These barbarians made three such engines, taking the beams with their iron heads from the rams which the Romans had in readiness but were unable to draw up to the wall. And Roman soldiers chosen for their valour in groups of not less than forty went inside each one of them and set them down very close to the wall. And others were standing on either side of each engine, armed with the corselet and having their heads carefully covered by helmets and carrying poles, the ends of which were fitted with hook-shaped irons; now the purpose for which these had been provided was this, that as soon as the impact of the ram on the wall should break up the courses of the stones, they might be able with these poles to loosen and pull down such stones as were dislodged. So the Romans set to work and the wall was already being shaken by frequent blows, while those who were on both sides of the engines, using their hooked poles, were pulling down the stones as they were dislodged from their setting in the masonry, and it seemed certain that the city would be captured instantly.
But the Persians hit on the following plan. They placed on the top of the circuit-wall a wooden tower which had been made ready by them long before, filling it with their most warlike men, who had their heads and the rest of their bodies protected by iron nails and corselets. And they had filled pots with sulphur and bitumen and the substance which the Persians call “naphtha” and the Greeks “Medea’s oil,” and they now set fire to these and commenced to throw them upon the sheds of the rams, and they came within a little of burning them all. But the men standing beside them, as I have said, by means of the poles which I have just mentioned kept removing these missiles with the greatest determination and clearing them off, so that they hurled everything down to the ground from the engines as soon as it fell. But they could not expect to hold out long in this work; for the fire kindled instantly whatever it touched, unless it was immediately thrown off. Such then was the course of events here.
But Bessas, who had himself donned his corselet and put his whole army under arms, began to move forward many ladders to the part of the wall which had sunk. And after stirring their courage with a speech of only such length as not to blunt the point of the opportunity, he devoted the remainder of his exhortation to action. For though he was a man of more than seventy years and already well past his prime, he was the first to mount the ladder. There a battle took place and a display of valour by both Romans and Persians such as I at least believe has never once been seen in these times. For while the number of the barbarians amounted to two thousand three hundred, the Romans counted as many as six thousand. And practically all those on both sides who were not killed received wounds, and it proved true that exceedingly few survived with their bodies intact. So the Romans, for their part, were struggling with all their strength to force the ascent, while the Persians on their side were beating them back with great vigour. Thus many were being slain on both sides and the Persians were not far from repelling the danger. For at the tops of the ladders a violent struggle for position took place, and many of the Romans, fighting as they were with an enemy above them, were being slain, and Bessas the general also fell to the ground and lay there. And at that point a tremendous shout arose from both armies as the barbarians rushed together from all sides and shot at him, and his bodyguard gathered hastily about him, all of them having helmets on the heads and wearing corselets; and by holding their shields close together over their heads and crowding in so as to touch one another, they made a sort of roof over him and concealed their general in complete safety, and kept fending off the missiles with all their strength. And a great din arose from the missiles which were thrown continually and blunted on the shields and other armour, and at the same time each man was shouting and panting and exerting himself to the utmost. Meanwhile all the Romans, in their eagerness to defend their general, were shooting at the wall, stopping not for an instant, seeking thus to check the enemy.
In this crisis Bessas distinguished himself; though he could not get on his feet on account of the impediment of his armour and also because his body was not nimble (for this man was fleshy and, as said, very old), still he did not yield to helpless despair, even when he had come into such great danger, but formed a plan on the spur of the moment by which he succeeded in saving both himself and the Roman cause. For he directed his bodyguards to drag him by the foot and thus pull him very far from the wall, and they carried out this order. And so, while some were dragging him, others were retreating with him, holding their shields above him and toward each other, and walking at the same speed as he was being dragged, so that he might not, through becoming uncovered, be hit by the enemy. Then as soon as Bessas had reached safety, he got on his feet, and urging his men forward went toward the wall, and setting foot on the ladder once more made haste to mount it. And all the Romans following behind him made a display of real heroism against the enemy. Then the Persians became terrified and begged their opponents to give them some time, in order that they might pack up and get out of the way when they handed over the city. But Bessas suspected that they had contrived some trickery, to the end that in the interval they might increase the strength of the circuit-wall, and so he said that he was unable to put a stop to the fighting, but those who wished to meet him to discuss terms could, while the armies were fighting, nevertheless proceed with him to another part of the wall; and he designated a certain spot to them.
This proposal, however, was not accepted by them, and once more fierce fighting commenced, involving a violent tussle; but while the conflict was still indecisive, it so fell out that the wall at another point, where the Romans had previously undermined it, suddenly toppled over. Consequently many from both armies rushed together at that spot. And now the Romans shewed their great numerical superiority over the enemy, though they were divided into two parts, and they kept pressing the battle against their opponents, shooting faster than ever and pushing forward with the greatest force. The Persians, on the other hand, no longer resisted with the same strength as before, assailed violently as they were at both points, and the smallness of their numbers thus divided between two fronts was conspicuous. Now while both the armies were still struggling thus, and the Persians, on the one hand, could not repulse their enemy as they pressed upon them, and the Romans, on the other hand, were unable completely to force their entrance, a young man of the Armenian race named John, son of Thomas, whom they were wont to call Guzes, abandoned the downfallen part of the circuit-wall and the struggles there, and, taking with him some few of his Armenian followers, ascended by the precipice, where all considered the city to be impregnable, having overpowered the guards at that point. Then, after getting on the parapet, he slew with his spear one of the Persian defenders there, who appeared to be the most warlike. In this manner an entry was made possible for the Romans.
Now the Persians who were posted in the wooden tower had kindled a huge number of firebearing pots, in order that they might be able by the very number of their missiles to burn up the engines, men and all, their defenders being unable to push them all aside with their poles. Hut suddenly there sprang up from the south a wind of extraordinary violence and blew against them with a great roar, and in some way or other it set fire to one of the planks of the tower. But the Persians there did not immediately comprehend this, for they were every man of them working and shouting immoderately, being filled with fear and in the midst of wild confusion, and the urgency of the moment had robbed them of their senses; so the flame rising little by little, fed by the oil which bears Medea’s name and all the other things with which the tower was supplied, consumed the whole tower and the Persians who were in it. These were all burned to death, and their charred bodies fell, some inside the wall, others outside where the engines stood with the Romans about them. Then the other Romans also who were fighting at the fallen part of the wall, since the enemy were giving way before them in utter despair and strove no longer to resist, got inside the fortifications, and Petra was captured completely.
So about five hundred of the Persians ran up t
o the acropolis, and seizing the stronghold there remained quiet, but the Romans made prisoners of all the others, such as they had not slain in the fighting, amounting to about seven hundred and thirty. And among these they found only eighteen unhurt, all the rest having been wounded. There fell too many of the best of the Romans, and among them John the son of Thomas, who, while entering the city, was hit on the head by a stone thrown by one of the barbarians, but only after he had made a display of marvellous deeds against the enemy.
Τῇ δὲ ἐπιγενομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ Ῥωμαῖοι τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν καταλαβόντας πολιορκοῦντες λόγους προὔφερον, τήν τε σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς προτεινόμενοι καὶ τὰ πιστὰ δώσειν ὑπὲρ τούτων ὁμολογοῦντες, ταύτῃ Πέρσας καραδοκοῦντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐγχειριεῖν σφίσιν. [2] οἱ δὲ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐνδεχόμενοι τοὺς λόγους ἐς ἀντίστασιν εἶδον, καίπερ οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀνθέξειν τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ οἰόμενοι, ἀλλὰ δἰ ἀρετὴν θανατῶντες. [3] Βέσσας δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆσαι τῆς γνώμης ἐθέλων ἀντικαταστῆσαί τε ἐς τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιθυμίαν, τῶν τινὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ὡς πλησιαίτατα αὐτοῖς ἰέναι κελεύει παραίνεσίν τέ τινα ἐς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιήσασθαι, δηλώσας ὅσα δὴ ἐς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν βούλοιτο. [4] Καὶ ὃς ἀγχοτάτω γενόμενος ἔλεξε τοιάδε: ‘Τί πεπονθότες ἐφ̓ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὦ βέλτιστοι Πέρσαι, τὸν ὄλεθρον διατείνεσθε τοῦτον, ἐπιτηδεύοντες τὰ θανάσιμα σπουδῇ ἀλογίστῳ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα διαφανῶς ἀτιμάζοντες; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀνδρεῖον τὸ τοῖς ἀμηχάνοις ἀντιστατεῖν, οὐδὲ ξυνετὸν τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι τοῖς κεκρατηκόσιν ὑπείκειν: οὐδὲ μὴν ἄδοξον̔τὸ τύχῃ τῇ παρούσῃ [5] ἑπομένους βιῶναι.᾿ ἀνάγκη γὰρ οὐδὲ ἀγαθῆς τινὸς ἐλπίδος τυχοῦσα τὴν ἀτιμίαν ἐκφεύγει δικαίως, ἢν καὶ τῶν ἔργων περιβάλληται τὰ αἰσχρότατα: κακῷ γὰρ τῷ ἀμηχάνῳ τὸ σύγγνωμον ἕπεσθαι πέφυκε. [6] μὴ τοίνυν τὴν ἀπόνοιαν ἐν προὔπτῳ ζηλοῦτε κινδύνῳ, μηδὲ τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ἀλλάξασθε, ἀλλ̓ ἐνθυμεῖσθε ὡς ἀναβιώσεσθαι μὲν τοὺς τετελευτηκότας ἀδύνατον, οἱ δὲ περιόντες καὶ χρόνῳ διαχρήσονται σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὕστερον, ἤν γε τοῦτο κρεῖσσον εἶναι δοκῇ. [7] βουλεύσασθε οὖν τὴν ὑστάτην βουλὴν καὶ περισκοπεῖσθε τὰ ξύμφορα, ἐκεῖνο εἰδότες, ὡς ταῦτα ἂν τῶν βουλευμάτων τὰ βέλτιστα εἴη ἐν οἷς τὸ μεταμέλειν τοῖς βουλευσαμένοις ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ἔσται. [8] ὡς ἡμεῖς γε ὑμᾶς καὶ ζυγομαχοῦντας οἰκτείρομεν καὶ θανατώντων φειδόμεθα καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον ἐνδιαθρυπτομένους τε καὶ βλακεύοντας ἐλεεῖν ἀξιοῦμεν, ᾗ Ῥωμαίοις Χριστιανοῖς νόμος. [9] ἄλλο τε ὑμῖν περιέσται οὐδέν, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω μεταβαλόντες Ἰουστινιανὸν ἀντὶ Χοσρόου κύριον ἕξετε: ὑπὲρ γὰρ τούτων ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ πιστὰ δώσειν ὁμολογοῦμεν. [10] μὴ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς διαχρήσησθε, παρὸν σώζεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ εὐτυχὲς ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν τοῖς δεινοῖς ἐπ̓ οὐδεμιᾷ τὸ παράπαν ὀνήσει, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ θανατᾶν τοῦτό γε. [11] γενναῖος δὲ ὃς ἂν ἐγκαρτερῇ τὰ δεινότατα, ἡνίκα τι προσδοκᾷ ἀπ̓ αὐτοῦ χρήσιμον. οὐ γὰρ ἐπαινοῦσι τὴν ἑκούσιον τελευτὴν ἄνθρωποι, ἔνθα δή τις ἐπίκειται κρείσσων τῷ κατ̓ αὐτὴν κινδύνῳ ἐλπίς, ἀλλὰ βίου μὲν καταστροφὴ ἄχρηστος ἄνοια προπετής, τὸ δὲ εἰς θάνατον ἀνόητον θράσος τοῦ δραστηρίου πρόσχημα οὐκ εὐπρεπὲς τοῖς γε σώφροσιν εἶναι δοκεῖ. [12] καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐκλογίζεσθαι χρή, μή τι δόξητε καὶ εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἀγνωμονεῖν. εἰ γὰρ ἀπολεῖν ἐβούλετο, ὦ ἄνδρες, ὑμᾶς, οὐκ ἄν, οἶμαι, παραδεδώκει τοῖς διασώζειν ἐφιεμένοις. [13] τὰ μὲν οὖν παῤ ἡμῶν τοιαῦτά ἐστι, βουλεύσεσθε δὲ ὑμεῖς δηλονότι ὦνπερ ἀξίοις ὑμῖν ξυμβαίνει εἶναι.’ [14] Ἡ μὲν παραίνεσις ταύτῃ πη εἶχε. Πέρσαι δὲ τοὺς λόγους οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀκοῇ δέχεσθαι ἤθελον, ἀλλ̓ ἐθελοκωφοῦντες ὅτι δὴ οὐκ ἐπαΐοιεν προσεποιοῦντο. [15] καὶ τότε, τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐγκελευσαμένου, Ῥωμαῖοι πῦρ τῇ ἀκροπόλει ἐμβέβληνται, τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἐνδώσειν τὰ σώματα σφίσι τοὺς πολεμίους οἰόμενοι. [16] τῆς δὲ φλογὸς ἐπὶ μέγα χωρούσης οἱ βάρβαροι, τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῖς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὄντος, ἐξεπιστάμενοι ὅτι δὴ σφίσιν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τετεφρῶσθαι ξυμβήσεται, ἐλπίδα οὐδεμίαν ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ εἰδότες καθ̓ ὅ τι σωθήσονται ἀμυνόμενοι, οὐδ̓ ὣς ὑποχείριοι τοῖς πολεμίοις γενέσθαι ἤθελον, ἀλλὰ ξὺν τῇ ἀκροπόλει εὐθὺς ἅπαντες, θαυμάζοντος τὰ ποιούμενα τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, καταφλεγόμενοι διεφθάρησαν. [17] δἰ ὅσης τε σπουδῆς ὁ Χοσρόης Λαζικὴν ἦγε τηνικάδε φανερὸν γέγονεν: ὅς γε στρατιώτας μὲν τοὺς πάντων λογιμωτάτους ἀπολεξάμενος ἐν τῷ τῆς Πέτρας κατεστήσατο φυλακτηρίῳ, ὅπλα δὲ κατέθετο τοσαῦτα τὸ πλῆθος, ὥστε ληϊσαμένων αὐτὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατιώτῃ ἑκάστῳ πέντε ἀνδρῶν ἐπιβαλεῖν σκευήν, καίτοι κἀν τῇ ἀκροπόλει πολλὰ καυθῆναι ξυνέβη. [18] εὕρηται δὲ καὶ σίτου καὶ τεταριχευμένων κρεῶν μέγα τι χρῆμα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων, ὅσα δὴ ἔμελλε πενταετὲς τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις πᾶσιν ἐπαρκέσειν. [19] οἶνον δὲ οὐκ ἔτυχον ἐνταῦθα καταθέμενοι Πέρσαι, πλήν γε ὅτι τόν τε ὀξίνην καὶ διαρκῆ κύαμον. [20] ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ ἐπίρρεον ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖοι εὗρον, ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ γενόμενοι διηποροῦντο, ἕως τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀμφὶ τοῖς κρυφίοις ὀχετοῖς ἔμαθον. ὅ τι δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν αὐτίκα δηλώσω. [21] Ἡνίκα Πέτραν ὁ Χοσρόης ἑλὼν τῇδε τὸ φυλακτήριον κατεστ
ήσατο, εὖ εἰδὼς ὡς Ῥωμαῖοι προσεδρεύσουσι μὲν αὐτῇ μηχανῇ πάσῃ, εὐθὺς δὲ διελεῖν τὴν ὀχεταγωγίαν μελλήσει οὐδεμιᾷ ἐγχειρήσουσιν, ἐπενόει τοιάδε. [22] τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ὕδωρ ὅπερ ἐς τὴν πόλιν εἰσήγετο ἐς τρεῖς διελὼν μοίρας κατώρυχά τε βαθεῖαν κομιδῆ ποιησάμενος, ὀχετοὺς ἐτεκτήνατο τρεῖς, τὸν ἕνα μὲν κάτω ἐς τῆς κατώρυχος ταύτης τὰ ἔσχατα, κόπρῳ καὶ λίθοις καλύψας ἄχρι ἐς τὰ τῆς κατώρυχος μέσα: ἐνταῦθά τε κρύψας τὸν δεύτερον, ὕπερθεν τὸν τρίτον ἐδείματο, ὑπὲρ γῆς τε ὄντα καὶ ὁρατὸν πᾶσιν: ὥστε τριώροφον κεκρυμμένως τὸν ὀχετὸν εἶναι. [23] ὧνπερ οὐ ξυνέντες κατ̓ ἀρχὰς τῆς πολιορκίας Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτον δὴ τὸν διαφανῆ ὀχετὸν διελόντες, ἐπίπροσθέν τε οὐκ ἐπεξαγαγόντες τὸν ἐπὶ διώρυχι πόνον, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἔργου πρὸ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἀπωλείας ἀποπαυσάμενοι, ᾤοντο ἐνδεῖν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις τὸ ὕδωρ, σφαλλούσης αὐτοῖς τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς παρὰ τὸ πονεῖσθαι ὀλιγωρίας. [24] τῆς δὲ προσεδρείας μηκυνομένης, τῶν τινὰς πολεμίων λαβόντες Ῥωμαῖοι ἔμαθον ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τοὺς πολιορκουμένους ὑδρεύεσθαι. [25] κατορύξαντες τοίνυν τὸν χῶρον εὑρίσκουσι τὸν δεύτερον ὀχετὸν ἐνταῦθά πη ὄντα, καὶ τοῦτον διελόντες αὐτίκα ᾤοντο ταύτῃ πᾶσαν κατειργάσθαι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν δύναμιν, οὐδὲ τοῖς δευτέροις ἐν τῇ ἀπ̓ αὐτῶν διδασκαλίᾳ παιδευθέντες τὰ πρότερα. [26] ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἑλόντες ἐπίρρεον, ὥσπερ μοι ἐρρήθη, ἐκ τοῦ ὀχετοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ εἶδον, ἐθαύμαζόν τε καὶ ἀπορίᾳ πολλῇ εἴχοντο. [27] τὸ δὲ γεγονὸς παρὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀκούσαντες, τῆς τε τῶν πολεμίων ἐς τὰ ἔργα ἐπιμελείας καὶ τῆς σφετέρας παρὰ τοὺς πόνους ὀλιγωρίας ὀπίσω τῶν πραγμάτων ᾐσθάνοντο. [28] Τοὺς μὲν οὑν αἰχμαλώτους ἅπαντας ὁ Βέσσας εὐθὺς βασιλεῖ ἔπεμψε, τὸν δὲ Πέτρας περίβολον ἐς ἔδαφος καθεῖλεν, ὡς μὴ πράγματα οἱ πολέμιοι σφίσιν αὖθις παρέχωνται. [29] καὶ αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς ἀποδεδειγμένης τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπῄνεσεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα καὶ τῆς εὐβουλίας, ὅτι δὴ ὅλον καθεῖλε τὸ τεῖχος. [30] γέγονεν οὖν ὁ Βέσσας αὖθις οἷς τε εὐημέρησεν οἷς τε ἀρετῆς πεποίηται δήλωσιν ἀπόβλεπτος ἐς πάντας ἀνθρώπους. [31] ἡνίκα μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥώμης φυλακτηρίῳ ἐτέτακτο, ἐλπίδα Ῥωμαῖοι πολλὴν ἐπ̓ αὐτῷ εἶχον ἅτε ἀνδρειοτάτῳ διαγεγονότι τὰ πρότερα. [32] ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτῷ ἐνταῦθα δεδυστυχηκέναι ξυνέπεσε, Ῥώμης τε οὕτω τοῖς Γότθοις ἁλούσης, ὥσπερ μοι ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐρρήθη, καὶ διεφθαρμένου ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον Ῥωμαίων τοῦ γένους, βασιλεὺς μὲν Ἰουστινιανὸς οὕτω δὴ ἐς Βυζάντιον ἀναστρέψαντα στρατηγὸν κατεστήσατο ἐπὶ Πέρσας αὐτόν. [33] διέσυρον δὲ τὴν πρᾶξιν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπαντες καὶ τὰ βασιλεῖ βεβουλευμένα ἐχλεύαζον, εἰ τῷ Βέσσᾳ τούτῳ, Γότθων τε ἡσσηθέντι κατὰ κράτος καὶ τυμβογέροντι γεγενημένῳ, πόλεμον τὸν Μηδικὸν ἐγχειρίσειεν ἐπὶ δυσμαῖς βίου. [34] ἀλλὰ τούτων σχεδόν τι ἅπασι δεδογμένων, εὐτυχίᾳ τε καὶ ἀρετῇ τοιᾷδε τῷ στρατηγῷ τῷδε ξυνηνέχθη χρῆσθαι. οὕτως ἄρα οὐχ ᾗπερ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοκεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκ θεοῦ ῥοπῇ πρυτανεύεται τὰ ἀνθρώπεια, ὃ δὴ τύχην εἰώθασι καλεῖν ἄνθρωποι, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτου δὴ ἕνεκα ταύτῃ πρόεισι τὰ ξυμβαίνοντα ᾗπερ αὐτοῖς ἔνδηλα γίνεται. [35] τῷ γὰρ παραλόγῳ δοκοῦντι εἶναι φιλεῖ τὸ τῆς τύχης ὄνομα προσχωρεῖν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὥς πη ἑκάστῳ φίλον, ταύτῃ δοκείτω.
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