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having killed some and captured others, they brought them with their general to the emperor. When Chosroes learned this, he took to flight. But the emperor, pursuing them, killed the combatants and scattered the fugitives. And capturing the city of Gazakon, in which was the temple of fire and the treasures of Croesus, the king of the Lydians, and the deceit of the burning coals, and entering it he found the abominable idol of Chosroes, and his image on the spherical roof of the palace as if sitting in heaven, and around it the sun and the moon and the stars, 1.722 which the superstitious man worshipped as gods, and he placed angels around him as scepter-bearers. And from there the God-fighter had contrived with his machines for drops to drip like rain and sounds to echo like thunder. Therefore, having consumed all these things with fire, and having burned down the temple of fire and the entire city, he swiftly pursued Chosroes in the narrow regions of the Medes, where he also sacked many cities and lands. And having held a council about wintering, he purified the army for three days, and opening the immaculate gospels of God, he found permission to winter in Albania. And in the meantime, on the way, having with him many Persian captives, about fifty thousand, he pitied them with his compassionate soul and freed them from their bonds.

In the 14th year, Chosroes, the king of the Persians, having armed another general, Sarbarazas, with an army, sent him to Sarbarangas, so that both united might make war on the Romans. Knowing this, the emperor hastened to join battle with Sarbarangas before he could unite with Sarbarazas, and making many sallies against him, he cast him into cowardice. And leaving them both behind, he marched with haste against Chosroes. But two of the Romans deserted to the Persians, and they persuade them that the Romans are fleeing out of cowardice. And a report came to them that Sain, a Persian general, was arriving with another army to help. Learning this, Sarbarangas 1.723 and Sarbarazas strove to join battle with Heraclius before Sain arrived, and to turn the victory upon them. And trusting the deserters, they advanced against Heraclius. And approaching him they encamped, intending to join battle at dawn. But Heraclius, departing in the evening, marched through the whole night, and having gotten far away from them, found a grassy plain and encamped. But the barbarians, thinking he was fleeing out of cowardice, pursued in disorder; but he, meeting them, started the battle, and with the help of God, he turned the barbarians, and pursuing them through the ravines, he killed great multitudes. And in the midst of the struggles, Sain also arrived with his own army. And the emperor, joining battle with him also, and having routed him, killed many and scattered the rest in flight, and also took their camp. But Sarbarazas, having united with Sain, gathered the remaining barbarians, and again they intended to march against the emperor. But Heraclius marched to the country of the Huns and their difficult terrain, in places rough and impassable. And the barbarians followed behind him. However the Lazi, along with the Abasgians, growing fearful, withdrew themselves from the Roman alliance and returned home. But Sain, pleased at this, marched with great wrath against Heraclius with the barbarians. But the emperor, rousing the army with words, exhorted them, saying, "Let not the multitude disturb you, brothers; for if God wills, one 1.724 will pursue a thousand. Let us therefore sacrifice ourselves to God for the salvation of our brothers. Let us receive the crowns of martyrs, so that future time may praise us." With these and many other words, encouraging the army, he prepared for the war with a cheerful countenance. And standing against each other at a short distance from dawn until evening

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μὲν ἀνελόντες τοὺς δὲ κρατήσαντες σὺν τῷ στρατηγῷ αὐτῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ προσήγαγον. τοῦτο μαθὼν Χοσρόης φυγῇ ἐχρήσατο. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καταδιώξας τοὺς μὲν πολεμιστὰς ἀνεῖλε, τοὺς δὲ φεύγοντας διεσκέδασε. καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Γα ζακὸν πόλιν, ἐν ᾗ ὑπῆρχεν ὁ ναὸς τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τὰ χρήματα Κροίσου τοῦ Λυδῶν βασιλέως καὶ ἡ πλάνη τῶν ἀνθράκων, καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἐν αὐτῇ εὗρε τὸ μυσαρὸν εἴδωλον τοῦ Χοσρόου, τό τε ἐκτύπωμα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ τοῦ παλατίου σφαιροειδεῖ στέγῃ ὡς ἐν οὐ ρανῷ καθήμενον, καὶ περὶ τοῦτο ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην καὶ ἄστρα, 1.722 οἷς ὁ δεισιδαίμων ὡς θεοῖς ἐλάτρευε, καὶ ἀγγέλους αὐτῷ σκηπτρο φόρους περιέστησεν. ἐκεῖθέν τε σταγόνας στάζειν ὡς ὑετοὺς καὶ ἤχους ὡς βροντὰς ἐξηχεῖσθαι ὁ θεομάχος ταῖς μηχαναῖς ἐπετεχνά σατο. ταῦτα γοῦν πάντα πυρὶ ἀναλώσας, καὶ τὸν τοῦ πυρὸς ναὸν κατακαύσας καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν, συντόμως κατεδίωκεν ὀπίσω Χοσρόου ἐν τοῖς στενοῖς τῶν Μήδων χωρίοις, ἐν οἷς καὶ πολλὰς πόλεις καὶ χώρας ἐπόρθησε. συμβούλιον δὲ ποιήσας τοῦ παραχειμάσαι, ἁγνίζει τὸν λαὸν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τρεῖς, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄχραντα εὐαγγέλια εὗρεν ἐπιτρέποντα ἐν Ἀλβανίᾳ παραχειμάσαι. ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἔχων σὺν αὐτῷ πολλὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Περσικήν, ὡσεὶ πεντήκοντα χιλιάδας, τούτους τῇ συμπαθεῖ αὐτοῦ ψυχῇ ἐλεήσας τῶν δεσμῶν ἔλυσε.

Τῷ ιδʹ ἔτει Χοσρόης ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Σαρβαραζᾶν ἄλλον στρατηγὸν ἐξοπλίσας μετὰ λαοῦ πρὸς Σαρβαραγκᾶν ἀπέστει λεν, ὡς ἑνωθέντας ἀμφοτέρους πολεμῆσαι Ῥωμαίοις. τοῦτο γνοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔσπευσε συμβαλεῖν πόλεμον μετὰ Σαρβάραγκα πρὸ τοῦ ἑνωθῆναι αὐτὸν τῷ Σαρβαραζᾷ, καὶ πολλὰς ἐκδρομὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ ποιησάμενος εἰς δειλίαν αὐτὸν ἐνέβαλεν. ὄπισθεν δὲ ἀμφοτέρους ἐάσας κατὰ Χοσρόου μετὰ σπουδῆς ἤλαυνεν. αὐτο μολοῦσι δὲ δύο τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Πέρσας, καὶ πείθουσιν αὐτοὺς ὅτι ἐκ δειλίας φεύγουσιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι. ἦλθε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ φήμη τὸν Σαῒν στρατηγὸν Περσῶν καταλαμβάνειν μεθ' ἑτέρου στρατεύματος εἰς βοήθειαν. τοῦτο μαθόντες Σαρβαραγκᾶς τε 1.723 καὶ Σαρβαραζᾶς ἠγωνίσαντο συμβαλεῖν πόλεμον Ἡρακλείῳ πρὸ τοῦ φθάσαι τὸν Σαΐν, καὶ τὴν νίκην ἐπ' αὐτοὺς μετενεγκεῖν. πιστεύσαντες δὲ καὶ τοῖς αὐτομόλοις ἐχώρησαν κατὰ Ἡρακλείου. καὶ πλησιάσαντες αὐτῷ κατεσκήνωσαν, βουλόμενοι ἅμα πρωῒ συμβαλεῖν. ὁ δὲ Ἡράκλειος ἀπάρας ἀφ' ἑσπέρας ὥδευσε δι' ὅλης τῆς νυκτός, μακράν τε γενόμενος ἀπ' αὐτῶν, εὑρὼν πεδίον χλοη φόρον, ἠπλήκευσε. νομίσαντες δὲ οἱ βάρβαροι αὐτὸν ἐκ δειλίας φεύγειν ἀκόσμως ἐδίωκον· αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπαντιάσας αὐτοῖς ἐκρότησε πόλεμον, καὶ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ συνεργίᾳ τρέπει τοὺς βαρβάρους, καὶ τούτους διὰ τῶν φαράγγων διώξας πλήθη πολλὰ ἀνεῖλεν. ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ δὲ τῶν ἀγώνων ὄντων ἔφθασε καὶ ὁ Σαῒν σὺν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ στρατῷ. συμβαλὼν δὲ καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ τοῦτον τρέψας πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλε καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς διέσπειρε φεύγοντας, παρέλαβε δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦλδον αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ Σαρβαραζᾶς ἑνωθεὶς τῷ Σαῒν ἐπισυνῆξε τοὺς ὑπολει φθέντας βαρβάρους, καὶ πάλιν διενοοῦντο κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως χωρεῖν. ὁ δὲ Ἡράκλειος ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Οὕννων χώραν καὶ ταῖς τούτων δυσχωρίαις ἤλαυνεν ἐν τόποις τραχέσι καὶ δυσβάτοις. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἠκολούθουν. οἱ μέντοι Λαζοὶ ἅμα τοῖς Ἀβασγοῖς δειλιάσαντες ἀπέσπασαν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων συμμαχίας καὶ οἴκαδε ἀνεχώρησαν. ὁ δὲ Σαῒν ἡσθεὶς ἐπὶ τούτῳ θυμῷ πολλῷ σὺν τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐχώρει κατὰ Ἡρακλείου. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς λόγοις τὸν στρατὸν ἀναπτερώσας παρῄνει λέγων "τὸ πλῆθος ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, μὴ ταραττέτω· θεοῦ γὰρ θέλοντος εἷς 1.724 διώξει χιλίους. θύσωμεν οὖν τῷ θεῷ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν σωτηρίας. λάβωμεν στέφη μαρτύρων, ἵνα ὁ μέλ λων ἡμᾶς ἐπαινέσῃ χρόνος." τούτοις καὶ ἄλλοις πλείοσι παρα θαρρύνας τὸν στρατὸν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ ἐξαρτύει τὸν πόλε μον. καὶ στάντες ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις ἀπὸ μικροῦ διαστήματος ἕωθεν μέχρις ἑσπέρας