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falling down, he prayed thus: "Master, God and Lord Jesus Christ, do not hand us over as a reproach to your enemies on account of our sins, but 1.719 looking upon us, have mercy, and give us victory over your enemies, so that the wicked ones may not boast, rising up against your inheritance." Seeing him with such humility, George of Pisidia said, "O king, having wrapped your foot in a sandal dyed with gore, may you dye it red with Persian blood." And taking in his hands the theandric, acheiropoieton image of our Lord and God, he campaigned against the Persians with ships through the Euxine Sea, taking as allies multitudes of Turks and other nations. Therefore, departing from the queen of cities, he proceeds toward Persia, and passing through the Roman themes he gathered armies, adding to them also a new army, which he trained, instructing them in the works of war. For dividing the battle lines in two, he ordered them to engage each other bloodlessly with a shout, to cry out the war cry and paeans and battle-shouts. And he taught them to be on the alert, so that even if they found themselves in war, they might not be disconcerted, but advancing with confidence as if to a game against the Persians. And the emperor, holding in his hands the venerable icon of the theandric image of our Lord Jesus Christ, began the contests, having given his pledge to the people that he would fight with them until death and that he would cherish them as his own children; for he wished to hold his authority not by fear, but rather by affection. And finding the army in great fear and dissension, disorder and disarray, and scattered into many parts, he quickly gathered them all into one, and having admonished them much, 1.720 he raised their morale and armed them against the barbarians, commanding them to abstain from injustice and to cling to piety. And arriving in the regions of Armenia, he heard that a multitude of Persian cavalry was riding ahead in order to fall suddenly upon the emperor of the Romans. But the Roman scouts, in turn encountering them, brought their general as a prisoner to Heraclius and killed many of them. And when winter arrived, the emperor turned aside toward the region of Pontus, and it seemed to the barbarians that he would winter there. But eluding the Persians and turning back, he invades Persia. Learning this, the barbarians became despondent. And their general comes into Cilicia, so that by marching out against Romania he might turn them back. But becoming fearful again, he was forced to follow behind the Roman army, planning to steal a battle by means of a moonless night. But the moon was eclipsed on that very night by coincidence. And out of this, shrinking from attacking the emperor, he occupies the mountains. And coming down from there secretly he would engage in partial skirmishes, and in everything the Romans were preeminent; and the army took courage, seeing the emperor leaping forth boldly and fighting in the forefront. And indeed, a fierce battle having taken place, the Romans are victorious, and they take all their baggage, and they slaughter the entire Persian multitude, with a certain few escaping. Wherefore the Romans gave thanks to God and to the emperor. And the emperor, having left the army with the 1.721 general to winter in Armenia, himself returned to Byzantium. In the 13th year, departing from the imperial city, he arrived in Armenia with speed. And Chosroes sent Sarbarazas with his own army against Romania. And Heraclius indicated to Chosroes that he should make peace; but he took no account of this. And the emperor invaded Persia. Learning this, Chosroes ordered Sarbarazas to return. And gathering together all the Persian armies, he hands them over to Sain; who, having united with Sarbarazas with speed, they advance against the emperor. But he, having stirred up the people with hortatory speeches, advances into inner Persia, destroying the cities and the villages with fire. And hearing in Gazaca .... he rushes against him. And having sent ahead some of the Saracens under him to ride forward, they meet with the watch of Chosroes, and of these the

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πεσὼν ηὔξατο οὕ τως "δέσποτα θεὲ καὶ κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, μὴ παραδῷς ἡμᾶς εἰς ὄνειδος τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἐπι 1.719 βλέψας ἐλέησον, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου νίκην δὸς ἡμῖν, ὅπως μὴ καυχήσονται οἱ ἀλάστορες κατὰ τῆς σῆς κληρονομίας ἐπαιρόμενοι." ὃν ἰδὼν Γεώργιος ὁ Πισσίδης μετὰ τοιαύτης τα πεινώσεως ἔφη "ὦ βασιλεῦ, μελεμβαφὲς πέδιλον εἱλίξας πόδα, βάψαις ἐρυθρὸν Περσικῶν ἐξ αἱμάτων." λαβὼν δὲ μετὰ χεῖρας τὴν θεανδρικὴν ἀχειροποίητον μορφὴν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, κατὰ Περσῶν ἐστράτευσε μετὰ πλοίων διὰ τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου, προσλαβόμενος εἰς συμμαχίαν πλήθη Τούρκων καὶ ἄλλων ἐθνῶν. ἀπάρας τοίνυν τῆς βασιλίδος πρὸς Περσίδα χωρεῖ, καὶ διὰ τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν θεμάτων διερχόμενος συνέλεγε στρατόπεδα, προστιθεὶς αὐτοῖς καὶ νέον στρατόν, οὓς καὶ γυμνάζων τὰ πολεμικὰ ἔργα ἐξε παίδευσε. διχῇ γὰρ διελὼν τὰς παρατάξεις σὺν βοῇ πρὸς ἀλλή λους ἀναιμωτὶ ποιεῖν ἐκέλευε, κραυγάζειν τὸ πολεμικὸν καὶ παιᾶ νας καὶ ἀλαλαγμόν. καὶ διέγερσιν ἔχειν τούτους ἐδίδασκεν, ἵνα κἂν ἐν πολέμῳ εὑρίσκωνται, μὴ ξενίζωνται, ἀλλὰ θαρροῦντες ὡς εἰς παίγνιον κατὰ τῶν Περσῶν χωρῶσιν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὴν σεβασμίαν εἰκόνα τῆς θεανδρικῆς μορφῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ κατέχων ἀπήρξατο τῶν ἀγώνων, πιστὰ δοὺς τῷ λαῷ ὡς σὺν αὐτοῖς μέχρι θανάτου ἀγωνίσεται καὶ ὡς τέκνα οἰκεῖα τούτους περιθάλψει· ἐβούλετο γὰρ τὴν ἐξουσίαν οὐ φόβῳ, ὅσον ἐν πόθῳ ἔχειν. εὑρὼν δὲ τὸν στρατὸν εἰς φόβον πολὺν καὶ διχόνοιαν ἀταξίαν τε καὶ ἀκοσμίαν, καὶ εἰς πολλὰ μέρη διεσπαρ μένον, συντόμως πάντας εἰς ἓν συνήγαγε, καὶ νουθετήσας πολλὰ 1.720 τούτων τὸ φρόνημα ἀνέστησε καὶ κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ὥπλισε, παραγγείλας ἀδικίας μὲν ἀπέχεσθαι εὐσεβείας δὲ ἀντέχεσθαι. παραγενόμενος δὲ ἐν τοῖς μέρεσι τῆς Ἀρμενίας προτρέχειν πλῆθος ἱππέων Περσικῶν ἤκουσε πρὸς τῷ ἐπιπεσεῖν ἄφνω τῷ βασιλεῖ Ῥω μαίων. οἱ δὲ προτρέχοντες πάλιν Ῥωμαῖοι τούτοις συναντήσαντες τόν τε στρατηγὸν αὐτῶν δεσμώτην ἤγαγον πρὸς Ἡράκλειον καὶ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀνεῖλον. ἐπεὶ δὲ χειμὼν κατέλαβεν, ἀποκλίνας ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸ τοῦ Πόντου κλίμα ἔδοξε τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐν τούτῳ παραχειμάζειν. λαθὼν δὲ τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ ἐπιστραφεὶς εἰς τὴν Περσίδα εἰσβάλλει. τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ βάρβαροι εἰς ἀθυμίαν ἦλθον. ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς αὐτῶν ἔρχεται ἐν Κιλικίᾳ, ὅπως ἐπὶ Ῥωμανίαν ἐξελθὼν τούτους περιτρέψῃ. φοβηθεὶς δὲ πάλιν ἠναγκάσθη ἀκολουθεῖν ὀπίσω τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, κλέψαι τὸν πόλεμον μεριμνῶν διὰ νυκτὸς ἀφεγγοῦς. ἡ δὲ σελήνη ὑπέστη κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν νύκτα ἐκ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος. κἀκ τούτου δειλιῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ προσβαλεῖν τὰ ὄρη καταλαμβάνει. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ κατερ χόμενος λάθρᾳ συμπλοκὰς μερικὰς ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ ἐν παντὶ οἱ Ῥω μαῖοι ἐπρώτευον· καὶ θάρσος ἔλαβεν ὁ στρατός, τὸν βασιλέα ὁρῶν προπηδῶντα εὐτόλμως καὶ προπολεμοῦντα. καὶ δὴ συμ βολῆς καρτερᾶς γενομένης νικῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀπο σκευὴν αὐτῶν λαμβάνουσι, σφάζουσι δὲ ἅπαν τὸ Περσικὸν πλῆ θος, ὀλίγων τινῶν διαδράντων. ὅθεν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ ηὐχαρίστουν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὸν στρατὸν σὺν τῷ 1.721 στρατηγῷ καταλιπὼν εἰς Ἀρμενίαν παραχειμάσαι, αὐτὸς εἰς τὸ Βυζάντιον ὑπέστρεψε. Τῷ ιγʹ ἔτει ἀπάρας τῆς βασιλευούσης κατὰ τάχος εἰς Ἀρμε νίαν ἀφίκετο. Χοσρόης δὲ ἀπέστειλε τὸν Σαρβαραζᾶν σὺν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ στρατῷ κατὰ Ῥωμανίας. Ἡράκλειος δὲ Χοσρόῃ ἐδήλου εἰρήνην ποιῆσαι· ὁ δὲ λόγον οὐδένα τούτου ἐποιήσατο. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰσέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Περσίδα. ὅπερ μαθὼν Χοσρόης τὸν Σαρβαραζᾶν ὑποστρέψαι ἐκέλευσε. καὶ ἐπισυνάξας πάντα τὰ Περσικὰ στρατεύματα παραδίδωσιν αὐτὰ τῷ Σαΐν· ὃς κατὰ τά χος ἑνωθεὶς τῷ Σαρβαραζᾷ, χωροῦσι κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως. ὁ δὲ λόγοις παραινετικοῖς τὸν λαὸν διεγείρας ἐν τῇ ἐνδοτέρᾳ Περσίδι χωρεῖ, πυρὶ ἀφανίζων τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰς κώμας. ἀκούσας δὲ ἐν Γαζακῷ .... ὁρμᾷ κατ' αὐτοῦ. καὶ προπέμψας τινὰς τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν Σαρακηνοὺς προτρέχειν, συναντῶσι τῇ τοῦ Χοσρόου βίγλᾳ, καὶ τούτων τοὺς