y dost thou respect that
most accursed peace, in order forsooth that he may make thee the last
morsel of all? 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; 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. 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 mighty 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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." 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 Vitt