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the passes he remained quietly. 8.16.7 Theophobius, at any rate, was with no trouble able to fulfill his promise to Mermeroes. For having arrived at the fort, he began to tell the Lazi and the Romans who held the garrison there that the entire Roman army had been destroyed, and that the affairs of king Gubazes and all the Lazi with him had been ruined, and that all of Colchis was held by the Persians, and that there was no hope for the Romans or for Gubazes ever to recover control of the country. 8.16.8 For Mermeroes had accomplished these earlier things by himself, having brought with him more than seven myriads of fighting Persian men and a great multitude of barbarian Sabirs; but now King Chosroes, having arrived here with an countless army, had suddenly joined them, and that for the future not even the land of Colchis itself would suffice for this army. 8.16.9 Having related these monstrous tales, Theophobius, threw the guards there into great fear and helplessness. 8.16.10 And they began to beseech him, supplicating by their ancestral god, to arrange the present situation for them as best he could. 8.16.11 And he agreed to bring them pledges from Chosroes concerning their safety, on the condition that they would surrender the fort to the Persians. And when this pleased the men, he immediately departed from there and, coming again into the presence of Mermeroes, told him everything. 8.16.12 And he, choosing the most proven of the Persian men, sent them with him to Uthimereos, both to give pledges concerning their property and their safety to the guards there, and to take possession of this fort. 8.16.13 Thus the Persians took the fort of Uthimereos and 8.16.14 very strongly consolidated their dominion over Lazica. And the Persians have made subject not only this Lazica, but also Scymnia and Suania, and from Mocheresis as far as Iberia all the places there became inaccessible to the Romans and to the king of the Lazi in this way. 8.16.15 But neither the Romans nor the Lazi were able to defend themselves against the enemy, since they did not dare even to come down from the mountains or the strongholds, nor to go out against the enemy anywhere. 8.16.16 Mermeroes, when the winter season was at hand, built a wooden wall in Cotais, and having established a garrison there of no fewer than three thousand fighting Persians, and in Uthimereos having left behind sufficient men. 8.16.17 And having also built the other fort of the Lazi, which they call Sarapanin, situated at the very farthest borders of Lazica, he remained there. 8.16.18 Then, learning that the Romans and Lazi were assembling and encamping around the mouths of the river Phasis, he went against them with his whole army. 8.16.19 When Gubazes and the commanders of the Roman army learned this, not withstanding the enemy's attack, they were dispersed and saved themselves as 8.16.20 each was able. And Gubazes, having run up to the mountain passes, spent the winter with his children and wife and his closest associates, struggling against the necessity imposed by the season because of the helplessness of his present evils, but taking courage for the future in the hope of help from Byzantium, and in this way consoling his present fortune, such as are human affairs, and watching for better things. 8.16.21 And the other Lazi, out of respect for king Gubazes, spent the winter season no less on the cliffs, fearing nothing difficult from the enemy there, since for those plotting against them, especially during the winter, these mountains happen to be impassable and altogether inaccessible, but dying a miserable death from hunger and cold and other hardship. 8.16.22 But Mermeroes at his leisure built many houses in the villages throughout Mocheresis and established provisions everywhere in the places there, and by sending some of the deserters around to the mountain ridges and offering pledges he was able to win over many; and to them, who were indeed lacking necessities, he supplied many things and cared for them as his own, and he administered the other affairs with great security, as he had become master of the country. 8.16.23 And to Gubazes he wrote the following: "These two things regulate for the

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ὑπερβολὰς ἡσυχῆ ἔμενε. 8.16.7 πόνῳ γοῦν ὁ Θεοφόβιος οὐδενὶ ἴσχυσε τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν τῷ Μερμερόῃ ἐπιτελέσαι. ἐν γὰρ τῷ φρουρίῳ γενόμενος ἔφασκε Λαζοῖς τε καὶ Ῥωμαίοις, οἳ τὸ ἐνταῦθα φυλακτήριον εἶχον, ὡς ἅπας μὲν ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς ἀπολώλει, Γουβάζῃ δὲ βασιλεῖ καὶ Λαζοῖς τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἅπασι διαφθαρείη τὰ πράγματα, Κολχὶς δὲ ξύμπασα πρὸς Περσῶν ἔχοιτο, καὶ οὐδέ τις ἐλπὶς Ῥωμαίοις ποτὲ ἢ τῷ Γουβάζῃ ἀνασωθήσεσθαι τῆς χώρας 8.16.8 τὸ κράτος. τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρότερα κατὰ μόνας ταῦτα τὸν Μερμερόην διαπεπρᾶχθαι, μυριάδας τε πλέον ἑπτὰ ἐπαγαγόμενον Περσῶν μαχίμων ἀνδρῶν καὶ βαρβάρους Σαβείρους παμπληθεῖς· νῦν δὲ καὶ βασιλέα Χοσρόην στρατῷ ἀμυθήτῳ ἐνθάδε ἥκοντα ἐξαπιναίως αὐτοῖς ἀναμεμίχθαι καὶ οὐκ ἂν τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδὲ αὐτὴν 8.16.9 Κόλχων τῇ στρατιᾷ ταύτῃ τὴν γῆν ἐπαρκέσειν. ταῦτα τερατευσάμενος Θεοφόβιος, ἐς δέος μέγα καὶ ἀμηχανίαν 8.16.10 κατεστήσατο τοὺς ἐνταῦθα φρουρούς. καὶ αὐτὸν ἐλιπάρουν πρὸς θεοῦ τοῦ πατρῴου ἱκετεύοντες τὰ παρόντα 8.16.11 ὅση δύναμις εὖ θέσθαι σφίσι. καὶ ὃς αὐτοῖς ὡμολόγει πρὸς τοῦ Χοσρόου ἀμφὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τὰ πιστὰ οἴσειν, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸ φρούριον ἐνδώσουσι Πέρσαις. ἐπεί τε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ταῦτα ἤρεσκεν, αὐτίκα ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγεὶς αὖθίς τε τῷ Μερμερόῃ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων ἅπαντα ἔφραζεν. 8.16.12 ὁ δὲ Περσῶν ἄνδρας τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους ἀπολεξάμενος ξὺν αὐτῷ ἐς τὸ Οὐθιμέρεος ἔπεμψε, τά τε πιστὰ παρεξομένους ἀμφί τε τοῖς χρήμασι καὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τοῖς τῇδε φρουροῖς καὶ τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο καθέξοντας. 8.16.13 οὕτω μὲν Πέρσαι τὸ Οὐθιμέρεος φρούριον ἔσχον καὶ 8.16.14 Λαζικῆς τὴν ἐπικράτησιν ἰσχυρότατα ἐκρατύναντο. οὐ μόνην δὲ Λαζικὴν ταύτην οἱ Πέρσαι ὑποχειρίαν πεποίηνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ Σκυμνίαν τε καὶ Σουανίαν, ἐκ δὲ Μοχηρήσιδος ἄχρι ἐς Ἰβηρίαν ἄβατα Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶτῷ Λαζῶν βασιλεῖ ξύμπαντα τὰ ἐκείνῃ χωρία τῷ τρόπῳ 8.16.15 τούτῳ ἐγένετο. ἀμύνεσθαι δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους οὔτε Ῥωμαῖοι οὔτε Λαζοὶ εἶχον, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ καταβαίνειν ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν ἢ τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων ἐτόλμων οὐδέ πη τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπεξιέναι. 8.16.16 Μερμερόης δὲ τῆς τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐγκειμένης ὥρας ξύλινον μὲν τεῖχος ἐν Κόταϊς ἐτεκτήνατο, φρουράν τε Περσῶν τῶν μαχίμων οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ τρισχιλίων ἐνταῦθα καταστησάμενος, ἔν τε τῷ Οὐθιμέρεος ἄνδρας αὐτάρ8.16.17 κεις ἀπολιπών. οἰκοδομησάμενος δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο Λαζῶν φρούριον, ὃ δὴ καλοῦσι Σαραπανὶν, πρὸς αὐτοῖς μάλιστα τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὁρίοις Λαζικῆς κείμενον, αὐτοῦ 8.16.18 ἔμενεν. ἔπειτα δὲ Ῥωμαίους τε καὶ Λαζοὺς ἀγείρεσθαί τε μαθὼν καὶ ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἐνστρατοπεδεύεσθαι ποταμοῦ Φάσιδος, παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς 8.16.19 ᾔει. ὅπερ ἐπεὶ Γουβάζης τε καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἄρχοντες ἔμαθον, οὐχ ὑποστάντες τῶν πολεμίων τὴν ἔφοδον διελύθησάν τε καὶ διεσώθησαν ὥς 8.16.20 πη ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονεν. ὅ τε Γουβάζης ἀναδραμὼν ἐς τῶν ὀρῶν τὰς ὑπερβολὰς διεχείμαζε ξύν τε τοῖς παισὶ καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ τοῖς ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείοις, τῇ μὲν ἀμηχανίᾳ τῶν παρόντων κακῶν διαμαχόμενος πρὸς τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἀνάγκην, ἐλπίδι δὲ τοῦ Βυζαντίου ἐς τὸν μέλλοντα χρόνον θαρσῶν, ταύτῃ τε τὴν τύχην παρηγορῶν τὴν τότε παροῦσαν, οἷά γε τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, καὶ καραδοκῶν τὰ 8.16.21 βελτίω. καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι δὲ Λαζοὶ τῇ πρὸς βασιλέα Γουβάζην αἰδοῖ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἐν τοῖς σκοπέλοις κατέτριβον, δύσκολον μὲν ἐνταῦθα οὐδὲν πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων δειμαίνοντες, ἐπεὶ τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν, ἄλλως τε καὶ κατὰ τὸν χειμῶνα, ταῦτα τὰ ὄρη ἀμήχανά τε καὶ ὅλως ἀπρόσοδα ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, λιμῷ δὲ καὶ ψύχει καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κακοπαθείᾳ 8.16.22 δυσθανατῶντες. ὁ δὲ Μερμερόης οἰκία τε πολλὰ κατ' ἐξουσίαν ᾠκοδομήσατο ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τὴν Μοχήρησιν κώμαις καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια πανταχόθι καταστησάμενος τῶν τῇδε χωρίων, τῶν τε αὐτομόλων περιπέμπων τινὰς ἐς τῶν ὀρῶν τὰς ἀκρωρείας καὶ τὰ πιστὰ παρεχόμενος ἐπαγαγέσθαι πολλοὺς ἴσχυσεν· οἷς δὴ καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπορουμένοις ἐχορήγει συχνὰ καὶ ὡς οἰκείων ἐπεμελεῖτο, τά τε ἄλλα διῳκεῖτο ξὺν ἀδείᾳ πολλῇ ἅτε 8.16.23 τῆς χώρας γεγονὼς κύριος. καὶ πρὸς Γουβάζην ἔγραψε τάδε «∆ύο ταῦτα ῥυθμίζει τοῖς