第2巻 第3章

Greek Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ ἄλλο τι γενέσθαι τοιόνδε ξυνέβη. Συμεώνης ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τὸ Φαράγγιον Ῥωμαίοις ἐνδούς, Ἰουστινιανὸν βασιλέα πείθει, ἔτι τοῦ πολέμου ἀκμάζοντος, κώμαις αὐτόν τισιν ἀνδρῶν Ἀρμενίων δωρήσασθαι.

Dewing At this same time another event also occurred; it was as follows. That Symeon who had given Pharangium into the hands of the Romans persuaded the Emperor Justinian, while the war was still at its height, to present him with certain villages of Armenia.

Greek κύριός τε τῶν χωρίων γενόμενος πρὸς τῶν αὐτὰ πάλαι κεκτημένων ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς θνήσκει.

Dewing And becoming master of these places, he was plotted against and murdered by those who had formerly possessed them.

Greek ἐξειργασμένου δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ οἱ τοῦ φόνου αὐτουργοὶ φεύγουσιν ἐς τὰ Περσῶν ἤθη. ἀδελφὼ δὲ ἤστην δύο Περόζου παῖδε. βασιλεύς τε ταῦτα ἀκούσας τάς τε κώμας Ἀμαζάσπῃ παραδίδωσι τῷ Συμεώνου ἀδελφιδῷ καὶ ἄρχοντα κατεστήσατο Ἀρμενίοις αὐτόν.

Dewing After this crime had been committed, the perpetrators of the murder fled into the land of Persia They were two brothers, sons of Perozes. And when the Emperor heard this, he gave over the villages to Amazaspes, the nephew of Symeon, and appointed him ruler over the Armenians.

Greek τοῦτον τὸν Ἀμαζάσπην, προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου, Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν τις ἐπιτηδείων διέβαλλεν, Ἀκάκιος ὄνομα, κακουργεῖν τε ἐς Ἀρμενίους καὶ βούλεσθαι Πέρσαις ἐνδοῦναι Θεοδοσιούπολίν τε καὶ ἄλλα ἄττα πολίσματα.

Dewing This Amazaspes, as time went on, was denounced to the Emperor Justinian by one of his friends, Acacius by name, on the ground that he was abusing the Armenians and wished to give over to the Persians Theodosiopolis and certain other fortresses.

Greek ταῦτα εἰπὼν γνώμῃ βασιλέως Ἀκάκιος τὸν Ἀμαζάσπην δόλῳ ἔκτεινε, καὶ τὴν Ἀρμενίων ἀρχὴν δόντος βασιλέως ἔσχεν αὐτός.

Dewing After telling this, Acacius, by the emperor's will, slew Amazaspes treacherously, and himself secured the command over the Armenians by the gift of the emperor.

Greek πονηρὸς δὲ ὢν φύσει ἔσχε καθ’ ὅ τι τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἤθη ἐνδείξοιτο. γέγονεν οὖν ἐς τοὺς ἀρχομένους ὠμότατος ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων.

Dewing And being base by nature, he gained the opportunity of displaying his inward character, and he proved to be the most cruel of all men toward his subjects.

Greek τά τε γὰρ χρήματα ἐληίζετο οὐδενὶ λόγῳ καὶ φόρου αὐτοῖς ἀπαγωγὴν οὔποτε οὖσαν ἐς κεντηνάρια τέσσαρα ἔταξεν. Ἀρμένιοι δέ ʽφέρειν γὰρ οὐκέτι αὐτὸν οἷοί τε ἦσαν’ κτείνουσι τε ξυμφρονήσαντες τὸν Ἀκάκιον καὶ ἐς τὸ Φαράγγιον καταφεύγουσι.

Dewing For he plundered their property without excuse and ordained that they should pay an unheard‑of tax of four centenaria.⁠ But the Armenians, unable to bear him any longer, conspired together and slew Acacius and fled for refuge to Pharangium.

Greek Διὸ δὴ Σίτταν ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἐκ Βυζαντίου βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψεν. ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ὁ Σίττας διέτριβεν, ἐπειδὴ Ῥωμαίοις ἐγένοντο αἱ πρὸς Πέρσας σπονδαί.

Dewing Therefore the emperor sent Sittas against them from Byzantium. For Sittas had been delaying there since the time when the treaty was made with the Persians.

Greek ὃς δὴ ἐς Ἀρμενίους ἐλθὼν τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ὀκνηρῶς ᾔει, τιθασσεύειν μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ πρότερα ἤθη ἀντικαθιστάναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἠπείγετο, πείθειν βασιλέα ὑποσχόμενος ἀφεῖναι αὐτοῖς τὴν καινὴν τοῦ φόρου ἀπαγωγήν.

Dewing So he came to Armenia, but at first he entered upon the war reluctantly and exerted half to calm the people and to restore the population to their former habitations, promising to persuade the emperor to remit to them the payment of the new tax.

Greek ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς τῆς μελλήσεως πολλὰ ὀνειδίζων ἐκάκιζεν, ἠγμένος ταῖς Ἀδολίου διαβολαῖς τοῦ Ἀκακίου παιδός, ἐνταῦθα ἤδη ὁ Σίττας τὰ ἐς τὴν ξυμβολὴν ἐξηρτύετο.

Dewing But since the emperor kept assailing him with frequent reproaches for his hesitation, led on by the slanders of Adolius, the son of Acacius, Sittas at last made his preparations for the conflict.

Greek πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑποσχέσεσι πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀναπείθειν τε καὶ ἑταιρίζεσθαι αὐτῶν τινας ἐνεχείρησεν, ὅπως αὐτῷ ῥᾴων τε καὶ ἀπονωτέρα ἡ ἐς τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐπικράτησις γένοιτο.

Dewing First of all he attempted by means of promises of many good things to win over some of the Armenians by persuasion and to attach them to his cause, in order that the task of over­powering the others might be attended with less difficulty and toil.

Greek καί οἱ τὸ τῶν Ἀσπετιανῶν καλουμένων γένος, μέγα τε ὂν καὶ πολυάνθρωπον,

Dewing And the tribe called the Aspetiani, great in power and in numbers, was willing to join him.

Greek προσχωρεῖν ἤθελε. πέμψαντές τε παρὰ τὸν Σίτταν ἐν γράμμασιν ἐδέοντο διδόναι τὰ πιστὰ σφίσιν, ὅτι δή, ἢν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἀπολιπόντες ἥξωσιν ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων παράταξιν, κακῶν παντάπασιν ἀπαθεῖς μείνωσι, τὰ σφέτερα αὐτῶν ἔχοντες.

Dewing And they went to Sittas and begged him to give them pledges in writing that, if they abandoned their kinsmen in the battle and came to the Roman army, they should remain entirely free from harm, retaining their own possessions.

Greek ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἄσμενός τε γράψας ἐν βιβλιδίῳ καθάπερ ἐδέοντο τὰ πιστὰ ἔδωκε, καὶ τὸ γράμμα κατασημηνάμενος ἐς αὐτοὺς ἔπεμψε.

Dewing Now Sittas was delighted and wrote to them in tablets, giving them pledges just as they desired of him; he then sealed the writing and sent it to them.

Greek θαρσῶν τε ὡς δι’ αὐτῶν ἀμαχητὶ τοῦ πολέμου κρατήσει, τῷ παντὶ στρατῷ ἐς χωρίον Οἰνοχαλάκων ᾔει, ἔνθα τοὺς Ἀρμενίους ἐστρατοπεδεῦσθαι ξυνέβαινε.

Dewing Then, confident that by their help he would be victorious in the war without fighting, he went with ship whole army to a place called Oenochalakon, where the Armenians had their camp.

Greek τύχῃ δέ τινι οἱ τὸ βιβλίον ἔχοντες ἑτέρᾳ ἰόντες ὁδῷ Ἀσπετιανοῖς ἐντυχεῖν οὐδαμῆ ἴσχυσαν.

Dewing But by some chance those who carried the tablets went by another road and did not succeed at all in meeting the Aspetiani.

Greek μοῖρα μέντοι τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ὀλίγοις τισὶν αὐτῶν ἐντυχόντες, οὐκ εἰδότες τε τὰ ξυγκείμενα, ὡς πολεμίοις ἐχρήσαντο.

Dewing Moreover a portion of the Roman army happened upon some few of them, and not knowing the agreement which had been made, treated them as enemies.

Greek καὶ αὐτὸς Σίττας ἐν σπηλαίῳ που παῖδάς τε αὐτῶν καὶ γυναῖκας λαβὼν ἔκτεινεν, ἢ τὸ γεγονὸς οὐ ξυνιεὶς ἢ δι’ ὀργῆς Ἀσπετιανοὺς ἔχων, ὅτι οἱ καθάπερ ξυνέκειτο οὐ προσεχώρουν.

Dewing And Sittas himself caught some of their women and children in a cave and slew them, either because he did not understand what had happened or because he was angry with the Aspetiani for not joining him as had been agreed.

Greek Οἱ δὲ θυμῷ ἤδη ἐχόμενοι ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ὡς ἐς μάχην ἐτάξαντο. ἅτε δὲ ἐν δυσχωρίαις χαλεπαῖς τε καὶ κρημνώδεσιν ἑκάτεροι ὄντες οὐκ ἐν ἑνὶ χώρῳ ἐμάχοντο, ἀλλὰ διασκεδαννύμενοι ἔν τε ὑπωρείαις καὶ φάραγξι. τετύχηκεν οὖν τῶν τε Ἀρμενίων ὀλίγους τινὰς καὶ Σίτταν τῶν ἑπομένων οὐ πολλοὺς ἔχοντα ἀλλήλων πη ἄγχιστα ἰέναι, φάραγγος σφίσι τινὸς μεταξὺ οὔσης.

Dewing But they, being now possessed with anger, arrayed themselves for battle with all the rest. But since both armies were on exceedingly difficult ground where precipices abounded, they did not fight in one place, but scattered about among the ridges and ravines. So it happened that so few of the Armenians and Sittas with not many of ship followers came close upon each other, with only a ravine lying between them. Both parties were horsemen.

Greek ἱππεῖς δὲ ἦσαν ἑκάτεροι. ὁ μὲν οὖν Σίττας, ὀλίγων οἱ ἐπισπομένων, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους τὴν φάραγγα διαβὰς ἤλαυνεν, Ἀρμένιοι δὲ ὀπίσω ὑποχωρήσαντες ἔστησαν, καὶ ὁ Σίττας οὐκέτι ἐδίωκεν ἀλλ’ αὐτοῦ ἔμενεν.

Dewing Then Sittas with a few men following him crossed the ravine and advanced against the enemy; the Armenians, after withdrawing to the rear, stopped, and Sittas pursued no further but remained where he was.

Greek ἄφνω δέ τις τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, Ἔρουλος γένος, δίωξιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους πεποιημένος ἐνθένδε τε ξὺν θυμῷ ἀπελαύνων, παρὰ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Σίτταν ἦλθεν. ἐτύγχανε δὲ ὁ Σίττας ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος τὸ δόρυ ἐρείσας· ὃ δὴ ὁ τοῦ Ἐρούλου ἵππος ἐπιπεσὼν ξὺν πολλῇ ῥύμῃ κατέαξε.

Dewing Suddenly someone from the Roman army, an Erulian by birth, who had been pursuing the enemy, returning impetuously from them came up to Sittas and his men. Now as it happened Sittas had planted his spear in the ground; and the Erulian's horse fell upon this with a great rushes and shattered it.

Greek τόν τε στρατηγὸν τοῦτο ἠνίασεν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα, καὶ αὐτὸν τῶν τις Ἀρμενίων ἰδὼν ἔγνω τε καὶ Σίτταν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἰσχυρίζετο εἶναι. ξυνέβαινε γάρ οἱ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ κράνος οὐκ εἶναι. διὸ δὴ τοὺς πολεμίους οὐκ ἔλαθε ξὺν ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἐνταῦθα ἥκων.

Dewing And the general was exceedingly annoyed by this, and one of the Armenians, seeing him, recognized him and declared to all the others that it was Sittas. For it happened that he had no helmet on his head. Thus it did not escape the enemy that he had come there with only a few men.

Greek Σίττας μὲν οὖν, ἐπεὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Ἀρμενίου λέγοντος ἤκουσε καὶ τὸ δόρυ, ὥσπερ ἐρρήθη, οἱ ἀποκαυλισθὲν ἐς τὴν γῆν ἔκειτο, σπασάμενος τὸ ξίφος τὴν φάραγγα διαβαίνειν εὐθὺς ἐνεχείρησεν.

Dewing Sittas, then, upon hearing the Armenian say this, since his spear, as has been said, lay broken in two on the ground, drew his sword and attempted immediately to recross the ravine.

Greek οἱ δὲ πολέμιοι σπουδῇ πολλῇ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἤλαυνον, καί τις αὐτὸν καταλαβὼν ἐν τῇ φάραγγι ξίφει ἐς ἄκραν κεφαλὴν ἔτυψε πληγῇ ἐγκαρσίᾳ. καὶ τὸ μὲν βρέγμα ὅλον ἀφείλετο,

Dewing But the enemy advanced upon him with great eagerness, and a soldier overtaking him in the ravine struck him a glancing blow with his sword on the top of his head; and he took off the whole scalp, but the steel did not injure the bone at all.

Greek τοῦ δὲ ὀστέου ὁ σίδηρος οὐδαμῆ ἥψατο. καὶ ὁ μὲν Σίττας ἔτι μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον πρόσω ἤλαυνεν, Ἀρταβάνης δὲ Ἰωάννου παῖς Ἀρσακίδης ὄπισθεν ἐπιπεσὼν καὶ παίσας τῷ δόρατι ἔκτεινεν.

Dewing And Sittas continued to press for which still more than before, but Artabanes, son of John of the Arsacidae, fell upon him from behind and with a thrust of his spear killed him.

Greek οὕτω τε ὁ Σίττας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνιστο οὐδενὶ λόγῳ, ἀναξίως τῆς τε ἀρετῆς καὶ τῶν ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀεὶ πεπραγμένων, ἀνὴρ τό τε σῶμα ἐς ἄγαν καλὸς γεγονὼς καὶ ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, στρατηγός τε ἄριστος τῶν καθ’ αὑτὸν οὐδενὸς ἥσσων.

Dewing Thus Sittas was removed from the world after no notable fashion, in a manner unworthy of his valour and his continual achievements against the enemy, a man who was extremely handsome in appearance and a capable warrior, and a general second to none of his contemporaries.

Greek τινὲς δέ φασι τὸν Σίτταν οὐ πρὸς τοῦ Ἀρταβάνου ἀπολωλέναι, ἀλλὰ Σολόμωνα, λίαν ἐν Ἀρμενίοις ἀφανῆ ἄνδρα, τὸν ἄνθρωπον διαχρήσασθαι.

Dewing But some say that Sittas did not die at the hand of Artabanes, but that Solomon, a very insignificant man among the Armenians, destroyed him.

Greek Τελευτήσαντος δὲ Σίττα Βούζην βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀρμενίους ἐκέλευσεν ἰέναι· ὃς ἐπεὶ ἄγχιστά που ἐγένετο, ἔπεμψε πρὸς αὐτοὺς βασιλεῖ τε καταλλάξειν Ἀρμενίους ὑποσχόμενος ἅπαντας καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐς λόγους οἱ ἐλθεῖν ἀξιῶν τῶν δοκίμων τινάς.

Dewing After the death of Sittas the emperor commanded Bouzes to go against the Armenians; and he, upon drawing near, sent to them promising in effect a reconciliation between the emperor and all the Armenians, and asking that some of their notables should come to confer with him on these matters.

Greek οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι οὔτε πιστεύειν τῷ Βούζῃ εἶχον οὔτε τοὺς λόγους ἐνδέχεσθαι τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἤθελον. ἦν δέ τις αὐτῷ μάλιστα φίλος ἀνὴρ Ἀρσακίδης, Ἰωάννης ὄνομα, Ἀρταβάνου πατήρ, ὃς δὴ τῷ Βούζῃ τότε ἅτε φίλῳ θαρσήσας ξύν τε Βασσάκῃ τῷ κηδεστῇ καὶ ἄλλοις ὀλίγοις τισὶ παρ’ αὐτὸν ἦλθεν· οἳ δὴ ἐν χωρίῳ γενόμενοί τε καὶ αὐλισθέντες ἔνθα τῷ Βούζῃ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐντυχεῖν ἔμελλον, ᾔσθοντο ἐς κύκλωσιν πρὸς τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ ἥκοντες.

Dewing Now the Armenians as a whole were unable to trust Bouzes nor were they willing to receive his proposals. But there was a certain man of the Arsacidae who was especially friendly with him, John by name, the father of Artabanes, and this man, trusting in Bouzes as his friend came to him with his son-in‑law, Bassaces, and a few others; but when these men had reached the spot where they were to meet Bouzes on the following day, and had made their bivouac there, they perceived that they had come into a place surrounded by the Roman army.

Greek πολλὰ μὲν οὖν τὸν Ἰωάννην Βασσάκης ὁ γαμβρὸς ἐλιπάρει δρασμοῦ ἔχεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν πείθειν οὐκ εἶχε, μόνον ἐνταῦθα καταλιπών, ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι λαθὼν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ὁδῷ τῇ αὐτῇ ὀπίσω αὖθις ἀπήλαυνε.

Dewing Bassaces, the son-in‑law, therefore earnestly entreated John to fly. And since he was not able to persuade him, he left him there alone, and in company with all the others eluded the Romans, and went back again by the same road.

Greek Βούζης τε τὸν Ἰωάννην μόνον εὑρὼν ἔκτεινε, καὶ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ οὔτε τινὰ ἐλπίδα ἐς Ῥωμαίους Ἀρμένιοι ξυμβάσεως πέρι τὸ λοιπὸν ἔχοντες οὔτε βασιλέα τῷ πολέμῳ ὑπεραίρειν οἷοί τε ὄντες παρὰ τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα ἦλθον, Βασσάκου σφίσιν ἡγουμένου, δραστηρίου ἀνδρός.

Dewing And Bouzes found John alone and slew him; and since after this the Armenians had no hope of ever reaching an agreement with the Romans, and since they were unable to prevail over the emperor in war, they came before the Persian king led by Bassaces, an energetic man.

Greek ὧν τότε οἱ πρῶτοι Χοσρόῃ ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθόντες ἔλεξαν τοιάδε “Εἰσὶ μὲν ἡμῶν πολλοὶ Ἀρσακίδαι, ὦ δέσποτα, ἐκείνου Ἀρσάκου ἀπόγονοι ὃς δὴ οὔτε τῆς Πάρθων βασιλείας ἀλλότριος ἐτύγχανεν ὤν, ἡνίκα ὑπὸ Πάρθοις ἔκειτο τὰ Περσῶν πράγματα, καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐπιφανὴς γέγονε τῶν καθ’ αὑτὸν οὐδενὸς ἧσσον.

Dewing And the leading men among them came at that time into the presence of Chosroes and spoke as follows: "Many of us, O Master, are Arsacidae, descendants of that Arsaces who was not unrelated to the Parthian kings when the Persian realm lay under the hand of the Parthians, and who proved himself an illustrious king, inferior to none of his time.

Greek πάρεσμεν δὲ τανῦν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἅπαντες δοῦλοί τε καὶ δραπέται γεγενημένοι, οὐχ ἑκούσιοι μέντοι, ἀλλ’ ἠναγκασμένοι ὡς μάλιστα, τῷ μὲν φαινομένῳ ὑπὸ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς, τῷ δὲ ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ ὑπὸ σῆς,

Dewing Now we have come to thee, and all of us have become slaves and fugitives, not, however, of our own will, but under most hard constraint, as it might seem by reason of the Roman power, but in truth, O King, by reason of thy decision, —

Greek ὦ βασιλεῦ, γνώμης· εἴπερ ὁ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῖς ἀδικεῖν βουλομένοις διδοὺς αὐτὸς ἂν φέροιτο καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν ἔργων δικαίως. εἰρήσεται δὲ μικρὸν ἄνωθεν ὅπως δὴ ἅπασι παρακολουθεῖν τοῖς πεπραγμένοις δυνήσεσθε.

Dewing if, indeed, he who gives the strength to those who wish to do injustice should himself justly bear also the blame of their misdeeds. Now we shall begin our account from a little distance back in order that you may be able to follow the whole course of events.

Greek Ἀρσάκης γὰρ ὁ τῶν προγόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων βασιλεὺς ὕστατος ἐξέστη τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς αὑτοῦ Θεοδοσίῳ τῷ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορι ἑκών γε εἶναι, ἐφ’ ᾧ δὴ ἅπαντες οἱ κατὰ γένος αὐτῷ μέλλοντες πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα προσήκειν τά τε ἄλλα βιοτεύσουσι κατ’ ἐξουσίαν καὶ φόρου ὑποτελεῖς οὐδαμῆ ἔσονται.

Dewing Arsaces, the last king of our ancestors, abdicated his throne willingly in favour of Theodosius, the Roman Emperor, on condition that all who should belong to his family through all time should live unhampered in every respect, and in particular should in no case be subject to taxation.

Greek καὶ διεσωσάμεθα τὰ ξυγκείμενα ἕως ὑμεῖς ταύτας πεποίησθε τὰς διαβοήτους σπονδάς, ἃς δὴ κοινόν τινα ὄλεθρον καλῶν τις, οἰόμεθα, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι.

Dewing And we have preserved the agreement, until you, the Persians, made this much-vaunted treaty, which, as we think, one would not err in calling a sort of common destruction.

Greek φίλων τε γὰρ καὶ πολεμίων τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἀφροντιστήσας, ἅπαντα ξυνέχεέ τε καὶ ξυνετάραξε τὰ ἀνθρώπεια ὁ σός, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τῷ λόγῳ μὲν φίλος,

Dewing For from that time, disregarding friend and foe, he who is in name thy friend, O King, but in fact thy enemy, has turned everything in the world upside down and wrought complete confusion.

Greek ἔργῳ δὲ δυσμενής. ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν εἴσῃ, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα τοὺς ἑσπερίους οἷός τε ᾖ παντάπασι καταστρέψασθαι. τί γὰρ τῶν πρότερον ἀπειρημένων οὐκ ἔπραξεν; ἢ τί οὐκ ἐκίνησε τῶν εὖ καθεστώτων;

Dewing And this thou thyself shalt know at no distant time, as soon as he is able to subdue completely the people of the West. For what thing which was before forbidden has he not done? or what thing which was well established has he not disturbed?

Greek οὐχ ἡμῖν μὲν φόρου ἀπαγωγὴν ἔταξεν οὐ πρότερον οὖσαν, καὶ Τζάνους τοὺς ὁμόρους ἡμῖν αὐτονόμους ὄντας δεδούλωται, τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῶν ἀθλίων Λαζῶν ἄρχοντα Ῥωμαῖον ἐπέστησε; πρᾶγμα οὔτε τῇ φύσει τῶν πραγμάτων ξυμβαῖνον οὔτε λόγῳ ῥᾴδιον ἑρμηνεύεσθαι.

Dewing Did he not ordain for us the payment of a tax which did not exist before, and has he not enslaved our neighbours, the Tzani, who were autonomous, and has he not set over the king of the wretched Lazi a Roman magistrate? — an act neither in keeping with the natural order of things nor very easy to explain in words.

Greek οὐ Βοσπορίταις μὲν τοῖς Οὔννων κατηκόοις στρατηγοὺς ἔπεμψε καὶ τὴν πόλιν προσεποιήσατο οὐδὲν αὐτῷ προσῆκον, ὁμαιχμίαν δὲ πεποίηται πρὸς τὰς τῶν Αἰθιόπων ἀρχάς, ὧν καὶ ἀνήκοοι τὸ παράπαν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐτύγχανον ὄντες;

Dewing Has he not sent generals to the men of Bosporus, the subjects of the Huns, and attached to himself the city which in no way belongs to him, and has he not made a defensive alliance with the Aethiopian kingdoms, of which the Romans had never even heard?

Greek ἀλλὰ καὶ Ὁμηρίτας τε καὶ θάλασσαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν περιβέβληται καὶ τὸν φοινικῶνα προστίθησι τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ.

Dewing More than this he has made the Homeritae his possession and the Red Sea, and he is adding the Palm Groves to the Roman dominion.

Greek ἀφίεμεν γὰρ λέγειν τὰ Λιβύων τε καὶ Ἰταλῶν πάθη. ἡ γῆ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐ χωρεῖ ξύμπασα· μικρόν ἐστιν αὐτῷ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κρατεῖν.

Dewing We omit to speak of the fate of the Libyans and of the Italians. The whole earth is not large enough for the man; it is too small a thing for him to conquer all the world together.

Greek ὁ δὲ καὶ τὸν αἰθέρα περισκοπεῖ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὸν ὠκεανὸν διερευνᾶται μυχούς, ἄλλην αὑτῷ τινα οἰκουμένην περιποιεῖσθαι βουλόμενος.

Dewing But he is even looking about the heavens and is searching the retreats beyond the ocean, wishing to gain for himself some other world.

Greek τί οὖν ἔτι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μέλλεις; τί δὲ τὴν κάκιστα ἀπολουμένην εἰρήνην αἰσχύνῃ, ὅπως δηλαδή σε ὑστάτην ποιήσηται βρῶσιν τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων;

Dewing Why, therefore, O King, dost thou still delay? Why dost thou respect that most accursed peace, in order forsooth that he may make thee the last morsel of all?

Greek εἰ μέν ἐστί σοι βουλομένῳ μαθεῖν ὁποῖός τις ἂν Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐς τοὺς αὐτῷ εἴκοντας γένοιτο, ἐγγύθεν σοι τὸ παράδειγμα παρ’ ἡμῶν τε αὐτῶν ἐστι καὶ τῶν ταλαιπώρων Λαζῶν·

Dewing If it is thy wish to learn what kind of a man Justinian would shew himself toward those who yield to him, the example is to be sought near at hand from ourselves and from the wretched Lazi;

Greek εἰ δέ, ὅπως ποτὲ εἴωθε τοῖς τε ἀγνῶσι καὶ οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ἠδικηκόσι χρῆσθαι, Βανδίλους τε καὶ Γότθους καὶ Μαυρουσίους διαλογίζου.

Dewing and if thou wishest to see how he is accustomed to treat those who are unknown to him and who have done him not the least wrong, consider the Vandals and the Goths and the Moors.

Greek τό τε δὴ κεφάλαιον οὔπω λέλεκται. οὐκ Ἀλαμούνδαρον μὲν ἐν σπονδαῖς τὸν σόν, ὦ κράτιστε βασιλεῦ, δοῦλον ἀπάτῃ τε περιελθεῖν καὶ βασιλείας ἀποστῆσαι τῆς σῆς ἔργον πεποίηται, Οὔννους δὲ τοὺς οὐδαμόθεν αὐτῷ γνωρίμους ἐπὶ τοῖς σοῖς ἔναγχος ἑταιρίζεσθαι πράγμασιν ἐν σπουδῇ ἔσχε; καίτοι πρᾶξις ἀτοπωτέρα ταύτης οὐ γέγονεν ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς χρόνου.

Dewing But the chief thing has not yet been spoken. Has he not made efforts in time of peace to win over by deception thy slave, Alamoundaras, O most Italy King, and to detach him from thy kingdom, and has he not striven recently to attach to himself the Huns who are utterly unknown to him, in order to make trouble for thee? And yet an act more strange than this has not been performed in all time.

Greek ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔσθετο, οἶμαι, εἰς πέρας αὐτῷ ὅσον οὔπω ἀφίξεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἑσπερίων καταστροφήν, τοὺς ἑῴους ἤδη μετελθεῖν ὑμᾶς ἐγκεχείρηκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ μόνον ἀπολέλειπται αὐτῷ ἐς ἀγῶνα τὸ Περσῶν κράτος.

Dewing For since he perceived, as I think, that the overthrow of the western world would speedily be accomplished, he has already taken in hand to assail you of the East, since the Persian power alone has been left for him to grapple with.

Greek ἡ μὲν οὖν εἰρήνη τὸ ἐκείνου μέρος ἤδη σοι λέλυται, καὶ σπονδαῖς αὐτὸς πέρας ταῖς ἀπεράντοις ἐπέθηκε.

Dewing The peace, therefore, as far as concerns him, has already been broken for thee, and he himself has set an end to the endless peace.

Greek λύουσι γὰρ τὴν εἰρήνην οὐχ οἳ ἂν ἐν ὅπλοις γένοιντο πρῶτοι, ἀλλ’ οἳ ἂν ἐπιβουλεύοντες ἐν σπονδαῖς τοῖς πέλας ἁλοῖεν.

Dewing For they break the peace, not who may be first in arms, but they who may be caught plotting against their neighbours in time of peace.

Greek τὸ γὰρ ἔγκλημα τῷ ἐγκεχειρηκότι, κἂν ἀπῇ τὸ κατορθοῦν, πέπρακται. ὅπη ποτὲ δὲ ὁ πόλεμος χωρήσει παντί που δῆλον. οὐ γὰρ οἱ τὰς αἰτίας τῷ πολέμῳ παρασχόμενοι, ἀλλ’ οἱ τοὺς παρασχομένους αὐτὰς ἀμυνόμενοι, κρατεῖν ἀεὶ τῶν πολεμίων εἰώθασιν.

Dewing For the crime has been committed by him who attempts it, even though success be lacking. Now as for the course which the war will follow, this is surely clear to everyone. For it is not those who furnish causes for war, but those who defend themselves against those who furnish them, who are accustomed always to conquer their enemies.

Greek οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀντιπάλου ἡμῖν τῆς δυνάμεως ὁ ἀγὼν ἔσται. Ῥωμαίοις γὰρ τῶν τε στρατιωτῶν πλείστους πρὸς ταῖς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐσχατιαῖς ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, καὶ δυοῖν στρατηγοῖν, οἵπερ αὐτοῖς ἄριστοι ἦσαν, τὸν ἕτερον μὲν Σίτταν κτείναντες ἥκομεν, Βελισάριον δὲ οὔποτε Ἰουστινιανὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ὄψεται. οὗπερ ἐκεῖνος ὀλιγωρήσας μεμένηκε πρὸς ταῖς ἡλίου δυσμαῖς,

Dewing Nay more, the contest will not be evenly matched for us even in point of strength. For, as it happens, the majority of the Roman soldiers are at the end of the world, and as for the two generals who were the best they had, we come here having slain the one, Sittas, and Belisarius will never again be seen by Justinian. For disregarding his master, he has remained in the West, holding the power of Italy himself.

Greek αὐτὸς ἔχων τὸ Ἰταλῶν κράτος. ὥστε σοι ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἰόντι ἀπαντήσει τῶν πάντων οὐδείς, ἕξεις δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνοίᾳ τε, ὡς τὸ εἰκός, καὶ χωρίων ἐμπειρίᾳ πολλῇ τῷ σῷ στρατῷ ἐξηγουμένους.” ταῦτα ἐπεὶ Χοσρόης ἤκουσεν,

Dewing So that when thou goest against the enemy, no one at all will confront thee, and thou wilt have us leading the army with good will, as is natural, and with a thorough knowledge of the country."

Greek ἥσθη τε καὶ ξυγκαλέσας εἴ τι ἐν Πέρσαις καθαρὸν ἦν ἐς πάντας ἐξήνεγκεν ἅ τε Οὐίττιγις ἔγραψε καὶ ὅσα οἱ Ἀρμένιοι εἶπον, ἀμφί τε τῷ πρακτέῳ βουλὴν προὔθηκεν.

Dewing When Chosroes heard this he was pleased, and calling together all who were of noble blood among the Persians, he disclosed to all of them what Vittigis had written and what the Armenians had said, and laid before them the question as to what should be done.

Greek ἔνθα δὴ ἐλέχθησαν μὲν γνῶμαι πολλαὶ ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα φέρουσαι, τέλος δὲ πολεμητέα σφίσιν ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους ἔδοξεν εἶναι.

Dewing Then many opinions were expressed including to either side, but finally it was decided that they must open hostilities against the Romans at the beginning of spring.

Greek ἦν γὰρ τοῦ ἔτους μετόπωρον, τρίτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος.

Dewing For it was the late autumn season, in the thirteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Justinian.

Greek οὐ μέντοι Ῥωμαῖοι τοῦτο ὑπώπτευον, οὐδὲ δὴ Πέρσας λύσειν ποτὲ τὰς ἀπεράντους καλουμένας σπονδὰς ᾤοντο, καίπερ Χοσρόην ἀκούσαντες τῷ τε σφῶν αὐτῶν βασιλεῖ ἐγκαλεῖν οἷς εὐημέρησεν ἐν ταῖς ἡλίου δυσμαῖς καὶ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἐπιφέρειν ταῦτα ὧν ἄρτι ἐμνήσθην.

Dewing The Romans, however, did not suspect this, nor did they think that the Persians would ever break the so‑called endless peace, although they heard that Chosroes blamed their emperor for his successes in the West, and that he preferred against him the charges which I have lately mentioned.