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offspring to remain untouched by his own inhumanity. For his eldest son, Anasozadus by name (this means in the Persian tongue "immortalizing"), happened to have offended him, both by committing many other transgressions through the lawlessness of his way of life and by going to bed with his father’s wives with no hesitation. So at first Chosroes punished this son with exile.8.10.9 And there is a certain region in Persia called Vazaine, a most excellent one, where a city called Belapaton is situated,8.10.10 a seven days’ journey distant from Ctesiphon. There, at his father's command, this Anasozadus had his residence. But then it happened that Chosroes fell most grievously ill, so that it was even said that he had passed away from mankind;8.10.11 for Chosroes was sickly by nature. In fact he often gathered physicians from all quarters about him, among whom was also Tribunus the physician, a Palestinian by birth.8.10.12 This Tribunus was learned and second to none in the medical art, and was otherwise temperate and God-fearing and had reached the highest degree of forbearance.8.10.13 And once, having cured Chosroes when he was in bad physical condition, he departed from the land of the Persians, having received many and noteworthy gifts from the man.8.10.14 When, therefore, the truce before this one came into being, Chosroes asked the Emperor Justinian to give him this physician to live with him for a year. And when his request had been granted, as I have said before, Chosroes bade Tribunus to ask8.10.15 for whatever he might want. But he asked for none of all the treasures, other than that Chosroes should release to him some of the Roman captives.8.10.16 And he released to him both three thousand others and as many as he asked for by name, being men of note among the captives, and Tribunus gained great renown from this deed among all men. So these things came to pass in this way.8.10.17 But when Anasozadus learned what had befallen his father Chosroes concerning his illness, laying claim to the kingship,8.10.18 he began to stir up a revolution. And when his father recovered, none the less he himself, having made the city revolt8.10.19 and having taken up arms, went eagerly into war. When Chosroes heard this, he sent an army and the general Vabrizus against him. So Vabrizus, being victorious in the battle, and having made Anasozadus his captive, brought him to8.10.20 Chosroes not long afterwards. And he mutilated the eyes of his son, not by taking away his sight, but by turning back the eyelids, both upper and lower, with great disfigurement.8.10.21 For by having someone heat an iron pin red-hot and with this anointing the outside of his son's closed eyes, in this very way he managed to mutilate the appearance of the eyelids.8.10.22 And Chosroes did this for this reason only, that the hope for the kingship might be checked for his son. For the law no longer permits a man afflicted with a physical defect to be established as king for the Persians, as has been said also in the previous account.8.11.1 For Anasozadus, then, the affairs of both fortune and character ended thus; and the fifth year8.11.2 of the truce was completed. And Emperor Justinian sent Peter, a man of patrician rank holding the office of Magister, to Chosroes, in order that they might settle the treaty concerning the East completely.8.11.3 But he sent him away, promising that a man would follow him before long who would arrange these matters, in whatever way would be advantageous to both.8.11.4 And not long after he again sent Isdigousnas, being supercilious and possessed by a certain indescribable arrogance, whose pride and bluster seemed to none of the Romans to be tolerable.8.11.5 And he brought with him both his wife and his children and his brother, with a very great multitude of followers and attendants. One would have thought8.11.6 the men were going into battle-array. And there followed him also two of the most notable men among the Persians, who also wore8.11.7 golden diadems on their heads. And it vexed the people in Byzantium that Emperor Justinian deemed him worthy not as an ambassador, but with much more still of kindliness and magnificence.

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γόνον τῇ ἀπανθρωπίᾳ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀνέπαφον μεῖναι. τῶν γάρ οἱ παίδων ὁ πρεσβύτατος Ἀνασώζαδος ὄνομα (δύναται δὲ τοῦτο τῇ Περσῶν φωνῇ ἀθανατίζων) προσκεκρουκὼς αὐτῷ ἔτυχεν, ἄλλα τε πολλὰ τῇ ἐς τὴν δίαιταν παρανομίᾳ ἐξαμαρτὼν καὶ ταῖς γυναιξὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ὀκνήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐς εὐνὴν συνιών. τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα φυγῇ τὸν παῖδα τοῦτον ὁ Χοσρόης ἐζη8.10.9 μίωσεν. ἔστι δέ τις ἐν Πέρσαις Οὐαζαΐνη χώρα, ἀγαθὴ μάλιστα, οὗ δὴ πόλις Βηλαπατὼν καλουμένη 8.10.10 οἰκεῖται, ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ὁδῷ Κτησιφῶντος διέχουσα. ἐνταῦθα τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπαγγείλαντος Ἀνασώζαδος οὗτος διατριβὴν εἶχε. τότε δὲ τῷ Χοσρόῃ χαλεπώτατα νοσῆσαι ξυνέβη, ὥστε καὶ ἐλέχθη ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθῆναι· 8.10.11 νοσώδης γὰρ ἦν ὁ Χοσρόης φύσει. ἀμέλει καὶ τοὺς ἰατροὺς πανταχόθεν πολλάκις ἀμφ' αὑτὸν ἤγειρεν, ἐν τοῖς καὶ Τριβοῦνος ὁ ἰατρὸς ἦν, Παλαιστῖνος γένος. 8.10.12 ὁ δὲ Τριβοῦνος οὗτος λόγιος μὲν ἦν καὶ τὰ ἐς τέχνην τὴν ἰατρικὴν οὐδενὸς ἥσσων, ἄλλως δὲ σώφρων τε καὶ θεοφιλὴς καὶ τῆς ἐπιεικείας ἐς ἄκρον ἥκων. 8.10.13 καί ποτε Χοσρόην κακῶς τοῦ σώματος ἔχοντα ἰασάμενος ἀπηλλάγη ἐκ τῆς Περσῶν χώρας, δῶρα πολλά τε καὶ λόγου ἄξια πρὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κεκομισμένος. 8.10.14 ἡνίκα τοίνυν ἡ ταύτης προτέρα ἐκεχειρία ἐγένετο, Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα Χοσρόης τὸν ἰατρὸν τοῦτον συνδιαιτησόμενον αὑτῷ ἐς ἐνιαυτὸν ᾔτησε δοῦναι. τῆς τέ οἱ αἰτήσεως ἐπιτελεσθείσης, ὥσπερ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, ἐκέλευσε τὸν Τριβοῦνον ὁ Χοσρόης αἰτεῖσθαι 8.10.15 ὅτου ἂν δέηται. ὁ δὲ ἄλλο οὐδὲν ᾔτει τῶν πάντων χρημάτων ἢ ὥστε οἱ Ῥωμαίων τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τινὰς 8.10.16 Χοσρόην ἀφεῖναι. ὁ δέ οἱ ἄλλους τε τρισχιλίους ἀφῆκε καὶ ὅσους πρὸς ὄνομα ἐξῃτήσατο ἐν τοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις λογίμους ὄντας, κλέος τε μέγα ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὁ Τριβοῦνος ἔσχε. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. 8.10.17 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ἀνασώζαδος τὰ Χοσρόῃ τῷ πατρὶ ἀμφὶ τῇ νόσῳ ξυμπεσόντα ἔγνω, τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιβατεύων, 8.10.18 νεώτερα πράγματα ἔπρασσε. τοῦ τε πατρός οἱ ῥαΐσαντος, οὐδέν τι ἧσσον τήν τε πόλιν αὐτὸς ἀποστήσας 8.10.19 καὶ ὅπλα ἀντάρας ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἀκμάζων ᾔει. ταῦτα ὁ Χοσρόης ἀκούσας στρατιάν τε καὶ στρατηγὸν Φάβριζον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἔπεμψε. νικήσας οὖν τῇ μάχῃ ὁ Φάβριζος ὑποχείριόν τε τὸν Ἀνασώζαδον πεποιημένος παρὰ 8.10.20 Χοσρόην οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἤνεγκε. καὶ ὃς τοὺς τοῦ παιδὸς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐλωβήσατο, οὐ τὰς ὄψεις ἀφελόμενος, ἀλλὰ βλέφαρά τε ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἀκοσμίᾳ πολλῇ 8.10.21 ἀντιστρέψας. περόνην γὰρ σιδηρᾶν πυρακτώσας τινὰ καὶ ταύτῃ μυόντοιν τοῖν τοῦ παιδὸς ὀφθαλμοῖν τὰ ἔξω χρίσας, οὕτω δὴ τῶν βλεφάρων τὸν κόσμον λω8.10.22 βήσασθαι ἔσχε. ταῦτα δὲ Χοσρόης τούτου δὴ ἕνεκα. ἐποίει μόνον, ὅπως ἂν τῷ παιδὶ ἀναστέλληται ἡ ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἐλπίς. ἄνδρα γὰρ λώβῃ ἐχόμενον οὐκέτι ὁ νόμος ἐφίησι βασιλέα καθίστασθαι Πέρσαις, ὥσπερ κἀν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη. 8.11.1 Τῷ μὲν οὖν Ἀνασωζάδῳ τά τε τῆς τύχης καὶ τοῦ τρόπου ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα· τὸ δὲ πέμπτον ἔτος 8.11.2 τῆς ἐκεχειρίας διήνυστο. καὶ Πέτρον μὲν ἄνδρα πατρίκιον, τὴν τοῦ μαγίστρου ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα, παρὰ Χοσρόην Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἔστελλεν, ἐφ' ᾧ τὰς σπονδὰς 8.11.3 ἀμφὶ τῇ ἑῴᾳ παντάπασι διοικήσονται. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπεπέμψατο, ἕψεσθαί οἱ ἄνδρα οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ὑποσχόμενος τὸν ταῦτα διαθησόμενον, ὅπη ἑκατέροις ξυνοί8.11.4 σειν μέλλει. Ἰσδιγούσναν τε αὖθις οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ἔπεμψεν, ὀφρυάζοντά τε καὶ ἀλαζονείᾳ τινὶ ἀμυθήτῳ ἐχόμενον, οὗ δὴ ὅ τε τῦφος καὶ τὸ φύσημα φορητὸν 8.11.5 εἶναι Ῥωμαίων οὐδενὶ ἔδοξεν. ἐπήγετο δὲ τήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ τὰς παῖδας καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἑπομένων τε καὶ θεραπευόντων πάμπολυ πλῆθος. εἴκασεν ἄν 8.11.6 τις ἐς παράταξιν τοὺς ἄνδρας ἰέναι. εἵποντο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ δύο τῶν ἐν Πέρσαις λογιμωτάτων, οἳ δὴ καὶ δια8.11.7 δήματα ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν χρυσᾶ ἐφόρουν. ἔδακνέ τε τοὺς ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι δὴ αὐτὸν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς οὐ κατὰ πρεσβευτὴν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον φιλοφροσύνης τε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπείας ἠξίωσε.