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openly, that, if he were not willing to return home with them, they themselves, having gone to Byzantium, for they would receive pledges from there not to be plotted against by them, would cross over to Bithynia; then through Phrygia and Lydia they would arrive in Ionia. And when he asked, using what mediator they had made the agreements with the Byzantines, they said they would not make it known, having sworn to keep it secret. For fifteen days, therefore, Amour continued speaking with the Persians and trying to persuade them not to depart for Asia. But when he saw that he was laboring in vain, he reported everything to the emperor with great despondency and called God to witness, that he himself had come to him with such a mind as to stay with him until some end to the present war should come, and that he would choose to be with those in whom he had the most confidence, that they would undergo every danger 2.410 for their goodwill towards him. But now the exact opposite had happened. For the army had been corrupted by some people here who favored the empress and persuaded to return to their own land. And having spoken much to them in fifteen days about staying, he had accomplished nothing more, since all of them together were seized by a reckless impulse for the return; and having inquired much about the one who had persuaded them of such things, he had been in no way able to find out. Therefore, for him to remain alone, after the army had departed, he considered it disadvantageous. For there would be no benefit at all from his presence. But if it seemed more profitable to him and he himself should approve, for the present to return to his own land with the army; and there, having exacted from them the ultimate penalties for their betrayal of him and the emperor, for this would be most achievable for him there, then, having others who were most trustworthy and willing to share danger with him to the end, to return with speed, having set his household affairs in order, having appointed regents of his rule and successors after his death, as one who would not be returning again soon, but would either help bring the war to an end, or fall here in battle. ξζʹ. But the emperor was distressed at his departure; for he knew that everyone would attack from all sides. But seeing that it was impossible to hold back the Persian army, which was already set on returning, he acknowledged many thanks to Amour for his 2.411 goodwill; and he advised, since he was not able to persuade them, to send an embassy to the empress in Byzantium and to make proposals concerning peace similar to the previous ones and to reproach them for their folly, because through this they had been the cause of great destruction for the Roman empire, and would be the cause of still more, if they were not persuaded. and to advise them again to end the war, and not, on account of a contentiousness that had nothing sound in it, to overlook their countrymen being enslaved and killed daily and enduring the worst. For they, just as before, will again make no account of peace, but will immediately turn to persuading him to desert that one, and having sent some worthy person, whom they think will be able to accomplish this, they will provide also much money as a reward for the withdrawal and ships, which he will use for the crossing. And you will have accomplished what the army is eager for, and having taken the money, you will reward those who eagerly campaigned with you. For it is not just to be angry with all alike and to demand penalties, but to punish moderately those responsible for the insubordination, so that they may not become an example of shamelessness to the others, and to reward the rest worthily for their labors, so that you may frighten them by the punishment of the ungrateful, and by your generosity in benefactions you may draw them to loyalty. He therefore was immediately persuaded and having thanked the emperor for the advice, he sent an embassy to the 2.412 empress and spoke about peace again. But Apokaukos the megas doux with his fellow-rulers made no mention of peace, but first they accused that man, that, being a satrap and possessing so great a force and being honored by Romans and barbarians

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ἀναφανδὸν, ὡς, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο σὺν αὐτοῖς κἀκεῖνος οἴκαδε ἀναχωρεῖν, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ πρὸς Βυζάντιον ἐλθόντες, πίστεις γὰρ λαβεῖν ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ μὴ ἐπιβουλευθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτῶν, περαιώσονται πρὸς Βιθυνίαν· εἶτα διὰ Φρυγίας καὶ Λυδίας ἀφίξονται εἰς Ἰωνίαν. ἐρομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, τίνι χρώμενοι διαλλακτῇ τὰς πρὸς Βυζαντίους ποιήσαιντο συνθήκας, οὐκ ἔφασαν κατάδηλον ποιήσειν ὀμωμοκότες ἀποκρύπτειν. ἐπὶ πεντεκαίδεκα μὲν οὖν ἡμέραις ὁ Ἀμοὺρ τοῖς Πέρσαις διετέλεσε διαλεγόμενος καὶ πείθειν ἐπιχειρῶν μὴ ἀπαίρειν εἰς Ἀσίαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνήνυτα πονῶν ἑώρα, ἀπήγγελλε πάντα βασιλεῖ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ ἐμαρτύρετο θεὸν, ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν τοιαύτῃ γνώμῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφίκοιτο, ὡς αὐτῷ συνδιατρίψων ἄχρις ἄν τι τοῦ νυνὶ πολέμου πέρας γένοιτο, καὶ ὡς ἐκείνους ἐκλέξοιτο συνεῖναι οἷς μάλιστα ἐθάῤῥει, ὅτι πάντα κίνδυνον ὑποστήσον 2.410 ται τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας. νυνὶ δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν γεγενῆσθαι. τὸ γὰρ στρατόπεδον ὑπό τινων ἐνταῦθα τὰ βασιλίδος φρονούντων διεφθάρθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀναχωρεῖν πεπεῖσθαι. πολλὰ δὲ ἐν πεντεκαίδεκα ἡμέραις περὶ τοῦ μένειν αὐτοῖς διαλεχθέντα, μηδὲν πλέον ἠνυκέναι, πάντων ὁμοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐπάνοδον ὁρμῇ τινι κατασχεθέντων παραβόλῳ· ἐξετάσαντα δὲ πολλὰ περὶ τοῦ τοιαῦτα πεπεικότος, μηδαμῶς δυνηθῆναι ἐξευρεῖν. τὸ μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν μόνον παραμένειν, ἀπελθούσης τῆς στρατιᾶς, ἀσύμφορον ἡγεῖσθαι. οὐδεμία γὰρ ὠφέλειά τις ἔσται τῆς παρουσίας τῆς αὐτοῦ. εἰ δ' αὐτῷ λυσιτελέστερον δοκεῖ καὶ ἐπιψηφίσαιτο καὶ αὐτὸς, τὸ νῦν μὲν ἔχον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπανελθεῖν μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς· ἐκεῖ δὲ δίκας τὰς ἐσχάτας παρ' αὐτῶν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ βασιλέα λαβόντα προδοσίας, μάλιστα γὰρ ἐκεῖ τοῦτο εἶναι ἀνυστὸν αὐτῷ, ἔπειτα ἑτέρους ἔχοντα τοὺς μάλιστα πιστοτάτους καὶ μέχρι παντὸς αὐτῷ βουλησομένους συγκινδυνεύειν, κατὰ τάχος ἐπανήκειν, εὖ διαθέμενον τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐπιτρόπους καταστήσαντα τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ διαδόχους μετὰ τελευτὴν, ὡς οὐ ταχέως αὖθις ἐπανήξοντα, ἀλλ' ἢ συγκατεργασόμενον τὸν πόλεμον, ἢ ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῷ μάχεσθαι πεσούμενον. ξζʹ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ ἠνιᾶτο μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἀναχώρησιν ἐκείνου· ᾔδει γὰρ ἐπιθησομένους πανταχόθεν πάντας. ὁρῶν δὲ ὡς ἀδύνατον τὴν Περσῶν παρακατέχειν στρατιὰν, πρὸς τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἤδη ὡρμημένην, Ἀμοὺρ μὲν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν 2.411 εὐνοίας πολλὰς ὡμολόγει χάριτας· συνεβούλευε δὲ, ἐπεὶ μὴ πείθειν οἷόστε ἐγένετο, πρεσβείαν πρὸς βασιλίδα πέμπειν εἰς Βυζάντιον καὶ ὁμοίους τοῖς προτέροις περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ποιεῖσθαι λόγους καὶ τὴν ἀβουλίαν ὀνειδίζειν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι διὰ ταύτην τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίᾳ πολλῆς αἴτιοι γεγένηνται φθορᾶς, καὶ ἔτι πλείονος, ἂν μὴ πείθωνται, γενήσονται. παραινεῖν τε αὖθις τὸν πόλεμον καταλύειν, καὶ μὴ διὰ φιλονεικίαν ἔχουσαν οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς περιορᾷν ὁσημέραι τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ἐξανδραποδιζομένους καὶ κτεινομένους καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα ὑπομένοντας. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ καὶ γὰρ οὐδένα αὖθις, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, ποιήσονται τῆς εἰρήνης λόγον, ἐπὶ τὸ πείθειν αὐτὸν αὐτίκα τρέψονται ἀφίστασθαι ἐκείνου, καὶ πέμψαντες ἀξιόχρεών τινα, ὃν οἰήσονται τοῦτο κατεργάσεσθαι δυνήσεσθαι, παρέξονται καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως μισθὸν καὶ ναῦς, αἷς χρήσεται πρὸς τὴν διάβασιν. καὶ τῇ τε στρατιᾷ τὸ σπουδαζόμενον ἔσται ἠνυκὼς, καὶ τὰ χρήματα λαβὼν ἀμείψεται τοὺς προθύμως συστρατευσαμένους. οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον ὁμοίως πᾶσιν ὀργίζεσθαι καὶ δίκας ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν αἰτίους τῆς αὐθαδείας μέτρια κολάζειν, ἵνα μὴ παράδειγμα τοῖς ἄλλοις γίνωνται ἀναισχυντίας, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἀξίως ἀμείβεσθαι τῶν πόνων, ἵνα τῇ τε κολάσει τῶν ἀγνωμόνων ἐκφοβῇ, καὶ τῇ περὶ τὰς εὐεργεσίας φιλοτιμίᾳ πρὸς εὔνοιαν ἐφέλκηται. ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐπείθετο αὐτίκα καὶ τῆς παραινέσεως εὐχαριστήσας βασιλέα, πρεσβείαν ἔπεμπε πρὸς 2.412 βασιλίδα καὶ διελέγετο περὶ εἰρήνης αὖθις. Ἀπόκαυκος δὲ ὁ μέγας δοὺξ μετὰ τῶν συναρχόντων περὶ μὲν τῆς εἰρήνης οὐδένα λόγον ἐποιήσαντο, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ἐκείνου κατηγόρουν, ὅτι σατράπης ὢν καὶ δύναμιν τοσαύτην κεκτημένος καὶ παρὰ Ῥωμαίων καὶ βαρβάρων τιμώμενος