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they were throwing, which 8.11.37 came near to setting all on fire. But those standing beside them, as I have related, with the poles of which I just made mention, most assiduously removing and clearing away the projectiles, were immediately casting everything from the engines to the ground 8.11.38. But they suspected they would not hold out at this task for long. For the fire set ablaze at once whatever it touched, unless it was cast off immediately. So these things were happening in this way. 8.11.39 But Bessas himself, having armed himself with a breastplate and equipped the entire army, led many ladders to the fallen part of the wall 8.11.40. And having encouraged them with words only so much as not to blunt the edge of the opportunity, he assigned the rest of the exhortation to deeds. For being a man more than seventy years of age and already completely past his prime 8.11.41, he was the first to mount the ladder. There a battle and a display of valor occurs for both Romans and Persians such as I think has nowhere happened at this time 8.11.42. For the multitude of the barbarians amounted to two thousand three hundred, while the Romans happened to be six thousand 8.11.43. And of them on both sides, as many as were not killed have become wounded, almost all of them, and it happened that very few survived with their bodies unharmed. The Romans therefore were forcing the ascent with all their might, but the Persians were repelling them with great effort 8.11.44. And with many being killed on both sides, the Persians were not far from thrusting off the danger. For with much pushing having occurred at the top of the ladders, many other Romans were dying, fighting as they were with the enemy above them, and Bessas the general, having fallen to the ground 8.11.45, lay there. And then indeed, an extraordinary shout having arisen from both sides, the barbarians, streaming together from all directions, began to throw at him, but his bodyguards quickly formed a ring around him and, all having helmets on their heads and wearing breastplates, and moreover fencing themselves in from above with their shields and coming close together, they made the shape of a roof over him and both hid the general as safely as possible and were repelling the projectiles 8.11.46 with all their strength. And a great clatter arose from the missiles constantly being sent and being broken on the shields and the other weapons, and each man was seized by shouting 8.11.47 and panting and distress. And all the Romans, being eager to defend their general, attacked the wall, letting no opportunity slip, and in this way 8.11.48 they were holding back the enemy. Then indeed Bessas (for he was not able to get up, his armor preventing him, especially since his body was not nimble, for this man was stout and, as was said, very old) did not fall into helplessness, although he had come into such great danger, but he devised something on the spur of the moment, by which he was able to save both himself and the Roman cause 8.11.49. For he instructed his bodyguards to drag him by the foot and pull him as far as possible from the wall 8.11.50. And they did accordingly. And some were dragging him, while others with him were retreating, holding their shields over each other above, and moving back as far as he was being dragged, so that he would not become uncovered and be hit by the enemy. 8.11.51 But when Bessas was in safety, he both got up and, after exhorting his men, went to the wall, and mounting the ladder again, he rushed to the ascent. 8.11.52 And all the Romans, following him, displayed deeds worthy of valor against the enemy. And the Persians, becoming terrified, were asking the enemy to give them some time, so that they might pack their belongings and depart, surrendering the city 8.11.53. But Bessas, suspecting that they were contriving deceits, so that in the meantime they could strengthen the fortification of the circuit wall, said he was not able to stop the engagement, but that those wishing to meet with him about the agreement, while the armies were fighting, could nonetheless go with him to some other part of the wall 8.11.54, pointing out a certain spot to them. But as they would not accept the proposal, there occurs

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ἔβαλλον, ἅσπερ 8.11.37 ὀλίγου ἐμπιπράναι πάσας ἐδέησαν. ἀλλ' οἱ παρὰ ταύτας, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ἑστῶτες, τοῖς κοντοῖς, ὧνπερ ἐπεμνήσθην ἀρτίως, ἐνδελεχέστατα περιαιροῦντες τὰ βαλλόμενα καὶ περικαθαίροντες, ἅπαντα ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος 8.11.38 ἐκ τῶν μηχανῶν εὐθὺς ἐρρίπτουν. οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ἀνθέξειν ὑπώπτευον. τὸ γὰρ πῦρ οὗ προσψαύσειεν ἐνεπίμπρα αὐτίκα, εἰ μὴ εὐθυωρὸν ἀποβληθείη. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπράσσετο τῇδε. 8.11.39 Βέσσας δὲ αὐτὸς τεθωρακισμένος καὶ ἅπαν ἐξοπλίσας τὸ στράτευμα κλίμακας πολλὰς ἐς τὸ πεπτωκὸς τοῦ 8.11.40 τείχους προῆγε. καὶ λόγῳ τοσοῦτον παραθαρρύνας, ὅσον μὴ ἀμβλῦναι τοῦ καιροῦ τὴν ἀκμὴν, ἔργοις τῆς παρακελεύσεως τὰ λοιπὰ ἔνειμεν. ἀνὴρ γὰρ πλέον ἢ ἑβδομήκοντα γεγονὼς ἐτῶν καὶ παντάπασιν ἔξωρος ὢν 8.11.41 ἤδη πρῶτος ἐπέβη τῆς κλίμακος. ἐνταῦθα μάχη καὶ ἀρετῆς ἐπίδειξις γίνεται Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις οἵαν ἔγωγε κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον οὐδαμῆ οἶμαι 8.11.42 ξυνενεχθῆναι. τὸ μὲν γὰρ βαρβάρων πλῆθος εἰς δισχιλίους καὶ τριακοσίους ξυνῄει, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἐς ἑξα8.11.43 κισχιλίους ἐτύγχανον ὄντες. καὶ αὐτῶν ἑκατέρωθεν ὅσοι οὐ διεφθάρησαν τραυματίαι σχεδόν τι γεγόνασι πάντες, ὀλίγοις τε λίαν ἐπ' ἀθῴοις τοῖς σώμασι περιεῖναι ξυνέβη. Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀνάβασιν ἐβιάζοντο δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ, Πέρσαι δὲ αὐτοὺς πόνῳ 8.11.44 πολλῷ ἀπεκρούοντο. ἀμφοτέρωθεν δὲ κτεινομένων πολλῶν οὐ μακράν που ἐγένοντο τοῦ ἀπεῶσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον Πέρσαι. ὠθισμοῦ γὰρ πολλοῦ ἐν τῇ τῶν κλιμάκων ὑπερβολῇ γεγενημένου ἄλλοι τε Ῥωμαίων συχνοὶ ἅτε πολεμίοις καθύπερθεν οὖσι μαχόμενοι ἔθνησκον καὶ Βέσσας ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος πεσὼν 8.11.45 ἔκειτο. καὶ τότε δὴ κραυγῆς ἐξαισίας πρὸς ἀμφοτέρων γεγενημένης οἱ μὲν βάρβαροι πανταχόθεν ξυρρέοντες ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἔβαλον, οἱ δὲ δορυφόροι ξυνέστησάν τε σπουδῇ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν καὶ κράνη μὲν ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς ἔχοντες, θώρακας δὲ ἀμπεχόμενοι πάντες, ἔτι μέντοι καθύπερθεν ταῖς ἀσπίσι φραξάμενοι καὶ ἐν χρῷ ξυνιόντες ἀλλήλοις, ὀροφῆς αὐτῷ σχῆμα ἐποίουν καὶ τόν τε στρατηγὸν ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα ἔκρυψαν καὶ τὰ βαλλόμενα 8.11.46 παντὶ σθένει ἀπεκρούοντο. καὶ πάταγος μὲν τῶν ἀεὶ πεμπομένων κἀν ταῖς ἀσπίσιν τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὅπλοις ἀποκαυλιζομένων πολὺς ἐγεγόνει, κραυγῇ δὲ 8.11.47 καὶ ἄσθματι καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ ἕκαστος εἴχετο. Ῥωμαῖοί τε ἅπαντες τῷ στρατηγῷ ἀμύνειν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχοντες ἔβαλον ἐς τὸ τεῖχος, οὐδένα ἀνιέντες καιρὸν, καὶ ταύτῃ 8.11.48 τοὺς πολεμίους ἀνέστελλον. τότε δὴ ὁ Βέσσας (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξανίστασθαι εἶχε, τῆς ὁπλίσεως ἀντιστατούσης, ἄλλως τε καὶ τοῦ σώματός οἱ οὐκ εὐσταλοῦς ὄντος, ἦν γὰρ οὗτος ἀνὴρ εὔσαρκός τε καὶ, ὅπερ ἐρρήθη, ἐσχατογέρων) οὐκ ἐς ἀμηχανίαν ἐξέπεσε, καίπερ ἐς τοσοῦτον κινδύνου ἥκων, ἀλλὰ βουλεύεταί τι ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου, ᾧπερ αὑτόν τε καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα 8.11.49 διασώσασθαι ἔσχε. τοῖς γὰρ δορυφόροις ἐπέστελλε σύρειν τε αὐτὸν ἐκ ποδὸς καὶ ὡς ἀπωτάτω τοῦ τείχους 8.11.50 ἐφέλκειν. οἱ δὲ κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίουν. καὶ αὐτὸν οἱ μὲν ἔσυρον, οἱ δὲ ξὺν αὐτῷ ὑπεχώρουν, τὰς μὲν ἀσπίδας ὕπερθεν ἐπ' ἀλλήλους ἔχοντες, τοσαύτην δὲ ποιούμενοι βάδισιν, ὅσον ἐκεῖνος ἐσύρετο, ὡς μὴ ἀπαρακάλυπτος γεγονὼς πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων βληθείη. 8.11.51 ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Βέσσας ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ ἐγεγόνει, ἐξανίστατό τε καὶ παρακελευσάμενος ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ᾔει, τῆς τε κλίμακος ἐπιβατεύσας αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνάβασιν ὥρμητο. 8.11.52 ἐπισπόμενοι δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι πάντες ἔργα ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπεδείκνυντο ἀρετῆς ἄξια. περίφοβοί τε γενόμενοι Πέρσαι καιρὸν σφίσι τινὰ τοὺς ἐναντίους διδόναι ᾔτουν, ὅπως συσκευασάμενοι ἀπαλλάσσωνται τὴν πόλιν 8.11.53 ἐνδόντες. Βέσσας δὲ δολώσεις αὐτοὺς ἐπιτεχνάσασθαι ὑποτοπάζων, ὅπως μεταξὺ κρατύνωνται τὸ τοῦ περιβόλου ὀχύρωμα, τὴν μὲν ξυμβολὴν καταπαύειν ἔφη οὐχ οἷός τε εἶναι, τοὺς δὲ ἀμφὶ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ βουλομένους αὐτῷ ξυγγενέσθαι, τῶν στρατοπέδων μαχομένων, οὐδέν τι ἧσσον εἰς ἑτέραν τινὰ ξὺν αὐτῷ ἰέναι 8.11.54 τοῦ τείχους μοῖραν, δείξας τι χωρίον αὐτοῖς. τῶν δὲ οὐκ ἐνδεχομένων τὸν λόγον γίνεται