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they carry, to grasp, and brandishing them and otherwise moving them up and down to keep turning them; and if a tumult or a shout should arise within, raising the shields themselves, to run to help. 4.28.10 Artabanes for his part gave these instructions, and Gregorius carried them out. And Artasires devised the following: splitting one of the javelins in two, he placed it on his left forearm along the cut surfaces all the way to the elbow. And having bound them tightly with thongs, he threw over them the part of his 4.28.11 tunic at that point. And he did this so that, if anyone raising a sword against him should try to strike, it would not happen that he suffer anything terrible, since he would put forward his left arm, and the iron, being broken off in its blow against the wood, would not be able to touch his body at all. With such a plan Artasires, as 4.28.12 I have related, acted. And to Artabanes he spoke thus: "As for me, I will undertake the attempt with no hesitation and I have hope that with this sword I will touch the body of Gontharis, but what comes after that I cannot say, whether God, being angry with the tyrant, will work with me in this bold deed, or whether, punishing some sin of mine, 4.28.13 he may meet me here and be an obstacle. If, then, you see that the tyrant has not been struck in a vital spot, you must kill me with my own sword without any delay, so that I may not, being tortured by him and saying that I was urged to the deed by your counsel, both perish most shamefully myself 4.28.14 and be compelled, against my will, to destroy you as well." Having said this much, Artasires, along with Gregorius and one of the bodyguards, came to the couches and stood behind Artabanes. And the rest, remaining by the guards, were doing what they had been instructed. 4.28.15 Artasires, then, when the feast was well underway, was intending to set to the work, and was already grasping the hilt of his 4.28.16 dagger. But Gregorius prevented him, saying in the Armenian tongue that Gontharis was still wholly himself, not yet having drunk any great amount of wine. 4.28.17 Groaning then, Artasires said, "O man, what a fine spirit I had, which you have improperly hindered at this moment. 4.28.18" As the drinking went on, Gontharis, now well soaked, was giving to the bodyguards some of the food, 4.28.19 acting with a certain generosity. And they, taking these things, were about to go outside the building to eat, with only three bodyguards left beside Gontharis, 4.28.20 of whom Ulitheus happened to be one. And Artasires also went out, as if to taste the food with the 4.28.21 others. At that point a thought came to him that something might be an obstacle to him when he wanted to draw his dagger. 4.28.22 So, having gone outside, he secretly threw away the sheath of his sword, and taking it naked under his arm, covered by his shoulder-piece, he rushed in to Gontharis, 4.28.23 as if to say something secretly to him apart from the others. When Artabanes saw this, seething with passion and falling into a deep anxiety from the excess of his agony, he began both to shake his head and to change the color of his face many times, and he seemed to have become completely possessed by the magnitude of the 4.28.24 deed. When Peter saw this, he understood what was being done, but he did not report it to any of the others, since, being extremely loyal to the emperor, he was pleased by what was happening. 4.28.25 But as Artasires came very near the tyrant, one of the servants pushed him, and as he stepped back a little, he noticed the naked sword 4.28.26 and cried out, saying, "What is this, my good man?" Gontharis, then, putting his right hand to his ear and turning his face, looked at him. 4.28.27 But Artasires struck him with the sword in between and cut off a part of the crown of his head along with his fingers. 4.28.28 And Peter, shouting out, urged Artasires to kill the most unholy of all men. 4.28.29 But when Gontharis leaped up, Artabanes, seeing him (for he was reclining nearby), drew a two-edged dagger, a large one which hung by his thigh, and thrust it completely up to the hilt into the tyrant's left side 4.28.30 and left it there. And he no less attempted to leap up, but since it was a mortal

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φέρουσιν, ἅπτεσθαι, πάλλοντας δὲ αὐτὰς καὶ ἄλλως κινοῦντας ἄνω κάτω ἐς ἀεὶ στρέφειν· θορύβου δὲ ἢ κραυγῆς ἐντὸς γενομένης ἀραμένους τὰς ἀσπίδας αὐτὰς βοηθεῖν δρόμῳ. 4.28.10 Ἀρταβάνης μὲν ταῦτα ἐπήγγελλεν, ὁ δὲ Γρηγόριος ἐπιτελῆ ἐποίει. ὅ τε Ἀρτασίρης ἐπενόει τάδε· τῶν βελῶν τινα διελὼν δίχα τῷ καρπῷ τῆς εὐωνύμου χειρὸς ἐπέθετο κατὰ τὰς τομὰς μέχρι ἐς τὸν ἀγκῶνα. ἱμᾶσί τε αὐτὰ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς σφίγξας ὕπερθε τὸ ταύτῃ τοῦ 4.28.11 χιτωνίσκου μέρος ἐπέβαλλεν. ἐποίει δὲ ταῦτα, ὅπως, ἤν τις αὐτῷ τὸ ξίφος ἐπανατεινάμενος ἐγχειρῇ παίειν, μηδὲν αὐτῷ δεινὸν πεπονθέναι ξυμβαίη, προβεβλημένῳ μὲν τὴν λαιὰν χεῖρα, τοῦ δὲ σιδήρου ἀποκαυλιζομένου ἐν τῇ ἐς τὸ ξύλον ἐπιφορᾷ καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἅψασθαι οὐδαμῆ ἔχοντος. τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ Ἀρτασίρης, ὥσπερ 4.28.12 μοι ἐρρήθη, ἐποίει. τῷ δὲ Ἀρταβάνῃ ἔλεξεν ὧδε «Ἐγὼ τὸ μὲν ἐγχείρημα ὀκνήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ὑποστήσεσθαι «καὶ ξίφει τῷδε τοῦ Γονθάριδος σώματος ψαύσειν «ἐλπίδα ἔχω, τὸ δὲ ἐνθένδε οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, πότερα ὁ «θεὸς τῷ τυράννῳ χαλεπῶς ἔχων ξυγκατεργάσεταί μοι «τὸ τόλμημα τοῦτο, ἤ τινα ἐμὴν ἁμαρτάδα τιννύμενος 4.28.13 «ἐνταῦθά τε ἀπαντήσας ἐμπόδιος εἴη. ἢν τοίνυν οὐκ «ἐν καιρίῳ πληγέντα τὸν τύραννον ἴδῃς, σὺ δή με τῷ «ξίφει τῷ ἐμῷ μηδέν τι μελλήσας ἀπόκτεινον, ὅπως «μὴ πρὸς αὐτοῦ αἰκιζόμενος γνώμῃ τε τῇ σῇ ἐς τὴν «πρᾶξιν ὡρμηκέναι εἰπὼν αἴσχιστά τε αὐτὸς διαφθαρείην 4.28.14 «καί σε προσαπολεῖν ἀναγκασθείην ἀκούσιος.» τοσαῦτα καὶ Ἀρτασίρης εἰπὼν ξύν τε Γρηγορίῳ καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων ἑνὶ παρὰ τὰς στιβάδας ἐλθὼν ὄπισθεν Ἀρταβάνου ἑστήκει. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ παρὰ τοὺς φύλακας μένοντες τὰ σφίσιν ἐπηγγελμένα ἐποίουν. 4.28.15 Ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀρτασίρης, ἀρξαμένης που τῆς θοίνης, ἔργου ἔχεσθαι διενοεῖτο, ἤδη τε τῆς τοῦ ἀκινάκου 4.28.16 λαβῆς ἥπτετο. ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ὁ Γρηγόριος διεκώλυσεν ἔτι τὸν Γόνθαριν ὅλον εἰπὼν τῇ Ἀρμενίων φωνῇ ἐν αὑτῷ εἶναι, οὔπω ἐκπεπωκότα τοῦ οἴνου τι μέγα. 4.28.17 ἀνοιμώξας τοίνυν Ἀρτασίρης, «ὦ ἄνθρωπε,» εἶπεν, «ὡς καλὴν ἔχοντά με ψυχὴν οὐ δέον ἐν τῷ παρόντι 4.28.18 «κεκώλυκας.» προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ πότου, ἤδη που καταβεβρεγμένος ὁ Γόνθαρις τοῖς δορυφόροις τῶν βρώσεων 4.28.19 ἐδίδου, φιλοτιμίᾳ τινὶ χρώμενος. οἳ δὴ ταύτας λαβόντες ἐσθίειν ἤδη τοῦ οἰκήματος ἔξω γενόμενοι ἔμελλον, μόνων ἀπολελειμμένων παρὰ τὸν Γόνθαριν δορυφόρων 4.28.20 τριῶν, ὧνπερ Οὐλίθεος εἷς ἐτύγχανεν ὤν. ἐξῄει δὲ καὶ Ἀρτασίρης, ὡς τῶν βρώσεων ξὺν τοῖς ἑτέροις γευσό4.28.21 μενος. ἐνταῦθά τις αὐτῷ γέγονεν ἔννοια μή τί οἱ σπάσασθαι βουλομένῳ τὸν ἀκινάκην ἐμπόδιον εἴη. 4.28.22 ἔξω τοίνυν γενόμενος ἔρριψε μὲν λάθρα τοῦ ξίφους τὴν θήκην, γυμνόν τε αὐτὸ ὑπὸ μάλης λαβὼν πρὸς τῆς ἐπωμίδος κεκαλυμμένον παρὰ τὸν Γόνθαριν ἐσε4.28.23 πήδησεν, ὡς κρύφα τι τῶν ἄλλων ἐρῶν. ὅπερ Ἀρταβάνης ἰδὼν τῷ τε θυμῷ ζέων καὶ τῇ τῆς ἀγωνίας ὑπερβολῇ ἐς βαθεῖάν τινα ἐμπεσὼν μέριμναν, κινεῖν τε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἤρξατο καὶ πολλὰς ἀμείβειν τοῦ προσώπου χρόας, ἔνθους τέ τις τῷ μεγέθει τῆς πράξεως 4.28.24 γεγενῆσθαι παντελῶς ἔδοξεν. ὅπερ ὁ Πέτρος ἰδὼν ξυνῆκε τὸ ποιούμενον, οὐ μέντοι ἐξήνεγκεν ἐς τῶν ἄλλων τινὰ, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν βασιλεῖ εὐνοϊκῶς ἔχοντα λίαν 4.28.25 ἤρεσκε τὰ πρασσόμενα. τὸν δὲ Ἀρτασίρην, ἄγχιστά πη τοῦ τυράννου ἐλθόντα, τῶν τις οἰκετῶν ὦσε, μικρόν τε ὄπισθεν ἀποκεχωρηκότος κατενόησε τὸ ξίφος γυμ4.28.26 νὸν ἀνέκραγέ τε, «τί τοῦτο, βέλτιστε»; λέγων. ὁ μὲν οὖν Γόνθαρις παρὰ τῶν ὤτων τὸ δεξιὸν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιβαλὼν στρέψας τε τὸ πρόσωπον ἐς αὐτὸν ἔβλεπεν. 4.28.27 Ἀρτασίρης δὲ αὐτὸν τῷ ξίφει μεταξὺ ἔπαισε καὶ τοῦ βρέγματος μοῖράν τινα ξὺν τοῖς δακτύλοις ἀπέκοψε. 4.28.28 Πέτρος δὲ ἀναβοήσας ἐνεκελεύετο τῷ Ἀρτασίρῃ τὸν 4.28.29 ἀνοσιώτατον κτείνειν ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων. ἀναθρώσκοντα δὲ Γόνθαριν Ἀρταβάνης ἰδὼν (ἐγγύθι γὰρ κατεκλίνετο) μάχαιραν ἀμφήκη σπασάμενος, ἥ οἱ παρὰ τὸν μηρὸν ἀπεκρέματο μεγάλη τις οὖσα, ἐς τὴν ἀριστερὰν τοῦ τυράννου πλευρὰν ἄχρι ἐς τὴν λαβὴν ξύμ4.28.30 πασαν ὤσας ἐνταῦθα μεθῆκε. καὶ ὃς οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἀναθορεῖν ἐπεχείρησεν, ἅτε δὲ καιρίαν