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8.1.1 At this very time, Chosroes, the king of the Persians, attempted to violate the peace. The cause for the barbarian happened to be something like this. Many and various tribes are naturally found around Arabia; the masses are accustomed 8.1.2 to call these Saracens. Some of these tribes were allies of the Romans, and a certain detachment from these, having advanced into Persia during the time of peace, plundered some parts of Babylonia in a raid. Because of this, 8.1.3 Chosroes demanded to lodge a complaint. For this reason the emperor Maurice sent to Persia the ambassador George, who held the supervision of the taxation of the eastern cities; 8.1.4 the Romans call this man praetorian prefect. So Chosroes, being indignant at what had happened, vexed the ambassador and contrived a long delay for him in the barbarian land. So George was treated harshly for many days in Persia, having by no means 8.1.5 obtained a royal audience. Since, then, matters were still contentious for Chosroes, a suspicion naturally arose in the barbarian not to begin war with the Romans for the time being. Therefore the Babylonian king received George 8.1.6 into the palace. So George, having gained the opportunity as his ally, persuaded the barbarian not to break the peace treaties. Thus, then, "willingly with an unwilling spirit," according to the poet, Chosroes embraced the peace 8.1.7. The ambassador, then, related in detail all that had transpired to the emperor. But the conclusion of the report of the interview did not end well. For George said, speaking to the emperor: "The king of the Persians addressed his satraps in my hearing as follows. 'On account of the 8.1.8 excellence of the ambassador I grant a cessation to the war.'" The emperor, having heard this, was angry with the ambassador, and the success of the embassy became disastrous for George; for in truth, a speech not managed with measure is known to cause great misfortunes for those who use it. 8.1.9 When the Khagan (for let us return to the events in Europe) crossed the Ister to return home on account of the peace, the Roman forces around Thrace sent ambassadors to the emperor Maurice, accusing general Comentiolus 8.1.10 of treason. Since the dissension in the imperial city had become intense, the emperor appointed arbitrators for Comentiolus and the ambassadors, and when the assembly of the trial indeed took place, and with the emperor beseeching the ambassadors, the accusation was brought to a halt, and again Comentiolus became 8.1.11 general. When summer came, he went outside the city, and when the Romans had settled their grievance with the general, Comentiolus assembled the army and came to the Ister river and in Singidunum conferred with Priscus. 8.2.1 On the fourth day the armies assembled, and when Priscus had delivered a speech, the peace between the Avars and the Romans was rent asunder; for the emperor Maurice commanded the generals to break the treaty through a royal edict 8.2.2. So when the peace had been openly broken, the Romans came to Viminacium; this is an island situated in the currents of the Ister. On this island 8.2.3 Comentiolus pretended to be ill. While the Romans were crossing from the island to the mainland, the Khagan had heard of the movements of the Roman army. The barbarian, then, having assembled his forces, cut through Roman territory, and to his four sons who were with him he handed over forces 8.2.4 and enjoined them to guard the crossings of the Ister. So the sons of the barbarian attempted to guard the crossings of the Ister as they had been ordered, but the Romans, having lashed together the so-called rafts, swam across the river with one accord. When the battle 8.2.5 took place on the banks of the river, the Romans prevailed over the opposing forces. But Comentiolus together with Priscus into

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8.1.1 Κατὰ τούτους δῆτα τοὺς χρόνους Χοσρόης, ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεύς, ἐνεχείρει τὴν εἰρήνην λυμήνασθαι. αἰτία δὲ αὕτη πως τῷ βαρβάρῳ οὖσα ἐτύγχανεν. ἔθνη περὶ τὴν ᾿Αραβίαν πολλά τε καὶ διάφορα πέφυκεν· τούτους Σαρακηνοὺς ἔθος 8.1.2 τοῖς ὄχλοις ἀποκαλεῖν. ἐκ τούτων δὴ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἔνιά τινα τοῖς ῾Ρωμαίοις σύμμαχα ἦν, καί τις ἐκ τούτων ἀποδασμὸς εἰς τὴν Περσίδα χωρήσας κατὰ τὸν τῆς εἰρήνης καιρὸν τῇ ἐπεκδρομῇ μέρη τινὰ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας προενομεύσατο. ἔνθεν 8.1.3 διαπορεῖσθαι ὁ Χοσρόης ἠξίου. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος εἰς τὴν Περσίδα ἐξέπεμψε πρέσβιν Γεώργιον, ὃς τῆς τῶν ἑῴων πόλεων φορολογίας τὴν ἐπιστασίαν ἐκέκτητο· 8.1.4 τοῦτον πραιτωρίων ἔπαρχον ἀποκαλοῦσι ῾Ρωμαῖοι. ὁ μὲν οὖν Χοσρόης δεινοπαθῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς γεγονόσι παρελύπει τὸν πρέσβιν καὶ πολλὴν τὴν τριβὴν αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν βάρβαρον χώραν ἐπραγματεύετο. σκληραγωγεῖται οὖν ὁ Γεώργιος ἡμέρας εἰς τὴν Περσίδα πολλὰς τῆς βασιλικῆς εἰσόδου μηδαμῶς 8.1.5 τετευχώς. ἔτι τοίνυν τῶν πραγμάτων στασιαζομένων Χοσρόῃ, εἰκότως τῷ βαρβάρῳ ὑπόνοια γίνεται μὴ ἄρασθαι τέως πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους τὸν πόλεμον. εἰσδέχεται τοίνυν τὸν Γεώργιον ὁ 8.1.6 Βαβυλώνιος βασιλεὺς εἰς τὰ βασίλεια. ὁ μὲν οὖν Γεώργιος τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ κτησάμενος σύμμαχον πείθει τὸν βάρβαρον τὰς εἰρηναίας μὴ διαλῦσαι σπονδάς. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ, κατὰ τὴν ποίησιν, ὁ Χοσρόης τὴν ἡσυχίαν 8.1.7 ἀσπάζεται. ὁ μὲν οὖν πρέσβις ἅπαντα τὰ συγκυρήσαντα διεξοδικῶς τῷ βασιλεῖ διηγήσατο. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐς ἀγαθὸν ἡ τῆς ἐντεύξεως ἔκθεσις ἀπειλήφει τὸ συμπέρασμα. ἔφησε γὰρ ὁ Γεώργιος εἰπὼν πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα· "ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς τῶν σατραπῶν εἰς ὑπήκοον τάδε διείλεκται. διὰ τὴν 8.1.8 τοῦ πρέσβεως ἀρετὴν δίδωμι τῷ πολέμῳ τὴν λύσιν." τούτων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀκηκοὼς χαλεπαίνει κατὰ τοῦ πρέσβεως, καὶ γίνεται τῷ Γεωργίῳ σφαλερὰ ἡ τῆς πρεσβείας ἐπίτευξις· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ οἶδε λόγος μὴ μέτροις οἰκονομούμενος μεγάλας συμφορὰς τοῖς χρησαμένοις παρέχεσθαι. 8.1. ῾Οπηνίκα δὲ ὁ Χαγάνος (ἐπαναδραμώμεθα γὰρ πρὸς τὰ κατὰ τὴν Εὐρώπην πραχθέντα) διεπεραιώθη τὸν ῎Ιστρον οἴκαδε διὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἀποφοιτῶν, ἀποστέλλουσι πρέσβεις αἱ περὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμεις πρὸς Μαυρίκιον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα προδοσίαν καταιτιώμεναι Κομεντιόλου τοῦ 8.1.10 στρατηγοῦ. τῆς στάσεως τοίνυν εἰς τὸ βασίλειον ἄστυ ἰσχυρᾶς γεγονυίας, δίδωσιν ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Κομεντιόλῳ καὶ τοῖς πρέσβεσι διαιτητάς, καὶ δῆτα γενομένης τῆς συγκροτήσεως τῆς δίκης, καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκλιπαροῦντος τοὺς πρέσβεις, λαμβάνει ἡ κατηγορία τὴν ἐγκοπήν, καὶ αὖθις ὁ Κομεντίολος γίνεται 8.1.11 στρατηγός. θέρους δὲ ἐπιόντος ἔξω τῆς πόλεως γίνεται, καὶ τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων περὶ τῆς λύπης διαλυσαμένων τῷ στρατηγῷ, τὸ ὁπλιτικὸν ὁ Κομεντίολος ἀθροίζει καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ῎Ιστρον γίνεται ποταμὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ Σιγγηδόνι συνανακοινοῦται τῷ Πρίσκῳ. 8.2.1 τετάρτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκκλησιάζονται τὰ στρατόπεδα, καὶ δημηγορήσαντος Πρίσκου περισχίζεται ἡ πρὸς ᾿Αβάρους καὶ ῾Ρωμαίους εἰρήνη· ὁ γὰρ αὐτοκράτωρ Μαυρίκιος τοῖς στρατηγοῖς παρασπονδῆσαι διὰ βασιλικοῦ προστάγματος ἐγκε8.2.2 λεύεται. ἐς τὸ φανερὸν τοίνυν τῆς εἰρήνης λυθείσης, οἱ ῾Ρωμαῖοι πρὸς τὸ Βιμινάκιον γίνονται· αὕτη δὲ νῆσος καθέστηκε περὶ τὰ ῥεῖθρα τοῦ ῎Ιστρου. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ νήσῳ ὁ 8.2.3 Κομεντίολος ἔδοξε νοσηλεύεσθαι. τῶν δὲ ῾Ρωμαίων ἀπὸ τῆς νήσου διαπεραιουμένων ἐπὶ τὴν ἤπειρον, ἠκηκόει ὁ Χαγάνος τὰ τοῦ ῾Ρωμαϊκοῦ στρατοπέδου κινήματα. ὁ μὲν οὖν βάρβαρος συναθροίσας δυνάμεις τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων διατέμνεται γῆν, τοῖς δὲ παισὶ τέτρασιν ὑποῦσιν αὐτῷ παρεδίδου δυνάμεις 8.2.4 καὶ παρενεγύα τὰς διαβάσεις τοῦ ῎Ιστρου περιφρουρεῖν. οἱ μὲν οὖν παῖδες τοῦ βαρβάρου τὰς διαβάσεις τοῦ ῎Ιστρου περιφρουρεῖν κατὰ τὸ προσταχθὲν ἐνεχείρουν, οἱ δὲ ῾Ρωμαῖοι τὰς λεγομένας σχεδίας συρράψαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τὸν ποταμὸν διενήξαντο. περὶ τὰς ὄχθας τοίνυν τοῦ ποταμοῦ γεγονυίας 8.2.5 τῆς μάχης, κρατοῦσι ῾Ρωμαῖοι τῶν ἀντιθέτων δυνάμεων. ὁ δὲ Κομεντίολος ἅμα τῷ Πρίσκῳ εἰς