κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἥσσους ἢ πεντακόσιοι καὶ χίλιοι ἦσαν, 2.29.35 πρὸς Ῥωμαίων δὲ καὶ Λαζῶν ἐν χρόνῳ πολλῷ τειχομαχούντων βαλλόμενοί τε καὶ ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι μάλιστα πάντων ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, θνήσκουσί τε πολλοὶ καὶ σφίσιν ἐς ὀλίγους κομιδῆ ἀποκεκρίσθαι ξυνέπεσε. 2.29.36 Πέρσαι μὲν οὖν ἐς ἀπόγνωσίν τε καὶ ἀπορίαν ἐμπεπτωκότες ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀμφὶ τὸ τεῖχος διώρυχα ἐν χώρῳ ὀλίγῳ πεποίηνται, ὅ τε ταύτῃ περίβολος 2.29.37 εὐθὺς ἔπεσεν. ἀλλὰ ξυνέβη τούτου δὴ τοῦ χώρου ἐντὸς οἴκημα εἶναι οὐδὲν τοῦ περιβόλου διεστηκὸς, 2.29.38 ὃ δὴ ἐξικνεῖτο ἐς τὸ πεπτωκὸς ἐφεξῆς ὅλον· καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ τείχους πολιορκουμένοις γενόμενον ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ 2.29.39 οὐδέν τι ἧσσον αὐτοὺς καθίστη. ὅπερ Ῥωμαίους ξυνταράξαι οὐδαμῆ ἔσχεν. εὖ γὰρ εἰδότες ὡς αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο ἑτέρωθι ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν πόλιν ῥᾷστα αἱρήσου2.29.40 σιν, εὐέλπιδες πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐγένοντο. διὸ δὴ ὁ ∆αγισθαῖος βασιλεῖ μὲν τὰ ξυνενεχθέντα ἐδήλου, ἆθλα δέ οἱ τῆς νίκης ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶναι προὐτείνετο, σημήνας ὅσοις δὴ αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν αὐτοῦ χρῆν βασιλέα δωρήσασθαι· Πέτραν γὰρ αἱρήσειν οὐ 2.29.41 πολλῷ ὕστερον. Πέρσαι μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίους τε καὶ Τζάνους καρτερώτατα τειχομαχοῦντας παρὰ δόξαν 2.29.42