Delphi Complete Works of Procopius

by Procopius of Caesarea

  On the eighth day of the siege he formed the design of erecting an artificial hill against the circuit wall of the city; accordingly he cut down trees in great numbers from the adjacent districts and, without removing the leaves, laid them together in a square before the wall, at a point which no missile from the city could reach; then he heaped an immense amount of earth right upon the trees and above that threw on a great quantity of stones, not such as are suitable for building, but cut at random, and only calculated to raise the hill as quickly as possible to a great height. And he kept laying on long timbers in the midst of the earth and the stones, and made them serve to bind the structure together, in order that as it became high it should not be weak. But Peter, the Roman general (for he happened to be there with Martinus and Peranius), wishing to check the men who were engaged in this work, sent some of the Huns who were under his command against them. And they, by making a sudden attack, killed a great number; and one of the guardsmen, Argek by name, surpassed all others, for he alone killed twenty-seven. From that time on, however, the barbarians kept a careful guard, and there was no further opportunity for anyone to go out against them. But when the artisans engaged in this work, as they moved forward, came within range of missiles, then the Romans offered a most vigorous resistance from the city wall, using both their slings and their bows against them. Wherefore the barbarians devised the following plan. They provided screens of goat’s hair cloth, of the kind which are called Cilician, making them of adequate thickness and height, and attached them to long pieces of wood which they always set before those who were working on the “agesta” (for thus the Romans used to call in the Latin tongue the thing which they were making). Behind this neither ignited arrows nor any other weapon could reach the workmen, but all of them were thrown back by the screens and stopped there. And then the Romans, falling into a great fear, sent the envoys to Chosroes in great trepidation, and with them Stephanus, a physician of marked learning among those of his time at any rate, who also had once cured Cabades, the son of Perozes, when ill, and had been made master of great wealth by him. He, therefore, coming into the presence of Chosroes with the others, spoke as follows: “It has been agreed by all from of old that kindness is the mark of a good king. Therefore, most mighty King, while busying thyself with murders and battles and the enslavement of cities it will perhaps be possible for thee to win the other names, but thou wilt never by any means have the reputation of being ‘good.’ And yet least of all cities should Edessa suffer any adversity at thy hand. For there was I born, who, without any foreknowledge of what was coming to pass, fostered thee from childhood and counselled thy father to appoint thee his successor in the kingdom, so that to thee I have proved the chief cause of the kingship of Persia, but to my fatherland of her present woes. For men, as a general thing, bring down upon their own heads the most of the misfortunes which are going to befall them. But if any remembrance of such benefaction comes to thy mind, do us no further injury, and grant me this requital, by which, O King, thou wilt escape the reputation of being most cruel.” Such were the words of Stephanus. But Chosroes declared that he would not depart from there until the Romans should deliver to him Peter and Peranius, seeing that, being his hereditary slaves, they had dared to array themselves against him. And if it was not their pleasure to do this, the Romans must choose one of two alternatives, either to give the Persians five hundred centenaria of gold, or to receive into the city some of his associates who would search out all the money, both gold and silver, as much as was there, and bring it to him, allowing everything else to remain in the possession of the present owners. Such then were the words which Chosroes hurled forth, being in hopes of capturing Edessa with no trouble. And the ambassadors (since all the conditions which he had announced to them seemed impossible), in despair and great vexation, proceeded to the city. And when they had come inside the city-wall, they reported the message from Chosroes, and the whole city was filled with tumult and lamentation.

  Now the artificial hill was rising to a great height and was being pushed forward with much haste. And the Romans, being at a loss what to do, again sent off the envoys to Chosroes. And when they had arrived in the enemy’s camp, and said that they had come to make entreaty concerning the same things, they did not even gain a hearing of any kind from the Persians, but they were insulted and driven out from there with a great tumult, and so returned to the city. At first, then, the Romans tried to over-top the wall opposite the hill by means of another structure. But since the Persian work was already rising far above even this, they stopped their building and persuaded Martinus to make the arrangements for a settlement in whatever way he wished. He then came up close to the enemy’s camp and began to converse with some of the Persian commanders. But they, completely deceiving Martinus, said that their king was desirous of peace, but that he was utterly unable to persuade the Roman Emperor to have done with his strife with Chosroes and to establish peace with him at last. And they mentioned as evidence of this the fact that Belisarius, who in power and dignity was far superior to Martinus, as even he himself would not deny, had recently persuaded the king of the Persians, when he was in the midst of Roman territory, to withdraw from there into Persia, promising that envoys from Byzantium would come to him at no distant time and establish peace securely, but that he had done none of the things agreed upon, since he had found himself unable to overcome the determination of the Emperor Justinian.

  Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐποίουν τοιάδε. διώρυχα ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἔνερθεν τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ χώματος ἐργασάμενοι ἐκέλευον τοὺς ὀρύσσοντας μὴ μεθίεσθαι τοῦ ἔργου τούτου, ἕως ὑπὸ τὸν λόφον γένωνται μέσον. ταύτῃ γὰρ καῦσαι τὸ χῶμα τοῦτο διενοοῦντο. [2] προϊούσης δὲ τῆς διώρυχος κατὰ τὸν λόφον μάλιστα μέσον πάταγός τις ἐς τῶν Περσῶν τοὺς ὕπερθεν ἑστῶτας ἦλθεν. [3] αἰσθόμενοί τε τοῦ ποιουμένου καὶ αὐτοὶ ἄνωθεν ἀρξάμενοι ἐφ̓ ἑκάτερα τοῦ μέσου ὤρυσσον, ὅπως λάβοιεν τοὺς ἐκείνῃ κακουργοῦντας Ῥωμαίους. [4] ὃ δὴ γνόντες Ῥωμαῖοι τούτου μὲν ἀπέσχοντο, χοῦν ἐπὶ τὸν κενωθέντα χῶρον ἐπιβαλόντες, ἐκ δὲ ἄκρου χώματος κάτωθεν, ὃ πρὸς τῷ τείχει ἐτύγχανεν ὄν, ξύλα τε καὶ λίθους καὶ χοῦν ἐκφορήσαντες καθάπερ οἰκίσκου σχῆμα εἰργάσαντο, πρέμνα τε δένδρων τῶν ῥᾷστα καιομένων ξηρὰ ἐνταῦθα ἐσέβαλλον, ἐλαίῳ τε καταβεβρεγμένα τῷ ἐκ κέδρου πεποιημένῳ καὶ θείῳ τε καὶ ἀσφάλτῳ πολλῇ. [5] καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῦτα ἐν παρασκευῇ εἶχον, οἱ δὲ Περσῶν ἄρχοντες πολλάκις ἐντυχόντες Μαρτίνῳ τοιαῦτα μὲν οἷά πέρ μοι εἴρηται διελέχθησαν, δόκησιν παρεχόμενοι ὡς τοὺς ἀμφὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ ἐνδέξονται λόγους. [6] ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ λόφος αὐτοῖς ἐτετέλεστο ἤδη, καὶ πλησιάζων μὲν τῷ περιβόλῳ τῆς πόλεως, ὕψει δὲ αὐτὸν πολλῷ ὑπεραίρων ἐπὶ μέγα ἐπῆρτο, Μαρτῖνον μὲν ἀπεπέμψαντο διαρρήδην ἀπειπόντες τὴν ξύμβασιν, ἔργου δὲ ἔχεσθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ἔμελλον. [7] Διὸ δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι τῶν δένδρων τὰ πρέμνα εὐθὺς ἔκαυσαν ἅπερ ἐς τοῦτο ἡτοίμαστο. τοῦ δὲ πυρὸς μοῖραν μὲν τοῦ χώματός τινα καύσαντος, οὔπω δὲ διὰ παντὸς ἐξικνεῖσθαι ἰσχύσαντος, τὰ ξύλα δεδαπανῆσθαι πά
ντα ἔτυχεν. ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐσέβαλον ἐς τὴν διώρυχα ξύλα ἕτερα, οὐδένα ἀνιέντες καιρόν. [8] ἤδη δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς ἅπαν ἐνεργοῦντος τὸ χῶμα, καπνός τις ὕπερθεν πανταχῆ τοῦ λόφου ἐφαίνετο νύκτωρ, Ῥωμαῖοί τε οὔπω ἐθέλοντες αἴσθησιν τοῦ ποιουμένου Πέρσαις παρέχειν ἐπενόουν τάδε. [9] ἀνθράκων τε καὶ πυρὸς ἀγγεῖα μικρὰ ἐμπλησάμενοι, ταῦτά τε καὶ πυρφόρους οἰστοὺς τοῦ χώματος πανταχόσε συχνὰ ἔπεμπον: ἃ δὴ οἱ Πέρσαι, ὅσοι φυλακὴν ἐνταῦθα εἶχον, ξὺν πάσῃ σπουδῇ περιιόντες ἐσβέννυον καὶ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ φύεσθαι τὸν καπνὸν ᾤοντο. [10] προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ πλήθει μὲν πολλῷ ἐβοήθουν οἱ βάρβαροι, βάλλοντες δὲ αὐτοὺς. ἀπὸ τοῦ περιβόλου Ῥωμαῖοι πολλοὺς ἔκτειναν. [11] οὗ δὴ καὶ Χοσρόης ἀμφὶ ἡλίου ἀνατολὰς ἦλθε, καί οἱ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ στρατοῦ εἵπετο, ἔς τε τὸν λόφον ἀναβὰς πρῶτος ἔλαβε τοῦ κακοῦ αἴσθησιν. [12] ἔνερθεν γὰρ ἀπεφήνατο τοῦ καπνοῦ τὸ αἴτιον εἶναι, οὐκ ἀφ̓ ὧν ἐσηκόντιζον οἱ πολέμιοι, βοηθεῖν τε κατὰ τάχος ἐκέλευε τὸ στράτευμα ὅλον. [13] καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι θαρσοῦντες ἐς αὐτοὺς ὕβριζον, τῶν δὲ βαρβάρων οἱ μέν τινες χοῦν, οἱ δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ἐπιβάλλοντες ᾖ ὁ καπνὸς διεφαίνετο, περιέσεσθαι τοῦ δεινοῦ ἤλπιζον, ἀνύειν μέντοι οὐδὲν οὐδαμῆ εἶχον. [14] ᾗ τε γὰρ ὁ χοῦς ἐπιβληθείη, ταύτῃ μὲν ὁ καπνός, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἀνεστέλλετο, ἑτέρωθι δὲ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἀνεδίδοτο, αὐτὸν τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ βιάζεσθαι τὴν ἔξοδον ὅπη δύναιτο ἀναγκάζοντος: τό τε ὕδωρ ᾗ μάλιστα ἐπισκήψειε, πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον τήν τε ἄσφαλτον καὶ τὸ θεῖον καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐνεργεῖν ἴσχυεν ἐπί τε τὴν ἐν ποσὶν ὕλην ἀκμάζειν ἐποίει, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω ἀεὶ ἐνῆγεν, ἐπεὶ τοῦ χώματος ἐντὸς οὐδαμῆ τοσοῦτον ἐξικνεῖσθαι τοῦ ὕδατος εἶχεν ὅσον τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι κατασβέσαι τὴν φλόγα οἷόν τε εἶναι. [15] ὁ δὲ καπνὸς ἀμφὶ δείλην ὀψίαν τοσοῦτος ἐγίνετο ὥστε καὶ τοῖς Καρρηνοῖς καὶ ἄλλοις τισὶ πολλῷ ἐπέκεινα ᾠκημένοις ἔνδηλος εἶναι. [16] Περσῶν δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαίων πολλῶν ὕπερθεν ἀναβεβηκότων τοῦ χώματος, μάχης τε καὶ ὠθισμοῦ ἐνταῦθα ξυστάντος, ἐνίκων Ῥωμαῖοι. [17] τότε καὶ ἡ φλὸξ λαμπρῶς ἐκδοθεῖσα ὑπὲρ τὸ χῶμα ἐφαίνετο, Πέρσαι δὲ τοῦ μὲν ἔργου τούτου ἀπέσχοντο. [18] Ἕκτῃ δὲ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἡμέρᾳ, ὄρθρου βαθέος, μοίρᾳ τινὶ τοῦ περιβόλου λάθρα ἐπέσκηψαν κλίμακας ἔχοντες, οὗ δὴ τὸ φρούριον ἐπωνόμασται. [19] τῶν δὲ φυλακὴν ἐνταῦθα ἐχόντων Ῥωμαίων πρᾷόν τινα καθευδόντων ὕπνον, ἅτε τῆς νυκτὸς πρὸς πέρας ἰούσης, ἡσυχῆ τὰς κλίμακας τῷ τείχει ἐρείσαντες ἀνέβαινον ἤδη. [20] τῶν δέ τις ἀγροίκων μόνος ἐγρηγορὼς ἐν Ῥωμαίοις ἅπασιν ἔτυχεν, ὃς δὴ ξὺν βοῇ τε καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ ἅπαντας ἤγειρε. [21] καὶ μάχης καρτερᾶς γενομένης ἡσσῶνται Πέρσαι, ἔς τε τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀνεχώρησαν, αὐτοῦ λιπόντες τὰς κλίμακας, ἅσπερ κατ̓ ἐξουσίαν Ῥωμαῖοι ἀνεῖλκον. [22] Χοσρόης δὲ ἀμφὶ ἡμέραν μέσην πολλήν τινα τοῦ στρατοῦ μοῖραν ἐπὶ τὴν μεγάλην καλουμένην πύλην ὡς τειχομαχήσοντας ἔπεμψεν. [23] οἶς δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι ὑπαντιάσαντες οὐ στρατιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγροῖκοι καὶ τοῦ δήμου τινὲς καὶ μάχῃ νικήσαντες παρὰ πολὺ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐτρέψαντο. [24] ἔτι τε Περσῶν διωκομένων Παῦλος ἑρμηνεὺς παρὰ Χοσρόου ἥκων ἐς μέσους Ῥωμαίους ἀπήγγελλε Ῥεκινάριον ἐπὶ τῇ εἰρήνῃ ἐκ Βυζαντίου ἥκειν, οὕτω τε ἀμφότεροι διελύθησαν. [25] ἤδη δέ τισι πρότερον ἡμέραις ὁ Ῥεκινάριος ἐς τὸ τῶν βαρβάρων στρατόπεδον ἀφῖκτο. [26] ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἐς Ῥωμαίους ὡς ἥκιστα ἐξήνεγκαν Πέρσαι, καραδοκοῦντες δηλονότι τὴν ἐς τὸ τεῖχος ἐπιβουλήν, ὅπως, ἢν μὲν αὐτὸ ἐξελεῖν δύνωνται, μηδαμῆ ἐς τὰς σπονδὰς παρανομεῖν δόξωσιν, ἡσσηθέντες δέ, ὅπερ ἐγένετο, τὰ ἐς τὴν ξύμβασιν, Ῥωμαίων προκαλουμένων πρὸς αὐτάς, [27] θήσονται. ἐπεὶ δὲ Ῥεκινάριος ἐγένετο εἴσω πυλῶν, Πέρσαι μὲν ἠξίουν τοὺς τὴν εἰρήνην διοικησομένους παρὰ : Χοσρόην αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα ἰέναι, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ σταλήσεσθαι πρέσβεις ἡμέραις τρισὶν ὕστερον ἔφασαν: τανῦν γὰρ σφίσι κακῶς τοῦ σώματος Μαρτῖνον τὸν στρατηγὸν ἔχειν. [28] Εἶναί τε ὑποτοπάζων οὐχ ὑγιᾶ τὸν λόγον Χοσρόης τὰ ἐς τὴν παράταξιν ἐξηρτύετο. καὶ τότε μὲν πλίνθων πάμπολύ τι χρῆμα ἐπὶ τὸ χῶμα ἐπέβαλε, δυοῖν δὲ ὕστερον ἡμέραιν παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ὡς τειχομαχήσων ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πόλεως περίβολον ἦλθεν. [29] ἔν τε πύλῃ ἑκάστῃ τῶν τινας ἀρχόντων καὶ μέρος τι τοῦ στρατεύματος καταστησάμενος ἅπαν τε τὸ τεῖχος ταύτῃ περιβαλὼν κλίμακάς τε αὐτῷ καὶ μηχανὰς προσῆγεν. [30] ὄπισθεν δὲ τοὺς Σαρακηνοὺς ἅπαντας ξὺν τῶν Περσῶν τισιν ἔταξεν, οὐκ ἐφ̓ ᾧ τῷ περιβόλῳ προσβάλωσιν, ἀλλ̓ ὅπως ἁλισκομένης τῆς πόλεως αὐτοὶ τοὺς φεύγοντας σαγηνεύσαντες λάβωσι. [31] τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ τὸ στράτευμα ὁ Χοσρόης οὕτω διέταξε. τῆς δὲ μάχης πρωὶ ἀρξαμένης κατ̓ ἀρχὰς μὲν τὰ Περσῶν καθυπέρτερα ἦν. [32] πολλοὶ γὰρ πρὸς λίαν ὀλίγους ἐμάχοντο, ἐπεὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων οἱ πλεῖστοι ἀνήκοοί τε τῶν ποιουμένων καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι παντάπασιν ἦσαν. [33] προϊούσης δὲ τῆς ξυμβολῆς θορύβων τε καὶ ταραχῆς ἔμπλεως ἡ πόλις ἐγίνετο, καὶ ξύμπαντες ἤδη αὐταῖς γυναιξὶ καὶ παιδαρίοις ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀνέβαινον. [34] οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ ξὺν τοῖς στρατιώταις καρτερώτατα τοὺς πολ�
�μίους ἠμύνοντο, καὶ τῶν ἀγροίκων πολλοὶ ἐς τοὺς βαρβάρους ἔργα θαυμαστὰ ἐπεδείκνυντο. [35] παῖδες δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες ξὺν τοῖς γεγηρακόσι λίθους τε τοῖς μαχομένοις ξυνέλεγον καὶ τἄλλα ὑπούργουν. [36] τινὲς δὲ καὶ λέβητας ἐλαίου πολλοὺς ἐμπλησάμενοι πυρί τε αὐτοὺς πανταχῆ τοῦ τείχους ἐς διαρκῆ θερμήναντες χρόνον καὶ ζέον ὑπεράγαν τὸ ἔλαιον περιρραντηρίοις τισὶν ἐπιχέοντες ἔτι μᾶλλον τοὺς πολεμίους τοὺς τῷ περιβόλῳ προσιόντας ἐλύπουν. [37] ἤδη μὲν οὖν ἀπειπόντες οἱ Πέρσαι τὰ ὅπλα ἐρρίπτουν, τῷ τε βασιλεῖ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὸν πόνον ἀντέχειν οὐκέτι ἔφασκον οἷοί τε εἶναι. [38] θυμῷ δὲ πολλῷ ὁ Χοσρόης ἐχόμενος καὶ ξὺν ἀπειλῇ ἐγκελευόμενος ἅπασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐνῆγεν. [39] οἱ δὲ κραυγῇ καὶ θορύβῳ πολλῷ τούς τε πύργους καὶ τὰς ἄλλας μηχανὰς τῷ τείχει προσῆγον καὶ τὰς κλίμακας ἐπετίθεντο, ὡς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοβοεὶ ἐξαιρήσοντες. [40] τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων συχνά τε βαλλόντων καὶ παντὶ σθένει ἀμυνομένων, τρέπονται μὲν κατὰ κράτος οἱ βάρβαροι, ἀναχωροῦντα δὲ τὸν Χοσρόην ἐτώθαζον Ῥωμαῖοι, ἐς τειχομαχίαν παρακαλοῦντες. [41] μόνος δὲ Ἀζαρέθης ἀμφὶ πύλας τὰς Σοΐνας καλουμένας ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐμάχετο, οὗ δὴ Τριπυργίαν καλοῦσι τὸν χῶρον. [42] Τῶν δὲ ταύτῃ Ῥωμαίων οὐκ ὄντων σφίσιν ἀξιομάχων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰς προσβολὰς ἀπειπόντων, ἤδη τὸ ἐκτὸς τεῖχος, ὃ δὴ καλοῦσι προτείχισμα, πολλαχῆ διελόντες οἱ βάρβαροι ἰσχυρότατα τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ μεγάλου περιβόλου ἀμυνομένοις ἐνέκειντο, ἕως αὐτοῖς Περάνιος ξύν τε στρατιώταις πολλοῖς καὶ τῶν Ἐδεσσηνῶν τισιν ἐπεξῆλθε μάχῃ τε νικήσας ἐξήλασε. [43] καὶ ἡ τειχομαχία πρωὶ ἀρξαμένη ἐτελεύτα εἰς δείλην ὀψίαν, ἀμφότεροί τε τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην ἡσυχῆ ἔμενον, Πέρσαι μὲν περί τε τοῖς χαρακώμασι δεδιότες καὶ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ λίθους τε ξυλλέγοντες ἐς τὰς ἐπάλξεις καὶ τἄλλα ἐν παρασκευῇ τῇ πάσῃ ποιούμενοι, ὡς τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ μαχούμενοι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος προσβαλοῦσιν. [44] ἡμέρᾳ μὲν οὖν τῇ ἐπιγινομένῃ τῶν βαρβάρων οὐδεὶς ἐπὶ τὸν περίβολον ἦλθε, τῇ δὲ μετ̓ ἐκείνην μοῖρα μὲν τοῦ στρατοῦ Χοσρόου ἐγκελευομένου ταῖς Βαρλαοῦ καλουμέναις πύλαις ἐπέσκηψεν, ὑπαντιασάντων δὲ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοῖς ἡσσήθησάν τε παρὰ πολὺ τῇ μάχῃ καὶ δἰ ὀλίγου ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἀνεχώρησαν. [45] καὶ τότε Παῦλος ὁ Περσῶν ἑρμηνεὺς παρὰ τὸ τεῖχος ἥκων Μαρτῖνον ἐκάλει, ἐφ̓ ᾧ τὰ ἐς τὴν ξύμβασιν διοικήσηται. [46] οὕτω τε Μαρτίνου τοῖς Περσῶν ἄρχουσιν ἐς λόγους ἐλθόντος ξυνέβησαν, καὶ πέντε κεντηνάρια πρὸς τῶν Ἐδεσσηνῶν ὁ Χοσρόης λαβὼν ἐν γράμμασιν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἀπέλιπε τοῦ μηδὲν Ῥωμαίοις περαιτέρω λυμήνασθαι, τά τε χαρακώματα πάντα ἐμπρήσας ἐπ̓ οἴκου ἀνεχώρησε παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ.