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that the Romans would be their tributaries for the payment of tribute, they confirmed very strongly for the present in the name of the truce. 8.15.17 For Chosroes, having imposed on the Romans an annual tribute of four centenaria, for which he was clearly eager from the beginning, now for eleven years and six months, with a specious argument, has received forty-six centenaria under the pretext of the truce, calling the tribute "the treaty," although in the meantime he was both using violence and making war in Lazica, as has been said. 8.15.18 From which the Romans for the future had no hope at all of rescuing themselves, but they perceived that they had become tributaries of tribute to the Persians, and not secretly. 8.15.19 So these things were accomplished in this way. And Isdigousnas, having acquired money such as no ambassador ever had, and having become, I think, the richest of all Persians, was sent home, since the emperor Justinian had honored him exceedingly and sent him away after presenting him with great sums of money. 8.15.20 And he alone of all ambassadors came under no experience of being guarded, but both he and as many barbarians as followed him, being very many, were in great liberty, for a long time to meet and associate with whomever they wished, and to take walks everywhere in the city, and to buy and sell whatever they wished, and to make all contracts and to engage in the business concerning these things with all security, just as in their own city, with no Roman following them or associating with them at all or thinking it right to watch them, as was customary. 8.15.21 At this time it happened that something came to pass that had never happened before, as far as we know. For it was autumn of the year, but there was a drought and stifling heat as if in mid-summer, to a wondrous degree; so that indeed a multitude of roses grew as though it were spring, differing in no way at all from the usual ones. 8.15.22 And the trees, almost all of them, again bore some new fruits, and in the vines no less did clusters of grapes grow, although the vintage had already taken place not many days before. 8.15.23 From which those skilled in interpreting these things predicted that something great and unexpected would happen, 8.15.24 some a good thing, others the opposite. But I think that these things happened by some chance, with south winds falling upon it for a very long time, as is their wont, and from this a heat both great and beyond the accustomed, and unnatural for the season, 8.15.25 having come upon the land. But if, as these men say, it also signifies something that will be beyond expectation, we shall know most certainly from the outcomes. 8.16.1 And while these things concerning the treaty were being transacted by the Romans and Persians in Byzantium, at this time in Lazica the following happened to take place. 8.16.2 Goubazes the king of the Lazi was well-disposed towards the Romans, since he perceived that Chosroes was plotting his death, as was stated by me in the previous narrative. 8.16.3 But most of the other Lazi, suffering incurable and terrible things at the hands of the Roman soldiers and being especially vexed with the commanders of the army, for the most part were siding with the Medes, not because they embraced the cause of the Persians, but because they wished to be rid of Roman rule and were choosing the evils which were not for the moment present. 8.16.4 And there was a certain man among the Lazi, not obscure, Theophobius by name, who, having secretly entered into discussions with Mermeroes, agreed to betray the fortress of Uthimereos. 8.16.5 And he, having roused him with great hopes, urged him to this deed, asserting that as a result of this deed he would become a very special friend to King Chosroes, and would be inscribed among the Persians as a benefactor for all time, and that from it he would become great in fame and wealth and power. Theophobius, being elated by these things, hastened still more eagerly to the deed. 8.16.6 For there was no contact between the Romans and the Lazi at that time, but the Persians were roaming everywhere in those places with great freedom, while of the Romans and Lazi, some were hiding by the river Phasis, and others had occupied Archaeopolis or some other of the strongholds there and were in hiding; and Goubazes himself, the king of the Lazi, into the...of the mountains

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δασμοῦ ἀπαγωγὴν ὑπόφοροι αὐτῶν Ῥωμαῖοι ἔσονται, ἰσχυρότατα ἐν τῷ παρόντι τῷ τῆς ἐκε8.15.17 χειρίας ὀνόματι ἐκρατύναντο. τάξας γὰρ ὁ Χοσρόης Ῥωμαίοις κεντηναρίων ἐπέτειον τεσσάρων δασμὸν, οὗπερ γλιχόμενος τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς διαφανὴς ἦν, ἐς ἕνδεκα ἔτη τανῦν καὶ μῆνας ἓξ εὐπρεπεῖ λόγῳ, ἓξ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα κεντηνάρια τῇ τῆς ἐκεχειρίας κεκόμισται σκήψει, ὄνομα τῷ δασμῷ τὰς σπονδὰς θέμενος, καίπερ ἐπὶ Λαζικῆς μεταξὺ βιαζόμενός τε καὶ πολεμῶν, ᾗπερ 8.15.18 ἐρρήθη. ὧνπερ Ῥωμαῖοι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ῥύσασθαι ἐς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον ἐν ἐλπίδι τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδεμιᾷ εἶχον, ἀλλὰ φόρου ὑποτελεῖς Πέρσαις ᾔσθοντο οὐ 8.15.19 κεκρυμμένως γεγενημένοι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ταύτῃ ἐπέπρακτο. Ἰσδιγούσνας δὲ χρήματά τε περιβαλόμενος, ὅσα οὐδεὶς πρέσβεων πώποτε, καὶ πάντων, οἶμαι, πλουσιώτατος Περσῶν γεγονὼς ἐπ' οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθη, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς ἐτετιμήκει τε ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα καὶ χρήμασι μεγάλοις δωρησάμενος ἀπεπέμ8.15.20 ψατο. μόνος δὲ πρέσβεων ἁπάντων οὗτος ἐς πεῖραν φυλακῆς οὐδεμιᾶς ἦλθεν, ἀλλ' αὐτός τε καὶ ὅσοι αὐτῷ βάρβαροι εἵποντο πολλοὶ ἐσάγαν ὄντες ἐν πολλῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ἐγένοντο, ἐπὶ χρόνου μῆκος ἐντυγχάνειν τε καὶ ξυγγίνεσθαι οἷς ἂν βούλοιντο, καὶ τῆς πόλεως πανταχόσε περιπάτους ποιεῖσθαι, ὠνεῖσθαί τε καὶ ἀποδίδοσθαι ὅσα ἦν βουλομένοις σφίσι, καὶ ξυμβόλαια ποιεῖσθαι πάντα ἐργασίᾳ τε τῇ περὶ ταῦτα ἐνδιατρίβειν ξὺν πάσῃ ἀδείᾳ, καθάπερ ἐν πόλει αὐτῶν ἰδίᾳ, Ῥωμαίων αὐτοῖς οὐδενὸς ἑπομένου ἢ ξυνόντος ὅλως ἢ τηρεῖν ἀξιοῦντος, ᾗπερ εἰώθει. 8.15.21 Ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ τετύχηκέ τι τῶν οὔπω πρότερον, ὅσα γε ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι, γεγονότων ξυνενεχθῆναι. τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἔτους μετόπωρον ἦν, αὐχμὸς δὲ καὶ πνιγμὸς ὥσπερ θέρους μέσου ἐγένετο θαυμαστὸν ὅσον· ὥστε ἀμέλει ῥόδων μὲν πλῆθος ἅτε ἦρος ὄντος ἐφύη, τῶν εἰωθότων οὐδενὶ τὸ παράπαν διαλλασσόντων. 8.15.22 καρποὺς δὲ τὰ δένδρα σχεδόν τι ἅπαντα νέους τινὰς αὖθις ἤνεγκε, κἀν ταῖς ἀμπέλοις οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἐγένοντο βότρυες, καίπερ τοῦ τρυγήτου γεγενημένου 8.15.23 ἡμέραις ἤδη οὐ πολλαῖς ἔμπροσθεν. οἷς δὴ οἱ ταῦτα δεινοὶ τεκμηριούμενοι προὔλεγον ἀπροσδόκητον μέγα 8.15.24 τι ἔσεσθαι, οἱ μὲν ἀγαθὸν, οἱ δὲ τοὐναντίον. ἐγὼ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν κατά τι ξυμβεβηκὸς γεγονέναι οἶμαι, νότων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνέμων, ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ἐπιπεσόντων καὶ θέρμης ἐνθένδε παρὰ τὰ ξυνειθισμένα πολλῆς τε καὶ 8.15.25 οὐ κατὰ φύσιν τῆς ὥρας ἐπιγενομένης τῇ χώρᾳ. εἰ δέ τι, ὥσπερ οὗτοί φασι, καὶ σημαίνει παρὰ δόξαν ἐσόμενον, βεβαιότατα ἐκ τῶν ἀποβησομένων εἰσόμεθα. 8.16.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ τάδε ἀμφὶ ταῖς σπονδαῖς Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις ἐν Βυζαντίῳ ἐπράσσετο, ἐν τούτῳ ἐπὶ 8.16.2 Λαζικῆς τάδε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. Γουβάζης ὁ Λαζῶν βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίοις εὐνοϊκῶς ἔσχεν, ἐπεί οἱ Χοσρόην, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, ἐπιβου8.16.3 λεύειν θάνατον ᾔσθετο. τῶν δὲ ἄλλων Λαζῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι ἀνήκεστα πρὸς τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν δεινὰ πάσχοντες καὶ διαφερόντως τοῖς ἄρχουσι τοῦ στρατοῦ ἀχθόμενοι ἐμήδιζον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, οὐ τὰ Περσῶν ἀσπαζόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἀπαλλαξείοντες τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς καὶ τῶν δυσχερῶν τὰ τέως μὴ παρόντα 8.16.4 αἱρούμενοι. ἦν δέ τις ἐν Λαζοῖς οὐκ ἀφανὴς ἀνὴρ Θεοφόβιος ὄνομα, ὅσπερ τῷ Μερμερόῃ λαθραιότατα ἐς λόγους ξυμμίξας φρούριον ἐνδώσειν τὸ Οὐθιμέρεος 8.16.5 ὡμολόγησεν. ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐλπίσι μεγάλαις ἐπάρας ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν ὥρμησε ταύτην, φίλον μὲν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα Χοσρόῃ βασιλεῖ ἐκ τοῦ ἔργου τούτου ἰσχυρισάμενος ἔσεσθαι, Πέρσαις δὲ ἀνάγραπτον ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ ἐς τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δόξῃ τε καὶ πλούτῳ καὶ δυνάμει αὐτὸν γενήσεσθαι μέγαν. οἷς δὴ Θεοφόβιος ἐπαρθεὶς πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ ἔργον 8.16.6 ἠπείγετο. καὶ ἦν γὰρ οὐδεμία ἐπιμιξία Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Λαζοῖς τότε, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν Πέρσαι πολλῇ ἐξουσίᾳ πανταχόσε περιήρχοντο τῶν ταύτῃ χωρίων, Ῥωμαίων δὲ καὶ Λαζῶν οἱ μὲν παρὰ ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν ἐλάνθανον, οἱ δὲ Ἀρχαιόπολιν ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐκείνῃ ὀχυρωμάτων καταλαβόντες ἐκρύπτοντο· καὶ Γουβάζης αὐτὸς, ὁ Λαζῶν βασιλεὺς, ἐς τῶν ὀρῶν τὰς