[6] But the Emperor Justinian, by establishing admirable forts at Pheisôn and in the passes and posting in them invincible garrisons, has made this region altogether inaccessible to the barbarians. Such were the things done by the Emperor Justinian in the territory called Sophanenê.
[7] Ἐν δὲ τῷ Κιθαρίζων χωρίῳ, ὅπερ ἐπὶ Ἀσθιανίνης τῆς καλουμένης ἐστί, φρούριον οὐ πρότερον ὃν ἐν χώρῳ λοφώδει ὑπερφυές τε καὶ δαιμονίως ἄμαχον κατεστήσατο·
[7] And at the place named Citharizôn, which is in Asthianinê, as it is called, he established a fortress which had not existed before, a huge and extraordinarily impregnable stronghold, situated in a hilly region.
[8] ἔνθα δὴ καὶ διαρκὲς ὕδωρ ἐσαγαγὼν τά τε ἄλλα πάντα τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ πεποιημένος, τὸν ἕτερον δοῦκα, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, ξὺν στρατιωτῶν ἐνταῦθα φρουρᾷ ἱκανωτάτῃ ἱδρύσατο. ταύτῃ τε τοῖς τῶν Ἀρμενίων ἔθνεσι τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἀνεσώσατο.
[8] He also brought into it an abundant supply of water and made all other proper arrangements for the inhabitants, and stationed there the second of the Dukes, as I have said, with a very numerous garrison of soldiers. And he thereby guaranteed the safety of the Armenian provinces.
[9] Ἐκ δὲ Κιθαρίζων ἔς τε Θεοδοσιούπολιν καὶ Ἀρμενίαν τὴν ἑτέραν ἰόντι Χορζάνη μὲν ἡ χώρα καλεῖται, διήκει δὲ ἐς ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν μάλιστα οὔτε λίμνης τινὸς ὕδατι οὔτε ποταμοῦ ῥείθρῳ οὔτε ὄρεσι τὴν δίοδον ἐν στενῷ εἴργουσι διοριζομένη ]τῆς τῶν Περσῶν γῆς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ὁρίων αὐταῖς ἀναμὶξ κειμένων,
[9] As one goes from Citharizôn to Theodosiopolis and the other Armenia, the land is called Chorzanê; it extends for a distance of about three days’ journey, not being marked off from the Persian territory by the water of any lake or by any river’s stream or by a wall of mountains which pinch the road into a narrow pass, but the two frontiers are indistinct.
[10] ὥστε οἱ ταύτῃ ᾠκημένοι, Ῥωμαίων ἢ Περσῶν ὄντες κατήκοοι, οὔτε τι ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων δέος ἔχουσιν οὔτε ἀλλήλοις πη ἐς ἐπιβουλήν εἰσιν ὕποπτοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γάμους ἀλλήλοις ἐπικηδεύουσι καὶ ἀγορὰν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων συμβάλλονται καὶ τὰ ἐς γεωργίαν ἐπικοινοῦνται.
[10] So the inhabitants of this region, whether subjects of the Romans or of the Persians, have no fear of each other, nor do they give one another any occasion to apprehend an attack, but they even intermarry and hold a common market for their produce and together share the labours of farming.
[11] ἢν δέ ποτε οἱ τῶν ἑτέρων ἄρχοντες ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑτέρους στρατῷ ἴωσιν, ἐπιτεταγμένον σφίσι πρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀφυλάκτους ἀεὶ τοὺς πλησιοχώρους εὑρίσκουσι.
[11] And if the commanders on either side ever make an expedition against the others, when they are ordered to do so by their sovereign, they always find their neighbours unprotected.
[12] χωρία μὲν γὰρ ἑκατέροις πολυανθρωπότατα ὡς ἀγχοτάτω ἀλλήλων ἐστίν, ἔρυμα δὲ οὐδετέροις πη ἐκ παλαιοῦ ἦν.
[12] Their very populous towns are close to each other, yet from ancient times no stronghold existed on either side.
[13] παρῆν οὖν ἐνθένδε τῷ Περσῶν βασιλεῖ ῥᾷόν τε καὶ ἀπονώτερον τὴν δίοδον ἐς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἤθη ποιεῖσθαι, ἕως βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς διακωλυτὴς αὐτῷ γέγονε τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. χωρίον ἦν ἐπὶ μέσης τῆς χώρας Ἀρταλέσων ὄνομα.
[13] It was possible, therefore, for the Persian King to proceed by this route with comparative ease and convenience in passing through into Roman territory, until the Emperor Justinian blocked his way in the following manner. There was a town in the middle of this region named Artalesôn
[14] τοῦτο τείχει ἐχυρωτάτῳ περιβαλὼν φρούριόν τε ἀμαχώτατον ἐξειργάσατο καὶ στρατιωτικοὺς καταλόγους τῇδε ἱδρύσατο, οἷς δὴ ἄρχοντα ἐς ἀεὶ ἐφεστάναι διώρισεν, ὅνπερ δοῦκα Ῥωμαῖοι τῇ Λατίνων καλοῦσι φωνῇ. οὕτω τε τὴν ἐκείνῃ ἐσχατιὰν ἐτειχίσατο ξύμπασαν.
[14] which he surrounded with a very strong wall and converted into an impregnable fortress; and he stationed there detachments of regular troops which by his orders were always to be commanded by an officer whom the Romans, in the Latin tongue, call a Dux. By these measures he fortified the whole of that remote frontier.
[4]
[4] [1] Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν βασιλεῖ ταύτῃ ἐξείργασται. ὅσα δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς ἄλλης Ἀρμενίας διαπεπόνηται ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.
[1] These things were accomplished by the Emperor in the manner described. I shall now go on to tell about all the other works which by his diligence he executed in the other Armenia.
[2] Σάταλα πόλις ἐπὶ σφαλερᾶς τὸ παλαιὸν ἐλπίδος εἱστήκει. τῶν μὲν γὰρ πολεμίων ]τῆς γῆς ὀλίγῳ διέχει, ἐν δαπέδῳ δὲ χθαμαλῷ κεῖται, λόφοις τε πολλοῖς ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὴν ἐπανεστηκόσιν ὑπόκειται, περιβόλων τε αὐτῇ διὰ ταῦτα ἔδει τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν ἀμηχάνων ἑλεῖν.
[2] The city of Satala had been in a precarious state in ancient times. For it is situated not far from the land of the enemy and it also lies in a low-lying plain and is dominated by many hills which tower around it, and for this reason it stood in need of circuit-walls which would defy attack.
[3] ἀλλὰ καὶ τοιαύτῃ τοῦ χωρίου τὴν φύσιν οὔσῃ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἐρύματος σφαλερώτερα ἦν, φαύλως τε ἀρχὴν τῇ κατασκευῇ καὶ παρέργως πεποιημένου καὶ τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ ἤδη τῆς οἰκοδομίας ἑκασταχοῦ διερρωγότος.
[3] Nevertheless, even though its surroundings were of such a nature as this, its defences were in a perilous condition, having been carelessly constructed with bad workmanship in the beginning, and with the long passage of time the masonry had everywhere collapsed.
[4] ἀλλὰ τοῦτο περιελὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅλον, περίβολον ᾠκοδομήσατο ἐνταῦθα νέον, ὑψηλὸν μὲν ὅσον ὑπερπεφυκέναι τοὺς ἀμφ᾽ αὐτὸν λόφους δοκεῖν, εὐρυνόμενον δὲ ὅσον ἐπ᾽ ἀσφαλοῦς ἐπανεστηκέναι τό γε τοῦ ὕψους ὑπέρογκον.
[4] But the Emperor tore all this down and built there a new circuit-wall, so high that it seemed to overtop the hills around it, and of a thickness sufficient to ensure the safety of its towering mass.
[5] καὶ προτείχισμα δὲ πολλοῦ ἄξιον λόγου πηξάμενος ἐν κύκλῳ τοὺς πολεμίους κατέπληξε. καὶ φρούριον δὲ Σατάλων οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν ἐχυρὸν ἄγαν ἐν χώρᾳ Ὀσροηνῶν καλουμένῃ ᾠκοδομήσατο.
[5] And he set up
admirable outworks on all sides and so struck terror into the hearts of the enemy. He also built a very strong fortress not far from Satala in the territory called Osroenê.
[6] Ἦν δέ τι φρούριον ἐν τῇδε τῇ χώρα ἐν ἀκρωνυχίᾳ λόφου κατακρήμνου πεποιημένον τοῖς πάλαι ἀνθρώποις, ὃ δὴ Πομπήιος ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς ἐξελὼν καὶ τῆς χώρας τῷ πολέμῳ κύριος γεγονὼς ἐκρατύνατό τε ὡς μάλιστα καὶ Κολώνειαν ἐπωνόμασε·
[6] There was a certain fortress in that region erected by men of ancient times on the crest of a precipitous hill, which in early times Pompey, the Roman general, captured; and becoming master of the land by his victories, he strengthened this town materially and named it Coloneia.
[7] καὶ τοῦτο οὖν χρόνῳ πεπονηκὸς τοσούτῳ τὸ πλῆθος βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἀνεσώσατο δυνάμει τῇ πάσῃ.
[7] This also the Emperor Justinian, finding that it had suffered much through the ravages of so long a time, restored with all his resources.
[8] καὶ χρήματα μέντοι προέμενος ἀνάριθμα τοῖς τῇδε ᾠκημένοις, ἐρύματα ἑκασταχοῦ διεπράξατο ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν ἰδίοις ἀγροῖς ἢ νέα δείμασθαι, ἢ ἀνοικοδομήσασθαι σαθρὰ γεγονότα.
[8] Furthermore, by granting great sums to the inhabitants of this region he brought it about that everywhere on their own land either new defences were built or those which had fallen into decay were restored.
[9] ὥστε ἅπαντα σχεδόν τι τὰ ὀχυρώματα, ὅσα δὴ ἐνταῦθα ]ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως τυγχάνει ἔργα ὄντα.
[9] Thus practically all the fortifications which can be found there are, as it happens, the work of the Emperor Justinian.
[10] ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ φρούρια ᾠκοδομήσατο τό τε Βαιβερδὼν καλούμενον καὶ τὸ Ἄρεων. καὶ τὸ Λυσίορμον ἀνενεώσατο πεπονηκὸς ἤδη σὺν τῷ Λυταραριζών.
[10] In that region also he constructed the forts called Baiberdôn and Areôn. He likewise restored Lysiormum, which had already fallen into ruin, as well as Lytatarizôn.
[11] ἐν τε χωρίῳ, ὅπερ Γερμανοῦ καλοῦσι Φοσσᾶτον, φρούριον ἐδείματο νέον. ἀλλὰ καὶ Σεβαστείας καὶ Νικοπόλεως τῶν ἐν Ἀρμενίαις πόλεων τὰ τείχη, ἐπεὶ καταπεσεῖσθαι πάντα ἔμελλον, τεταλαιπωρημένα τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου, ἀνοικοδομησάμενος πεποίηται νέα.
[11] And at the place which they call Germani Fossatum he built a new fort. Furthermore, he rebuilt the walls of Sebasteia and Nicopolis, cities of Armenia, for they were all on the point of collapsing, having suffered from the long passage of time, and he made them new.
[12] καὶ ἱερῶν δὲ καὶ μοναστηρίων ἐνταῦθα οἰκοδομίας ἐξείργασται. ἐν τε γὰρ τῇ Θεοδοσιουπόλει νεὼν τῇ θεοτόκῳ ἀνέθηκε, καὶ μοναστήρια ἐν τε χωρίῳ τῷ καλουμένῳ Πέτριος, κἀν τῷ Κουκαρίζων ἀνενεώσατο.
[12] He also carried out the building of churches and monasteries there. In Theodosiopolis he dedicated a church to the Mother of God, and he restored monasteries in the place called Petrios and in Coucarizôn.
[13] ἔν τε Νικοπόλει τὸ τῶν ἁγίων τεσσαράκοντα πέντε καλούμενον μοναστήριον, καὶ ἱερὸν Γεωργίῳ τῷ μάρτυρι ἐν Βιζανοῖς ἐδείματο.
[13] In Nicopolis he built the monastery named after the Forty-five Saints, and in Bizani a church to the martyr George.
[14] τῆς τε Θεοδοσιουπόλεως ἄγχιστα μοναστήριον ἀνενεώσατο τῶν τεσσαράκοντα μαρτύρων ἐπικαλούμενον.
[14] And close to Theodosiopolis he restored a monastery named after the Forty Martyrs.
[15] Ἦν δέ τι χωρίον ἐν τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις τὸ παλαιὸν μικροῖς καλουμένοις οὐ πολλῷ ἄποθεν ποταμοῦ Εὐφράτου, ἐφ᾽ οὗ δὴ λόχος Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ἵδρυτο.
[15] There was in antiquity a certain town in Lesser Armenia, as it is called, not far from the Euphrates River, in which a detachment of Roman soldiers was posted.
[16] Μελιτηνὴ μὲν τὸ χωρίον, λεγεὼν δὲ ὁ λόχος ἐπωνομάζετο. ἐνταῦθά πη ἔρυμα ἐν τετραγώνῳ ἐπὶ χώρας ὑπτίας ἐδείμαντο ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις Ῥωμαῖοι, τοῖς τε στρατιώταις ἀποχρώντος ἐς καταλύσεις ἔχον καὶ ὅπως σφίσι τὰ σημεῖα τῇδε ἐναποκείσονται.
[16] The town was Melitenê, and the detachment was called a “legion.” In that place the Romans in former times had built a stronghold in the form of a square, on level ground, which served adequately as barracks for the soldiers and provided a place where they could deposit their standards.
[17] μετὰ δὲ Τραϊανῷ τῷ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορι δεδογμένον, ἐς πόλεώς τε ἀξίωμα ὁ χῶρος ἀφῖκται καὶ μητρόπολις ]κατέστη τῷ ἔθνει.
[17] Later on, by decision of the Roman Emperor Trajan, the place received the rank of a city and became the metropolis of the province.
[18] προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ἐγένετο ἡ τῶν Μελιτηνῶν πόλις μεγάλη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος. ἐπεί τε ἐρύματος ἐντὸς ἐνοικήσασθαι οὐκέτι εἶχον (ἐς γὰρ ὀλίγον τινὰ ξυνῄει χῶρον, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται) ἱδρύσαντο ἐν τῷ ταύτης πεδίῳ, ἵνα δὴ τὰ ἱερὰ σφίσι πεποίηται καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄρχων καταγώγια καὶ τήν τε ἀγοράν ὅσα τε ἄλλα ἐμπολημάτων πωλητήριά ἐστι, τάς τε τῆς πόλεως ἀγυιὰς πάσας καὶ στοὰς καὶ βαλανεῖα καὶ θέατρα καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο πόλεως μεγάλης ἐς κόσμον διήκει.
[18] And as time went on, the city of Melitenê became large and populous. But since the people were no longer able to live inside the fortifications (for it was reduced to a small space, as I have said) they settled in the adjoining plain, and here their shrines have been erected and the residences of the magistrates and their market-place, and all the other places for the sale of goods, and all the streets and stoas and baths and theatres of the city, and whatever else contributes to the embellishment of a great city.
[19] τῷ τε τρόπῳ τούτῳ Μελιτηνὴν ἀτείχιστον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ξυνέβαινεν εἶναι. Ἀναστάσιος μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς αὐτὴν ξύμπασαν τείχει περιβαλεῖν ἐγκεχείρηκεν·
[19] In this way it came about that Melitenê was for the most part unwalled. Accordingly the Emperor Anastasius undertook to surround the whole of it with a wall;
[20] οὕτω μέντοι τὸ βούλευμα ἀποτελέσας τὸν βίον συνεμετρήσατο. βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἰουστινιανὸς πανταχόθεν αὐτὴν βεβαιότατα κατατειχισάμενος μέγα τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις ὀχύρωμά τε καὶ ἐγκαλλώπισμα Μελιτηνὴν ἀπειργάσατο.
&nb
sp; [20] before, however, he had carried out his purpose he fulfilled the measure of his life. But the Emperor Justinian built about it on all sides a very strong wall and made Melitenê a mighty stronghold for the Armenians and a thing of beauty.
[5]
[5] [1] Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν τῇ Ἀρμενίᾳ ἥ ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ Εὐφράτου ποταμοῦ εἰργάσατο· ὅσα δέ οἱ ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ μεγάλῃ πεποίηται ἐρῶν ἔρχομαι.
[1] These works he built in the Armenia which is on the right of the Euphrates River; and I shall go on to tell what was done by him in Greater Armenia.
[2] ἡνίκα Θεοδόσιος ὁ Ῥωμαῖον βασιλεὺς τὴν Ἀρσάκου ἐπικράτειαν ἔσχεν, ᾗπέρ μοι ἔναγχος δεδιήγηται, φρούριον ἐπί τινος τῶν λόφων ᾠκοδομήσατο τοῖς προσιοῦσιν εὐάλωτον, ὃ δὴ Θεοδοσιούπολιν ἐπωνόμασε.
[2] When Theodosius, the Emperor of the Romans, took over the dominion of Arsaces, as I have just related, he built on one of the hills a fort which was easy for assailants to capture, and he named it Theodosiopolis.
[3] τοῦτο Καβάδης τότε ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεύς, ἡνίκα δὴ Ἀμίδης εὐθὺ ἵετο, παριῶν εἷλεν.
[3] This city Cabades, who was then King of Persia, captured in passing when he was marching on Amida.
[4] Ἀναστάσιος δὲ ὁ Ῥωμαίων ]αὐτοκράτωρ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον πόλιν ἐνταῦθα ἐδείματο, τὸν λόφον ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου πεποιημένος, ἐφ᾽ οὗ δὴ φρούριον τὸ Θεοδοσίου εἱστήκει.
Delphi Complete Works of Procopius Page 597