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he sent against Heraclius through Armenia. But Sarablangas followed behind him and did not engage him, waiting to be united with Sarbarazas and thus to wage the war. But when the Romans learned of the attack of Sarbarazas, they were turned to cowardice and fell at the feet of the emperor, repenting with tears for their ill-conceived disobedience, having learned what an evil it is for a slave not to yield to the counsels of his master; and they said: "Your hand, master, before we wretched ones perish; for we yield to you, in whatever you command." Then the emperor hastened to engage Sarablangas, before he could be united with the army of Sarbarazas, and by making many sallies against him both by night and by day, he reduced him to cowardice; and leaving both behind, he marched with haste against Chosroes. But two of the Romans deserted to the Persians and persuaded them that the Romans were fleeing out of cowardice. And another rumor came to them, that Saïn, a Persian general, was arriving with another army 310 as reinforcement; and learning this, both Sarablangas and Sarbarazas strove to attack Heraclius in battle, before Saïn could arrive and transfer the glory of the victory to himself. And trusting the deserters also, they marched against Heraclius, and approaching him they made camp, intending to engage at dawn. But Heraclius, setting out from the evening, marched through the whole night; and getting far from them, and finding a grassy plain, he made camp in it. But the barbarians, thinking he was fleeing out of cowardice, marched in disorder to catch him. But he, meeting them, joined battle against them. And seizing a certain wooded hill and massing his army, with the cooperation of God he turns the barbarians to flight, and pursuing them through the ravines he killed a great multitude. And Sarablangas also falls, struck in the back with a sword. And while these struggles were going on, Saïn also arrived with his army, and the emperor, routing him and killing many of them, scattered the rest in flight; and he also took their baggage train. But Sarbarazas, uniting with Saïn, gathered together the surviving barbarians; and again they intended to march against Heraclius. But the emperor marched to the land of the Huns and their difficult passes, in rugged and impassable places. But the barbarians followed behind him. But the Laz, together with the Abasgians, becoming fearful, detached themselves from the Roman alliance and withdrew to their own country. And Saïn, pleased at this, marched with great wrath with Sarbar against Heraclius. But the emperor, gathering the army together, uplifted them with words and anointed them with exhortation, saying: "Let not the multitude of the enemy trouble you, brothers. For if God wills it, one will pursue a thousand. Let us therefore offer ourselves to God for the salvation of our brothers. Let us receive 311 a martyr's crown, so that future time may praise us, and God may give the rewards." Having encouraged the army with these and many other words, with a cheerful face he draws up for battle, and standing a short distance from each other from morning until evening they did not engage one another. But when evening came, the emperor held to his march. But the barbarians again marched behind him. But changing their route and wishing to get ahead of him, they fall into marshy places and get lost and came into great danger. But the emperor, having crossed the parts of Persarmenia, passed by. And since that land was held by the Persians, many flocked to Sarbarazas, and he increased his own army. And when winter came, the multitude was scattered in their own places to rest in their homes. But Heraclius, learning this, intended to steal the battle by night; and with winter at hand, and with Sarbar having no suspicion, having chosen

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ἀπέστειλε κατὰ Ἡρακλείου διὰ τῆς Ἀρμενίας. Σαραβλαγγᾶς δὲ ἠκολούθει ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ συνέβαλεν αὐτῷ ἐκδεχόμενος ἑνωθῆναι τῷ Σαρβαραζᾷ καὶ οὕτω τὸν πόλεμον συστήσασθαι. γνόντες δὲ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἔφοδον τοῦ Σαρβαραζᾶ εἰς δειλίαν ἐτράπησαν καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ τοῦ βασιλέως προσέπεσον δάκρυσι μετανοοῦντες διὰ τὴν κακῶς γενομένην αὐτῶν παρακοήν, γνόντες οἷον κακόν ἐστι δοῦλον μὴ εἴκειν τοῖς τοῦ δεσπότου βουλεύμασιν· καὶ ἔλεγον· "τὴν χεῖρά σου, δέσποτα, πρὶν ἀπολέσθαι ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀθλίους· εἴκομεν γάρ σοι, ἐν οἷς ἂν κελεύῃς." τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔσπευσε συμβαλεῖν τῷ Σαραβλαγγᾷ, πρὶν ἢ ἑνωθῆναι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Σαρβαραζᾶ, καὶ πολλὰς ἐκδρομὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ ποιησάμενος ἐν νυκτί τε καὶ ἡμέρᾳ εἰς δειλίαν αὐτὸν κατέστησεν· καὶ ὄπισθεν ἀμφοτέρους ἐάσας κατὰ Χοσρόου μετὰ σπουδῆς ἤλαυνεν. αὐτομολοῦσι δὲ δύο τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ πείθουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐκ δειλανδρίας φεύγειν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους. ἦλθε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ φήμη ἑτέρα, τὸν Σάϊν, στρατηγὸν Περσῶν, καταλαμβάνειν μεθ' ἑτέρου στρατεύ310 ματος εἰς βοήθειαν· καὶ τοῦτο μαθόντες Σαραβλαγγᾶς τε καὶ Σαρβαραζᾶς ἠγωνίσαντο προσβαλεῖν τῷ Ἡρακλείῳ πρὸς πόλεμον, πρὶν ἢ φθάσαι τὸν Σάϊν καὶ τῆς νίκης εἰς ἑαυτὸν μετενεγκεῖν τὸ κλέος. πιστεύσαντες δὲ καὶ τοῖς αὐτομόλοις ἐχώρησαν κατὰ Ἡρακλείου, καὶ πλησιάσαντες αὐτῷ ἠπλήκευσαν βουλόμενοι ἅμα τῷ πρωῒ συμβαλεῖν. ὁ δὲ Ἡράκλειος ἀπάρας ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ὥδευσε δι' ὅλης τῆς νυκτός· καὶ μακρὰν γενόμενος ἀπ' αὐτῶν εὑρών τε πεδίον χλοηφόρον ἠπλήκευσεν ἐν αὐτῷ. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι νομίσαντες ἐκ δειλίας φεύγειν ἀκόσμως ἤλαυνον τοῦ καταλαβεῖν αὐτόν. αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπαντήσας αὐτοῖς ἐκρότησε πόλεμον κατ' αὐτῶν. καταλαβὼν δὲ βουνόν τινα ἀλσώδη καὶ ἐπισωρεύσας τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργίᾳ τρέπει τοὺς βαρβάρους, καὶ τούτους διὰ τῶν φαράγγων διώξας πλῆθος πολὺ ἀνεῖλεν. πίπτει δὲ καὶ ὁ Σαραβλαγγᾶς ξίφει πληγεὶς τὸ νῶτον. καὶ τούτων μεταξὺ τῶν ἀγώνων ὄντων, ἔφθασε καὶ ὁ Σάϊν σὺν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ στρατῷ, καὶ τοῦτον τρεψάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πολλοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀνελὼν τοὺς λοιποὺς διέσπειρε φεύγοντας· παρέλαβε δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦλδον αὐτῶν. ὁ δὲ Σαρβαραζᾶς ἑνωθεὶς τῷ Σάϊν ἐπεσύναξε τοὺς σωθέντας βαρβάρους· καὶ πάλιν διενοοῦντο κατὰ Ἡρακλείου χωρεῖν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Οὔννων χώραν καὶ τὰς τούτων δυσχωρίας ἤλαυνεν ἔν τε τραχέσι τόποις καὶ δυσβάτοις. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἠκολούθουν. οἱ δὲ Λαζοὶ ἅμα τοῖς Ἀβασγοῖς δειλιάσαντες ἀπέσπασαν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων συμμαχίας καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν ἀνεχώρησαν. ὁ δὲ Σάϊν ἡσθεὶς ἐπὶ τούτῳ θυμῷ πολλῷ σὺν τῷ Σαρβάρῳ ἐχώρει κατὰ Ἡρακλείου. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπισυνάξας τὸν στρατὸν λόγοις ἀνεπτέρωσε καὶ παραινέσει τούτους ἤλειφε λέγων· "τὸ πλῆθος ὑμᾶς τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἀδελφοί, μὴ ταραττέτω. θεοῦ γὰρ θέλοντος, εἷς διώξει χιλίους. θύσωμεν οὖν τῷ θεῷ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν σωτηρίας. λάβωμεν 311 στέφος μαρτύρων, ἵνα καὶ ὁ μέλλων ἡμᾶς χρόνος ἐπαινέσῃ, καὶ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς μισθοὺς ἀποδώσῃ." τούτοις καὶ ἄλλοις πλείοσι λόγοις παραθαρσύνας τὸν στρατὸν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ παρατάττει τὸν πόλεμον, καὶ στάντες ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἀπὸ μικροῦ διαστήματος ἀπὸ πρωῒ μέχρις ἑσπέρας ἀλλήλοις οὐ συνέβαλον. ἑσπέρας δὲ καταλαβούσης, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς ὁδοιπορίας εἴχετο. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι πάλιν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἤλαυνον. ἐναλλάξαντες δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τοῦτον προλαβεῖν θελήσαντες ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς τόπους τελματώδεις καὶ πλανῶνται καὶ εἰς μέγαν κίνδυνον ἦλθον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς διαβὰς τὰ μέρη Περσαρμενίας παρέτρεχεν. τῆς δὲ γῆς ἐκείνης ὑπὸ Περσῶν κρατουμένης, πολλοὶ συνέτρεχον τῷ Σαρβαραζᾷ, καὶ ἐπηύξει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν. χειμῶνος δὲ γεγονότος, ἐσκορπίσθη τὸ πλῆθος ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις τόποις πρὸς τὸ ἀναπαύεσθαι ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις αὐτῶν. τοῦτο δὲ Ἡράκλειος μαθὼν διανοεῖται ἐν νυκτὶ κλέψαι τὸν πόλεμον· καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐπικειμένου, καὶ ὑποψίας μηδεμιᾶς οὔσης τῷ Σαρβάρῳ, ἐπιλεξάμενος