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having armed strong horses and the bravest of the army in two divisions, he commanded the one to advance against Sarbarus, while he himself with the others followed behind them. And having hastened through the night and reached the place of Salbanon at the 9th hour of the night, with Persians being in it and having realized the attack, who, also rising up, rushed against them. But the Romans killed all of them, except for one, who informed Sarbarus. And Sarbarus, having risen and mounted a horse, both naked and barefoot, procured his safety by flight. And having captured his women and the whole flower of the Persians, both commanders and satraps and elite soldiers, who had gone up onto the roofs of the houses and were making a din of war, he brought them down by means of fire; and some he killed, others he consumed with fire, and others were bound in shackles, and almost no one besides Sarbarus 312 was saved. And they also took the arms of Sarbarus: both a golden shield and sword and spear and the jeweled one and a golden belt and his sandals. And having taken all these things, he proceeds against those scattered in the villages; who, having learned of Sarbarus's flight, fled uncontrollably. And he, having pursued them, killed many of them and took prisoners, and the rest returned to Persia with shame. And the emperor, having gathered his army, wintered with joy in those places. Year of the world ϛριϛʹ. Year of the divine incarnation χιϛʹ. Emperor of the Romans Heraclius, year λαʹ. ιεʹ. King of the Persians Chosroes, year λθʹ. λζʹ. Bishop of Constantinople Sergius, year κθʹ. ιʹ. Bishop of Jerusalem Zacharias, year κβʹ. ιʹ. Bishop of Alexandria George, year ιδʹ. ʹ. In this year, on the 1st of the month of March, the emperor Heraclius, having gathered his army, took counsel by which road he should proceed. For two roads lay before him, both narrow and difficult to pass, the one leading to Taranton, the other to the land of the Syrians. And the one to Taranton was more distinguished, but had a lack of all provisions; but the one to the land of the Syrians, crossing the Taurus, offered both abundance and plenty of provisions. All preferred this one, even if it was steeper and was held by much snow. And having crossed this with much toil in seven days, they reach the Tigris river; and having crossed it, they reach Martyropolis and Amida; and both the army and the captives rest. From there the emperor was also able 313 to send letters to Byzantium and to report all things concerning himself and to bring much joy to the city. But Sarbarus, having gathered his own scattered people, came against him. And the emperor, having selected a squadron of soldiers, dispatched it to guard the mountain passes leading to him; and he himself, sallying out by the eastern routes, went to face Sarbarus, and having crossed the Nymphius river, he reached the Euphrates, where there was a woven bridge made of both ropes and boats. But Sarbarus, having loosed the ropes of the bridge, moved the entire bridge from one bank to the other. And the emperor, having come and not finding a way to cross by the bridge, running along it found a ford; and he crossed it without danger, miraculously in the month of March, and reaches Samosata; and again crossing the Taurus he arrived at Germanicia, and having passed Adana he came to the Sarus river. But Sarbarus, having extended the bridge again to its own place, crossed the Euphrates unimpeded and followed behind him. And the emperor, having crossed the bridge of the Sarus and finding rest for both the army and the horses, having encamped there, he rested them; and Sarbarus also arrived at the opposite side. And finding the bridge and the towers on it held by the Romans, he encamped. And running out across the bridge, many of the Romans disorderly attacked the Persians and inflicted much slaughter on them; But the emperor prevented them from running out in a disorderly way, lest an opportunity be given to the

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ἵππους εὐσθενεῖς καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ τοὺς ἀνδρειοτέρους διχῆ ὁπλίσας τοὺς μὲν προάγειν ἐκέλευσε κατὰ τοῦ Σαρβάρου, αὐτὸς δὲ σὺν τοῖς ἑτέροις ὀπίσω τούτων εἵπετο. σπεύσαντες δὲ διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ καταλαβόντες τὸ χωρίον Σαλβανῶν ὥρᾳ θʹ τῆς νυκτός, Περσῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ὄντων καὶ γνόντων τὴν ἔφοδον, οἳ καὶ διαναστάντες ὥρμησαν κατ' αὐτῶν. οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι τούτους πάντας ἀνεῖλον παρὲξ ἑνός, ὅστις τῷ Σαρβάρῳ ἐμήνυσεν. ὁ δὲ Σάρβαρος ἀναστὰς καὶ ἐπιβὰς ἵππῳ γυμνός τε καὶ ἀνυπόδητος φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπορίσατο. τούτου δὲ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ πᾶν τὸ Περσικὸν ἄνθος ἄρχοντάς τε καὶ σατράπας καὶ στρατιώτας ἐπιλέκτους καταλαβὼν ἀνελθόντας ἐν ταῖς τῶν οἴκων στέγαις καὶ πόλεμον κροτοῦντας διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς καθεῖλεν· καὶ οὓς μὲν ἔκτεινεν, οὓς δὲ πυρὶ ἀνήλωσεν, ἄλλοι δὲ χειροπέδαις ἐδεσμήθησαν καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν οὐδεὶς ἐκτὸς Σαρβάρου 312 διεσώθη. ἔλαβον δὲ καὶ τὰ ὅπλα Σαρβάρου χρυσῆν ἀσπίδα τε καὶ μάχαιραν καὶ δόρυ καὶ τὴν διάλιθον καὶ χρυσῆν ζώνην καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα αὐτοῦ. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα λαβὼν χωρεῖ κατὰ τῶν διεσπαρμένων ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις· οἵτινες μαθόντες τὴν τοῦ Σαρβάρου φυγὴν ἀκρατῶς ἔφυγον. αὐτὸς δὲ διώξας πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἔκτεινε καὶ δεσμίους ἔλαβεν, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐν Περσίδι μετ' αἰσχύνης ὑπέστρεψαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπισυνάξας τὸ ἑαυτοῦ στρατόπεδον μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς τόποις παρεχείμασεν. Κόσμου ἔτη ϛριϛʹ. Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη χιϛʹ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Ἡράκλειος ἔτη λαʹ. ιεʹ. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Χοσρόης ἔτη λθʹ. λζʹ. Κωνσταντ. ἐπίσκοπος Σέργιος ἔτη κθʹ. ιʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος Ζαχαρίας ἔτη κβʹ. ιʹ. Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος Γεώργιος ἔτη ιδʹ. ʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει μηνὶ Μαρτίῳ αʹ ἐπισυνάξας ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡράκλειος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ στράτευμα βουλὴν ἐποιεῖτο, ποίᾳ ὁδῷ πορευθῇ. δύο γὰρ ὁδοὶ αὐτῷ προέκειντο στεναί τε καὶ δύσβατοι, ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ Τάραντον φέρουσα, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Σύρων γῆν. καὶ ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ Τάραντον διαφορωτέρα μὲν ἦν, ἀλλ' ἀπορίαν εἶχε πασῶν τῶν τροφῶν· ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Σύρων τὸν Ταῦρον ὑπερβαίνουσα εὐπορίαν τε καὶ δαψίλειαν τῶν τροφῶν παρεῖχεν. ταύτην συγκρίνουσι πάντες, εἰ καὶ ἀποτομωτέρα καὶ χιόνι πολλῷ κατεχομένη ὑπῆρχεν. ταύτην δὲ κόπῳ πολλῷ ὑπερβάντες ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις καταλαμβάνουσι τὸν Τίγριν ποταμόν· καὶ τοῦτον περάσαντες καταλαμβάνουσι τὴν Μαρτυρόπολιν καὶ τὴν Ἄμιδαν· καὶ διαναπαύονται ὅ τε στρατὸς καὶ ἡ αἰχμαλωσία. ἐντεῦθεν καὶ γράμματα πρὸς τὸ Βυζάντιον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠδυνήθη 313 ἀποστεῖλαι καὶ τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν πάντα δηλῶσαι καὶ χαρὰν πολλὴν ἐμποιῆσαι τῇ πόλει. ὁ δὲ Σάρβαρος ἐπισυνάξας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ διασπαρέντα λαὸν ἐπῆλθε κατ' αὐτοῦ. ἐπιλεξάμενος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἴλην στρατιωτῶν ἀπέλυσε φυλάττειν τὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγούσας κλεισούρας· καὶ τὰς πρὸς ἀνατολὴν αὐτὸς ἐκδραμὼν διεξόδους ἀντιπρόσωπος ᾔει τῷ Σαρβάρῳ, καὶ περάσας τὸν Νυμφίον ποταμὸν κατέλαβε τὸν Εὐφράτην, ἐν οἷς ἦν πλεκτὴ γέφυρα ἐκ σχοίνων τε καὶ νηῶν. ὁ δὲ Σάρβαρος λύσας τὰ σχοινία τῆς γεφύρας ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὄχθης ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτέραν πᾶσαν τὴν γέφυραν μετήγαγεν. ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ μὴ εὑρὼν περᾶσαι διὰ τῆς γεφύρας, παραδραμὼν εὗρε πόρον· καὶ ἀκινδύνως τοῦτον ἐπέρασε παραδόξως τῷ Μαρτίῳ μηνί, καὶ καταλαμβάνει τὰ Σαμόσατα· καὶ πάλιν τὸν Ταῦρον ὑπερβὰς εἰς Γερμανίκειαν ἀφίκετο, καὶ περάσας τὴν Ἄδανα ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν Σάρον ποταμόν. ὁ δὲ Σάρβαρος τὴν γέφυραν πάλιν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον τόπον ἐκτείνας τὸν Εὐφράτην ἐπέρασεν ἀνεμποδίστως καὶ ἠκολούθει ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς περάσας τὴν γέφυραν τοῦ Σάρου καὶ εὑρὼν ἀνάπαυσιν τοῦ τε στρατοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων, ἐν αὐτῷ ἀπληκεύσας διανέπαυσεν αὐτούς· καταλαμβάνει δὲ καὶ ὁ Σάρβαρος εἰς τὸ ἀντίπερα μέρος. εὑρὼν δὲ τὴν γέφυραν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ προπύργια ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων κρατηθέντα ἠπλήκευσεν. ἐκτρέχοντες δὲ διὰ τῆς γεφύρας πολλοὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀτάκτως τοῖς Πέρσαις προσέβαλλον καὶ πολλὴν συγκοπὴν αὐτοῖς ἐποίουν· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τούτους διεκώλυσεν ἀτάκτως παρεκθέειν, μήπως ὁδὸς γένηται τοῖς