Τότε καὶ γράμματα Χοσρόῃ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἔγραψεν, ἐπιτελέσειν ὁμολογῶν τά τε αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς πρέσβεσιν ἀμφὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ ξυγκείμενα. [2] ἅπερ ἐπεὶ ὁ Χοσρόης ἀπενεχθέντα εἶδε, τούς τε ὁμήρους ἀφῆκε καὶ συνεσκευάζετο ἐς τὴν ἄφοδον, τούς τε Ἀντιοχέων αἰχμαλώτους ἀποδίδοσθαι ἅπαντας ἤθελεν. [3] ὅπερ Ἐδεσσηνοὶ ἐπειδὴ ἔμαθον, προθυμίαν ἐπεδείξαντο ἀκοῆς κρείσσω. οὐ γὰρ ἦν οὐδεὶς ὃς οὐ τὰ λύτρα ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ φέρων ὑπὲρ τούτων δὴ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων κατὰ λόγον τῆς οὐσίας κατέθετο. [4] εἰσὶ δὲ οἷς καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ κατὰ λόγον ταῦτα ἐπράσσετο. αἵ τε γὰρ ἑταῖραι τὸν κόσμον ἀφελοῦσαι, ὅσος αὐταῖς ἐν τῷ σώματι ἦν, ἐνταῦθα ἐρρίπτουν, καὶ εἴ τῳ γεωργῷ ἐπίπλων ἢ ἀργυρίου σπανίζοντι ὄνος ἢ προβάτιον ἦν, τοῦτο δὴ ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν σπουδῇ πολλῇ ἦγεν. [5] ἀθροίζεται μὲν οὖν χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ ἄλλων χρημάτων πάμπολυ πλῆθος, [6] δέδοται δὲ ὑπὲρ λύτρων οὐδέν. Βούζης γὰρ ἐνταῦθα παρὼν ἔτυχεν, ὃς διακωλῦσαι τὴν πρᾶξιν ὑπέστη, κέρδος οἱ ἔσεσθαι μέγα τι ἐνθένδε καραδοκῶν. διὸ δὴ ὁ Χοσρόης τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἅπαντας ἐπαγόμενος πρόσω ἐχώρει. [7] Καρρηνοὶ δὲ ἀπήντων χρήματα πολλὰ προτεινόμενοι: ὁ δὲ οὐ προσήκειν ἔφασκεν, ὅτι δὴ οἱ πλεῖστοι οὐ Χριστιανοί, ἀλλὰ δόξης τῆς παλαιᾶς τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες. [8] Καὶ μὴν καὶ Κωνσταντινιέων χρήματα διδόντων ἐδέξατο, καίπερ φάσκων οἱ ἐκ πατέρων προσήκειν τὴν πόλιν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Καβάδης Ἀμίδαν εἷλεν, Ἔδεσσάν τε καὶ Κωνσταντίναν ἐξελεῖν ἤθελεν. [9] ἀλλ̓ Ἐδέσσης μὲν ἀγχοῦ γενόμενος τῶν μάγων ἀνεπυνθάνετο εἴ οἱ ἁλώσιμος ἡ πόλις ἔσται, δείξας τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρὶ τὸ χωρίον αὐτοῖς. [10] οἱ δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν ἁλώσεσθαι οὐδεμιᾷ μηχανῇ ἔλεγον, τεκμαιρόμενοι ὅτι δὴ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτῇ χεῖρα προτείνας, οὐχ ἁλώσεως ταύτῃ οὐδὲ ἄλλου ὁτουοῦν χαλεποῦ ξύμβολον, ἀλλὰ σωτηρίας διδοίη. [11] καὶ ὃς ταῦτα ἀκούσας, ἐπείθετό τε καὶ ἐπῆγεν ἐπὶ Κωνσταντίναν τὸ στράτευμα. [12] ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀφικόμενος ἐνστρατοπεδεύεσθαι παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ὡς πολιορκήσων ἐπέστελλεν. [13] ἦν δὲ Κωνσταντίνης ἱερεὺς τότε Βαράδοτος, ἀνὴρ δίκαιός τε καὶ τῷ θεῷ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα φίλος, καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ ἐνεργοῦσαν ἐς ὅ τι βούλοιτο ἀεὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ἔχων: οὗ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἰδὼν ἄν τις εὐθὺς εἴκασεν ὅτι δὴ τῷ θεῷ ἐνδελεχέστατα κεχαρισμένος ὁ ἀνὴρ εἴη. [14] οὗτος ὁ Βαράδοτος τηνικαῦτα παρὰ τὸν Καβάδην ἐλθὼν οἶνόν τε ἤνεγκε καὶ ἰσχάδας καὶ μέλι καὶ καθαροὺς ἄρτους, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐδεῖτο μὴ ἀποπειρᾶσθαι πόλεως ἣ οὔτε λόγου ἀξία ἐστὶ καὶ πρὸς Ῥωμαίων ἀπημέληται λίαν, οὔτε στρατιωτῶν φρουρὰν ἔχουσα οὔτε ἄλλο τι φυλακτήριον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς οἰκήτορας μόνους, ἀνθρώπους οἰκτρούς. [15] ὁ μὲν ταῦτα εἶπε: Καβάδης δὲ αὐτῷ τήν τε πόλιν χαριεῖσθαι ὡμολόγησε καὶ τοῖς σιτίοις ἐδωρήσατο αὐτὸν ἅπασιν ὅσα οἱ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἐς τὴν πολιορκίαν ἡτοίμαστο, μεγάλοις ὑπερφυῶς οὖσιν: οὕτω τε ἀπηλλάσσετο ἐκ γῆς τῆς Ῥωμαίων. διὸ δὴ ὁ Χοσρόης ἐκ πατέρων οἱ προσήκειν ἠξίου τὴν πόλιν. [16] Ἐς Δάρας τε ἀφικόμενος ἐς πολιορκίαν καθίστατο. ἔνδοθεν δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Μαρτῖνος ὁ στρατηγός ῾καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ὢν ἔτυχἐ τὰ ἐς ἀντίστασιν ἐξηρτύοντο. [17] δύο δὲ ἡ πόλις τείχεσι περιβέβληται, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἐντὸς μέγα τε καὶ ἀξιοθέατον ἀτεχνῶς ἐστιν ῾ἐς ὕψος γὰρ διήκει πύργος μὲν ἕκαστος ποδῶν ἑκατόν, τὸ δὲ ἄλλο τεῖχος ἑξήκοντἀ, τὸ δὲ ἐκτὸς πολλῷ μὲν ἔλασσον συμβαίνει εἶναι, ἄλλως δὲ ἐχυρόν τε καὶ λόγου πολλοῦ ἄξιόν ἐστι. [18] τὸ δὲ μεταξὺ χωρίον εὖρος οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ πεντήκοντα ἔχει ποδῶν: ἐνταῦθα εἰώθασι Δαρηνοὶ τούς τε βόας καὶ τἄλλα ζῷα πολεμίων σφίσιν ἐγκειμένων ἐμβάλλεσθαι. [19] τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα ὁ Χοσρόης προσβολὴν ποιησάμενος ἐς τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν τοῦ περιβόλου πλήθει τε βελῶν βιασάμενος, τὰς πύλας τείχους τοῦ βραχέος ἐνέπρησεν. [20] ἐντὸς μέντοι γενέσθαι οὐδεὶς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐτόλμησεν. ἔπειτα δὲ κατώρυχα ποιεῖσθαι λάθρα ἐς τὰ πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως ἔγνω. ταύτῃ γὰρ μόνον ὀρύσσεσθαι ἡ γῆ οἵα τέ ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ τὰ ἄλλα τοῦ περιβόλου ἐπὶ πέτρας τοῖς δειμαμένοις πεποίηται. [21] οἱ γοῦν Πέρσαι ἀπὸ τῆς τάφρου ἀρξάμενοι ὤρυσσον. ἧς δὴ βαθείας κομιδῆ οὔσης, οὔτε καθεωρῶντο πρὸς τῶν πολεμίων οὔτε αὐτοῖς τινα αἴσθησιν τοῦ ποιουμένου παρείχοντο. [22] ἤδη μὲν οὖν ὑπέδυσαν τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ ἐκτὸς τείχους, ἔμελλον δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν μεταξὺ χώραν ἑκατέρου περιβόλου γινόμενοι ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον καὶ τὸ μέγα τεῖχος ἀμείψαντες τὴν πόλιν κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν, ἀλλ̓ ῾οὐ γὰρ αὐτὴν ἔδει Πέρσαις ἁλῶναἰ εἷς ἐκ τοῦ Χοσρόου στρατοπέδου ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μέσην ἄγχιστά πη τοῦ περιβόλου μόνος ἀφίκετο, εἴτε ἄνθρωπος ὢν εἴτε τι ἄλλο ἀνθρώπου κρεῖσσον, δόξαν τε τοῖς ὁρῶσι παρείχετο ὅτι δὴ τὰ βέλη ξυλλέγοι ἅπερ ἐκ τοῦ τείχους Ῥωμαῖοι ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐνοχλοῦντας βαρβάρους ἀφῆκαν. [23] ταῦτά τε ποιῶν καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα προβεβλημένος ἐρεσχελεῖν τε τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐπάλξεσι καὶ ξὺν γέλωτι τωθάζειν ἐδόκει. εἶτα φράσας αὐτοῖς τὸν πάντα λόγον ἐγρηγορέναι πάντας ἐκέλευε καὶ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. [24] καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα σημήνας ἀπιὼν ᾤχετο, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τὰ �
��ν μέσῳ τείχους ἑκατέρου θορύβῳ πολλῷ καὶ ταραχῇ ἐκέλευον σκάπτειν. [25] καὶ Πέρσαι μέντοι οὐκ εἰδότες τὰ πρασσόμενα οὐδέν τι ἧσσον ἔργου εἴχοντο. [26] τῶν μὲν οὖν βαρβάρων ὀρθήν τινα ἔνερθεν ποιουμένων ὁδὸν ἐπὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως τεῖχος, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων τε Θεοδώρου γνώμῃ, ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ τῇ καλουμένῃ μηχανικῇ λογίου ἀνδρός, ἐγκαρσίαν τε τὴν διώρυχα ἐργαζομένων καὶ βάθους ἱκανῶς ἔχουσαν, ξυνέβη Πέρσας κατὰ μέσον τοῖν περιβόλοιν γεγενημένους ἐκ τοῦ αἰφνιδίου ἐμπεσεῖν ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων κατώρυχα. [27] καὶ αὐτῶν τοὺς μὲν πρώτους Ῥωμαῖοι ἔκτειναν, οἱ δὲ ὄπισθεν φυγόντες κατὰ τάχος ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον διεσώθησαν. διώκειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐν σκότῳ Ῥωμαῖοι οὐδαμῆ ἔγνωσαν. [28] ταύτης οὖν τῆς πείρας ὁ Χοσρόης ἀποτυχὼν ἑλεῖν τε τὴν πόλιν μηχανῇ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδεμιᾷ ἐλπίσας, τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐς λόγους ἦλθε, χίλιά τε κεκομισμένος ἀργύρου σταθμὰ ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη ἐχώρει. [29] ταῦτα ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἔμαθεν, οὐκέτι τὰ ξυγκείμενα ἐπιτελῆ ποιήσειν ἤθελεν, ἐπικαλῶν Χοσρόῃ ὅτι δὴ πόλιν Δάρας ἐν σπονδαῖς ἐξελεῖν ἐνεχείρησε. ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ Χοσρόου ἐσβολῇ Ῥωμαίοις ξυνέβη, καὶ τὸ θέρος μὲν ἐτελεύτα.
XIII
At that time also the Emperor Justinian wrote a letter to Chosroes, promising to carry out the agreement which had been made by him and the ambassadors regarding the peace. When this message was received by Chosroes, he released the hostages and made preparations for his departure, and he wished to sell off all the captives from Antioch. And when the citizens of Edessa learned of this, they displayed an unheard-of zeal. For there was not a person who did not bring ransom for the captives and deposit it in the sanctuary according to the measure of his possessions. And there were some who even exceeded their proportionate amount in so doing. For the harlots took off all the adornment which they wore on their persons, and threw it down there, and any farmer who was in want of plate or of money, but who had an ass or a sheep, brought this to the sanctuary with great zeal. So there was collected an exceedingly great amount of gold and silver and money in other forms, but not a bit of it was given for ransom. For Bouzes happened to be present there, and he took in hand to prevent the transaction, expecting that this would bring him some great gain. Therefore Chosroes moved forward, taking with him all the captives. And the citizens of Carrhae met him holding out to him great sums of money; but he said that it did not belong to him because the most of them are not Christians but are of the old faith.
But when, likewise, the citizens of Constantina offered money, he accepted it, although he asserted that the city belonged to him from his fathers. [503 A.D.] For at the time when Cabades took Amida, he wished also to capture Edessa and Constantina. But when he came near to Edessa he enquired of the Magi whether it would be possible for him to capture the city, pointing out the place to them with his right hand. But they said that the city would not be captured by him by any device, judging by the fact that in stretching out his right hand to it he was not giving thereby the sign of capture or of any other grievous thing, but of salvation. And when Cabades heard this, he was convinced and led his army on to Constantina. And upon arriving there, he issued orders to the whole army to encamp for a siege. Now the priest of Constantina was at that time Baradotus, a just man and especially beloved of God, and his prayers for this reason were always effectual for whatever he wished; and even seeing his face one would have straightway surmised that this man was most completely acceptable to God. This Baradotus came then to Cabades bearing wine and dried figs and honey and unblemished loaves, and entreated him not to make an attempt on a city which was not of any importance and which was very much neglected by the Romans, having neither a garrison of soldiers nor any other defence, but only the inhabitants, who were pitiable folk. Thus spoke the priest; and Cabades promised that he would grant him the city freely, and he presented him with all the food-supplies which had been prepared by him for the army in anticipation of the siege, an exceedingly great quantity; and thus he departed from the land of the Romans. For this reason it was that Chosroes claimed that the city belonged to him from his fathers.
And when he reached Daras, he began a siege; but within the city the Romans and Martinus, their general (for it happened that he was there), made their preparations for resistance. Now the city is surrounded by two walls, the inner one of which is of great size and a truly wonderful thing to look upon (for each tower reaches to a height of a hundred feet, and the rest of the wall to sixty), while the outer wall is much smaller, but in other respects strong and one to be reckoned with seriously. And the space between has a breadth of not less than fifty feet; in that place the citizens of Daras are accustomed to put their cattle and other animals when an enemy assails them. At first then Chosroes made an assault on the fortifications toward the west, and forcing back his opponents by overwhelming numbers of missiles, he set fire to the gates of the small wall. However no one of the barbarians dared to get inside. Next he decided to make a tunnel secretly at the eastern side of the city. For at this point alone can the earth be dug, since the other parts of the fortifications were set upon rock by the builders. So the Persians began to dig, beginning from their trench. And since this was very deep, they were neither observed by the enemy nor did they afford them any means of discovering what was being done. So they had already gone under the foundations of the outer wall, and were about to reach the space between the two walls and soon after to pass also the great wall and take the city by force; but since it was not fated to be captured by the Persians, someone from the camp of Chosroes came alone about midday close to the fortifications, whether a man or something else greater than man, and he made it appear to those who saw him that he was collecting the weapons which the Romans had a little before discharged from the wall against the barbarians who were assailing them. And while doing this and holding his shield before him, he seemed to be bantering those who were on the parapet and taunting them with laughter. Then he told them of everything and commanded them all to be on the watch and to take all possible care for their safety. After revealing these things he was off, while the Romans with much shouting and confusion were ordering men to dig the ground between the two walls. The Persians, on the other hand, not knowing what was being done, were pushing on the work no less than before. So while the Persians were making a straight way underground to the wall of the city, the Romans by the advice of Theodoras, a man learned in the science called mechanics, were constructing their trench in a cross-wise direction and making it of sufficient depth, so that when the Persians had reached the middle point between the two circuit-walls they suddenly broke into the trench of the Romans. And the first of them the Romans killed, while those in the rear by fleeing at top speed into the camp saved themselves. For the Romans decided by no means to pursue them in the dark. So Chosroes, failing in this attempt and having no hope that he would take the city by any device thereafter, opened negotiations with the besieged, and carrying away a thousand pounds of silver he retired into the land of Persia. When this came to the knowledge of the Emperor Justinian, he was no longer willing to carry the agreement into effect, charging Chosroes with having attempted to capture the city of Daras during a truce. Such were the fortunes of the Romans during the first invasion of Chosroes; and the summer drew to its close.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 346