第8巻 第8章

Greek Χοριάνης μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ Μήδων στρατὸς ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο ἀμφὶ ποταμὸν Ἵππιν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταῦτα Γουβάζης τε, ὁ Κόλχων βασιλεύς, ἔμαθε καὶ Δαγισθαῖος, ὅσπερ ἡγεῖτο τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατοῦ, ἐπίκοινα βουλευσάμενοι ἦγον ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τὸ Ῥωμαίων καὶ Λαζῶν στράτευμα.

Dewing Chorianes then, and the Median army had made their camp near the Hippis River. And when Gubazes, the Colchian king, and Dagisthaeus, who commanded the Roman army, learned this, they formed a common plan and led forth the Roman and Lazic army against the enemy.

Greek γενόμενοί τε Ἵππιδος τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐπὶ θάτερα καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐνστρατοπεδευσάμενοι τὰ παρόντα ἐν βουλῇ εἶχον, πότερα μένουσί τε αὐτοῖς καὶ δεχομένοις ἐπιόντας τοὺς πολεμίους ξυνοίσει μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους σφίσιν ἰτέον, ὅπως δὴ θάρσους τοῦ σφετέρου ποιησάμενοι ἐπίδειξιν Πέρσαις, ἔνδηλά τε τοῖς ἐναντίοις καταστησάμενοι ὡς καταφρονήματι ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἴωσι, τῆς τε ξυμβολῆς αὐτῆς ἄρχοντες δουλῶσαι τῶν ἀνθισταμένων τὸ φρόνημα ἱκανοὶ εἶεν. ἐπειδή τε ἡ γνώμη ἐνίκα τῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους παρακαλούντων,

Dewing And when they had come to the opposite side of the Hippis River and had made their camp there, they began to consider the situation, debating whether it would be more to their advantage to wait there and receive the enemy's attack or whether they should advance upon their enemy, in order, of course, that by displaying their daring to the Persians and by making it obvious to their opponents that they were filled with contempt as they went against them, they might, by assuming the offensive in the combat, be able to humble the spirit of the men arrayed against them.

Greek ὥρμηντο ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς εὐθὺς ἅπαντες. ἐνταῦθα Λαζοὶ Ῥωμαίοις ξυντάσσεσθαι οὐκέτι ἠξίουν, προτεινόμενοι ὅτι δὴ Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὔτε πατρίδος οὔτε τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων προκινδυνεύοντες ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα καθίστανται, αὐτοῖς δὲ ὑπέρ τε παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ γῆς τῇς πατρῴας ὁ κίνδυνός ἐστιν· ὥστε κἂν γυναῖκας τὰς σφετέρας ἐρυθριῷεν,

Dewing And since the opinion of those prevailed who urged an advance upon the enemy, the whole army straightway hastened toward them. Thereupon the Lazi would no longer consent to fight beside the Romans, putting forth the objection that the Romans, on the one hand, in entering the struggle, were not risking their lives from their fatherland or their most precious possessions, while for them the danger involved their children and their wives and their ancestral land; so that they would have to blush before their own women,

Greek εἰ σφίσι πρὸς τῶν ἐναντίων ξυμβαίη κρατεῖσθαι. ταύτῃ δὴ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν αὐτοῖς ἀρετὴν αὐτοσχεδιάσειν ὑπώπτευον.

Dewing if it should so fall out that they were defeated by their opponents. Indeed they imagined that under this stress they would improvise the valour which was not in them.

Greek πρῶτοί τε αὐτοὶ κατὰ μόνας ὤργων τοῖς πολεμίοις ὁμόσε ἰέναι, ὅπως αὐτοὺς μὴ ξυνταράξωσιν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ Ῥωμαῖοι, οὐχ ὅμοια σφίσιν ἐς τὸν κίνδυνον προθυμούμενοι.

Dewing And they were filled with zeal to engage with the enemy by themselves first, so that the Romans might not throw them into confusion during the action through not having the same zeal as they had in meeting the danger.

Greek ταῦτα νεανιευσαμένων Λαζῶν περιχαρὴς ὁ Γουβάζης γενόμενος μικρόν τε ἄποθεν Ῥωμαίων αὐτοὺς ξυγκαλέσας τοιάδε παρεκελεύσατο.

Dewing After the Lazi had begun to shew this spirit of bravado, Gubazes became well pleased, and calling them together a little apart from the Romans he exhorted them as follows.

Greek “Παραίνεσιν μὲν ἐς εὐψυχίαν ὁρμῶσαν οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τινα δεῖ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες, ποιεῖσθαι. οἷς γὰρ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνάγκη τὴν προθυμίαν ἀνίστησι, παρακελεύσεως ἂν οὐδεμιᾶς προσδεῖν οἴομαι, ὅπερ καὶ ἡμῖν ἔν γε τῷ παρόντι τετύχηκεν.

Dewing "Fellow‑men, I know not whether it is necessary to address any exhortation to you to impel you to be of good courage. For those men whose enthusiasm is upheld by the necessity of circumstances would, I think, need no further exhortation, and this is the case with us, in the present crisis at any rate.

Greek ὑπὲρ γυναικῶν γὰρ καὶ παίδων καὶ γῆς τῆς πατρῴας καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων ὁ κίνδυνός ἐστιν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμῖν ἐπίασι Πέρσαι.

Dewing For it is your women and children and your ancestral land, and, to speak plainly, your all, which is involved in this danger, for it is to secure these that the Persians are coming upon us.

Greek τοῖς δέ τι ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων βιαζομένοις οὐδεὶς τῶν πάντων παραχωρεῖ, ὑπερμάχεσθαι τῶν προσηκόντων ἀναγκαζούσης τῆς φύσεως.

Dewing For no one in the whole world gives way to those who are seeking by violence to rob him of any of his possessions, for nature compels him to fight for his property.

Greek οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε δὲ ὡς Πέρσαις τὴν πλεονεξίαν οὐδὲν ἵστησιν, ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ γεγονόσι τοῦ δύνασθαι, οὐδὲ ἄρξουσι μόνον ἡμῶν ἢ τάξουσι φόρους ἢ τὰ ἄλλα κατηκόους ποιήσονται, εἴ τι μὴ ἐπιλελήσμεθα ὧν Χοσρόης ἐγκεχείρηκεν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν οὐ πολλῷ πρότερον, ἢν νῦν περιέσονται ἡμῶν τῷ πολέμῳ.

Dewing And you are not ignorant that nothing stops the avarice of the Persians when they have come to have power in their grasp, and if at the present time they prevail over us in the war, they will not stop with simply ruling us or imposing taxes or treating us in other matters as subjects, — a statement with which were can test by our own memory of what Chosroes attempted upon us not long ago.

Greek ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἄχρι τοῦ λόγου προϊέτω μοι τὰ τῆς Περσῶν πείρας, μηδὲ διαλιπέτω τὸ Λαζῶν ὄνομα. οὐ χαλεπὸς δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἡμῖν ὁ πρὸς Μήδους ἀγών, πολλάκις αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐς χεῖρας ἐλθοῦσι καὶ ὑπερβαλλομένοις τῇ μάχῃ.

Dewing But let me not even so much as mention the experience we have had with the Persians, and let not the name of the Lazi come to an end. And the struggle against the Medes, my fellow‑men, is not a hard one for us who have many times grappled with them and prevailed over them in the fight.

Greek τῷ γὰρ ξυνειθισμένῳ τὸ δύσκολον οὐδαμῆ πάρεστι, προδαπανηθείσης τῆς τοῦ ἔργου ταλαιπωρίας μελέτῃ καὶ πείρᾳ. ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο καὶ καταφρονεῖν τῶν πολεμίων ἅτε νενικημένων ἐν ξυμβολαῖς καὶ οὐχ ὁμοίως θρασυνομένων ἡμᾶς δεήσει.

Dewing For a task which has become thoroughly familiar entails no difficulty whatever, the necessary labour having been previously expended in practice and experience. Consequently we shall be obliged because of this fact actually to despise the enemy as having been defeated in previous combats and having no such ground for courage as you have.

Greek φρόνημα γὰρ δουλωθὲν ἅπαξ παλινδρομεῖν ἥκιστα εἴωθε. ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐκλογιζόμενοι μετὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος τοῖς ἐναντίοις ὁμόσε χωρεῖτε.”

Dewing For when the spirit has been humbled, it is by no means wont to mount again. Holding these thoughts then before your minds, advance with high hopes to close with the enemy."

Greek Τοσαῦτα Γουβάζης εἰπὼν ἐξῆγε τὸ Λαζῶν στράτευμα, καὶ ἐτάξαντο ὧδε. πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ Λαζῶν ἱππεῖς τεταγμένοι ἀπ’ ἐναντίας ᾔεσαν, ὄπισθεν δὲ οὐκ ἄγχιστά πη, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἀπωτάτω,

Dewing After making such a speech Gubazes led out the army of the Lazi, and they arrayed themselves as follows. As a vanguard the cavalry of the Lazi advanced in order against the foe, while the Roman cavalry followed them, not at a short interval, but very far in the rear.

Greek ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἵππος αὐτοῖς εἵπετο. τούτων δὲ δὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἡγοῦντο Φιλήγαγός τε, Γήπαις γένος, δραστήριος ἀνήρ, καὶ Ἰωάννης Ἀρμένιος, διαφερόντως ἀγαθὸς τὰ πολέμια, Θωμᾶ υἱός, ὅνπερ ἐπίκλησιν ἐκάλουν Γούζην, οὗ δὴ κἀν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ἐμνήσθην.

Dewing This particular Roman force was under the leader­ship of Philegagus, a Gepaid by birth and an energetic man, and of John the Armenian, son of Thomas, an exceptionally able warrior who was known by the surname Guzes, and who has been mentioned already in the previous narrative.⁠

Greek ἐν ὑστέρῳ δὲ Γουβάζης τε ὁ Λαζῶν βασιλεὺς καὶ Δαγισθαῖος ὁ Ῥωμαίων στρατηγὸς ξὺν τοῖς ἀμφοτέρων πεζοῖς εἵποντο, λογισάμενοι ὡς, εἰ τοῖς ἱππεῦσι τραπῆναι ξυμβαίη, ἐς αὐτοὺς ῥᾷστα σωθήσονται.

Dewing Behind these followed Gubazes, the king of the Lazi, and Dagisthaeus, the general of the Romans, with the infantry of both armies, reasoning that, should it come about that the cavalry were routed, they would be saved very easily by falling back on them.

Greek Ῥωμαῖοι μὲν οὖν καὶ Λαζοὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ἐτάξαντο, Χοριάνης δὲ ἄνδρας μὲν χιλίους τῶν οἱ ἑπομένων ἀπολεξάμενος τεθωρακισμένους τε καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐξωπλισμένους ὡς ἄριστα, πρόσω ἐπὶ κατασκοπῇ ἔπεμψεν, αὐτὸς δὲ παντὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ὄπισθεν ᾔει, φυλακτήριον ὀλίγων τινῶν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἀπολιπών.

Dewing So the Romans and the Lazi arrayed themselves in this manner: Chorianes meanwhile selected from his army a thousand men equipped with the corselet and in all other respects most thoroughly armed, and sent them forward as a scouting party, while he himself with all the rest of the army marched in the rear, leaving behind in the camp a garrison of only a few men.

Greek προτερήσασα δὲ ἡ Λαζῶν ἵππος ἀτιμάζει τὰς ἐπαγγελίας οἷς ἔδρασεν, ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων διαβαλοῦσα τὰς πρόσθεν ἐλπίδας.

Dewing Now the cavalry of the Lazi which had gone ahead shewed in what they did scant regard for their professions, denouncing by their actions the hopes which they had previously aroused.

Greek τοῖς γὰρ τῶν πολεμίων προδρόμοις ἐντετυχηκότες ἐξαπιναίως οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες τε τὴν αὐτῶν ὄψιν, τρέψαντες αὐτίκα τοὺς ἵππους, κόσμῳ οὐδενὶ ὀπίσω ἀνέστρεφον, τοῖς τε Ῥωμαίοις ἐπειγόμενοι ἀνεμίγνυντο, ἐς αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀπαξιοῦντες καταφυγεῖν οἷς δὴ ξυντάσσεσθαι τὰ πρότερα ὤκνουν.

Dewing For when they came suddenly upon the advance party of the enemy, they did not bear the sight of them, but straightway wheeled their horses and began to gallop back to the rear in complete disorder; and pressing onward they mingled with the Romans, not declining to take refuge with the very men beside whom they had previously been unwilling to array themselves.

Greek ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀμφότεροι ἀλλήλων. ἄγχιστα ἵκοντο, χειρῶν μὲν τὰ πρότερα οὐδέτεροι ἦρχον οὐδὲ ξυνέμισγον, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἑκάτεροι ἐπιόντων μὲν ἀνεπόδιζον, ὑποχωρούντων δὲ ἐπεβάτευον, ἔς τε ὑπαγωγὰς καὶ παλινδιώξεις καὶ ἀγχιστρόφους μεταβολὰς πολύν τινα κατέτριψαν χρόνον.

Dewing But when the two forces came close to each other, neither side at first opened the attack or joined battle, but each army drew back as their opponents advanced and in turn followed them as they retired, and they consumed much time in retreats and counter-pursuits and swiftly executed changes of front.

Greek Ἦν δέ τις Ἀρταβάνης ὄνομα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ Ῥωμαίων στρατῷ, Περσαρμένιος γένος, ὅσπερ ἐς Ἀρμενίους τοὺς Ῥωμαίων κατηκόους πολλῷ πρότερον ἀπηυτομοληκὼς ἔτυχεν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ φόνῳ Περσῶν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἀνδρῶν μαχίμων Ῥωμαίοις τὴν ἐς αὐτοὺς πίστιν πεποιημένος ἐχέγγυον.

Dewing But there was a certain Artabanes in that Roman army, a Persarmenian⁠ by birth, who had, as it happened, deserted long before to the Armenians who are subject to the Romans, not as a simple deserter however, but by the slaughter of one hundred and twenty Persian warriors he had given the Romans a pledge of his loyalty to them.

Greek Βαλεριανῷ γὰρ τότε στρατηγοῦντι ἐν Ἀρμενίοις ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθὼν ἄνδρας πεντήκοντα Ῥωμαίους οἱ αὐτῷ διδόναι ἐδεῖτο· τυχών τε ὦνπερ ἐβούλετο, ἐς φρούριον ἐν Περσαρμενίοις κείμενον ᾔει.

Dewing For he had come before Valerian, who at that time was a general in Armenia and requested him to give him fifty Romans; and upon getting what he wished he proceeded to a fortress situated in Persarmenia.

Greek οὗ δὴ ἑκατόν τε καὶ εἴκοσι Περσῶν φυλακτήριον ὑπὸ τῷ φρουρίῳ αὐτὸν ξὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις ἐδέξαντο, οὔπω ἔνδηλον ὄντα ὅτι δὴ μεταπορευθεὶς τὴν πολιτείαν νεωτερίζει.

Dewing There a garrison of one hundred and twenty Persians received him with his company into the fortress, it not being as yet clear that he had changed his allegiance and gone over to the enemy.

Greek ὁ δὲ τούς τε εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν κτείνας καὶ ξύμπαντα ληισάμενος τὰ ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ χρήματα, μεγάλα ὑπερφυῶς ὄντα, παρὰ Βαλεριανὸν καὶ τὸ Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα ἦλθε, πιστός τε σφίσιν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ φανεὶς Ῥωμαίοις τὸ λοιπὸν ξυνεστράτευεν.

Dewing He then slew the hundred and twenty men and plundered all the money in the fortress — and there was an enormous quantity of it — and so came to Valerian and the Roman army, and having thus proved himself faithful to them, he thereafter marched with the Romans.

Greek οὗτος Ἀρταβάνης ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ δύο ξὺν αὑτῷ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ἐπαγόμενος ἐν μεταιχμίῳ ἐγένετο, οὗ δὴ ἀφίκοντο καὶ τῶν πολεμίων τινές.

Dewing This Artabanes in the present battle placed himself in the space between the armies, taking with him two of the Roman soldiers, and thither came some of the enemy also.

Greek ἐφ’ οὓς Ἀρταβάνης ὁρμήσας, τῶν Περσῶν ἕνα, ψυχῆς τε ἀρετῇ καὶ σώματος ἀλκῇ ἐπιεικῶς μέγαν, τῷ δόρατι εὐθὺς ἔκτεινεν, ἔκ τε τοῦ ἵππου ῥίψας προσουδίζει χαμαί.

Dewing Artabanes charged these men, and engaging with one of the Persians who was a man of high valour and great bodily prowess, he straightway slew him with his spear and throwing him from his horse brought him down to the ground.

Greek τῶν δέ τις βαρβάρων παρὰ τῷ πεπτωκότι ἑστὼς ξίφει κατὰ κόρρης τὸν Ἀρταβάνην ἐπάταξεν οὐ καιρίαν πληγήν. ἅτερός τε τῶν τῷ Ἀρταβάνῃ ἐπισπομένων, Γότθος γένος, τοῦτον δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα, τὴν χεῖρα ἔτι ἐν τῇ τοῦ Ἀρταβάνου κεφαλῇ ἔχοντα, κατὰ λαγόνα ἐπιτυχὼν τὴν εὐώνυμον διεχρήσατο.

Dewing But one of the barbarians standing beside the fallen man smote Artabanes on the head with a sword, but not with a mortal stroke. Then one of the followers of Artabanes, a Goth by birth, attacked this man, and while he still held his hand at Artabanes' head, smote him with a well-directed blow in the left flank and laid him low.

Greek καὶ οἱ χίλιοι τοῖς ξυμπεπτωκόσιν ἐκπεπληγμένοι ὀπίσω ἐχώρουν, τόν τε Χοριάνην σὺν τῷ ἄλλῳ Περσῶν τε καὶ Ἀλανῶν στρατῷ ἔμενον καὶ οὐκ ἐς μακρὰν ἀνεμίγνυντο σφίσιν.

Dewing Thereupon the thousand, being terrified at what had taken place, began to withdraw to the rear, where they awaited Chosroes and the rest of the army of Persians and Alani, and in a short time mingled with them.

Greek Ἤδη δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ Γουβάζην καὶ Δαγισθαῖον πεζοὶ ἐς ἱππεῖς τοὺς σφετέρους ἀφίκοντο καὶ ἡ μάχη ἐν χερσὶν ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἦν.

Dewing By this time the infantry under Gubazes and Dagisthaeus also came up with their cavalry and both armies closed to a hand-to‑hand encounter.

Greek τότε δὴ Φιλήγαγός τε καὶ Ἰωάννης, ἐλάσσους εἶναι ἢ ἐνεγκεῖν ἐπιοῦσαν τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων ἵππον οἰόμενοι, μάλιστα ἐπεὶ ἀπέγνωσαν τὴν Λαζῶν δύναμιν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων ἀποθορόντες ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν ἀναγκάζουσι Ῥωμαίους τε καὶ Λαζοὺς ἅπαντας.

Dewing At this point Philegagus and John, thinking they were too few to bear the onset of the barbarian horse, particularly because they had no confidence in the power of the Lazi, leaped from their horses and compelled all to do the same, both Romans and Lazi.

Greek ἐς φάλαγγά τε ὡς βαθυτάτην ταξάμενοι πεζοὶ μετωπηδὸν ἀντίοι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔστησαν ἅπαντες, τὰ δόρατα ἐπανατεινόμενοι σφίσιν.

Dewing They then arrayed themselves on foot in a very deep phalanx, and all stood with a front fa­cing the enemy and thrusting out their spears against them.

Greek οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅ τι γένωνται ʽοὔτε γὰρ ἐπιδραμεῖν πεζοῖς γε οὖσι τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐδύναντο οὔτε αὐτῶν ξυνταράξαι τὴν φάλαγγα οἷοί τε ἦσαν’ ἐπεὶ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἵπποι ταῖς τε τῶν δοράτων αἰχμαῖς καὶ τῷ τῶν ἀσπίδων πατάγῳ ἀχθόμενοι ἀνεχαίτιζον, ἐπὶ τὰ τόξα ἔβλεπον ἅπαντες, ἐλπίδι θαρσοῦντες ὡς πλήθει βελῶν ῥᾷστα τοὺς πολεμίους ἐς φυγὴν τρέψονται.

Dewing But the barbarians knew not what to make of it for they were neither able to charge their opponents, who were now on foot, nor could they break up their phalanx, because the horses, annoyed by the points of the spears and the clashing of the shields, balked; and so they all resorted to their bows, emboldened by the hope that by a multitude of missiles they would very easily turn their enemy to flight.

Greek καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι ξὺν Λαζοῖς ἅπασι ταὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίουν. ἑκατέρωθέν τε συχνὰ ἐς ἀλλήλους τοξεύματα ᾔει, ἔκ τε ἀμφοτέρων πολλοὶ ἔπιπτον.

Dewing The Romans likewise and all the Lazi began to do exactly the same thing. So from each side the arrows were flying in great numbers into both armies, and on both sides many men were falling.

Greek Πέρσαι μὲν οὖν καὶ Ἀλανοὶ μάλιστα συνεχῆ τὰ βέλη πολλῷ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἢ οἱ ἐναντίοι ἀφίεσαν. ἀλλ’ αὐτῶν τὰ πολλὰ τὰς ἀσπίδας ξυνέβαινεν ἀποκρούεσθαι. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῷ πολέμῳ Χοριάνῃ τῷ Περσῶν ἄρχοντι βεβλῆσθαι ξυνέβη.

Dewing Now the Persians and Alani were discharging their missiles in a practically continuous stream and much faster than their opponents. However, the Roman shields checked the most of them. In the course of this battle Chorianes, the commander of the Persians, happened to be hit.

Greek ὑφ’ ὅτου μέντοι οὗτος ἀνὴρ βληθείη, φανερὸν οὐδενὶ γέγονε· τύχῃ γάρ τινι ἐκ τοῦ ὁμίλου ἰὼν ὁ ἄτρακτος ἔς τε τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸν αὐχένα παγεὶς εὐθυωρὸν αὐτὸν διεχρήσατο, ἑνός τε θανάτῳ ἀνδρὸς ἥ τε μάχη ἐκλίθη καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἡ νίκη ἐχώρει.

Dewing But by whom this man was wounded was not clear to anyone; for some chance guided the shaft as it came out of a crowded mass of men, fastened itself in the man's neck, and killed him outright, and by one man's death the battle was inclined and victory fell to the Romans.

Greek ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἵππου ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος ἐπὶ στόμα πεσὼν ἔκειτο, δρόμῳ δὲ πολλῷ ἐπὶ τὸ χαράκωμα οἱ βάρβαροι ᾔεσαν, οἵ τε Ῥωμαῖοι ξὺν τοῖς Λαζοῖς ἐπισπόμενοι πολλοὺς ἔκτεινον, ἐλπίδα ἔχοντες αἱρήσειν αὐτοβοεὶ τὸ τῶν ἐναντίων στρατόπεδον.

Dewing For as he fell from his horse to the ground on his face and lay there, the barbarians went in a wild rush to their stockade, while the Romans with the Lazi followed upon their heels and slew many, hoping to capture post one rush the camp of their opponents.

Greek ἀλλά τις τῶν Ἀλανῶν εὐψυχίας πέρι καὶ σώματος ἰσχύος εὖ ἥκων, τοξεύειν τε συχνὰ ἐφ’ ἑκάτερα διαφερόντως ἐξεπιστάμενος, ἐς τοῦ χάρακος τὴν εἴσοδον στενοτάτην οὖσαν εἱστήκει, ἐμπόδιός τε τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι παρὰ δόξαν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγίνετο.

Dewing But one of the Alani, who was a man of great courage and bodily strength and who knew unusually well how to shoot rapidly to either side, took his stand at the end of the stockade, which was very narrow, and unexpectedly blocked the way for the oncoming Romans for a long time.

Greek Ἰωάννης δέ, ὁ τοῦ Θωμᾶ παῖς, μόνος ὡς ἀγχοτάτω παρ’ αὐτὸν ἥκων ἐξαπιναίως τὸν ἄνθρωπον δόρατι ἔκτεινεν, οὕτω τε Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Λαζοὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἐκράτησαν. καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων πλεῖστοι μὲν αὐτοῦ διεφθάρησαν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἀπεκομίσθησαν ἐς τὰ πάτρια ἤθη, ὡς ἑκάστῳ δυνατὰ γέγονεν.

Dewing But John, the son of Thomas, approached alone very close to him and slew the man with a spear, and thus the Romans and Lazi captured the camp. And great numbers indeed of the barbarians were destroyed there, and the remainder betook themselves away to their native land, each one as he found it possible to get there.

Greek αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ Περσῶν ἐσβολὴ ἐς γῆν τὴν Κολχίδα γενομένη ἐς τοῦτο ἐτελεύτα. καὶ ἄλλη δὲ Περσῶν στρατιὰ τοὺς ἐν Πέτρᾳ φρουροὺς τῷ τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων πλήθει καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιρρώσαντες ἀνεχώρησαν.

Dewing So this invasion of the Persians into the land of Colchis ended in this way. Meanwhile another Persian army, after fortifying the garrison at Petra with an abundance of provisions and all other supplies, had departed on their way.