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the end of this one, having covered it with dung and stones up to the middle of the channel; and having hidden the second one there, he built the third one above, being both above ground and visible to all; so that 8.12.23 the aqueduct was secretly three-storied. Not understanding these things at the beginning of the siege, the Romans cut this very conspicuous aqueduct, and not carrying forward their labour on the trench, but ceasing from the work before its destruction from there, they thought the besieged were in want of water, their 8.12.24 carelessness in their labour deceiving their judgment. But as the siege was prolonged, the Romans captured some of the enemy and learned that the besieged 8.12.25 were drawing water from the aqueduct. Digging up the ground, therefore, they found the second aqueduct being somewhere there, and having cut this one immediately, they thought that by this means the entire power of the enemy had been overcome, not having been taught their former lesson even by these second events. 8.12.26 But when, after capturing the city, they saw water flowing from the aqueduct, as has been told by me, 8.12.27 they were both amazed and were in great perplexity. And having heard what had happened from the captives, they perceived, after the fact, both the diligence of the enemy in their works and their own carelessness in their labours. 8.12.28 So Bessas sent all the captives immediately to the emperor, and he razed the circuit-wall of Petra to the ground, so that the enemy might not again give them trouble. 8.12.29 And the emperor, his valour having been demonstrated, praised him exceedingly, both for this and for his good counsel, because he had razed the entire 8.12.30 wall. So Bessas became again, for the successes he had won and for the demonstration he had made of his valour, an object of admiration to all men. 8.12.31 For when he had been stationed at the garrison of Rome, the Romans had great hope in him, since he had previously been most courageous. 8.12.32 But when it befell him to meet with misfortune there, and Rome was captured by the Goths in this manner, as has been related by me in the previous books, and the Roman race had been for the most part destroyed, the Emperor Justinian, when he returned thus to Byzantium, appointed him general against the Persians. 8.12.33 But almost everyone, so to speak, decried the action and mocked the emperor's decision, that he would entrust the Medic war to this Bessas, who had been utterly defeated by the Goths and had become an old man on the verge of the grave, at the 8.12.34 sunset of his life. But though almost everyone held these opinions, it came about that this general enjoyed such good fortune and valour. Thus, then, human affairs are governed not as it seems to men, but by the inclination from God, which indeed men are accustomed to call fortune, not knowing for what reason events proceed in this way in which they become manifest to them. 8.12.35 For the name of fortune is wont to be applied to that which seems to be unexpected. But let these things be thought of in whatever way is dear to each person. 8.13.1 But Mermeroes, fearing lest some misfortune should befall Petra and the Persians left behind there on account of the length of time, set out with his whole army and went there, since the season after the winter time 8.13.2 urged him to this. But in the meantime, having learned all that had happened, he abstained from this road altogether, knowing well that outside the Phasis river the Lazi had no other stronghold 8.13.3 except the one in Petra. But turning back and seizing the entrances from Iberia into the land of Colchis, where the Phasis is crossable, and having crossed it on foot, and not least a river, named Rheon, which is not navigable there either, and having come to be on the right of the Phasis here, he led his army against a city, Archaeopolis by name, which is the first and greatest in Lazica. 8.13.4 And they were all horsemen, with few exceptions, and eight elephants followed them. On which, indeed, the Persians intended to stand and shoot at the enemy from above as if 8.13.5 from towers. So that one might reasonably admire the hardiness and ingenuity of the Persians in wars, who indeed, the road leading from Iberia into Colchis being both precipitous

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ταύτης τὰ ἔσχατα, κόπρῳ καὶ λίθοις καλύψας ἄχρι ἐς τὰ τῆς κατώρυχος μέσα· ἐνταῦθά τε κρύψας τὸν δεύτερον, ὕπερθεν τὸν τρίτον ἐδείματο, ὑπὲρ γῆς τε ὄντα καὶ ὁρατὸν πᾶσιν· ὥστε 8.12.23 τριώροφον κεκρυμμένως τὸν ὀχετὸν εἶναι. ὧνπερ οὐ ξυνέντες κατ' ἀρχὰς τῆς πολιορκίας Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτον δὴ τὸν διαφανῆ ὀχετὸν διελόντες, ἐπίπροσθέν τε οὐκ ἐπεξαγαγόντες τὸν ἐπὶ διώρυχι πόνον, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἔργου πρὸ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἀπωλείας ἀποπαυσάμενοι, ᾤοντο ἐνδεῖν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις τὸ ὕδωρ, σφαλλούσης αὐτοῖς τὴν 8.12.24 διάνοιαν τῆς παρὰ τὸ πονεῖσθαι ὀλιγωρίας. τῆς δὲ προσεδρείας μηκυνομένης, τῶν τινας πολεμίων λαβόντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἔμαθον ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τοὺς πολιορκου8.12.25 μένους ὑδρεύεσθαι. κατορύξαντες τοίνυν τὸν χῶρον εὑρίσκουσι τὸν δεύτερον ὀχετὸν ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντα, καὶ τοῦτον διελόντες αὐτίκα ᾤοντο ταύτῃ πᾶσαν κατειργάσθαι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν δύναμιν, οὐδὲ τοῖς δευτέροις ἐν τῇ ἀπ' αὐτῶν διδασκαλίᾳ παιδευθέντες τὰ πρό8.12.26 τερα. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἑλόντες ἐπιρρέον, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ εἶδον, ἐθαύμαζόν 8.12.27 τε καὶ ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ εἴχοντο. τὸ δὲ γεγονὸς παρὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀκούσαντες, τῆς τε τῶν πολεμίων ἐς τὰ ἔργα ἐπιμελείας καὶ τῆς σφετέρας παρὰ τοὺς πόνους 8.12.28 ὀλιγωρίας ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων ᾐσθάνοντο. τοὺς μὲν οὖν αἰχμαλώτους ἅπαντας ὁ Βέσσας εὐθὺς βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψε, τὸν δὲ Πέτρας περίβολον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν, ὡς μὴ πράγματα οἱ πολέμιοι σφίσιν αὖθις παρέχωνται. 8.12.29 καὶ αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς ἀποδεδειγμένης τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπῄνεσεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα καὶ τῆς εὐβουλίας, ὅτι δὴ ὅλον 8.12.30 καθεῖλε τὸ τεῖχος. γέγονεν οὖν ὁ Βέσσας αὖθις οἷς τε εὐημέρησεν οἷς τε ἀρετῆς πεποίηται δήλωσιν ἀπό8.12.31 βλεπτος ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους. ἡνίκα μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥώμης φυλακτηρίῳ ἐτέτακτο, ἐλπίδα Ῥωμαῖοι πολλὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἶχον ἅτε ἀνδρειοτάτῳ διαγεγονότι τὰ 8.12.32 πρότερα. ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐνταῦθα δεδυστυχηκέναι ξυνέπεσε, Ῥώμης τε οὕτω τοῖς Γότθοις ἁλούσης, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, καὶ διεφθαρμένου ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον Ῥωμαίων τοῦ γένους, βασιλεὺς μὲν Ἰουστινιανὸς οὕτω δὴ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀναστρέψαντα στρατηγὸν κατεστήσατο ἐπὶ Πέρσας αὐτόν. 8.12.33 διέσυρον δὲ τὴν πρᾶξιν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντες καὶ τὰ βασιλεῖ βεβουλευμένα ἐχλεύαζον, εἰ τῷ Βέσσᾳ τούτῳ, Γότθων τε ἡσσηθέντι κατὰ κράτος καὶ τυμβογέροντι γεγενημένῳ, πόλεμον τὸν Μηδικὸν ἐγχειρίσειεν ἐπὶ 8.12.34 δυσμαῖς βίου. ἀλλὰ τούτων σχεδόν τι ἅπασι δεδογ8.12.34 μένων, εὐτυχίᾳ τε καὶ ἀρετῇ τοιᾷδε τῷ στρατηγῷ τῷδε ξυνηνέχθη χρῆσθαι. οὕτως ἄρα οὐχ ᾗπερ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοκεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκ θεοῦ ῥοπῇ πρυτανεύεται τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, ὃ δὴ τύχην εἰώθασι καλεῖν ἄνθρωποι, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα ταύτῃ πρόεισι τὰ ξυμβαί8.12.35 νοντα, ᾗπερ αὐτοῖς ἔνδηλα γίνεται. τῷ γὰρ παραλόγῳ δοκοῦντι εἶναι φιλεῖ τὸ τῆς τύχης ὄνομα προσχωρεῖν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ φίλον, ταύτῃ δοκείτω. 8.13.1 Μερμερόης δὲ, δείσας μή τι Πέτρᾳ τε καὶ Πέρσαις τοῖς τῇδε ἀπολελειμμένοις φλαῦρον διὰ χρόνου μῆκος ξυμβαίη, ἄρας παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐνταῦθα ᾔει, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν ὁ καιρὸς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν 8.13.2 ἐς τοῦτο ἐνῆγε. μεταξὺ δὲ τὰ ξυμπεσόντα μαθὼν ἅπαντα τῆς μὲν ὁδοῦ ταύτης τὸ παράπαν ἀπέσχετο, εὖ εἰδὼς ὅτι δὴ ἐκτὸς ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος ἄλλο τι χωρίον 8.13.3 Λαζοῖς ὅτι μὴ τὸ ἐν Πέτρᾳ οὐκ ἦν. ἀναστρέψας δὲ καὶ καταλαβὼν τὰς ἐξ Ἰβηρίας ἐπὶ γῆν τὴν Κολχίδα εἰσόδους, ἵνα δὴ ὁ Φᾶσις διαβατός ἐστιν, αὐτόν τε πεζῇ διαμείψας καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ποταμὸν, Ῥέοντα ὄνομα, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἐκείνῃ ναυσίπορον ὄντα, τοῦ τε Φάσιδος ἐν δεξιᾷ ταύτῃ γενόμενος ἐπὶ πόλιν, Ἀρχαιόπολιν ὄνομα, ἣ πρώτη τε καὶ μεγίστη ἐν Λαζοῖς ἐστιν, 8.13.4 ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα. ἦσαν δὲ ὀλίγων χωρὶς ἱππεῖς ἅπαντες, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐλέφαντες ὀκτὼ εἵποντο. ἐφ' ὧν δὴ ἔμελλον ἱστάμενοι Πέρσαι τοὺς πολεμίους ὥσπερ 8.13.5 ἐκ πύργων κατὰ κορυφῆς ἐνθένδε βάλλειν. ὥστε εἰκότως ἄν τις Περσῶν τὴν ἐς τοὺς πολέμους ταλαιπωρίαν τε καὶ ἐπιτέχνησιν ἀγασθείη, οἵ γε τὴν ἐξ Ἰβηρίας ἐς τὴν Κολχίδα ὁδὸν φέρουσαν, κρημνώδεσί τε