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and brought the eggs to Byzantium, and having managed in the manner described for them to be changed into worms, they feed them with mulberry leaves, and from that time on they established the production of silk 8.17.8 in the land of the Romans. At that time, therefore, the affairs of the war for both the Romans and the Persians and the matters concerning this silk stood thus. 8.17.9 But after the winter season, Isdigousnas arrived before Chosroes with the money and reported what had been agreed upon between them. And he, having received the money, sealed the truce without any delay, 8.17.10 but he was by no means willing to relinquish Lazica. But having also with this money won over a great number of the Sabir Huns, he immediately sent them with some Persians to Mermeroes. To him he sent instructions to set to the work with all 8.17.11 his might, and indeed he also sent him many elephants. And Mermeroes, setting out from Mocheresis with the whole army of Persians and Huns, went against the strongholds of the Lazi, 8.17.12 bringing the elephants with him. But the Romans in no way went out to meet them, but around the mouth of the Phasis river, with Martinus leading them, having fortified themselves as securely as possible by the strength of the position, they remained quiet. 8.17.13 And with them was also Goubazes, the king of the Lazi. But this army of the Medes, by some chance that befell it, did no harm to any of either the Romans or the Lazi. 8.17.14 For at first Mermeroes, having learned that the sister of Goubazes was in a certain fort, led his army against it, intending to capture it by every device. 8.17.15 But as the guards there defended themselves most stoutly and the nature of the place aided them with its strength, the barbarians, repulsed from there without success, withdrew; 8.17.16 then they hurried on against the Abasgians. But the Romans who held the garrison at Tzibile, by occupying the pass which was very narrow and precipitous, as has been said by me before, and entirely impassable, became an obstacle to them. 8.17.17 Therefore Mermeroes, not knowing how he might force the resisters, led his army back and immediately went against Archaeopolis, intending to besiege it. And having made an attempt on the circuit wall, 8.17.18 since he made no progress, he turned back again. But the Romans, following the enemy as they withdrew, killed many in a difficult place, among whom it also happened that the leader of the Sabirs fell. 8.17.19 And after a fierce battle had taken place over the corpse, 8.17.19 the Persians later, about the time of the lighting of lamps, forced and routed their opponents, and withdrew to Cotais and Mocheresis. So these things, then, had been done by the Romans and Persians in this way. 8.17.20 All things in Libya, however, had been settled well and finely for the Romans. For to John, whom the emperor Justinian had appointed general there, it happened that successes greater than can be told or heard of came to pass. 8.17.21 He, having won over one of the rulers among the Maurusians, Cutzinas by name, both defeated the others in battle before and not much later made subject Antalas and Iaudas, who held power over the Maurusians in Byzacium and Numidia, and they followed 8.17.22 him in the capacity of slaves. And from that time on, nothing hostile to the Romans occurred in Libya at least during this period. However, because of the previous wars and seditions, the country for the most part remained desolate of people. 8.18.1 While these things were being done in this way, it happened that the following things took place in Europe. The Gepids, as has been said by me in the previous account, had made a truce with the Lombards who were their enemies. 8.18.2 But being altogether unable to settle their differences with them, they thought not long afterward that they must go to war. 8.18.3 The Gepids, then, and the Lombards, with all their people, went against each other, eager for war. The leader of the Gepids was 8.18.4 Thorisin, and of the Lombards, one Auduin by name. And many myriads of men followed each of them. Now, then, both came very near each other, but the armies were not yet seen by one another. 8.18.5 But what are called panic terrors suddenly came upon both

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τε ᾠὰ μετήνεγκαν ἐς Βυζάντιον, ἐς σκώληκάς τε αὐτὰ τρόπῳ ᾧπερ ἐρρήθη μεταπεφυκέναι διαπραξάμενοι τρέφουσί τε συκαμίνου φύλλοις, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ γίνεσθαι μέταξαν τὸ λοιπὸν 8.17.8 κατεστήσαντο ἐν Ῥωμαίων τῇ γῇ. τότε μὲν οὖν τά τε κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον πράγματα Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ μετάξῃ ταύτῃ πη ἔσχε. 8.17.9 Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν ἀφικόμενος παρὰ Χοσρόην σὺν τοῖς χρήμασιν Ἰσδιγούσνας τὰ ξυγκείμενα σφίσιν ἐσήγγελλε. καὶ ὃς τὰ μὲν χρήματα κεκομισμένος τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐπεσφράγισε, 8.17.10 Λαζικῆς δὲ μεθίεσθαι οὐδαμῆ ἤθελεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς χρήμασι τούτοις Οὔννων τῶν Σαβείρων ἑταιρισάμενος μέγα τι χρῆμα ξὺν Πέρσαις τισὶ τῷ Μερμερόῃ εὐθὺς ἔπεμψεν. ᾧ δὴ ἐπέστελλεν ἔργου ἔχεσθαι δυνάμει τῇ 8.17.11 πάσῃ, καὶ μὴν καὶ ἐλέφαντάς οἱ πολλοὺς ἔστειλε. Μερμερόης δὲ παντὶ τῷ Περσῶν τε καὶ Οὔννων στρατῷ ἐκ Μοχηρήσιδος ἀναστὰς ἐπὶ τὰ Λαζῶν ὀχυρώματα 8.17.12 ᾔει, τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἐπαγόμενος. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οὐδαμῆ ὑπηντίαζον, ἀλλ' ἀμφὶ τὰς ἐκβολὰς Φάσιδος ποταμοῦ, Μαρτίνου ἡγουμένου σφίσι, χωρίου ἰσχύι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὡς ἀσφαλέστατα κρατυνάμενοι ἡσυχῆ 8.17.13 ἔμενον. ξυνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Γουβάζης ὁ Λαζῶν βασιλεύς. οὗτος δὲ ὁ Μήδων στρατὸς, τύχης αὐτῷ ξυμβάσης τινὸς, οὐδὲν ἄχαρι οὔτε Ῥωμαίων οὔτε Λαζῶν 8.17.14 τινα ἔδρασε. τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτα ὁ Μερμερόης ἐν φρουρίῳ τῳ μαθὼν τὴν Γουβάζου ἀδελφὴν εἶναι, ἐπ' αὐτὸ ἐπῆγε τὸ στράτευμα ὡς ἐξαιρήσων μηχανῇ πάσῃ. 8.17.15 καρτερώτατα δὲ ἀμυνομένων τῶν ταύτῃ φρουρῶν καὶ χωρίου σφίσι ξυλλαμβανούσης τῆς φύσεως ὀχυρότητι ἄπρακτοι ἐνθένδε ἀποκρουσθέντες οἱ βάρβαροι ἀνεχώ8.17.16 ρησαν· ἔπειτα ἐπὶ Ἀβασγοὺς σπουδῇ ἵεντο. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ οἱ ἐν Τζιβιλῇ φρουρὰν ἔχοντες τὴν δίοδον καταλαμβάνοντες στενοτάτην τε καὶ κρημνώδη οὖσαν, ᾗπέρ μοι ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηται, τὸ παράπαν τε ἀδιέξοδον, ἐμ8.17.17 πόδιοι σφίσιν ἐγένοντο. διὸ δὴ οὐκ ἔχων ὁ Μερμερόης καθ' ὅ τι τοὺς ἀνθισταμένους βιάζηται, ὑπῆγεν ὀπίσω τὸ στράτευμα ἐπί τε Ἀρχαιόπολιν ὡς πολιορκήσων αὐτίκα ᾔει. τοῦ τε περιβόλου ἀποπειρασάμενος, 8.17.18 ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν προὐχώρει, ἀνέστρεφεν αὖθις. Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἀναχωροῦσιν ἐπισπόμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐν δυσχωρίᾳ πολλοὺς ἔκτεινον, ἐν τοῖς καὶ τῶν Σαβείρων τὸν ἄρχοντα 8.17.19 ξυνηνέχθη πεσεῖν. μάχης τε καρτερᾶς ἀμφὶ τῷ νεκρῷ 8.17.19 γενομένης ὕστερον Πέρσαι περὶ λύχνων ἁφὰς βιασάμενοι τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐτρέψαντο, ἐπί τε Κόταϊς καὶ Μοχήρησιν ἀπεχώρησαν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν Ῥωμαίοις τε καὶ Πέρσαις ἐπέπρακτο τῇδε. 8.17.20 Τὰ μέντοι ἐπὶ Λιβύης ἅπαντα Ῥωμαίοις εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς καθειστήκει. τῷ γὰρ Ἰωάννῃ, ὅνπερ ἐνταῦθα βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς στρατηγὸν κατεστήσατο, εὐτυχήματα λόγου τε καὶ ἀκοῆς κρείσσω ξυνηνέχθη γενέ8.17.21 σθαι. ὃς δὴ ἕνα τῶν ἐν Μαυρουσίοις ἀρχόντων ἑταιρισάμενος, Κουτζίναν ὄνομα, τά τε πρότερα μάχῃ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐνίκησε καὶ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον Ἀντάλαν τε καὶ Ἰαύδαν, οἳ Μαυρουσίων τῶν ἐν Βυζακίῳ τε καὶ Νουμιδίᾳ τὸ κράτος εἶχον, ὑποχειρίους πεποίηται, εἵποντό 8.17.22 τε αὐτῷ ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ. καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πολέμιον Ῥωμαίοις οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἔν γε Λιβύῃ ἐγένετο. τοῖς μέντοι φθάσασι πολέμοις τε καὶ στάσεσιν ἔρημος ἀνθρώπων ἡ χώρα ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον οὖσα διέμεινεν. 8.18.1 Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ταῦτα ἐπράσσετο τῇδε, ἐν τούτῳ τάδε ξυνηνέχθη ἐν Εὐρώπῃ γενέσθαι. Γήπαιδες μὲν, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, τὰς σπονδὰς θέμενοι πρὸς Λαγγοβάρδας τοὺς σφίσι πολε8.18.2 μίους ὄντας ἐτύγχανον. παντάπασι δὲ οὐχ οἷοί τε ὄντες τὰ διάφορα πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλῦσαι πολεμητέα 8.18.3 σφίσιν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ᾤοντο εἶναι. Γήπαιδες μὲν οὖν καὶ Λαγγοβάρδαι πανδημεὶ ἐπ' ἀλλήλους τῷ πολέμῳ ἀκμάζοντες ᾔεσαν. ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν μὲν Γηπαίδων 8.18.4 Θορισὶν, τῶν δὲ Λαγγοβαρδῶν Αὐδουὶν ὄνομα. καὶ αὐτῶν ἑκατέρῳ ἀνδρῶν μυριάδες πολλαὶ εἵποντο. ἤδη μὲν οὖν ἄγχιστά πη ἀμφότεροι ἦλθον, οὔπω δὲ τὰ 8.18.5 στρατόπεδα πρὸς ἀλλήλων καθεωρῶντο. δείματα δὲ τὰ πανικὰ καλούμενα ἐξαπιναίως ἑκατέροις