tway summoned Arsaces, and began to
walk to and fro with him in the tent in the presence of the Magi; he
enquired of the man why he had disregarded his sworn promises, and was
setting about to harass the Persians and Armenians once more with
grievous troubles. Now as long as the conversation took place on the
ground which was covered with the earth from the land of Persia, Arsaces
continued to make denial, and, pledging himself with the most fearful
oaths, insisted that he was a faithful subject of Pacurius. But when, in
the midst of his speaking, he came to the centre of the tent where they
stepped upon Armenian earth, then, compelled by some unknown power, he
suddenly changed the tone of his words to one of defiance, and from then
on ceased not to threaten Pacurius and the Persians, announcing that he
would have vengeance upon them for this insolence as soon as he should
become his own master. These words of youthful folly he continued to
utter as they walked all the way, until turning back, he came again to
the earth from the Persian land. Thereupon, as if chanting a
recantation, he was once more a suppliant, offering pitiable
explanations to Pacurius. But when he came again to the Armenian earth,
he returned to his threats. In this way he changed many times to one
side and the other, and concealed none of his secrets. Then at length
the Magi passed judgment against him as having violated the treaty and
the oaths. Pacurius flayed Bassicius, and, making a bag of his skin,
filled it with chaff and suspended it from a lofty tree. As for Arsaces,
since Pacurius could by no means bring himself to kill a man of the
royal blood, he confined him in the Prison of Oblivion.

After a time, when the Persians were marching against a barbarian
nation, they were accompanied by an Armenian who had been especially
intimate with Arsaces and had followed him when he went into the Persian
land. This man proved himself a capable warrior in this campaign, as
Pacurius observed, and was the chief cause of the Persian victory. For
this reason Pacurius begged him to make any request he wished, assuring
him that he would be refused nothing by him. The Armenian asked for
nothing else than that he might for one day pay homage to Arsaces in the
way he might desire. Now it annoyed the king exceedingly, that he should
be compelled to set aside a law so ancient; however, in order to be
wholly true to his word, he permitted that the request be granted