ames of the circus; and as Chosroes had heard that the blue
faction was espoused by the emperor, his peremptory command secured the
victory of the green charioteer. From the discipline of his camp the
people derived more solid consolation; and they interceded in vain for
the life of a soldier who had too faithfully copied the rapine of the
just Nushirvan. At length, fatigued, though unsatiated, with the spoil
of Syria, [6213] he slowly moved to the Euphrates, formed a temporary
bridge in the neighborhood of Barbalissus, and defined the space of
three days for the entire passage of his numerous host. After his
return, he founded, at the distance of one day's journey from the palace
of Ctesiphon, a new city, which perpetuated the joint names of Chosroes
and of Antioch. The Syrian captives recognized the form and situation
of their native abodes: baths and a stately circus were constructed for
their use; and a colony of musicians and charioteers revived in Assyria
the pleasures of a Greek capital. By the munificence of the royal
founder, a liberal allowance was assigned to these fortunate exiles; and
they enjoyed the singular privilege of bestowing freedom on the slaves
whom they acknowledged as their kinsmen. Palestine, and the holy wealth
of Jerusalem, were the next objects that attracted the ambition, or
rather the avarice, of Chosroes. Constantinople, and the palace of the
Caesars, no longer appeared impregnable or remote; and his aspiring
fancy already covered Asia Minor with the troops, and the Black Sea with
the navies, of Persia.

[Footnote 62: The invasion of Syria, the ruin of Antioch, &c., are
related in a full and regular series by Procopius, (Persic. l. ii. c.
5--14.) Small collateral aid can be drawn from the Orientals: yet not
they, but D'Herbelot himself, (p. 680,) should blush when he blames them
for making Justinian and Nushirvan contemporaries. On the geography of
the seat of war, D'Anville (l'Euphrate et le Tigre) is sufficient and
satisfactory.]

[Footnote 6211: It is Sura in Procopius. Is it a misprint in
Gibbon?--M.]

[Footnote 6212: Joannes Lydus attributes the easy capture of Antioch
to the want of fortifications which had not been restored since the
earthquake, l. iii. c. 54. p. 246.--M.]

[Footnote 6213: Lydus asserts that he carried away all the statues,
pictures, and marbles which adorned the city, l. iii. c. 54, p.
246.--M.]

These hopes might have been realized, if the conqueror of Ital