156

to unite with the army of Razates, and to take a position at the Narbas river, 12 miles from Ctesiphon; and he ordered them that, when the emperor should cross the river, they should cut the bridge and the pontoon bridge. But the emperor, on the seventh of the month of January, setting out from Dastagerd and marching for three 325 days, encamped 12 miles from the Narbas river, where the army of the Persians was, in which they also had two hundred elephants; and the emperor sent Georgius the turmarch of the Armeniacs, to go as far as the river and to find out if the Narbas had a crossing. And finding that they had cut the bridges, and that the Narbas had no crossing, he returned to the emperor. And setting out, the emperor came to Siarzur, and went about burning the lands and the cities for the whole month of February. And in the month of March, coming to a place called Barzan, he spent seven days and sent the general Mezezius on a raid. And Gundabusas deserted to him, who was a chiliarch of the army of Sarbarus, with five others, three of them comites, and two officials; and he brought them to the emperor. This Gundabusas reported necessary matters to the emperor, saying, that "when Chosroes fled from Dastagerd and went to Ctesiphon and Seleucia, he fell ill with dysentery and wanted to crown his son Merdasas, who was born of Seirem; and that he crossed the river back again and brought with him Merdasas and Seirem and her other son Saliar; but his firstborn son Siroes and his brothers and his wives he left on the other side of the river. And when Siroes learned that he wanted to crown Merdasas, he was disturbed and sent his foster-brother to Gundabusas, telling him, that 'Come across the river, that I may meet with you.' But Gundabusas feared Chosroes to cross, and indicated to him, that 'Write to me through your foster-brother, if you want anything.' And Siroes wrote to him, that 'You know how the state of the Persians has been destroyed by the evil man Chosroes, and he wishes to crown Merdasas, and has scorned me his firstborn. And if you would speak to the army, 326 that they may receive me, I will both increase their stipends and make peace with the emperor of the Romans and with the Turks, and we shall be able to live well. And make haste with your people, that I may be king; and I will promote and establish all of you, and you in particular.' And that I indicated to him through his foster-brother that, if I can do anything, I will speak to the army and exert myself." And I spoke to 22 comites and brought them to my opinion, and other commanders and many soldiers. And I reported these things to Siroes, and he indicated to me that on the 23rd of the month of March I should take younger soldiers and meet him at the pontoon bridge of the Tigris river, and we should receive him into the army and move against Chosroes. And that with Siroes are also the two sons of Sarbarazas, and the son of Iesdem, and many other children of commanders, and the son of Aram, all of them elite; and that if they are able to kill Chosroes, well and good; but if they should fail, all of them with Siroes will desert to the emperor; and he sent me to you, master; for he respects the empire of the Romans, because it once saved Chosroes, and the land of the Romans suffered many evils from him, and that because of his ingratitude the emperor has reason not to trust me either." But the emperor, sending this man back again to Siroes, indicated that he should open the prisons and cast out the Romans held in them and give them weapons, and thus move against Chosroes. And Siroes, obeying the emperor and casting out the prisoners, went against his patricidal father Chosroes. But he, having tried to flee and not being able, was seized. And having bound him securely with iron fetters, with his hands behind his back, they placed iron weights on both his feet and his neck

156

ἑνωθῆναι τῷ στρατῷ τοῦ Ῥαζάτου, καὶ στῆναι εἰς τὸν Ναρβᾶν ποταμὸν ἀπὸ ιβʹ μιλίων Κτησιφῶντος· καὶ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτούς, ἵνα, ἡνίκα περάσῃ τὸν ποταμὸν ὁ βασιλεύς, κόψωσι τὴν γέφυραν καὶ τὴν ποντογέφυραν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῇ ἑβδόμῃ τοῦ Ἰαννουαρίου μηνὸς κινήσας ἐκ τοῦ ∆ασταγὲρδ καὶ περιπατήσας τρεῖς 325 ἡμέρας ἠπλήκευσεν ἀπὸ ιβʹ μιλίων τοῦ Ναρβᾶ ποταμοῦ, ὅπου ἦν τὸ φωσάτον τῶν Περσῶν, ἐν οἷς εἶχον καὶ διακοσίους ἐλέφαντας· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεώργιον τὸν τουρμάρχην τῶν Ἀρμενιάκων, ἵνα ἀπέλθῃ μέχρι τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ καταμάθῃ, εἰ ἔχει πέραμα ὁ Ναρβᾶς. καὶ εὑρών, ὅτι ἔκοψαν τὰς γεφύρας, καὶ οὐκ ἔχει πέραμα ὁ Ναρβᾶς, ὑπέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ ἀποκινήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν Σιάζουρον, καὶ περιήρχετο πυρπολῶν τὰς χώρας καὶ τὰς πόλεις ὅλον τὸν Φεβρουάριον μῆνα. τῷ δὲ Μαρτίῳ μηνὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς χωρίον λεγόμενον Βάρζαν ἐποίησεν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἀπέστειλε Μεζέζιον τὸν στρατηγὸν εἰς κοῦρσον. καὶ προσερρύη αὐτῷ Γουνδαβουσᾶν, ὅς τις χιλίαρχος ἦν τῆς στρατιᾶς Σαρβάρου, μετὰ ἄλλων πέντε, τριῶν μὲν κομήτων, δύο δὲ ἀξιωματικῶν· καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὅς τις Γουνδαβουσᾶν ἀναγκαῖα πράγματα τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀπήγγειλε λέγων, ὅτι "ὅταν ἔφυγεν ὁ Χοσρόης ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ασταγὲρδ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἐν Κτησιφῶντι καὶ Σελευκείᾳ, ἠσθένησε δυσεντερίᾳ καὶ ἠθέλησε τὸν υἱὸν Μερδασὰν τὸν τεχθέντα ἐκ τῆς Σειρὲμ στέψαι· καὶ ὅτι ἀντεπέρασε τὸν ποταμὸν πάλιν καὶ ἤνεγκε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Μερδασὰν καὶ τὴν Σειρὲμ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον αὐτῆς Σαλιάρ· τὸν δὲ πρωτότοκον αὐτοῦ υἱὸν Σιρόην καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτοῦ ἔασε πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ. καὶ γνοὺς Σιρόης, ὅτι τὸν Μερδασὰν θέλει στέψαι, ἐταράχθη καὶ ἔπεμψε τὸν συγγάλακτον αὐτοῦ πρὸς Γουνδαβουσᾶν δηλώσας αὐτῷ, ὅτι "ἐλθὲ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ἵνα συντύχω σοι." ὁ δὲ Γουνδαβουσᾶν ἐφοβήθη τὸν Χοσρόην περᾶσαι, καὶ δηλοῖ αὐτῷ, ὅτι "γράψον μοι διὰ τοῦ συγγαλάκτου σου, εἴ τι θέλεις." καὶ ἔγραψεν αὐτῷ Σιρόης, ὅτι "γινώσκεις, πῶς ἡ πολιτεία τῶν Περσῶν ἀπώλετο ἐκ τοῦ κακοῦ ἀνθρώπου Χοσρόου, καὶ θέλει στέψαι τὸν Μερδασάν, καὶ ἐμὲ τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτοῦ περιεφρόνησεν. καὶ ἐὰν λαλήσῃς τὸν στρατόν, 326 ἵνα δέξωνταί με, καὶ τὰς ῥόγας αὐτῶν ἐπαυξῆσαι ἔχω καὶ εἰρήνην ποιῶ μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων καὶ μετὰ τῶν Τούρκων, καὶ καλῶς ἔχομεν ζῆσαι. καὶ σπούδασον μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ἵνα ἐγὼ βασιλεύσω· καὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς προαναβιβάσαι ἔχω καὶ συγκροτῆσαι, καὶ κατ' ἐξαίρετον σέ." καὶ ὅτι ἐδήλωσα αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ συγγαλάκτου αὐτοῦ, ὅτι, εἴ τι δύναμαι, λαλῆσαι ἔχω τὸν στρατὸν καὶ μοχθῆσαι." καὶ ἐλάλησα κβʹ κόμητας καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτοὺς τῆς γνώμης μου καὶ ἄλλους ἄρχοντας καὶ στρατιώτας πολλούς. καὶ ταῦτα ἐδήλωσα τῷ Σιρόῃ, καὶ ἐδήλωσέ μοι, ἵνα τῇ κγʹ τοῦ Μαρτίου μηνὸς λάβω ταξάτους νεωτέρους καὶ εἰς τὴν ποντογέφυραν τοῦ Τίγριδος ποταμοῦ ὑπαντήσω αὐτῷ, καὶ λάβωμεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν στρατὸν καὶ κινήσωμεν κατὰ Χοσρόου. καὶ ὅτι μετὰ Σιρόου εἰσὶ καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοὶ τοῦ Σαρβαραζᾶ, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Ἰεσδέμ, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τέκνα ἀρχόντων, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀράμ, πάντες ἐπίλεκτοι· καὶ ὅτι εἰ μὲν δυνηθῶσιν ἀνελεῖν τὸν Χοσρόην, εὖ καὶ καλῶς· εἰ δὲ ἀστοχήσωσιν, πάντες σὺν τῷ Σιρόῃ προσρύονται τῷ βασιλεῖ· καὶ ἀπέστειλέ με πρὸς σέ, δέσποτα· αἰδεῖται γὰρ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ὅτι τὸν Χοσρόην ἔσωσέ ποτε, καὶ πολλὰ κακὰ ἔπαθεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων γῆ, καὶ ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀγνωμοσύνην οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ ἔχει ὁ βασιλεὺς πιστεῦσαι." ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῦτον πάλιν πρὸς Σιρόην ἀποστείλας ἐδήλωσεν ἀνοῖξαι τὰς φυλακὰς καὶ τοὺς κατεχομένους ἐν αὐταῖς Ῥωμαίους ἐκβάλαι καὶ δοῦναι αὐτοῖς ὅπλα, καὶ οὕτω ἀποκινῆσαι κατὰ Χοσρόου. ὁ δὲ Σιρόης ὑπακούσας τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἐκβαλὼν τοὺς κατακλείστους ἐπῆλθε τῷ πατροκτόνῳ πατρὶ Χοσρόῃ. αὐτὸς δὲ φυγεῖν δοκιμάσας καὶ μὴ ἰσχύσας ἐκρατήθη. τοῦτον δὲ δεσμήσαντες σφοδρῶς σιδηροπέδαις ὀπισθάγκωνα τοῖς τε ποσὶ καὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ βάρη σιδηρᾶ περιέθηκαν